1906 - Tigers Are Dominon Champions

Saturday, November 15, 1906 was a most memorable day in Hamilton for the many followers of the Tiger Football team. In the morning edition of the Hamilton Times carried the following brief preview of the upcoming game :

        Today’s Card

                        Canadian Championship

“Montreal at Hamilton – Referee, F.D. Wooloworth

          Big Game This Afternoon

“It looks as if the football match between the Tigers and the Montreals in the Dominion championship series will be played in the rain. The Montreal crowd, about a hundred strong, arrived here on the G.T.R. about 10 o’clock. They made the Royal Hotel their headquarters, and all had pretty badges of red and black.

“The game will be called at 2:45.”

Hours before game time, the streets near the Cricket grounds, Bold, Reginald streets, and Charlton Avenue were filled with a heavy amount of traffic. Tiger Rooters arrived en masse, mainly by foot. The scene inside the wooden-fenced Cricket grounds was animated as seating was gone, and large numbers of fans watched the game while standing around the field, while some young fans climbed trees or telephone poles to see the game. Some watched from the rooftops of nearby houses:

“Five thousand people filled the stands and stood around the field at the cricket grounds, and witnessed the best played, most exciting and most stubborn game of a decade

“A great array of old time football stars were on hand to see the game, men who in their day were the rule makers and the players whose names were as familiar as those of DuMoulin, Moore, Simpson, Flett, Stinson, Craig and a host of others are today. By all it was agreed that the game was dandy.

“The day was favorable for good football, the light being even but not bright, and there being no wind. The grounds however, were slippery, the rain having left an inch or so of soft surface, the west end of the field, which the Montrealers had for their defense ground in the first quarter being the worst. This probably accounted for the fact that almost all the scoring was done at the west end.”¹

¹ Hamilton Times. December 3, 1906.

In the end, it was a relatively easy win for the Tigers :

“Hamilton Tigers demonstrated their right to be called football champions on Saturday, defeating the Quebec champions by a score of 11 to 6 in a hard game in which the local team fought for every point scored, and did not get a single talley through chance or luck, while their opponents got their only try simply by a fluke.”¹

The Times coverage of the game included a cartoon 

and the following brief observations :

        From the Side Line

“Simpson was the hero of the day.

“The rooters were out in force, and sang well, but it is a question if their noise did not spoil many a Tiger combination.

“Perhaps some of the Toronto sporting writers will remember what they said was going to happen when Montreal got at the Tigers.

“The G.N.W. gave a capital telegraph service.

“If there is a man on the whole Hamilton team who did not do his level best, and do it well, he managed to disguise the fact nicely.

“David Tope was never afraid to take a desperate chance.

“The rooters marched in a body to Tope’s house and sang ‘Champions Again’ and a few bars for Davie. After that they marched right down the middle of the road to the centre of the city, singing all the way.

“The Montrealers took their defeat gracefully. They were outplayed at their own game, and could not deny the fact.

“The Tigers and rooters attended the Grand in the evening.”¹

It would be fully two weeks before the Tigers played again. The title game for the football championship of the Dominion was played in Montreal on the McGill campus. The team from McGill was the winning side from the Intercollegiate Union.

On the day of the game, the Hamilton Times carried three brief items referencing that day’s big game:

“Football.”

Hamilton Times.   December 01, 1906.

“The Times will bulletin the score and quarter of the Great Football Match in Montreal today. Come round the Times and follow the game.”

“Great Rugby Game Today : Champion Tigers Meet McGill Team at Montreal.”

Hamilton Times.   December 01, 1906.

“Quite a crowd of football fans left the city last night for the east on the G.T.R. Most of them were bond for Montreal to see the Hamilton Tigers and McGill College team battle for the Dominion championship.”

“Weather is Balmy : Immense Crowd Gathering For Tiger Game at Montreal”

Hamilton Times. December 1, 1906

“Noon – McGill campus will be in about the same condition for the football match today between McGill and the Hamilton Tigers as the cricket grounds were in Hamilton two weeks ago. The weather is balmy and the snow has practically all disappeared from the gridiron. Both teams are in excellent shape, although the Tigers did not take particular of themselves last night, having enjoyed a little whirl around town. The visitors look upon the McGill team as an easy proposition. 5,000 will see the match.”

The attendance projections were far too optimistic. A bigger crowd than that which attended the game could well-have happened had the weather co-operated :

“Between 1,700 and 1,800 people saw the game, of which fully one-half were students. It was a fair crowd, and many of the Tiger plays came in for praise.

“With a solid north wind blowing almost a gale, and on a soft, wet snowy field, with a flurry of snow in the air, the teams lined up shortly after 2:15.”²

² Hamilton Times December 3, 1906.

The game was the first Dominion championship game was the first after a drastic change in the rules had been put into effect:

“For the first time since the makers of Rugby football laws put their heads together to frame up rules with a view to producing a game that would be good alike for players and spectators, resulting in the adoption by the Ontario Union of the snap back game, and the elimination by the Quebec and Intercollegiate Unions of the old style scrimmage and its long line of snappers, the Canadian championship has been fought out to a finish, and the best team has won the title and its honor. On Saturday, the Hamilton Tigers defeated their last foes, the winners of the Intercollegiate championship, and proved their superiority over all teams that play any style of Rugby.”²

The Times reporter who had gone to Montreal with the team to provide coverage of the game lavished praise on the Tigers :

“This year the title and the glory go together, and there is none to dispute Hamilton’s claim. The Tigers have finished four seasons without once having been beaten, under any rules, in any championship game. They have met the best that any union could produce and have come out of every contest not only with victory but with honor, and their opponents have had to admit that they played clean, honest brainy football and merited all they won. No other team, in the annals of football in Canada, has ever made such a record, and Hamilton has good reason to be proud of the achievements of her sons.”²

Virtually every play in the game was described in detail in the Times, creating a very lengthy article. On the final page of the December 3, 1906 edition, the following appeared :

   Get a Copy of the ‘Times’

  With an account of the Football Match

    Hamilton vs. McGill

   In wrappers in Tigers’ colors, all

     Ready for mailing, one cent.
The 1906 Hamilton Tigers were Canadian Champions.

1907 - Sham Battle

“The great Thanksgiving day sham battle is over. It is a thing of the past, and peace now reigns supreme over army and camp. For the next year, the officers and men of his majesty’s troops in military district, No. 2 will have a chance to ponder over the big mimic battle of yesterday, when many men were killed and wounded, but never knew it, and returned home as large as life and full of vim.”

Hamilton Spectator.    November 01, 1907.

October 31, 1907 was quite a day in the Hamilton area. It was both Thanksgiving day and Hallowe’en. It was a day when the Hamilton Herald newspaper’s Around the Bay Road Race was held in the morning. While later in the day, the Hamilton Tigers would play an important football game at the HAAA grounds. Finally, it was the day scheduled for nearly 3,000 soldiers from various militia units gathered in the Dundas valley for a Sham Battle.

The military portion of the day began as troops headed to the Drill Hall on James street north :

“The parade of the Hamilton regiments was called for eight o’clock, and the cars were supposed to leave for Ancaster over the Brantford and Hamilton railway at half-past eight. As a matter of fact, it was nine o’clock before the Ninety-first got away, and the Thirteenth preceded it only a few minutes. The road was just ready to be started when the troops marched up James street.”¹

  ¹“Hamilton Force Has Best of the Battle : Col. Gibson’s Brave Soldiers Reach and Take Hamilton, Their Objective Point : Official Decision is a Draw – A Great Day, and Some Fine Fighting For the Men  ”

Hamilton Spectator.   October 20, 1907.

Transportation of the Hamilton troops to their starting point near Ancaster involved the use of the Radial Electric Railway known at the time as the Brantford and Hamilton Railway:

“The ride was a delightful one, most of the way up the mountain, and everyone was vastly surprised to see what a tough and difficult job the construction of the mountain part of the B. and H. had been. The soldiers had to get out and walk over a portion that was not safe, where the big landslide occurred, and they then got into the cars again, and arrived at Ancaster before ten o’clock. They were immediately sent up to Fiddlers’ Green, in accordance with the general idea, and at 11 o’clock things began to move. The train from Brantford bearing the Thirty-eighth landed the Brantford troops about ten o’clock and they marched into Ancaster.”¹

It did not take long before the Hamilton troops and their counterparts from the Toronto area were in place so that the battle could begin :

“It was about half past eleven that the first shots were fired. That was on the Ancaster road below the mountain, where Thirteenth men were stationed in extended order as outposts. On Robb’s farm, on the very brow of the mountain, a twelve pounder was placed in a beautiful position, so as to protect the main body of troops as they passed along the old Indian trail toward Horning’s mountain road. This gun was screened by bushes and branches placed in front of it, and could have shelled Dundas easily.

“Firing was quite general along the whole mountain brow, gradually extending eastward.”¹

The Sham Battle involved strategic movements of troops, and the use of rifles, although not with live ammunition:

“Many men were killed and wounded, but never knew it, and returned home as large as life and full of vim.”¹

Much of the sham battle took place along the escarpment in the Ancaster and West Hamilton area. As it was a holiday, and as the weather was ideal, many citizens made their way to the scene of the ‘fighting.’

Later described in the Toronto World, it was a gorgeous autumn day:

““The country over which the operations were conducted was for the greater part in the Dundas valley, the autumn beauties of which were revealed to the crowds of spectators who traveled out from Hamilton in motor cars, rigs and afoot to witness the exhibition of mimic warfare.”¹

The sweeping panoramic view of the Dundas valley from the escarpment was not particularly enjoyed by the visiting troops who had the maneuver up and down the steep rocky face of the mountain :

 The Toronto troops enjoyed doing the climbing necessary to get up the mountain sides. Toronto has no mountain like Hamilton’s pride, at which Toronto pokes so much fun, and the Toronto took to climbing up the steep and rocky face of the cliff like a rhinoceros would take to a mud bath. Many of them did look as if they had climbed to their heart’s content.”²

The sham battle was conducted at a high level of military efficiency and it ended as scheduled, giving the visiting soldiers time to catch their trains back home, while the Hamilton boys were able to get to their homes in the late afternoon :

“The Hamilton troops were back in the city before five o’clock, and were in time to get a piece of the Thanksgiving turkey – if there was any left from the dinner table. They had the evening free, and spent Hallowe’en night in fitting style. The Toronto troops also reached home in plenty of time to get cleaned up for the evening, and though the field of operations covered no small area, they were comparatively fresh. The chief difference in the nature of the ground was the fact that there was less straight, monotonous marching to do, and more hill-climbing. The active lads enjoyed the change. They scrambled around on the rocks, and through the ravines as if they were Swiss mountaineers, and when they marched down the Horning mountain road to the junction of the Ancaster and Dundas roads, after the cease fire whistle had been sounded, they sang and exhibited high spirits:

          ‘We have been up to the mountain,

            We have been up to the mountain,

             We have been up to the mountain,

              But we’ll never go there anymore.’

“That is what they sang, to the tune of For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow. The troops had lunch at the cross-roads in the presence of quite a large number of curious civilians, and then took the shortest way to their destinations. The Toronto troops marched to Dundas, where their trains were in waiting, and the Hamilton troops came into the city.”¹

The Spectator carried an editorial about the importance of the sham battle :

“As a show the field performance of the militia in this neighborhood was not so good as a park parade, with trooping of the color, feu-de-joie, music and all that. Nor were the field operations conducted with the view of entertaining sightseers. There was no working up from small splatterings of rifle fire, every field gun, and every voice lends itself to the general uproar, and all ends with a crash that might endanger the very foundation of the mountain. There was none of that.

“The operations were intended to be instructive to the men and officers of the militia, and were conducted as nearly as possible as they would have been had there been bullets in the cartridges. And, while the result, as a spectacle did not amount to much, there is good reason for the statement that it was highly instructive, and added much to the military value of the officers and men in the Grays and Reds.

“The country covered by the movements of the two armies was all that could be desired for military experiments, as it embraced rough, wooded land, and the level and side hills, places deeply indented by running water, open, cultivated territory – the kopje and the natural escarpment, and all manner of difficult places to try the skill and endurance of the forces. The weather was exactly right, the men were keen and the officers were enthusiastic.

“It was Hamilton’s first attempt at a field day on a large scale, and the demonstration was a grand success, judged from the military standpoint; and educational results were well worth the time, trouble and cash they cost.

“And it is pleasant to know that the citizen soldiery accomplished their outing without giving cause for the slightest complaint to the people over whose land they passed during the action – a fact that will make the citizen soldiery welcome again in the valley of Dundas.”²

² “The Military Demonstration ”

Hamilton Spectator.    November 01, 1907.

1900 - Boer War Returning Soldier Reception

“Hamilton will turn itself loose on another popular demonstration tonight, when it extends a royal welcome to the returning heroes of the South African war. By noon today, the main streets were gaily decorated with miles of bunting and thousands of flags. Many of the business establishments have installed electrical illumination in the national colors.”

Hamilton Times.    November 06, 1900.

Hamilton had three daily newspapers in November 1900, the Herald, the Spectator and the Times.

Each paper would vie with its competitors for the best coverage of major local events. The November 6, 1900 events, welcoming home Boer War soldiers returning to their home city was an opportunity to show the public how well such events could be recorded in words and presented to the public.

The following is an overview of how the Times gave its readers an detailed account of the sights, sounds and general mayhem of that memorable night.

During the afternoon, hours before the returning heroes were to arrive, the Times in its afternoon addition, provided the following for its readers :

“At noon today, the children of the Public and Separate Schools were liberated for a half holiday, and tonight, the vast army of the city’s workers will join in a magnificent ovation to the gallant boys who went from Hamilton to fight in the battles of the Empire in the Transvaal.

“The returning soldiers will arrive at the Hunter street depot from Toronto at 8 o’clock and will be met on the platform by the Civic Reception Committee and officers of the city corps. As soon as after the arrival as possible, the procession will leave the depot, taking the following routes :

“Along James to King, thence to John street to Cannon, to James street, to King street to Victoria Park, where a large platform, well-lit, has been erected, and addresses will be delivered by the Chairman of the Finance and Acting Mayor Ald. TenEyck, Lieut.-Col. McLaren and Captain Forneret.

“The gallant soldiers will then be presented with the magnificent laurel wreath, the gift of the Daughters of the Empire. At the conclusion of the ceremonies in the park, the procession will reform and march along King street, and the military will then take possession of the Hamilton heroes.”¹

¹ “Honor For Our Heroes : Tonight’s Demonstration  for Returning Soldiers : Another Record Breaker”

Hamilton Times.    November 06, 1900.

The morning after the huge street procession and gathering at Victoria Park, the November 7, 1900 morning edition of the Hamilton Times was full of vivid details of the excitement of the previous evening. Its coverage started, under a very long headline, as follows :

Hamilton Times.    November 07, 1900

“Enthusiastic gladness in the faces of cheering thousands, from the housetops, from a thousand windows, from the street corners, from the sidewalks where the hosts of rejoicing men, women and children marched; gladness in the myriads of blazing electric lights, in the great torches of colored fire, at a hundred convenient spots; gladness in the reports of mortars and giant torpedoes; gladness in the chimes of church bells and in the din of thousands of fish horns and whistles; thus to Hamilton’s returning heroes of the South African campaign did this city of Hamilton rise to show welcome.

“To say the city went wild with enthusiasm last night does not express the situation. Words are empty things as far as the description of the reception given to the returning soldiers of the First Canadian contingent are concerned. Never before in the history of any city in Canada was a greater sense of rejoicing than that which all Hamilton presented last night. And the names of the men in whose honor the demonstration took place will live in the minds of the people of Hamilton and the reception given them will long be remembered as one of the brightest of red letter nights in the city’s history.

“Owing to the haste which accompanied their enlistment, the Hamilton lads of the first contingent saw no public demonstration of the good will of the people when they departed, and they were promised a royal welcome when they returned from the war. Did they get it? Ask the footsore and hoarse thousands when they marched on roadway or pavement; ask of the men who sell fireworks and bunting; ask of the horses that hauled their heavy loads of cheering humanity; the answer comes in a thunderous affirmative from all humanity who could ride, walk, limp or be carried up town last night”²

² “Magnificent Reception to Returned Soldiers : How This Busy City Disported Itself On a Night of Nights : Received a Great Welcome : Citizens Turned Out en masse to do Honor to the Lads Who Had risked  Their Lives for the Empire – Paardeberg Remembered in a Flood of Gladness – A Grand Procession That Had Its Pathway Brilliantly Illuminated By Fireworks and Electrical Decorations – Addresses of Welcome Presented to the Khaki Clad Heroes at Victoria Park – County Battalion Joins the Local Militia in the Festivities of the Night – The Celebration Unequalled in the Annals of the City ”

Hamilton Times.    November 07, 1900

With the scheduled time of arrival at the T.H. & B. railway’s Hunter street station, of the C.P.R. train carrying the soldiers, Hamilton’s downtown streets became packed with people, eager to be part of the reception:

“As early as 7 o’clock King and James streets began to receive their thousands of pedestrians. Onward towards the section of James street, between King and Hunter streets surged the people, and soon the roadways were occupied by the carriages, drays, wagons, pony carts and everything that could carry people more expeditiously  towards the starting point of the demonstration. Like the crowd that thronged the streets on Ladysmith Day, it was a good-natured crowd, and it laughed defiance at the scattering raindrops which fell during the evening, and launched good-natured raillery at those who tried strength or ingenuity in the battle for position. From the City Hall to the depot and in the space around the Gore, there came a ceaseless noise of fish horns, almost drowned at times with the louder blare of brass, or punctured by the shrill music of pipes, as various bands.”²

The procession began, only a few minutes later than scheduled. Forming up at the area around James Street South and Hunter streets, the route headed north to King street:

“Along King street to John street and down John street to Cannon went the marching host, and as if the spectacular effects arranged for were not sufficient, rockets set fire to an immense Union Jack suspended across John street at Dodson’s paint establishment, and, as it blazed turned into a banner of flame, the elaborate decorations in front of the Gurney-Tilden building were ignited by fireworks, and added excitement to the scene. And the crowds cheered; cheered for Britain, cheered for the returning soldiers, for the flames and sometimes because they were alive and in the thick of the demonstration.  Turning west along Cannon street to James and up that thoroughfare to King street, the procession aroused of the throng to fever pitch. At the Royal Hotel, the van containing the contingent collapsed through the breaking of an axle, and the heroes in khaki had to take to carriages. As the procession reached the City Hall, the big bell in the tower commenced sounding a welcome that was kept up for nearly half an hour. Here, the decorations in front of Oak Hall caught fire, and as willing hands kept the blazing flags and bunting from doing serious damage, enthusiasts from the windows on both side of the street added their quota to then display of fireworks. As the procession moved along King street west to Victoria Park, several fires occurred amongst the decoration of store and dwellings.”²

Reaching King West and Locke streets, the excitement seen along the procession route grew even higher :

“On the west side of Victoria Park, a platform had been erected on which to welcome the boys to their old home. Before the procession arrived, thousands of persons surrounded it, and when the lads in khaki came, they had great difficulty reaching it. For once the police force of Hamilton proved itself adequate to handle the crowd. In less than five minutes, a sea of faces was formed, a mass of humanity which surged to and fro like the waves  of the ocean. When the soldiers finally reached the platform, they were given front row seats. In the place of prominence were the Marshall family, Mrs. McLaren; Messrs. A.T. Wood and J.V. Teetzel, Rev. T. Albert Moore, Lieut.-Col. Gibson, members of the Hamilton Rugby Football Club; Ald. Frank E. Walker, Acting Mayor Ten Eyck, and officers of the XIII Regiment.”²

Order was extremely difficult to maintain but, nevertheless, the speeches and presentations to the soldiers went on :

“Lieut.-Col McLaren stepped to the front of the platform, and called for order in vain. After waiting some minutes, he called again but still the cheering continued. He said : ‘It has been thought wise to limit the speeches tonight to words of welcome from the commanding officer of the regiment, and an address from the City Council. Had not an election campaign been in progress, there are other gentlemen who would have addressed you, but in view of the circumstances, this is not desirable. On an occasion like this, it is surely our first duty as Christian people to offer up thanks to our Heavenly Father for his mercy in bringing our comrades back to their homes in safety, and I therefor ask our chaplain to offer up a prayer of thanksgiving.’

“Chaplain Forneret offered a prayer, which was only audible to those within a few feet of him owing to the awful noise of the crowd, which did not appear to realize the solemnity of the occasion.

“Then the band played, ‘Nearer, my God, to Thee.’

“Cheer after cheer went up as Chaplain stepped forward on behalf of Fessenden Chapter, Daughters of the Empire, and presented the boys with a magnificent laurel wreath. He said in ancient times it was the custom, when a Roman general returned from victory, to present him with a wreath of laurels, and it was quite in keeping with the occasion for him to make this presentation in recognition of the splendid work done for the Queen and Empire. Lieut. Marshall responded on behalf of the boys. His speech was very brief and soldier-like. He said – ‘On behalf of the returning soldiers and the men of the regiment, I have to thank you most heartily for this expression of your appreciation, and specially for this magnificent reception tendered us tonight, and for all kindnesses. War is not a pleasant thing, but I think it is worth roughing it a bit for a reception of this kind. You only want to travel a bit to find out that there is no country like Canada and no city like Hamilton. A soldier knows that the burden of the work does not fall on the officer, but on the soldier. The one shoulders the responsibility and the other performs the labor. An officer has many comforts the soldier does not share. To Sergt. Rutherford and the boys is due the credit for their work throughout the campaign.’

                             From the Regiment

“Lieut.-Col. McLaren addressed the men as follows : ‘Brave Boys. A new landmark was made a little over a year ago, when a sister colony was threatened with extermination, and when, spontaneously, the colonies of the Empire came forward and volunteered their services in assisting the mother country in maintaining the integrity of the Empire.  Canada was not behind in this matter, and her sons offered themselves from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

“ ‘War is a cruel game at the best, and we have to mourn the loss of many brave men who went forth in all the vigor of manhood and who never return. But who will dare say they have died in vain? Their blood will surely cement the bonds of the Empire more closely than ever before. And you, gallant comrades, who have been spared to return, we welcome you with all the fervor possible. You have upheld the good name of the militia of Canada, and through your intelligence and soldierly qualities the name of Canada is highly honored throughout the Empire today. You have proved yourselves good and faithful servants of the Queen. May you long be spared to prove yourselves good and faithful citizens of Canada.’

“In conclusion, he asked those present to give three cheers for the soldiers from South Africa. He said – ‘You will remember that the City Council, very generously and with the approval of the ratepayers presented each man on leaving with a liberal purse; this was done through Alderman TenEyck, Chairman of the Finance Committee, and it is therefore fitting that he should present you with an address of welcome now.’

                             From the City

          “Hearty cheers were again given as Alderman TenEyck, acting mayor, steeped forward and read the following address, which was only audible to a few –

“ ‘After the hardships, the vicissitudes, and the victories of war, your fellow citizens joyfully and heartily welcome you home. Since your departure to the distant battlefields of South Africa, your every movement has been closely and anxiously followed by the people, not only of this city, but of the whole Dominion; map after the map of the scenes of conflict has been worn out in tracing your many marches across the veldts and kopjes of that distant land, and the greatest possible interest has been taken in all that pertained to your welfare. We, your fellow citizens, knew, if the world did not, what to expect of you, should the opportunity be given to show your courage, and your fidelity and loyalty – to our peerless Empress Queen, and we are glad to say that the high expectations we had formed of you have been more than realized. Your gallant conduct and your courageous advance under the order of the ‘touch hands’ on that dark night at Paardeberg will ever remain in the history of the empire as an example of Canadian courage and valor. How you and your Canadian comrades is chiefly due the honor of one of the greatest victories won by the soldiers of the Queen in South Africa. As Canadians we are justly proud of the splendid record of our Contingents, and as citizens we are doubly proud of the part taken by you in framing such a record.

“ ‘The noble work of the soldiers of the colonies , sealed with the blood of many a brave boy, stands to the world a testimony of their love and devotion to the British Empire, and as a menace to all who would trample upon her principles of truth and justice. While in gladness we welcome you home, we would not forget the heroes who have lost their lives in the conflict, and who have filled the honored graves of British soldiers; to the relatives and friends who mourn their death and particularly to our esteemed and respected fellow citizen, Major O’Reilly, we extend our sincere sympathy in their irreparable loss.

“ ‘Again, we welcome you, well knowing that, should the Empire require your services, or should foes invade our own loved Canada, you, as well as thousands of your comrades, will be found semper paratus to respond to the call of your country or the great Empire of which we form a part.’

“Lieut. Marshall again responded on behalf of the boys, and the 77^TH Band then played ‘The Red, White and Blue.’”²

It soon became obvious that speech-making should come to an end, especially as the noise from the assembled was so high, few could actually hear what was said: “By this time the crowd at the park had reached tremendous proportions, and speech-making was entirely out of the question. The crush around the stand was so great that to save their instruments from destruction the bandsmen had to hold them over their heads, and it was thought advisable to bring the meeting to a close.

“A number of the bandsmen were called to the platform and ‘God Save the Queen’ was played, but it was fully an hour before the immense crowd was dispersed.

“The militia was dismissed at the park, and no attempt was made to reform the procession. Most of the members of the XIII. Regiment marched to the Drill Hall from the park, to take in an informal welcome to the boys.”²

While that ended the coverage of the procession and the Victoria Park speeches, the Times then published the following anecdotes of things that happened during the evening :

                   Held Live Wire

          “There are many acts of daring performed by individuals for the benefit of the public which never come to light. But last night there was one who deserves special mention and praise, Superintendent Fisher, of the T.H. & B. had very prudently arranged for the decoration of the station building, but to his sorrow, the fuse had burned out which was attached to the handsome electric sign, ‘Welcome Home,’ ten minutes before the arrival of the train. He at once had Mr. W.H. Taylor, of the Cataract Power Company on the spot, who with much difficulty and risk clung to the building with one hand while holding the live wire with the other. Mr. Taylor was in this position until the impenetrable mass below had moved away, and all saw the heroes. Mr. Taylor said he was touched by the imposing spectacle, and realized its importance, as he was so time ago one of the men that was similarly honored by his own countrymen in New York on his return from Manilla.”

                             Notes

“Sunnyside!

“Paardeberg!

“Mafeking!

“Ladysmith!

“Bloemfontein!

“Pretoria!

“Our boys!!!

Oh! Billy, Billy Marshall

“and Rutherford –

“and Warren –

“and Warwick –

“and Tice –

“and Hendrie –

“and Sutton –

“and Dunham –

“and Holland –

“and all the Hamilton volunteers,

“well done, everybody!

“H-A-M-I-L-T-O-N, Hamilton, Rah! Rah! Rah!

“What would have happened to a Boer?

“Ladysmith Day was beaten forty ways.

“Even the skies wept after the show ended.

“No carpet knights about our khaki clad fighters.

“It was a welcome fitting the return of heroes.

“Even Hog Town could take a leaf out of our book.

“It was a great night for the small boy and the fish horn.

“The Victoria Yacht Club turned out strong and with no lack of fireworks.

“On the laurel wreath presented to the boys was Kipling’s motto, ‘Lest We Forget.’

“Every girl who owned a ‘scarlet fever’ shirt must have it on last night.

“With all the thousands of spectators, not a scrap of any kind marred the festivities.

“The address presented by Acting Mayor Ten Eyck bore the seal of the city corporation.

“The distribution of fireworks took place from drays stationed at three points along the line of march.

“Grey-haired men and small boys could frequently be seen struggling to light fireworks at one torch.
          “Two women fainted in the crowd on James street south and were with difficulty extricated from the crowd.

“A little girl whose hand was severely burned by fireworks had her injuries dressed in John A. Clark’s drug store.

“A ’66 veteran’s medal was snatched from the breast of Mr. Samuel Howard, on James street after the parade.

“The postchaise in its mimic warriors contained Messrs. A.H. Dodsworth, M. Applegarth, E. Mundell, T.W. Hand and J. Warnke.

“Miss G. Hannaford was struck with a rocket near the Royal Hotel. She fainted and Mr. Mackelcan was called to attend her.

“A number of gaily-adorned clown and burnt cork artists scattered through the procession to add to the merriment.

“Rev. Thomas Geoghegan, A. Goodenough, R.T. Wolson, and W.H. Wilson were the assistant marshals and did their work well.

“A bunch of merry maidens wearing scarlet shell jackets and Strathcona hats attracted much attention at the corner of King and James streets.

“Scores of people took chances on broken arms in order to shake hands with the returned soldiers, even when their big van was moving rapidly.

“A rocket struck Mrs. (Dr.) White on the shoulder, while she was standing at the corner of James and Cannon streets. A child in her arms had a close call.

“When the bandsmen were not playing ‘Soldiers of the Queen,’ ‘Rule Britannia,’ ‘Home Sweet home,’ or the National Anthem, they joined in the cheering and let off fireworks.

“As the parade moved down James street, a small boy fell, and would have been trampled underfoot had not a gentleman rescued him. His rescuer lost his hat as a result of his kindness.

“Ald. Walker, Chairman of the Reception Committee, was complimented on all sides on the excellent arrangements made. He and Ald. Ten Eyck were present at the reception in the officers’ mess.”

Finally, the Times editor could not resist making a statement about what it all meant:

 “The popular reception to the returned heroes from South Africa, in which all classes of Hamilton’s citizens took part, either as actors or spectators, was all that could be desired, and the enthusiasm must have gratified the young men in whose honor the demonstration was gotten up. Of course they never doubted that their valor was appreciated by their friends at home, but it nevertheless must have made them feel better to see the whole city turn out on the very eve of election day, to declare that joy over their safe return was universal. There is a lot of handshaking to be done yet before our boys can settle down into their old situations. There are stories to be told and incidents of the war to be explained, marches and battles to be described, generals to be criticized and comrades to be eulogized. The year in South Africa must have taught our boys a great many things, which they will gradually impart to the rest of us, after the excitement of the homecoming is over. They know what real soldiering means; they comprehend the horror as well as the glory of war. They have been through the fire, and we all love them for the dangers they have passed.”³

³ “The Welcome Home”

Hamilton Times.    November 07, 1900

A gallery of illustraions by Times artict, J. Thompson, depicting the soldiers: