Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-12-07
INTELLIGENT HORSES.
How the Fire Horses Know the Alarm
and Like To Respond

! People w" have happened to Il, near
the city fire stations when an alarm was
! runS IN. ana nave seen the horses rush
out ana take their places h. the pole of
| the hose wagon, ready Tor The harness To
| be dropped upon them. have admired The
| Intelligent animals. and at the same time
wondered how they We're taught these
! things.
! Yesterday morning. while conductin..
/ his daily search for news. a Journal re-
! porter wandered into the CJsbroc has.
house, on Bridge street. ana found tho
veteran driver Alec. McCarsland. en-
joyins his morning smoke BY The stoyc
Naturally. the conversation soon turned
| to the fire department ana The remark
| able freedom in late years of til. civ
from destructive fires. Then the horses
| come III for thcir share of 1t. ana finally
il occurred - the reporter that ii must
be quite an undertaking to train green
horses for fire duty, 50 that they would
understand what was wanted of thcm in
case in alarm should ring in. 81 H..
asked The driver if it were not SO.
NO" said Mr. Mctausland in r.nIv ;,
the question. lit is not such :, hard i,h
bat still. thor" is considerable work f.,
y. When We sct = now pair of horses.
have SOM If III" boys-say fou. of rm .-
come around I" the house late SOM.
night, and we 80 To- work First we nrt
birdie and long pair of rcins on c.,cn
horse, ana two of tho mon stand behind
the horses. with the rcinS in one hand
and whip in the other. The Two other
men stand by the pole of the wagon. tn
drop the harness On the horses; when the.
come out
When all is ready. strike th. gon.s
on the wagon. This is !; signal for tn.
men with Tho horses to hit them a li-.,,
blow with the whip, and drive th,.n out
I" their places at the pole. Then they trc
driven back t. their stalls. and the lesson
is repeated. 1t doesn't tafe :, h"ls,. Of or
binary intelligence long /" learn his les
son. and generally. with tyv" or three
nights work. they viii come out ANA tax
Their pieces ot their own accord when I
strike tho gong. OF course. tr- them
nov and then. but they don't forget. very
often. And th,n. they learn very ,pIicklv
what The Indicator means I.ot thrm ans
Wcr fire alarm once and they always
remember it,
DO the horses you now have. notice
the half-past twelve ana no school sig
nals" asked the reporter. Not much.
replied the driver, they seem To know
the school signals, ana don't know Int
VIVA: they cuInt the strokes Of the bell.
for il they are eating. they will stop and
prick up ,neiT ears. ana want until tllc
b"ll stops before returning tu their feed
They don't notice the 11.'l alarm vi III.
There is onr signal that they don't s,.m
:" get used to, ana that is the meeting
call 1T o'clock on the iirst Monday night
of each month. You see. that is five
straight blasts. such as would be given
from ho! =. 81. etc. and i pats ON right
on ncttlcs
This pair that V" hHv" now Know
about as much as any | ever handled.
You can leave en- iii their stalls win
the doors open, and cont believe they'd
ever come out unless AN alarm rang III.
Why live done it time ana time again.
at times when the street doors wrrc
ul.u. just to try ',in. The mare never
steps her foot out Of the stall but once
Ill awhile tn" horse viii wander "ut "a
the wagon and sniff about thc hos. and
Rubber coats. a. If lie wanted to 50" that
thoy Were All right and thcn ~ ana
;;illr his place, beside tn pole. i;ut just
i,t An alarm ring IN. ANA You wouidni
think thty were the same horses %
they cnjoy going Ia fire? Wen, | should
say they did. I don't believe a man ever
f"lt better over the birth Of II" first baby
III 'hr family Than 10 these horses when
they hear ~ alarm ring il"
AZ this 'rncturc. Mr.. McCausaud was
called Up stairs. and the reporter wyut
forth 10 nov fields.