Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-27
WIFE OF FIREMAN
HAS LONELY LOT
System of Constant Duty
Gives Husband Little
Time at Home
CoMPAN1oNsHIp UNKNOWN

A brief letter. received by the EVENING
LEDoER, and written by fireman's wife.
reads:
l am at a loss TO find words suf-
fcient to express the deep appreeia-
tlon Of myself and that of our four chill
dren for your kind and very valuable
y publicity given In behalf of the city
fremen. My husband has been n MEM
Der OF the Bureau OF Fire for the last
fifteen years, and what lonely fifteen
years they have been for wives and
children OF the members Of the Fire
Bureau and what great difference IL
would mako to us all, u the Efforts OF
the men. ably assisted by the EVENING
LEDGER, were TO eventually prove Sue
cessful.
Fifteen lonely years !" On the roster OF
Che Bureau of Fire there are veterans OF n
thousand battles with fame, whose service
moro than doubles the period OF loneliness
complained OF by tho wife and mother
quoted above. And the patient heIpmntes
Of these SCARED and grizzled men who have
attested their devotion TO duty these thirty
years or more! These women IIleswIss
grown wrinkled and gray with tho advanc-
Ing years continue today as they have
done through the days that have grown
into decades to watch and pray in patient
hope that the sound OF the alarm bell which
summons their husbands to risk their lives
that others may live may not sound tho
abrupt kneil Of their own widowbood and
the orpharsHg Of those who call him father
The snemans wife sees none of the
glasdour that 80 stirs the public as tho
aiming apparatus, with its helmeted crew
cilnSing TO its sides speeds through the
city streets on IT'S errand of rescue.
At home she site with her little ones
about. silently praying that those ''hfteen
lonely years may not terminate In a fatal
catastrophe TO the domestic life which her
husbands avocation has never permitted her
and her children TO enjoy as do tho wives
and families OF her friends and neIghbors
Twenty-one hours out OF every twenty
four every member OF Philadelphla's Blu.
reau OF Fire must spend on duty al the
station TO which he is assigned Three
hours a day are granted for his meals
provided attendance at hres does not cur
tail this brief allowance. often It occurs
that an alarm in his district sounds n few
minutes before his meal hour. The fire.
man must respond with his company and his
service at the fire ground may hold him
there well past the limit OF his meal period
IN such event the waiting wife and chill
aren can only hope that father will be
luekler tomorrow"
The nreman's day OF duty-ons in every
SKIS subject TO similar interruption, no |
that the plans for a weekly outing too |
-
interruption of duty.
Thus pass the ''hfteen lonely years"
which in many cases have Iengthened |
themselves into twice fifteen In the homes |
OF Philadelphla's firemen.
EIGHTHoUR RULE IGNORED
Municipal government rules provide an
sight-hour day for city employees, or salary
based upon that system. Public sentiment /
supports this view as just and equitable.
eoth In the matter of working hours and
pay therefor
Federal and State departments operate
under that system as do the larger cor
pofatlons and private employers. Work.
men OF all grades enjoy IT, The letter.
carrier and the policeman are permitted 10
snare the day with their families. only
the fireman Is forgot" He is the public's
servant In its hour OF dlrest need and his
master may demand that service at any
hour OF day or night Therefore he must Il
De at his station, ready for the call 10
duty prepared to sacrifice life or limb as
ne already has put behind him the do
mesilo happiness that his fellow-workeF
flghtfully eherishss
Fifteen lonely years" are actually forty
nYe years in freman's career II measured
comparatively 4. those OF other public
servants. The fireman and the hremans
wife realize their wearying drag and lonely
passage.
COST TWENTY-FIVE CENTS A YEAR
In their pending campaign for readjust-
ment of salary and working hours the fire.
men of Philadelphia have laid little stress
upon the conditions resulting from their
continuous tour OF duty. They are willing
mat this long maintained saerihee-as old
As the hre department ltself-shall go on
provided they are enabled 10 give TO those
wives and children from whom they are
lorcibly separated a monthly stipend that,
g some degree, will compensate them for
tas anguish endured daily and nightly
{ hile father Is AZ the engine house or
afavlnE smoke and flame or ley ladders and
cots at the IRE grounds.
What great difference Il would make
. Us all"-the 500 and more wives whose
husbands are included In the Bureau OF ,
Flfe. The difference to the citizen tax
aayer In granting the request OF his lre-
nen-serYanis would amount 10 possibly
twenty-five cents year for every resident I
I Philadelphia, whose lives ana property
ne fireman constantly protects
70 the fireman and the fireman's wife
ne dinarenea remains q question that can !
MY be answered whea it Is ascertainsd
.oH closely the heart and the hard cash Of
hs citizen of Philadelphia are allied.