The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-03
DOING LITTLE SUNS.
Spelling Easy Words and Dot
ting Their Is.
TnEc,vll SERVICE EXAMINATION
Candidates Examined for Chen and
Captains in the Police and Fire
apartments.

Sehoolbcys. and schoolgirls. too. will
read with Interest the questions given be-
low by the terrible civil service commits
sioners for policemen and fremer 10 an
swer before they can hope to retain their
positions Ard their sympathy for those
who had TO undergo tbs great mental
strain VIII be wreathed with smiles When
t>ey are told how the fine. handsome fell
lows groaned and perspired over their
TASKS. One Of the candidates perspired SO
freely over his arithmetic that his fore
head and cheeks were beaded as though q
torrsd sur had suddenly oeamed upon him.
Mos, OF them, as they left the examination
room, stretched themselves and rubbed
their biceps az II il were the hardest work
they had ever experienced
The candidates were seated at the desks
OF the city councillors Just like so many
big boys at school. with the civil service
commissioners on the rostrum as peda-
gogues. There were nineteen of them.
John Roberts. one Of the candidates for
police captain, falling TO put in an appear
snce. They were as follows:
For chief OF police-George w. Hogie,
Edward Cudihee, Charles S. Reed. George
\. Templeton. Abram H. Manning, Henry
Washington Barr.
Captain of poiice-John Sullivan, John L.
Barck.
Chief OF fire department-Gardner Kel-
logg. Ralph Cook
Captain Of fire departrnent-W. H. Clark.
Edwin D. Corfee, Charles II. Johnson.
William r. Cantrell. Frederick George GIL
ham, Joseph Latham. Richard c. Common.
Robert G. johnson, r. A. Miller.
The first exercise was il spelling. Com
missioner Blaine reading the following
words. aad pronouncing each slowly twice:
Police. patrol. report, captain, gambling.
station. crime, license, officer. clerk. de-
tective, liquor, Seattle. truckman. engine.
horse. alarm. coupling, chemical, hydrant.
The reading lesson was one OF the clauses
Of the new charter, as follows: THE chief
of police shall be the chief peace officer OF
the city. and shall exercise viglant control
over the police force and maintain the
peace and quiet OF the city. Ii shall be the
duty Of the chief of the FIRE department to
inspect and keep a record Of all new build
inss N course of erection in the city. and
report 10 the council any buildings in pro-
cess of construction"
A second excerpt from the charter was
given each scholar to copy as a test in
peamansh.p, capitalization and punctua-
ton.
So far the examinat.o was easy enough,
but not to all OF them. Then came these
formidable sums in arithmetic, and had not
the commissioners been very lenient as to
the time limit at this first examination a
few Of the candidates would have been
ruled out:
l. Add together s. Is. 542, a4l. 3, LES. u.
2. A fire department had ls.s32 feet Of h So
at disastrous fire. at which all of the de-
partment was called out. 1858 feet were
destroyed. How much good hose remained?
3 In a certain city there are on the pay
roll 81 men. who receive s. 25 per day. What
was the pay roll for the month of tebru-
airy. 1885. allowing for four Sundays?
4. What is the cost OF one bushel Of wheat
IL Sol bushels cost si93l1?
Up to this point all had gone through
the same papers Then came the follow
ing special questions for fire captains. for
which ninety minutes were allowed to
make the answers in:
l. How would you proceed to organize
a new engine company?
= What are the duties OF a captain
from the time OF receiving an alarm of fire
until his arrival at the fire?
j. Give the numbers and locations of
ten fire alarm boxes nearest to your quar-
tiers.
4. How is a chemical engine charged?
). How should horses De cared for in
the fire department?
8. Name the implements and tools car
ried on trucks and other uses.
I. How would you take line of hose
to the roof of a building and secure the
line?
g. How should cotton hose be taken up
and cared for after a firer
9. fire is l,sc0 feet from the nearest
water You are the first officer 10 arrive
How would you get water on the fire?
10. How would you attack a fire In an
attic?
II. There is fire in the twelfth story
OF a building and no stand pipe. What Is
the best and most expeditions method of
getting your line on the firer
L. Call is sounded from Box g. What
companies would respond. where Is the
boxr
- What is the signal calling on, the
whole department?
The applicants for police captains and
sergeant at the same time were working
for ninety minutes on these puzxlers:
L What IS the title Of the higher branch
o, congress- and Of the lower branch of
congress-
2. To how many members OF the higher
branch OF congress is each state entitled?
3. How often and where does the iegis-
lature Of the state Of Washington meet?
What body makes the ordinances OF
the CITY OF seattle,
5. What Is the title OF the chief ex-
ecgtlve officer OF Scatter
6. How many wards are there in Seat
tier
:. Are policemen allowed TO stand and
talk 10 each other or TO citizens in the
street while on duty9
s. How may policeman hope to rise
TO the higher grades OF the force7
9. What are four essential requisites OF
a good Policeman
10. Name some circumstances which
would Justify a policeman leaving his
beat while on duty.
II. What is an officers duty toward the
public in the matter o. answering quss-
aons7
IL Under what circurn stances Is II
proper for a policeman 20 enter a saloon?
- Name FIVE causes for saspending a
patroiuaan.
on the subject os the duties OF A police
captain ten minutes were allowed TO set
forth what special duties are required
OF the captain aside from the regular eu-
ties OF patrolman7''
Then thirty minutes were given in which
10 answer the following:
/ What IS the 1rSt duty OF a police-nanr
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