Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-21

company ana whenever I'm home
attend all the fires. We have the fin
est company there of any of the east
ern states"
Runs on Exercise Call
Excuse me-" came the interruption,
for home town mans eulogy on the
local fire department. is an abomination
in the sight of the heavens.
well, it is, anyhow" said DEACON.
Il simply stated that, however, to tell
you of some of my experiences about
the country. The first thing do when
1 reach city or town. and have time
is to call on the boys and show them
my badge. There are a hundred and
one tricks to play on a strange fireman,
and l would rather get in on the fun
than have the laugh on them.
In Kansas City last year / had my
bicycle with me, and l used to keep in
shape all the time by riding hard. Well
one afternoon 1 was standing in front
of the Grand opera house and | heard
the clang of the bells. The horses were
going at fair rate Of speed, and !
made hurry trip to follow that lone
hose cart. Somehow everything went
wrong. l skidded on a wet street and
bruised my brains on the. sidewalk.
Then / tried to run over q horse and
buggy and the shafts of the buggy
caught me fair on the sneezer-excuse
me, L mean on the beak-and I went
down and the bicycle broke to pieces.
After that I ran five blocks only to find
that hose cart standing in front of a
blacksmith shop, where the horses were
being shod. Say, 1 haven't heard the
last of that-not knowing the difference
between a fire call and an outing party
T.:~
But the chief trouble is when you
hit small city where the fire houses
have brass poles for the firemen to
slide to the floor from the sleeping
apartments. I believe / bear the dis
tnction of being the only man who has
slid down every one of those fire poles.
Some have an electric battery at
tachment and the firemen promptly ask
me if 1 wouldn't like to slide down the
pole. I tell them that we haven't got
none of them there things back home
and volunteer to go. When start the
slide the battery begins to get busy,
and when land have received nerve
resustication enough to do me a year
or more.
another trick is to have an adjustable
rubber pad at the base Of the pole. A
fireman hits that pad hard when he
slides down the pole and the visitor
generally finds the pad give way and
he sinks into tub of water. l always
go prepared, wearing old clothes, and
when 1 hit the pad hit it hard enough
to splash water over the whole fire
department"
At that juncture of the interview the
busy man began to prepare for the
next scene. He stripped off sweater
and stood forth in a sleeveless jersey.
maybe you can have an idea of how
It keeps a fellow in training to swing
the show people about" said DEACON
as he fiexed the muscles of his arms
and shoulders.
Tosses the "GaIs" About
And the sight of those ridges of IRON
like flesh would have been worthy ex-
hibition alongside of Jeffries.
DEACON is known as the hardest and
best worker in the business. When he
has a leisure moment behind the
scenes he is trying new experiments
and features for the show. All the girls
of the troupe fairly worship the big
man, and he treats all the gals" as
he calls them, with impartial thumps
Petite little Miss Irma Croft, who
plays opposite DEACON, bears bruises
all over her body where the big man
has swung her against the scenery dur
ing his "Iillie" song and dance act.
The first night of Miss Croft's en-
gagement with the peggy company
she was swung against the scenery
and her left ankle was thrown out of
place. The girl promptly tainted with
the pain and DEACON, without letting
the audience know, whisked the uncon-
scious girl off the stage and yanked
her ankle back in place. Now during
the evenings performance the members
of the company watch from the wings
TO see whether the little soubrette viii
be killed or not.
DEACON announces that he viii pay a
visit to the local fire companies before
he leaves. and interesting developments
may be heard later.