Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-25
HEY SPIN YARNS.
Story 'e''efs congregate at cushnoc
nose House IN the Evening.
s'"' 'As Dog Fireman, aad spot Gardner"
ramsd TT Police Du,v. 2

i"e Nushhoe Hose house on Bridge
'sieet is one OF those MaccaS ,.her.
| S."is 'ehers love to congrapata ana
those VINO are fortunate epouy,, tn h..
| permitted to enter its sacred ,,,4c;nc,s
| may pass hours listening IN w.,rd tales
OF bygone days. some of th.,, true
others suspicious. most every even
q favored knot gathers in tho bi.
room where the hose wagon is
stationed and where the ,,,hf,,,
| Aieck can always have his eve on
the indicator which tells. in case the
| fire alarm sounds. where t,a t,,,,
| palT Oh SravS must be driven.
| The walls of the hose housa ara
| adorned with pictures calculated l.,
MAKE the nreman's blood boil. Burn
ing buildings which send IN q blood
req glare TO the sky. flying horses at
tached to carts and engines Ia which
men are chhsing as the fly hangs onto
the ceiling, il seems: women i,Imning
out OF iive-story windows ana men
hanging from lightning rods hundred
feet IN the air. In the center of the
moor is the hose cart and the harnesses
hanging from the ceiling ready to be
dropped onto the horses at a seconds
notice. The handsome pair. unsur-
passed in the State of Maine. which
know fire alarm the minute it sounds
and even before, some think, stand in
the stalls close by and listen To all
conversation and stories as though
they too know what is being said
In the room beyond is the old steam
er cushnoc which hasn't been to a fire
for years. but which is good en-
CINE all the same and has won Gistinc-
ton in many firemens musters. We
don nave any use FOR the old steame:
IN Augusta for our hydrants have a
force without the aid of steam that is
unsurpassed and unequalled in Maine.
Some used to think Rockland's water
service was as good but Rockland has
only pressure of 100 while Augusta
hydrants can show 100 The engine
need not be used unless some acciden;
happens to the water service. The last
time fire was kindled in the engine
and ii was used at q fire was July l.
eight years ago. when there was
blaze on Cushnoc Heights. There was
something the matter with the water
pipe uD there then.
AS everybody knows the CuShnoc
iioSt - III tIitl sc VI NieNdllt'I
McCausland "Aleck" who has an in
visible nervous cord running from his
person to every alarm box in the city
which lifts him out of bed before the
excited ringer has got the box unlock
ed. 1t was IS years ago when Aleck
became a member of the Augusta fire
department and Hon. p. q. Nickery
was then it's chief He has been in his
that time and with his family occu-
pies cosy quarters in the upper part Of
the house.
In speaking of the regular inhabi-
tants of the hose house. BIZ should
not be forgotten. Bill is small fat
pug dog of the puggiest variety. He
is regular member of the fire de-
partment and has been on nearly every
run for more than eight years. At
night. he sleeps on the wagon and IS
sure of a ride to a fire II the alarm
rings but in the daytime. he is IN
clined TO wander out OF doors ana IN"
chances are good for his having TO FOOT
it, but he is sure to be there sooner or
later and il is said he can make moro
noise than the rest OF the department
put together.
Bill is fire alarm all in himself. The
Indicator at the hose house moves Just
about three seconds before the whistle
sounds and in the still of the night.
Bits voice is sure TO he heard. WIN
out fail he gets in three barks before
the alarm sounds. Almost without ran.
reused by Bill. Aleck is at work When
tn, first sound is heard from the big
whistle
Mr.. McCausland has story when
he tells about dog known as spot
Gardner" who existed some 80 years
ago. when he was n member of the po-
lice force. Spot was a member OF the
force too and a valuable one at tnat. IL
was said of him that he could smell
..drunk'' half mile away and in
fight when the arrest kicked up.
Snot was the most effective helpmate
noliceman could find. AS Alecki tells 1t
probably a more intelligent dog than
Spot never lived.
One night Officer McCausland was
walking down Water street. Spot being
somewhere in advance the oog ran
into the doorway of Meonian hall. gave
two or three barks and then ran OUT
again. He repeated TINS narrower
three times ana the poiice"A" e"is
up the stains to find what was the
matter. found a man in drunken
sleep in the stairway .
But Srot's great triumph as ponce
dog was when. there was an attempt
ed robbery at Kinsnian's drug s'oie
The police were at the rear OF tna
store drawn thither by NOISE withih
and found a broken window. spot was
also there but he didn't wait for any
da,lving. He sprang through the
broken window and there was srea'
noise and hubbub within. the ofncers
forced an entrance and found opo.
clinging to the late Henry Clay. that
colored gentleman who has since
nassed over the great divide. He had
Henry right by the hind leg as
Aleck tells it and he was there ioi
keeps. Spot has since passed ih'o .ne
,rorld where good law abiding dogs GO
hut there are lots Of people in Augusta
, who remember him.