The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-10-18
ASKS Fer PAID FIREMAN
NORFOLK CITIZEN THINKS IT
WOULD PAY.
NEED HORSES AT FIRE HOUSE
The Writer, In a Letter on the Sub.
jeet, Says Expense Of Maintaining
Team and Driver at Fire House
Would be Saved In Fires.

BY queer coincidence the following
letter which has been received by The
News, was written Oct. l3, the day
before the fire which destroyed a pop
factory and two barns in an early
morning blaze, the flames being well
under way before the alarm was
turned In:
Norfolk, Neb., Oct. 13.-Editor OF
The Daily News: AS a citizen of Nor
folk and reader of The Daily News,
! would like to say few words which
voice the sentiments of a good many
other people in regard to better fire
protection. The city council Is about
To undertake the expansion OF the city
limits which will include several out
living districts in the city's govern
ment. It is to be hoped that the city
administration will follow this up with
proper municipal protection as in for
mer expansions they have sometimes
been lax in the matter OF expanding
fire protection. The district east of
the river to Beach street, three blocks
square and the site of a number OF
residences, is notable example OF
this. as there Is not a fire hydrant or
q foot of water mains in the district
Another thing which | think the city
could profitably take up is the main
tenance of team and at least one
man day and night at the central fire
house to respond to an alarm and take
the fire fighting apparatus to any part
of the city where 1t Is needed. Mis-
souri, Valley, Iowa, maintains such O
system and 1t Is giving satisfaction
Sheridan, Wyo., a town OF 5000 inhab
itants maintains one full company OF
three men at the fire house all the
time and the history Of the city Is
noticeably free from disastrous fires
The cost of maintaining this protec
ton to the city is about $2100 pei
year, yet the people of Sheridan are
willing to pay the price of this in the
assurance of first.class fire protection
AS the double shift law is in effect II
Nebraska it would cost Norfolk jus
double this amount or a little owe
$4,000 per year. No one in Norfoll
can deny that the losses by fire IL
Norfolk from Oct. /, 1906, to Oct. |
1907, have far exceeded $4,000 Nor
folk has grown too large and the fir
district is scattered over too large al
area for the old volunteer department
to do prompt and effective work. TIL
time consumed from the turning IL
of the alarm until the fire department
scattered all over the town at variou
occupations, can run perhaps severa
blocks to the fire house to get the fire
fighting apparatus and then severa
blocks more to the fire gives the fir
start which often the tiremen ca
not always get under control. This
noticeably true of fires at night. Nc
long ago friend of mine, a gentle
man of Topeka, Kan, came to No
folk with the intention of investing |
Norfolk city property. After lookin
around he did not invest. The reaso
he gave was inefficient fire protectio
for the outlying districts. l believ
that the establishment of an efficier
fire department would be an assn
ance of better fire protection to res
dents of Norfolk and a standing ev
dence of the present advance Norfol
is making. Yours,
An Admirer of Norfolk and Th
Daily News.