Page:History of West Hoboken NJ.djvu/79

 one time there was connected with the company an athletic association, who were invincible in baseball, football and other athletic sports. It is on account of their hustling proclivities that Americus has attained and kept its high place in the social and firemen's circle of our town. The company continued in its old home until 1895, when the town built for them their present handsome quarters on Syms street, at a cost of $6,000. The company again showed its hand in the hustling line, because, before the new house was finished they held a Fair in it, which netted them about $3,000, and with this money they fitted up their house in handsome style. To-day they are one of our best companies.

Chief Louis Haag, in his annual report for 1890, recommended the establishment of a Hose Company in the middle western section of the town. It needed only this recommendation "to start the ball rolling," for in September, 1890, Friendship Hose Co. No. 1 was organized, with the following officers: Foreman, W. H. Laune; assistant foreman, John Glace; recording secretary, E. Burckhart; financial secretary, G. Rohrback; treasurer, P. Sabatine; chairman, John Roden, and its first headquarters was located on Savoye street, near Summit avenue. The old house has since been torn down and a factory erected in its place. At first the company was supplied with a hose jumper by the town, and a few years after its organization they were furnished with their present hose carriage, which was purchased from Lady Washington Hose Co. 1, of the Yonkers Fire Department.

The present house on Central avenue was erected in 1897. It is an up-to-date building of its kind and is fitted up with all modern improvements. The cellar contains a complete kitchen, where "the boys" prepare the various viands that are served up by them to their guests on all festive occasions. The Company always has a full roll of 65 members, and on parade this long line of blue shirted men is the pride of the whole department.

The annual masquerade ball given by this Company is one of the social features of the town. It is yearly the largest ball given by any organization in North Hudson.

There was yet another company to be added to the department. The Third Ward had grown from a small village to a section of a large town, where a few years previously there were fields and woods with a small house here and there. There were now row after row of brick and frame houses, and for some time the citizens of this section had been discussing the advisability of organizing a Hook & Ladder Company. Various attempts to establish a Truck Company here (among which was