Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-08-12

On Thursday night, the 4th inst, by a
unanimous vote, the r. & R., H; d l.. Com
pany disbanded. This acIiOn was not TAX
en- without due delIberation. AnAious to
prevent Misrepres- ntatiOn, and also to de-
feud that action before the public, q com
Tnigtee was appointed TO state the facts
" hich brought the membership to the de-
termination which resulted in dtsbaBding
In the year is4T the Company was organ
lied, and at that time the present truck or
wagon was purchased. II Is Il heaVy,. un-
wefldly apparatus and 1t is severe labor 10
the Company, even when the entire mem
beFship are on the ropes, to pull IL. For
affve 70 4 new wagon. The Com pany cam
not be charged with q desire for novelty
Twenty three years of patient labor, efd-
cient as It could be under the eircum-
stances, Is sufficient proof that no mere
fdea of change has wrought this action
Had we been as clamorOus as similar or
RaDizaIions In neighbortng cities, long
since the preSe Mt cutn berSOule wagon would
have been replaced with one better adapt
ed to uses at q flFe and less killing ON The
men. Two years ago, however, the matter
was agitated, and q Council was elected in
the St5ring of 1862 Whirh was to treat the
Fire Departms Mt with more consideration
than previous ones. Soon after its hrst
meeting the body setermlned to purchase
a new wagon; and to that intent appointed
q COMMITTEES with authority to make the
purcnHse. G.. 9. Eaton was the Chairman
of this committee. He delayed action until
the Company became WeaTied. After con-
siderable difnculty he was induced to write
a letter TO manufacturers. He afterw erdS,
having business of his own in the State of
Indiana, suggested that he should be au-
thorfZed to contract for a wagon with a
manufacturer at Richmond, Ind. He did
this and presented bill TO the Council
cilarQiner the Corporation for travelling and
hotel ex penses s. per day for his seTvIces;;-
Couneilmen who ordered the wagon ex-
pired before it was ready for delivery
When tC did come ie was I'll clntrived and
inefficient, and In reality unit for the uses
for which it was Intended. The present
Council very properly refused TO accept It.
would make fe seFviceabte. The manufac-
tureF took the wagon back to Richmond
with the understanding that he was 10
make alterations and ut II for use, and de-
liver 1t ON the Isf OF July. For some cause,
as yet unexplained the CounciI has IN
formed the manufacturer Ena6 Ihe OorpOrA-
tiou viii not accept the wagon, and as q
consequence II has not been delivered. It
was expected that the Rough and Ready
would continue TO drag their present Wag-
on with muFlBur. The sequel has proved
that this was q mistake On the contrary,
the Company has been disbanded, and We're
iire to take place there would not be a
'tEIoOk and Ladder in the service.
trssfB1aut3 Has ft been fflehicient9 Has
IL been q riotOus and dIsOuderly Organ4za--
tfon7 HIS it been expensive TO the CorpoT-
alton All these questions must ne Rn~
sWered in the negative. 1t has been prompt,
earnest aud fearless in the discharge of
duty. II HAS been peaceRble and orderly,
never 6Isturbiny the neace. With the t-x-
ceptiOn OF an annual appropriation, not ex-
ceedtng on the average nfty dollars, II mas
tue uniforms, horns, and property, other
than that owned by the town, exceed ia
value dve hundred dollars. To purchase
these articles the money has been raised BY
the exertions OF the Company or Its trends,
| or else has come ont Of the pockets of tnf1-
Vidual members oil the orRRnIZatton. Is II,
therefore, saying too much when we assert
! that for the services rendered. the cost 10
the CORPORAL ton is very light. The loss OF
time to each member Of the Company and
| the amount he is necessarily compelled to
expend for his uniform and to keep up con-
tingent expenses, exceeds twelve dollars
per Annum. II each citizen were to expend
a similar amount would there be any dim
The Rough and Ready has always been
| effective. When the 1abors OF its members
were not needed Ia their particular line oil
| duty, they have not stood idly by, specta-
/ tors to the conhHgFation, but have gone to
work on the brakes OF the engines, and as
siduOusly labored 10 extIngutBh the nannEs.
4 Are they not entitled TO more consideration
from the corporate authorities than they
have rrceived9 And in view of the abso-
i lutte necessity of an organization Of it
i character, should not the present Council
L take some steps for successful reorgan1za-
ton of the Company.
With this statement OF facts could the
/ Rough and Ready puFsue any other eourSe
! than that they did? We are willing TO leave
our case In the hands OF this community
| and trust TO Il for q justification.
! Respectfully,
| JOHN FOLLER.
AARON FRANZ,
DAVID THOMAS,
| Committee