GERALDINE FIRE BRIGADE

Temuka Leader, Issue 4017, 28 February 1903, Page 4

GERALDINE FIRE BRIGADE

Tho GcraUdine Fire Brigade, Geraldine Brass Band, and Dark Town Fire Brigade gave an open air entertainment at Geraldine on Thursday night, when a substantial collection was taken up in aid of the fund for sending a team to the forthcoming Fire Brigades demonstration at Napier. The streets were lined with people when the procession started from Tasker’s corner and the public—especially the juveniles, had a great time watching the antics of the performers, en route to; the North end of the town. Tho brass band headed the procession, and under the baton of their new conductor—Mr T. Sherratt—gave a very creditable execution of several popular selections After the band came Jumbo the elephant on wheels mounted on a high pedestal and with a little nigger boy seated on his back. A nigger had charge of a horse in the shafts, and at the rear of the cart a fireman burned coloured lights on the way, which lent very pretty effects to the procession as did numerous Chinese .lanterns, suspended, some from the elephant and some from brackets mounted on poles carried by boys and firemen. After the elephant came the Dark Town engine with its black faced attendants whose keenness to scent fire, was, with common consent put down as simply marvellous and the public on the way treated them with the greatest respect. A man in the crowd could hardly light, a cigarette without drawing the squirt in his direction, and the man at tho hose had only to raise his hand when the public bowed their knee to him as the Prince of Fire Extinguishers. In the procession were also clowns, minstrels, negroes, China men, Red Indians, and all sorts and conditions of men to say nothing of a black policeman .whose exertions were so great that he wore all the burnt cork off his face before the upper end of the town was reached. At the several stopping places coloured lights were burned, the band played and a great deal of buffoonery was indulged in by the clowns much to the delight of the youngsters. At the, final stopping place in front of the Geraldine Hotel a couple of tar 1 nereis were lighted, and after the Dark Town Brigade had made several unsuccessful attempts to extinguish the flames the firemen brought out their reels and hydrants, and gave an exhibition of what the high pressure system, can do. Very nice effects were produced by burning coloured lights while the water from the high pressure system was being sprayed iiilo the air by the Firemen. The programme was brought to an abrupt termination about 10 p.m. by a heavy shower of rain which sent the spectators flying to their homes for shelter.