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Fire Department Ball

About This Item

  • Title: Fire Department Ball
  • Date: 21 January 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.00971
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 21 January 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kaylen Michaelis Stephanie Blalock Francesca Boston Jason Stacy Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Fire Department Ball." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 26 September 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.00971.xml (TEI)
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FIRE DEPARTMENT BALL.

The annual Ball of the Fire Department of the Western District, for the benefit of the Widows' and Orphans' Fund, came off last evening. It took place in the Musical Hall, corner of Fulton and Orange streets. The room is a spacious and handsome one, capable of accommodating a very numerous company. It was filled to repletion by the members and friends of the department, and their fair companions; and rarely have we seen such an assemblage of stalwart men and handsome women, as graced the hall last evening. The room was decorated in a manner and with a taste worthy of the occasion. The Stars and Stripes fluttered along the walls, surrounding beautiful paintings and other articles of choiceness and vertu, which the combined resources of the various companies in the department had been taxed to produce. The choicest ornaments and adornments of each company’s house, it would seem, had been selected and brought together to beautify the ball room.

Among the guests we noticed Aldermen Cashow, Col. Graham, the members of the Board of Fire Commissioners, Chief Engineer Velsor, Ex-Judge King, Ex-Chief Wenman, of New York, &c. The City Government and the department of this district, however, were not as fully represented as we could have wished. While Youth contributed the largest quota to the assemblage, Age was not overlooked. We observed among the company many veteran exempt firemen, whose grey hairs evinced their length of service, while the flashing eye and kindly glance told that their hearts still beat in unison with those of "the boys" who form the active strength of the department.

The caterer, Mr. Rowland Story, gave complete satisfaction. The supper was of the best, and not only well but promptly served. Of the Band we need only mention that it was Stewart's. The order of dancing was appropriately selected and arranged. The attentions and courteous and polite demeanor of the floor managers spoke their aptitude for the duties assigned them. They were—Messrs. James K. Leggett, Joseph Reeve, David C. Healy, George H. Hayward, J.W. Underhill, Peter H. Taws, and Thomas A. O'Neill.

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