The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-06-09

colored nre company.
Company Back Home
Leaning back in his chair in front
of the engine house at Marion and
Edmund streets, Captain Godette
told The Appeal man how he and
four others occupied the same site
beginning October 18, 1885, as Chem
ical No. 4.
We stayed here on this corner for
two years." said Captain Godette,
"and then moved out on Front and
Mathilda where we have been ever
since, until January 1e, Of this year:
In those days the company was much
smaller. Wilson C. Hawkins was
captain; John Chur, lieutenant; Ed.
Wall and Randolph Benz, pipemen. I
was the driver. Yes, it does feel
like coming back home"
Reorganized in 1912.
In 1912 the company, then known
as Supply Hose No. 5, was reorgan-
lied as Engine Company No. % with
the following personnel: w. R. Go
dette was raised to the rank of cap
tain; Philip H. Anderson (deceased),
lieutenant; George D. Charleston and
Albert Godette (deceased), pipemen;
w. E. Mitchell, engineer; H. c. Jones,
stoker; A. L. Yeiser, engine driver,
and Grant Charleston, hose cart driv-
er. Charles Brown retired on a. pen
sion in 1912, just before the reor-
ganization after having served con-
tinuously for 25 years, less two days.
Philip Anderson retired in 1915.
Two Platoons in 1918.
In 1918 when the two platoon sys
tenn went into effect, the company
was raised to IA men, seven on night
duty and seven on day duty. At this
time the following men were added
to the roster: Robert Hopkins, Steve
Hopkins, Ed. L. Jones, A. B. White,
N. A. Evans, and S. F. Lewis. Other
men who have been with the company
are Fred Toby, who served seven
years and is now on disability pen
sion; John Benjamin, who served four
years and William Raspberry, who
left in 1918.
The company at the present time
consists of the following men: Will
liam R. Godette,< captain; II. c. Jones,
lieutenant; w. E. Mitchell, engineer;
N. A. Evans, assistant engineer;
George Charleston, Arthur Bolts,
William J. Davenport, J. T. Harris,
Ed. L. Jones, S. F. Lewis, Earl w.
Neil, Arthur White, and A. L. Yei-
ser, pipernen. .--.
Apparatus Last Word.
The new motor equipment given
the company when it moved back into
the Edmund street barn is combi-
nation pump and hose cart and is de-
clared to be the very latest thing in
fire fighting apparatus in the North.
west. The car completely equipped
weighs z tons and is capable Of a
little better than 35 miles per hour
The pump, attached to the motor
can pump water 796 feet in the air
or feet higher than the Woolworth
building in New York. N. A. Evans
who drives the vehicle, admits with
the captain that he is not interested
so much in seeing how fast the cal
can run to a fire as he is in getting
there without an accident. "Althougf
know that we have the right OF
way" said Chauffeur Evans, %
would rather a house burn down thar
these seven tons should mang1e 8
child or smash a loaded Ford"
Inside the hood of the engine j.
as spick and span as new pin. Th'
men at the house take great pride il
keeping the "works" as shiny as tn.
Ioutside.
Neighborhood Won Over.
1 According to Captain Godette, sew
eral factions in the neighborhoot
Iwere opposed to the colored compan!
q moving into the house and told tn
chief as much. Headquarters, how
i ever, told the delegations that. tn
!, Front street residents were fghtin,
to. keep the company out there, AM
!, anyway, the colored company wa
! the one which the chief had selecte'
for that district. Since the boys hav
been in the house, the neighborhoo,
: has been completely won over, an
now different ones are telling tn