Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-17
EVERY SATURDAY H.


tiremont; james KsAnns: Elisha Hux-
ley. scriviner. the first recorder of
births and deaths; Charles r. urubb
Joseph G. Aiken and Alexander Kelly,
all men Of position and substance.
Friendships Centennial Celebration.
There are not few persona who
marked the Tooth anniversary OF the
formation Of the Friendship Co.. nm
event that nntedated the national
centennial by more than year 1t
occurred IN 1876. on December %, and
literally made the wolltln ring
One hundred rounds from u big.
noisy, cannon emphasized the birth
day festivities that included n ban
uuet at the new Clayton House. (F'ifth
and Market the aito OF the present
Queen Thcatrc) and n grand ball at
the splendid Masonic Temple, that
was then spick and span In It's COM
parative newncss. The occasion
might be pictured by paraphrasing the
old song, and putting IT.: There was q
hot time In this old town that night.
These wandering notes are. however,
not Intended as a history Of the
Friendship Company, but merely TO
recall the crude, primitive service OF
more than a century ago. and the.
men who ran with the "masheen.'
ZibR Ferris. n Reliance Engineer.
Tho Reliance was only 10 years
younger than the original company,
for II was established In tTe4. Here
on the rolls one finds the name Of
Zlba Ferris, clock maker ana a
man OF diversified talents and activi-
ties. One cannot. today, well nt him
into mental picture, as n fireman.
running, bucket in hand. and perhaps
yelling Justify, as he sprintcd along
the streets. but he was always on
hand when duty called; also he servL
ed the company as custodian of its
cash. He possibly was n teammate
to his neighbor, DIR. Henry i. Askew,
who through first-aid TO the stork.
brought hundreds of Wimngtonians
into this world of sunshine; perhaps
some OF whom still survive. William
Seal. john Reynolds, Isaac Starr, Jo-
seph Read and Robert Porter were
contemporaries of the first historic
ehronicler OF Delaware. Nor can one
well picture ziba errs being
wliJrlcd along the street and 10 the
scene of the fire in n latticed circus
like wagon. Friend Ferris, ono ls as
sured. participated i'm that thrilling
ride TO New Castle and the heroic
fight there was when the county seat
was saved from a sweeping ilre that
threatened It's entire destruction. That
hot race against flames was long re-
garded as of equal importance as the
memorial ride of Cesar Rodney This
disastr fire occurred In 1924. and
Iit Is still matter of record that the
dash from here TO New Castle was
made within half an hours time and
, the flames put under check an hour
} later, though they were not entirely
subdued for o long time. The loss to
property Was heavy.
; Allen Thompson, collec tor of the
| port here. William !. lialloweil and
, William H. Nen, editor of the Della
ware State Journal; John Hedges, n
large owner of property I'm the Hedge
. vile section. were also IN the crew
b that directed the stream from the old
r hand engine Superior that saved
New Castle.
Later on the names of John G
b Price. one of tho owners of n large
-four mill on the Brandywine, and one
of tho richest men of his day: Edward
: Bringhurst; II. A. Crozier, and George
: Il. Countiss, appear on the rolls of tht
; Reliance As late an tsaJ, the rosie,
showed Edward prnghurst as still
: being a member OF tho company and
4, serving as engineer. with John G.
= Price, William Pennington. John II
, Porter and BENJAMIN johnson as his
associates
Jesse Mendinhall was ono of the
, organizers and active spirits in the
= Delaware Fire Company. which wa,
! the third or fourth organized in III,
, city; it probably preceded Brandy.
, wine, which after half n century o
n active service passed out. Tho latter
was stationed across the Bran.
> dywine and was supposed TO especial
ly guard the valuable mill propertie,
on the creek. and the fine old ston,
/, houses that still sit high above tn,
street on a terrace, and which seem.
/, ingly are staunch enough to stil de
: fy flames or tho elements of nature
Vincent Gilpin, who kept grocery
store at Tenth and Market streets
- former mayor OF the city, was one o
d., the active spirits In tho Delawar,
Company. and prominent among hi
contemporaries We're George Bush
Thomas s. Newlln, James Webb
u Josiah III. Gilpin, Israel ID, Jones. nj
u remembered TO many OF tho olde
generation of citizens. The appllca
= tion for Councilmanic recognition o
Q the nowly-formjng company wa
d pressed after the members had sub
n scribed $3.50 in cash as n matter o
,. good faith, to which City Council add
g ed an appropriation of $3.50 and tn
Y company became a going concern.
On the original roll of members ap
8 pears the name OF Henry Vining, VIII,
= afterwards was coroner Of the county
n and possibly a relative Of the beauti
o ful Miss Nining, who is supposed t.
: have been the most brilliant and ac
!. complished, and most sought after O
: IAN Delaware bellies John d. Vaughan
f John McLear, Lewis Rumford. Georg
!. w. Worrell, John r.. and William
,, Brinckle were also original members
SO were Mahlon Belts, one of tn
>, founders of Belts, Pusey and Har
Ian. ship builders and machinists
= Samuel McClarey, Jr., John Adams
s and Dell Noblitt, who lived to DO NOR
! than 100 years old; Isaac jackson
# Thomas Gable, Thomas A. Sterrett
i John Jones and John Rudolph. all me
l. OF high standing and progressiv
,f citizens