Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-04-04
: EXEM rr."

Los Angeles Exc pG fir men, April
8, l,7o.l
FIRE! FIRE !! FIRE!!!
Climbing, curling, cracking, creeping,
Flashing, flaming, tapping, leaping,
Rolling, roaring. raging, weeping,
Fierce DER dome and splre.
Maddened as the mad sea waves
Sweeping to their shrieking graves,
Tram bling, suppliant, shudderlng, VI eep'
ing,
To the awful ocean caves.
Sudden as the lightning's fash,
Fierce the charging squadron's dash,
Ringing shout and trumpet blare
Wake the trembling midnight air.
Through the outworks burstling, rendlng,
Ceaseless vol!eys swiftly sending,
st rnly, hand to hand, conte nding
On the red field, storm and crash
Lo! the flaming tongues Of fire
Yield to arms that never tire,
Fitful, flashing. fading, still.
Conquered by stronger will,
See they shoulder, sobbing, signing,
Hero strength no m ore defying,
sullen in the gloom expire.
Storm-bronzed veteran, battle-sc AIRED,
Heroes of the "old-time guard p
Honor-laden, dream and rest,
BY grateful city blest
Glory. sated, sleep and dream
In the light OF Loves bright gleam,
May no envious "false alarms"
Break the links Of Love's soft charms.
Dream, exempt from toll and care;
May no lurid midnight glars,
Spreading wide Its crimson dyes,
Red Hume the peaceful skies.
May no changing midnight bell
Sudden tale of danger tell,
Lulled in beauty's gentle arms
Dream, exempt from all alarms"
This fine elocutionist thoroughly
improved the occasion, and was
succeeded by Mr.. Hank Waggoner,
q canal boat captain on the roaring
Santa Ana, who acquitted himself
Of the following atrocious ecreed'
have heard Of warlike heroes
Facing ranks Of smoking cannon
Marching forward to the music of the
screaming minnie ball,
But this is the only instance
/. To my best of recollection,
Where folks were brave enough to face two
s'poets" at one haul.
Yet these ''Laddies" whom wo honor
On this festival OCCASION
The first to take the "pole" and scamper
where the fire sWeeps-
Are as valorous to battle
With host Of reused up "poets,"
As to camb II up house-tops, or indulge
in flying leaps.
Now, exempt from rigid duties
Such as reaching for the "nozzle"-
dottng flooded soul and body, az tht
''pres-ure" rushes higher
Now exempt from putting clamps on
"Cutting out burs ed Section"
Or breaking necks in getting in "first wa
ter on fire.
No more mid clang of brazen bells
To climb from roof to window
Where child is wildly crying, as its par
ents tar their hair,
No more to take feather bsd
And lay it gently some place.
Then grab the screaming urchin ant
throw him down the stair
No more to sit OH juries
And be set upon by lawyers,
Tnen locked up weary days and night
| with nothing much to eat
| No more to fight our battles
In the o, N, u. militia,
And march in solid column down the ring
| ing dusty street.
Though exempt from all such labors
| THESE brave boys will ever rally,
| Where the banner Of the demon flame an
fiutter in the air,
| Never shirking never shrinking,
Always true and always ready.
To hasten to the rescue when the fiji
| trumpets blare.
So exempt may they be ever
From outrageous shaft, Of fortune
May they drift into the highest COLDER
places, up ab,ve;
May they never know a sorrow,
Tears, i'll luck, or dire disaster.
And be "Exempt" from everything bu
honor, wealth and love.
Followed by the Dead March i
Saul.
| We always thought that Han
Waggoner Tin other words, Moshel
of the Cotton Semi Tropic,) wac
genius, but the foregoing, re
moves all lingering doubts fror
our mind on the question of tha
dilettan,e clay out'' known q
genius.
We might reproduce the bill 0
fare of the Exempt banquet, but W
forbear, suffice to say that 1t wa
served admirably and that til
.. decorative and other adjuncts wer
, exquisite.
The toasts were as follows, NJ
Lips presiding rs toast-mastel
Our City.-Response by J. {
| Godfrey.
The Exempts. Response by Ge'
e. Gard.
!, The Press. Response by J. ,