It wasn’t a celebration; it was only the annual review of the Mount Airy fire department, which was always held on the Fourth of July. Ralph and his cousins were fully prepared to make all sorts of fun of it, but when the head of the procession came into view around the corner of the street below, they were so surprised at the size of it that they had not a word to say. It took up the whole width of the street, and that it was determined to have all the room it wanted, was made plain by the actions of a couple of mounted policemen who rode in front to clear the way.
“That’s good marching, boys,” said Loren, who had seen so much of it in New London that he thought himself qualified to judge. “It is a very creditable display for so small a place as this.”
“Every body seems to think it’s going to be something grand,” sneered Tom, who was really amazed at the rapidity with which the spacious veranda was filled by the guests, who came pouring out of the wide doors in a steady stream.
“Why, there’s a military company in line with the firemen—two of them,” exclaimed Ralph.
“Visiting companies, no doubt,” said Tom, “and that’s what makes every one so anxious to see them.”
“There’s where you are wrong, Tom,” said Mr. Farnsworth, who, approaching them unobserved, had heard every word of their conversation. “You never saw a parade just like this, and I don’t believe you will ever see another unless your father and I carry out some plans we have been talking about, and come up here to live.”
“Among all these country greenhorns!” chimed in Loren.
“You will find very few country greenhorns in Mount Airy,” said Mr. Farnsworth, with a laugh. “Why, boys, those fire companies represent millions of New London’s business capital.”
“That makes the thing look different,” added Loren. “I supposed that they were made up of the same material we used to find in the old volunteer organizations.”
“By no means. They are all rich and intelligent men. They own valuable property here, and by taking an interest in their fire department, they get their insurance at much lower rates than we do in the city.”
The near approach of the column put a stop to the conversation. First came the drum-major, a big six-footer, with a high bear-skin cap, which made him look a great deal taller than he really was, and behind him the band, which discoursed as fine music as any body wanted to hear. Then came the hook and ladder company, two hundred strong, marching four abreast and drawing their heavy truck after them without the least apparent exertion. Next came a steam fire engine, drawn by men instead of horses, after that a hose cart, followed by a small company of about twenty young fellows in black dress-coats and white trowsers and caps, who pulled along something that looked like a skeleton road wagon, loaded with Babcock fire extinguishers.