The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1897-05-27
FIRE DEI.ARTMENT.
Annual Report of the Late Cniei
Cant. l.. f. COe.

The annual report OF Chief Z. H.
.Coe of the Fire Department., wnlcn ne
had prepared for the annual meeting,
was found among his papers, and was
read before the meeting on Thursday
.eyening of last week, as follows:
GENTLEMEN OF THE FIRE DEPART
MENT:
You all know that this is late date
for our twelfth annual meeting, which
should have taken place on Jan. l4th
for the purpose of completing our org
anization for 1897. But sickness has
made it impossible for me to write the
report or call this meeting before the
records of 1895 shows that our fire duty
,was not quite up to 1895, but that is a
matter on which we have no control,
and can only say that we are well
pleased with last years results. We
have had twelve calls and twelve fires,
which were most of them small and
! quickly put out. Last year our fire re-
port was fifteen calls and fifteen runs,
with $2S, 900 involved. The insurance
was SS,O55. This year our fire loss
) was only s., $50 involved with insur-
ance $1,000.
The distance run this year to fires
was seven and half miles; Hose
laid 5000 feet: Time used while doing
duty twenty hours.
The report from the secretaries are
of a first class character and the mem
bers are all in good standing, Acme
No. l has fourteen members, one man
short; Clippers, fifteen members, all
in good standing; Hook & Ladders
fifteen members, with fair standing.
You have performed your several
duties with such promptness that can
but say what I have said many times
before-that what you are enlisted to
do. YOU do with willingness that
shows to me that your will-powers are
not lacking in the. least, and [ Will say
that was proud when I came over the
morning after the Dobbs fire and saw
what a splendid stop you had perfected
and have my doubts, if there could be
better Job done by any paid depart
ment in the state. l will say for your
!. encouragement what the adjusters
said who were here to settle the loss;
'ssThat was as 6ne stop as we ever
saw, and could not have been better. y
1 was sorry to have heard that some
of our best people made the remark.
s.Let it burn down-it is insured. "
Now, I want to say to those people,
that we are not built that way, and as
dong as we have water and there is any
fire to be put out we do not care what
the outsiders say we shall do our duty
and put it out: and its my earnest be-
lief that these same people will feel
ashamed of themselves when they come
a. think how such remarks sound in
the presence of men like you who are
striving to do your duty as volunteer
fire men witloutpay or compensation,
except the honor of being fireman:
The following is the official record
of the department for the year:
No. of joint meetings 2
Hook & Ladder, average attendance IL
Acme Hose No. 1. No. enrolled 10
Average attendance IL
!, Clippers Hose Co. No. 2. No. en-
rolled 10
Average attendance lO
We had in our special relief fund,
Dec. 1896 $710.96; In general fund
$30.O6. The receipts from our last
dance were: Tickets sold 8S which
amounted to $500. Expenses $34.25
leaving balance of $53.75
Do not forget that the Clipper Co.
sold 40 of the tickets. Bro. Newell
sold 33, and am ready to say that he
:. can sell more tickets than your hum
BILE servant. Let us remember Land
lord Scrivener for the splendid spread
laid for that occasion. l wish to
thank the citizens for their liberal pat
]. ronage in purchasing tickets to the
dance.
Our expenses for improvements has
:. been light. A few ladder straps is all.
The city council gave us $3.50 for ex-
pehses of delegates to attend the State
Firemens' Association held at Duluth.
This is the first time we ever received
from the city money enough to pay by
half our expenses to the convention
and for this the council will please ac-
- s IN
cept our sincere thanks
can not thank Mr.. Davidson too
much for the interest he has taken In
giving us such fine pressure OF
water, and if you could see him run
ming for the pump house when the
alarm of fire is given, you would say
that he could lay all such race horses
+. as Connelly--Minnette's in the shade
and not half try. That's right Tom is
a good one when there is a fire.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.
We have 1000 feet of hose that will
have to go out of service, for as you
all know we have not had a fire for
I..k = how h