Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1901-06-20
FrREMEr'S SLIDING POLE.
new . Chicago 00eer Invented . De-
vice That Has Become Ia
aisDensable.


fre-engine houses in al large cities is
the invention of a Chicago fireman.
The first man to make the descent was
Steve Payne. who is still an active
member of the department. Payne is
a colored man. past 10 years of age,
and with almost 30 years service to his
credit in the Chicago fire department,
says the Inter Ocean.
Hundreds of devices and appliances
have been made for use in the fire de-
partment, all tending to diminish time
in getting out Of the house after an
alarm is struck in. but nothing has
ever approached the sliding pole.
which Is the invention of Dave Kenyon.
Kenyon was afterward killed while
driving 20 fire. but he lived 70 see his
invention adopted by all the large
cities in the United States and Europe.
Steve Payne related the story the
other day at engine-house No. of
how Kenyon made the first sliding
pole.
LIT was in the fall of 1872, as near as
| can recollect," said Payne. "that
Capt. Kenyon. who was captain of No.
81, made the first pole as an expert
ment. With the exception of the cap
tain and the lieutenant. we were all
colored men in No. 81. There was Q
California invention that was made
like . chute, and il was almost worth
mans life to slide down from the
sleeping quarters. At that time No.
els house was at Twelfth street and
Third avenue. back of the old Green
Tree tavern. Matt Bonner was chief.
] had joined the department only a
short time when Capt Kenyon asked
me one day il could get him a pole
about i6 feet long. He said he was
going to cut a hole in the ceiling
and run the pole up through it from
the ground floor for the men to slide
down on. l thought it was the
craziest thing l ever heard of. but. of
course, 1 had to do as the captain told
me.
There was an old colored man, who
kept a small lumber yard at Twelfth
and Clark streets, and 1 went over to
see him about the pole. He didn't have
any. but he gave me a 2x4 piece of
pine. The captain whitfield it round
with n draw shave, and then sandpa-
pered it down. After he got the pole
finished he had an awful time getting
Chief Benner's permission to cut a
hole in the ceiling. We had a carpet
on the floor. and want to say right
here that old No. 81 had the first car
pet of any company in Chicago, and
the house was fixed up in fine shape.
The chief said he didn't want to spoil
the appearance of the house by cut
ting hole in the ceiling, but Capt.
Kenyon kept after him until he finally
got permission. I remember how us
colored men thought the captain was
crazy for sure when he tore up the
carpet and sawed a hole in the CELL
ing about three feet square. We
thought more of that carpet than we
did of our families. 1t was the only
carpet in a fire-engine house in the
world And colored men, mind you,
were treading on 1t,
We'll, sab, the pole was put in
place After everything was ready.
the captain told me TO go upstairs and
slide down. / didn't want to do il,
but, of course, I had to do as the cap
tain said. After slid down the other
boys tackled II, and before night we
got to like il. just the same as kids
sliding down a banister. The chief
came down to the house a few DAYS
after that and he took slide down the
pole.
That old wooden pole was used in
No. as house for year or two, and
then we got an iron one. Now they
have brass poles at nearly all the
houses
When the wooden was sup
planted by a. On one. Steve PAYNE
took tn, oId one home as a relic. He
has given away so many souvenirs that
only short piece about a foot long.
remains of the original sliding pole
made by Capt. Kenyon.