Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-03-19
Attempt Of FTremen to Arouse Inter
est Of Citizens In Department
Needs Proved a Failure.
TWENTY.EloHT HAVE RESIGNED
Council Asked Firemen to Reconsid.
er and Recommend Needs Of
the Department.

SP Soeh VI INC ioSoi popcio
was last week devoted to the needs
OF the fire company and a general
invitation was extended to city Off
GERS and citizens to attend, just four
men. aside from the company's mem.
bers, were present at the meeting
Friday evening last. OF those two
were former members of the company
and n was not a citizen Of Lewis.
town. The fourth was C. e. Rich
ards-the only man who manifested
an interest in the purposes Of the
meeting.
This result. however, was not a
surprise to the boys. for the interest
shown was quite as great Friday ev.
ening as during the four years exist.
ence Of the company.
The insdequacy of the apparatus
and the general condition OF affairs
was very freely discussed and fin.
ally resulted in all present-savc
one-joining in the following resolu-
ton, addressed to the city council:
Resolved, by the undersigned mem.
bers of the Lewistown Volunteer Fire
Company, in meeting assembled, that
they hereby tender their designations
as members of the fire company, and
BE 1t further resolved, that at any
time the city Ia prepared to furnish
adequate apparatus for the proper
fighting of fire each and every mem
Der is ready to join a volunteer or
paid fire company as the city may
designate"
Signed: ]. c. Bebb, r. A. Hanke.
C. II. Braunscheid, W. II. Culver, G.
lW Anderson, Emil Jensen, B. c.
Wiedeman. Walter Knight, Henry
Mckenzie, Geo. w. Hall, T. E. Mich
OILS, +. s. Russell, j. w Foster, VIM.
]. Abel, w. H. Hopkins, Otto Kemp
endorf, T. M. Shaw, Halsey r. Wat
son, Ed. s. Skinner, E. F. McKech-
ME, Frank Wright, J.. b. Lish, Arthur
Hall. w. T. Bebb, A. Z. Bebb, +. b.
Scovel. Ed. Wallace, II "A. Phillips"
A committee composed Of H. r.
Watson, w. H Culver and G. H.
B~raunscheid. was appointed to pre-
sent the communication to the coun.
ell. and the boys adjourned, antici-
pating another meeting n week lat
err, when the affairs of the company
might be settled.
Monday evening this committee
presented the resolutions to the coun-
Gil, stated their grievances and the
disbanding of the company or its con.
tinued existence, with or without nec-
essary apparatus, was fairly before
the city fathers. Mr.. Watson favor
ed the abandonment Of an organized
company until adequate facilities
were provided; Mr.. Culver suggested
that the council employ a competent
man to look after apparatus and that
the members of the company be re-
lieved of that responsibility; Mr..
Braunscheid believed the fire COM
pany should he encouraged and not
permitted to quit their jobs on &C.
count of a lack of interest in their
needs and welfare.
The temper of the council appear
ed decidedly in favor of continuing
the organization, especially since the
cold weather had passed and every
effort was being made to install wa
terworks before fall, and Mayor Cook
and several aldermen expressed them.
selves in favor of doing all that was
possible to encourage the company.
The result was the adoption of a
motion. offered by Alderman Ed
ridge, requesting the firemen to re-
consider their resignation and to Of
fer to the council some plan of meet.
ing the necessities of the company.
AS the matter now stands the COM
pany has resigned but their resigna-
ton has not been accepted and it is
up to them to determine at their reg
ulaf meeting Friday night what fur
Their action they will take.