Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-24
VOLUNTEER FIREMEN
OBSERVANCE OF WAsHINdToN's
BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY.
Address by MT. w. II. Dennis
COLLATION. Provided the Members
Some Of the Guests.

The Veteran Volunteer FiEemen with the
Ladies' Auxiliary, celebrated Washinstons
birthday anniversary yesterday afternoon
at their quarters at the old Union engine
house. 10th and II streets. The initial fea-
ture was a collation.. served, at two long
tables in the hall, over which Mr.. James
H. Richards presided. and at which. among
others, were seated Messrs. John w.
Thompson. ]. J. Peabody. julius StrooeL
Daniel Perkins, George Dove, H. c. Thorn.
John Goodrich. F. Lowe, John Hill, Thos.
smithson. John Pfeil. J. v. Dobbyn, Daniel
Genau. A. K. Belt. Frank Lewis &; II.
Turton, H. c. Stewart Mrs Belt, Mrs. Stro-
bel. Mrs Suter, Mrs. Lowe and others.
After full Justice had been done to the
substantials, with Ice cream as trlmmlnes.
Mr.. W. II. Dennis Of the Washington bar
delivered an address, which was In part as
follows:
1--WE are celebrating today the anniyer-
stands alone and Incompatible In the his
tory of the world: one of whom an .Engilsn-
man. Lord Brougham, said: HE was the
greatest man Of our own or any age ana
it will be the duty Of the historian and
sage. in all ages, to let no occasion pass OF
commemorating this illustrious man..
Especially dear should be this day to the
people Of this section. Some Of them are de-
scendants Of the soldiers of the revolution
ary army, and can remember when they
learned at school of the struggle for indie
pendence in which he was the central figure,
and the boyish delight with which we wit
messed the parades Of the old Columbian
Artillery and Continental Guards in the
uniform Of the revolution. Then, too. we
are living not far from his birthplace, his
home and burial place, and at the seat OF
government which. bears his name. In
city which he located, and in which he had
hoped to spend his winters. ,,ye
Record Of Washington's Birth.
NINETY miles down the Potomac, at
Bridges creek. in Westmoreland county,
Va, Is the spot where occurred the event
which Is recorded in his mothers Bible:
George Washington, son to Augustine and
Mary his wife, was born We 18th day OF
February, 1872, about 10 insjhe morning,
and was baptisd the 9Th of April following.
Mr.. Beverly Whiting and Capt. Christopher
Brooks. godfathers, and Mrs. Mildred Greg
Dry, gOdmother. And 1t is now marked by
a stone placed there in 1915 by Col. George
w. P. Gusts. the grandson of Mrs. Wash
ington. whom many of you remember as
the proprietor Of Arlington This bears the
simple inscription: Here, on the 18th OF
February, O. s. 1882, George Washington
was born The house, which was in ruins
during the revolution, Is said to have been
a low structure Of sixty feet length from
which was an extensive view of the river.
This was on the lands which, John Wash
ington, the great-grandfather, settled In
1857. and they had come down to Augustine
Washington, the father OF George Wash
ington. The place remained In the family
over two hundred years when 1t was sold;
and the graveyard were reserved and do
mated to the state Of yirgipla. Here were
the first seven years OF his life passed, for
the family In 1739 moved to, the new home
place on the Rappahannock, opposite Fred
ericksburg. which was left pit THE death Of
the father In 1743 to GeorEe washington,
M Mo1ns Tspsan his bTG,hss fs heir 70
and where lie his renaafra \" 'ohs a'fsT-..
Alexandria. where the DAT Is being ceie-
brated this year with sJfeh, @clat, was
Wasnd p t home town; thes scene Of
after the war Of independents, - The fact
that he was burgher Of the town before
he entered the convention at Philadelphia
- undoubted And II the oftrrepeated as
1774 Is tradition only. It II AN undenfabie
fact that he was more than q member of
the Friendship company patron. and on
The Friendship company organized in l774
and was equipped with fire buckets only
When Washington went to Philadelphia In
ITO ne purchased small engine for fSO-
little over a hundred dollars Not 80
many years ago very old citizen Of Alex
andria related, as an eye witness that
about 1898 z fire occurred at the corner OF
inston rode up the engine was standing
Idle and q number of citizens were doing
nothing. He dismounted, and beckonang
TO tho citizens SAID: Come here and take
q hand. Gentlemen, It's your business TO
take the lead instead OF holding off, He
set the example and the brakes were man
ned Whether he had done more fire duty
than this II in1material but he proved
that the same principle which actuated him
In war he followed in times Of peace.
Form Of the Celebrations.
Occurring as does the day at time Of
year often made up of severe wintry
weather. prechid4ng outdoor observances
the celebrations generally were in the
form Of balls and dinners, and the GUS
4omary places were the hotels for the