Evening star., 1925-11-15

AFRAID O1 Eire SIOnS.
But she has one grave fault, and
her enemies, principally among the
Younger generation of masCots, have
been quick to seize upon it in their
undercover campaign OF slander.
Minnie, president of the Ancient and
Accepted Order of Fire Mascots, is
afraid of a fire gong From the NOM
ent in 1901 that first she dragged
herself into the then new engine
house at Tenth and q streets south
west, and heard for the first time
the Changing OF the big bell and the
Gathering of the engines going out IN
response. Minnie has had an inherent
and ungovernable fear of that gong.
She hides from it.
How can a fire mascot be fire
mascot. much less the high pl-iestess
of fire mascotry, and be afraid OF that
alI-important adjunct to a fire en-
%ine house, the fire gong? the dis
gruntled ones are mumbling among
themselves.
She Names Qualifications.
In the face of this spirit of dis
content Minnie announced yesterday
the rules she would follow in approx
ing Applications for membership. A
mascot must have been a mascot for
at least five years, must have re-
spectable habits, must attend strictly
TO duties and must always present a
tidy appearance, she declared.
Friends of Mascot Minnie point
with pride to her long period of serV-
ice, her ability to climb ladders, her
success in repelling canine and feline
intruderS at the engine house, espe-
cially the former, and the esteem in
which she Is held by the firemen. who
always share their lunches with her.
One of the groups opposed to the
new Exalted Mascot was strongly
supporting another candidate. OulJa
of No ! engine house, X street be
tween Sixteenth and Seventeenth.
Candidate Ouija has been dodCing out
of the way of scurryinS feet ana
dashing engines for going on Il years
now.
Ouija's supporters hold this elder
iy tiger cat up as the most accom-
plished feline mascot in the depart
ment. Ouija does all kinds of tricks.
such as jumping through the arms of
the firemen, collecting rodentary
trophies under the instrument desk.
etc. and etc. He collected a poisoned
specimen once and nearly died. In
cidentally and irrelevantIy he has
been operated on for insrowing toe
nails.
Very intelligent cat. Ouija. as his
name might imply. At mealtime the
men give him can of salmon and
can-opener and in five minutes he has
cleaned out the can. Private Smith
of No. Company exhibits the can
opaner ss proof. Ouija has strong
motions. too. He is very jealous, and
remained away from roll call for sew
eral days once when kitten took
UP quarters in the engine house. He
didn't come back until the kitten was
taken away.
Has Been Out on Fires.
But Ouija has still more distinc-
tons to. his credit. He has been out
on two fires. This fact was the out
standing argument for his election to
head the new order. But investigation
disclosed that the first time Ouija
went out on a run he couldn't find
his way back to the engine house for
some time. The second time he
didn'f go of his own accord. He was
asleep on the engine when the gong
rang and before he knew what was
happening he was hurtling through
space at what seemed to he a thou
sa nd miles minute. When he got
his senses. he was in Il gutter several
blocks away from his quarters and
lost again.
Ouiia is content to let his active
service rest with these two exploits.
Ouiia. withal. is a fighter. and it is
said he is out to get certain white
cat at No. engine house whom he
accuses of spreading false propa ganda
about him during the campaign. The
white cat is Jerry, known as the
firefighting feline of Twelfth street.
with the emphasis on the fighting.
According TO the firemen who know
him, Jerry can stand on his hind
legs and box. Very tricky, believe it
or not. Anyway, Ouija is going 70
find himself the center of a whirlwind
Of claws, teeth and ferocity if he
tackles Jerry. they do say.
Steps Out Frequently.
Jerry. by the way, is one of those
polished creatures known as man
about town" Nature made his fur
pure white. but he insists on painting
the lily by sleeping in the coal pile.
He dimes of evenings at a well known
Twelfth street cafe and steps out
rather often Of nights. He was out
too late in the night air several years
ago and caught pneumonia. An
elderly gentleman. by name Jim
Mckee. took him home and nursed
him back to health, and ever since
this man visits Jerry at the engine
house every evening.
Several years ago one of the fire.
men brought a dog. Rags, to the
engine house. Strangely enough,
Jerry and Rags became great friends
and VIXEN Rags was crushed to death
beneath the wheels of a truck one day
Jerry was morose and melancholy for
more than week.
The canine mascots of the Fire De-
partment are somewhat resentful of
the fact that none of them was in the
running for chief mascot. They con-
tend that Al, the dog mascot of No. 9
Engine Company. is the only real fire
fighting mascot in the city. This bull
pup, who has been in the service only