The herald., 1912-10-24
When Red Hill
Clorihed
BY NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1912, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

Lightning had never struck anything
there, and a hurricane had never been
heard of. There was no politics. dog
fights nor lawsuits.
Red Hill Just went right along with
out any man breaking n suspender as
he climbed fence or any housewife
burning her bread in the oven as she
gossiped at the gate. but her day was
coming.
On the morning of certain day
Abraham Green's old bull got out OF
the pasture and charged the town ana
ripped open three barrels Of salt ana
upset a buggy. At high noon mad
dog ran through the streets and bit
hog. At o'clock in the evening as
Moses Hepburn was milking his cow
by candlelight she kicked the lantern
over and set fire to the barn. The
flames were eXtinguished after doing
80 cents worth of damage. but Moses
didn't stop there. The next evening
he electrified the postOffice crowd by
suggesting a town fire department.
There were two or three old conserva-
tives who solemnly shook their heads
and declared that CONGREGATIONS were
the handiwork of Providence and
shouldn't be squirted out, but the town
in general received the idea with en-
thusiasm and wondered that it had
not been preached before.
Inside Of half an hour forty men had
put down their names as tremen, ana
| the town trustees had named a COM
mittee to go TO New York and look at
hand fire engine and report on the
cost. 1t was only after the report had
been made and public spirit worked
I'D to the boiling point that cloud OF
| trouble sailed over the horizon. All
of sudden everybody remembered
| that fire department must have
| foreman. and everybody felt that he
was Just the man for the place. 1t
was Absalom Jones who made the first
break by rising up and saying:
Il am not the man. as you all know.
to thrust myself forward, but on this
occasion I arise to say that | am will
ling to make sacrifices and become the
boss of the fire company. All | ask in
return, in case perish while doing my
/ duty, is that you will visit by grave
now and then and cherish my men,
ory."
Then Hiram Smallman got up. Hi
ram had once assisted to put out fire
in a grocery store in Syracuse and he
considered himself a fire veteran.
There was no doubt in his mind that
whoever was elected foreman would
sooner or later tumble off the roof of
burning house and break his neck. but
when duty called he was not the man
TO hang back. He had but one neck.
but he would gladly break that and his
back to boot snatching widows and or
phans from the grasp of the fire fiend.
There were faint cheers as he sat down
with moisteped brow. but the applause
didn't discourage Deacon Spooner.
Sons of freedom" he began as he
rose up. there should be no strife or
jealousy over this matter. What we
first want is an engine to squirt out
fires. What we next want is compe-
tent man to direct the squirting. AS
you are all aware, | have been in the
pump business for the last fifteen years
and | ought to know something about
water and squirting. I will take the
man can do more. l may perish in my
first couflagration. but il so you will
remember me as one who did his whole
duty
As the deacon was sixty years old
nearsighted and deaf in the starboard
create any great enthusiasm. When be
saw this he sat down with a jar. and
Philetus Johnson took his place. He
admitted that his experience with con
iagrations had only extended to a
burning haystack and a blaze in q
willing to learn-not only that, but
willing to peril life and limb in the
learning. In case Of death he would
leave a widow and seven children and
! two cows to mourn his loss. but the
! town would erect a stone to his mem
| OIN. duu VII NOulu UC SldNth the
words. Here lies man."
For two or three minutes after Phile
! tus sat down it looked as If he would
reach the pinnacle of fame, but there
were others waiting to have their say.
The last speech Of the evening wa:
made by Lawyer Tompkins, though
only half finished. He started out Il
tell of the burning Of Rome. and how
the fire could have been squirted on
, at the beginning by the right sort Of ;
man in command of the fire depart
ment. and had gradually worked dowI
to Washington crossing the Delawar'
when the impatient audience howlet
him down and proceeded to ballot
The ballot showed that there were for
ty-two firemen present and that ever.
one wanted to be foreman. The chair
man raped for order and asked then
J to remember that the eyes of tn,
whole world were upon them and tina
: one having the true interests Of tn
. people at heart would willingly Civ
way, but the second and third ballot
: showed the same result. Then Judg
, Harmon arose and appealed to the pa
triotism of the audience, saying tina
General Jackson always stood ready t
take a back seat. but another ballo
! chouad M chan0o Whom tho rQcul