A Night for the City's Bravest
Mayor Harwood presents silver trumpets to Seattle’s volunteer firemen in a night of ceremony and celebration.
The ball of the Hook and Ladder Company last evening was a grand success, not only in point of attendance, but as a social event. Yesler's Hall was beautifully and tastefully decorated, and the floor was crowded with happy dancers. The event of the evening was the presentation of two silver trumpets to the company by the citizens. Mayor Harwood presented the gifts, commending the volunteer fire department as a quintessentially American institution—not paid servants, but neighbors from all walks of life who risk their lives to protect the city. J. C. Haines, the company president, accepted the trumpets, pledging that they would serve as emblems of duty and would never be tarnished except in service. The evening concluded with the presentation of silver badges to Engineer Perry and Jack Levy, followed by dancing until late.
“The trumpet is the emblem of duty. Its voice is never heard except in the hour of peril. Its voice is the voice of duty.”
In 1883, firefighting in Seattle was a civic-minded volunteer effort, heavily celebrated as a pillar of community spirit. Today, the Seattle Fire Department is a massive, professionalized municipal agency, yet the image of the 'brave fireman' remains a potent symbol of civic trust and public service.
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