The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1915-01-09
SAY STORY is UNTRUE
Firemen Say the Principal Occupation
Of Some People is Knocking"

An unsigned communication came
to this Office Iata last week claiming
that there was liqnor being taken mp
to the fire department and that
carousais weie being had there in
which one Of the aldermen took part
also vi one Of the Carousals window
was loft open on cold freezing night
and one OF the layatories froze up and
broke costing the city some 5000 60
replace IT,
As the communication was unsigned
we paid no attention 90 ~ but last
Monday one OF our most prominent
and active citizens came 10 ms and
stated that reports had come TO bim
from sources that he considered
reliable and ne Thought It our duty Go
let the people OF the city know what
was going on We told HIM that we
wouId investigate and give both sides
show that II anything Of the Eind
was going on wa were only TOO willing
70 give it publicity cut we wanted 20
be sure % Our rrUaud first
Later on we met Dan Dawson chief
OF the department and told him Of
the requests that had come TO us for
publicity and informed him that IL
was our puruose to qizz the tiremen
and everyone concerned Mr.. Dawson
said that he had no nkliug of any
such conditions existing 1ut That he
would make AN inquiry 1u his own
account which he did
We also told Mayor Gaanay what
we had beun requested 90 DO and of
our Intentions IIe said that the
matter was news Co him that when
the boys were hired one OF the strict
rules adpoted was that no liquor
should ba drunk by fireman ON duty
that the visiting of a saloon by tire
man while OH duty i, cause for his
dismissal ami that it evidegce isl
shown Of such an occurrance the said
fireman will be dismissed
We tnen went to the irc department
headquarters Peter Bryson and win
Cummings were on duty Ed Russell
was taking his day or, one day each
week being given the iiremen when
they are eree to take a vacation. We
told the hremen that complaint had
been made TO us that booze was on past
occasions received hy them in their /
departments and drunk by them there /
Mr. Bryson wanted 10 know whom !
our informant was and at first refused /
10 talk upon the subject until we
disclosed the name but finally replied |
that there was absolutely no truth TO
the story and ventured the prophecy |
that II was sent out by some person
interested in knocking the depart
ment or some person IN it
''I have grown case hardened said !
Mr.. Bryson When ] first started |
work here used 90 get worked up !
over the stories that heard against
Us but they have been 40 many and /
40 llagrantly untrue that | have got 10
stage where / don q pay any att ,nten
to them The story YOU tell il too |
silly for any sane person to take /
cognizance of ir but ] will deviate
from my rule enough to say that it is
absolutely untrue
Some people seem 20 lie awake
nights 10 think up some malicious
story ubout this department and IL
looks as 1t the principal business Of
some of our people is throwing stones
at the Crystal Falls fire department
Mr. Bryson is right Oh one ptint /
No one has right 10 deliberately lie
about the department in ord .r to put
them into disrepute II any person .
has nm honest criticism upon the
department he has right 10 make
1t but Icing is not criticising
II hquor has been brought a. the
depa artmeut u ~ up 10 the persons
VINO know the facts 10 get up aud say,
go and IL liquor has not been brought
there IL II no more than fair that the
BOYS be given clean bill
There are some things about the
present arrangement Ia the lire Depart
ment that The Diamond Drill don't
agree with and we are going 10 make
our criticisms on those points with
nope, " our views prove correct, to
have them Iightcd, but we don he.
lieve il maligning an institution sim.
ply because we don't agree with some
~ the arrangements.
Il Is now up 70 the persons who say
that liquor was brought 20 the depart
ment 70 produce their proof or forever
hold their peace
menco the work 81 clearing the right
0f WAY ~ once but the actual grading