The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-28
THE DAILY NEWS.
[coacluded from Second Page ]
HOOK AND LADDER COMPANIES.

5. Washington .............S ~ ~
G. Young America. -. w
2. Marion ............- -. -
s. PhGnlT. ............,... 20 10
9. Georgia, Of Augusta. ...13 80
Next in the programme of the days dutie:
was
The Presentation of Prizes.
The Board Of Firemasters and officers o
visiting guests having assembled IN front o
the Charleston Hotel, Major Buis5, the Presl
dent of the Stonewall, made the following
opening speech:
Gentlene,s-It was but natural on an occa'
zion Of this character that splri1eo d aIt 70 tbe
best OF their ability, all who partleipaiea nave ave
nobly done their duty. One questlou r. uas 1se
arisen. and one only, in the exercises VI cue
ilay. I refer to the animated contess 1etmeen
the two hook and ladder companies OF lae cles
Roth have done 80 admirably ana performed
so we'll that it has been impossible to deter
nine which is entitled to the award offered for
nroficiepcy and skill. In rapidlty OF moyem .nt
and excellence Of practice, neither has exceleo
the other. In their case, therefore, no de.
cision has been made, and both have won anc
are entitled to wear the same laurels.
..;JAs to the other companies, all have noblI
done their duty; and the representatives O.
those who have achieved the greatest success
stand before you. We have the honor OF pre-
senting to you, MIR. President s. i. upper, O
the Vlgilant. and Mr. President Edwin Willis
Of the Etna, Of our own city. likewise one She
represents the glorious palmetto standard o.
Columbia; and finally the chief OF one OF the
visiting companies from our sister City OF Au
grsta. the fine physique and noble bearing o
whose members fitly typify their great State
and recall the memories of q great historic
past.
-, MIR. George g.. Walter, one of the judges
then spoke as follows:
=. GentLemen-The pleasing duty has devolvet
upon me Of presenting these testimonials ol
the promptness and skill, which have distin
guished you this day. Upon the previous
anniversary. the test Of merit was determined
chiefly by the excellence Of your machinery; to-
dav. the test has been made OF men and mus
Gle, and the prizes awarded are to those who
.ha 7e shown the greatest proficiency in running
q given number of yards, preparing their appa'
rafus for use, and throwing water certnln
distance in the shortest time.
After generous rivalry in which you have
displayed an ability and energy which have
never been eIcelled in Charleston, you, gentle
men of the Vigllant and Etna, have been pro-
nounced the vlctors IN your respective depart
ments, and it becomes me not only to congrat-
ulate you upon your success, but 10 transfer
to your keeping these mementoes OF the occa-
sion. I know that you will preserve them with
honor untarnished, and that they will stinnu-
late you still further to reflect credit upon the
organization of which you are justly pride
and ornament. congratulate you not merely
for what you have achieved, but because, In
common with your brethren, you have thrown
lustre around the Fire Department Of Charles
ton which is undimmed by a single stain.
While in some other communities such an occa-
sion as this would have been signal for disor-
der, here you have exhibited decorum. and an
obedience to the requirements OF the day,
creditable to your manhood both as hremen
and as citizens. Your wives and sisters have
welcomed you with their presence, and amid
all the earnest rivalries OF the day, they havs
looked IN vain for one breach Of that high
toned courtesy and gallant bearing which
Lave made you the boast Of our community.
Preserve thja honorable record, and remem.
Der that while you remain thus united IN good
works, whether it be upon holiday pageant
like the present one, OF IN conquering the des-
troying element, you are none the less the joy
full hope Of those whose dependence s upon
your strong arms and stout hearts for their
defence.
Accept, then, these trophies of victory. Let
them be an additional incentive to you to excel
5ams ~s Rblsh for So many Years Soa have honor
ably borne. With them take also my own
congratulations upon your splendid achieve
ments to-day, and the earnest wish that each
returning anniversary may bring its reward
for equal efficiency and SUCCESS.
y With his usual impromptu neatness, Mr..
President Upper responded as follows:
: Gen.ler,e,,-Iu behalf of the Vigilant Fire
COMPANY, I tender to you their grateful ac-
knoWledgments, not alone for the prize itself,
valuable as it is, but for the generous and
handsome sentiments which accompanied its
presentation. We receive it iu the same spirit,
,tx n5oou fn n
which this has become, as it were, another
tribute to endeavors to do our duty as fremen
and as citizens. " i-e..s,,
Much as we prize this memento, we esteem
It still more from the fact that it is presented
by one who IN years gone by was identified
with and aided us in our honorable rivalry for
the posts Of honor in the Fire Department. 1t
old associations, well knows how peculiarly
welcome is this token from his hands, We
shall treasure it |; treasure it not only as all
evidence Of what has been accomplished by
the Vigilants in contest where the attrition
has been sharp and almost fierce, but because
it is an assurance to our fathers who founded
LIE company, that their sons inherit the vir-
strong, hearts that are true, and hopes that
run high. And pledge Lot too much when
sAy that fifty years hence they will still stand
faithful in duty and honest in its discharge to
the people of our home-our native City OF
Charleston. [Three cheers.l
President E. Willis responded for the Etna:
Genaemen-My friend has said all that need
be said to express the pride and qualification
which We experience in common with himself
In receiving This emblem Of success. We have
sought to deserve it, and thanks to skill and
ability, we have won it. We are workingmen-
representatives OF that great community who
earn their daily bread by the sweat of their
brow, and ours is not the gift Of speech.
Nevertheless we can feel and appreciate such
an occasion and such q moment, and [ know
that I express unutterablo gratitude when
simply say. "Thank you." at tho same time
we pledge ourselves to this community to do
all that becomes men, in fulfilling our obliga-
tions as citizens and as members Of the
Charleston FIRE Department.. tCheers.1
Mr. Walter, then turning to the representa-
tives Of the Columbia and Augusta companies,
each OF which had won a prize, spoke as fol-
lows:
Genaemen-In behalf OF the citizens Of
Charleston and the Board of Firemasters, I
thank you for the handsome manner in which
you have contributed to the display which we
have witnessed on this occasion.
Amid the gloom and disappointment which for
years have surrounded US, we revert to these
anniversaries as 20 80 many green spots in the