Jerry the Fire Eater

    Adjoining "Searchlights" stall was that occupied by "Jerry the Fire Eater," who earned his sobriquet "fire eater" by his amazing liking for cigar or sigarette butts.  Many a time he would be seen chewing a cigar butt from which the smoke was still curling as he ate.  Jerry was no doubt the original "snipe" shooter, and when he could not find a "snipe," he would nuzzle the clothing of anyone passing near enough and his sensitive nostrils told him that here was a snack of "Bull Duram" or a handful of "Granger Twist."

    Jerry picked up many amusing tricks, one of which was his ability to make faces.  He would elongate his upper lip, showing his teeth, drop one ear back and leer in a most amusing fashion.  But his appetite for tobacco seemed to indicate that he would certainly die of "tobacco heart."  He was very fond of apples and usually sensed when there were any in the station.  He was also very jealous of any attention paid to any other horses, and naturally since "Searchlight" was the chief's special pet, Jerry must have had many a heartache.  However, his "boss," Captain Banning, and his driver, Joe Sepulveda, felt that there was no horse ever born like Jerry, and they managed to favor him in many little ways.
By Pete Myers

Engine 23, Truck 5

  In year 1915 there was five horses in quarters, two on hose wagon. three on the engine.  As all alarms sent in from any place in the City came to ever station, all members had to get up - so many times at Engine 23 you had to hit the floor you had to hit the floor.  At one time, from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. ten alarms in, so it was down the pole, climb the stairs.  Always three or more alarms at night, so it was a hard job Every time an alarm, hitch up the horses, unhitch if not responding, and at 5 a.m. driver of horses got up to tend to the horses.  6 a.m. roll call for members, then meal time for part of the crew which ended at 8 a.m. - this followed same hours until late meals, 

then the job, every now then    so store upstairs hay, grain, coal, baguettes, when a worker and back the xxxxxxx of wood, excelsior in the fire box of Engine, Engineer had to oil his engine, so it was always hours of work, then if chemical tank used, it had to be charged, sa a worker at night, hours of work after in quarters.

At one time Capt Scott got Lieutenant (who slept in the dormitory) at 2 a.m. to go to the basement where a poker game    Scott pulled the blanket off the table and members scattered to bed.

The care of the horses was a big job - one member on watch 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., to clean up the horse stall with a shovel and broom.  It was a strict rule to keep the horse stalls free of debris.  Taps were at 6 a.m., 12 noon and 6 p.m.  the horses had to be hitched up and roll call after every alarm.