Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-05-26
THE VISITING FIREMEN.
The ExeurSiOnistS From Albany. May
or Murphy's Speech of
Welcome.

About ten O'clock this morning,
the Second Infantry band moved
from its hall to the Oregon Pacific
steamers wharf, at the foot of State
street, where soon a crowd of fully
five hundred persons, including
men, women and children, gathered
to welcome the excursion of the fire
department of Albany.
Of course, everybody was too
early, but the band made the time
pass pleasantly by rendering several
airs, during the time intervening
between ten and the boats arrival.
Several times, the boys would cry
out "here she comes, and the crowd
would Immediately become alert,
and every one straining a neck to
get first view of the boat as she
should come around the point of the
island, but only to discover that the
boy had fooled them. Several face
tious persons were heard to make
remarks about the steamer, one that
she had got fast in the brush, an
ether that she had "struck a short
rail and run offthe track, " while an
other who saw dust rising from
the brush along the wagon road up
the river, said that he guessed that
must be her coming down the road.
However, all things have an end,
and so had this hour of waiting; for
short time before eleven, a shout
from some soon rose into a cheer as
the majestic steamer, VIM. M. Hoag
appeared to view, across the point of
the island. Soon two long thin
lines of steam were seen to rise from
near the smoke jack, followed by two
long whistles, then the band which
was stationed just forward of the
pilot house on the hurricane deck
began playing, and the strains of
music came sweetly over the water
to where the Salem people were
waiting to welcome their guests.
There were fully two hundred peo-
pie on board the steamer, and after
landing, procession was formed, and
the firemen, escorted by the MEM
bers of the Salem department and
the Second Infantry band, marched
through the principal streets, then
back to "2's" engine house. Here q
large crowd gathered, and Mayor j
J. Murphy mounted to the top o.
; the H. & L. truck, from where he
welcomed, in a very pleasant man
ner, the visitors.
The mayor said:
"Foremen and members of the AL
bany fire department In this ag'
of corners, trusts and combination
associated and formed for persona
: gain and other selfish motives, it il
great pleasure to see a body Of
men unselfishly devoted to the pub
lie good, serving the people, guard
) ing and preserving the property anC
, saving the lives of the citizens with
out fee or hope of reward, other thai
, that which they gain in their vic
} tory over the elements, and tina
which they regard of greater valu
, than gold-the esteem and plaudit
of the appreciative citizens.
l "There is a custom among tn
r ladies, when a strange woman come
to the city. They call on her and siz
f her up, see how she looks, motto
t her style, get acquainted with hel
I and learn her accomplishments
= After the first visit is made, and tn
= call is returned, there the matte
t stops, and there will be no more as
s sociation, unless from some caus'
/ they should want to cultivate eac
y other. and establish more friendl
v and closer relations. The strange
is then admitted to the "set," if tn
7 caller is pleased with the acquain
|. ance.
e "Now you gentlemen of Alban
2 have been here before, and sized
T up, and as you have chosen IL
Is capital as the place ofyour festiviti'
g. to-day, we are led to believe you al
!, pleased with us, and desire to cult
/ vate friendly relations with us"
q The mayor then, to show Il
o Albanyites that the feeling WI
mutual, called for "three cheers f'
- our visitors, the Albany tiremen an
v their friends" which were give
Ig with a will, The mayor then co
cluded his speech, after paying SON
It II nice tributes TO firemen generally,aI
1, volunteers in general, granting the
Sc the freedom of our city.
n The firemen were then given q