Old Clinkers: A Story of the New York Fire DepartmentO'Higgins, Harvey Jerrold
General
Old Clinkers: A Story of the New York Fire Department
O'Higgins, Harvey Jerrold
Fire fighters -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction
“All right.” Borden stretched out his hand. “I hope that won’t be for a
good many years yet, Dan. Good-bye.”
Keighley fumbled over the proffered hand. He was not used to the
amenities. “Good-bye. I hope this’ll end the ‘Jigger’ bus’ness.”
The chief nodded. They shook hands solemnly. “I think it will.”
* * * * *
And it did. Deputy-Chief Moran remained in his position; and through
him it was announced to the “Jiggers” that a general amnesty had been
declared, and that no “Jigger-jumper” would be punished for belonging
to his “benevolent association” unless he tried to use his membership
to intrigue for promotion, or allowed himself to be so used. That
policy was in the end so successful that the “Jiggers” lost even their
distinctive name; and the term “Jigger-jumper” is applied now, in
department slang, to all “blue-shirts” who run at the call of that
peremptory little bell to risk their lives and do their duty.
Ask them! Ask any of Keighley’s men. Ask “Shine.” “We’re all
Jigger-jumpers,” he will tell you. “An’ it keeps us on the jump.
_On the jump!_ You bet.... There it goes again.... That’s in
our--Seeyullater!” Then--as _he_ hurries from the sitting room to the
pier--you will see “Old Clinkers” issue from the office, with his coat
on his arm, glance at the clock, flick you one keen look from a cold
grey eye as he goes by, and clear his throat to call from the doorway,
with all the confidence of unquestioned command, “All right, boys. Let
her go!”
THE END
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Text in italics is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.
Archaic spelling that may have been in use at the time of publication
has been retained.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Old Clinkers, by Harvey J. O'Higgins
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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