Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-06-08
The Friendship in HagerstOwn.

fresh nOrtberly Who's
The Friendship in HagerstOwn'
The parade of the Maryland State
Firemen's Association in Hagerstown
Yesterday was fDe affair, nOtwithstand-
ing the rain, and great interest was man
ifested by the thousands of persons VINO
y .tnessed it, A dispatch says mo or
yan;zstion in line attracted more atten-
ton than the Veteran Friendship Fire
Association of Alexandria, Va. They
onlled their old hand engine. Members
of the company wore aluminium badges
containing picture of the old hand en-
cine and of George Washington, the first
president of the company. This com
panv was represented by so men, num-
Der being city officials of Alexandria.
Among the member. in line were Mayor
Frederick ]. PAT, former Mayor E. E.
Dognham. City Councilman Charles b.
Marshall and ]. Y. Williams, Chief of
Police James Webster, Chief Engineer
of the Fire Department George w. Pet
~. Police Justice Harry b. Cation, Mr..
August Gaines, Mr.. b. Wheatley and
Others. some of whom have been mem
bers Of the company for over sixty
years"
The HagerslOwn Herald of yesterday
says .
Capt. J. V. Davis, superintendent OF
the National Cemetery at Antietam, was
in Hagerstown yesterday to meet the
members of the FRIENDSHIP Fire Asso-
citation. Captain Davis resided for thirty
wears in Alexandra previous to coming
here and is well acquainted with every
member of the company. Among these
Alexandria fremen there is one mayor,
Fred J. Pafi one ex mayor, f. E. Down
ham; Capt. James F. Webster, chief OF
police; Capt. Geo. w. Pettey, chief OF
ibe FIRE department; Police Justice Har-
nv b. Cation, City Councilmen Charles
Y. Marshall and J. Y. Williams, Au-
onst Gaines, admiral of the Potomac
fotila aud owner and master of one of
the finest yachts on the lower Potomac;
BENJAMIN Whea'ley, general superlnten-
dent of affairs in general.
Ex-Mayor DOwnham is Past Grand
Master of the Grand Lodge of Masons
of Virginia; Past Grand Commander OF
Knights Templar, also an officer OF the
Mobiles of the Mystic Shrine. Among
the members of this company are many
of the leading citizens and business men
of Alexandria. Probably it is the most
representative volunteer fire company IN
abe country certainly there are few
companies in this section that is com
po,ed of so many substantial, prominent
and well-tO-dO citizens of mature years
AZ the Friendship Fire Company OF AL
.exandria. Va. This company was or
panized in IVA and George Washing
.ton was one of the members and the hrst
president of the company.
Mr.. Downham is president of the com
,pany and Mayor Paff is first vice presl-
dent. There are about 40 iremen IN
ahe party and they are accompanied by
the Friendship Drum Corps. Some OF
ahe men have been members for 62 years.
They will remain in Hagerstown until
Thursday.
OF the various possessions of the COM
pany none is more highly priced than
the ancient engine, which was presented
to the company by George Washington
This is the only fire engine that was
ever in the United States Capitol at
Washington. On the occasion OF the
fire back iu 1851 the old engine was
called into service. 1t was taken up
into the rotunda of the Capitol aud
water that was forced into it by one OF
the city fire engines was in turn forced
by il to the scene OF the fire.
When the Veterans left Alexandra
last Tuesday the mercury was soaring IN
TO the nineties. The members of the or
.ganization had their OvercOats with them
which caused some merriment among
those who saw them off. The organiza
ton returned this afternoon and found
the oyercoats useful this morning.
The members are profuse in expires
sion, of their pleasant experience and OF
the hOspitality extended them.