The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-28
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sAb SSStse~ 3O00 ADOUg . RS19~
esA Fire Her~e 81 Desson.
Boston frsEserips
stozsss Of TIE intelligence displayed BY
horses IN nrs departments have been told
over ard over again. bat there Is a horse
n the Boston fire department that seems
20 oe worthy OF . little attention NJ this
Ime. as ne has about completed the days
"hea ne can be used with safety. and
pronahy wiz soon 50 where he viii have
noshinE TO DO but kIck up his heels ard
enjoy himself. This horse Is known TO the
members OF the department. and. indeed,
@ many OF the citizens OF Boston - ssOia
1s ana g Dow ~ the Dartmouth street
engine house. where ne ss an emergency
horse. This means that be Ii used wher
one Of the regular animals is sick or away
beinz snod Or when the condition OF the
streets demands an extra horse
Inc men tell several amusing stories
ABOUT him and the way he acts when an
alarm - sounded In the engine house AS
soon as the Taper. sounds and the stall
coors NY open odd Jim makes a rush for
the noor- As soon as he leaves his ssail
and gets out on the main hoor he hssisates
a moment. and then rushes TO the vacant
place. as though he understood that he
was as likely TO have TO all one position as
another Another little trick he has Is
that OF helping himself at the grain chest
when be thinks no one is around 10 see
him He will turn nearly around IN his
stall and with his lips will shake the hook
or the rope back OF him from the ring In
which II Is fastened. Then he viii hack
out or the stall. and. going over to the
grain closet. viii push hack the wooden
button with h-s lips. pull the door open
and then. raising the Id OF the grain chest,
will help himself. II he hears the step OF
one OF the men he will rush back TO his
stall and crouch up In one corner, as IL he
knew vel. enough he had been doing some
thing wrong.
When the blacksmith calls at the house
to take him away to be shod all that 10
necessary to do II to open the door Of his
STALL give him push and tell him 10 so.
and out he trots to the man waiting for
him IN the street. and a. he trots along he
strikes a pace calculated TO make some of
the younger horses jealous. He Is said TO
be one OF the best workers that the de-
parsment ever had, and. as the men say.
has killed several Of his mates by making
them work harder than they were capable
OF. In keeping up with him.
One OF the most surprising stories told
about him relates to his actions at q IRE
In the leather district several years ago
The story Is vouched for by Capt Mulf-
gan OF Engine No. e and several OF his
men, and. while II may seem hard to be-
lieve. those who know the horse say that
II is thoroughly characteristic of him.
Previous to this fire 'sOld Jim had been
quartered at the Fort Hin Square engine
house. but had been transferred 10 the
Dartmouth street house to take the pace
OF another horse. The fire was one that
required the services Oh the Dartmouth
street company, and 'Old jim" went to- II
as leader on the three-horse team Of the
engine. When the scene OF the fire was
reached and the men settled to work the
horses were detached from the engine and
"Old jim was tied TO a ,amppost. his two
mates being connected with him by the
harness. When the fire had been subdued
and the men were ready to go back to
their house the driver went over to get
his horses. but no horses were visible. No
one had seen them go. and immediately
everybody began a search for the missing
team And where does the reader sup
pose those horses were found? "Oid lin. Z"
remembering his former home In Eert Hill
Square. and perhaps wishing to introduce
his companions 10 his old mates. had in
sonN way unfasSenvd his therein and had
towed his two mates to the house in Fort
Hill Square. where he was found looking
round contentedly and apparently enjoy
Ing himself Immensely.
One Of his former drivers said recently
that when "O.d JIM was at Fort Hin
Square he had many a time gone 10 a Are
with the bits hanging from his mouth, but
he seemed to know just where he was GO
ing. and only needed the slightest press
ure 10 make him turn in any direction re-
CURED. So well did he seem to know just
where he was wanted TO go thai the men
almost believed he could count the alarms.
In fact. boy did cal at the Fort Hin
Square house one day and asked to see
the horse that could coun, the box when
an alarm was sounded
For al the horse is probably Is years
old. and has worked hard ever since he
entered the department. there Is still plen-
~ OF life In him; but he Is not so sure
footed as formerly, and 1t will not be long
probably, before he Is retired" and IL Is
10 be hoped that he may be sent to some
pasture where he VIII have nothing to do
but take life in an easy way.