The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-02-08
The Fire Department..


The 6remen's celebration unfortunately took place
on election day, which prevented many from attend
ing the festivities, who like US ~purposed being pres
ent. We are obliged to fall back ON the report of the
Gazette, which is full and interesting.
The FIRENES's PARApE-Last Monday was not
only election day, but q great day for the Firemen,
as being the occasion of their annual parade, OF which
We gave previous notice Looked forward to as 1t
was, with earnest aspirations N q good time coming,
the fremen and everybody interested in them-which
means the entire eommunity-were much disap-
pointed on awaking early Monday morning to md
the rain had been and still was pouring down In one
of those slow but persistent showers SO peculiar TO our
climate in the winter time, which always gives prom
lse of letting up, hut never does until II has Its cry
out-like II teething baby. At daylight the streets
were in the condition known as : slush " in countries
where frost and snow are familiar at this time of the
wear. Even those roads best McAdamized by our III
defatigsble Road Supervisor, were, from the drop,
drop, droppings of the Pluvial gods, in a very bad
state for pedestrianism. The hour of ten was fixed
for the parade, but at that particular hour the rain
poured down in floods, to such an extent that all the
Honolulu 6remen couldn't have beat 1t in volume,
when we consider the extent Of territory. But our
fremen live in daily expectation to be either wet or
burned, as duty calls, and not a grumble could be
heard, and only smiling faces to be seen, all the way
from the Chief Engineer down to the attending and
pleased populace, through the columns But a better
dressed or more orderly looking or behaved set of fire
men-as was remarked by q distinguished looking
foreign gentleman present-couldn not be found in any
city of the size of Honolulu. After the different
machines had been in rotation returned to their
houses, an interval of an hour occurred, during which
the Department as a body, preceded by the band, and
through the drenching rain, marched over to koho-
laloa, where a splendid feast had been provided, and
was served up smoking hot,-pigs, turkeys, chickens,
ducks, luau, and last, not least, a grand fs~h-chowder.
After the edibles had been disposed of, and a great
CHATTER gone through with of knives and forks, the
Chief Engineer proposed the principal toasts OF the
day, commencing with His Majesty the King"
This, by request of the Chief, was responded to by
His Honor, Justice Davis. As near as we can re-
member, the following will fairly illustrate the tenor
of his remarks: He expressed his pride and pleasure
at being called upon to reply to this toast He said
he felt certain that he only reiterated the universal
sentiment of the community-which WAS a sentiment
Of respect for the organization, as those who composed
it took upon themselves 8 gratuitous duty to work for
the preservation of property, and it might be, life,
either by night or by day. 1t was true that the COM
munity had been fortunate in not having more fire.
quently required their services, but there was evi-
dence that when required, they would be ready at the
hour of need. The Judge remarked that the duty of
a fireman was often a very perilous duty, and that
the record was abundant of instances of heroism and
self-sacrifce which could not be outshone by the most
brilliant instances of valOr in the field. But he said
he liked the organization for another reason-com-
bining, as it did, so many different elements of ma
tionality, and especially the Hawaiian-he believed
it to contribute to a feeling of harmony in the COM
munity. "Man was not made to live alone" and
he believed that sometimes the estrangement thatex-
listed between Individuals, as well as between nations,
often proceeded from a want of knowledge OF each
other. And it is certain that there can be no associa-
ton more fraternal or elevating than that which has
for its object the alienation of human distress. AT
the close, His Honor, expressing the belief that His
Majesty had no better citizens in his dominions than
the members of the Honolulu Fire Department, re-
sumed his seat amid prolonged cheers.
Our Invited Guests was the next regular toast,
and was responded 10 by the Rev. E. Corwin in his
usual happy manner. Some of the boys, then and
there, proposed him as an Honorary Member of the
Department, which was acceded to r'ra coce ct memine
disseniiente, amid loud cheers.
Then followed, The Ladies' responded to very
wittily and neatly by F. a. Schaefer, Esq, Prussian
Consul. After this, as a very natural consequence,
the g Third Estate '-the Press-was duly toasted,
and answered, after a fashion, by one of the denoted
of the pressing business. whose principal cry of COM
plant is that he can't get away from ii.
General Smith, United States Consul ut this port,
was present at tire feast, and in response to a call,
gave the company a few remarks, which, with those
of A. J. Cartwright, Esq, the first elected Engineer
of the Department, We're received with loud applause.
In despite of the bad weather, the boys appeared to
enjoy themselves thoroughly, and after some dancing
and song singing-among the last an original song
composed for the occasion, the words by a retired fire
man named Sheldon, and the music by a new fireman
named Long-they quietly dispersed and went to
their respective domiciles.