The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-02-21
PRIVATE JOHN F. CORMAN
Passing of Beloved Veteran Fireman Sincerely Mourned-TI1ree Chiefs Esteemed His Service; All Respected Admired Deceased

pened to be nearpy. 50 III tne latter part of 1903 John Cor man joined the fire department, under Chief Samuel c. Snagg. He was assigned to the scovill street station, Engine No. 3, and served under the late Chief Heitman, when the latter was Q company captain. At first he was 8 hoseman, but eventually he was assigned to the dapple gray team attached to the Silsby steam engine. He sputtered ct first, on the ground that his familiarity with horses was not as keen as some others. But Chief snagg was insistent.
 "You are just the man," remark ed Chief snagg. "You have the disposition and the proper makeup to develop into one Of our greatest horsemer." And Chief snagg was right. Johnny made real pets of the horses Tn his care, through the eXperi. enced advice of the well known Will Reynolds, probably the greatest driver the fire depart. inent ever had among it's roster. The steamer team were chris. tened Chub, Tony and Dick, and Johnny called them my babies". It was never horses with him, and if you 50 referred to hl9 team as such he would correct you with the remark, You mean my babies". Johnny really loved these horses. He fed them sugar, just like 0 parent would give candy to his children.
 "Come, Baby, rest your head on my shoulder" Johnny often said to chunky Chub, in the presence of onlookers, as he opened the stall door. The horse would walk out, then stand, and nestle It's big head on Johnnys shoulder; Tony would do the same, followed by Dick. And, oh. how that team could travel: older residents ran blocks just to sec Fireman Cor man and his team race through the Center on their way to c fire. To MT. German, the animals were never wrong; he was the one to blame, If there was c slip-up somewhere. To him, they were just babies, pets, and he hated to be out of their sight. Ask any of the men who served with him in the old sta- ton; John German was always found at their side, betting them as he spoke.
 John German was c rare ifl- dividual. Man was never born better. Tn oil of his years of service, he was never known by any of his associates to use . profane word, under any and all circumstances. As one Of his company members said today, "One couldn't, in any way, get mad ct John German" He was never late ct roll.call, no mat ter what the weather conditions happened to be. Ills home was always "Out East, and ire. quently he had to walk miles either to scovill street or to fire headquarters, where he had served in the Bureau of Fire Alarms for c number of years. A devout Roman Catholic, John German could Do seen daily, when not on duty, vending his way to the church that baptized him, and guided him in his Spir. itual life for these many years.
 It was Fire Marshal Lahey, himself an "old Out Easter" who said:
 "John German possessed oil of the great qualities that 60 with the birth of The Out Easter. He was brought Up to respect and bow to recognized authority. His devotion to the church was so outstanding and SO noticeable that sometimes I have often felt guilty in my ob- servation of him toward cori- pllance with the mandates and laws of our wonderful religion. His life in this respect was c lesson to the rest of Us; his life stands out as c shining example and to the glory of the entire personnel of the fire depart- inent. We honor him for what be was; what he did, and what he was to Us. And the beauty of 1t all is, there are others in the department, in the living now, to whom my respect and ad. miration 60. because they too, have lived just the same kind of c life. The pity of 1t ell is that they must 90, while I of c different type entirely, is al. lowed to continue in the feSh."