Norwich bulletin., 1909-09-30
ANNIVERSARY BANQUET
 OF eREENEvILLE HOOKS.
Congressman Higgins, Mayor Lippitt and Chief Stanton Among the Speak


 With many manifestations of good fellowship, over one hundred members and invited guests were gathered Wed nesday evening to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the organization of Greeneville Hook and Ladder company, No. 2. The arrangements committee had done their work well. the recep- tion committee made every one feel at home, and the entire affair will go down as equal to the best in their his- tory. It was the opinion of all that the company attained it's age of matur- fty in a decidedly becoming manner.
 Congressman Edwin w. Higgins and Mayor Costello Lippitt were there as special guests of the fire fighters. Chief Howard L. Stanton. Fire Commissioner Hugh Blackledge, County Commission CT Charles D Moves, Judge Nelson J. Ayling, members of Excelsior Hook and Ladder company of Willimantic, and of Engine company No. 2 of Greeneville were also among the in- vited guests.
 After a reception of the guests, a line was formed in the parlors of the company. and by twos all passed down to the attractively arranged tables be- low, while Geer's orchestra. which gave music of high quality during the evening, played. After singing two
 
 down to this fine menu:
 Ham Togus Corned Beef
 Parker House Rolls Lobster Salad Potato Salad. Celery Olives Radfshes
 Ice Cream
 Assorted Cakes
 Coffee Cigars
 After Foreman William s. Murray | avfa Aa7 Arth ID Blockeldge rendered the tenor solo Tell Her I Love Her So. For an en- core he sang Sweet Miss Mary.
 Mayor Lippitt Heard. Mayor Lippitt was the first speaker on the programme. T am very glad, ' said the mayor, ''to look into the faces of such a magnificent company. He mentioned his experiences in a vol unteer department in his early days, to the amusement of everyone. fully appreciate what you men in Greene vile mean to me, he continued. I have friends here irrespective of politics, and they have done the fair thing to me. In city affairs it is one of the finest things to get above party df- visions. I am proud of the fact that in Greenevills you think just as much of the city as we do down there. His address brought repeated applause.
 A duet, Gentle Be Thy Slumbers, was rendered by Messrs. Blackledge and Kinder
 Chief Talks on Department.
 Chief Howard L. Stanton followed with plain statement of facts in re- gard to the Norwich fire department. He was present at the first anniver- sary of the Hooks and at nearly all since. He said, Why did we organ ize this company in 1888? It was not because of fires; there were only eight alarms that year. It was organized for the future. This year since July there have been 3s fires, and yet there are some now who think we don't need any fire department simply because the bell doesn't ring every fif- teen minutes. Telephones have wrought change. Nine times this month the telephone has rung. but there were none at Greeneville station to answer it. There should be better fire protection. Here the chief would have stopped, but influenced by cries of Co iti Go itl" he gave a brief resume of the fire department since its organization in 1s46. Among other things he said he felt that the fire de- partmeRt should have its just share of the taxes. The days of pulling hand apparatus in this city have gone by. The conditions for fighting fire are different from 20 years ago. He men tioned the gasoline risk. and the risk in the mercantile establishments. We should congratulate ourselves that we have had so few fires. He thought that there should be horses and men in this district to answer fires at all times.
 The company has had many good captains, the chief said in closing. but the man whom you have had here for the last three or four years pleases me. I congratulate the company on having man like Captain Murray
 A violin solo by G. V. Grinnell of Mystic delighted.
 Trip to Hawaii.
 Congressman Higgins was the con- cluding speaker. Alter few pleas ing introductory remarks he gave highly interesting sketch of his trip to the Hawaiian islands two years ago He took his hearers out into the mid dle of the Pacific and kept them there for half an hour while he described the islands, gave their history. and told of present conditions there. He promised to save his talk on Japan for some other time
 The last number was a bass solo Farewell to Summer, by Hugh Kinder, with The Great Unknown as an en- core.
 The officers are William S. Murray. foreman: Charles preeeher, first as-