MR. BERGMAN'S PLAN
Never had Lakeville been so stirred as when, a few days after the
lumber yard fire, notices were posted in various parts of the town,
stating that a special meeting of the Selectmen would be held to take
action on an offer made by Mr. Bergman to equip a regular fire
department for the place.
"So, that's what he meant!" remarked Bert, when he read the notices.
"Well, I wonder where we'll be, if they have a regular department?"
"Oh, I suppose the bucket brigade will be taken in, and they'll run
the whole thing," said Vincent, a little bitterly.
"If they do, we'll keep our old hand engine and run to blazes just the
same," declared Cole.
"That's what we will," added Captain Bert.
The notices announced that the meeting would be a public one, and
would be held in the town hall, over the post-office. Opportunity
would be given for all interested to state their views, the notice
added.
"Then we'll state ours," threatened Cole. "Bert, can't you go there
and make a speech?"
"I suppose I can, if the boys want me to. But what shall I say?"
"Oh, wait until we get there and see how things look. But if they want
to turn us down, you get up and protest. We'll stand by you."
"All right," agreed Bert. "I think we ought to have something to say."
"So do I," came from Tom Donnell. "Put it good and strong, Bert."
The night of the meeting found nearly every male resident of Lakeville
present, and there were some women and girls in the audience. In the
meanwhile, the members of the volunteer department had used Mr.
Bergman's donation to pay off the small balance due on their engine,
and had purchased their uniforms. They were quite natty, consisting of
blue trousers and red shirts, with helmets of the same fiery color,
and belts with a large brass buckle in front.
The boys marched into the hall in a body, and took seats together.
"Oh, aren't they just too cute for anything!" exclaimed Nellie Travers
to her chum, Jane Alton.
"They look quite business-like," commented Jane.
"Yes, but those uniforms are dear, aren't they?"
"I don't know. I heard my brother Ned say they were quite cheap," went
on Jane, who was something of a joker.
"Oh, Jane! You know I mean they're too sweet for anything! I just wish
there'd be a fire alarm come in now, so I could see them run."
"I don't; I want to see what they're going to do at this meeting. Ned
is worried for fear they'll break up the boys' department."
"That would be a shame."
"I think so, too. But, hush! Mayor Appelby is going to speak."
The mayor, who had been elected chairman of the meeting, told the
object of the gathering. He said they had assembled to hear an offer
that was to be made by their "distinguished fellow citizen, the
Honorable Perrett Bergman." There were some cheers and applause at
this, and Mr. Bergman arose.
"What I have to say will not take up much of your time," he began.
"You all know we have had several fires lately, and that a number of
lads of this village have constituted themselves a fire department. I
need not point out what good work they have done. It speaks for
itself.
"The recent blaze in my lumber yard has confirmed an impression I have
had for some time, and that is, that we should have a regular
department in this village. I think, with all due respect to it, that
we have outgrown the bucket brigade!"
"That's right!" called some one from the rear of the hall.
"The bucket brigade did good work," asserted Moses Sagger.
"I know that," admitted Mr. Bergman, "but the village is growing. I do
not hesitate to say that if it had not been for the boys' volunteer
department I would be a much poorer man to-night than I am."
"Hurrah for the boys!" exclaimed a man, and there were hearty cheers.
"In brief, my offer is this," continued Mr. Bergman. "I am willing to
buy a complete outfit for a fire department. I will furnish everything
except the members of it, and I will even pay for having installed an
electric alarm system, with pull boxes in various places. I will also
equip a small fire headquarters. In view of the fact that we have no
water system, I would suggest that chemical engines be used."
"That's right," came from Mayor Appelby.
"I now, then, offer to purchase two of the best chemical engines that
can be bought," went on Mr. Bergman. "I think we will not need horses,
as the engines are light, and half a dozen persons can haul them. With
two of these machines, one on either side of the town, we can take
care of almost any ordinary blaze, as the houses here are not so close
together that we will have any great conflagration. Now it remains for
the town to act on my offer. Remember, I will furnish all the money
needed for the engines, and to fit up a headquarters. All I ask the
town to do is to supply the members and places in which to keep the
engines."
[Illustration: "One moment, if you please," began Bert.]
"You have heard the very generous offer of our distinguished fellow
townsman and public-spirited citizen, the Honorable Perrett Bergman,"
said Mayor Appelby, pompously. "What have you to say?"
"I say take it!" exclaimed Moses Sagger, quickly. He saw a chance for
a good fire department without any increase in the taxes.
"That's right! Accept the offer!" came from various parts of the hall.
"With thanks!" added a more thoughtful man.
"You seem to be of one mind," went on the mayor. "I shall now put the
question to a vote."
"One moment, if you please," began Bert, rising to his feet. He was
rather pale, for he was not used to speaking in public.
"What is it, Herbert?" asked Mr. Appelby. "Don't you favor this?"
"I most certainly do, and so do all the boys. All we want to know is,
what will become of our department?"
"Oh, we won't need you boys when we get the chemical engines," said
Mr. Sagger quickly. "The members of the bucket brigade will attend to
them. You boys can give your old engine away if you want to."
"We'll do nothing of the kind!" exclaimed Bert. "We bought and paid
for that engine, when there was no prospect of Lakeville having
anything like a department. Now we have a good organization and---"
"Yes, and we can put out fires!" interrupted Cole. "My force pump---"
"Dry up!" exclaimed Vincent, pulling Cole by the coat-tails. "Let Bert
do the talking."
"That's all right. I was going to tell them about my force pump,"
murmured Cole.
"They don't want to hear it. Listen."
"I think we ought at least be allowed to continue our organization,
and be recognized by the town as a part of the fire department," went
on Bert. "We don't ask to run your chemical engines, but we would like
to keep our hand engine."
"No, we don't want it!" cried Mr. Sagger. "We have no use for you
boys. The men can run things in this town, We'll merge the bucket
brigade into a regular department."
"That's what we will!" came from some of the older members of that
ancient organization. "Then we might as well go home, boys!" exclaimed
Herbert, somewhat bitterly. "They have no use for us here."
"One moment!" exclaimed Mr. Bergman, rising in his seat.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"I think some of you men are under a little misunderstanding," he went
on. "My offer to buy two chemical engines was made because of the very
efficient work the boys of this town did in putting out the fire in my
lumber yard. I most certainly will not consent to thrusting the boys
aside, now that we are about to have a regular department."
"Hurrah!" came from the irrepressible Cole. "My force pump---"
But his companions made him keep silent.
"I may say," went on Mr. Bergman, with a look at the boys, in their
natty uniforms, "that my offer depends on one thing."
"What is that?" asked Mr. Appelby quickly.
"It is this: That the boys are to be in charge of the regular
department, just as they now are of the volunteer one!"
"Hurrah!" cried Cole again, and his chums joined in with him. "My
force---"
"Ain't the bucket brigade going to run things?" inquired Mr. Sagger.
"With all due respect to that organization, they are not!" replied Mr.
Bergman loudly. "I will furnish the money for the engines only on the
condition that the same boys, who did such good work at the fire in my
place, continue in charge. The members of the bucket brigade may join
if they wish, but the boys are the ones I want to see in control. They
have proved what they can do, and I would recommend that Captain
Herbert Dare be made the chief of the new department!"
"Whoop!" shouted Cole, standing up, and waving his hat. "That's the
stuff! Whoop! Hurrah!"