1883 December Part 5

The day after Christmas, 1883.

Some of the holiday celebrations had passed but there was still one more big one to come.

On December 26, 1883, readers of both the Hamilton Times and Spectator had the opportunity to catch up on some the things that took place in the city on Christmas Eve and on Christmas day.

Reporters, on Christmas morning, still headed over to the Police Court but there was nothing to report:

 “There were several cases to come before the Police Magistrate, but he gave himself a holiday. The court was postponed, and the prisoners were sent back to the cells until tomorrow.

“Following was the docket : Henry Watson and Thomas Burns, drunk; Henry Watson, vagrancy; Thos. Burns, assault on David Farr; Branson Hall, assault on John Jackson; Dan. Graham, jun., threatening Dan. Graham, sen; James Larkin, larceny of a coat.”¹

¹ “Police Court Postponed”

Hamilton Times.  December 25, 1883.

There was no entertainment at the Police Court, but the show went on at the Dime Museum and the Grand Opera House:

 “There was a large crowd at the Central Music hall, King street east, last evening, which was the opening of Lewis & Saucler’s Royal Dime museum. The programme is a long one, and opens with a funny farce called A Live Subject, that brought down the house. Miss Emma Johnson sings some good serio-comic songs, and sings them well. Mr. A. Leroux does a fine horizontal bar act, and is followed by Mr. Will Hamall with a good Lancashire clog. Jerome and Moon show their musical skill by playing on any number of instruments, and the old Hamilton favorite, Ned Mason, in his famous Dutch songs, captures the house. Crosby and Culhane, character artists, are good, and Professor Charles Smith has a big card in a trained goat. Billy Hamall does some clever work on the banjo. The performance concludes with a farce, Fooling with the Wrong Man. This is a great show for 10 cents, in fact, it is a wonder how much the proprietors can give so much for so little. Performances will be given every afternoon and evening at 2:30 and 8 o’clock, and those who want to see a good show should not fail to attend.”²

² “The Dime Museum”

Hamilton Spectator.  December 25, 1883.

 “The well-known Holman Opera company appeared at the Grand last evening in Balfe’s charming three act opera, the Bohemian Girl, to poor business. This organization is too well-known to need to be spoken of at length. All the leading members of old are with them still, including Sallie Holman, J.T. Halton, A.D. Holman, and Blanche Bradshaw. The audience, though small, was appreciative and enthusiastic, and the performance was greeted with enthusiastic applause. This afternoon the same company gives a Christmas matinee for ladies and children, presenting Cinderella, and tonight they appear in the Mascotte.”³

“Grand Opera House”

³Hamilton Spectator.  December 25, 1883.

Entertainment was provided by volunteers for the patients and staff at the Hamilton Asylum on the mountain :

 “The amusement hall in the Asylum for the Insane, in this city, was packed last night with patients, attendants, officers and visitors. The sumptuous dinner had placed everybody in good spirits, and the entertainment was enjoyed with unfeigned delight.

“The programme was received with unlimited applause, the farce bringing down the house time and again.

“The seats were planted more closely, and a large space left in the center of the hall into the middle of which an immense Christmas tree was moved. The branches were heavily laden with cornucopias filled with sweets, ties, lace collars, fleecy neckwear, etc., and each patient was presented with a gift. Old and young munched candy with a relish, and displayed with pride the presents given to them.

“The evening closed with a dance, and merrily the assembly kept time to the music. At 10:30, the patients were marched to their rooms, and Christmas day ended at the asylum with the fullest degree of pleasure anticipated.”⁴

 ⁴“Christmas Evening : With the Patients in the Asylum for the Insane.”

Hamilton Spectator.  December 26, 1883.

A serious accident took place at the railway yards off Stuart street :

 “Between 5 and 5:30 o’clock yesterday, a serious collision occurred in the yard of the Grand Trunk railway in this city. A train was just being made up in the east end of the yard, and one of the small yard engines and two conductor’s cabooses had just backed upon a siding when a freight train from the east came along.

“Between Saturday night and Monday morning, there is very little freight traffic over the road, and the authorities deemed it advisable not to have the switchmen on duty, but left the work to two yardmen. Neither of these noticed that the switch was open, and the freight train came in on the same track as the yard engine and cabooses were standing. A collision ensued, and the front part of the yard engine was torn away together with the smoke stack. The cabooses were thrown off the track, and the foremost one lifted up in the air and deposited upon a switch house by the side of the track, entirely demolishing it. Fortunately, no one was in the house at the time, or they would certainly have been killed as there was scarcely a board left, so complete was the wreck. The other caboose and freight car were also thrown from the track and deposited in a heap together. As the debris thus lay, it caught fire either from the stoves in the cabooses or from the engine, but most likely from the former. All this happened in the space of a minute or two and it was now discovered that there was a brakeman in one of the cabooses, and it was feared that he would perish; but the door, which was locked, was forced open and he was got out with only a slight sprain of his arm.

“When the president, Sir Henry Tyler, inspected the road a few months ago, he ordered that hose houses should be built near every hydrant. The accident happened just opposite the hydrant so that no time was lost in getting out the hose and a stream turned on. The distress signals were sounded and the fire department turned out promptly and put on a stream from a hydrant on Stuart street, and the fire was speedily got under.

“A gang of men were set to work and had the track cleared shortly after noon. The amount of damage is not definitely known, but will probably be several thousand dollars.”⁵

⁵ “Railway Collision : Two Cabooses and an Engine Damaged”

Hamilton Spectator.  December 25, 1883.

The staff at the Hamilton Post Office had heavy duties over as Christmas approached, and even after it had arrived:

 “The patronage extended this season to these missives of friendship and affection is something astonishing, and the revenue derived therefrom by the post office department must be very satisfactory to the officials. Since the first of the current month, a steady flow of this class of correspondence has been daily on the increase. The rush first set in towards the United Kingdom, gradually narrowing its borders until centered in this city on Monday when it culminated in one of the largest deliveries ever known in the history of our post office. The local springtime of literature peculiar to the season was enhanced by the arrival on Monday of a British mail fairly laden with some hundreds of pounds weight of similar missives. The capacity of the staff at the post office was strained to the utmost, and night and day, work proceeded and continued incessantly until noon on Christmas day.”⁶

⁶“Christmas Cards.”

Hamilton Times.    December 26, 1883.

While the members of the Hamilton Fire Department, holiday or no holiday, remained on duty, ready to respond to any alarm that might be sounded, they devised a way to still celebrate Christmas:

“A more jovial and happy set of fellows than the men of the city fire department it would be hard to find anywhere and when not on active service or practicing, they are ready for any good thing that comes along. No wonder was it, then, that one of them should think that while around were enjoying themselves, they should also. The idea was no sooner struck than it was acted upon, and about 10 o’clock yesterday morning they got together and determined to get up a Christmas supper.”⁷

⁷ “The Fire Department : The Boys Enjoy a Magnificent Supper Together”

Hamilton Spectator.  December 26, 1883.

Within ten hours of deciding to organize a Christmas supper at the Central Fire Station on Hughson street, the work of organizing, preparing and serving a Christmas meal for the firemen had been completed:

“And such a supper! The tables were as neatly spread as any to be seen in the leading hotels, and the ‘boys’ were indebted to Alonzo T. James, their neighbor, for the dishes and silverware, while good friends of the department sent in the eatables, which comprised all the substantials and luxuries of the season. The upstairs sitting, which had been improvised for dining purposes presented a very pretty appearance, being decorated with flags and evergreens.”⁸

⁸ “The Fireman’s Christmas : Sumptuous Supper at Central Fire Station Last Evening.”

Hamilton Times.    December 26, 1883.

When the supper was about to begin, the firemen were joined by several city aldermen, as well as some prominent citizens and members of the local press:

“Now came the work which generally falls to the lot of the ladies – that of spreading the tables. The boys, however, did not call in their lady friends, but set to work themselves, and the table was spread in a style that would do credit to any first-class restaurant. Nothing was wanting to make the spread enjoyable. The oysters were well-cooked, the flowers and fruit displayed in a manner to give the best possible appearance, and, in a place where all would see it was the motto ‘Welcome.’ ”¹

After speeches honoring the efficiency of the fire department, several toasts were made and responded to, while several songs appropriate to the occasion were presented.”⁸