The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-15
TILE 1ArE FRANCIS j: PoRcHER.
Action of the Phoenix Fire Company.

L
| A special meeting of the Phoenix Fire Com
pany was held on Wednesday evening last, al
their engine-house In Cumberland street
President VIM. Aiken Kelly occupied the
chair, and large number of honorary mem
bers and ex-presidents of the company were
present The president stated that the oojec'
of the meeting was to pay tribute Of respec'
to the memory of their deceased ex.presioenr
Francis J. Porcher. After giving expression
In fittingswords to mis- own sense OF the LOSE
the community had sustained, he announced
that the meeting was ready to consider any
appropriate action that might be suggested.
Ex-presldent R. D. Bacot rose and said:
The hushed silence which reigns In this usually
| resounding hall, and this unaccustomed gather
ing Of less youthful faces, in addition 10 the
wonted assemblage, too truly tell the tale OF the
sad occasion which brings us together.
panse we for a moment and look back. 1t is
our forsy. sixth anniversary, and among US sits
the we'll known. honored form OF ex-Preslden'
| PoRcHgR, to take part, as was his wont, IN the
annual celebration. Quietly, though interestedly'
he joins in the proceedings, when suddenly MS
observant eye espes in distant corner, neglected
and dust-soiled relic OF the past, associated IN
his mind with stirring scenes and loved remem.
brauces, and, with emotion, he asks the privilege
OF rescuing it from neglect to restore it 10 Its
pristine beauty.
Anon, the duties OF the evening ended, we pro-
ceed to It's festivities, and 10 at the right
hand OF your presiding offlcer rises This thrice
,re1conle suest, amid the enthusiastic greetings
which always await him.
Hark his familiar voice tells Of the glorious
days gone by, urging you to be steadfss' amid
the gloom OF the Present, and to be OF good cheer
for the coming morrow.
Scarce month rolls By wnen all is changed
That manly form now lies wrapped in the Icy
mantle OF the "King OF Terrors," and these
places which have known him shall know him no
more. Well may we ask who next to fall beneath
the relentless scytheH
The nearer mourners AWAY inger to lay the
last wreaths upon the sacred spot Of the loved
one. SO 1t Is meet and right that we, the cher
isned companions Of this his petted corps, should
come to close the memorial ceremonies, which,
during three weeks, have 30 abundsntly testi'
fed to the worth Of our well.beloyed and deeply
mourned exPresident.
To me, his Oldest comrade and closest asso.
ciate, is entrusted the privileged duty Of weaving
the garland which we propose to drape around
his memory by giving shape to our recording
estimate Of his noble virtues and bright example,
and now lay the votlve Offering before you In
the following preamble and resolutions:
IN AEAoRIAM.
.In words, like weeds, we'll wrap us o'er,
Like coarsest clothes against the cold:
But that large grief which these infold
Is given iu outline and no more.n
At the post OF duty, amid dark rolling clouds
OF smoke and by the glare Of the lurld fame, the
swift descending shell smote and shattered our
"LrTrLB FRANKn in the height OF active useful
ness. So the bolt OF the "Dess-oying Angel" has,
in the twlnkling Of an eye, dashed the human
prototype from the very arena Of stirring life into
the land or Silence and Decay, making rs, his
surviving comrades, to stand aghast, and bring.
ing home to us the appalling frrce OF the solemn
words, stIn the midst OF Life we are In Death"
Yes Death has stalked among Us and rlven
one Of the strongest links which bind our memo.
ries to the fast fading Past.
It Is hard for Us to realize that FRANCIS ].
PoRcAsR, only yesterday the embodiment OF
living energy, with beaming eye and cheering
smile, and earnest, ringing voice, should now
''sleep the sleep which knows no waSlng;" the
eye closed, the smile ilsd, the voice hushed for
ever; and harder still, that we must learn to do
without him.
In November, 1888, at the early age Of seven.
teen, he Joined this company, and daring period
of over thirty three years. no 10 the time nf his
death, his career among US from the ranks to the
AI~ yift nTnmnently
by earnest aud resolute purpose, prompt ami Wig.
orous action, Undertaking aud answering
fidelity.
Preceded in the ONCE OF president BY noble ex.
emplar, who hewed out for US the path ofsuc :ess-
full accomplishment, and placed high the standard
of our achievements and reputa ion. he aoiywore
the mantle which fell upon him, and proved no
Iaggard In that path OF sac: :ess, but onward
urged the way, restguing his office In January,
1851, after seven and half years OF deVotei SER
vice. and only when his health, like his preaeces'
sor's, impaired by du.eous aad long-continued ex.
posure, demanded the sacrifice OF his and our
wishes.
During "the times that tried mems sous, }" duty
called him away from our post Of labor here, but
when, o,,u =, .,,,,,,. ,o.,
Our hopes lay PROSTATE In the DUST"
he returned with buojaut heart and unabated
zeal, and, alive to the progress Of events, was
mainly instrumental In efrecting the conversion
of our manual LABOR machine into one worked
by urttrtng steam.
Cool in danger, in difficulty Of much resource,
and in council sagacious-Eesnly alive to but
never carried away BY SUCCESS, nor losing heart
under failure-his was wellbalanced mind,
which Mashed with no brilliancy, but burned With
a steady light. Possessed Of that most excellent,
though frequently undervalued gift OF common
sense, 30 visible In all his actions, he measured
well his abilities; neither overestimasing, nor yet
undertaking them, he wasted no time in vain en-.
deayors, but when he undertook, he put both
hands to the plough and sped it in Its work.
No idler was he; for he fully appreciated the
value OF the feeting moments. No parsimony he
knew; for he freely gave Of his time his Abilities
his means. In word, his adnatra olefsesS con-
sisted in the harmony OF his character, the vlbrat.
ing chords of which were selfreliant energy, en-
during earnestness, Straightforward sincerity
Its purest strains, undertaking truth and unsul.
lied honor.
Let not our hurrying footsteps too quickly press
the sod upon his mound; but with the clustering
violets let our memories cling around 1t, and rob
1t Of It's c0ldness.
RESOLVED, That the death OF or Ex-Presdent,
FRANCIS j. PoRCHER, in1cts upon the Phoenix
Fire ComuanY the irreparable loss OF an inValua-