The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-12
MILTON HANNA RE1|RES FROM FIRE
DEPARTMENT, YEARS IN THE SERVICE
From TUESDAYS Daily.

from ueSOdyS Odtly.
w. III. Anderson was elected cap.
tain of Excelsior Hose company No.
l, at it's regular monthly meeting
last night to fill the vacancy made
by Captain Milton Hanna, who de-
clined to serve another term. Wal
ter Daniels was elected first lieuten.
ant; Frank Madigan, second lieuten-
ant; ID. w. Pitcher, secretary. and
j. A. Lewis, treasurer
A committee on resolutions, was
appointed as follows: J. A. Lewis,
Frank Madigan and A. d. Beach. Mr..
Hanna was presented with beau
tiful gold ring as token of the re-
gard in which the members of the
hose company hold him. He has
seen service in the fire department
for twenty-seven years.
Milton Hanna now has three med
ais won by long and efficient serv-
ice in the Civil war and as fire.
man in the Mankato fire department.
The first medal was given him by
Company H, Second Minnesota, in
which he enlisted in 1851 in this
CITY, This company gave out mr.
teen medals, the largest number OF
any single company of the federal
army. At the encampment at Den
yer, Colo, he received his second
medal from an engineer who built
the railroad to Pixies Peak. This
engineer gave every G. A. r. post
in the country medal taken from
metal of the mines in the mountain
at Pixies Peak, with instructions to
give it to the best worker, and Mr..
Hanna was found to be the one In
the local post. The gold ring marks
the third medal for service in the
fire department. t-s
Long Service in Fire Department.
Mr.. Hanna's connection with the
fire department shows a long his
tory, not only of service but OF
thrilling escapes in fires. He started
as fireman in the local fire depart
ment, becoming member in Hose
company No. 1 in 1886. At that time
there were about twenty-five mem
bers, as they had to pull the hose
carts by hand and more men were
needed. When Hose company No.
2 built a hose wagon, the members
of Company No. l decided that they
would either have to come up to
the times or disband. After consid-
cradle discussion it was decided to
build wagon at cost OF $500.
Mr.. Hanna had been elected captain
after a short period of service and
it was at this time that his services
were needed. Many of the members
thought that the $500 would never
be paid, as it would be impossible
to raise that much, but the finance
committee composed of Theodore
Williams, r. Pay and Milton Hanna.
took the reins in their hands and be-
gan an active canvass to raise the
money.
By the time the wagon was COM
pleted, it was found that it cost not
$500, but $3.50, and when it was
delivered there was not cent left
unpaid, for the finance committee
had raised the $3.50 in short or
der. .. r..
Spent Money on Livery Horses.
In those days the department was
obliged to depend great deal on
livery horses to pull the hose wag-
ons, and this proved very unsatis-
factory, for sometimes good team
would be secured and at other times
a poor one Hose company No. 2
had forced the other company to
purchase a wagon; now it was Hose
company No. rs turn to force the
other company into some purchase.
So it was decided that Hose COM
pany No. / would purchase a team
of horses.
Through B. d. Pay it was learned
that a good team at Amboy was for
sale, and committee went up prepar.
ed to purchase the team. Mr.. Hanna
paid for the team with his own
money and brought the beasts to
Mankato. Miraculous as it may seem,
every man approved of the purchase
and was pleased with the team.
However, the members of the COM
peting hose company found fault
with the team in every way. and
iokingly termed the horses "plow
horses" but the plugs" were found
to stand the strain and made good.
A short time later Hose company
No. was forced to buy team,
and later Hook and Ladder Company
No. also purchased a team.
Mr.. Hanna has now been fire.
man twenty-seven years and during
all that time he has seldom missed
fire when in the city. He has held
several offices in the department.
Soon after entering the department
he was elected lieutenant and later
captain. 1t was in this capacity that
he purchased the team and contract
ed for the wagon with the other
members of the finance committee.
Later he was elected to the po-
sition of second assistant chief, and
last, first assistant chief. At the time
the commission form of govern.
ment went into force here, petit
ton signed by large part of the
business men and manufacturers, was
circulated asking that Mr.. Hanna be