The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-10-25

The following contributed to the
Philadelphia Evening Star by Hon.
JAMES Clarency, "The Fireman's
Friend" will be read with interest
here, especially by the firemen:
ut has been said that all work ana
no play makes very dull existence,
and | am no exception to the general
rule. l must have my day Off The
fact Is. instead of having one day off,
| have taken several of them, and
have enjoyed them, too. 1 always do
when l am invited to an expedition
such as l have enjoyed this week.
have written up several descriptions,
that is l have attempted 20 write up
several of these affairs, but have
never done justice to the occasion. No
man can. To fully appreciate the
situation one must be present and
take part in it, / refer to the annual
convention of the Firemen's Associa-
ton of the State of Pennsylvania,
which has just closed its twentieth
session at Scranton.
1T was a hownng success. Dele
gates to the number of 900 were pres
ent. I1Jney came from every city,
town and hamlet throughout the
state, and ninteen-twentieths of the
500 were, like myself, having a dag
Off
Few OF our younger generation can
appreciate what firemen's convention
Is. Our volunteer fire department went
out of existence in 1871. Previous to
that year, conventions for various fire
purposes were quite common in Phia-
delphia, and the now almost forgotten
Northern Liberty Hose monument,
which stands in the old Odd Fellows
cemetery on Diamond street. was the
mecca of all visiting firemen. No meet
Ing nor convention was completed with
out visit to that statue, which, with
its fine model of a fireman in the old
fashioned uniform of the early SOS,
forms striking contrast to the latter
day equipments.
with the departure of the volunteer
fire system, conventions practically
ceased in Philadelphia. The same may
be said Of Pittsburg and Allegheny.
They Cthe conventions are now held
annually in some one of the larger
towns where a volunteer fire depart
ment is still in existence, and where
the people of the town, men, women
and children, are in entire sympathy
with the occasion. 1t is this unanimity
of feeling which makes these gather
ings so complete a success.
The 600 delegates are but a small
portion of the meeting. They are the
people who legislate for the firemen;
but the visiting fire departments from
the surrounding country are the real
attraction.
These visiting firemen prepare for
the occasion months in advance Of the
convention. They wear dress uniforms
kept specially for these occasions, and
their marching would do credit to an
army of regulars.
Some idea of the intense interest
manifested on these occasions may be
gathered from the fact that I counted
eighty-six visiting fire companies in the
line of parade, which, with the sixteen
home companies of Scranton bringing
up the rear, made a procession of one
hundred and two companies. Many
companies paraded without their ap.
paratus. They came from such a dis
tance that transportation of engines
anu HORSES was out OF the question.
Aside from the convention and par
ade, the inocent pranks and practical
jokes played by the firemen upon each
| other, forms an endless variety of
amusement.
There is no length to which a fire.
man, company or department will not
go to get the best of another. I re.
member, at the Wilkes-Barre conven-
ton in 1897, where a prize of $50 was
offered for the finest visiting company's
| apparatus in the line of parade. A
visiting company who had attended the
| convention without any apparatus.
borrowed a pair of magnificent horses
! from local brewing company and a
steam fire engine which bore the same
name as their own, from a friendly
company in a neighboring town. With
this team they boldly appeared in the
line of parade, and actually won the
prize To their credit be it said, that
they Immediately made the joke public