The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-02-15

PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST, AND BY ORDER
or THE BOARD.
zo a.s MEMBER Of he

the honor TO submit you written report. as
required Of him By the regulations of your
body. And now he comes with an apology
f0K this seeming neglect of duty, when, in
fact, the apology or excuse ought TO come
from others, whose duty it was to have ex-
tended 60 Your Chief helping hand, and
given him both their moral and financial
support, Instead of Withholding from him
both Of these, which were extremely essen
tInl 20 the welfare of the Department, and
thereby enabled him TO make such a report
81 would have been pleasant for him to make
and for you TO receive. But this they have
totally failed to do. consequently this long
delay in presenting a report.
This repeated failure on the part of these
parties I'll refer to the recent city author
trieG OF the city of JacksOn) TO furnish the
means 30 necessary TO perfect and carry
0m the work Of organizing and maintaining
This Department, in which you have so
nObly assisted, has so crippled our ability as
I'd make me almost despair of ever seeing
the Department what IL was our original
Intention to make it; and would long ago
have abandoned all hope, but for the energy
and perseverance your organization has dis
played and It's apparent disregard OF the
want of means and assistance from those
who 80 wrongfully withheld from us that
means 70 which we were and still are so
Justly entitled.
Notwithstanding all this, your energy
and esprit de corps Cf may be allowed the
HxpresgfOn1 has much nearer erected our
object than could have been expected, ana,
at the same time, has infused into our peo-
pie determination that, although the city
authorities have kept from us the ala re-
ferred to, the day is not far distant when
that people-the safety of whose property;
by your exertions. has been secured-wlll
demand that you shall receive all the means
needed, and they ought to be thankful to
kind and generous Providence, who has
overlooked and cared for them and theirs,
and TO you. who have saved their homes
Iaanf al nnf
ON more than one occasion.
But Just here, gentlemen, in this COM
plant against the city authorities, | take
pleasure in reporting that the Legislature
OF the State of Mississippi has never failed
to respond literally to all and every appli-
cation we have made TO them for assistance;
and but TOR its hberality we could never
have attained that degree of efficiency when
we now enjoy. But the State has lost moth
Ing by her generosity; we have saved ner
from loss by fires, more than million dol
lars In valuable property. The state mas
never yet denied us an appropriation when
asked, but always given with liberal hand
and asked If the sum so appropriated was
sufficient.
The losses - sire to the city of Jackson
during the last two years have not been
more than $780, and congratulate the cit
liens of Jackson, and you, gentlemen, on
such continued good fortune. While our
neighborIng towns and cities have sustained
markably small, and you, l think, deserve
some credit for this, for there have been re-
peated fires, which, but for your energetic
action, would have resulted in large losses
Of properly; and / venture the assertion
that no other corporation oflike dimensions
can boast of 50 small loss by fire in the
same length of time.
It is a noticeable fact that where this
penuriousness on the part of corporate au-
thorities has been exhibited towards their
amor ixr0 fro
been the dissolution of the companies and
heavy losses by fire to those corporations.
The least that can be said of such a course
OF action by our city authorities Is, that 1t
lis very impolitic; for by the outlay of n
small sum towards sustaining the depart
ment they secure the protection from fire
OF the entire city. We neither expect nor
desire that the city shall appropriate to us
any large amount of money; all we wish
is a small sum, sufficient to defray the re-
cessary actual expenses of the department.
We neither desire, or would we receive, any
pecunlarY compensation for our services.
These are gratuitous. Weonly want enough
10 pay for our apparatus, apparatus houses
and current expenses.
The city authorities at one time levied
and collected a tax on all fire insurance
companies that have agents in this city,
which tax was by resolution ordered to be
appropriated to the fire department, but
when called upon for this sum, they failed
70 deliver one cent of it to us. This tax,
whatever amount it may now be, we are
entitled to; and if the city authorities will
not pay this at once, we ought TO take some
steps by which to force them to pay it. The
this matter, and have, in effect, repudiated
this debt, which they have, more than once,
acknowledged. The same thing may with
truth be said of this failure to comply with
their obligation to pay the balance of the
purchase money due on the steamer 'EMis-
sissippi.n But these remarks are intended
70 apply to the predecessors of our present
city authorities.
The present Board of Mayor and Alder
men are, am happy TO say, of different
stripe from any who have been in office for
long time, and we may expect them to
net in better faith towards us than their
predecessors have done.
In this connection we would suggest to
the city authorities that, by their influence,
they procure to be passed by the Legisla-
ture bill authorizing them to levy and col
1ect tax upon all the taxable property of
the city of jackson, to nett to the fire de-
partment in currency, the sum of 81 per
annum, to be divided between the compa-
mics constituting the department and any
other company in existence at the time of
the passage of such bill, and that this fund
shall be divided pro rata among said COM
panies.
am happy to report, and l congratulate
YOU upon the acquisition of the apparatus
0f the Pearl Hook and Ladder Company to
this department since our last meeting.
This company was organized about a wear
ago, and the want of sufficient funds has
delayed their equipment to this late day,
and there is still something due on their
apparatus. just such company has for a
long time been necessary to perfect our de-
parbment- Thls company is composed of
young men who have already had some ex-
perlence as firemen, and Judging the future
by the past feel it no flattery to say that thew
win prove themselves entitled to the motto
they have adopted-"Deeds not Words.
This company stands very much in need
Of q suitable house for their apparatus and
Ii IL to be hoped that the city authorities
Will adopt some measures for having this
energetic and efficient company located in
some central part of the city.
] take pleasure in further reporting, gen.
tlemen, that jackson Fire Company No.
Is thoroughly equipped, and that since the
last annual meeting of the department this
company has furnished itself with a new
hose carriage.
The Gem Fire Company No. , / am also
pleased 70 report as thoroughly equipped
and ready for any emergency. | know
or nothing 20 report relative to these COM
panies that requires your attention, unless
ik be that they are both somewhat embar-
raised for want of funds.
Now, my fellow-firemen, having reported
to you all, believe, that / expected to. in
regard 20 this department. let me in con-
elnsion say one word in regard to myself. |
During the last thirty-three years have
seen the different fire companies constitu- |
ling this department grow up around me, |
and Of all those who organized the first fire |
company In this place. / regret that see |
sn few here now; but the missing ones will |
not De Forgotten. Their names are upon
Ene records of old jackson Fire Company
NO. 4, and they win be remembered as pio- |
neers In a philanthropic and honorable |
cause.
My record As fireman during that time |
y before you In the minute books of Jack |
son Fire Company No. aud OF this depart |
aught exist therein that will tend to show
that have not maintained the ZEAL honesty
and integrity of a fireman, 1 submit to Il.