1895 - Hayhurst Welcome Home

 

 

“Hamilton will be en fete this evening. There will be flares and flagging, fireworks and illuminations everywhere, bands will play, people will shout themselves hoarse, bells will clang, whistles will shriek and the hoarse roaring of cannon will be heard. All because of the homecoming of a good-looking and athletic young man who has proved his titles to be considered the best rifle shot in the world.

“When Hayhurst plugged bullets into the hearts of the targets at Bisley more times than any other man on the famous field, it was a great thing for Canada and a great thing for Hamilton. No wonder that Canada and Hamilton are proud of him, and that we are all, every mother’s son of us, tumbling over each other in our eagerness to do all we can to give him a fitting welcome home.

“The Thirteenth battalion has had many proud and happy days in its life, but none so proud and none so happy as the day on which Hayhurst won the Queen’s prize, and today, the day on which he comes home again, the same quiet, modest, unassuming good fellow he was before he went away. His success, and the attention that has been paid to him since the addresses he has received and the speeches which have been made in his honor, have not spoiled him in the least. Here’s hoping Private Hayhurst will enjoy himself to the full on this proudest night of his life.”¹

¹“Hayhurst’s Home Coming.”

Hamilton Herald.    August 12, 1895. Editorial

Ever since the news was telegraphed from England to Hamilton that Private Thomas Hayhurst had won the Queen’s Prize at the Bisley competition, preparations to welcome him home were begun.

A group known as the Hayhurst Reception Committee was struck to co-ordinate arrangements for a massive civic celebration to let the young militiaman know how proud Hamiltonians were of him.

The day before Hayhurst was to arrive, the committee held a  meeting to nail down the final arrangements :

“The only change of any importance was made to locate the terminus of the procession at Dundurn Park, where the reception and concert, which were have been divided between the Gore and the Drill Hall, will be combined in one grand affair. In which every citizen may have a part. Hamilton will turn itself loose tomorrow night in grand shape, and the three shooters will have such a welcome as their deeds deserve.

“Wm. Stroud wrote to offer Dundurn Park for the public reception and concert free of cost, with a platform and chairs. At the same time, the Drill Hall and grounds will be thrown open and the trophies won by the Thirteenth Battalion will be placed on exhibition.”²

²“To Be Held In Dundurn : Final Arrangements For the Hayhurst Reception : It will be a Grand Affair In Which Every Citizen May have a Part – A Welcome to the Shooter That Will Fully Express Hamilton’s Appreciation of Their Skill.”

Hamilton Herald.    August 12, 1895.

A Hamilton poet known only as H. B. G. had prepared a special piece of composition to honor Private Hayhurst :

‘What’s the matter? What’s the matter?

             What’s this ceaseless clack and clatter?

             What’s this howling demonstration?

             What’s this racket all are raising?

             Who’s this Hayhurst all are praising?

             What’s this constant paper crowing?

             What’s this all about they’re blowing?

             What’s this? Who’s this? Why’s this?

                        What is

             All this bloomin’ Bisley business?

            “What’s the matter, ignorance?

             Matter, man? This country’s famous!

             Hayhurst’s won her triumph, glory –

             Not yet heard the world-wide story?

             How our Thirteenth’s gallant private

             Hero of the gun and target.

             Won Canada great honor?

             Fame and glory heaped upon her? –

             Why, man, Hayhurst’s Queen’s prize taker,

             Bisley’s chiefest, bull’s-eye maker!

 

            Here’s good health and lasting pleasure,

            To our hero! Let all treasure

            The immortal name of Hayhurst

             As the signal for an outburst

             Loud and long, of acclamation,

 From this young and mighty nation.

 Canada’s good cause for crowing,

Hamilton’s excuse for crowing,

Three times three, our country raises

Hers and Bisley’s hero’s praises!

On his way home Hayhurst, accompanied by his fellow Thirteenth Battalion competitors, Skedden and Marris,  in the Bisley competition, had been given a warm reception at Montreal and Toronto:

 

“Hamilton’s Reception to Private T. H. Hayhurst, Color-Sergeant Edwin Skedden and Sergeant H. Marris really began at Toronto, when the Modjeska, with about 800 passengers on board , pulled out from her dock, and steamed away for the city under the hill. They had come through receptions at Montreal and Toronto, but the greatest and best was in store for them. On the boat were hundreds of Hamilton ladies who had gone down for the sake of seeing Private Hayhurst and his comrades, and having a sail with them on the last stage of the journey home.”³

³ Times

When the steamer Modjeska was about to reach Hamilton, the celebrations began in earnest:

“Right after supper time the thousands of Hamilton people began to assemble and turn their steps towards the bay. At 7 o’clock, though the boat was due for an hour and a quarter, the streets were lined, and by 7:30, it was difficult to go anywhere except with the crowd to the foot of James street.

“Just as darkness was coming on the shrill whistles of steam launches told that the Modjeska was nearing the piers, and at the same time the fusillade of rockets at the Beach commenced, and the scores of boats on the bay began to discharge their fireworks. As the Modjeska  came up the bay, she could be seen to be well-loaded, and the rockets set off from her deck replied to those from the small boats. Where her hoarse whistle sounded and the thousands who by that time, thronged to the docks and every available shed around them knew that she had turned for the slip, the cheering began and was not stopped until Private Hayhurst had landed. As the steamer approached the dock, the Thirteenth Battalion Band, which was stationed there, struck up ‘See the Conquering Hero Comes,’ the strains of which mingled with the seeming harmony with the lusty noise of the Q. O. R. Bugle Band, stationed on the deck of the boat. ³

³ Times

Crossing the bay as darkness began to fall, a searchlight from the mountain was trained on the big boat:

“Just as darkness was coming on, the shrill whistles of steam launches told that the Modjeska was nearing the piers, and at the same time the fusillade of rockets at the Beach commenced, and the scores of boats on the bay began to discharge their fireworks. As the Modjeska  came up the bay, she could be seen to be well-loaded, and the rockets set off from her deck replied to those from the small boats. Where her hoarse whistle sounded and the thousands who by that time, thronged to the docks and every available shed around them knew that she had turned for the slip, the cheering began and was not stopped until Private Hayhurst had landed. As the steamer approached the dock, the Thirteenth Battalion Band, which was stationed there, struck up ‘See the Conquering Hero Comes,’ the strains of which mingled with the seeming harmony with the lusty noise of the Q. O. R. Bugle Band, stationed on the deck of the boat.

When the Modjeska pulled into her wharf at the foot of James street, the boat actually dipped a little as all the passengers on board went to one side to see the hero of the day disembark. The huge mass of people who had gathered to see the boat arrived could barely be contained, and it was with difficulty that Hayhurst and his comrades could be readied for the triumphal procession which had been planned.

It took almost half an hour for the procession to be formed and begin its journey up James Street North:

“What a march it was ! The distributors of fireworks did great work, and as soon as the procession passed Stuart street, the flare of Roman candles began. The stores and houses along the whole route were lighted up and decorated, and from the windows and balconies, fireworks were let off. It was a magnificent sight, a truly triumphal march, a blaze of glory.”⁴

⁴ “When the move was made from the wharf, Hayhurst, Skedden and Marris were marched up to the chairs of state which were awaiting them, and having laughingly seated themselves thereon, the bugles were tooted to signify that all was ready for the procession to form. The chairs were fastened to light platforms, with four handles projecting from each, and eight or ten lusty privates from the Thirteenth Battalion grabbed each platform, and elevated it to their shoulders. This brought the marksmen pretty high up in the air, but in this lofty and dignified position they rode through the streets.

“It was hard work for the volunteers under the platforms, and there were frequent relays on the route of the procession.” ⁵

⁵ Herald

The Herald reporter on the scene was very enthusiastic about how Hayhurst and his comrades were welcomed home:

“Never before was there such a procession in this city as that of last night. It appeared as though every citizen had shut up house early in the evening and gone out into the street, and all along the route the way was densely packed with people. Thousands of joyful citizens and thousands more of their mothers and sisters and best girls, lined the route, cheering, smiling, waving flags and handkerchiefs, shooting off Roman candles, sky rockets, and various assortments of bright-hued celebrating explosives.

“Not only were the fireworks doing business from the hands of the precisionists, but thousands of bystanders added to the liveliness of the scene by bountiful displays of colored powder, and from many a window there shot through the air multi-shaped pieces of burning pyrotechnics.

“The noise was great. Steamboat whistles blew with a loud voice, and church bells and all other kinds of bells clanged their welcome. Fish horns were in evidence.

“While the Hamilton regiment was passing the Drill Hall, which was illuminated by the initials of the three shooters and otherwise prettily decorated, the Thirteenth Battalion Band played Home Sweet Home, and hearty cheers all along the line were given at the hall. The same outburst of enthusiasm was marked at the City Hall, which was handsomely arrayed for the occasion, and where big crowds of ladies waved their greetings to  the heroes, and at the Gore, where the motto, Canada Forever, stood in bold relief from the other gas illuminations. The City Hall had illuminated pictures of Hayhurst and his companions.”⁵

⁵ Herald.

After City Hall on James street north had been passed, the parade route went eastward to John street before resuming its westward direction to Dundurn Park.:

“The route laid out for the procession was along the south side of King street, between James and John, when going eastward, and the wheelmen in advance took that course. But hundreds of citizens who had established themselves at good viewpoints along these two blocks, were disappointed to see the remainder of the procession turn along the north side of the Gore, and when they were told that Adam Brown, without any authority in the world, had made the change from his position in the foremost carriage, the things they said about the postmaster would not make good family reading.”

It was a loud and remarkable scene as the procession made its way through the downtown core, and then on to Dundurn Park:

“Those who witnessed the triumphal procession to Dundurn will never forget it. It will not be an overestimate to say that 50,000 people viewed the procession en route or took part in the proceedings at the reception in the park.

“Borne high on the shoulders of their comrades, flowers in their guns, and around them, the fireworks flashing upon the masses of medals and bullion shields and badges that covered their coats, and surrounded by a mighty halo of sparks and smoke from exploding rockets, the three Thirteenth men progressed. Soldiers and bands in front of them, soldiers and bands, carriages and patriotic societies behind them, a continuous mass of cheering thousands on either side of them – thus they journeyed to Dundurn. They were dressed in their ordinary uniforms, but each wore the white-peaked Havelock caps that shooters wear on ranges.

“Hayhurst came first – handsome, modestly self-possessed, smiling, raising his cap politely at each renewed outburst of cheering, his blue eyes flashing appreciation and pleasure.”

In addition to the full coverage of the procession itself, the local newspapers had sections where brief notes about things which happened along the line of march.

From the Times :

NOTES AND INCIDENTS

“The hack in which Mr. Hugh Murray and other members of the Board of Education were in nearly came to grief owing to a bomb being discharged under the horses’ feet.

“The Roman candles were distributed too promiscuously. Some people though the only use of the things was to frighten horses.

“Drivers of rigs didn’t take Sergt.-Major Prentice’s advice a little bit. They crowded on the line of the procession at every corner.

“Miss Julia Artur, the actress, who came across the ocean on the boat with Hayhurst, stood in Mr. F. Lyonde’s window, and as the procession passed, she was recognized by many in it and cheered.

“The Gore illuminations looked well, as did the transparencies and decorations at the City Hall.

“Mr. J. W. Smith showed good transparencies of the Bisley men at Ald. McKeown’s store

From the Spectator :

Many of the bicycles were illuminated.

Two young ladies rode in the bicycle parade.

The ringing of the bells was a happy thought.

The noise of the cheering at Dundurn was heard for ten miles round.

The jubilation was kept up until an early hour this morning.

The volunteers who carried the crack shots complained about the long route of the procession.

Never was a crowd more orderly. The police had little or no difficulty in handling it.

After the procession, hundreds rode about the city on the street cars and viewed the decorations.

The mountaineers did themselves proud with their illuminations. They looked grand from the bay.

The careless use of Roman candles by boys firing them heedlessly into the crowd was a source of great danger,

Half a dozen Toronto newspaper men came up with the Thirteenth men on the boat to write up the Hamilton procession.

There are not many prettier spots in the world than the Gore when its illuminations are turned on and it puts on its holiday clothes.

The procession thinned out when after it reached the corner of King and James streets. Many of the citizens on foot and the carriages hustled off to the park.

The modesty and unassuming good humor with which Hayhurst received the ovation was remarked by all who came into contact with him. He is evidently inoculated against that awful malady, ‘swelled head.’

“As usual, hundreds of baby carriages were sandwiched in among the crowd. ‘D—n the baby carriages,’ growled a man as he nearly fell over one in the thick of the crush. ‘Shure yes can’t hev babies without carriages,’ retorted the mother with a sniff of comfortable indignation.

The searchlight on the mountain was kept on the procession all the way to Dundurn. Those who witnessed from the mountain top the arrival of the steamer in the bay and the progress of the procession through the city, say it was one of the most magnificent sights ever witnessed here.”

To Be Continued…