The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-02-07

ana IN business matters, / can tfuJh'
fully testify to his strellng worth as
a man and his zeal for the best inter
ests Of Cairo.
The Winters were all fire fighters.
There was the genial Tom Winter and
his brothers George, William and
Jack, made quartette of the best
firemen to be found in any community.
Jack was not satisfied with a hand
engine-his ambition reached out for
a steam engine. He and being both
members of the Cairo city council
along in 1862 and 6S. |. as a measure
of economy. fought him against the
purchase OF steamer-frst ON ac-
count of the original cost. and, second.
\ ly on account of the expense of run.
ming it, requiring salaried engineer
/ fireman, etc.
Soon after my term of Office eX.
pired as councilman. Jack won his
point and the steam engine was pur
chased, and proved to be the pride of
the boys of the Arab. and the Sc
curity of the business men of Cairo
when the dread fire bell rung out its
direful alarm,
Not being a member of that com
oany. cannot recall the names of all
the members. can only say that they
weer a strong and effective cobpany
and often gave the subsequent fire
companies that were formed, all they
could do to keep pace with them in
reaching the fires speedily and the
loing of effective work in the extin
gushing of them
The Hibernian fire company No. 4
was formed in the winter of 1S60-ll
years ago The following March in the
back room of Martin Towers store at
The corner of Ninth and Commercial
avenue, Martin Egan. John 0'Callahan,
:. O'Callahan, Richard Fitzgerald.
VIM. Bambrick, Martin Towers. James
Egan, John Walsh, Richard Walsh,
John Hyland, John Carroll. Bernard
Cox, James Quinn, John Cahill and
several others, whom | forget-but as
YOU see all Irish or nearly so. and most
If them now, | trust at home with
their Heavenly Father-then and
there organized the Hibernian com
)any No f. by electing Martin Egan
president, John OCallahsn, vice.pres.
lent and G. 0'Callahan secretary, |
| was delegated and sent to Cincin-
1ati to buy a secondhand fire engine
Us the Cincinnati fire department was
changing at that time from hand to
steam companys. On arriving there
'ound the hand engines of Cinein-
natl were too heavy for the muddy
streets OF Cairo, so | proceeded to
Dayton. Ohio. where purchased
zimmerman fire engine, and coming
back to Cincinnati. purchased some
1000 or 1900 feet of hose for it, in
Guiding nozzle, spanners, trumpet,
tic To get an engine house then
was the next trouble, as our money
was nearly exhausted, but Father Nc
Cabe blessed be his memory, came
70 our aid He gave us a space OF
ground near the Catholic church near
the corner of Ninth and Washington
avenue, where we erected a shed for
housing the engine and the hose cart
Gut we had no room there for the
monthly meetings of the company.
md we met at various places until we
we're able to erect the engine house
VI Fourteenth and Commercial avenue
This being two.story building-we
net upstairs, as the downstairs was
or the fire apparatus. Soon after
his the company purchased from Cow
ng and company. Seneca Falls, N. Y.
another engine of the piano type
omewhat after the order Of the
Arab fire companys hand engine
The company gained rapidly in
membership and was distinctly an
IRISH fire company, the leading Irish
men in Cairo being among the mem
Jers and the rich ones helping along
nth the money and advice Such
nen as John Hamilton. Patrick Reilly.
Bernard Smyth, Robert Smyth, John
1owlcy. Robert Cunningham. Squire
'hannessey, Scott White and others,
contributed to its support Succeed
ne years brought new officers to the
Hibernian company. c. O'Cailahan
Andrew Cain, J. O'Callahan. succeed
ing to the presidency-the last one OF
whom the writer has any remem
france being VIM. McHale. The Hi |
bernians were never found tagging at
/ fire The moment the fire bell rang
out its alarm the Hibernian boys were
up and doing, and the many deeds Of
valor performed by them in their
rivalry with the other companies
would take up too much Of your valu /
able times Those we're times when
tho hunt{n.r og tbo ..aI,niohfv dollar