Arizona republican., 1902-09-22
FIRE DEPARTMENT PETS
Members Have to Love Something
 Besides Y. M. D. Club

! While II Is a Tact that the Young Mems Democratic club stands very high in the affections of the working force of the Phoenix fire department.
 that organization is not sufficiently porous to absorb all the love that radi-
 ates from the hearts of the firemen. There is surplus that has to go some
 where which probably accounts for the fact that the department has always had a number of pets that were de- serving of admiration and respect and
 that could not be dragged into ward
 politics.
 | Homer, the goat. though run off the
 reservation, is still in the flesh and still enjoys the goodwill of all the iremen. Numerous dogs and cats have
 found favor, lived their day and either died a natural death or got under the ! big apparatus and were killed. Prob ! ably the most famous pet, outside of | Homer. who engineered the memorable ! victory in Prescott many years ago.
 was Jack, the big fire dog that came to l be recognized as a privileged character
 and that took more interest in depart
 ment affairs than anybody except the l Young Mems Democratic club. But Jack in an evil moment got under the engine wheels. was mortally wounded,
 shot and buried with honors. His pie ture is new a sacred souvenir with
 many of the boys
 l At the present time the principal pets are a nestful of kittens with bob tails and no ears. and Jim, big brown dog, well known in the bohemian so-
 ciety of the city. The kittens, if they
 ever were a noble work of the creator. | have been badly mutilated as the re-
 suit of the firemen's passionate love. At one time or another the firemen have had all sorts of kittens from streaked cats to maltese, and those that were not killed have been stolen by
 strolling cat lovers. When the present aggregation came into being a month
 CT two ago the boys determined to give them an individuality that could not be | destroyed, so they docked their tails
 and cut off their ears
 But Jim is the particular joy and | pride of the force. He was left with Billy Simmons when a little pup by a boy who asked him to keep him over night as it was raining and he did not want to take him home in the mud. The next day the boy came back and made the gife perpetual. Jim was inn mediately christened after ex-Mayor Monihon, the patron saint of the de- partmelt. He was then about as ugly
 and rusty looking cur as ever came over the pike and possessed nothing that indicated aristocratic lineage. But with good feed, regular meals and lavish demonstrations of affection he has grown into a handsome dog with
 all the dignity of thoroughbred and with unusual intelligence. He is a fine illustration of what education will do for a dog, as was old Jack before him. for he too could boast of no recorded
 ancestry.
 At this time Jim has become as pop ular as Jack was and fills his place as near as any other dog could. He as sumes that no matter who is in charge of the engine house he is second in command. He knows the bells and signals as we'll as the horses or the fremen, and has shown his good sense on many occasions. Once he accident
 ally got under the engine while run ming to a fire and came out of the en- gagement badly broken and lacerated. but was doctored back to good health. But he learned something and now when an alarm comes in he waits till the last wagon leaves and then follows
 behind, planting himself on the ap- paratus as soon as it stops
 | That he knows his business is illus trated by an incident of the fire on
 South Seventh street not long ago. It happened about o'clock in the morn ing and the alarm was first sent in by i d series of shots. Jim heard the first one and immediately proceeded to make
 a tour of the firemen's cots and arouse
 each one so that by the time the bell
 rang the boys were all up.
 Jim hates cats with the usual dog
 nature. but no more than he does other dogs when they stray on his preserves. The appearance of a strange dog means fight and Jim makes a spec ialty Of coming out first best. The ap- lrearance of strange cat means a foot race with the cat in the lead, but the