Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-01-17
STEE[TON F|REMEN
CELEBRATE BIRTHDAY
Hook and Ladder Company Is
Years Old; Big Banquet
Tonight

Arrangements have been complet-
ed for an elaborate banquet and en-
tertainment to be held this evening
In the parlors of the Paxtang Hook
ana Ladder Company, No. 2, an OBJ
serVance of the twenty-Efth anniver-
sary of the organization of the com
pany.
just twenty-five years ago on Sep
TEMPER 10 past, in a little side room
OF the old Hotel Jerome, at Front and
Conestoga streets, twenty-five men,
representing citizens of the rapidly
growing borough, met to discuss the
need or the borough for a new fire
company. After considerable discus
sion it was decided to organize a new
company. Jerome Hite, who had been
elected president of the company. Of
fered to pay $25 into the treasury of
the new company if he would be al
lowed to suggest it's name His offer
was accepted and he named the COM
pany the Paxtang Hook and Ladder
Company, which name 1t still bears.
At that time the company had just
thirty-five members and its officers
We're as follows: President, Jerome
Hite; vice-president, Harry Hull; sec
retary, Allen Drawbaugh; treasurer,
Joseph Metzgar; foreman, John
shupp. sr.; first assistant Jacob
Grove; second assistant, Frank w.
Clapp; trustees, Joseph Metzgar.
Samuel Funk, Jacob Alberts, H. c.
Stevens and w. H. Lyter.
The First Truck
The first truck owned by the ''Hook-
les" was a little 25-foot hand car
riage and was stored in a little one
story brick building at Front and wal
nut streets. which is now part of
Heagy's livery stable. The veteran
firemen tell many tales of how they
used to bring the little truck which
was as heavy as 1t was small, down
the steep Walnut street hill and, how
several times the momentum Of the
truck became so great that the car
riage went across Front street and
catapulted into the old PENNSYLVANIA
canal-the firemen with it.
For eleven years the "Hookies''
truck was stored in this place and
the companies held it's meetings in the
various public halls. In 1888 a plot
of ground between Conestoga and
Lincoln streets on the canal side of
the street, was donated to the Pax
tang company During the same year
council passed an appropriation of $2,-
500 with which the present handsome
two-story brick home of the Hook
ies' was built.
| This new building was completed
| and dedicated in 1889. Since this
time 1t has been handsomely furnish
ed by the members of the company
at their own expense and at the pres
ent time contains reading and loung-
ing room and a neatly furnished poo
room besides the usual apportion-
ment of a modern fire house. The
Paxtang Company is now equipped
with 45-foot truck, with two fine
horses to pull it; the members are
uniformed and are equipped with full
rubber suits. In short the company is
equipped with every modern aid for
| fire fighting.
"HoolIies" Always on Job
| 1t is the pride of the "Hookies''
members that they have answered
every one of the alarms sounded with
in the last quarter century regardless
of the part of the borough from which
| the alarm has come. The "Hookies''
have taken an active part in every
movement for the improvement and
betterment of the borough. During
the panic of 1907 when thousands of
men were out of employment at the
steel works, the Paxtang Hook and
Ladder house was turned into a GEN.
trail distributing station for charity,
and the members of the company So
| licited the town and surrounding coun-
| try for contributions to the charity
fund. During this one winter it is
estimated that they fed thousands of
men, women and children besides CIV
| ing them warm clothing.
| The present officers of the company,
which now has a membership of 140
men, are: President, Robert Atticks;
jvice-president, Jacob Capella: secre-
tary. A. J. Sellers; assistant secretary,
John B. McEntee; treasurer, James
Coleman; trustees, Benjamin Capella,