The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-09
'Bll' Reynolds Fire Marshal Reviews Record of Depart ment's Veteran
 Member.
BY THE FIRE MARSHAL

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 Wlll Reynolds had been Q city fireman since May i5, 1904. On hts very first day of assignment he went to the newly opened Brooklyn station, under Captain Dennis r. Dunn, where he re- mained for c brief period or until his transfer to Engine O., No. 3, of Scovill street. He had been identified with that same company ever since. Some time ago when the scovill street station was abandoned for the new station on East Main street Will packed up, and went along with the others.
 Will Reynolds was e farmer boy having been born in Southbury. He was brought up on the old farm. and his talk was the old. fashioned twang of the old New England farmer. And he never lost 1t once during his entire membership and association In the fire department. His love for horses brought him into the de- partment. No one knew c horse better. He was driving around Waterbury 3S years or so ago when the late Chief Samuel c. Snagg got to know something about Will's ability as Q driver. The chief urged him to become Q fireman. Good drivers were Q scarcity: the chief wanted Will to instruct the others. Of course the late Chief Heitman, then Q cap- tain, was also an exceptional man with horses. But Captain Heit- man had other duties to perform, and when he left the Scovill street station for the chemical crew at headquarters on Leaven. worth street, the chiefs idea was to have VIII Reynolds as e guide to some of the other men Of the department, not to men like Cap- tain Cleveland. also Q great fel- low around horses, but to the city factory fellow. appointed to the
 department who knew nothing about driving when he first enter- cd the department, in those days. firemen had to know how to drive and ride horses. Often in the dead of night, your assignment might bo to take Chub, or Dick from the Brooklyn station to replace q sick horse at the engine house on Willow street. You had to make the try whether you ever rode horseback before or not. An as- alignment you had to All, no mat ter what the consequences were. Aud some thrilling experiences members of the department under went at times when they were called upon to take out the team for airing. on some morning when the apparatus was left in doors. Why, one time, Lieut.. Flah- erty. now confidential man to the chief of the department, was dragged all around the Willow street section by Q team of blacks, on one of which he rode. and the other which he was Supposed to guide along behind.
 Will Reynolds could properly be ciassed as "a dandy fellow" He was naturally kind and gen. erous. Any person as 6 rule who loves horses is generally built up- on these lines. Will loved man. kind in general. Never harsh in his talk, his inclination always was to speak kindly of the other person. ms old pals and associates in the department will tell you this. It was always good to hear him speak: we loved it; we liked that old and personal twang Of speech. It made us think of the farmer of old, the days when 1t was not out of the ordinary to meet people who spoke in the same manner as our good VIII. Those were the days of OK teams. and horse-drawn wood wagons. Every farmer spoke as Will did.
 will Reynolds may be dead, but to some of us at least his mem ory shall finger. as we recall some of his pet hobbies in his daily work in the care of the old-time fire horses. ,+.