The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-07-23
THE REAL HERO
Paper Read at the State Firemen S
Convention by Miss EarharGt, OF
Newberry.

The following" paper was read at
the State Firemen's s assocition in An
derson by Miss Earhardt, daughter OF
Chief Jno. ". Earhardt, Of the New
berry fire department.:
There is a saying that "Peace hath
its victories as we'll as war; 1t can
also be as truly said that peace hath
its heroes as we'll as war.
The general public has always been
too prone to look for its heroes among
those who have distinguished them
selves in battle or in war, building
monuments IL bronze and marble to
commemorate their names and deeds:
entirely forgetting "the real hero, "
who always stands ready to risk his
health, comfort. limbs and even to
weld up his life. in defense of our
homes, property a"1l !iv"$. This hero
we always nave with '--too often
only partially equipped. at public ex-
I>ense. for actual service: depreclat-
ed b. those who are generally the
benefiriaries of his noble service and
!?eroi. dceds-those not obligated OF
regularly enlisted for service being
oiven the honor for victory and re-
ward for service-and while it is pro-
n and right for us to honor our
heroes Of the land and f the sea, 1t
is none the less right and proper that
we should equally honor and esteem
the virtues of our real hero-The
American Fireman.
The man who risks his life under
the impulse of booming cannon, the
waving of flags and the inspiration
Of battle, for his own glorifieation, IS
at best but human; whilst the man
who risks his life in order that anoth-
,er may live: is as near divine as hu-
manity ever attains.
The fireman has no battle hymn OF
victory to inspire him to noble deeds:
No visions Of the "Vietoria Cross"
nor badges of the ''Legion Of Honor"
urge him to perform his full duty;
nor has he the "Southern Cross" as
battle flag to lead him to perform
his heroic deeds. On the CONTRARY, his
matte hymn, is that drtad alarm that
clanes- out upon the startled ear,
whilst his call to duty is but too often,
woman's cry Of agony: and his bat
tie flag is that lurid angry glare that
overspreads the midnight sky.
The heroic deeds Of these men, we're
thew chisled as are the deeds of the
soldier and sailor. would render their
names immortal and would stamp
them. in deed ana in truth the "Real
Heroes" Of our goth century clvlll-
cation. And it is only because their
helic deeds are so numerous and are
being performed daily in the regular
avocations of life that they have be-
come so common as to only call for
ordinary newspaper coTnment-read
today and forgotten tomorrow.
Let me illustrate, by single IN
cident. one Of the many heroic deeds
of those splendid specimens Of our
American manhood. as related to me
by a friend whose life has been spent
in the fire service of his state:
"'Twas 8 a. m. on cold night IN
December that the firemen were sum-
moned to a burning residence IN the
outskirts Of one Of our southern cit
les. When they arrived the house was
wrapped in flames, the father and a
few neighbors were trying to save as
much as possible Of the household
goods. The mother, and her little
children around her, were all shlver-
inc in their night clothes-the devot-
ed mother was trying to wrap her lit
tie ones up to protect them from the
cold. the eldest being but ten years
Of age. She suddenly realized that
instead Of five little ones that should
be there. there were only four. The
one next to the baby girl-her darling
baby bo>--being missing. With cry
; of agony, such as only mother can
give. she shrieked out: MY God. my
! baby boyn He was left upstairs in
i his cribn Shrieking. she attempted to
: enter the burning building, while
strong hands caught her and held her,
! for to have entered would have meant
certair death to her. 4 young fire
man. Just entering upon his manhood,
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