Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1895-12-06
The Flreman's Dream,
EDITOR RKpoRT:

npaCc III youi faiu1unT RnPSL ~ -
plain matter which has been
troubling me much Of late;
always enjoy a sceial gatheEing
with my friends. and ESPECIALLY when
those friends are acti{e: Wide.awake
men, When / attend debating
society ] always enjoy listening TO a
good argument, and have several
times been called TO order by the
chair because in my excess OF en-
thusiasm could not lepress crying
out aaAmen!n or .iThaf'sright Tom"
Or; sect there Mike, 2 OF the Ike,
We'll, Mr.. Editor, Tattended a most
enthusiastic meeting Of the Cotton
wood FIRE company a G pple OF weeks
since, and we had d grand time o. ".
We had Just received our new Bole,
ladders, and the bell had just been
swung in the tower. We were itching
for fire, and ] believe, judging from
the speeches, we would have set some
building in the town ON fire just to
have seen If we gould not have ex-
tinguished the flames, and to try our
new rigging, had 1t not been for some
Of the cooler heads present,
Now, Mr., Editor, ! have sent in my
resignation to the company. and the
boys are all kicking against it, and
as / don't wish to be misunderstood
by the boys or the public in general,
will explain the reason FOR my
action, aud am satisfied the verdict
must acauit me of all blame in the
matteE OF my action:
The facts are, after the meeting
that night ! went to my room IN the
hotel as sober as | eyer was known
to he in my lie. We had discussed
the water question SO much that ]
had not felt dry all tho evening. !
placed tho candle ON chair beside
my bed, and after making the neces-
sary change of raiment | tqm bled In
to read little from a neighbnring
fire oompany's suggestion as TO the
management al our company, Ihlnk
it was Chicago company. ! had
been in bed but a few moments when
| heard the fire-alarm sound, i'm
mediately jumped up and proceeded
to the scene of the confiagration and
found that the alarm had been occa-
stoned by defective aua, when / Mt
once commenced to tear Off the shin
giles from the roof, and had NY bands
badly burned In the attempt to ex-
tinguish the flames, / then attempted
to stamp the fire out, shouting Justify
for wafer and informing Foreman
Gilmore just where the Are was, Mr..
Ellis had by this time reached the
roof by one of our pole ladders and
was doing valiant service with the
buckets. ! started in to throw the
furniture and clothing out OF one OF
the windows TO the boys below, BY
hard work we managed to save the
building and possibly the town,
had just ran up pole ladder to an
adjoining second. story window, when
the man with the bucket managed tc
make good shot at me with a bucket
full of water just from the towr
pump, as the foreman was orderins
me to come down to help save tht
brewery, This bucketfull, however
| awoke me, and at the same time
heard the hotel proprietor yelling
: "What in the name Of common sens
is the matter with your Get dow
off OF that head= board and stop act
ing the fool" When ] beeame thor
oughly awakened / took In the SIT
nation. was perched on the tiptol
of the head board of my bed, tryin
to climb picture cord, ! must hay
fallen asleep when some one hap
? pened to sound the dinner bell in tn
office, had flung my hand too nea
= the candle, causing it to burn me; q
U anyrate the candle, or what RENAME
f of it was trampled into the carpet
with the marks of my naked fee
upon it, the chair on which it stoo
was flung into the far corner OF tn
room, smashing several lights of glat
which I had just purchased. tn
}. bedding, together with my best clotl
ing, were on the ground beneath m
window, while the carpet, wall an
what remained of the bed were w
with the contents Of the water pitch'
aud that indispensable article was
4 another corner of the bedroom
fragments. The proprietor, backe
by fifteen or twenty anxious face
was in the doorway, with an emp
water bucket, the contents of whi(
had suddenly aroused me from n
10 slumhels.
~ ut once took in the situation
= less time than 1t takes to tell it. al
scrambled down from off The hea
y board After assuring the prophet
\ that l was in my right senses, al
~ agreeing to make good all damagt
he kindly refrained from bringing 1
before the Justice of the peace; no
ever, by the assistance of several
my friends ! at last found my clot
ing, and as 1 supposed, hushed t
matter up TO their entire satisfactio
y at least I thought l had drowned
~ interest in the fire company had c.
me dear, as the following stateme
shows what l paid cut or lost:
l. Damage to furniture, etc, s:
beer, (as quieter), SIG; glass brol'
. So; suit of clothes entirely ruin
: !. SIP. Total, sol.
/ had much difficulty in addit
in trying to persuade the proprie
O. to allow me to remain in the hou
he being anxious lest should rep
the offense. After explaining ths
was an active member of the
company and had just returned t
evening from one of their meetir
\ where we had been prscticingthe |
and latest methods OF extinguish
tba fires, he realized my situation ,
iIaJ kindly allowed me to remain in
NAL mouse, not, however unIil l
lore leave the company.
AN Did the fire company practice
viz. often, so that could take the Il
W off and go Immediately after
) w meetings to my claim ON the reser
ssss ton. might consent to remain,
nm. as their enthusiasm is so intense,