Smyrna times., 1924-03-05
FIRE HALL FUND is GROWING
Smyrna Firemen Delighted With Pro-
gress Being Made and Hope to See
Subscriptions Go "Over the Top

SUBSCRIPTIONS 10 over the Top
The Citizens Hose Company is still
in the "spot light" and will continue
to perform until the end of the act.
Some supper at the Century Club
House recently, Ell? Anyhow it was
a financial success. DR.. Some, who
was down that night to kid the Mas
ons, praised the supper, complimented
our firemen and remarked that Sylves-
ter's Concert Band, which handled the
musical program, must have come
from Wilmington. The Doctor is
some kidder, Ell? Well if he visits
Smyrna in the year 1925, he will be
welcome to call at our new fire house
and will find the latch string on the
outside. Politically speaking our fire
men used to be Democrats and Re
publicans, but now they are all Pro-
gressives, which the following brief
review of the history of our fire
fighters will demonstrate. Some of
our older citizens will recall the prim-
tive fre-fghting methods in vogue
back in the COS. Down where the
Episcopal Rectory is located, stood a
little one story brick building, white
washed inside and out One end was
occupied as the town Jail, and the
other end housed our two antiquated
hand pumping engines, one named
Smyrna" and the other Friendship y
George and Sam Taylor and Benton
V. Weldon were the moving spirits in
the fire company in those days. Pumps
/ and wells in private yards constituted
the only source of water supply, and
a bucket brigade kept the tanks filled
and a gang of men standing on the
running boards of the fire engines by
system of hand levers, forced the
water onto the burning buildings. II
was very primitive and crude but wa:
modelled after the city methods Of
that date. In the early sos a water
plant was built by the town Of Smyr
ma with fire plugs all over town. Tht
Citizens Hose Company was organic
ed at once, and purchased hose car
g riages and a hook and ladder truck
all hand drawn, and for the mex
quarter of a century successful.
fought fires in our town. The mex
progressive step was taken whel
motorized pumping and chemical en-
gines were invented, and our boy
promptly equipped themselves with a
engine Of each type, so they coul
handle country fires as well as tow
n fires, even the water pumping engin
being a combined type. Now the
have launched another progressiv
movement to build an up-to-date fire
house which will enable them not onl
to have a permanent home of thei
own, but where they propose to hav
= one of their men permanently don
= iciled, so he can sound a prompt fiji
= alarm night or day, and save valuab
= time in getting their equipment int
:, service. So, if you have not alread
= done so, please get your name enrol
: ed as contributor, and help our boy
!, put across this new firehouSe prOpOs
3 ton. Another suggestion is, in vie
:, of the fact that we have only two 81
- licitors covering the entire town
4 SMYRNA, please have your mind mac
up as to the amount your are willir
le the subscribe when the solicitors ca
le on YOU, and thus save them the incol
u venience of making another call. II
= Hose Company is going full stea
+ ahead in the near future, and wht
u the building is completed we will {
le know it is a fire engine house and n
III a boarding house. A few more cha
y ters will appear in the "Times" al
st then the volume will be complete
az In other words, like a book agent, Y
he will occur again.