Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-06-23
Additional Local NeUs.
Addresses at Firemens' BANQUET,


At the Banquet recently given to the
Past-Chiefs of Emporium Fire Depart
ment, many really interesting and
instructive addresses were delivered.
| Among the most able were those of
Mr.. Josiah Howard and Mr.. A. c.
Blum and we take pleasure in publish
| ing the same:
MR.. HOWARD's ADDRESS.
Mr. Chairman and Members of the En-
porium Fire Department.
The impotence of rulers and states
men to understand and regulate peo-
pie eventually leads to tyranny or de-
cay. Every nation has a Cuba, and it
will be a source of revenue and
strength, or a troublesome ward that
not only wastes its own resources but
saps the very life of its guardian, ac-
cording to the ability of that guardian
to understand and regulate its affairs.
| Every man has boy or a horse or a
| farm or business or a trade to under
stand and care for and develop His
ability to do so will mainly depend
upon his ability to understand care
for and develop himself; his mind, his
muscle, his energy. and his character.
! AS the profit of a horse depends upon
the care and regularity with which it
| is fed and managed, so the develop
ment and efficiency of each individual
and association depends upon the
ability of its manager to understand
and regulate and develop it's life
1t is my pleasant duty this evening
to enumerate and describe the official
management of the Emporium Fire
Department. The original depart
ment was formed in 1874, and contin-
ued as an organization for only a year
or two; but the names and deeds of
such pioneer firemen as G. b. Gould,
L. Taggart, j. f. Parsons, j. p. Felt,
w. G. Clarke, II. Rockwell and
Murry Overhiser, should not be drop
ped from the roll of honor, for it is to
the energy and perseverance of these
men, and particularly of G. B. Gould,
(who should be called the honorary
Chief of the Emporium Fire Depart
ment, that we owe our water-Works
and fire fighting apparatus The
water works were completed in 1886,
and in the fall of 1887 H. 9. Rockwell,
one of the old-time firemen just men
toned, was fittingly chosen as chief
to organize the present department.
MIR. Rockwell, owing to ill health, re-
fused to act as permanent chief, but at
the end of four months turned over to
his successor a well disciplined and
well instructed body of men and Off
GERS. Mr.. Rockwell was a man of few
words, but immense size and ability,
who not only knew how to handle
fire, but also to command the respect
and obedience of his men. On the re-
tirement of Mr.. Rockwell, the foreman
of the w. NY. & p. r. r T., was elected
as the second chief in January
1888 for one year. Then came
our gentlemanly and talented drill
master, DIR. E. O. Bardwell, from
1889 to 1890. The manly bearing and
efficiency of the men has not been eX-
celled since his time. The next year,
1890, the department was under the
care Of w. c. Clarke. He like Mr..
Rockwell, endeavored to unite all the
companies in good feeling and for
united work, and as a means to that
end, he paid particular attention to
the annual inspection and parade Of
the whole department. He was follow
ed by d. w. Felt, who made it his par
ticular business to overhaul the equip
ment and purchase a better quality of
high pressure hose. Then came the
first recognition of younger men in
the election of Henry Haupt for the
year 1894, and he was followed by
another young man, our late chief
from 1895 to 1898, Mr. John J. Hinkle.
Mr.. Hinkle having served as fireman
in large city, brought many new and
important additions to our department
Councils were induced to appropriate
city funds for the purchase Of addition
al tools and apparatus. Fire police
were appointed to rope off the streets
at a fire and to protect property, while
last but not least the natural gas was
utilized to sound the alarm and locate
the fires. And now tonight we have an
other young man wearing the chiefs
badge. All our chiefs have been quiet,
reserved gentlemen, and as nation
composes its countenance to the ex
preston of the king, SO our depart
ment has reflected the gentlemanly
conduct of it's chiefs. The dividing up
of hose and the exchange of tools, and
other courtesies at a fire, it is matter
of pride to the department and to our
fellow citizens.
May the department be blessed with
as able chiefs in the future as in the
past, is the sentiment of us all.