Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-06-08

The twenty-seventh annual conven'
ton Of the North Dakota Firemens
association was called to order Tues
day morning at the armory.
Nearly all of the appointed dele
gates were in their places and there
was a. large crowd of fire fighters to
respond to roll call. Tie armory was
appropriately decorated for the event.
Large flags were tastefully hung on
all sides of the room, together with
pictures of famous patriots, generals
and presidents.
The rostrum was draped with the
national colors and dainty festoons or
various hues were hung over the
front of the platform.
The last delegation to arrive came
to the city on No. from the west.
The band met the visitors as it did
the arrivals of the previous day,
and they were escorted to the armory
Immediately. The Kennare special
reached the city over the 500 at 7:3O
and brought in a large number OF
firemen from the northern and north.
western points. The Kenmare band
was unable to come along as a major
ity of their numbers were not able to
spare the time necessary to complete
the trip.
The following delegations have
reached the Capital City and are reg
istered at headquarters since the TTlb-
une went to press Tuesday morning:
Bowbells, Bottineau, Crosby, Dick
inson, Devils Lake, Fargo, Flaxton,
Granville, Hope, Harvey, Hillsboro,
Jamestown, Washburn, Lar1more,
Park River, Kenmare, Williston, Lans-
ford, Lis bon, Minot, Mohall, Michigan
City, New Salem, Northwood, Port
land, Rugby, Richardton, Towner, Vel
va, Wilton, Walhalla, LaMoure.
During the morning the hosts of
delegates poured into the armory and
there was the usual amount of hand
shaking and renewing Of old acquain-
tances.
At 1O:45 a. M, President James A.
Mahood of Cando, called the conven-
ton to order. Rev. Geo. B. Newcomb
of the Baptist church invoked divine
blessing upon the association, and the
work which it might do during the
present meeting. President Mahood
then introduced Gen. E. A. Williams,
president of the Bismarck city COM
mission, and to those assembled, in
eloquent terms, Gen. Williams well
coined the visiting firemen to the
Capital City, "a city known for its
high ideals and it's progressive civil
ization." He then presented the as
sociation president with huge silver
key of the city. He insisted, how
ever that the real key to the feeling
of friendship between Bismarck fire.
ment and their visiting bretheren, was
not a silver key, but steel key-one
which would open up any one of the
numerous hydrants which they would
find on the various corners of the
city streets. And when you will
have opened one of these hydrants
you will find there an abundant flow
of pure Missouri river water"
President Mahood accepted the key
which was presented to him and said
in part:
Gentlemen: On behalf of the off,
GERS and members of the North Dako-
ia Firemen's association, want to
thank the president of the city COM
mission and the members of the Bis
marck fire department snd all the
people Of Bismarck for their kind re.
ception and hospitality. One year ago
at Devils Lake when Mr. H. L. Reade
extended us your invitation to hold
this, our twenty-seventh annual con.
vention and tournament at Bismarck,
the Queen City Of the Missouri Slope,
the members of this association, ono
and all, made up their minds from the
experiences of the the past that the
citizens and fire boys of Bismarck
would give US the time of our lives
And from what have seen and heard
since coming here, we will not be dis.
appointed. I want to say right here
that have attended tournaments for
several years and have never seen a
city better prepared to entertain the
boys, nor have I heard a convention
so cordially welcome. I congratu-
late the citizens of Bismarck on being
so splendidly represented as they have
been here today.
Bismarck has today within her
gates convention of the best citizens
of the state. This tournament is the
one and only reward the volunteer
fireman gets for his work. It is con-
sidered a great honor among firemen
to be sent as delegates or members ,