[Chief Hugh Franklin Magee Scrapbook, Volume 1] Page: 1

                                
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'  IM E L  IS   IHE   FIRE    CFIEF.
Si'C~I'E1)S 'I'HE VETERAN' FIRE-
MAN, 'i'I1OAS wILKINSON.
MR.   HOM        WORK    IS  REMAINED
As Assistant City Attorney-Jhn Ryan
Assistant Fire Chief-egular
City Council Proceedings.
P'he "hot time" at the council meeting,
which was schedul d by The News someo
time since, occurred last night and the
biggest crowd, that has assembled in the
council chamber for over two years was
on hands long before the city dads were
called to order, arxious to see it transpire.
Fo.r 'weeks the adidats for the oflce
of chief and assistant chief of the fire de-
partment have been making the fight for
place so warm that it savored' of the state
struggle which, was settled by ballot on
Nov. 4 last. Last week nearly every one
but the friends   of ex-Chief  Wilkinson
seemed willing to concede the election to
Frank Magee,    his opponent.  The eight
was kept up, however, and when the coun-
cil was called to order last night those on
the "inside" said that Wilkinsonewas sure
of six votes and Magee was equally sure of
five and that the contest would he settled
by the votes of Aldermen Black  'lLince-
cum, who were classed by The News man's
informant as "unknown quantities."
'lhe mayor called the meeting to order
promptly at 7:30 o'clock. Outside-the rail-
tng on the council floor and up'in the gal-
lery the spectators were packed so closely
together that a man could have walked
clear across the room  on heads, provided'
the owners of the heads were willing.
The officers to be elected, besides thee
two already named, were an auditor, a po-
lice court judge and an assistant city at-
torney.  On motion of Mr. Wolfson' the
rules were suspended and the -council pro-
ceeded to dispose of these elections at once.
As Auditor Morgan    and Police   Judge
Smith, the present incumbents of the first
two named offices, had no opposition, the
vote for their re-election was. made unani-
mous.
As in the cases of the offices just filled',
the gentleman who now holds the office of
assistant city attorney,  Mr. Thomas A.
Work. was the only candidate. He would
have been immediately re-elected, but May-
or Barry, resigning the chair to Mayor
Pro-tem  Kelly, took the floor and in a
ifteen-minute speech along te lines laid
town in his communication on this sub-
iet published in Ti  News, advocated the
a 1:ishment of this office. He clpeil with
the motion that f"itecouncil do not go
into the election of an assistant city attor-
ney." This motion, which was seconded by
Mr. Munger, was lost by a vote of 11 to 1.
The mayor then moved that the assist-
ant city attorney  be   elected  for only
twelve months Instead of two years. As
this received no'second  ittwas not con-
sidred.
The secretary-What is to be done with
the mayor's communication on this sub-
Mr. Adams-Just file it for future refer-
enee.
Mr. Barry then placed Mr. Work in nom-
ination for the office and lie was promptly
elected. This seemed to please the spec-
tators, for they cheered. when the vote
was announced.     .   ,
ELECTION OF FIRE CHIEF.
Then came the election of a chief of the
fire department.  Amid graveyard  silence
Frank Magee and Thomas Wilkinson, the
two candidates, were played in nomination.
The former wat elected by a vote of 7 to
6. Aldermen Black and Lincecum, the two
"unknown quantities;" voted  for Magee,
but it was received with wild cheers and
dozens poured into the chamber to, con-
gratulate the new  chief.- The  confusion
finally became so great that a recess of five
minutes had to be taken in order to let the
c'e awd uict down.
'The vote stood:
Magee-Adams, Black,' ' Jaesoo,   Kelly,
Liseecum, Long, Barry-7.
Wilkinson-Beillh:irz, Grove, Hall, Jackson,
Bner, 'Wolfson-6.
oak Ryan and Thomas Myers were then
p ed in nomination for assistant chief of
the lire department. The former was elect-
ed b a vote of 10 to 3, Messrs. Hall, Jack-
son:d Wolfson voting for his opponent.
Upon reconvening the council took up the
regular order of business.
They do say that if the  city bad
bought the apparatus asked for a few
months ago by the, fire department
Capt. Thomas Hurley would not have
been so badly hurt at the Scollard fire.'
But the city hasn't. got money to do
that; it takes all its spare change to
sweeten the pie ton the counter.

"Mr. H'. F. Mngee Took Charge of the
Fire Department Yesterday.
At 12 o'clock yesterday Mr. Thomas Wil-
kinson retired from the office of chief of
the fire department to make way for Mr.
IF. F. Magee, elected by the city council at
the regular session Tuesday night, to "run
the machine" for the next two years. A
biographical sketch of Chief Magee ap-
peared in The News Wednesday last.
H. F. MAGEE,
New Chief of Dallas Fire Departmenti.
It is understood that Chief Magee will
make a few changes later in the season.-
TI)E I 'ARTMENT WAS CALLED TO
NOBLE AVENUE YESTERDAY
TO SAVE HIS DARN.

What Police and Fire Commis         '
sioners did Last Night,
FIRE DEPARTMENT AS IT WAS,
Assistant Chief Ryu and the Pres.
ent Captains Were Re-appointed.
Two Vacancies Were Filled.
Fire Chief H. F. Magee is to retail,
his job. So will Assistant Chief Johr
W. Ryan and the present captains. As
indicated in yesterday's Times Herald,
Police and Fire Commisstoners Drown
and Boren met with May.'r 'Traylor last
night at 8 o'clock. The .t-umv'rato
who largely run the city's affairs were
not in session long. At the close of
their deliberations the following was
given out as the minutes of the meet-
ing:
Adjourned meeting Oct. 11. 1899. All
members present, Mayor   Traylor in
the chair.
Commissioner Boren moved that the
following appointments made by him!
be made to compose the fire depart-
ment of the city of Dallas:
H. F. Magee chief, salary $100 per
month; headquarters  at central fire
station, corner  Main  and Harwoucd
streets; to serve until the first Tuesday
in April, 1900.
John W. Ryan, assistant chief at ai
salary of $75 per month, with head-.
quarters at No. 1 engine house, corner
Bryan and Hawkins.
T .. Myers, captain engine compary
No. 4; J. L. Marden, captain chemical
company No. 1; T. S. Boland, captain
engine company No. 2; John Clifford,
captain engine company No. 3; T. J.
Ramsey, captain truck company No. 2;
F. F. Bennett, captain hose company
No. 2; Thomas Hurley, captain engine
company No. 1; W. H. Lyne, captain
hose company No. 1; F. R. Douglass,
engineer No. 2 engine company; E. A.
ot, engineer No. 3 engine company,
E. W. Daniel, engineer No. 1 engine
company; T. G. Morrison, engineer No.
4 engine company.
Commissioner Boren moved that, as
the department was two men short, K.
Flanenry and L. Harris be appointed
as firemen to fill said vacancy, their,
employment to begin Nov. 1, 1899.
Commissioner Boren moved that all
of the empolyes of the fire department
except the chief shall serve in their re-
spective appointments until the 1st day
of June, 1900, and until their successors
are appointed, and that they shall re-
ceive .the same compensation hereto-
fore allowed an~d fixed by the city
council according to .the duties to be
performed by them   respectively, ex-
cept that until the 1st day of Novem-
ber, 1899, W. H. Lyne shall receive the
pay of a fireman and thereafter shall.
receive the pay of a captain. That the
chief shall assign to the firemen here-
by appointed the respective duties to
be performed by them and shall report
to the board at the next meeting the
assignments to duty so made by him.
Chief Magee and Assistant Chief Ry-
an have been busy   to-day receiving
the congratulations of their friends.

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Driver          CALL
verFalls from    a Buggy and
is Dragged Seri       t1,'k
A fire alarm was t
13,  corner Commerce and A   ar'
streets, shortly after 9  o'clock tfi
morning. In answering the alarm tho'
chemical engine from the Central sta-
tion came near   colliding  with the
chief's buggy at the corner of Coin-
merce and Harwood street. Charley
Goad, driver of the chief's bugrgy
quickly turned his horse to avoid a
smash-up and in doing so the buggy it
struck a street car rail and careened
throwing Mr. Goad   to  the ground.
The horse was going at full spee'l but
he held on to one line and was dragged
about fifty feet, sustaining some ugly
scratches and bruises but no serious
injuries. Chief Magee finally stopped
the horse, disentangled  his driver,
traightened him up on his feet and
cane on to the fire without him. The
chemical engine was immediately be-
hind the buggy and had it not been for
a lucky turn of the buggy Goad would
have been ground beneath its wheels,
as It.. was coming too rapidly to  be
stopped easily. The buggy will have to
e provided with new wheels.
The alarm  was a false one. Some-
body saw smoke, owing to the density
of the atmosphere, hugging the roof of'
ja building, thought it was on fire ani
turned in an alarm.

The members cf Engie ccmnany No.
4 cf 'he Dallas fire depirtrnen desire'
to return thanks to the following p-r-
scr.: for favy:rs  received during the
two weeks thet they were in quaran-
1'n'e:  Mersrs. 1303  Kauffiran, Dan
lahue, Billy Strcn'g, Fi{x Tanco, Alf
Taber. Bllie  GIeves., Jhn  Strong,
Tchn BaIdwin, Alclerln  Brady. A'ir-
m' Harcock and wife. 4l'ermin Ci!--
.  hen. Mrs. A. Resnthal, Chief Magee,
'4rFireace and the Times Herald           I

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miai Br&o.Return~j
l-ia Cash Donutio: b '
monday night p'
Sketch of H, F, Magee, Who
will Run the Fire

The Loss Was Not Heavy-Mir. George
S. Nash Pays Tribute to the Effi-
eiency of Dallas Firemen.
Fire Chief H. F. Magee was disagreeably
surprised yesterday afternoon. An alarm
came Ir, at 1:13 o'clock from box 512. Mr.
Magee jumped into his buggy and arrived
on the scene ahead of the  apparatus.  A
barn in the rear of the residence at No.
105 Noble avenue was on fire.
"Gewh~llikens! 'That's my barn, and it
ain't insured," exclaimed the chief as he
jumped from   his vehicle to lead the fire
fighters.
The building was a small one, valued at
$40. The damage will amount to " about $25.
''What do you think of that?" asked the
chief after the fire was out4 ashbe repa red
o te.arby residence to diy his drippng
No one answered.
The following correspo.d;ence is self-ex-'
planatury:
internal Revenue   Servi-ce-Fourth  Dis-
trict of Texas', Dallas, Tex., Dec. 13.-H. F.
,Magee, chief Dallas city flre department::
Sir-Illness In my family and urgent de-
,mands upon m.y time have prevented me
from sending to you the highly merited ttib
ute to the efficiency of your department
-s displayed at the burning pf my resi-
dence on the evening of 'the 1st ultino. Al-
though living remote from  sgnal box and
with meager water service, 'to the quick re-
stoen." to 'the telephone message sent you
by Mr. Barker, 'to the efficient service ren-
dered by your force and to your personal,
intrepid work amid burning walls I am in-
debted that my residence and personal ef-
fects were not entirely destroy t. Accept
the  enclosed  'trifle as. o, entnibutipon  to
your relief fund. I regret that I am not
able to make it ten times tlte amount. Re-
spectfully,         G1EO n(E' S. NASH.
Dallas. Tex., Dec. 14.-Mr   now    q
W.ash, Dallas, Tex.: Deaisir-On behalf
of 'this department I return ma.. l in eha.1 's
for your kind donation and words of en-
couragem en, whicharte highly appreciated
by 'the whole 'department.
These kind words coming from a6 OM4 cit-
izen spur on the members because they
;show them that their efferits tire apnre-
eleted..IH. F. MAGE15, chief.
Chief Magee of the fire department re-
ecived a slight token of appreciation from
the American wellworks people yester1lay-
a check for $10 for the firerhen's relief
f'untd, aind a 1icr of t hantk; for efficient
seices r.' pr'd recently by the depart-
met.

NEW HOSE NEEDED.
Chief Mngee' Complaint the Subject
of Wide'pread Comment.
At the Elm street ire the tiremen were
greatly handicapped by the rotten hose,
which failed to stand the pressure. A doz-
en breaks were    reported. Chief Magee
savs the equipments of the department in
this  respect are' iadqut t  liit breaks
occur at every fire. l,r,.setatx'esof tine
press will bear him out int is contention,
The city council by resolution decided to
purchase 1000 feet of hose at thei 1't reg-
tilarmernetitng of thtat body.'3Ti re themt
ter rests.  e'piesentot-     th  l   in -
strance com  t i'.  say  hbt the  d partmen
roust be Ottittipledl to fight tiii ' ti'els'e Cu,
rotes will be advance.  It js jIkeI  ty~
the business meat of the cityW       hbl
mneEting short 1v   ad seciwhat ''ii'wt 0-
to increase t e ft't _y ofthAe (tti'trnu

Hugh F. Magee, the new chief of the
fire department, who assumed the du-
ties of office at midnight Friday night,
was born near Williamsburg, in Coy-
ington_ county , Mississippi. Sept. 7.
1861. He grew up on a farm and fol-
lowed the business of farmer until "
was 22 years old. But old Mississippi
was too slow for him and in 1883 1:-
determined to seek his fortune in th
mighty west.
So early in the year 1883 he lands i
in Freestone county, Texas. But th'i
scection did not suit him, and he we.
not long in making   another   mov
stopping this time in Hillsboro. where
ho remained for four Years. Still i"'
I felt that he had not struck the right
place and in 1886 he came to Dallas.
and was not long in discovering that
this was the place he had been looking
for.
Shortly after his arrival here he got
a job as fireman and made a first class
fireman for two years, when he went
on the police force. He was a police-
man eleven years, and in the mounted
service for the last three years.
Frank has filled every place he ha.
ever had with credit to himself and he
will no doubt make an efficient chief.
The new chief was found at the cen-
tral station yesterday afternoon. H.
said he had been very busy checking up
and invoicing the department and ii.
getting engine company No. 3 front
Gaston avenue transferred to the fair
grounds.

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