The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-05-06
THE TALISMANlC BADGE,
IT MEANS "OPEN SESAME" At IHl
GUARDED LINES ar FIRES.

Reporters Have :, By EiEh.-i sura. oe AZ
Juster- who Use II wrorrr ny-FIr,
CrnnEs ct Au SortS md D'2r.r..
Fire line badges are issued by the Fire Com.
mlsSioners to such persons as may have ans
legitimate reason for wanting TO get Within
the police lines at a IRE. But there are IN this
town good many men Who with no right, de-
| sire admission within the FIRE lines. and foi
one reason or another they make life n burden
to the Fire Commissioners when new badges
are Issued by their Applications Some Of
these mon are simply cIanks on the subject Of
n'e@ Their greatest delight Is In following
tho engines. Others use tho fire ladges foi
purposes not designed ~ tire Commissioners
New fire ln9 badges have Just been IL.
sued by the Commissioners. They were do
scrioed in THE Sun several daya ago The Old
tadges that resembed the cover Of u backina
box are being called in. There IRE only 900
badges in the new issue. Every badge is mum.
bered and n record OF IL IL kent at Fire Head.
quarters. They are cumbersome things. aud
have no artistic merit According TO the re-
mort OF the Fire Commissioners these Jadges
cost thirty cents apiece. hut the Commission.
ers rerulre deposit OF IS IN each ore WIEN
II IL issued. II the holder gives up his baiEs
this money Is returned 80 him.
There are other men besides the 1remen
who may have business WITHIN the police lines
and to these the balRes are issued, the head
OF every city department is entitled to badge
Each newspaper may have from six to ten
badges to lie used by its reporters when as
signed to cover "a IRE and each insurance com.
pahy may have one or two badges.
When the old la iGes were issued a number
Of them went to the men who call themselves
public fire adiustors. These men have been
unable to obtain badges Of the new issue. Fire
Marshal Mitchell has had aUre unpleasant
experiences with them, and y" ADVISED the
lltc Commissioners to deny their applications
THE Hdlusters propose to take some action In
the matter They are not connected with any
inaura nee COMPANY, and they act na mtuue-
men between the losers by lire aud the conn
ranieS. some NJ them hrdR NtUuni Police
is rHcctyel AZ suon rs u iroi. located they
hurry to 1t and 3iter Their services t. oollect
and settle Il With the insurance COMPANY.
They have numbered me very seriously At
m atrha NcRs b%1ere TH nave are
,ised the Commissioners not to give them
hadtes. They have no official business within
try to get the losers to give them the right to
collect their insurance for percentage. and
sometimes they coJpeiatoin putting up frauds
Only the other day prosecuted man for
arson. Alter tho IRE in his store made yety
careful inventory of his stock. Although he
had recently gone into business. much Of his
stock consisted Of very old goods PUT up in
new cases for in stance. there were so mis-
mat,d pairs p .hHes They y- Rs, put up II
siz" boxed together. During the trial
HAT these shoes were all naiei 1 have
formed my opinion Of them asa class from the
ssamples that | have seen. They do a good
With tho public lire adiusters going TO fires
Is business. but there are other neh who
att end them lust as regularly. Thore Ia GER
tain amount OF dash aud excitement about .
big fire with n score Of engines ut work that
ta ESs in " ali kinds 81 biSzes. ie knows the
chiefs ami foremen by name and sometimes
One OF the most persistent Of these nrs
cranks is a man who is known to all newspapei
two years. six or eight years ago this man
was neml,er OF vonnteet hre departments
HiS business i az, called him to New York. and he
obtained fire badge. since that time 10 has
that he could reach. II. will leave dinner OF
his he'd at any time to follow the engines. The
bremen address him familiarly.
When there are no fires within his reach he
drops around to the nearest engtnc house aud
discusses Ires that have occurred.
| run to fires and who value fire badges more
highly than they wouli pass 70 "vSry iheatre
within the lines whenever theirs il n big fire Is
g proslerous youn; business man: Wfn q .
Ho Will walk around the drirpins lines Of hose,
wade through slush or mud. and stay w TIL
tue early hours OF the morning simply 10
Nearly every fireman in New York either
whose fad is fires. He has a fire alarm in his
handsome home there, and u man really
TO hitch his horse at the first stroke OF
the bell. When he comes to New York hs
frequently sleeps In a fire engine house and
turns out with the men Mt every alarm. There
are many lesser enthusiasts on this subject
but each one OF them applies for n fire badgs,
Over in the downtown east side district OF
New lork n fire badge clothes the wearer with
authority little less than poltceman's. twill
usually admit the owner to all dances and
makes him in other ways privileged person,
A badge stands for authority down there. a d
the kind OF badge 1t may happen TO be 10 not
questioned.
only go Of the new fire. line badges have
been issued thus far and the Commissioners
are taking care that they shall get into the
right hands.