The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-07-09

see In tho Gre department column
II Tho Morning News on 8 lturday. an
.rtlcle stating that William Gum went
!. ON Tenth and Market streets to tho
Water Witch engine house In time to
,irlye the hose wagon TO the Manning
Library fire OH Thursday night lust.
1t also Gays that the tiremen oil the
Forty Acres are very sound sleepers
to allow a man to come from the CEN
ire OF the town and drive the wagon
tefore lhey' are up. Our boys would
'ndeed ! Q sound sleepers to allow
such a thing, but before Gum arrived
the fire the Water Witch Company
ind done fifteen minutes service. at
east. don't think Gum authorized
Vow, MIR. Editor. our company Ia
voupg, and hps had an uphill fight al
along, and II is hard. wheel, you are do
ing your best. and making good time
to have newsi aper, (from whom we
expect support moro than opposition
10 publish such statement as the one
published To-day. You can say any
hing good OF our department. and
Nobody notices 1t; but say something
like what was published to day. and
every one 10 down on tho company a
which the article is directed. It's hare
20 shake a bad name, and they seem q
10 trying their best to give us one.
I'll explain about Gums driving
and can prove what say. l also take
all responsibility for this statement
Gum was at 10th and Market streets
when the alarm was struck. He tool
"a car and came out. In the meantime
! he Friendship Company had gone
hoy (the Friendship arrived Mt tn,
,ire just after we had turned oul
stream on the building. OF course, IL
get stream on our wagon had tt
tnke the hose there. 1t was there ba
ore the Friendship got there. whicl
vas to he expected. How did Gum
IN an electric car beat that com pany
here? That Is not sense. he coult
never have done 1t. Well, as Gunr
vas passing the engine house another
member OF the company told him the
drivers belt was on its hook. Gum
went In and got 1t.
Our wagon was driven to the fire By
IN ex.member. Michael Donahoe, anC
was the first member OF the Watel
Witch IS. +. Il. Co. to drive on thal
iiight. Our wagon was at the scene
and our hose connected with the plus
before the last round OF the box hat
l'och Bsk up " III
wagon. and, showing me the belt, de
imanded the wagon. | gave 1t up L
MIN. and he drove 1t home. That end
Jed Gums driving.
IL your reporter will take the u oubl,
10 ask Gum, or to go 10 the Watel
Witch engine house. and ask any ont
here they will tell him the same as
low tell you.
| 1t does not show much sense in th,
ire department reporter of the Morn
ing Naws 10 credit such a story as h,
published Saturday morning, and |
has done tine Water Witch Compan,
considerable harm already. and mu!
do moro. II the fool killer wa
around lie would not have to 20 far IL
Wilmington TO lind two or three legi
lmute victims.
i We ask no thanks from any one
seldom receive any. but l do hop
your paper will correct that story. en-,
give us credit with being able TO hitcl
up and take our apparatus tire
I squares In less than 20 minutes.
The good work the ilremen do 1
never taken into account, but let On
% much as make a mistake, and tn
whole city, especially the newspapers
re on him like thousand OF bricks
Hoping you will correct the article
nd that the Fire Department repol
cer OF the Morning News will lear
scnse some day.
A MEMBER OF THE COMPANY.
Wilmington. July 2. 1894.