Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-17
WEcCACOE Al READING.
Lawyer ROurlse Gives the Boys Warm
welcome Charley" McWhorter Re-
plies.

me WeccacOe hlre company received
hearty reception at Reading Pa. on
Wednesday, Mr. Rourke, a member of
the Berks county bar, as spokesman for
the Reading firemen, gave the Whining
ton boys hearty welcome in the follow
ing fashion
"Citizens of Wilmington and members
Of the Weccacoe Fire Company: To me
has been confded the happy duty of vel
coming you to the city of Reading for the
enjoyment of yourselves in this grove and
city and am especially happy on this
occasion in that | am enabled to extend
this welcome to you in a dual capacity
In the first place. as representative of the
city Of Reading, | bid you cordial wei
come to one of the finest cities in the
State Of Pennsylvania, although not one
of the largest, but withal full of life, pro
gress and activity. In The second place,
as the representative of the Liberty Fire
Company of the city of Reading, who
have enjoyed your hospitality, and in
consequence thereof have heaped peans
Of praise upon you and your city, | press
cordial and heartfelt welcome. Nolun-
teers ourselves, our hearts go out to the
volunteers of other cities and states and
the cause Of one fireman becomes the
cause of united brotherhood. There
fore this should be an occasion of rejoic-
ing and happiness. Again, on this occa-
sion am impelled to express my heart
felt thanks and pay my debt of gratitude
to the citizens of Wilmington for the
hospitable manner in which | was treated
on one occasion when sojourning in your
city l attended the police department S
ball l have moreover, been deeply i'm
pressed with the manner in which your
representative citizens and city officials
commingle with your fire companies, as
upon introduction | met with one city Of
fetal after another, because l know that
il portends great good and will serve to
initiate against the influences which have
heretofore impelled some good people to
resist utilization with iiremen
I'm conclusion, citizens of Whining
ton. again cordially invite you to par
take Of the Inequalities of the city of
Reading. and the Liberty Fire Company
whose committee will be continuously in
attendance with you, and hope that you
will leave our little city gratifed with
your visit. and full of interesting matter
to relate to your neighbors and friends at
home
Register Charles II McWhorter, on be
! half of the Weccacoe Fire Company, re
piled as follows:
.Honored Sir. If we were strangers
in strange land your kind welcome
would ut once dissipate the estrangement
and establish a bond of friendship as
lasting as the memory of man. Those of
our company who have had the good for
tune to visit your city before have en-
Unused their comrades who now come for
the first time. with a glowing anticipa-
ton of bountiful hospitality, and verify
our hopes are fully realized. Many of
our company come among you as
strangers. but we will part as friends,
bearing with us the regret only that our
stay should be so brief. Reading well
merits your pride OF Wilmington we
of course are justly proud. But half
century ago it was but a borough situated
on the historic banks of the Brandywine,
but her citizens became inspired with
that Yankee motto, to advance, and she
now moves with rapid stride toward the
majestic Delaware, and ere the celebra-
tion of another semi-centennial of our
national independence Wilmington will
be known as great metropolis on that
beautiful stream.
Reading TOO viii keep in the onward
march of Improvement. Your interest
/ l.
with her docks and shipyards extending
from Edgemoor to New Castle, and with
New Castle embodied in Wilmington, the
music of her manufactures echoing from
hill top to dale, Reading will find a ready
customer for the product of her forges
and furnaces. and an outlet to the sea
and markets of the world. Scarcely in
this Republic. are two cities so favorably
situated where each must contribute to
the wealth and prosperity of the other,
and where neither win become the com
petitor or antagonize the other; with the
] growth of one the other viii thrive and
4 open up a ready market for the fruit and
vegetables from the fertile plains Of the
little Diamond State | think draw no
fancy picture The signs Of the times
and the onward march of enterprise in
both cities warrant the hope. The same
improvement that has characterized the
last half century if continued in the
next win bring us to the full realization.
Reading and Wilmington have every
geographical advantage, situated so close
that verbal communication will be con
Quoted through telephone connection,
and yet so distant, that the commodities
of the one will not enter into compe-
tition with the other. but a growing de-
mand of the production of one for con
sumption in the other. will establish a
mutual interest that must rebound to
the substantial advantage of both. that
will I'm turn produce feeling of unal-
loved friendship and brotherly love be-
tween the citizens of each as no two
I other cities can enjoy
''With the advance fall other interests.
we must not overlook those Of the
fire departments A few years back a
bucket brigade constituted the facili-
ties for protecting our homes and bust
ness houses from destruction. Then
came the rude box with lever on the
sides upon which men labored hard. but
accomplished little Now mark the
change With the slight pressure of a
button. the alarm is tolled and before
the chime has faded from the bell trained
steeds are in their places and harnesed "a
| an engine that is mechanical wonder.
and in an instant more they are on the
run to the fire By the time the hose
can be attached streams are mounting
over the tallest structure SO that in the
present day, a timely discovery of a fire
means its certain extinguishment.
Rarely indeed does it extend With the
improvement in implements also comes
the improvement in man. No longer do
we find the feelings of rancOr and diseord
that once existed between fire companies.
Then an alarm If fire was the signal for
a free fight. and a lucky day it was when
all would escape without broken heads or
noses. Intelligence has Superseded ignO-
Z raUaa and system has taken tha nlara ~