The Cheyenne Leader

Night Watchmen.

The insecure condition of many of the business houses and private dwellings in this city has suggested to a number of our business men the propriety of engaging private watchmen, whose sole business it may be to watch and protect the buildings of certain localities, no matter what may be going on in any other locality. Under the present system the regular police may, in an emergency, all be called and required in one section to quell a disturbance or subdue a fire, leaving all other quarters of the city exposed to danger of fire or burglars which may be in contemplation by confederates of those who make a feint in one quarter for the purpose of consummating villainy in another, from which suspicion is hoped to be drawn. There are but few buildings in this city which are absolutely proof against either fire or burglary, and as great interests are at stake here, greater and more effective means should be taken to provide against these ever present dangers. Early discovery and a simple bucket of water has frequently saved cities from entire destruction; and Cheyenne has already been thus saved, and that too, it is freely admitted, by the regular police of the city; but too much caution and too much security cannot be had in these matters. It is believed this plan of increased protection finds favor with nearly all who live in the most thickly built up portions of the city, and by co-operation the cost of maintaining this extra police, or more properly speaking watchmen, would scarcely be felt. The benefits have already been experienced in one or two cases where a few months ago fires were discovered in the rear of the premises of their employers, by private watchmen. The houses of one side of a block would, perhaps, be sufficient for one beat, and sufficient to exercise the vigilance and care of any one man. The present police have much more extensive beats than that, and it requires considerable time for them to complete their rounds. The plan proposed would be for the men to never leave their designated routes under any pretext whatever. A conference of those who are interested in this matter could hardly fail of good results.