The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-30

..when the green, you know, gets back
on the trees" as Whitcomb Riley says,
the Stringtown kids are always seized
with desire to do something. think
it must be the towering instinct, for 1t
appears everywhere. With some 1t Is a
laundering to fish; with others longing
for love, and with still others desire to
write poetry. With the stringtoure kids
this spring it took the form of fire fight
ing. | don't know whether the many
bonfires caused from burning trash or a
real fire that occurred on the South Side
suggested 1T, but 1t came.
ssFellers, let's organize nre Depart
ment," said Skinny Cowles.
THAT'S the ticket" returned another;
..I'm going to be the engine" said
..Shucks! You amt got the, steam"
returned skinny, contemporary. me me
Other kids laughed. where's that ola
garden len R hose Continued fiIr "a 'nf0"'1 ~
"Guess it's about the barn somewhere"
faltered Sneak, considerably cresttalien
at the laugh the boys had given him.
.Weli, that viii do. Sneak, your old
wagon will do for a hose cart. 49,.
And / have dandy new wagon that
viii be ali Tg Rcb fSr the enS e kin s put
a tub on it and use the lawn pump. az,
"Shucksl ve don't Want to be on the
water wagon replied SIX Skinny "no
"Can't we have two engines, ana you
bring yours. too?' suggested Dumpy.
That was the beginning OF II; r tbaf
every evening made things hum around
Stringtown completely drowning Tue
racket of the frogs Mt the nearby p9nu,
First would come a cry OF hre, ana t Inet
the crowd would dash down the street
at breakneck speed, every DoX aetlns
several parts, helping to pull either
blowing the fire, initiating the clangor Of
the bell or the hiss or steam, WINE 1I the
wagons ratified over the stones, until the
householders had gotten used a 10 tn minl
dows, under the impression that pande-
monium had broken loose. into soile
ward the kids would dash with INFINITE
clatter, place ladders against some :. Tree re-
and in a jiffy several would climb to the
first limbs then up and up till near the
top, carrying the hose with tnem anu
working with all the energy oa yp tbe t, re-
play until they chose TO assume the nre
tits nuisance and ought TO be
stonned. cried Grandfather Foster
whose nerves had been set on edge oy
the noisy demonstrations.
.sPe patient, father" said his daughter,
gently Boys must have something TO
employ their time, and they enjoy ms MS;
They say one will get used to anythlng
If It is repeated enough. He will even
listen to the rattle of the street cars till
he doesn't hear them any more You re,
member the story of the boy. who cried
.sWolf, WOLFF so often that he was not
believed when the wolf came. This Is
the reason, perhaps, the people OF String,
town ceased to pay attention to the Kids
fire department. They might race along
the street crying fire at the top of their
voices and yet hardly be noticed by the
grownups; they might climb to. the very
tops of the naples three or four at
time. and still nobody out Of their set
would see them. So 1t came about that
the boys had fire all to themselves.
Skinny came TO them one evening
breathless, his eyes wide with excite
ment, aud said:
Boys there's a real, sure-enough fire
down at Fosters. Their kitchen roof Is
blazing. There's pump on the porch.
Let's attach the hose to 1t and put her
out The her sounded much bigger
than the pronoun cit"
1t was what the boys had long been
anxious to have opportunity to do, and
they fell into their places with the rapid
ity and precision of finished fire laddies.
A few seconds after the announcement
had sounded they were gathering down
the street, screaming 'irei" with unusual
gusto, and initiating the engine with
more vigor than common. But, despite
the noise the grown people, who never
even turned their heads to look, merely
smiled and went on about their business.
1t was too old thing to excite or alarm
them. When the kids dashed into Eos
ter's yard, though the family was seated
on the front porch, they waited till the