GRAHAMSTOWN AND SHORTLAND, FIRE BRIGADES.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1755, 18 August 1874, Page 2

GRAHAMSTOWN AND SHORTLAND, FIRE BRIGADES.

ANNIVEESA^X .CQMME^OEATION.

The respectiTebrancHes' of bur local Eire Brigades -held their-yearly- rrnnion- in the Pacific Hotelllast evening, the banquetoommenoing at«ighs oJelocfe^ Th« two'brigades comm'dihorated the occasion of their anniVorsi^jr-by)! general't#i out. At an early hour yesterday, -fee engine-sheds'of' the' !Graham»'tbwn and Shortland bodies'were": decorated with a igtaud display'of flags/ and ■ thortly ;aftcr one aclock; they;jiraded'the;it?eets of theJ}oroughinJ:uU,.niuster,.accompanied . by a band. After dark a torchlight procession tookjjplace, the Jwhjch $rcses|ii#n was conspicuous and effective, inasmwjh as thetorches, whicXshed 1 a brilliant vormillion Viue over ~ the streets through which? th&'t»rpceMipa pasted, serrfcd to make^h^wlmeHcartftren&th" of *t&8 Bri; gadcs more clear.'""^p; ci«it,9'cl,ock or a 'Kttle>fter the' niem^e||i^b^e and^aJJ-j-------ais'emble'd "at tJifiVFacifife;[ 'and'-'ibie.!'prg-coedings of the banquet commenced. „ His,„. Worship .".".tHo., Mayor.-«of v the Bbrbugh^ tiad been inVitett'to and to fill the offiofr of chairman, -but- lie . did .not put in an appearance, and^Mr. Samuel'--Young, the v/Snperinteridfiit bi the Grahamstoirn Fire Brigade, accordingly took the chair. ''A capital spread was laid by host Curtis—the viands and wines, of which there* was an abundance,, being 4p*eiujljuftice.tp. t; ifr . ; - jy. The Chairman read an apology for t»e absenpe; of; the ; Mayor, and called, upon the assembled guests to charge their glaisojs. He. then; propofied-the :first toast of the evening "The Queen," which was drunk'.with:the usual heartiness; {Ififl customary toasts followed in' rapid rocctsiion—" The Prince-of- WaloS 'Ind Koyal Family," " The Gorernor of New ''Zealand," "The Army'ahoT^aV/'and Volunteers.. Mr. Macdorald on behalf 6f the Volunteers respdhtfeoVik fhelatiier tpast. , " ; The Su^erintfadenlrp^he.Piso. tirice" was then drunk with honors. JThej^ toast* .jweye intersnejaesd .yntiv^ a little vocahsahon, the Chairman calling upon various guests at,< th^.conpJusioa. tof each toast. ' :, fi ,]tfr..; .BiCjiftbftWfipiPopQsad i^.Tlie Brigades." He said it was well that ithereuwere meh^among; thel coßtmitnity who would corns forward and volunteer their •erricM for ia^'i Ctfmmenai^U object. He believtd that in such circumstanc«9,'men who generously tendered their i|id gratuitously; made better workmen I '''id^he^ causTe %than paid men, because they.work.- -lo.referring to-the manner in which the Brigade* had, been suppbriea^ithfr^;; he;,«aj|4^«^^

"g!iißS"feltit"to'be wronpr that the membersshould be called e upoa,tQ contribute, more than their T*jltt4ttlo.sei^<;«f, v at^d he had therefore moved m the Borottgh\Council that they shbuldrmaW the Brijga^W .their special-charge ;' and he was^happy to" Bay the^had been pretty 1 generally supposed by the public: though when he, with others, rwas'OU^'begßing," for oontribu- " tions, Ji© h»d Totwd that those yUo kad felt, or-jre****©^ likely to feeL benefit from the Brigade*, were less inclined to contribote-^jn fact, he had been^occasionally almpsfriinsulted. Mr., then ■w^rke^ W^ W comparative immumtr $&$* &•• of any-Sfiagmtude, 7j*Y^ JkV Kffff' Brigades* J Tile hcSe3."±hktMil*er aladb ijre should,take p^S^.t. t^Tiiiamfis.waald.DOt be like Auckjandin the cage of po3t-oflice conflagration, when strong men stood by and looked^ 4»nv H* .knew would not be the caie, however; ho felt confidrace 1 m,%tery member present—he felt ,ihjifc SrEere danger was, there 'woujd the£ ' Thames 1 Fire> Brigade! • be.( Mr. Eewh'aw'.theU-.Qalled. upqjTthem to drink to-th > ** Combined Brigades," which was done with great enthusiasm. ' ' Mr Mac&onaAd replied, andin refering ( to what Mr. JLsoVhaw had said'with reference to the begging expedition, remarked that whence U/lr.'jGMacdonaldj'hadgonc on a begging expedition (the only one) fora like purpq^o»iiehad met With the greatest kindness.- In. the case of the ,twp, exceptions, lie had- met' with what any one else woul&ha^er-metw.ith under thp circumstances —namely, the cold shoulder; but in all other cases he found that coldness was thrust to the rear, and the hand of, friendship was brought to the front. Mr. 'Macdonald then proposed a' vtoast, which?he fcjd'sely .allied to that to which heVas responding- He tliought that they should drink the toast heartily in recognition of _tKe manner in which,the Fire Brigade hadybeen :met. " -He gave the " Th»-Mayor and Borqug^ Councillors ot tha'Thames. < . - ' Mr. Ehierifriedlresponded, and believed that if» L ihe Borough Councillors had sucgeededinone"matter more than another entrusted to their charge it had been their manner of twating the Fire Brigades ; he was confident in saying on behalf of his fellow jDquncillors that the Brigades would'-always receive their hearty cooperatiott and, support in the wa^ of providing implements, etc. ?- *", .] '/, Mr. Ehrenfried then gave " Commerce and Trade." The toast " Our late captain, Mr. I'Aliton,"^ followed, and .was ldi?iinlc heartily. J" \ Mr., Kidd'jproposed f'The Ladies/ God'bless them, which was replied to by Mr.-Smith.' 'l ' . \ „ . Mr. Macdonald rose to respond to the toast before last, which had not yet beph responded to, and spoke in terms highly encomiastic of Mr.* -Alston, the 'late Captaitfbf the Shortland Fire Brigade.*" Mr. Bull gave the tfiial toast " The Press." Mr: Hobinson*esponded,. rl-' " The real harmony wa.sr then entered into with spirit. The graver business haying been disposed of, a number of gentlemen contributed to the enjoyment JJf the occasion by giving songs and recifatations. " A.~ number of friendly" "toasts" Were, proposed,- and as is natural,£nd proper on suchrpccasions, each and «very one of those in attendance evinced 1" a friendly dispositiontowardsmankindgenerally and themselves in particular. A very-pleasant evening.was spent. •* -? j-