Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1891-12-20
VETERAN FIREMEN.


labors have not been sufficiently ap |
preciated by the people they have so
frequently assisted.
All along the Pacific Coast, and in |
some of the Eastatn States-their
old homes, these sacrificing men are
gradual dropping out of life OF
good doing, and before we go far INTO
the goth century, few will be left to
tell the stories of their fights with
the consuming element.
When San Francisco was IN It's
infancy, the Veteran Firemen organ
without pay and prepared
themselves, with the limited facili-
ties at hand, to protect the property
Of the new found commonwealth.
Every man of the company was
tried long before by thousands OF
tests on the plains and in public lie,
from the Missouri River to the limits
of the Pacific Coast.
The tap of tho old bell was to
them the signal for action. No mat
ter where the boys were at that mo-
ment nothing could detain them from
from rushing to the engine house;
whether in broad cloth or hastily
donned attire and in much shorter
time than many of the present paid
companies consume-they went right
into the heart of the flames and
fought to a finish.
The cause was one of protection to
fellow man, and there was no parley;
one or the other had to succumb.
Either the flames would creep
along the path of improvements,
destroying the production of the
city's builders, or the hardy fireman
would force it back to its birthplace,
and wipe it out where it was born
Not one of them tarried to argue
the question or its possible achieve
ments, but on the contrary plunged
straight into the destroying heat and
assailed it with the same vigor that
it tried to master them.
Thousands of dollars-more than
that-millions were saved by them,
and now that they are leaving the
scenes of their younger days and
going to the sleep from whence no
engine bell can awaken them, they
ask for one grand reunion.
They will petition the Directors OF
the Worlds Fair, to be held in Chi
cago in '93, to set aside one day fo1
them, that the old familiar faces, OF
in the past begiimmed with charcoa
AID blistered with the flames, ma,
gather around one hospitable board
where their owners may untold the
tales of desolation and want spreat
by the fires of the past.
Many of them, after clinklng
GLASS to the health of the coming gen
Grafton. would be very willing
to pass beyond the halls OF red SHIRT
and fire caps and leave the welfare
of the people in the hands of thel
progeny.
In 1887 the first meet OF late year
was held in the Police Court No.
of the old City Hall in San FrancIsc
and John Fay was elected Preslden
an Office he still occupies. Charlie
Wilson, at present an employe IN IN
Carson mint, a man, who up to dat
and nearly 20 years old, still delight
to fight consuming fires, even mora
social and political, was elected vlc'
President. The last meeting W
held on the 18th of January OF t
present year and another one viii
held in January of the coming yea
The membership is now about 4
and the whole crowd expect to 60
Chicago.
The American people can
afford to give Them one day at lei
40 that visitors from foreign coul
ries may take one good look at
pioneers of the West, who SO wliiii
" assisted in developing the graz
est nation of free born on the II
Of IL q earth,