Evening star., 1926-06-20
OLD BARNEY, GENE
!. AND TOM RESPOND
Retired Fire Horses, Absent
for Year, Make Perfect
Response to Gong.


Barney, Gene and Tom.
Nearly a year ago, when the last
eugine company in the District was
5notorized and these three faithful fire
horses seemed destined to fall from
their proud standing to the task of
dragging garbage wagons around
alleys, friends interviewed and they
were sent to Blue Plains, where the
District Home for the Aged and In
firm is located. There they are TO
spend the rest of their days with light
tasks which keep them busy when
they are not browsing around in the
field.
After year, would they remember
what to do if the fire gong sounded?
The question was put to Chief Engl-
seer Watson of the Fire Department.
and Chief Watson, to put it frankly,
: didn't know. So it was decided to find
out. And the question was answered
10 the satisfaction Of everybody Fri
day.
William ]. Fay and Frank B.
Haskell, superintendent and assistant
superintendent, respectively, at the
Home for the Aged and Infirm,
agreed to have the veterans in Wash
ington for the test, and the only thing
needed next was an Old piece Of horse
drawn apparatus.
Place for Test Chosen.
The stalls were still intact at No.7
Engine Company, r street, near Tenth
street, and it was decided to hold the
test there. After considerable search
ing and telephoning, an old hose
wagon was finally found at No. 10
Engine Company, way over az Randall
Highlands. Since there were no horses
to bring the hose carrier over to X
street, the fire department officials
being unwilling to trust Barney, Gene
and Tom, prior to the test, it was
hitched to a motorized truck and
dragged to No. Z.
Barney and Gene and Tom seemed
TO know something was expected OF
them the minute they reached the
engine house. Cleveland Waters, col
Ored hostler at Blue Plains, rode
Barney and led the two others. Sleek
and fat from healthy lives on the
farm, they were beautiful but quite
docile looking animals until they
poked their noses in the fire house
door. From that moment something
seemed to be going on in their brains.
Once in their stalls they stamped
and Champed around, ears bObbing up
and down vigorously as they heard
familiar sounds. When a fireman
purposely touched a bell on one of
the engines. the three old fellows
stood stock still, trembling percepti-
bly,. But their tremors seemed to
he more the result of eagernesS than
of nerves. Everything was finally
made ready for the test.
Precautions Taken.
Assistant Battalion Chief j. 8.
Watt, who was personally in charge,
took no chances and stationed four
or FIVE firemen at the door to un-
tangle the horses when they reached
the apparatus-if they ran at all.
Firemen were then stationed at the
stalls to snap loose the chains as
tho gong sounded. The few spec
tators present were ordered well
back, to be out of the way of any
possible break.
"All right" Chief Watts finally
called to the man at the bell.
There was a rapid-fire series of
''bongs" from the gong, the chains
dropped and Barney and Gene and
Tom started forward in their stalls.
Then they stopped, looked eXcitedly
from side to side and promptly calmed
down again.
Poor old fellows" remarked q
fireman. They've forgotten the
sound of the music" But to others
present 1t was quite apparent that
the horses had not forgotten.
They'll never run on a gong like
that" called Chief Watts. Give them
real number. They might have
thought that was noon drill"
Again the gong called.
Bong
Bong, bong, bong
Bong"
Box 131, Perhaps Barney, Gene and
Tom remembered that number; posSi-
bly, the series of rings brought back
the old memories. But scarcely had
the first stroke of the three" begun
ITO sound, and the rattle of the drop
ping chains ceased. than there was a
numbering of hoofs. Head to head,
the three old fellows dashed from
Their stalls in perfect team.
In Regular Positions.
Down the left side of the hose car
1ier raced Gene. Barney and Tom
turned perfectly to the left side. Gene
leaped quickly to his regular position,
and Tom turned to take the center
Barney following Immediately behind
TO take the right-hand outside posi-
tion. There was no rigging to hold up
the center shaft to permit Tom to
step to his proper place and he paved
hopelessly.
Barney waited impatently for just
a second and then deliberately tramped
Up beside Tom and tried to push him
into place Immediately. Barney's
action was so deliberate that every
person in the engine house roared
with laughter. AS quickly as possible
firemen stepped in. lifted the shaft,
and Tom slipped into position. while
Barney, with a relieved air, took his.
Quickly the harness was snapped
on and Private S. e. Bishop mounted
the drivers seat beside Capt. G. w.
Smith. Already the big grays We're
stamping impatiently to be off. The
gong had ceased sounding; possibly
they knew they should have been ION
the way" seconds earlier. Finally the
doors opened. There was a literal
shower of sparks as the big fellows
iron shoes scraped the stone floor,
clinching for a quick start.
Co" snapped the driver. And
Barney and Gene and Tom plunged
out Of the door with the same vim
they used to show in the good old
days. Their run was brief. however.
Private Smith was chauffeur of the
big red Seagrave motor pumper. He
knew plenty about engines, but little
about horses. So the run necessarily
ended at the curb.
They Had Not Forgotten.
Barney, Gene and Tom had demon
strated, however, that they had not
forgotten. "Give them two real runs"
declared Chief Watt, and they would
be as reliable as ever. Don't forget
that, besides having been on the farm
for a year they We're not used for
fire duty for some time before that.
So that it really has been a long time
since they We're called upon for any
run except at the farewell run last