1895 - Labor Day in Hamilton - the Procession

 

“Yesterday for the first time in many years, the vast majority of Hamilton people spent a holiday at home, the attraction being the great Trades and Labor demonstration, the programme of which included a street parade and an entertainment at Dundurn Park. Two trainloads of excursionists came in from Brantford in the morning over the T.H.&B., and another over the G.T.R. The H.G.&B. Electric Railway, the H. & D. road, and the Toronto boats also brought hundreds of strangers into the city to help swell the crowds on the streets.”

Hamilton Times. September 3, 1895,

In recognition of the second annual national celebration of Labor Day, the Hamilton Trades and Labor Council took the leadership in organizing a massive demonstration in Hamilton to mark the event.

The two major components of the day in Hamilton were a huge street procession which ended at Dundurn Park where the second component was located.

Monday September 2, 1895 was a very hot day in Hamilton, and conditions were perfect for the parade.

Putting all the processionists, the bands and the floats in proper order was no small challenge :

“The procession was announced to form at 12:30 to seven divisions on the streets touching into the Gore, and, promptly the component parts represented by floats, unions, drill corps and societies, began to assemble. The deputy marshalls under the direction of Grand Marshall Jesse Chapman soon had their hands full arranging the various bodies as they arrived on the ground. Everything proceeded very orderly and systematically, and at one o’clock all was in readiness to move off.”1

1 Hamilton Spectator. September 3, 1895

The parade was witnessed by huge crowds all along the line of march:

“The procession was one of the largest of the kind ever seen here, and took 35 minutes to pass a given point. The firms and employers of labor entered heartily into co-operation with their employees and the demonstration committee in assisting to make the parade representative of this manufacturing and industrial center, and the display was both interesting and imposing. The public, too, entered heartily into the spirit of the occasion and the entire length of the long route of march was lined with thousands of citizens representing every class of the community. “1

The Time reporter to special note of some well-lubricated participants:

“One of the most amusing features of the procession was the float advertising Canadian Club cigars. High up in the air was perched the veteran soldier and Police Court defendant, Pat McNamara. He played on a kettle drum and occasionally condescended to bow to persons who saluted him from the sidewalks. The inconsistency of his position was patent to many. Pat seldom is on top of ‘Canadian Club’; in fact, it generally has him down.

“Mr. Geo. Long was a noticeable person on a float. His face was corked and he carved a watermelon in the midst of a troupe of colored musicians.

“The Magee-Walton ice wagons looked well.. One was loaded with six tons of ice and was decorated with flags and flowers – and Mr. Wm. Magee Jr. Messrs. Hazell & Son had a large coffee mill in operation in one of their delivery wagons, and Mr. Groves’ blacksmiths were busily engaged were busily engaged in shoeing a live horse on a large float. The milk dealers had live cows in wagons advertising their business. It is needless to say that the bovines were Jersey cattle.

“A tricycle ridden by a colored man and preceded by two large dogs attracted the attention of small boys. It bore an advertisement for cigars.”2

2Times . September 3, 1895

Besides the floats and bands, the massive procession, of course, included a huge number of trade unionists, some of the individual unions having well over 100 members included in the line of march.

The procession, which took 35 minutes to pass any given point, was a popular attraction indeed :

“All along the route, the procession was viewed and applauded by thousands. The butchers’ parade, the Tuckett employees, the newspaper carriers, the Beamsville firemen and the corporation employees attracted special attention. Many of the floats were beautifully decorated and must have cost a considerable amount of money and trouble to prepare. At Dundurn park, the floats dispersed and the bands and those on foot marched into the park where they were speedily followed by thousands of those who had watched the procession on the streets.”1             

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