New Britain herald., 1916-09-09

gutter and turning out into the street without giving any warning signal to those who may be approach ing from the rear. Anyone driving down the street has no means of knowing when a standing vehicle is going to be set in motion by the oper- ator unless the signal is given. If drivers will remember to give the signal many accidents will be avoided. Two unusual occurrences were noted in this city recently An automobile containing a man and woman stopped in front of a well known cafe while the man went inside. A few minutes later he emerged with glass of sparkling ale which he handed to the woman. She quaffted it com placently while the passersby looked on with mingled surprise and envy. The other affair occurred on the in teriorL of a Main street cafe when, during the evening, the swin ging doors parted and in stalked a young man with a damsel on his arm. The bar tender hustled down and informed him that it is against the law to serve females with drink in saloons. The man explained that he was from New York where such is the custom. He seemed to think from this experience that some of the things he had read about old New England Blue laws are true.
 Orders have now been issued for the construction of a municipal slaughter house. The board of health, after several months of preliminary Investigations under the supervision of a meat inspector, now deems it a necessity. The trial was invaluable however, and the health board was justified in following this papers sug- gest1On in having a preliminary inves- tigation before rushing headlong into the construction of a new building. It has been shown that a slaughter house is really a necessity, that many attempts are made to slaughter dis eased beef and that the present slaughtering accommodations are not clean or adequate. It is probable that the temporary inspector, Dr. c. R. Witte, will be retained in the capacity of slaughter house inspector.
 The most radical change that has ever taken place in the fire depart ment has been cOnSummated this week when the three new pieces of motor apparatus arrived, making the department almost entirely motorized, so much so that every station will have at least one piece of motor driven apparatus. Correspondingly the efficiency of the fire department has been increased. Froom the days of the old volunteer fire department with the hand reel apparatus, through the days of the horse-drawn apparatus to the present day is a big jump, yet not so- big but what it has occurred within the memory of many men lv- ing today and there are number of citizens nearing the three score and ten mark, who recall wildly the days of the red shirt and served themselves in the old volunteer department. To- day New Britain's fire departm ent ranks with the finest in the state. This in the age of the autom obi1e and the city has not been slow to realize 1t for in the police and fire departments there are eleven pieces of motor driven apparatus,
 The advent of the automobile and the abandonment of the horses re- moves much of the thrilling. daring picturesqueness of the fire departm Tn the old days when the fire alarm rang it was a sight to stir the blood or the most OlaSo to see the StfalIllIlS, throbbing horses racing down the street turning the corners in re- sponse to the sign from their clever, alert driver, and drawing up in front of the scene. steaming and satisfied. But those are the days that belong to a past age. Fire department work is now a science. Everything is mechan- ical. There is little of the picturesque left and when the bell rings there Is no clattering hoofs or snapping of harness buckles. There is simply the turn of a crank. the explosion of the gas engines and in less time that it used to take to get started the fire men are at the scene of the blaze. To see the faithful old fire horses cast into the discard is a pitiful sight for those sentimentally inclined but it is the sign of the times. This is the age of efficiency and in fire de- partment work automobiles and ef- f1ciency are synonomous.
 If the postal department would send few gallons of green paint td this city it might be used to advantage on the numerous letter boxes. In some instances however. a new letter box would be better as in some cases they have rusted so badly that water and snow can sift in on the mail. The placing of 6 wet sponge on the post office lobby writing desks for the use of those who have s-eal or stamp numerous letters would also be ap- preciated.
 James E. Beale, prominent in the advertising department of Lanoers' I7rarv and Clark and a former news paper man, recalls one of the numer- ous anecdotes credited to the famous editor, Horace Greeley, whose h1ero- glyphics were wont to puzzle the printers The founder of the New