The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-03
GOLD I'M"
Amusing Stories Told About a En-
nous Fire Horse of BoSton

Amusing Stories Told About a En-
nous Fire Horse of Boston.
From the Boston Transcript.
Stories of the intelligence displayed nv
horses in fire departments have been told
over and over again. but there is a horse
in the Boston fire department that seems
to be worthy of little attention at tbi.
time, as he has about completed the dave
when he can be used with safety. and
probably will soon go where he will have
nothing to do but kick up his heels and
enjoy himself. This horse is known T.,
the members of the department, and. in
deed, to many of the citizens of Boston
as "Old JIM" and is now at the Dart
mouth street engine house, where he is an
emergency" horse. This means that he
is used when one of the regular animals
is sick or away being Shod or when tbe
condition of the streets demands an extra
horse.
The men tell several amusing stories
about him and the way he acts when an
alarm is sounded in the engine house. Az
soon as the Taper" sounds and the stan
doors fly open "Old JIM makes a dash for
the door. AS soon as he leaves his stall and
gets out on the main floor he hesitates
moment, and then rushes to the vacant
place, as though he understood THAI ha
was as likely to have to fill one position
as another. Another little trick he has %
that of helping himself at the grain chess
when he thinks no one is around to see
him. He will turn nearly around in his
stall, and with his lips will shake the
hook of the rope back of him from the
ring in which it is fastened. Then he will
back out of the stall, and, going over
to the grain closet will push back the
wooden button with his lips, pull the door
open, and then, raising the lid of the grain
chest, will help himself. If he hears the
step of one of the men he will rush back
to his stall and crouch up in one corner
as if he knew well enough he had been
doing something wrong.
When the blacksmith calls at the house
to take him away to be shod all that is
necessary is to open the door of his stall.
give him push and tell him to go, and
out he trots TO the man waiting for him
in the street, and as he trots along he
strikes pace calculated to make some
of the younger horses Jealous. He is said
to be one of the best workers that the de-
partment 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 fire
in the heather district several years ago
The story is vouched for by Captain Null
igan, of Engine No. %, and several of his
men, and, while it may seem hard to be-
leve, those who know the horse say that
it is thoroughly Characteristic of him. Pre-
vious TO this fire "Old Jim had been
quartered at the Fort Hill Square engine
house, but had been transferred to the
Dartmouth street house to take the place
of another horse. The fire was one that
required the services of the Dartmouth
street company, and ''Old jim went to it
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 lamppost, 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 suppose those horses
were found? "Oid JIM, remembering his
former home in Fort Hill Square, and
perhaps wishing to introduce his compan-
ion to his old mates, had in some way
unfastened his tie rein, and had towed his
two mates to the house in Fort Hill
Square, where he was found looking
around contentedly and apparently enjoy
ing himself immensely.
One of his former drivers said recently
that when "Old jim was at Fort Hill
Square he had many a time gone to
fire with his bits hanging from his mouth,
but he seemed to know just where he was
going, and only needed the slightest pres
sure to make him turn in any direction
required. So well did he seem to know
just where he was wanted to go that the
men almost believed he could count the
alarms. In fact, boy did call at the
Fort Hill Square house one day and asked
to see the horse that could count the box
when an alarm was sounded.
For all the horse is probably eighteen
years old and has worked hard ever since
he entered the department, there is still
plenty of life in him; but he is not so sure
footed as formerly, and it will not be long
probably, before he is retired" and II IL
to be hoped that he may be sent to some
pasture where he will have nothing to do
but take life in an easy way.