davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15
Thrilling Story Of An Old Fire Horse Told
By the Horse Himself

| the city where he had taken some
OF his produce to market, for which
he refused to do anything on the
plea that it was nothing and would
soon pass off. The cold soon devel-
oped into pneumonia, and in three
days he died. He had invested a
good bit of the money realized
from the crops of his prosperous
farm in some mining venture out
west, and six weeks after his death
poor Mrs. Talbot read in the paper
of the failure of the whole scheme
with the result that hundreds of peo-
pie had lost everything in the final
smash. The Talbots had only the
farm property and . few hundred
dollars of insurance money left be-
tween them and starvation. Richard
and Betty at that time were 10 and
IA, respectively. Richard was eager
to leave school and start into work
in order to help out, but his mother
put her foot down, saying that his
education must come first. =
Betty in vague sort of why real
ICED that something serious had
happened to the family fortunes,
but her mother did not discuss the
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15

Eyes, it's true" sighed the FIR.
horse mournfully. There aren't
many of us left. That hideous red
and gold demon out there in the
middle of the fire house floor has
put an end to our long years Of
faithful and untiring service; SO we
have literally been put on the shell"
For moment he thoughtfully
munched the lump OF sugar had
given him.
How is it that they keep you and
the FIRE demon which you describe
in the same fire house? ] asked.
The FIRE chief says when they get
rid of me they have to accept his
resignation also, answered the old
horse, tossing his head proudly.
"and as he is very good FIRE chief,
] am still here"
"Are you his special pet" l
asked.
well, | didn't use tosbe. In fact
the chief seemed to have grudge
against me in particular when /
first came on the force, but after
that time when-oh, but that's
another storyw
please tell me about It," I beg
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15

Flint, Mich, so it meant the parting
of the ways for the children and
myself. A very sad parting it was,
too, for we had been together so
long that the thought of separation
seemed almost unbearable. | was
sold to a neighboring farmer, and
the children cried little. salty tears
on my neck when my new owners
came to take me away. ] never saw
my little playmates again,
The old horse paused thought
fully for moment and then went
on.
Ny new owners soon found that
was not of much use to them. !
had never done any very hard work,
my job having been that OF play
mate for the children rather than
Of a farm animal, so when Bing-
Bling Brothers Greatest Show on
Earth came through the town,
was made to show my tricks and
accomplishments to the manager OF
the show, with the ultimate result
that was resold to the circus peo-
pie and loaded on box car bound
for Nashville, Tenn, the following
night.
"The next six months were a
nightmare which it is painful TO re-
call. My suffering during that per.
iod of enforced training accorded
performing animals in the circus
was almost more than flesh and
blood could bear. At night, when
was driven into my narrow, ILL
smelling stall, or even into the foul
er box car enroute, ! felt as if my
spirit would leave my tired body
and I would just lie down and die
right then and there.
Il was taught to 60 round and
round small ring while tulle..
skirted bareback riders jumped
through hoops to my tired back. l
was put through all my old tricks
of picking up handkerchiefs and
opening barred gates with my nose
until was so tired that ! could have
dropped where l stood. One OF the
circus clowns was my special enc
my, or so it seemed, for he never
lost an opportunity to tease me
or cause me to rear on my hind
legs. He stuck me with pins to make
me caper so that the audience would
laugh the harder, and once when he
was riding me around the arena, he
put a great burr underneath the
blanket so that / bucked and kicked
with all my might to rid myself OF
the fiorrid, singing pain.
One day during the afternoon
performance, lost my temper COM
pletely, and with mad lunge, threw
the offending clown over my head
and into the sawdust of the arena.
He being an acrobat, however,
turned somersault and landed on
his feet to the intense enjoyment Of
the crowd. After that my sufferings
increased ten-foid, for the clown, in
order to avail himself of the APP
plause which always followed an
exhibition of temper on my part,
took pains to torment me in order
to make me prance and throw him.
One day during the parade through
small western city where our
company was playing, | heard the
clatter and clang of fire-engine
on the way to fire and a thrill of
excitement filled me as | watched
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15

ged, seeming something interesting
to narrate to my JUNIOR readers.
Il don't mind telling YOU" said
the horse, IT you will promise not
to think that ] am blowing my own
horn" He was really very modest
animal
Il promise not to think any such
thing" / eagerly assented, "if you
will just promise to begin at the be-
ginning and go right through to the
end, and not stop once till you
finish" 5 2
"I'll do my best agreed the horse
with a little neigh.
"Well, here goes. was born on
farm in Massachusetts,, where ]
remained until / was about 2
years old. All / had to do ali day
long was to race about the green
fields with my mother. and taking
my young mistress, Elizabeth Tai
bot, out for ride every morning
before lunch, which in itself was no
effort at all, because Miss Betty, as
everyone called her, was such lit
tie thing that ] scarcely felt her
weight on my back at all. She was
a sweet little girl of about IL years
of age, and even at that time, was
an excellent horsewoman. She and
together have jumped more fences
and raced down more long stretches
of<level road than many an older
person. Betty's brother, Richard,
YVES lad OF about l6 years, and he
used to teach me how to do all sorts
of things From him I learned to
pick up handkerchiefs in my teeth
while at gallop and to follow him
down the lane when he carried
Jumps Of sugar and juicy apples in
his pockets.
Life was all path of roses then,
and l had all / wanted to eat of
sweet clover and juicy young grass
that grew rank in the broad mea-
dows on the farm. loved the chill
dren with all my heart, and they
loved me in return. We played out
of doors every day when it was
sunshiny, and when it rained, the
children came into the stall where
/ was and climbed on my back and
played hide and go seek in and out
between my long legs.
"Mr. and Mrs. Talbot were also
very good to me, and once when l
cut my leg on sharp stone, Mr..
Talbot put soothing salye on it
and bound it up carefully with soft
rags, as if | had been one Of his own
children. The days few by like
lightning and paid small attention
to them as they passed. We were
all so perfectly happy that there
seemed no need to look into the flu
ture, when one might M. Talbot
came home with heavy cold from
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15

means Of trcllis at the side, the lit
tie family reached safety only to
watch their home burn before their
eyes. The night was cold with a
promise of snow, and the children
and their mother not being any too
heavily clad, heavy colds resulted
from the exposure. The children's
strong, animal spirits pulled them
through, but Mrs. Talbot was not
long in following her husband to
the grave"
"How very sad" l murmured.
Indeed 1t was" answered the
horse, shaking his head slowly. II
don't bclive | ever saw a more for
lorn pair Of children than Richard
and Betty when they came out to
my stall after the funeral. The
Talbots had no relatives nearer than
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15

the flying names and distended nos
trils of the three huge gray horses
who flew down the street dragging
behind them the brilliant red en-
CINE. A stream of smoke and Gin
ders followed in their wake. and
like magic the street cleared before
them in order that nothing should
obstruct their passage.
what glorious feeling it would
be, | thought, to tear along like that
with the wind whistling through
my name as it did when Miss Betty
and Vaced Master Richard on the
bay mare up at the old farm. What
wonder to feel that perhaps the
safety Of home depended on the
feetness of ones limbs. If only I
could have been able t. race down
the night Of the FIRE on the f1rm
dragging great engine behind me
and have arrived in the nick OF time
to save the d, cling of those whom
] loved from destruction by the
flames.
Before / thought what was do
ing ! reared on my hind feet and
threw of my rider, and before the
beWildered clown could collect his
wits, ! was off down the street like
shot after the fast disappearing
engine. l finally caught up with
them and tore along beside them
until the scene of the fire was
reached. Flames were spouting from
the roof of a two-story and base
ment building, and on the top floor
a frantic mother was crouched in
the window with a 6-months -old
child in her arms. / fairly quivered
with excitement as the brave fire.
fighters adjusted their ladders and
clanbered to the rescue. Never
could | return to the sordid drudg-
cry of the circus routine when |
might share in work as thrilling as
this. The woman and child were
wrapped in blankets by one Of the
fremen and brought down the long
ladder to safety. The flames died
down under the force of the stream
of water that was turned on the
heart of the confagration and within
an-hour the fire was practically out.
Several of the engine crew remain
ed to watch the smouldering embers
in case they should be rekindled by
I vagrant breeze, and the tired
horses ION the engine were turned
and slowly driven back to the FIRE
house.. while trotted along after
them, a. IL it were the most natur-
al thing in the world to do.
The fremcn were so amused at
my apparent attraction to their out
fit that they forthwith made me
one of them, and when the circus
people appeared to demand that !
be returned to their rightful pos
session, the fire company dubbed
together and bought ME for the de-
partment at my former owners own
price.
My new work proved fully as fas-
as ! had anticipated. The
excitement even during the period
Of training, which, needless to say,
was not quite SO gruelling as that
Undergone with the circus, the mad
dashes for the harness at the sound |
Of the gong, the thrilling race down
through the crowded streets of the
city, and the throb of the pumps as
hey forced the water into the great
coils of hose, eventually became the
very breath of life to me. ! entered
INTO, the routine of the department
and became part of it The men pet
ted me and the children of the
came into my stall
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15

subject with her little daughter very
much for fear Of worrying the child
and endangering her health. They
say il never rains but it pours. just
one week after Mr.. Talbot's death,
Richard woke up up one night to
find himself coughing and choking
in the thick smoke that filled his
room. Darling from the bed he
rushed out into the hall, and aroused
his snother and sister. The FIRE had
evidently started in the kitchen
from some clothes that had been
hung too near the stove to dry and
which had caught FIRE during the
night, spreading the flames to other
parts Of the lower Aoor and cutting
off escape from above.
by clambcring out on the roof OF
the veranda, and descending by
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15

with offerings OF sugar and apples,
and the gentle pats of countless lit.
tie, grimy hands. l loved them all,
for they brought back to me memo
ries of the good old days when Mr..
and Mrs. Talbot were alive, and
Betty and Richard played with me
in the meadows OF the Massachu-
sets farmstead.
One of my most frequent visitors
was little Bobby Shea, the S-year-
old son of the chief. The little fell
low came in nearly every day with
a pocketful OF apples and one or
two OF sugar. and one of the men
would hoist him onto my back and
walk me around the floor of the
fire house, while my rider screamed
with delight He would put his two
arms around my neck and say:
Dear old horse, Bobhy's horse
someday, when Bobby grows up to
be fire chief. Won't You dear old
horsew And ! would whinny by way
of answer. Whenever we swept
down the thoroughfare Bobby Would
always run out of the house to see
us go by, and would shout himself
hoarsc as we flew past on our way
to fire, and so the time passed.
Days grew into weeks. weeks into
months, and months into years. |
began to get old, but had by no
means begun to lose my heetness
of foot and strength of muscle.
However that might be, the fire de-
partments of both New York and
Brooklyn were undergoing many
radical changes. Under the new re-
gime the fire horses became thing
of the past, to be replaced in all
possible haste by the new tangled
motor trucks that roared like 40 OF
the lions and tigers from the cir
Gus. Much as the men hated to part
with me, who had become their spe-
ciai pet, the day came when one OF
the huge trucks was installed in En-
CINE House No. II, and the chief
put an ad in the paper for my dis
posal.
Each time the gong rang suffer
ed the most terrible agony, tor, in
stead Of having the iron chain
dropped from before my stall so
that / could dart toward tho sus-
pended harness, the crew slid down
the pole from above and mounted
the red and gold usurper without
SO much as nod in my direction.
The other two horses had been sold.
So my loneliness was even worse
than If they had been there to bear
me company in my misery. Bobby
still continued his visits, am think
full to say, and.this helped somewhat
to while away the long, lonely
hours of waiting.
One hot, sultry night in July.
about O'Clock. when dusk was Just
falling, triple alarm sounded that
caused even those hardened old
fire fighters twinge of uneasiness.
The location was in one OF the ware
houses along the water front, so
there would not be much rescue
work to be done, but the danger lay
in the fact that quantities OF paints
and varmshes, piles of canvas and
sacking and hundreds of empty
barrels were stored there. The
place had not been open in some
time, so that there was the added
risk of back draft and suffocation
from the fumes of the burning chem
icals.
The men came down the pole
like creased lightning and leaped
into. their places on the truck. l
neighed and whinnied to be taken
along, but to no effect In two min
utes the truck, ratified out Of the
door and down the street toward
he spot from which the alarm had
,een sent
Concluded Next Sunday.)
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15
(Prize)
Hindy's Air Castle.

AAAAa4y = 2AAk Ao8tASs
sy Paul Thompson. Are II. Alliance, Nab.
Said Hindy to Bill when the war
first broke out
Let's first wipe out France and then
England rout.
And then 60 to Italy and capture
her king.
And last in the United States make
our cannons ring.
And then you can cit on . throne
all of gold,
And make the whole world do just
as they're told.
So they waited four years and still
France didn't give in,
But Hindy was sure In the end they
would win.
And then he got reckless with IN
old submarine
And said Of our vessels the ocean
he'd clean.
He killed women apd children and
one fatal day,
We made old Bernstein beat it"
without delay.
Then we began saving sugar and
making transports.
And eating less wheat and making
new ports/
And when our boys got over there
and went over the top
Hindy saw his recklessness would
surely have to stop.
The Yanks kept on advancing al
ways beating the Hun.
They captured Sedan and went to-
wards Metz on ! run.
And then old Hindy began to get
wiser
And saw I'll was lost for him and
the kaiser,
And then the allies made him an
armistice sign
Giving up his territory from France
to the Rhine,
And then he and the kaiser got it
into their heads
That it wasn't them, so from Ger
many they fled,
But the Yanks are behind him and
they'll catch him sure
And then Of HE fighting spirit they'll
him cure.
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15
(Honorable Mention.)
Texssnv "a NJ,

Trying to Fly.
" si''.'''a r sesss; ~ ss sia Q Street
Little Ailesn was sitting in a Biz
apple tree in their orchard lookins
at her picture book.
Now Ai1een loved to pretend anG
so just now she was. saying: q
know what I'll do, I'll pretend Tn
a robin and then I'll fly" And fly
she did, but instead Of flying up
she flew down. She wasn't a hi,
hurt, but she thought she was, Sc
she reasoned, well, fell out 81
the tree and when people fall gu,
Of trees, they usually-they usual,
ly," she liked that word, it was SO
big and long. they usually 60 "a
the hospitable"
Aileen loved to use long words
but sometimes she didn't get them
Just right, And" she continued
when people are in the hospitable
everybody is nice b them and give
them nice things to eat, SO ! guess
III 60"
Therefore she marched down the
road at q very rapid pace for SO
tinv a girl Presently she met old
Mr.. Wilkins. who was driving to-
ward her. wal. hello Miss AiIeen
Where you a goin' all bv ycrself?"
Good afternoon" she answered
grandly. I'm going to the hos
pitable."
He looked puzzled, but suddenly
his face frightened. "Goin' to the
hospital air yer Well. yes, you hop
in and I'll take. We"
She obeyed and they nerriIy
went down the road.
Suddenly, why. Mr.. wilkins,
bring me home for?"
wal, We see, thought as how
it was a gittin' late and maybe
your mother would be gittin' wur-
ried about ye."
Well. maybe you're right" she
answered as they stopped. Thank
you, Mr.. Wilkins"
Needless to say she soon forgot
all about it and when she did re-
member she didn't care to go.
BY G. Martin oster, Age II, 1891 South
Seventh Street, Omaha.
Jack lived with his parents on a
large clearing in a forest. Jack,
who was Is years old, knew almost
all the work to manage farm.
His parents died when he was IL
Another farmer lived nearby. This
farmer was good friend of Jacks
father. He adopted Jack until he
was old enough to sell his farm.
This farmer had three sons,
Frank, Joe and Edward. They
often played with Jack and helped
him with his work.
Many years passed. He was l9
There was call to arms. for all
young men had to go to war Jack
answered the call proudly, received
training and went to the battlefront,
where he was severely wounded. He
had to go back to his native -oun-
try for medical care. When he was
well he went back to the battle
front, but was not wounded.
He returned to his native coun-
try and met Girl his age. A little
later he married this girl. He lived
happily with his wife until all died.
I hope the Busy Bees accept my
story, as this is the first time / have
written.
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15

This tiny miss is one Of the Bel
gian refugee children who have been
sheltered during the war in Switzer-
land. She is enjoying her final
"piggy-back ride" on the shoulders of
an American Red Cross worker be-
fore leaving for the train that will
carry her back to her old home in
Belgium. Giddapi
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15
My Pet.

Emma Smith, Age IL, Crete, Neb.
Dear Busy Bees: As | didn't see
my first letter in the paper will
write again, Once we had three lit
tie pigs; two of them died. | asked
pa if could take it. He said |
might, fed it milk and it soon be-
came big and fat. 1t was SO tame
that il would follow me. When i.
was almost 6 months old 1t weighed
over 200 pounds Then / sold it and
got almost $40 Good-by, Busy Bees.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-02-19
THREE ARRESTED IN BADGER
GAME PLOT.
Undertaken is Made the Victim ol
Old Swindle Stunt at Davenport

Davenport, Ia.-Arrested today
after it is charged, they had accept
ed $500 in marked money, Fred
Kendall and Richard Rico are in Jail
here charged with attempted black
mail. With them is woman claim
ing to be Kendalls wife.
The trio adopted an old plan, ac-
cording to the police, in an effort to
get money from f. A. Horrigan, a
local undertaken.
Recently a brother of Kendalls
died at Newport News and Horrigan
took charge of the body on its ar
rival here for burial.
The undertaken claims that yes
terday he was summoned to the Ken
dali home regarding his bill. He says
Mrs. Kendall threw her arms about
him whereupon the husband and Rice
sprang from a closet and threatened
him with death unless he gave uE
$500.
Horrigan promised to pay the mer
today. notified the police and passec
out the marked money.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-02-19
BANKS RESOURCES ARE
BILLIONS,
Record Breaking Figure Shown i'm
COmptrOller's Report for End of
Year.

Washington, d. C.-For the first
time in their history the resources of
the national banks of the country at
the last call, Dec. 81, 1918, passed
the $4,000, ,OOO,O 900 mark.
Comptroller of the Currency
Williams announced today that the
exact total was s2O,042,224,0O0, an
increase of $22O,S2O,OOO over the
preceding call of Nov. 1, 1918, and
an advance as compared with Dec.
81, 1917, of $1,96S,S16,0O0.
'1These extraordinary figures
said the comptroller, tell us that
the total resources of the national
banks of the United States have
more than doubled since Jan. z,
1911, when they amounted to only
$9,S20, ,4S3, ,000-the increase in
eight years having been $1O,221,-
741,000.
Deposits aggregated $15,423,-
OS1 900, an increase OF $371,6OS,-
900 over the greatest deposits ever
previously reached. OF the increase
in deposits $101,356, 600 was repres-
ented by time deposits. Demand de-
posits showed a slight reduction.
Loans and discounts amounted
to $9,91S,294,OO0 reduction as
compared with Nov. 1, of $17S,646,-
900.
"Bills payable and rediscounts
we're O,S35, 700, a reduction
as compared with Nov. 1, of $685.
156,O00.
United States bonds, including
Liberty bonds and United States GER
tificates of indebtedness held
amounted to $2,949,S7s,0Oo, a re-
duction since Nov.1, of $2O6,434,-
900.
"Other bonds, securities, etc.,
amounted to 81, ,6S3, 900, an in
crease of $22, 100000 since Nov. 2.
Capital, surplus and undivided
profits of national banks amounted TO
$2,293,613,0 1000"
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-02-19
RECOVERING FROM |
HIS WOUNDS.
Martin Williams. Son of MIR. and
Mrs. Sigvart Williams of East
Broadway Now Able to Sit
Up After His Injuries
:. MT WALKED
SINCE SEPTEMBER
Was saOt in the Legs and the Wound
Got Ba'tly Infected. Is Getting
Along Nicely Now
January 10, 1919


Dear Folks:
AS it is Sunday today and nothing
else to spend the time on 1 think
shall drop you few lines to let you
hear how 1 am getting along. I am
fine and dandy. can now get out of
bed alone and sit up on a chair off
and on. l can even stand up on my
legs some now so it won't be long be-
fore / can walk. That sure will be
fun as I haven't walked since Ghe
18th day of September.
l would probably have been home
by this time only | had a set back,
as the doctor took piece of shrap.
mel out of my leg, and the wound got
badly infected. That was two weeks
before Christmas and it took a long
time to clean it. up, as those scrap
iron wounds are very poisonous. But
it is healing fast now, so l may get
home some time early this spring. 7
hope so anyway, so / can start work
ing with the concrete again. That
will be fun to be your own boss
again after this long struggle.
But We fought for victory and we
won it, thank God. / hope He will
show us safely across the sea, home
now. Oh what happy day when l
can see you all, and talk to you
again. But you mustn't wait for me
yet as / can't tell you when l will
start homeward. You never can tell
in the army when you go, maybe to-
day and maybe tomorrow.
oh say is Helmer Spilde home yet?
Hope he is by this time. Well think
/ must close for this time. will
write a few lines some other time.
Greetings to you all from
".. Your son, ASK.
MARTIN WILLIAMS.
P. S.-Oh say mother am send
ing you box for Christmas present
although it is too late for Christmas
hope you receive it o. X.