The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-06-02
FIREMEN NOT INIT
SOCIETY ON TOP. THE FIRE LADDIEs TAKE A
EACKSEAT.

consists of an engine company, includ-
ing Il hose company, hook and lad
der company and n side organization
denomina,ed. the Coffee Club. The
latter consists of ladies', the regular
fire companies, OF men. At fires the
Coffee Club have committee at the
engine house to serve warm coffee to
firemen, which is intended to prevent
them from going to Saloons for intoxi-
eating drinks. The ladies have re-
sponded promptly to fire alarms, and
due credit should be given them for
the attainment of worthy object.
Each year the Coffee Club has cele-
brated its anniversary by social |
gathering Of some kind, and as it Is
composed OF enterprislng and socially
inclined ladies, it has developed into a
quite popular ''eyent," and one antici
pated long in advance by those whose
greatest pleasure is derived from society.
Usually the Coffee Club anniversary
is f,irly well attended by the fremen,
but as it is ii select, invitation "event"
the firenan's invitation usually depends
on bis social popularity.
The, membership of the Volunteer
Fire Department is made up of young
men who reside in the town and who
| have enough interest in its welfare to
sacrifice considerable time, a good deal
of convenience, and some money in
keeping the companies up to thencces-
sary standard Of efficiency. These
young men come out of homes in the
town and are as respectable and as
'high" in all that goes to make gen
tlemen, as any of their more favored,
but, ofttimes, more selfish townsmen.
I To the anniversary Of the Coffee
Club, just passed, a few, perhaps half
a dozen, fremena were invited to. at
tend. ,'Of the Hook and Ladder COM
pany there was no lack of disappointed
fremen without invita- tions of course
they could not 60. There was pain
full scarcity of H & L boys present. Ii
is not encouraging to fireman to find
his sci. sacrifice unappreciated by those
for whom he labors. This, however
ought not to be the case for it is only
an exemplifcation Of human nature IL
one of its most common and most des
picable, because selfish, forms. Te
single out few favored members o
the departments and slight the rest
might Justly call forth the indignation
of the members of the department. Ii
l is only justice to those fire,nen who
were invited, and learned that the res
of he-boys had been sighted, to say
that they did not attend the F'socia
event" The fremen will stick to-
gether, and they are right about it. z
slight to one fireman, as such, is an in
suit to all. It ought to be, and is 81
considered by all of them. The Fir
Department is not an exclusive affair
e Its object does not call for that sor
: of fooiishness. 1t may occasionally
i find within its membership element
y which individual members of eoffe
g club might not-invite to their homes
y The probabilities are they (the os,ra
IS cised fremep) do not want such invi
II tations and do not expect them bu
e that does not relieve one branch of
It department, whose object is the same
, from showing proper courtesy toward
h other branches of the same department
y Another thing, undesirable social ele
1t ments never go where they are nc
e wanted. The chilling atmosphere is
d guarantee of immunity from unwe
g come guests fully as sufficient as an
1t coffee club could desire. All men
% even hremen, have little pride an
1t certainly enough to keep them ind
l. vidually away from circle wher
- their presence is not desired. Th
d Coffee Club is to be congratulated i
t having scored complete social success
IS on the credit of the fire department
10 by the hospitality of the Hook & Lac
h der Co. whose elegant hall they occl
le pied, and to the great delecation of til
ID social Adonis without enough fireme
= present to lead one to imagine ther
is was "a fire department in the. city.
as must also be exhilerating to the mem
bers of the department, and espe'
r. ially the Hook & Ladder boys, to re
2. alize thai they don't fill the bill in
ri social way and that their proper spher
a. is in the ''sand lot" while Adoni.
). who never touched brake, 6