Daily Republican., 1880-09-09
fUURTH EDITION.
CHARGING OF TmE CRANK,r

ware FAro C0mpany LAST NhEbt-
tne Ceremonies Incident Upon
Opening their New Building.
The new engine house Of the Della
ware Fire Company was thrown oper
to the public last night, and the COCA
sion was very pleasant one and emf
nently the "house warming" quite
Successful. AT Z o'clock the doors wer,
thrown open and Mr.. John T. Kelley
received the visitors. Soon after this .
very fine display Of fire works wal
made, being under Mr.. Kelley's exclu
sive charge. The house was soor
crowded, and the Millard Military band
discourssd music which bore evidence
to their skill as performers.
At length Mr.. Francis Vincent, in the
handsomely furnished parlor Of tht
company made the address incident
upon the opening Of the house. HI
said:
About 81 years and s months ago, be
fore any member, that | know Of, O
this company was born, the Delaware
Fire Company was organised by mum
Der Of young men meeting on the 23rd
lofApril, 1879, at the house Of Rober,
Kidder, in the borough Of Wilmington
for then Wilmington was borough, mot
q city. Who Robert Skidder was bis.
tory does not record. Vincent GilpiB
afterwards an eminent merchant o.
Philadelphia, was the first chairman,
and Samuel Harker, afterwards editor
of the Delaware Gazette, and member
Of the Baltimore City Council, its 6rst
Secretary. ....-...
AT this meeting a committee consist.
ing Of Samuel Harker, Israel D. Jones,
Geo. W. Wcrrell and Henry j. Pepper,
were appointed TO draft a constitution
for the Company. Henry J. Pepper
afterwards removed to Philadslphia
and became an eminent jeweler in
Chestnut street. He was the father Of
the Rev. L. o. D. Pepper, q celebrated
preacher. At the same meeting they
appointed Geo. Bush afterwards Presi-
dent OF the Bank Of Wilmington &
Brandywine,) vinceat Gilpin, Geo. W.
Worrell, Joel Menaenhall, Thomas 7.
Newlin aud Samuel Brown, "a committee
to wait on the Borough Council to en-.
dsavor to obtain from them contIibu-
tion, and to obtain funds from the
citizens to aid them in their laudabls
undertaking.
This committee collected q sufficient
amount Of money from the Council and
citizens, and on May 18th the commit
go appointed eight members ofthe newly
organized Fire Company, consisting Of
Mr.. P. Alrich, George Bush and Jshn +.
Gil pin, for the purpose Of getting an
apparatus, reported that the Delaware
Fire Engine was completed, that they
had tried it, and that 1t would propel
the water, = distance of 1870 feet
through q "goose's neck. "EThis engine
was built by Jacob Alrich Of Whining
ton, q descendent Of the first Dutch
Governor Of that name, for the sum Of
$500. Wilmington from fifty TO one
hundred years ago contained q coterie
of mechanics second to none in the
world.
This company, at its organization,
was called the Dandy Company. Dandy
was an old word dsnoting sxcellency
and beauty, now gone out OF use. But
at the last Of its existence it went down
to mean foppishness. Old words often
change their meaning. And this was
one OF them that go suffered. There
was an old song. to denote the peculiar
excellence OF a vessel and her men that
spoke in this wise
"A dandy ship and dandy crew"
So that the term dandy to the Della
ware Fire Company, meant excellent
men and an excellent engine. She then
carried stream Of water further than
any other engine in the city.
shall name and allude 10 some Of
the other old members
John McLsar, until recently an
eminent banker, the father Of Mr..
Henry C. McLear; Josiah Gilpin, broth
er Of the late Chief Justice Gilpin; DR..
Allen McLaus, brother of the celebrated
Louis McLane, Secretary Of State of the
United States and founder of the
great Baltimore and Ohio Railroad;
Del. Noblit, whose one hundredth birth
day was celebrated as mark Of honor
10 him as an esteemed citizen, as Del
aware day at the Centennial; John
Finn, the father of that most excellent
lady, Mrs. Taylor Cause; Thomas Gar
rett, the opposer Of slavery Of whom
Wendell Phillips said "His living
amidst us made even Delaware tolera-
ble."
Mr.. Phillips like many others made
filings at our State. The truth is Del
aware Is misuude rstood by them. Con-
sideripg her size no State has done so
much for the Union as Delaware.
Again, in the number of members
was Bli Sharpe, father Of our esteemed
fellow citizen Jesse Sharpe, who was
collector of the Port; Elijah Hollings-
worth who died worth over $500, 900,
not dollar of which was made but in
an honest manner ; Reuben Webb, at
terwards an eminent leather merchant
Of Philadelphia Geo. W. Griffin, father
Of John A. Griffin now an eminent ship
owner Of Philadelphia Jouas P. Fair
lamb, then celebrated as an engineer
who designed our FIST water works and