Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-05

Metropolitan electric car, and he had been
discharged from the service of the street
railway company for wrecking his trolley
In collision with fire engine. He had
felt that the fire department owed him a
living having deprived him of one, and the
political influence of his brother-in-law
helped the commissioner to pay the debt.
The railway thereby lost "A motorman who
could run down a crowded street with a
controller full ahead, and who cracked his
gongs frequently by dancing frantic fam
dangoes the ringers" of them when the
heavy goods trucks got on his tracks; and
q the department gained prohationer who
loved excitement as a collie dog loves an
open field who could handle a forty-pound
scaling ladder from the shoulder, with the
muscles that had skdded car wheels when
he screwed down brakes. and who went up
a Widowed wall or took the thirty-fve-foot
jump into the life net. in probat ioners drills
at headquarters. with the smile of the days
when he had played Cops an Crooks
through an East Side lumber yard,
His term of probation all pure sport
for him He spent his days at headquarters
and his nights at the engine house In Har-
lem to which he had been Professionally as
signed He worked of ten pounds of fat.
and he clipped his dropping black mustache
until il stood out in fierce bristle under
his huge beak of nose His comrades called
him Bull. ana ne paved al them IN Il
bear-cub playfulness that left them bruised
about the forearms. He was happy. He
had but one cause of dissatisfaction: the
Harlem engine house was not a school OF
arduous training. and he wished more eX-
citing life. He saw prospect of 1t when
he received his appointment as a fourth
grade fireman detailed to fill a vacancy In
Capt. Meaghan's command; and he chewed
the roots of his mustaChe with one corner
of his mouth and smiled crookedly out of
the other You'll straighten your mug be-
fore you've finished with that they warned
him. He Strengthened II forthwith. in
grin thai curled evenly on both sides of his
rose. Il guess yuh're right, all right he
said. and nodded.
He reported for duty on the following
day and Capt. Meaghan looked him over
with an official glare. He Saluted clumsily
and stood stiff. knowing the captain by rep
utation gruff disciplinarian-
Meaghan said: How much d'yuh weigh?'
"One ninety, sir" Corrigan answered.
He groaned. "One ninety? Dyuh know
that truck weighs near 10000 pounds
a ready
truck aggrevedly. He had never consid-
cred the weight OF truck before. but 1t
struck him that this one had gone to gross
excess.
"One ninety Meaghan snorted. Il spose
they think I'm runnin' an OK cart Some of
yuh'n have to get out an walk pretty soon
This was evidently sarcasm. Corrlgan
smiled at it with uneasiness
yuh here fer?
II didn't ask" Corrgan answered, SIM
ply.
We'll" he said. "yuh carry a good hook
don't yuh?"
Corrigan squinted down his nose and red
dened.
"a regular can-opener. l guess that's why
they sent yuh. Ell? Thought you'd be good
at maxim smoke vents in tin roof Ell?
Corrigan muttered an uninteligible an
swer at his feet.
Well the captain concluded. savagely,
well soon smoke the shine off 1t fer yuh.
He turned TO his lieutenant Here, Gale
CHER, show this man his quarters. YUM
go on the bright work dyuh under
stand?''
Corrigan understood that he was to have
the care of shining brass of the sliding poles
and the truck He said. Il do" and fol-
lowed the lieutenant upstairs with an angry
swing of the shoulders that would have
meant a fight under other circumstances.
That was his introduction to Capt. Mea-
CHAN There followed his meeting with the
men of the company meeting that was
clumsy ceremony of handshakes and en-
barrassed gutturals He was shown his cot
In the bunk room and given the key of the
closet for his clothes, and then he was left
to shift for himself. He proceeded to in
spect with due reverence the trucks equip
ment of ladders, hooks and axes, shovels,
picks. wrenches. mauls, bars. jimmies,
forks. pipes. hand lamps, respirators. bat
tering rams and what not. He arranged his
helmet and his turnout" coat in the row of
them on the bed ladders He inquired for
and located the cloth and chemical for pol
ishing his bright work He studied the
list of fire alarms, patted the horses ana
smiled overwhelmingly at the bigger over
the desk.
1t did not reply with an immediate signal.
and he went upstairs again with an undis-
couraged grin to wait for II. Wlthln an
hour IL was known to every member OF the
company that the new man played poorer
game of checkers than Billy Parr even.
who had a fatal weakness for leading from
the double corner: and that was the begin
ning of Corrigan's popularity with the blue
shirts
Capt Meaghan saw nothing in him eN-
cent n hulking good nature which might
easily be mistaken for the next of kin to
stupidity Corrigau lay awake the greater
part of that night listening in an excess of
zeal foc fire alarm that was not runs in;
In the morning he was heavy-eyed at roll
call and the captain remarked il. A sum
mons to a small fire that was black when
the truck arrived on the scene of 1t brought
Corrigan the last man to his place on the
side step; and that was another mark
against him. He made good record when
taps called the crew to their places at
- midday. but he closed his eyes while he was
hi watch on the desk in the afternoon, and
the captain accused him of being asleep
there. Corrgan did not argue: but he did
worse. He Sulked. And by the time he had
turned in for the night he was discouraged.
disoleasure
He fell asleep with the small fame of the
gas bracket in the wall above him burning
an irritation in his eyes.
The jigger exploded its alarm. The lights
swan In his head as hevprang from his bed
and struggled into his trousers and high
boots. drunk with sleep. He dropped down
the pole to the main floor as If falling in
dream and staggered to catch the side step
of the truck II rolled out into the street
in a dull rumble of pounding hoofs and
thick voices A rush of the night air puffed
into his face with the wet smell of draft
from a cellar, and began to sing hollow in
his ears like the Groom in shell, that
the ride that followed seemed as confused
as a nightmare-the three horses straining
In their collars. the blown lights of the
drivers lamps shining on the play of mus
Giles In their sleek TANKS, the bell ding dong
ing monotonously, and the silent men be-
side him the step swaying as they fin
ished their dressing, cinging TO the side lad
ders of the jolting truck. His own hands
did not seem to belong to him; they were at
q great distance from him, on the ends of
long arms. His helmet did not fit his head.
He got one arm into his rubber coat. but