Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-03-19
II Has Been Decided to Procure the
Services Of a Waterworks Expert
as Soon as Possible.
RESIGNATION OF FIRE COMPANY
The Fire Boys Were Asked to Recon
slider the Matter-couneil Agrees
. to Make Improvements.

A special meeting OF the city coun-
ell took place on Monday evening for
the purpose of appointing judges and
clerks of election and receiving the re-
port OF the city engineer on the pro.
posed waterworks system.
The entire council was present,
and on the meeting being called to or
der the mayor. noticing that a mum.
Der OF the members of the fire depart.
ment were present, asked II they had
any business to bring before the
board. H. r. Watson, as chairman
of a committee appointed to interview
the board. stated that on behalf OF
the department he desired to hand in
the resignation or the entire com,
pany, owing to the inefficiency of the
apparatus provided by the city for
that in the event of necessary i'm
provements being made and a fire com.
pany organized under the auspices of
the city that each and every member
OF the retiring company would be
willing to again offer their services to
the fire department. He also said
that the company seemed to think
that the non-attendance of the coun.
ell at their meeting last Friday show.
ed that but little interest was taken
in the organization.
W. II. Culver also expressed him.
self to the effect that the non-attend.
ance at the meeting showed that the
citizens did not appreciate the eff.
forts of the company and that IL
seemed to him that the best way out
of the difficulty was for the council
to assume the responsibility Of keep.
ing the fire apparatus in order, for
use by a purely volunteer company.
The mayor asked what should be
done with the resignation and F. E.
Wright said that the action of the
company seemed a little hasty in
view of the fact that the city was try.
ing to obtain a new system by means
of waterworks, and 1t looked as If the
company could get along this sum-
mer with the present apparatus, ow-
ing to the fact that there was no
doubt but mat a system of water.
works would be installed in the city
before fall. Alderman Stoddard men.
toned that he would not like to see
the company disband entirely. as fire
protection was necessary to the city,
and If the citizens, generally speak
ing. were to try to handle the fire APP
paratus there would no doubt be con-
siderable difficulty experienced. ow-
ing to the general lack of knowledge
of the machinery.
Several members of the company
mentioned that the citizens were in
the habit of joshing the fire boys on
the poor results of their efforts, which
was not right, considering that the
unsatisfactory service was the result
of the poor apparatus and not of the
company. Alderman Brassey hadn't
heard OF the company being joshed.
but had often heard the apparatus
spoken OF in sighting terms. He
thought that in consideration of the
fact that a system Of waterworks
would soon be installed that the COM
pany ought to take back their resigna-
ton and reconsider the matter.
David Hilger thought that IL the
city did not have a fire department
that the fire insurance rates would
necessarily be higher. Fireman
B%raunschied stated that in his opinion
the department would be willing to
withdraw their resignation II properly
encouraged. and the mayor answered
that the council had always granted
all demands of the company and done
everything possible to encourage
them. It was moved that the depart
ment be asked to withdraw their res
ignation and F. z. Wright made a mo-
ton. which was seconded, that ]. G.
Bebb be appointed to see that the
fire engine and apparatus was thor
oughly o~verhauled and repaired.
It was agreed that the fire company