Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-03
LABOR'S PARADE
Good Showing Of the Workingmen
in the District.
FIVE THOUSAND MEN IN Line
Nearly Every Trade and Industry
Was Represented.
MANY HANDSOME FLOATS

success than those rost sanguine advocates
Of th;, new legal holiday had dared to an
ticipate.
A lovelier day for a national holiday could
not have been asked for. The smoky haze
that filled the air kept of the hot rays of
the sun, but 1t was still warm enough to
make outdoor life attractive. Early in the
morning the crowds began to gather along
the business streets of the city, in order to
secure available places from which to see
the display.
The trades display was. Of course, the
great event of the day that served to draw
thousands of people onto the avenue. One
wouli think that the people of Washington
must have had almost enough parades in
the last ten days to keep them going for a
good while to come. but this was evidently
not the case The parade today was by al.
odds the finest one of the sort ever seen in
this city. and reflects the greatest credit on
the officers and the various committees, who
have been at work over the preparations
for weeks past At a reasonable estimate,
1t Is safe to say that there were 5000 men
In lne and as many of them were in some
thing like uniform. carried a profusion of
flags and were attended by numerous bands,
the scene was a decidedly lively one 1t
the stars and stripes should be allowed in
the parade.
Grand Marshal Hobbs.
The grar-d marshal OF the parade was Mr..
Miilard F. Hobbs Of the bureau of labor,
who prepared the bill which President
Cleveland signed on June IS. making Labor
day legal holiday. MIR. Hobbs was very
active IN urging the passage of the act, as
no ha oh.
legislation Of tie Federation Of Labor for
the year ending July, 1894. His calls upon
the various associations were promptly
answered. and many Of the larger organixa-
ton had gone to considerable trouble and
expense to make their appearance an at
tractive one.
The four divisions into which the parade
was divided assembled about the city hall
and In the various streets about there.
About 10 O'Clock the procession started. Its
line OF march was down Indiana avenue to
lst street. to the Peace monument, by way
Of Pennsylvania avenue to 32d street where
the parade formally disbanded. Some of
the organizations ccuntermarched, but a
larger number went directly, with large
coteries OF friends. to Bethesda Park.
where the great labor day picnic was held
The Flag Very Conspicuous.
One conspicuous feature of the parade
was the presence of 20 many flags. The ma
tional ensign punctuated the procession like
commas In a paragraph full of adjectives.
Every few feet there was a flag. Looking
down the line from the treasury there SEEM
ed to be nothing but flags. the stars and
stripes, with here and there a banner de-
noting the head Of a trade union. One as
sembly carpenters they were apparently,
had aimed each man with a flag, besides
haunting a great banner in the center The
aspect OF this body OF men suggested that
revolutionary doctrines of any kind would
find but few supporters in its ranks.
Looking down the avenue from the treas
ury the location OF band or drum corps in
the line of march could be made long be-
fore the music was heard. One could dis
tinguifh 1t by a great cluster Of dark fig
ures almost surrounding the musicians and
keeping time with the march. This was the
escort of small boys. attracted to the band
as the magnet gathers stray bits of metal
within its reach, and constantly growing in
size as 1t progressed, like a snow ball gath
ering substance when rolled down hill.
The youthful drum corps and bugle brigades
proved q drawing card to this class, and,
with envious hearts and wistful eyes, the
little fellows trooped after the proudly
marching drummers.
The Great Crowd.
1t was q thrilling hours work for the grip
men Of the cable cars. There was a tre-
mendous crowd on Pennsylvania avenue,
and 1t really seemed like they begrudged
the cable cars room to pass. 30 there was
nothing for 1t but to plow through with
clang of bell and trust to luck to make the
run without killing a man. A ride on the
front end Of the cable car was enough to
induce heart disease In a nervous person,
for every few yards there would be narrow
escapes from running down pedestrians,
ard the nervous man would get a shock.
special divinity seems to care for foolish
people in a crowd, however, like the al
legged angelic protection that surrounds chill
dren and drunken men. for the threatened
pedestrian always escaped by . hairs
breadth.
1t was a perilous time for the crowd, too.
especially those who stood on the south side
Of the street between the procession and
the car tracks. They took equal chances
of being pranced upon by fractions horses
In the hands Of unskillful riders, of being
run down by the deadly bicyclist or rammed
by cable car. To add another element of
danger danger to .i their position; a police patrol
crowd and back again with that wild haste
which patrol drivers always employ when
going upon some trivial errand
The Pie Wagon.
The most popular institution in the ma.
rade was the wagon which distributed pies
to the crowd. All the way up the avenue
the men on the wagon busted themselves
with wrapping up sections Of pie and toss
Ing them among the crowd. Well. of
course. 1t goes without saying that this
wagon had a large and enthusiastic escort
Foolish urchins thronged close around the
wagon and besieged 1t. but they got few
pies. The wise boys kept close to the pave
ment, for they knew the flying pies would
come that way. and with eyes intent upon
the pieman watched their opportunity to
AXE a leap and catch the pastry on the
ny. Then, when a pie fell into the crowd.
being expert by this time they would dive
under the people and pounce upon their
prey.
The decorations left over from Pythian
week added to the gala appearance Of the
streets. and the fakirs and fruit-stand men
Of that time fiourished again. One Of the
grand stands which had been erected for
the Pythian parade, and which was still
standing, was utilized by an enterprising
citizen. who announced standing room for
10 cents to afford a view Of the procession.