how they were appreciated in the Department, and how great a change had taken place since they first received their engine. I can recollect the time when some companies refused to parade in the same line with a steam fire-engine, lest some accident might occur whereby the whole Fire Department would be blown up in the air, and alight again on earth mangled into a paid system. On the occasion referred to, nearly one-half of the Department turned out to do them honor.

It was in 1855 that 19 Hose of this city paid a visit to "Taylor Hose," of Buffalo. Shortly after their return home the members of 19 received a new "jumper." "Taylor Hose" was informed of this fact, and sent the following unique reply:

The "Taylor Hose Carriage" begs leave to say
To "Number Nineteen," in a good-natured way,
That she feels that your letter unanswered so long,
Is not only a shame, but a very great wrong.
For many good reasons, and troubles distressing,
A good many fires, and other things pressing,
Your very kind letter was too long neglected,
But, nevertheless, the "old cart" is respected.
It pains me to learn of your late condemnation,
Yet strange things will happen in this generation;
The worn-out old soldier the world may disparage,
Why should it exempt a worn-out Hose Carriage?

But "stand up to the rack," my old friend and brother,

We have fought the same battles, we'll stand by each other;
As in youth so in age, we will make a "fair show,"
And go down to the grave with our face to the foe.
You may even think, that I in my glory

Will give "the cold shoulder" to one old and hoary;

But you do me injustice" through thick and through thin,
I will stand by your back till your belly caves in."
Keep up your courage, and don't get downhearted,
Though your wheels are "gone in" and your glory departed.
You have fought the good fight both early and late,
Have been true to your members and true to the State,
And when your old bones are laid low with the dead,
I will wave o'er your grave the "blue, white, and red."

Fraternally,

TAYLOR HOSE CARRIAGE.

P. S. And when the last trumpet shall awaken the dead,
And rob the poor worms, which they nourish,
Along with the rest may you raise up your head,
And blow on your own a loud flourish.

T. H. CARRIAGE.

W

HERE the "Wood Building" now stands at 117 and 119 Nassau Street, there once stood a famous tavern, in which the old-time fire laddies were wont to congregate on evenings, talk fire matters, drink old ale, and go home betimes to their good wives, who in those days religiously awaited their husbands' return at night, no matter how late the hour might be. On one particular evening, in the winter of 1792, a number of the laddies were enjoying one of their convivial feasts, when the suggestion was made that a fund be started for the relief of disabled firemen, or their families. A meeting A meeting composed of members from the different companies was subsequently held, and the nucleus of the present Widows' and Orphans' Fund was thus formed. On the 20th of March, 1798, the organization was incorporated, and for nearly fifty years afterward it had an uninterrupted run of prosperity. In 1835, the fund was almost wiped out of existence by the conflagration which visited this city in that year, the entire principal of the Fund being invested in insurance stocks. Through the indefatigable exertions of Mr. Adam W. Spies, of 12 Engine, and Mr. James Russell, of 4 Hose, the enterprise was again placed on a sound financial basis. In 1848, the Fund again showed signs of weakening, owing to the increase of the number of widows and orphans, and the corresponding decrease of receipts. The Trustees immediately set about to devise some plan whereby the Fund could again be placed on a sound footing. Mr.

It

John S. Giles prominently distinguished himself on this occasion. was accidentally discovered that twenty-one foreign insurance companies were yearly neglecting to pay to the Comptroller of the State, the two per cent. tax of the premiums received by them on policies issued, and regarding which the law was very specific. A bill was immediately introduced in the Legislature asking to have this amount made over to the Fund. It was bitterly opposed by the companies interested, who in their despair offered, if the bill were withdrawn, to

pay annually the sum of $1500 to the Fund as long as the Volunteer Fire Department remained in existence. It was no use. The friends of the Fire Department Fund would listen to no overtures of such a nature, and by persistent efforts they were rewarded by having their bill, as originally framed, passed by the Legislature, and signed by the Governor. Fifteen years afterward the Fund had over $200,000 to its credit. When the Old Volunteer Department went out of existence, the Legislature ordered that the Fund should be confided to the Exempt Volunteer Firemen, an association which was formed on the 13th of October, 1842, its first president being

Uzziah Wenman. As the law now exists, no money can be taken from the permanent fund without the consent of the Legislature. The Fund now realizes yearly the sum of $40,000 dollars, its sources of income being from fines for violating the chimney and other laws, and assessments upon foreign insurance companies. I take from the annual report of the Trustees of the Fund for 1880, the following:

"The Fund has been in existence over three-quarters of a century; its officers and managers have always been selected from the members of the Volunteer Fire Department, and each officer has performed his duty cheerfully and willingly, without fee or reward; and during that long period over a million of dollars have been received and distributed in deeds of charity, in acts of benevolence, and yet not one dollar has ever been unaccounted for. We assert that this charity stands with scarcely a parallel in the history of kindred institutions."

Besides the sources of income already mentioned, the Fund received handsome donations from theatrical benefits given in its behalf, as also from private individuals. The world-famed Jennie Lind donated $3000; Mr. Eugene Boisseau, of New Orleans, once a New York fire laddie, gave $10,000; Mr. William B. Astor gave $10,000; and Messrs. Peter Cooper, W. E. Dodge and William H. Webb likewise gave liberally, as did many others. Probably the most important source of revenue to the Fund was the receipts from the annual balls given by the Exempt Firemen's Association, and which was always attended by the fashion and wealth of this city. The last ball was given at the Academy of Music, on the night of the 27th of January, 1873. I had the pleasure of participating in the festivities. on the occasion, and will always remember the event as one of the pleasantest in my career.

These balls were features of the society world for forty-four consecutive years, and were always great events in the history of the Old Department. When, in 1829, the Fire Department ventured to give their first ball at the American Theater, in the Bowery, afterward the Old Bowery, and now the Thalia Theater, to aid in raising a fund for the support of the widows and orphans of volunteer firemen, the necessity for such a charity was very apparent, as it was only to such benevolent efforts that the helpless ones left by the volunteers could look for support. The exertions required from the

Committee of Arrangements to make an affair a success fifty-four years ago, were incomparably greater than any needed to insure the triumph of any similar undertaking during the last ten or fifteen years. Money was then more hardly earned, and more cautiously

expended, than in these prosperous days, and to sell 500 tickets at $2 each, fifty-four years ago, was considered a much more serious piece of business than the disposal of 2000 tickets at $5 would be found now. Nevertheless, the firemen's balls of that period were not only successes socially, but were generally productive of better financial results than those of very late years. The expense attendant upon such affairs increased in a ratio far greater than the attendance or the prices of tickets. The rent of the old American Theater for one ball was fixed at the modest sum of $200, which included all the appliances of the theater, such as they were, whereas the rent of the Academy of Music on the occasion of the last ball was $2000.

John Moller.

There were many pleasant memories connected with the Old Department which were vividly recalled on the night of the ball to the minds of the veterans who wandered about the corridors and exchanged hearty greetings as they met. The faces were all familiar, despite the years that had elapsed since they doffed the helmet and uniform once so highly prized by them. The fact that it was the last ball they would ever give seemed to impress the minds of all, as it reminded them of the many stirring scenes passed through in days gone by. The fierce rivalries and sometimes bitter feuds were only remembered with a smile, though all found pleasure in recalling the incidents of volunteer firemen life. The "White Ghost,"