NEWARK, N. J., FIRE DEPARTMENT.

NEWARK, N. J., FIRE DEPARTMENT.

NEWARK, N. J., boasts a fire department of which any city may well be proud— easily the best in New Jersey, and one which in proportion to its size rivals the excellence of its organization and discipline those of cities greatly exceeding in its population and importance. That it has attained so high a reputation is due in no small degree to the efficiency of its chief, Robert Kiersted, who seems endowed with the quality of ubiquity and to be always on hand just at the right moment. He is ably seconded by Assistant Chief Ashley, both of who have under them a corps of captains and other officers, worthy as well of their chiefs as of their men, the latter forming as splendid a set of fire fighters as can be seen anywhere.

Newark, with its population of over 200,000 inhabitants and a fire-area of quite 19 square miles, is an important manufacturing and commercial centre. Unlike Jersey City, which derives its importance chiefly from being the point of arrival for New York from nearly every quarter of this continent, Newark has built up for herself a solid independent existence and launched forth into business enterprises which stand in need of no metropolitan or outside influence for their support, and it is only necessary to refer to it as a centre of the brewing, leather, jewelry, and notion trade to exemplify the truth of this statement.