The First Year's Record

Chief Sipley reported theclosing year's business of the lire departraent at the meeting of the Board of Fire Commissioncrs last Thursday evening. Considering tbat the department had to be changed from a volunteer to a paid fire department-, and that tlie wliole plan is new to the city, the lirst ycar of its trial is certainly satisfactory. From the we report take the following statistics: No. of alarma... 41 " Fires destroylng property ...23 " culraneyflres s u burnlng rubblsh 4 " bonflras 1 " flresout of the city.... 1 " false alarma 3 Val ue of property destroy ed 8921 . 10 A mouiit of Insimulen piil'cl 764S.45 IjOss lu excess oí Insurance 1G12.05 The causes of fires destroy ing property are glven as Wlows: Incendiar? 8, gasoline stove3 3, dtfective chlmneys 3, sparksfrom locomotivo 1, carelessiie8a2, unknown C. There were 33 miles travelcd in responding to alarms, 17,800 feet ofhose laid, and one man injured while in the line of duty. The men have lost seveu days during the year on account of sickness, aside from the nine days lost by the one injured. Duiing the year four men have served as substituten, and two members resigned. The valué of and insurance upon property in vvhich the fires occurred and whicli would have been destroyed but for the prompt response of the de put nent,ismu(hg:-eatcrthan tt eamountí above recorded, butowing to the seyeral lires in buidings on which there was no insurance whatever, the amountof losses ie slightly in excess of Insurance paid. And now we can extend our congratulations to Editor George C. Smlthe, of the Ypsilantian, who was niarried last Tliursday raorning, at tlie home of the bride, to Miss Stella Wyntt, in Ypsilunti, at 8 o'clock Rev. W. T. Beale ofliciatin. Tlie services were itrietly private, and the couple took an early train for a two week's trip east. The Courier is lmppy in extending to this brotlier tlie right hand of friendship, with tlie hope that the future may bring a long list of joys and pleasures to him and his bride. Last evening the commiltee appointed by the Business Men's Association to coiifer with Mr. Hurd, the projector of the refrigerator factory, met with him, and it was agreed to lay the same before the people of the city for their approval. The project is a most excellent one, and if carried out will give employnient to 50 or 100 men at least. The prosperity of a city, its growth and improvement isgreatly enchanced by the amount of money that comes into it from the outside. Our people's dealing with each other do not increase the wealth of any of them, but a factory htre bringlng money in from the outside to pay wages to 100 men who have families, helps every property owner in the place, either directly or Indireetly. The more skilied workmen we can have lócate In our city the greater ' will be our prosperity. I