The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-05-05
MANY ALARMS
KEEP FIRE BOYS
ON THE JUMP
OLD SAYING, IF THERE'S ONE
THERE'LL B + THREE"
AGAIN COMES TRUE

Three fires occurring Saturday af-
ternoon and Sunday morning kept the
men of the Belding fire department
on the jump and also made true the
old saying prevalent here that if
there is one fire alarm sounded, there
viii be two others Following in close
succession. Whether there is any
connected with it, 1t must be admitted
that in nine cases out of ten it has
worked out that way.
The first one of the 3 fire alarms
sounded Saturday afternoon and
called the department to the home of
Mrs. VIM. Barton. on north Bridge
street, where fire had started in the
laundry attached to the house. The
department made short work of ex-
tinguishing the blaze and damages
were of no great amount.
The two fires of Sunday morning
were so close together that the Sec
ond alarm sounded before the fire.
men had finished their work on the
first and this of course gave the
flames on the last fire a good start
The first fire of the morning was
when blaze was discovered on the
roof of the Robert Barron house,
near the chimney, the fire having
been caused, it is thought, from a
defective chimney. A hole about
four bv six feet was burned in the
roof of the building and considerable
damage was caused by the fire and
water used in extinguishing it. The
efforts of Mr.. Barron, owner of the
house and neighbors who assisted
were successful in having the fire well
under control when the department
arrived.
The last of the trio of fires was
when flames were discovered issu>
ing from the east end of the large
barn in the rear of the w. j. Clark
residence on Pearl street. The flames
quickly spread to the entire building
and the structure was a mass of
flames by the time the department
arrived, owing to the fact that the
firemen were still at the Barron fire
when the Clark alarm sounded
1t was only through the heroic and
self sacrificing efforts of the men of
the department and the assistance Of
others working with garden hose and
buckets that the fire was prevented
from spreading to the house and 9TH
er buildings which stood in close
proximity TO the burning structure
and generol confiagration was
averted.
There seems to be an entire lack
of gratitude and appreciation on the
part of the general public in regard
to the attitude which they take to-
ward the gallant men of our fire de-
partment The writer has never vet
attended a fire where he did not think
the men performed excellent work
and well up with that of any citv fire
department-and sometimes their
work has been under the most dis
tressing circumstances and obstacles.
We have never yet attended a fire
either, where no matter how bravely
and hard the men worked. thev were
made the butt of lot of jokes and
unappreciative talk from a lot of the
people who make up the audience"
This is not right and il ought not
to be. Belding has a fire department
composed of men and equipment of
which it can well feel proud Those
men are always ready in sunshine or
rain, in good weather and in bad. in
summer of in the cold dead of a win
ters night to turn out of warm beds
to do their duty in protecting the
property of the verv people who cri-
ticize them most. 1t is not showing
the right spirit toward the fire de-
partment and instead of the talk Of
a belittling nature which has here
tofore been handed out, let's give the
bows the praise which is really due
them.
Honest and just criticism is always
welcome but when Ithe best possible
is being done, let's do little boost
ing for the home town fire depart
ment, i,