The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1878-02-22
f" ALWAYS READY"
FIREMAN's TRIBUTE TO THE
LATE THOMAS GREEN,
Ex-Chief Engineer of Jackson Fire Department

Ex-Chief Engineer of Jackson Fire Department
(" Always Ready" always willing, where the
cali of duty led,
Vas the motto of our brother, our loved, our
honored dead,
Whose loss we this day mourn with sincere and |
hearty grief
Our friend, our fellow-freman, our gallant, |
true ex-Chief.
For nearly forty years, through sunshine and
through shade,
He has led US, he has eheered us, his commands
we have obeyed;
But his voice is hushed forever, his form is no
more seen,
For Earth has claimed what's mortal of our
trusted THOMAS GREEN
g Always Ready" was his watchword, when
the cry of fire was beard,
AS with COOL unerring orders, he gave his men
To bring into requisition all that muscle skill
and dash
Could contribute to subdue the destructive
flame and crash.
He was the leading spirit, which infused our
own with zeal
Thus to labor, thus to struggle for our neigh
bors' peace and veal;
And though no more we IL see him,-that noble
manly MEN,
Wen cherish with affection the name of THOMAS
GREEN.
always Ready as fireman" always
ready" as friend, :
Until duty was accomplished, has work did
never end;
In the private walks of life, in the Church or
in the State,
He was ready, he was prompt, he was willing
never late;
lis strange to think that henceforth we'll see
him e'er again
So prominent was he in the busy walks of
men.
But thong tbs sad to give him up, we can, we
may, mean
To profit by the virtues in the life of THOMAS
GREEN.
"Always Ready" as in life, death found him
well prepared
But he trusted not to self-in the Promises he
shared;
And the Master whom he honored, with I'M
swerving zeal and love,
Has transferred him to those mansions so
bright and fair above.
And the old time smile that settled on his noble,
As his spirit took its fight to that glorious,
happy place,
Seemed to say unto his loved ones hence all
with me is WE'LL
Be ready" Always Ready"-for that hour ye
cannot tell.
Harris Barksdale, Of No. l. said:
| Mr.. CHAIRMAN--I would not have at
casion, did l not feel it my duty, as the man
standing at the foot of the Life Honorary
| Roll Of Jackson No. l, TO say something in
| tribute TO the memory of him whose name
shines 80 brightly at the head of that Roll
of Honor. My heart, sir, is too much filled
with grief to permit my lips to give utter
| ance TO my belief as to tue loss We have SilS-
tanned. [ remember, sir in my childhood,
before l ever expected to be received as an
| active member Of our dear old jackson No. l,
much less to be added to the roll of the
| favored few whose names stand upon yonr
Life Honorary List, to have seen this COM
| pany parading the streets of our city with
| the manly form of Thos. Green at its head.
| [ rem emlser sir, OF having heard his clear
voice. when the alarm bell rang out at the
| dead of night, giving the cOmmand--"Jump
| her boys-Jump her!' and Down On the
brakes" and how my heart swelled with
| emotions that L might some day be large
enough to follow such d fireman as Thos
Green, to deeds of love anu honor. And
| when | had the honor to be added to your
nun Der, | remember, with what dignity,
| what kindness aud what singleness of pur-
pose to advance the interest of the Depart
| ment he presided in that chair which
you now occupy. | mourn that he has
been taken away from us forever. Nomore
to council with US at our meetings. No
more to advise and command us when we
are battling with the fire tiend for the bene-
fit of our distressed neighbors. No more 10
aid the Company or the Department when
we need ii friend whose counsel and whose
purse would be ever at the service of any
body of men whose shirt, hat or belt had
''fireman" written upon it. Since have
become a member of this organization, this
; brotherhood, -whose mission is more noble
than that of him who puts on the uni
form of soldier, as they are enlist.
ed in a cause whose obligation il
is to risk their lives TO save the lives
of others, not to take them, | have
, read the records of No. l, (the then only
company in the city, with pleasure and ia
terest. / see throughout its pages, FROM
1916 to the hour when his health required
: him to retire from duty, the name of Thos
Green, active, prominent and prompt
Always present. Always looking to the i'll
) terests OF the company and the community
Always on hand at washings, meetings and
: fires; and, as he SAID upon his dying bed
, ''Al ways ready''--we can add, for anything
, that was right, and true, and noble. l re-
greet that the company has lost its records
from 1889 to 1916. [ know they would
show the same thing for him, and OF
him, whose memory we commemorate to-
day. as those which have been preserved
) Mr.. Chairman, L remember him in another
: capacity, when [ was child, as Superin-
, tendent OF the Sunday School of the Church
| In which | was raised, attending Sabbath
t after Sabbath to inculcate into the hearts of
/ the boys and girls of our city, that virtue,
that truth, that honesty, hat duty to your
neighbors and your God, without which no
woman and no man can prosper in life
and no community can succeed.
And now, Mr.. Chairman, | come to the
, reason why feel that | have lost, in his
death. more than the Company, the Depart
ment, or the city, much as their loss is.
Those of the Department who were old
enough, remember when the tocsin of war
f was sounded, remember well, that the
sons of our city and State responded
! with alacrity to the call. | was OF
that number, and our roll contains
: the names of many whose remains now rest
under the sods of the valley, but whose
spirits have Joined the army of heroes years
, ago. They were not so fortunate as he who
, now addresses you. Their blood was need
ed as libation upon their country's altar.
NV family, all the male members being in