Morris tribune., 1916-02-18
A Member Of Fire
Engine Company
No. 8
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

70 happened that the place was an OBJ
iect Of curiosity to his little daughter
Bess The moment she heard the sharp
ring of the gong announcing a 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 were 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 iremen
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 fremen
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
footDoard 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 Quenching the flames,
and since the ladders were not needed
she was permitted to remain perched
high, an object of interest to q gaping
crowd. On the return she was put
down at her home and lectured by her
mother.
But from playing in an engine house
she had got taste for going to fire,
and from that time forward all efforts
to keep her away from the former
failed. One day when the department
paraphernalia 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 it,
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 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-whether
to be proud of it or ashamed Of 1t.
Bessie's associates envied her, having
her bust set up in the engine house
and the friendship of the fremen, but
they had no desire to cling to the
round Of a ladder on the way to a fire.
However, her parents could not sepa-
rate her from the fire company and
gave up their efforts to do so. But
about this time she came Of an age to
see that going to fires was not becom-
ing to young woman and Of her own
accord ceased all visits to the engine
house except on state occasions.
When Bess was sixteen her father
was elected sheriff Of the county. One
day a murder was committed that ex-
cited the Indignation of the populace
to such an extent that, assuming a man
who had been arrested for the muir
der was guilty, they proposed to lynch
him. Marching to the Jail, they de-
manded the accused. There was no
adequate defense, and the sheriff took
the man out through a back door into
an alley and thence to his own home.
Unfortunately the two were seen by
one Of the mob. and before long they
appeared and demanded the prisoner.
When Bess saw the crowd before
her fathers door and the trouble he
was in an idea occurred to her Slip
ping away, she ran to the engine house
Qnd, with flushed cheeks and out of
breath. told the fremen of the situa-
ton.
What can we do, boys?' asked the
chief.
''Play on Them said Bess.
"Goody' cried dozen voices. and in
a jiffy horses were placed before the
engine, it was hauled to the sheriff's
house, and suddenly the mob, who
were bowling for the prisoner. found
themselves before stream that
knocked them down as fast as it was
turned from those who had fallen to
those still on their feet Within FIVE
minutes the street was cleared.
The proudest men in the town were
the firemen, who had found an Oppor,
tunity to do a service for their idol