The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-10-28
West Chester,s Views.

West Chester's Views.
The West Chester Republican, of Fri
day, had an account of our parade, some
Of which we give here;
1.-THE Fame Fire Company of this
borough never in its history as an organi-
cation left town with so many men in line
as was the case yesterday, going as they
did on special train to Mount Holly where
they participated in the biggest fremen's
parade ever witnessed in the Jersey town
in its history, and modestly putting it the
fire fighters from the Athens of Pennsyl-
vania were the lions of the day in the
memory of the people of the town that
yesterday was decorated as never before
with flags and bunting.
''The citizens of the Jersey town never
before had gone to such pains to have the
town in gala attire as a patriotic welcome
to the guests of the home companies from
all parts of Jersey, and from Philadel
phia, Media, and here.
There were twelve bands and eight
drum corps in the line of parade that was
estimated to be nearly two miles long, and
that numbered about two thousand uni
formed men The noise of martial music
was heard in the town from early in the
ing, when the last of the visiting com
panies left.
''The event of yesterday was in honor
of the 150th anniversary of the Relief
Fire Company, No l, of Mount Holly,
which organization is the oldest active fire
company in the United States at the pres
ent time.
''The West Chester fremen were ac-
corded the right of line, and the honor
our home company was shown was a dis
tinction that every member had reason to
feel proud of, to say nothing of the fact
that the people of West Chester should
alike share the same spirit because such
an organization is in our midst.
Twice within a short time the Fame
firemen have visited New Jersey, and on
both occasions they were applauded by
the thousands before whom they passed
in review
"The oldest citizens of Mount Holly
last evening remarked to the visitors with
in their gates that they had never wit
messed such an enthusiastic event in their
lives in their town, and had no hesitation
in saying that the parade of yesterday
would result in awakening an increased
interest in the fire companies of the town,
of which organizations the town has four
The treatment accorded the visiting
firemen was of the best that could be ten
dered anywhere, and the West Chester
firemen returned last evening with nothing
but words of praise for the royal reception
that had been enjoyed during the entire
day. The Fame firemen were the guests
of Relief Company, and we're entertained
by the members of that organization.
''The armory of the town was converted
into dining room, and upon the arrival
of the visiting delegations they were fed,
and also after the parade they were made
to puff out with good things to eat and
coffee to drink. The hospitality of the
people was marked on every hand, and in
fact the keys of the town seemed for the
day to be turned over to the firemen.
"The great majority of the citizens
from here in Mount Holly yesterday were
never there before, and to them the first
impression was that it is a typical old
town, lacking in many respects the pro-
gress that is manifest in most towns of
that age. Mount Holly has grown slowly
and although it had the Relief Fire Com
pany organized there $50 years ago last
summer, the town by the last census only
had population of 1,168." [Our friend
is in error here. Put a where the first /
is and he will have it correctly.-Ed
News.
THE buildings in large part of the
town are frame, and many only two and a
half stories high. The town has four
weekly papers, THE News, Herald, Mirror
and Democrat, but no daily.
mo trolley cars are observed in the
town, but line of track is through the
main street on which passes to and fro a
one horse dinkey car that was a novel
sight to see, and trip that many West
Chester persons took the opportunity to
take. Mount Holly is the county seat of
Burlington county, and while it has been
growing since the days when the Con-
tinental army under George Washington
camped on the present site of the town, it
has up to the present day never been in
corporated as borough.
The streets of the town are not well
kept, and except where cobble stone has
been laid years ago, the. streets are unim-
proved, and the march of yesterday was
through sand and dust at times several
| inches deep.
''The above are few of the impress
sions the visitor to town gathers, but it
must be said to the credit of the residents
that they are most generous people, and
the stranger to town is given a hearty
welcome.
Most of the West Chester iremen were
entertained while not parading at the
Mill Street Hotel, conducted by Grant
Davis, who is royal good fellow as a
landlord.
1.-The route of parade was a long one,
but as the town was thoroughly decorated
this could scarcely be avoided
major James E. McFarlan was pre-
scented with cake. He was in command
of the company from here"
Pemberton.
B. H. White has been visiting in At
lantic city.
Mr.. and Mrs E. o. Bartlett, of Joplin,
Mo-, are visiting here.
Miss Anna Nixon. of Trenton, has been
visiting her parents here.
Mrs. Georgianna Mutt and grandson,
of Camden, are visiting here.
Mrs. Rebecca Keller, of Philadelphia,
is visiting her brother, Samuel Davis.
Rev. J. c. Buchanan is seriously Ill at
his home here. His son, DR.. Buchanan,
was here Sunday to see him.
Mrs Isaac W. Budd died suddenly at
L