Evening star., 1925-06-11
FIRE HORSES WIN
HARD-EARNED REST
District Will Retire Last
Team to Blue PIains-0th-
ers to 0ccoquan.

| uiSCdrQeQ battalion OF strong near teu
fire horses, are to browse in peace
and safety for the remainder of their
lives.
While deeply touched citizens were
pouring in cash and checks, pleading
| for the establishment Of a rescue fund
to save Washtngton's loyal old public
| servants from few years of tortu-
Gus toll before the glue factory claims
| them, District officials today issued
| the order that retires them for life
| to the farm at the Home for Feeble
and Infirm.
Next Monday morning they are to
be taken back to their old stalls. the
familiar gong will be sounded, and
| when they reach the end of their
| run-that last dash to fire that
will be only imaginary-hostlers will
| be waiting to lead them off to the
long rest and comfort they have
| earned by IA years of eager readiness
In the service of man.
| Officials Stirred.
The sentence to an ignominous end
! ing after their unfaltering loyalty to
| the National Capital stirred not only
| the disapproval of Washington citi-
zens, but the Board of Commissioners
| and other District officials as well,
when II became known that Barney,
Gene and Tom had been condemned"
as unfit for further use and ordered
Iauctioned off to the highest bidder for
whatever service he chose, whether
for dray purposes or the steaming mu-
cilage watts.
Preparations had been made to
bring the situation up at the meeting
of the Commissioners tomorrow, but
Daniel j. Donovan, the District audi
tor, announced that it would not be
| necessary for either the Commission
ers or the public to raise a fund to
pension the team-the last to go out
OF service from the Fire Department.
1t required only a simple order from
his Office to accomplish the same end
and 1t was speedily issued.
Public Gives Money.
After learning from Supt. Fay of
Blue Plains that he would be glad to
accept the three horses and board
them for the rest of their lives, he
had them officially transferred from
the Fire Department to the Home for
Feeble and Infirm there, and at the
same time ordered the six other re-
| tired fire horses, representing scat
| tered teams that had been out of serv-
ice Tor several years, sent to the
prison farm at Occoquan.
There was no chance, however, that
Barney. Gene and Tom might hear
the sentence to toll that had been
passed on them. Before 10 o'clock
this morning. a dozen or more citizens
had sent contributions to The Star
Office, totaling $108.21, to form the
nucleus of a rescue fund for the pur-
chase of the old fire horses, and there
seemed little likelihood that the people
of Washington would fall short of the
amount needed to accomplish that
purpose.
Tot Gives Savings.
The first person to offer a donation
was little Miss Edith Rathbun, years
old. Her contribution was 21 pennies,
her own little savings account, which
she handed personally to the cashier
OF The Star with a request that it be
used ito save Barney, Gene and Tom"
Her mother and father, Mr.. and Mrs.
S. H. Rathbun. added a check of IS
to that amount. and other checks soon
carried the fund past the century
mark.
Ross D. Thompson contributed SIS,
Miss Violet Whelen, 50; DIR. H. c. Var.
row, IS; Mrs. George Barnett, SIS for
herself and IS for Mrs. Minnie Madern
Ffske, the famous actress, whom Mrs.
Barnett said would surely contribute
II she were in the city, and would be
told of the purpose for which the
y.
Smith, $26, and w. S. Hutchins, $25.
Through the efforts of Mr.. Dono.
van, the District Commissioners and
George s. Watson, chief of the fire
department, this money will not be
needed and will be returned to the
donars. as will any additional con.
trfbutions that might be received lat.
er today. Two other contributions.
one of them for $25 and the other for
ing the grand total for the two days
nearly $40.
To Honor Team.
Chief Watson was the victim of
considerable criticism yesterday for a
situation that he was helpless to con-
troll and caused him as much grief as
1t caused his critics. Following the
publication OF the announcement that
Barney, Gene and Tom were to be
sold on the block, he received nearly
dozen calls from persons who up
braided him for thinking OF such q
thing" and asking where they
could send checks to help save the
horses.
When the Fire Department head
was notified this morning that all of
his old pets were to be spared from
dray service, a work for which they
are emtnently untitled, he gulped hard
several times. Then he declared that
Barney, Gene and Tom, the last regu-
lar team, were to be sent to their re-
partment can bestow and with the
clang OF the stirring fire gong ringing
In their ears once more
AS soon as he learns tho day Supt.
Fay Will call for the old fellows he
Will order them removed to their
original stalls. When they leave their
former home for the last time 1t will
be In the shining livery they had
worn so well for more than q decade
men who had served along with them
and before high officials Of the Fire
Department.
Public Invited.
Il want to do this not only for
Barney, Gene and Tom," Chief Wat
son said, but to give the people of
washington an opportunity of seeing
what noble crusade this has been.
We will have a regular fire run for
those old fellows-the last they will
ever enjoy-and 1t will be q sight
worth seeing, too. If Barney, Gene
and Tom had to be sold for dray serv.
ice they would not have lasted more
than three years, but down there on
the farm at Blue Plains, under the
care of Mr.. Fay and with light work
to do, they will last for at least Is
years"
The date for the last run will be
announced as soon as the formal de.
tails for the transfer are completed
and MIR. Fay let's the department know
when he can call for the horses. It
Is believed, however, that the exer.
cises for Barney. Gene and Tom will
be next Monday morning, the date
originally fixed for their formal mus.
~ Of fk1a sal.xrina Of fho ,i4.