Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-03-11

, to be commissioned in June for tran
stened the vessel.
promoted to the rank OF acting cap
tain, which, he says, would be lieu
tenant under the usual city organ1
Zation. He was attached to No.
engine company from the first anC
continued with it. He stayed witt
that position until 1901, when Ii,
asked for leave of absence be
cause he had suffered breakdown
in his health that could not be over
come except by vacation of length
Meanwhile, his brother, the photo
grapher, had made a move that re
suited in Nemeck finally coming tC
Douglas as chief of the department
here The photographer had conc
to Bisbee. So on being granted tht
vacation, Nemeck came to Bisbee
where he visited and made numer
Gus friends. among them beini
Charles Clawson, now dead, whC
was the superintendent of the Cop
per Queen Mining company. Claw
son offered Nemeck a position a!
head Of the company'd fire depart
ment and secured the assurance tha
he would be made head of the Bis
bee department, the place then be
ing known as fire warden, as sooI
as the city was incorporated. He
accepted the post and remained un
til 1906, when he returned to Jolie
and resumed his, services with the
department in that city.
His Call to Douglas.
In 1907, City Clerk Tom Daley
of Douglas wrote to jNemeck, telling
him to file an application for tht
position Of chief of the department
in this city, as it was just ready t.
organize a paid department. NemecE
was unable to come then because o
illness in his family and 80 he ad
vised the city to that effect ant
recommended that the city give the
place to his per1oRal acquaintance
w. w Armstrong, who he knew u
be well qualified. The city accept
ed the recommendation and named
Armstrong, who came and remained
for something more than two years
when he was offered the position o.
chief of the fire department at E
Paso, and resigned to accept that
1t was at that time that Nemecl
came to head the Douglas depart
ment
w. A. Greene was mayor then
Nemeck arrived in the city and wa!
sworn in as chief by the mayor il
less than four hours after reaching
here. Since that time he has en-
joyed an unbroken line of service
and has seen the department grow
both in numbers and efficiency
Then he was paid $1G5 the month
while today the place pays $500
Then the firemen COS $50 the month
while today they receive $3.50. There
lis higher rate for the captain
who gets $160, while the assistan
chief gets $165.
DO You Recall Tom and Jerry?
There were four horses uieC
then, two small bays and two small
blacks They were not heavy enough
to handle the load and make time
and the first move was to displact
them with horses that measured III
to the need Old timers in Douglas
remember the four splendid animal
that were bought in 1910 whel
Frank Ramsey, later mayor, bu
then councilman, went to Hous
ton to the big horse market ant
. bought two teams, one black ant
one bay. The bays were christenet
tom" and Jerry" names thel
legal for other things as well a
horses. The blacks were calle'
Nip and "Tuck." They wer
truly fine specimens of horseflesl
and gave the department excellen
service as the last animals to b.
used in drawing the equipment
They were displaced in 1913 by mo
tor trucks and the horses wer
kept by the city, being transferret
to the street department. Since tn
introduction OF motor equipment th
city has steadily added. all the tim
keeping the department supplies
with the thing1 that are believed t
he required for the best service.
| Old Southern Hotel Fire
What Chief Nemeck regards a
udylHB DeSH lHe lHOSl SpSctdCuld
fire in the city during his admins
i tration occurred on June 6, 1918
at Twelfth street and G avenue
when the old Southern hotel wa
destroyed. The hotel was not oC
cupied at the time. having bee
/ doomed by the plans for the Gran
theatre and part of it had been ur
dermined at the time, the work G
( wrecking it having planned I
start at once. The fire started a
@:45 a. M. and the building bein
Of wood as were some adioinin
structures, it madG a spectacula
blaze which drew the people OF tn
city from their beds almost unan