1890s Hamilton

 In the depths of winter, the Hamilton Times carried a lengthy account of what conditions were like along the Hamilton Beach Strip, the sandstrip between Lake Ontario and Burlington Bay (now Hamilton Harbor) Accompanied by noted Times artist, J. Thompson, the Times reporter's observations, which appeared in the February 19 1897 edition follow in full:        “Until Burlington Beach gets a first-class hotel to replace on a larger scale the once-popular Ocean House, the favorite summer resort will never be the place it once was. Last year an elaborate plan was developed by the Colony Company for the erection of a big hotel, with water toboggan, swimming baths, inland lakes, fountains, parks and cottages, and the scheme may yet be carried out, but the company’s affairs are not in a particularly promising condition just now. When the Ocean House disappeared, a severe blow was struck at the beauty of that portion of the Beach around the canal, and that part is desolate enough just now e

On Tuesday February 2, 1897, Hamilton’s Grand Opera House was filled almost to capacity. However the theater was not filled with the usual ticket-buyers out for an evening’s entertainment of music and/or plays. The crowd was mainly members of Hamilton’s ‘sporting community,’ a not-insignificant portion of the city in 1897. The evening at the Grand was called an ‘Assault-at-Arms’ and was held under the auspices of the Hamilton Hunt Club: “There was a large crowd present, the ground floor being almost filled and the galleries crowded. The ‘gods’ knew that no ladies were present, and they were noisy at times. Among those who occupied seats in the boxes were : Mayor Colquhoun, ex-Mayor Tuckett, Chief Smith, John Crerar, H. Carscallen, Samuel Barker, G. Lynch-Staunton, John S. Hendrie and Jas. W. Hendrie.” 1             1 Hamilton Times. February 03, 1897. Former Chief of Police and former Mayor A.D. Stewart was the master of the ceremonies for the evening sports entertainment.

  “Yesterday was an eventful day for the Street Railway Company and its employees, and though nothing of a serious nature took place, it is to be hoped that a settlement of all differences will be made at an early date, so that the occurrences of the day may not be repeated, and that the public made be given perfect street car service, while the men get full justice both as to hours and wages, and the company receives just return for the large expenditure it is daily put to from a body of satisfied and faithful employees.” Hamilton Times. September 9, 1892. While the management of the Hamilton Street Railway may have considered it a strike, the drivers of the street railway electric cars did not necessarily agree with that description. Whatever, the cars were not running and there were definitely ‘troubles’ The drivers of the HSR had grievances as regards to number of hours per day that they were required to work, and the payment which should be paid for overtime. Briefly the