1883 - July - 1

“ ‘What kind of weather are we going to have tomorrow?,’ almost everybody queried Sunday night. ‘It looks bad and I’m very much afraid there won’t be much enjoyment for us on Dominion day.’ So everybody said and even reporters, those quiet but indispensable members of Bohemian and indeed of every other society, who usually permit themselves to speculate but little in weather possibilities and the like, on this occasion indulged in a few querying remarks on the probabilities for the next day.”^1
1 “Our National Holiday : How It was Observed in Hamilton and Vicinity”  
          Hamilton Spectator July 2, 1883.
          Despite worries about the weather prospects on the eve of Dominion day, 1883, there seemed to be less concern as the day began:
          “Dominion day dawned brightly. Away down on the eastern horizon, the sun came smiling up, kissing the hills and tree tops, shining brightly on the church steeples and throwing a veil of glinting, glimmering gold over the waters of lake and bay. A light breeze was blowing and though the sun shone gaily, the weather looked somewhat unsettled and the many speculations of the previous night were repeated. The crowd commenced to throng the streets at an early hour, and on all sides anxious questionings, guessing as to the probable state of the wind and rain went on.”¹
                At 10 a.m., the four corners of the King and James street intersection were crowded, as many gathered to await the arrival of the 13^th Battalion band which was scheduled to leave from the downtown core and march west to Dundurn park:
          “Small boys were there by the scores. They ran around amongst the crowd and sprawled over the grass in the Gore, an example which was followed by a number of young men. Gay girls and pleased-looking swains walked around arm in arm. The prospects seemed good for an enjoyable day, though ominous storm clouds flecked the sky.”¹
                Shortly after 10 o’clock, the band started for Dundurn, leading a procession of holidaymakers, including “Indian lacrosse players, making, in their picturesque costumes, a marked contrast to the civilized white man and his modern dress.”¹
                At Dundurn, there was an exhibition baseball match between the Baysides of Hamilton and the Burlingtons, with the former winning 7 to 6. In another section of the beautiful grounds, a lacrosse match was played between two junior clubs, the Actives, of Hamilton, and the Beavers of Brantford. The much-dreaded rains came during the game, and after 1 hour and 10 minutes of play, the game was called with the score tied.
          In the meantime, the 13^th Battalion band had gone back downtown to meet the soldiers of the battalion and then marched back to Dundurn arriving en masse about 11:30 a.m.:
          “After a short drill, they drew up in a double line, facing the bay, and at noon fired the feu de joie, which, as a feu de joie, was not a success (the men probably being nervous), but sounded much more like a volley. After this showing of how not to fire a few de joie, the men were dismissed for  lunch, which was spread in a tent in the stable yard.

“Now was the time for the crowd to scatter. A rain storm had come up, and right and left, the spectators went scurrying across the grounds seeking shelter under adjacent trees. But the storm soon blew over, and the rain served only to lay the dust.”¹

After lunch, the 13^th band was again sent back downtown so that it could lead a crowd to Dundurn :

“By this time, the park was getting well-filled, and before the afternoon wore away, an immense crowd had gathered. Gay dresses and bonnets swarmed around the park, forming vivid contrasts with the green sward and foiiage.”¹

On the east side of the grounds, the militiamen of the 13^th Battalion gathered for a tug-of-war between the members of companies No. 2 and No. 3. After this, Mayor Magill spoke briefly to the men and the crowd which had gathered to watch the contest. The mayor took the opportunity to introduce Mr. Hazelton, the newly-arrived United States consul recently appointed to the Hamilton office.

Mr. Hazelton addressed the crowd, saying that he was gratified by his reception to Hamilton, and that he hoped he would always continue to be on friendly terms with those who lived in Hamilton. The band capped off the ceremony with a stirring rendition of Yankee Doodle.

A 100 yard race open to all members of the battalion followed, and later a marching drill was executed:

          “The grounds at this time presented a very picturesque appearance. The soldiers in their bright helmets on which the sunbeams fell marched around, making a glittering scene.”¹
                In the evening, the grounds at Dundurn were once again packed to capacity with humanity. The crowd was attracted by a varied programme which had been arranged:
          “On the stage, the Indians gave a concert and performed some of their native dances, which nothing more uncouth can well be imagined. There is no poetry of motion in Indian dancing. It resembles more than anything the pith figures put on piano tops that jump around when a key is struck. A vast sea of upturned faces looked from the seats in front on this part of the show. On the dancing platform nearby, our more familiar waltzes, quadrilles, etc., were being turned out one after the other in good style. One young woman, who was in a street car when a reporter rode down, said, ‘Oh, Jennie, my feet is near wore off me; I was up in every dance’ – a little speech which illustrates the remarkable hold that the art of tripping the light fantastic has upon the young people.
          “In another part of the ground, the 13^th band was playing as only it can play and “Oh, what beautiful music!’ ‘Say, ain’t it lovely, eh?’ and kindred expressions were heard on all sides.
          “The fireworks were good, and the irrepressible small boy who was present in bulk, testified his approval of the colored lights that ‘bloomed awhile in gaudy glory, then drooped to fade and die away,’ by loud ‘hi yi’s’ and other forcible expressions of that ilk.”¹
                Dominion day 1883, in Hamilton was a memorable holiday. The Irish Benevolent Society which organized the day’s events at Dundurn as a fund-raiser was rumored to have cleared between $1,000 and $1,500.