St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-19

when years of maturity would enable
them to become full-ftedged firemen,
they employed the interval as a proba-
tionary period and
FORMED JUVENILE COMPANIES.
Among the notable ones were the
students" and the Mechanics. % which
lourished during the years IS to IA.
The latter company, if the information
given me is correct, had the honor to
be the owner of the original McCloud
engine, as stated in the early part of
this article. Information concerning It's
membership and operations could not
be obtained in time for this sketch, but
l am told that John j. Ahern has the
archives OF the company in his memory,
the other data being lost. or the Stu
dents the following were members:
Albert J. Oertel, foreman; Wells Eddy.
first assistant; Joseph Handles, second
assistant; Frank Giles, secretary; Otto
Schinbauer, treasurer; Charles ".
Spiel, Oscar Allen, Milford Kiefer. Otto
kiefer, Albert Eibel. julius Faber,
Julius Keller. George Schiller, Ed Stahl-
mann, Tom Mclaughlin, Gus Passa-
want, Henry Orlemann Jr., Emil Rosen-
kranz, Harry Riehl Frank Combs,
Ignatz Metzger, Ed Maggie, Rudolph
Schoenemann. Their ages at that time
ranged from fifteen to eighteen. The
company was under the special patron
age and membership of Thomas l..
WEIGH, veteran fireman of Hope En-
CINE Company No. l. The machine"
was hand engine, force pump action.
built especially for the company by
Robert Safely, engineer of the steamer
city of st. Paul" 1t was no mere toy.
but quite an efficient affair and threw
a stream seventy-fve feet through a
half-inch nozzle. The students" ran
to fires regularly, were often first on
the ground, and held the flames in
check until the department arrived. and
occasionally they had the fire out when
the others got there The company
was a feature of the
DEPARTMENTAL PARADES.
was warmly greeted along the route.
and its little engine on such occasions
was smothered under floral decorations
from fair hands
There are many pleasant incidents
connected with this history which must
be omitted. \ few of them, however.
ought to find place as they are suggest
ed by the names which have appeared
here and there throughout this article.
In the organization of the old Hope
| company the regulations regarding
membership fixed the ages of eligibil-
ity at from twenty-one to forty-five
years. At the time of organization
George W. Freeman had not attained
the requisite age. but being of splendid
fireman's material, the company made
him tOrch-bOy, and he served in that
capacity until his years ripened him
into full membership. 1t is now nearly
forty years since he took care of Hope
| company on dark nights in the humble
| capacity of torch-boY. The dignfied
| president of the st. Paul fire board in
1896 must look back with considerable
satisfaction over that route between
| the two extremes of a fremanS life.
| Then there is Jerry G. Prendergast
| who sits beside Mr.. Freeman as vice
| president of the board and who has
! as his record of charter membership in
| "Minnehaha," a long period of active
| service,in the ranks and as an officer,up
! to the chief engneership. l find in the
| old roster of the same company the
| name of
JAMES J. HILL
! set down as leading pipoman," and
! am reminded thereby of the eternal fit
| ness Of things which has ma de our lead
! ing pipeman the main pipe" Of one of
| the greatest railroads in the world.
1 see, in fancy, the dgnfied Maurice
! Auerbach skipping along at the sound
! Of the alarm bell-sharp strokes to
| correspond with the number Of the
| ward ana a succession OF mad clashes
| where all the strokes roll into one
skipping along supported by Judge
| John b. Olivier and William A Van
| Slyle and fanked by G. D. Elicit, J. l.
| Beaumont. 5. Lee Davis and Gen. John
| =. Sanborn.
Tim Reardon used to be splendid
fireman, of genial disposition and good
| nature; but who would trust him with
| a "spanner" in the present day city
| council with row on?
And so we might go on at length
| through the roster of
FAMILIAR NAMES
| until change comes Ger the spirit Of
| our dreams as we observe how few are
still here and how many are gone. 50
| that many tell us that il was not
alone in fighting fire that these veter-
ans of the st. Paul volunteer fire de-
| partment were heroic and duty bound,
| for here is name after name Of Vetera MS
of a sterner battle; of gallant officers
| and gallant men, soldiers of the war.
| Some of them are, happily, still with us,
| and others, who left the engine
| house to take up arms in defense of
home and country, to tight on Southern
field where rebellion reigned and north
| ern frontier where the cry Of savage
| was heard, returned no more In tho
| c. RenshaW, of the old Hope. who died
at Bull Run, the first sacrifice laid
upon the altar of the Union in the open
! ing battle Of the rebellion. So we come
! to know and understand what is meant
| by heroes in peace as well as in war"
C. j. w.