The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-12-28
CITY INTELLIGENCE.

FESTIVAL OF THE MECHANICAL FIRE COMPANY
For almost century it has been the custom of
| the members of the "Old Mac" to meet upon
! Christmas Day, and in company with their friends
| to pass an hour or two in social intercourse.
Although the Company, as an active organiza-
| ton, is not now part of the Fire Department
| still the members hold together and meet togeth-
err as association not of firemen but of friends
| Since the organization of the new paid Fire De-
| partment, the house of the Mechanical Company
| has been sod and the property converted into
| business purposes. The members of the Company,
however, with view to keeping together as an asso-
citation of old remen, have fitted up rooms in the
! building No South street, which have been ap-
propriatey furnished, and where the library of the
Company has been permanently arranged. To
these rooms the members nightly resort for the
purpose OF reading and enjoying social converse.
On Monday morning, very large company, by
| invitation OF the Committee, Messrs Henry G..
Jones, John MGeoch and VIM. G. Gardner, assem-
bled at the rooms of the Association to celebrate
as usual, the Christmas festival At II o'clock the
guests were welcomed to the Christmas cheer by
Henry Spilman, Esq, President of the Mechanical
| IN short and happy speech, and in plain terms
invited them to ''ptch i'm
The tables were loaded with good things and
the turntables were set out in abundance.
MIR. Spilman called to order, and gave as the
first toast:
"The Representatives of the Steam Paid Fire De-
pdrtnent nolc present."
This was responded to bv Mr. Thos H. Ouincv
one of the Fire Commissioners, who said that the
sentiment coming as it did from the cold Mechan-
lcal,' was highly complimentary and duly appre-
ciated. He spoke of the high standing and efcien-
cy of the 'fMechaninal' as q volunteer comnanv
which not only reflected credit upon her own mem
bership individually, but upon the volunteer fire
system of Baltimore OF the present system Mr.
Quincy said the Commissioners were striving to
make 1T as perfect as possble-a pride to the CITY
of Baltimore. In abiding to the organization of
the Paid Department, he said it gave him great
pleasure to announce that many of its present
members were selected from the volunteers of the
"Mechanical, who, as a body, were ALWAYS in the
front rank of firemen. He was glad to see that the
"MechanicaH still kept up their organization as a
| social body, and gave in conclusion:
"The Old Mechanical Fire Company-You NAV
break, you may ruin, the vase if you will, but
the scent of the will hang round it still -
This toast was responded to by Mr.. John Duke
hart, OF the Mechanical, who rected some facts
connected with the organization of the present Fire
Department. Mr.. Dukehart gave:
"The originator Of the resolutions to appoint a
Commission, looking to the reorganization of the
Fire Department in the city of Baltimore"
Replied to by John B. Seidenstricker, Esq. Mr.
Seidenstricker said that he had been fast friend of
the pres mt paid department, and had done all in
his power a member of the City Council to have
it adopted He would not, however, take too much
credit to himself for what he had performed; he
had, during the time the project was before the
Council, some friends outside who were contnu-
ally posting him and jogging him along in the work
Two OF these gentlemen, he said, were now present
Mr.. Spilman and Mr.. Jas. l.. McPhail, and he
would now propose their health
Mr.. James L. McPhail responded to Mr.. Seiden-
stricken in short speech, in which he bore testi-
mony to the efficiency of the present Paid Fire De-
partment attributing this efficiency, in a great
measure, to the large element in its organization
taken from the old volunteer system. Mr.. McPhail
gave
"The Actirity of the Old Fire Department.
alive-may it never die
Responded to by the Hon. Joshua vausant, who
offered the following:
"The Ne,o Paid Fire Department. it i'm
prove upon all that energetic and honorable in
the old Department, and may it engraft upon it
nothing to faint its character hurt its efficiency"
This toast was responded to by Mr.. William Fl.
Strane, one of the Fire Commissioners, who pro-
posed the health of Col. +. Fl. B. Boyd, the ener-
getic Fire Inspector of the City of Baltimore.
Mr. Boyd made few remarks, and in concu-
sion toasted-f' The Press"
To this, Mr.. Beale Fl. Richardson, OF The Re
publican, replied in short and pointed speech
MIR. Spilman read letters which had been receiv-
ed In reply to the invitations of the Committee.
from the Hon. j. Morrison Harris and H. Winter
Davis, and also from Governor Henry A. Wise, of