The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-06-27

Taking men for the hre departueuI
off the bottom Of the civil service ell
gible list is not withou: precedent, but
it is only recently that the commls-
sioner has had very much room to ex-
ercise his power. Heretofore the quail
flying mental examinations were so
stiff that only about enough men to
fill vacancies ever got on the list 10
90 before the head the department.
Today the physical exam..' "experl-
ence sheet" memory test" and
rules" rank in importance in the Or
der named, and while the require
ments are none the less stringent, still
a man with limited schooling has
much more of a chance than he ever
had before. The movement towards
this Qualifying process has been grad
ual. and the opportunity given the ap-
pointing power to pick seasoned tim
Der" is heartily endorsed by every bat
talon chief from Harlem to the Bat
terry.
"The men are paid to risk their
necas,' was the way one chief ex-
pressed it; ito sacrifice them, if nee
essary. A fireman must be able to
take punishment as long as he can
toddle on his legs. If he quits after
the first Of the gaff, We don't want
him. 1t costs money every time a
man goes to the hospital or on the
pension list, and every fireman knows
the department is short of funds We
don't even like to have firemen sick.
posure, and willing to be whipped if
he lags. Books won't help him any.
He's got to be born and bruised to it.
The farms give US the best fremen,
and we get almost as good ones off
the streets. We pick them out Of fac
tories, railroad yards, and off the front
end Of trolley cars-any place where
the brute in man is eager to butt
against something huskier than him
self and get hurt"
The Test of "Heart."
According to the standard that
seems to be set up by the department,
a fireman may be little or he may be
big, but he has got to have "heart."
The examining surgeons test this with
the stethoscope, the fire chiefs by dr1v-
ing their man into a hole full OF
choking smoke. They may stand him
against scorching wall of hot fame,
or chase him up crumbling wall with
a scaling ladder. If he had heart
he makes good" If he lacks it, there
are plenty of men anxious to take his
place, and they are not kept waiting.
Consumption, the great white plague,
is getting too common trouble with
the husky men of the fire department.
Maybe it is the sudden changes from
heat to cold, possibly the choking hot
smoke, the poisonous Vapors, or the
chill of damp cellars. Anyway, a stur-
dy pair Of lungs and regular habits
are required to keep off the dread dis
ease in this vocation. Once a man
shows weakness in his lungs, the sur
geous hustle him out Of the depart
ment, and many poor fellow has spf-
fered like a dumb brute rather than
confess his sickness and be retired
When discovered, they are advised to
20 to the plains Of the southwest,
where with their pension they can
save money and win back their
Strength. Some Of them are given
leave Of absence, but few are willing
to forsake the fascination Of the city
and isolate themselves on a ranch.
The physical requirements for the
fire department are more severe than
in any other of the municipal organ
iziation. For instance, in 1899, out
Of one batch of about 1000 applicants,
some 6S0-odd passed the physical ex-
animation. Out Of this $50, 49 only
passed the mental tests. Today, OF
that 49, % are assistant foremen, sew
eral have died or been killed, 4 are
foreaen, and the rest engineers. One
Of these foremen, in speaking Of those
who had met death, referred to them
casually like this,
"a tank fell on Billie - up on
Sixth avenue; 'Mickie' - went
through a floor down in Mulberry
Bend, and Henry got choked in a
cellar. Shorty -, oh, yes, Shorty
got the CON- and is laying brick on
skyscrapers, won't leave the city,
cause he knows he's only got short
time to live!"
Discipline Paramount.
All the training the men need they
get in the department: only, as vet
eran chief pointed out, self-controi
means much, and an applicant who
can show good clean papers from
some disciplined force will be taken
on Immediately. Discipline is abso-
lutte iu the fire department. 1t is as
strong almost as in the army or navy,
and that is perhaps the reason why
the fireman whom the public meets
in trolley cars. subway. or elevated
-, ;ot syoN