Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-08-14
THE EVENING NEWS.
Meeting of Eircmen

Board Of Aldermen and citizens with reVar,
to the misunderstanding existing between
the city authorities and the Department. Blu
lew citizens outside of the Department wer,
present. The hour having arrived, Charlie
Wilson, ESQ, President Of the Board Of Del
egates, came forward and said:
GENTLEMEN lit becomes my duty to cal
this assemblage TO order. II is with extrem,
regret that | find so slim an attendance from
those who in my Judgment are more interest
ed in this matter than the Fire Department
itself. We called this meeting for 2 o'clock
ltis now nearly three, yet those whom We
expected are not here. Let me assure you
that the Mayor OF this city, and each individ.
ual member of the Board Of Aldermen have
had a special invitation to appear on this oc.
c~asion, which invitation they have not seen
hit TO respond to. Before we adjourn, with
your permission, l will endeayor to state 10
the citizens who are present the objects for
which we called this meeting. There appears
10 be 4 misunderstanding between the Fire
Department Of Virginia and the powers that
be. We constitute a perfect organization.
Gentlemen high in position, entertaining a
contrary opinion Notwithstanding, | claim
that this is u perfect organization, and as eff
cient an one as there is on the Pacific coast,
or, perhaps, in these United States, accord
ing to the number. tApplause.l Allow me
to say, fellow-citizens, that this organization
is acting under a special Act Of the LegiSla-
.ure for that particular purpose. That body
passed an Act organizing the Fire Depart
ment Of Virginia City. In calling this meet
ing. we proposed to ask our fellow-citizens
two or three questions. They were these, in
my judgment: Is this Department too
large? Is this Department TOO efficient ?
Has this Department on any occasion when
ever their rights have not been trampled
upon. failed TO cheerfully and energetically
perform their duties as men, as tremen, and
as good citizens? Have they ever failed 10
yield obedience to the laws: ! deny that
they ever have. Neither is il their intention
to place any obstacle in the way Of our City
Fathers in the matter Of economy. We pro
posed on this occasion 70 meet them cheer
fully and discuss any proposition they might
make which would be TO the advantage Of
this community. We are a part aud parcel
OF this community we have its interests at
heart equally with His Honor, Mayor Jones,
or any other citizen. [Applause.l I will
not detain you any longer, from the fact Of
the hinness Of the attendance, which, as |
before observed, l regret. l did hope all the
citizens Of Virginia, together with the Mayor
and Board OF Aldermen, would appear here
and consul, with the Department with a view
OF reconciling this matter, that this difficulty
might be ended to-day.
But those owning property can rest in per.
feet security, so far rs the efficiency Of the
Department is concerned. Let me assure
you, fcllow-citizens, whenever the time ar.
rives that we may be called upon, we will act
cheerfully and energetically, as we have ever
done before. It is our purpose to meet your
appreciation by our acts; not TO kuuckle or
kneel to the will or arbitrary power OF any
one man. We only ask our rights. We de-
mand our rights within the pale of the law,
and we will maintain them.
! presume we had now better adjourn, as
these invited gentlemen have not seen f, to
come.
!, was moved and seconded that the meet
ing adjourn.
Before the motion was put. on motion Of
w. NJ. Gillespie, the thanks Of the assembly
were unanimously rendered to Mr.. Stephen
son, manager Of the theatre, for the free use
Of the building.
Mr.. WILsoN-With your permission, be-
fore putting to vote the motion to adjourn, |
will refer briefly TO one thing which ! omit
ted. / address myself now to the citizens Of
Virginia, outside Of the Department: Il has
been said that the Fire Department Of Vir-
GINA refused to perform duty, and that they
can do II again /; thereby cndanGering the
property and perhaps the lives Of our citi-
gems. Perhaps, il the citizens Of Virginia
understood the whole matter as we know it
10 be, they would not think so hard Of US as
they do now. The Fire Department having
its organization from the Legislature, under
o law Of the land, which in express terms
creates certain officers, and also states their
salaries. We held our election. those gem
tlemen were chosen, and the thing went on
until his Honor, the Mayor, saw tit TO take
their salaries away from them, without con-
sulting the Department without paying
them even the courtesy Of n passing notice.
Il seems to me that an organization ON
posed Of such material as this Department,
Is entitled to some slight considera-
ton they demanded tat all events
they know when they are treated just
ly. They felt that this action Of the Mayor
was an indignity placed upon them. Let me
assure you, gentlemen, that we treated the
Board Of Aldermen and his Honor with all
courtesy, Notwithstanding. We sent u me-
mortal to them, humbly praying them TO re-
scind the resolution. Two weeks interviewed
before the Department assembled together.
They, OF course, forgot that the citizens were
not aware OF this whole matter. Perhaps
they did act u little hastily, but in my humble
opinion they were right. Let me assure you,
however, that the gentlemen occupying the
positions to which we Of the Department
have chosen them are not, and were not, in
iuenced by pecuniary considerations. That
Is not the motive that actua;es them. II was
not the paltry sum at stake; it was the in
dignity attempted to be placed upon the De-
partment. ! know it has been asserted that
there is no organization here-no Fire De-
partmen,. The gentleman entertaining that
--.-.nz I. .ar, .N,,h V,taNnGnn . an1 80 yG
due either TO ignorance or design on his part,
whoever he may be. / say this is 4 perfect
organization, and, as l before asserted, a
very efficient one. l repeat, it was not the
psltry sum that influenced these gentlemen.
They feel honorPd BY the positions they &C.
cupy, and would were there no emolument
attached. For one, l consider it a high
honor to be even 4 private in this organiZa-
ton. lApplause.l And l feel it all honor
for any gentleman DESTROYS OF performing
tina. line Of duty, to belong 10 the Virginia
Fire Department. tApplause.l
The motion to adjourn was then pu. and
carried.
FIRE.-Last night about h~alfpas, twelve
o'clock a FIRE was discovered en- Main street,
between A. uhl's saloon and the building
now occupied by Yellow Jacket Hose Com
pany for a carriage-house. There is about q
foot space between the buildings in which the
ere originated, in which were scraps Of paper
and other combustible matter, which It Is
generally thought were set on FIRE by an in
cendiary, as it seems almos; impossible that
i, could have been done accidentally. The
alarm was sounded, and the fire companies
were promptly on hand, and had their hose
attached to the fire plug close BY instsnter,
A.. -. f,,1l Rh,F cha GAIA IF tho FRRAF.
yoir had been shu, and that there was no wa
ter in the pipe. Mr.. Uhl, however, fortu-
nately, had several casks Of water on the
roof Of and just back Of his building, and BY
the aid Of these the flames were ~extinguished
before they had made much Roadway. Had
NOT Mr.. Chl the fortunate supply Of water
on hand ready for use, or had the FIRE been
later discovered, the probability is that il
would have spread to the stables Of Mr.. AylS.
worth, which were only a few feet distant,
before the water could have been turned on
- R---- T.. .-..k ..A.l. 500. -.