The new chemical fire wagon was a rather expensive purchase for a city the size of Dublin. It had been purchased for the Dublin Fire Department in 1909.
The horse drawn wagon helped firemen get to the fire more quickly rather than walking or riding their own horses.
That was important for saving property and lives. The chemical wagon allowed firemen to have pressurized water available as soon as they arrived on the scene. Firemen would put water and acid in the tank then bicarbonate of soda. When the cap was put on the water tank, the pressure from the reaction would force water out of the hose to put out the fire.
To keep operational expenses low the City Council tried an arrangement to use the horses from a local livery stable to pull the new chemical fire wagon at $5.00 per call. It ended up costing the city more than was planned, so by March 16, 1909 the council decided that they had managed their money well enough to purchase a team for around $600. A committee was formed to search for a team and purchase them. (Dublin Progress March 19, 1909)
A week later a fine pair of horses had been purchased and Dublin firemen were in the process of training them and getting them familiar with their new surroundings.
Somewhere along the way they were named Bud and Barney. They were purchased from Bob Lewis of Bluff Dale and delivered on March 23, 1909. The newspaper went on to say that a better team could not have been found.
Both of the horses were 16 1/2 hands high and light brown in color. The final purchase price was $525. The youngest was almost 5 years old and the other six years. Stalls were built in the room where the chemical fire wagon was stored.
That is where they were cared for. Fire Chief Hallmark along with other firemen trained them daily with the plan to have them respond at once to the fire bell.
The City Council later appointed a man to be on duty night and day to take care of the wagon and the team. (Dublin Progress March 26, 1909)
The team served Dublin for 8 years and were credited with making the Dublin Fire Department more efficient in saving property and lives. There were a lot of fires during the early days, so having the team of horses ready to respond at once was important. They must have been loved very much by the citizens of Dublin because Bud and Barney are still talked about over 100 years later.
They were later auctioned off when a Republic motorized truck was purchased to replace them in 1917. At auction, the team was was purchased by Dave Chapman, a well known horse buyer from Rotan.
They sold for $300. At the sale, the horses weighed 1600 and 1580 pounds. They were reported to have been a superb pair of animals with an intelligence almost human. (Dublin Progress September 21, 1917)