The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-02-02
A Member of Fire
Engine Company
No. 6
BY ESTHER vANDEvEER

30 happened that the place was an oh
Ject of curiosity TO his little daughter
Bess. The moment she heard the SHARP
ring of the gong announcing fire she
would run to the engine house TO see
the horses hurried TO their places be
side the tongue of the machines. prance
impatiently till they We're hooked, then
dash out of the house. followed by the
ragtag and bobtail OF the town-and
Bess.
She was six years old when this ad-
miration for fire apparatus, horses and
men first developed itself, and very
soon she was noticed by the firemen
sitting at the doors of the engine house
In armchairs waiting for an alarm.
One day one of them offered to show
her the premises. She accepted the in
vitation and inspected everything with
eyes as big as saucers. When she de-
parted she was told to make herself
at home there.
And she did. She went In and out at
her own sweet will, climbed up on the
hook and ladder truck, the hose carts
and occasionally would ask to be put
on the back Of one of the horses. One
day when she was ten years old roll
of parchment was left at her home on
which was written, This is to certify
that Elizabeth Singleton has been duly
elected member of fire engine com
pany No. g." The words were sur
rounded by pictures of engines dashing
to fires, burning buildings and firemen
carrying women and children down
ladders from the upper story.
This was the proudest day of Bess'
life.
She was on the ladder truck one day
when an alarm came. No one noticed
her till the men jumped on to the
footboard putting on their jackets;
then one Of them saw her hanging for
dear life to the rung of ladder. 1t
was too late to put her down. At any
rate, no one made a move to do so, and |
she was carried to the fire. There was
little to do in quenchi1g the flames, |
and since the ladders were not needed !
she was permitted to remain perched |
high, an object of interest to a gaping
crowd On the return she was put /
down at her lone and lectured by her
mother.
But from playing in an engine house
she had got taste for going to a fire,
and from that time forward all efforts
to keep her away from the former
failed. One day when the department
was about to respond
to an alarm one of the men beside the
truck turned and nearly fell over her.
She put up her arms, and before he
realized what he was doing he had
swung her up on to the ladders
Bess grew up the pet of the fire com.
pany and was considered a part of 1t,
a part of which the men were very
proud. When she was sixteen all the
younger members were in love with
her, and the older ones considered her
something to adore. They raised fund
among them to procure a marble bust
Of her that was put up in the engine
house.
Mr.. and Mrs. Singleton did not quite
Know what to Think of all this--whethe1
to be proud Of it or ashamed of 1t.
Bessie's associates envied her, having
her bust set up In the engine house
md the friendship of the firemen, but
hey had no desire to cling to the
'ound of ladder on the way to fire
However, her parents could not sepa.
ate her from the fire company and
rave up their efforts to do so. But
bout this time she came of an age to
zee that going to fires was not becom
ng to young woman and of her own
ccord ceased all visits to the engine
louse except on state occasions.
When Bess was sixteen her father {
vas elected sheriff of the county. One :
lay murder was committed that ex
fted the Indignation of the populace
0 such an extent that, assuming man :
Who had been arrested for the muir ,
er was guilty, they proposed to lynch =
i'm. Marching to the jail, they de
handed the accused. There was nc !.
deQuate defense, and the sheriff took ).
he man out through a back door into :
n alley and thence TO his own home =
the two were seen by T
ne of the mob, and before long they n
ppeared and demanded the prisoner. .
When Bess saw the crowd before q
er fathers door and the trouble he >,
'as In an idea occurred to her Slip.
ing away, she ran to the engine house
nd, with flushed cheeks and out OF
reath. told the firemen of the situa. 4,
on. !.
"What can we do, boys?' asked the n
iief. i,
"Play on Them said Bess. a,
"Goodw cried dozen voices, and in RI
jiffy horses were placed before the 81
lgine, it was hauled to the sheriff's N
Ouse, and suddenly the mob. who In
ere bowling for the prisoner, found At
lemselves before stream that m
nocked them down as fast as It was in
Irned from those who had fallen to co
lose still on their feet Within five nc
inutes the street was cleared
The proudest men In the town were
e firemen. who had found an oppor.
nifty 10 do a service for their idol. ic,
nd as for the Singletons. no objec- ca
IN was after that ever raised to her In
ing to fires and climbing the walls tn
burning buildings If she chose &c Pr
so. in
When Bess was married a silver tea Ia