The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-08
The Niagara of Brunswick Won the
Hand Tub Contest.
Engine 4, Portland, w on
Steamer Prize.
Ladder Company No. 5 Got First
Money i'm Ladder Contest.

The firemen's muster was great sue
cess from every point OF view 1t had no
unpleasant features about it, no quarrels
or disagreements. Every one seemed to
feel that they were being we'll treated and
the crowd enjoyed the contests immense
ly. There is something about a firemen' S
muster which appeals to a great many
people 1t is a unique exhibition and
there is so much ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS it
that many people who have no real in
terest in fire departments find it worth
while to witness them. This particular
muster was held at Deering park. A
better location it would be hard to lind
Outside of the park proper ON the large
level plot which is usually used by the
boys for ball playing with the Portland
and Rochester tracks which connect with
Union station on one side and the park
proper Oh the other the contests were
held Approaching this place from Forest
avenue yesterday afternoon one was at
first Impressed by the size of the crowd.
There seemed to be thousands OF people
most of them were gathered about the
stands where the engines were play ing.
Along side the road approaching this
contest ground were a great many falzirs
and peddl ers Of all sorts Here was
Rubber Neck Pete' a negro as black as
a coal, who with his head stuck through
a hole in piece Of canvas lodged the
balls which people threw at him, the
man who hit him getting a cheap cigar.
A little above was another Champion
dodger of like color and more dexterity,
but his head seemed to be able to with
stand all the balls which struck it with
out driving away his smile Then there
were fortune t9llers, cane ring men,
striking machines, punching machines,
the man with the doll babies at which
balls are thrown for cigars, fake shows OF
all kinds, peddlers Of souvenirs and fruit
In fact this approach to the contest
grounds was veritable midway, filed
with all manner of amusing and interest
ing things.
The crowd was as interesting as any
thing else. 1t was picturesque gather
ing, soldiers. sailors, tiremen in red
shirts, all sorts and conditions of men
and women whom it was interesting to
watch. There were amusing arguments
in progress at all points, now and then a
row or a dog fight and an endless crowd
of people passed over this busy stretch Of
road to and from the street.
Here there was a band playing away
for dear life, or a fakir whose talk col
lected crowd about him and whose
voice could drown the pounding of the
base drum. At one point there was
long line of engines with the horses at
taehed and around each an adm1ring
group. Those which were about ready to
go upon the platform were firing up and
from their tunnels poured the black
smoke which grew blacEer and thicker as
the time for their particular turn on the
platform approached. At another point
were she hand tubs with the red shirted
men surrounding them. The cheering of
the crowds as a favOrlte engine took the
platform and made its plays were excit-
ing. The feathery white streams of water
now rising high in the air and then
dying away again were constantly in
sight. The air was filed with smoke and
cinders and the noise of putting engines.
beating drums and cheering people were
enough to make one deaf. When the hand
tub contests were ended, the Brunswick
company, winner Of the first prize, started
up the street with band cheering and
jubilant crowd following. Two red
sh1rted fremen headed this band doing
the cake walk and when they got tired
and dropped back in the crowd two
others took their places and thus they
paraded through the streets The first
grocery store sold this company all the
brooms it had and with this symbol of
having swept away everything in slight,
the Brunswick men continued their
march, followed by admiring and yell ing
crowds.