The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-02-10
WRITTEN AT RANDOM.
D o o o o o o o o o o o

20 o o o % o o o o o o
The latent germ of scientific
knowledge nestled in the brain Of
great scientists is often manifested
in early youth, and one little fellow
who by every indication will some
day make his name live in scientific
history. certainly showed that he
had something In his Uranium be-
sides the minor cares of the average
small boy.
A party of boys were coasting In
hollow near the Thompson stock
yards. and there was a deep gully
directly across the path. Whenever
the little fellows would come down
the hill they would Invariably go
into the ditch, that is those not skill
ful enough to turn their sleds aside
but the boy in question soon rene
died this matter.
He procured several shovels and
with the aid of his companions SHOW
eled a high bank of snow on the
edge of the ditch and gradually
sloped II of. making gradual rise
from the bottom of the embankment
to the gutter. He finished this side
and went to the other where he low
cred the snow little. He next took
his sled and ascending the hill start
ed Off He struck the bottom of the
embankment at rapid speed,
mounted the slope and shot clean
over the gully. landing on the other
side He did not stop here but went
on for great distance from the mo-
mentum of his body and sled. II
required no skill after this and
pretty soon the youngsters were all
enjoying the long coast, thanks to
the inventive genius of their friend
Councilmen j. p. McOarty used to
be fireman in Louisville and tells
many amusing experiences he had
while serving the city in that ca
pacity.
81 am a river man by profession"
he explained, "but in my younger
days got a laundering after a fireman
job. | suppose every youngster at
some time in HIS life gets a feeling
of the heroism supposed to be at
tached to such positions. and when
| got on was filled with the deeds of
valor | saw myself doing. In fact.
was so sure of distinguishing my
self that | already saw my picture in
the papers where | carried girls and
babies out of the very face of death. |
Six months cured me. for my eyes
could not stand it, and had to quit.
was on steamer, aipipeman. and /
the smoke and dust nearly put my
eyes out. When / got my appoint |
ment and was made "a fire laddie, 7
the first stunt they made me do, and /
] was green enough to do It, too, /
mind you, was to make a few trial 1
races for the pole and slide down /
to the ground floor. The boys put /
up the joke pretty solid and | rarely I
ever got down in time. Sometime
felt some other fireman, just a little /
faster, come down on my head, and
after few hazings of this nature, |
was given my second degree.
THE boys placed a long ladder up
against the station house and made
me climb up to the top, and, sitting
down on the sides, slide down. Well.
hit in a heap the first two or three
times, but fortunately broke no
bones, and Il was nearly week of
constant practice on ladder sliding
before ! caught on to the fact that
they were only making sport of me
after | left Louisville | came to
Paducah and have been here since.
| love the fire business, attend all
fires possible. and spend some of my
time at the local stations. was re-
Gently presented with an excellent
pipe by the stationmen at the No.
station. | often watch them play
Just such pranks as were played on
me, and | enjoy them. too. or
course, it is only fun. and all danger
possible eliminated.
Some one had made the remark
that II was too cold for hoboes to
ride the freight rods and the old