The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-27
TO-DAY's PROGRAMME.

when the delegates 10 the State Con
,-enti., of Volunteer Firemen assembled
in The hall Of the House of Delegates last
,;sn. al O'Clock, the scene presented
nfrturesoue scene The delegates them
selves presented a fiery appearance, some
Of them clad in red shirts. and others IN
navy blue. making blend OF beautiful
proportions.
Around the galleries and over the doors
Of the nall were draped the national coiors
with the galleries flled with beautiful
women. who were interested in the pro-
ceedings 10 marked degree.
The convention was called to order at
O'Clock sharp by President Redwood,
and number Immediately made the
motion extending the courtesies Of the
convention 10 the visiting tiremen and their
friends.
President Redwood then addressed the
convention as follows:
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
Gentlemen OF the Convention:
You are again in old Virginia. where
your organization was perfected in 1885,
in one of her cities by the sea
You are greeted by Virginia welcome.
and you all know what this means. You
shall be taken TO the homes and hearts
Of the people OF this historic city, who
know what sacrifice means; who have been
tried in the furnace Of affection and have
shown the world that human endurance
shall he equal to human misfortune.
We invite you to visit the historic spots
that tell of our early and later history;
that mark our struggles and successes in
no ,,.,p nd tell of losses and defeats
IN the other You can stand where Henry
stood when he planted the seeds of the
first revolution that brought forth the
fruits of constitutional liberty.
You must look on the imposing shaft
that commentaries the irllperishable valor
ard unfading glory of the southern soldier
and sailor, who furnished to history, the
sublimest spectacle Of heroic action and
selfdenial the world mas ever known.
You shall gaze upon the finest equestrian
statue in the world perhaps, and be
reminded OF The Father of His Country,
while in bold relief around its base sou
behold the forms of the immortal states
men and soldiers who guided our ship Of
stale through the throes of the Revolution
You Will behold with admiration the
forms in marble or bronze that recall the
deeds and psrpetuate the fame OF the Two
soldiers that your sires admired and spoke
reverently of even as they recoiled from
the weIi-fltrCcteu bloN,S lIllI l1Slf Sti1iUS
Planned and executed.
You are invited TO examine a few of
the mighty workshops and manufactures
that have sprung up in this city during the
mast generation. and see how q people
crushed in hope and spirits a few years
ago haze risen superior to adversely. and
shown that peace hath its victories as we'll
q war.
IN the presence of these civic heroes, who
are called frequently TO fight the severest
battles in The world, / am reminded that
the supreme tes; of courage and endu-
rance is not confined to those who face
the periis of the battlefield
The fire-figtter must be cool in action,
quick in judgment. ready to meet every
emergency. He must possess, in many re-
specs, the same heroic qualities that mark
the wefl-eeuipped solcier. He must forget
self IN his generous efforts To save others.
The soldier may fight alone for glory,
or patriotism. or pay. The fireman is i'm
PEELED by duty love. humanity.
The soldier delights in killing, and is too
often made brutal. The fireman delights in
saving human life, and the finer sensibi-
ities of his nature are brought out.
The soldier is inspired by martial music
ana led by ambition and glory-seeking Of
ficers He feels the touch of elbow and
hears the shout OF victory, or, like an
automaion. he moves IN serried rank,
schooied by cease2ess drilling into a ma
chine. The fireman, often alone, neryed
for the perilous work by the cries of help
less women and children. climbs The rungs
of a trembling ladder, swings hand over
hand along the cornice, crawis along the
edge of a tottering roof, sufTocate6 with
smoke, scorched with falling e:nbers, COW
cred with water that often freezes as it
fails. he makes his way over difficulties
that the soldier cannot appreciate, and en-
Toys a felicity 10 which he is a stranger.
AS / give you this hurried picture, each
one here recalls some incident in his expe-
rience that enforces the lesson. and during
this social reunion, to which we so
heartily welcome you. we will expect
many a recital that Will remind us of the
self-isnposed. perilous and unselftsh iabcrs
that belong 10 your noble calling
Your wives. daughters and smeethearts
can relate stories of anxious hours spent
in dread expectancy as news of the fire
Is flashed over the wires or hair breadth
escapes are ieiatsi. or deeds of noble dar-
:nr and successful accomplishment are
told around the fresit,e.
COMMITTEES REPORT
The committees were then called and
the Committee on Credentials reported