The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-05-08
BANQUET TO THE FIREMEN
Chief schlimgen Starts His Admins
trat,on Giving Banquet to the
Firemen.

1t has been the custom for a mum
Der OF years that when a new chief
was appointed or elected for the fire
department. he entertained the de-
partment members at a banquet.
This pleasant duty fell to Ambrose
Schlimgen this week when be was
appointed chief OF the department
for the ensuing wear. Wednesday
evening Chief Schlimgen had all the
members of the department and as
many members of me council as
could be present and the mayor
gather at the Weber restaurant for
a good feast and Il flow OF wit.
Plates were laid for about fifty,
! but a few OF the council members
were unable to be present. A fine
banquet was served by the Webbers
and every thing passed Off smoothly
and TO the queens taste. When tue
viands had ueen finished. cigars
were passed around and beneath the
curl of the blue smoke some speeches
were made. George Like acted as
t~oastmastcr and called on Mayor
Hitchcock, President Doyle, Vice
President Reeves, ex-Chief Perry,
James Clark, w. a.. Barber, Il. j.
Purdy, and Chief Schlimgen for
short speeches They all responded
with something of an interesting
nature, and Toustmaster Liko added
to the jocular feeling that prevailed
by his introduclions Good senti-
ments we're EXPRESSED on all sides
both for the future uf the depart
ment and for the new adminislla-
! tion.
At the invitation of Mr.. Like the
entire company OF tiremen, mayor
and aldermen went down to the roller
skating rink for an enjoyable hour
and that is where the fun waxed fast
and furious. Some Of the tiremen
we're new to the roller skating bust
ness, while his honor and the alde--
men did not profess to any amount
of dexterity in handling themselves
Oh the slippery floor. For perhaps d
half hour the guests %disported,
themselves in fancy skating. and
some of the stunts we're rich AMI
artistic. There was q climax to all
the merrinlenl that was sudden and
disastrous TO some. The committee
had just about decided to award the
prize for fancy Skating to Mayor
Hitchcock, and Aldermen Doyle and
Reeves wete skating around hanging
to each other in a very affectionate
manner as they tried to support
each other from reaching the floor
TOO suddenly, when the fire alarm
sounded. Above the din and roar OF
the skaters the siren pealed forth
its warning notes and every fireman
made a break to get his skates off.
AS the skates are fastened on with
a key AMI as there we're only two
keys In the rink some time must
necessarily elapse before the skates
from thirty-five firemen could be
removed. The process was too slow
and they attempted to wrench tie
skates Oft with tllelr hands, which
resulted either in a sole or a heel
being torn off. Some were unable
to get their skates off at all, so that
1T was an uncertain bunch of fire
men, some with their skates on,
some with a half skate on. and ON
with no skates on that made the run
to the fire department to find that
they had been stung with a false
alarm, and that it was turned in
just to see how the firemen aould get
to a fire with roller skates Il. tlched
to them.
Chief Schlimgen did the hon. S OF
the evening we'll, and his friends
and supporters Of the department
wished him "a successful years adj
ministration and that a good record
would be made by the department.