The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-24
FIREMEN'S VISIT.
Reading Men on Their
Biennial Tour
This Week.
IN WORCESTER WEDNESDAY.
Plans Made For Their En-
tertainment By Local
Firemen.
IN WORCESTER WEDNESDAY.

worcester people Will be treated TO
novelty in the visit of the Friendship
fire company of Reading, Pa, Wednes-
day. The company will arrive in Wor-
cester Wednesday morning at $40
O'Clock from Springfield, and will re-
main here little more than "a hours.
For several years the Reading men
have visited different places in the
country, always taking a week off, and
not only manage to have a good time,
but also keep an eye out for the best
interests of improvement in their home
city.
The best and cheapest ways to light
city, the best and most serviceable
| method of building roads, the adopted
methods of big cities of disposing of
the city's garbage, and several other
things which are essential to the in
terests Of the city and great help to
the taxpayer, all come under the eve
OF the Friendship members in their
Trips. When they return home the first
thlng on the program is a report on the
trip ~id the many things they noticed
IN tsiHerent cities which would be sure
10 result advantageously to the people
OF the city if put in operation.
Inc trip this year is through New
england exclusively, and several
months ago two members Of the com
pany were in Worcester making ar
rangements for the visit. The plan was
lhen outlined to Chief Engineer e. 4,
vaughn of the fire department, and he
IN turn called in the veteran companies
OF the city and left much Of the matter
| OF entertainment in their hands. Ow-
ing to his position as the head of the
nre department, 1t was impossible for
MN to take on mis- hands the entire en-
teftalnment Of the visitors, but with
the ald OF the veterans of Worcester
tne visiting company will get an enter
talnment IN this city that will be second
10 none they will receive in New Eng
lana. With the arrival of the company
| IN lnis city they will be taken to the
commonwealth Hotel on Front street
where rooms have been engaged for
them during their stay in this CITY.
Ihey VIII be allowed to clean nm and
tnen they will leave for a trolley ride
doout the city and every point of inter
s;,, tislteq' ana probably short run
| VIII be taken into the country.
After returning from the trolley mar
y they will go to the Commonwealth
hotel and prepare for the parade tba
route OF which was told in YESTERDAY
mornings Spy. $50 ue'y
IAey VIII have for an escort the To-
cal veteran companies and some mem
pers or the active department. After
sne parade, they win be marched Ia
horticultural hall, where banquet will
pc served, and this will practically wind
~ thelr stay In the city. The fol-
| lowing morning they leave for Boston
where they Will be guests of the Bos-
ton department
Inc company will have "a members
on the trip, and also bring hand az
u pieces with them, which sweIls the
NUMBER 10 q men. They travel in uni
form and wear the blue suits of fire
men. The two representatives of tbe
company who were in Worcester max
ing arrangements for the reception Of
the company, were received in a wav
Whlnh left no doubt in their minds as
10 the reception the company would
receive, and they left for Boston with
nothing but praise for Chief Vaughn
and his committee.
In order to show the calibre of tbe
men Who belong to the company. The
spy man secured the names of a few
OF the members. They are ex-Mayors
j. K. Kenney, w. F. Shanahan. ex-
Chiefs of Police John H. Morrison and
Mahlon Shaaber, ex-Postmasters Cal
vim Goodman and James r. Kennev
SUPERINTENDENT of Fire Alarm and Po-
lice Patrol William ]. Hoffman. and
Water Commissioner ]. w. Felix.
The Friendship Fire Company. which
is one of the few companies in the
| United States which follows out the
plan OF making visit to sections of
the country once every two years, was
organized March 4, 1S4S. and at the
present time has an enrolled member
ship of $50. Ex-Mayor James r. Ken
ney VIII be spokesman for the party on
the trip, and City Assessor Charles r
Yeity, exFire Chief Samuel Adams
and ex-Mayor w. F, Shanahan, will be
on the trip with them.
In 1861 when President Lincoln is
sued call for volunteers, the Friend
ship Fire Company members organized
the Rinngold light artillery, and
throughout the rebellion did good work
The battery saw two years of hard
service.
In 1890 the company made one of its
hrst trips, taking in Niagara Falls. To-
ronto. Geneva Falls. N. Y, and Will
Transport, Pa. travelling, in all, a dis
tance of S25 miles. In 1892 the COM
pany visited New York city, Pough-
keepsie, Troy and Albany. In 1894 the
company went south, starting at Phil
adelphia and stopping at Baltimore.
! Washington. Newport News and Rich
mond. In 1895 the company started in
at Norristown. Pa, and visited Tren-
ton, Atlantic City and Wilmington, Del.
Two years ago they took In Elizabeth.
Coney Island. Poughkeepsie and Yonk-
ers.
This year they will start in at New
Haven and visit Hartford, New Lon
don, Springfield, Worcester and Bos-
ton