Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1899-01-17
Ladieg, charIes Broadway
Rouss
Club.

Ladies' Charles Broadway RouSS
Club.
The ladies' of tle Ladies Charles
Broadway Rouss Club, in response to an
invitation extended to Mr.. Rouss to at
tend their coming fair and Rouss birth
day celebration, received the following
New York CITY, Jan. 10, 1899.
LADIES CHARLES BROADWAY RoUss
CLUE,
Charles Town. W. Va.
My KIND FRIENDS:
The notis of yor recent organization
and it's aim and purpose has ben read to
me, as wei as yor very curteus invitation
to be present at the Exercises to be held on
February next in onor of my sixty-third
birthday. For reasons that 1 hav alredy
xprest to the Fire Company Committee
having the mater in charg, and with
which U ar no doubt familiar, it vii be
imposibl for me to attend.
fully epreciate thes repeated evidences
of esteem and friendship on the part of
the peple of yor dear old town. asum
that yor club is an auxiliary of the Fire
Company. who's objects are identical,
and cooperating with them in the cary
ing out of the same plans. Such being
the case you are of cors aware of the little
contribution of $500 just forwarded to aid
in the celebration U alude to.
send U my best wishes for the success
of yor Fair and agen xpress my sincere
tbanx for yor kind and thautful Letter.
With best wishes.
c. B. RoUss.
To the above gratifying letter the La
dies Club made the following response:
CHARLES TowN, w. VA, Jan. IA, 1899.
CHARLES BRoApwAY Rouss, ESQ,
New York.
Dear Str.-At meeting of the Ladies
Charles Broadway Rouss Club held in
the Charles Broadway Rouss Memorial
Hall in Charles Town, West Va, on the
evening of January 18th, the following
resolutions were unanimously adopted :
Resolved, That we hereby express both
as individuals aud as body our appre-
| citation and gratitude for the uniform
lberality, assistance and kindness exhib-
tied now and in years past by Charles
Broadway Rouss toward the Independent
Fire Company of Charles Town.
Resolved, That we recognize in him a
man whose benevolence is unlimited,
whose patriotism is broad and compre-
hensive, whose friendship is steadfast
and abiding. and whose life has been de-
voted to broad and systematic charity
We tender to him our best wishes for a
long career of continued usefulness and
our sincere regret at his inability to be
present at our celebration of his birthday
on the nth day of February next.
MAGGIE STICKLEs,
Vice President.
LErA HoUGH, Secretary.
On Friday night last the Club had an
impromptu celebration of the pleasing
event which accomplished one of the
main objects of its organization. The
ladies of the Club, members of the com
pany and visitors were assembled in the
Charles Broadway Rouss Memorial Hall.
Capt. J. c. Holmes presided, and intro
duced 10 the audience Col. B. D. Gibson,
who delivered a most interesting and APP
propriate address.
He was glad to be pres ent to join in
the celebration of the Independent Fire
Company, OF its day of freedom from
debt on its home. A great burden had
been lifted from the shoulders of the Fire
Co, and it was. right to rejoice and give
praise to him whose donation gave the
Company its freedom.
They could now point with pride to
the beautiful Charles Broadway Rouss
Memorial Hall, completed by the indie
fatigable labors of Capt. ]. c Holmes of
the Independent Fire Co., freed from
debt by the friendship and the gener-
ositY of the millionaire merchant and
philanthropist, Charles Broadway Rouss,
and now presented by the Indepen-
dent Fire Co., for its semi-public uses,
a very handsome building, an ornament
to the Town, and home for the brave,
daring fre-laddies.
In behalf of the Independent Fire Co.
No. I, he thanked the Ladies' Charles
Broadway Rouss Club for their splendid
work and corporations the various mat
tiers of great benefit to the Fire Co. And
he thought that on an occasion like this,
when assembled to celebrate the day of
freedom of the Independent Fire Co.
from the debt on its home, it was all the
more enjoyable to have the Ladies' Club
to participate in the ceremonies of the
evening.
He could not think of the completion
of the plans for this fine building and the
happy liquidation of the late indebted
ness, without recurring in thought to the
modest beginnings and the grand and
successful contamination of the plans and
the efforts of Capt ]. c. Holmes. the
guiding spirit in the great undertaking.
And in the gratitude of our hearts we
must hasten to give the fullest praise to
the princely benefactor, Charles Broad
way Rouss, whose friendly remembrances
and most generous deeds of kindness
smoothed away all indebtedness, and
enabled the Fire Company to stand up
free and proud in its possession of the
magnificent Rouss Memorial Hall.
1t was the energy, the answering per
severance and the indomitable zeal and