San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-05-26
A DESERVED COMPLIMENT.
L. P. Peck the Recipient of Hand
some Present.


\ committee representing some
of the leading business men, calico
upon Mr.. l.. p. Peck last night
about s o'clock, at his office, and as
a slight token Of their appreciation
and regard of his faithful and val
liable work as Chief of the fire de.
partment, presented him with a
! handsome combination diamOI
stud and ring. Mr.. G. NJ. Barnes,
of the LIGHT staff, acted as spokes.
man, and in making the presenta-
ton, said:
"Mr. Peck: A number of your
| friends, all business men in San
Antonio, who have watched your
course while you served in this
city as chief of the fire department,
and who have admired the eff
cheney of its service under your adj
ministration and commend the
many valuable services performed
by you personally as well as the
great improvements made in it by
you and through your efforts and
zeal and admiring your heroic eff
forts at critical time, when our
city was threatened with destruc-
ton at the red hand of the firebug,
have chosen me on their behalf
to present you with this slight
token of their admiration, esteem,
regard and confidence, and which
| now present to you with a hope
that you will always be as success
full in all of the walks of life as
you have been as chief of the fire
department of San Antonio, and
those who so express themselves
are Charles NJ. Barnes, Hermann
d. Kampmann, w. J. Page, Beall
& EichlitZ, w. ID. TObin & Co., r.
Seebe, Murphy, Arunsden & Nc
Allister, Sim Hart, Joe Cooley, Ed.
Dreiss, Otto KOehler, Monroe
Pratt, John NJ. Knight, William
Reuter-, H. Burgower, A. F. Dig
nowity, j. ROnse, Thos. B. Johnson,
f. Bosch, y. c. Schryver, Reagan
Houston, Charles Hugo, Critzer
Bros. and others"
Mr.. Peck, though agreeably sur
prised, showed genuine fireman
grit, and was equal to the occasion,
and in accepting the gift made
very pretty talk. He said that he
was more than pleased at the kind
expression given him and that he
would always prize the token not
only on account of its intrinsic
value, but because of the spirit in
which it was given. Continuing,
he said:
an September, 1891, | took
charge of the fire department and
acted as chief until May l, 1898,
making nineteen months. When
| took charge of the departments at
that time l found it very poorly
equipped. 1t consisted of two old
steamers, one Old-style hook and
ladder truck, 800 feet of old hose,
five hose reels, eleven ordinary
horses and thirty-two ineXperi-
enced men. On May l, when |
turned the department over to my
successor. | had increased the
facilities to four new steam en-
gines, one new aerial hook and lad
der truck, one chemical engine, six
hose reels, 1900 feet of new hose,
twenty-five head Of good horses,
and fifty well-trained men,"
| do not desire to claim all the
credit, for was ably assisted by
Mr.. Callaghan and the aldermen,
and am proud to say, that for the
size of the town and the age of the
department, San Antonio today
has the best equipped, and most
efficient department of any city in
this country" Mr.. Peck then in
vited the committee to take a
walk across the street, and for
about an hour "Charley" was kept
busy pulling shoppers.