Firemen and Rain on Washington’s Birthday

by Laurie Thompson

Reported in the Marin Journal on February 27th, 1902:

It takes more than water to interfere with the fireman’s ball. Water is what the fireman want and lots of it. San Rafael is the place to get it…. At least there was no scarcity last Friday, the day of the dance. All day and the day before, the water came down almost in sufficient quantity to supply Southern California a whole year, yet the lads and lassies were there -two hundred or more of them….

Friday evening, February 21, the evening of Washington’s birthday, was the twenty-eighth annual ball of the San Rafael volunteer fire department. It was held in the new armory hall and the grand march started at 9 o’clock. The music was furnished by the popular Hock’s orchestra….

Hoover, the candy man, furnished refreshments -ice cream, cool drinks, etc. The evening was warm enough to make a good demand for his goods.

These balls are given for the benefit of the relief fund -a fund from which sick or disabled firemen are paid a weekly benefit during their illness. The evening’s receipts and donations added a neat sum to this fund.

Originally published at https://annetkent.kontribune.com.