Evening star., 1923-01-25
BY w. III. CLAGETT.

Dear Folks:
Speakin over at a meetin' of the
Newcomers Club the other day
George S. Watson, our cheery-faceo
unbeatable fire chief, was explainln
10 the membership the barriers en-
countered in tryin' to run Dig
town fire department on bhsh-league
appropriations, and after appeaiin' TO
all present to use whatever influence
they might have with Congress to get
the departments budget sweetened'
he wound up his talk with a few re-
marks about his men!
"Friendsw said the veteran hre-
fighter THE personnel of our fre
department hasn't an equal in the
United States! No cleaner-minded,
healthier or more gentlemanly set or
men can be found throughout the
length and breadth of our great city,
but they are also human, and l would
ask that you become better aqualnt-
cd with the boys in your neighbor-
hood, Slip into the nearest engine
or truck house some time, make your
selves known and say hello to the
.rowd Theirs is not an easy lie,
and nothin' helps them more to pass
he tedious hours than a chat now
md then with some friendly neigh
oor,"
That Amt Askin' Much.
Now that amt askin' much, is 1t.
olks? The Big Chief didn't flash
ard, poster them present to sign on
he dotted line and to send in their
inscriptions every once ana SO
rften-not a bit of it, He made the
nipple request that the citizens of
,ur grand old commonwealth show a
zee bit of friendliness for the in
.iomitable laddies. who day and night,
all kinds of weather, are ever on
he alert to protect our lives and
property, and who, as all records VIII
,how. have never yet faltered when
allied to face danger!
I'm glad to say, thank the Lord.
that Chief Watson wasn't talkin to
me. for ever since I was a snaggled-
tooth peanut" nothin' has given me
'Gore pleasure than Stickin' around
,ngine houses, hobnobbin' with fire
Hen, and way back in the dear dead
lays beyond recall [ reckon ] spent
nore time up at old Number l than
.ver / did at my own home and board!
Buck Private COnnor Now Chief.
You know Number /, up on X street
ear 17thi It's still there! Same
louSe, same funny little cupola, same
ldin' pole, same garden, and, while
aces have changed and motors have
ook the places of Tom" "Dick,
the Black Horse" and Harry" the
anne old spirit that endeared the
Number l boys to every citizen Of the
District is still imbedded in the
carts of the present-day outfit.
Why, folks. it seems like only yes
,rday that Charlie Boss, the old fore
IAN; Eek Edwards, engineer, or Buck
-ivate Tom Connor, now a battalion
ief, used to shoe US kids out of the
ok room for bein' too ram hume
puSi
And, too, it seems but YESTERDAY Y
len great. big, raw-boned two
ted, happy y-go-lucky Irish lad from
er Georgetown way. callin' himself
.nny ODornaghue. reported fol
,oty and tossed a "howdy' to ouI
dnE!
New faces weren't common oc-
"irrence at Number 1 in them days
verybody knew the old crew, the ole
-ew knew all the neighbors anC
10Th sides were perfectly satisfied tC
ct well enough alone, so, when q
'ookie blew in he was dead up against
without our o. X!
Denny Passes Muster.
But somehow this Denny party
JasSed muster from the first time he
npened his big smilin' mouth, an6
T. ON the minute he spoke us kids
ere all for him. and started to fight
tor his favor!
The young giant, for he was nothin
or'n kid himself, about twenty
nd built like a Sandow. had only
cen in the service six months, -bu'
e was a fireman from the top of his
black curly head to the soles of his
.veIl-proportioned feet, and nothln
would delight us young rascals
more than to get him reminiscin or
some fires he had fit!
The night would be counted los,
that 1 didn't haye at least a ten-mln-