Peter makes good, and stories of other dogs

Jess the Fire Company’s Dog

Jess, who was the fire company’s dog, was anxious to get as many of the dogs as he possibly could interested in joining the “Fire Brigade.” Membership in this organization was open only to dogs who were brave enough to risk their lives to protect life and property when these were endangered by fire.

Jess had been the first dog to join, having become a member by adoption of the city “Protective League,” and a life member of the city Fire Department. Jess had a good record in his home town for courage, and this helped to establish him in this place, and at once he began working for the interests of the Brigade.

He read to the dogs a report of some of the cases he had found among their fellow dogs, saying he felt encouraged that there would be no difficulty in enrolling a large percentage of the dogs.

Only that day he had heard of another case. A big retriever was often left in charge of a large home when the family was absent. He was never confined. He always had the range of the house. On this occasion the folks left early, to be gone all day. Not long after their departure, the neighbors heard the dog barking. Looking toward the house, they saw smoke issuing from the roof. The alarm was turned in, and soon everything was out of the house.

But the dog refused to leave. Returning to the gutted house, he stationed himself on guard until his master came home. The smoke and the excitement, however, were too much for him. He survived the fire, the falling timbers and the heat, but his lungs had become so inflamed from the smoke that he died.

“Such heroism,” said the Fire Brigade’s chief, “gets into our blood and makes all of us want to do something great.”

The only requirement, in order to become a member of this noble order, was to report some act performed in prevention of fire or loss of life. All of the dogs agreed to keep their eyes open for opportunities to do something in this line.

Bill Becomes a Member

The very next day the Boston bull had his chance. He belonged to a young bachelor who lived alone, with only his faithful dog, Bill, for company. Now Bill was a privileged character who had the run of the place, and, during the day, had to receive all comers. His owner was the best of masters, but he had one fault. He would smoke in bed, lighting his pipe and reading until he fell asleep. Bill never approved of this. He was always expecting something to happen, and himself slept with one eye open as long as he could. Then, one night something did happen. The lighted pipe fell out of the sleeping man’s mouth. Bill smelled smoke, and jumped up just in time to pull the burning pillow off the bed, thus saving his master’s life and home.

Bill became a member of the Fire Brigade.

The Fire Brigade

We hear many stories of dogs being the means of saving property and lives in times of fire. They seem never to lose their heads, as it were, but generally do the most sensible thing under the circumstances.

Here are some instances of heroic efforts on the part of these little benefactors, in recognition of which they are being enrolled in the Fire Brigade.

Lady, a German police dog, who will be the only member of our company of her sex, is entitled to first place on the list. She put out a fire all by herself in a most heroic manner. Left alone in the house, she discovered a burning paper under a gasoline stove. Drawing the fire to her, she tore the paper to bits, pawing it until the fire was out. In so doing she burned her nose and paws severely. When her mistress returned and sat down, the dog laid her head in the lap of her mistress and whined most pitifully with pain. Needless to say, her injuries were carefully anointed and bandaged.

Another member of the fire brigade won his honors by alarming the family when something from a shelf above fell down on the stove, catching fire from the lighted pilot. He was alone in the kitchen when it happened, and ran barking into the other part of the house, and then back to the kitchen, until he succeeded in getting the family to follow and put out the fire.

The Tramp Dog

And here is what was once a tramp dog, but we know he was not a tramp from choice. This dog did a good deed in return for a kindness shown him, in observance of the Golden Rule, which we should all remember.

This poor dog, who was alone in the world and desperately hungry, saw a man come out of a butcher shop with a package of meat. Hunger had made his sense of smell so keen that even at a respectful distance he knew the stranger was a fair prospect. So the dog trotted along behind the man until he reached his home.

The dog, being a tramp, knew his place was at the back door; so he lay there to wait until he should see some one come out to the garbage can, which soon happened. This person not only gave him the remains of the nice, juicy steak, but also spoke a kind word to him. Feeling that life was, after all, worth living, the dog decided to spend the night with these kindly people. During the night a fire broke out. The tramp, as he was called, ran to the window of the room where the man slept, and awakened him just in time to save his home.

Needless to say, he was no longer a tramp dog.

Small but Brave

A lady was making a call on a neighbor next door, leaving her husband asleep on the bed, and her small dog to keep guard during her absence. She felt that all was secure. However, she had hung some stockings over the gas oven to dry, leaving the gas turned on. The oven became very hot and set fire to the stockings, and the flames spread to the window curtains. The dog, seeing what had happened, ran to the bed barking, but failed to arouse his master. Then he caught the covers in his teeth and pulled them off the sleeping man, who awoke just in time to save their home from a bad fire.

Duke

A dog named Duke saved a large factory from being burned by giving the alarm to the watchman. The man and the dog had just made the rounds and had seen that everything was all right. Then, after the watchman had punched the time clock, they left that part of the factory for another. The dog, who was watching every move that his master made, returned with him to the office from where they started. There they settled down to take a nap, until the alarm clock would arouse them to make the next round.

The watchman, who was a sound sleeper, was soon snoring away, but not so with Duke. He seemed nervous and alert to every sound. In a few minutes he sprang up and barked loudly, waking his master, and ran to the door in an excited manner. The watchman, on going outside, saw a bright light at one corner of the factory. Running to this spot, he saw two men hurriedly leaving, with the dog in pursuit.

He turned in the fire alarm, and when he telephoned to the police headquarters, what he heard in reply was, “Men taken. Holding your dog for identification.” When Duke was reinstated at the factory, he was given a new brass-mounted collar. He was also given a pension for life for having performed this noble deed. This fine fellow is doubly welcome in the Fire Brigade.

Jess

In one of the smaller cities is a fire company that has a tawny-colored Irish setter named Jess, who is a great favorite with all of the men. Jess knows all the “ins and outs” of the fire-fighting business, and is as helpful as it is possible for him to be. When there is no call for action, he lies contentedly in the sun waiting for the summons to duty.

When an alarm is sent in, Jess is the first to respond. He runs first to one and then to another of the men, spurring them on to action and haste. Then he jumps into the chief’s car and seems to love to go tearing through the streets, having the right of way over everything. The ear-splitting screech of the siren is music to him. Arriving at the fire, he takes a position affording the best view, and where he will be the least hindrance to the firemen. He takes an intense interest in every move that is made.

Once he entered a burning building. Going in by the back door, he ran up the stairs in that part of the building and aroused a man who was asleep, thereby saving his life. It was for this that Jess became a life member of that fire company; he was serving without pay, just for the love of being useful. After a fire is put out, he rides home in triumph on the fire engine, wearing a fireman’s hat. Jess will be an honorary member of our “Fire Brigade” if everybody is willing.