The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-06
ALL GO
Fascination of
Fires.
HUMANITY STUDIES
What One May Pursue in
the Crowd.

~ Just what fascination there is about
80 fire has been matter of wonderment
thinking people. That there is a
. fascination is true; perhaps it is the
wlesire to watch the battle between the
elements, but it is more likely the nat
.zral depravity of humanity in liking to
~9ee-the destruction of anything wall
liable. Anyway, almost everybody goes
70 a fire, when it isn't too far away.
Box A. city hall! The alarm has
Icarcely sounded when a hose wagon
flashes up then another followed by
smoking numbering engine; a ladder
wagon swings around the corner on a
dangerous curve, swaying from side
to side and stopping just at-the right
place The engines are at the fire
plugs, connections made and steam up
to 40; the line of hose stretches its
dirty length to the scene of the fire and
the fight begins.
Obviously, the first people to get to a
fire should be the firemen, but they
aren't. The small boy comes first, fol-
lowed by his sister, and jointly they
do their best to get killed or run over,
or do something to add to the general
excitement. A small boy at a fire is
about as useful as a steam roller at a
Sunday school picnic. He does nothing
but get in the way. 4
There are other people who do moths
ing, but they don't get in the way, not
all of them. Sometimes a man will
stand with the hose between his feet
just when the aforesaid hose is about
TO be moved. He then finds out his
false position. He also tries to find out
how to take the mud off the back of his
tan oYercoat.
A type of almost every class of So
ciety may be seen at a fire, even the
Chinaman leaves his wash to come and
look but he keeps we'll out of danger
of any personal contact With the wa
ter Business men, lawyers, physicians
tramps and popcorn men all stand
and gaze and elbow each other. A fire
is a good place to study humanity 1t
is also a good place to have ones peck
ct picked. The people cheer at each new
phase of the confiagration. The plate
glass crashes with the heat a line of
hose becomes unmanageable and
mighty roar goes up from the sea OF
populaee assembled. Cheering at what?
Why, at a spectacle arranged for its
especial benefit.
There are some people who don't
L
the policy in his company and the man
who left his silk umbrella in the build
ing the day before curses his careless
ness. The firemen don't cheer either.
They wait until there is something TO
cheer for.
a IRE at midnight in the residence
district brings to light, literally, more
variety en- dishabille than anything else
unless it be a. steamboat wreck or an
adult earthquake. Every one living in
the neighborhood has some personal IN
terest in the property being destroyed
by the devouring element, as the coun-
try. newspaper hath it. Either because
Mrs. Jones is a good neighbor or be-
cause she isn't, is a reason for feeIing
excited.
If the fire burns slowly and there is
time to save household goods the crowd
manifests great interest in the ehattels
aforementioned and comment unre-
servedly upon the condition of the par
lor sofa and the looking glass some
body has thoughtfully thrown from the
second floor window. At fires, people
ain ost always throw brealSaole articles
of vertu from the upstairs windows
and carry out the fiat irons and deposit
them with utmost solicitude upon the
grass in the front lawn so the firemen
win have something to stumble over.
But to return to some Of the indiVid-
uals who haven't gone home to dress.
y Almost everybody is shiverine. 1t is a
peculiar property Of fires to warm only
one side at once unless a hot cinder gets
down a fellows neck and makes him
try to pull up his coat collar Then he
remembers that he left his coat at home
on the rocker and it suddenly downs
upon him that he has probably left his
top shirt in the same place, and he
tries to edge back out of the crowd. But
he can't because the crowd is trying TO
do the same thing for the same reason.
Then he tries to make himself small
but fails, and finally decides he don
care, which gives him time to notice
Miss Smiths curl papers and Robin
sons embroidered slippers. and he
knows ever after why Miss Brown S
teeth are so perfect.
1t is good fun to watch a fire when
one is clothed and in his right mind and
has on a macintosh that the cinders
won't hurt 1t isn't well to wear a dress
suit to fire. One has to be dignifed
in dress suit, whether he wants to or
net, and it IS HARD to enjoy a ire and
, be dignifled at the same time. The hose
has a habit of getting in a fellows way
and the -fremen sometimes apply oppro-
brious epithets which are disastrous to
the equanimity of well poised man.
Here are a few "dont's'' for people
who go to fires. It's easy to give advice,
you know.
In the first place, don't try to tell the
chief what to do. He knows his business
better than you do, though you may not
think so. And you ought not interfere
with him anyway, because he is trying
TO earn his salary.
Don't criticise the firemen either.
They are acting under orders. And they
show as much heroism in the smallest
act as you ever did in your life A fire.
man doesn't get the praise, but he de-
serves as much honor as any soldier
who lies in trench and fires a rife at
something he can't see.
Don't, especially if you have on a new
silk hat, go to see how the engine is
working. The engine is inconsiderate of
ones feelings and is liable at any mo-
ment to put out a shower of sparks
which may tend to injure the nap of
the hat. 1t is usually sloppy around the
engine, too.
Don't leave your bicycle leaning
against a fence and expect to find ii
there when you go back. This don't
holds good at a circus parade as we'll
as at a fire
Don't argue with policeman. This
needs no explanation.
Finally my dear brethren, if YOU
/, csrst adhere to these "dod,ts." don't
go to fire at all, but stay at home and
read the magazines. In case is your
own house that is burning, however,
you may break the rules regarding in
reference. Naturally you want 10 get
all you can out of the Insurance com
pany.
BUcKLENs ARNICA sALvE.