The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-02-15
A Member Of Fire
Engine Company
No. 8
BY ESTHER VANDEVEER

- ~AsJ AS''ANCAiNC, IL
SO happened that the place was an OBJ
Ject OF curiosity to his little daughter
LESS. 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 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 adj
,niration for fire apparatus, horses and
men first developed itself. and very
soon she was noticed by the fremen
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
Vttation 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 he 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 dashinc
to fires, burning buildings and french
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 Oh TO the
footboard putting on their jackets;
then one of them saw her hanging for
dear life to the rung eff ladder. 1t
was too late to put her down. At any
rate, no one made 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 a gaping
crowd. On the return she was put
down at her home and lectured bv her
mother.
But from playing in an engine house
she had got Il 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
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 III love with
her, and the older ones considered her
something to adore. They raised a 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 it.
Bessie's associates envied her, having
her bust set up in the engine house
and the friendship of the firemen. but
they had no desire to cling to the
round Of q ladder on the way to 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 murder was committed that ex.
cited the Indignation of the populace
to such an extent that, assuming 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 nut through 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
and, with flushed cheeks and out of !
breath, told the fremen Of the situa.
ton.
what can we do, boys?" asked the |
chief. I
Play on them!'' said Bess.
"GQod!' cried dozen voices, and in +
a jinS horses were placed before the i
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 1t was
nIn<1 rr,11<> h~<A 81 a.