Los Angeles herald., 1905-06-25

N.s.'t''s t... 4 .t.ss Fts. -.
and down on his luck and showed it in
the usual way. His friends took him in
hand, braced him up and succeeded in
getting him restored to his old position
with the water company. The long
discouraged man could not resist cele-
bratng his return of good luck, and felt
over dead while his friends were toast
ing him. Thus passed away one of the
most charming fellows that ever lived
in Los Angeles.
The handspring in the creating and
in the career of Los Angeles Engine
Company No. was undoubtedly Wal
ter S. Moore. He came here from Phil
adelphia about thirty years ago. I do
not know whether Walter had the bene-
fit Of the instructions Of the Hon. Billy
McMullen of that city, or of association
with the Moyamensing engine boys, but
certain it Is that he reached here a full
f1edged fire laddie-one to 'the manner
born" He ranked high from the start
as a fireman, and when Los Angeles
had progressed to the metropolitan
status he was for years chief of the
paid fire department
When Moore Quit
He might be filling that post of chief
still If it were not for certain differ
about the price, quality and quantities
Of hay which was fed to the horses of
the department, and which led to the
retirement of the redoubtcble Walter,
| as to the details of which 1 refrain.
Walter will always loom large in
the annals of the fire department of
! Los Angeles. He was identified with
1t in its infancy. and he had person
ality which will not be lightly forgot
ten. In addition to being a fireman of
renown, he was a politician of a
unique sort, and his Orc Finos were
we'll capable of making the Republican
Rome howl. He was once nominated
the polls what the French call a de-
bacle, that may be rendered in English
a "smashup." While he was popular
with the boys" he was down away
deep in the books of what are irrev-
erently called the "long hairs" who
made him run appallingly behind his
ticket
The versatile Moore tells a good story
of himself in that campaign. He had
placarded Los Angeles with flaming
posters telling the people to "vote for
Walter S. Moore for secretary of state.'
He was ranged in line to vote in his |
own precinct. Two citizens were ranged
in front of him, whom he did not
know and who did not know him. One
of them happened to look up and |
caught sight of Walters flaming pla-
card
He Was Scratched
"Oh," he said to the man behind him,
II forgot something. intended tc
scratch that blank be blanked-'
Reaching for his pencil, off came
Walters name and on went the name
of the Democratic opponent.
me too, Tom Platt," said the other,
and the virile fireman lost two votes
through his anxiety to make the art
do him some good.
Tom Strohm, the predecessor of Chief
Lips, was also a member of the old
Thirty lights. He came here from st.
Louis as instructor of the Turnverein
Germania. and as a resolute and skill
full fire fighter he is without a superior.
His advocacy of Mayor Snyder at tho
last election cost him a position which
he had filled with marked ability.
While, as l have said, Los Angeles
and San Francisco have been singular
y free from fires during the past thir-
ty years, the latter city in its earliest
days had some notable confagrations
Her first great fire on December "a
IS49, destroyed property valued at
81 100000. There were four fires in 1850
that on May dsposing of property
valued at $3,50O,000. June SO. 900 900
went up the spout. September II there
was $450,OO0 loss and on December IA
here was a round million flare up. The
,ig fire of May 8, 1851, wiped out $12,OOO-
400. and SO. 100000 followed June % of the
same year. November 2, 1852, Sacra-
nento had fire which destroyed $1O.-
100000 worth of property. Stockton lost /
S, 100000 by fire May 6, 1851 and Sonora
2, 100000 in June, 1852. :
Had Great Skill
No doubt the paid fire department of
oday would have cut those losses short.
rhe system as it exists now is a mira
lie of efficiency.
The great skill with which fires have
lways been handled in Los Angeles
nd San Francisco during the past thir-