The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-04
LONG LINE OF men
Topeka Labor Parade Largest
in Many Years.
Thirty Thousand People Cheer
the MarcherS.
STRIKERS ARE SEEN.
They Carry Banners and Air
Grievances.
Police DO Not Turn Out As
Usual.
Make the Excuse That They
Are Too Busy.

There was probably never in the his
tory of Topeka a bigger crowd on hand
to see a Labor day parade than there
was this morning when the clean and
prosperous looking union men, with
their uniforms, banners. carriages and
floats came marching down Kansas ave-
nue. to the music of two strictly union
made bands. About 10000 people, it is
estimated. were lined up along both
sides of the avenue from enth to the
Rock Island depot. Perhaps the circus
day had something to do with the crowd,
but the laboring men started their pa
rade at GAS, and had the first attention
of the big crowd.
The feature of the parade was the dis
play of the striking union machinists
of the santa Fe A good many people
had forgotten there was a strike in thu
Santa Fe shops, but the banners which
the strikers carried were such as would
tend to remind the spectators of exist
ing conditions The strikers delegation
numbered about so, all of them being
well dressed men, and they were re-
ceived al numerous points along the
line of march with cheers and clapplng
of hands.
strikers were these:
The Topeka court is fair even if
the Santa Fe is not" This had refer
ence to the recent dismissal of the
suit brought by Santa Fe Detective
Germain against Santa Fe strikers.
1.-The Santa Fe can't win this strike
by rowdyism.'
THE block system don't keep scab-
repaired engines from causing
wrecks
to but remember that the strike is
still on and the shops are full of
sea bs."
I'VE can't lose this strike if we
wanted to-"
It is estimated that there were. al
together, about 1900 men in the pa
rade A good many union men failed
to get into the line of march because
they misunderstood the time that the
parade was to start.
The Santa Fe shops and offices did
not close for Labor day this year. The
labor union element is getting some
what scarce at the Santa F'e shops,
and it never has gained much of a
foothold in the Offices.
Owing to the press of business, Chief
Goodwin says the police did not march
with the Labor Unions today. 1t was
reported that the circus was infested
with crooks who followed the aggre-
cation for the purpose of robbery, and
all the night police were brought back
at IL o'clock to patrol the city.
J. L. Bayless, marshal of the labor
parade, was very much angered be-
cause the police refused to head the
ised a fortnight ago to participate, and
that this is the first time the police
department ever refused to participate.
Estridge Band in Line.
Following the Chief Marshal ]. L.
Bayless and his aids came the Eskridge
hand which rcrl7t TO fol l~n
the place usually filled in parades by
Marshall's band. 1t was expected up
to few days ago that Marshalls band
would occupy its accustomed place at
the head of the procession, but it was
discovered at the last moment almost
that there are two non-union men play
ing in the aggregation. One of them
is man who has been employed at
the Santa Fe shops for a number of
years and who refused to go out with
the strikers when ordered to do so by
the union. The other member of the
band is slated as a Scab by the unions
and when these conditions were found
TO exist the management of the parade
thought it best to secure music from
out flown. This is the reason that
a country band led the Labor day pa
rade this morning.
Immediately following the band
came the members of the Carpenters
and Joiners' union followed in the or
der by so electrical workers. represent
ing the allied electrical workers of the
city The wagon which proceeded this
pody OF men was labyrinth of wires
ana electrical fixtures. The members
of the Gas Filters and Plumbers mn
ION, 20 in number came next in the
order of the parade. Each member
carrying a cane of lead pipe, turned.
Jointed and fitted embIymatic of the
owrk done by the members of the
plumber union.
The sheet metal workers union was
represented by five members of the
union riding IN carriage and made
particularly conspicuous by their hats.
Whlch were made of tin and were rem
resentative of art in the tin shop. The
members in the carriage We're Rurf
compton, Earl 1arimer, Oscar Peterson
and Joseph Geisert.
The lathers union was slow in asseu-
pllng and when the parade started there
was less than a dozen of the members
IN the procession although the number
was considerably increased before the
parade reached lower Kansas avenue
The wood, wire and metal fathers
seemed TO be the aristocratic member
snip OF the parade. They rode in a cab
Denlnd team of well groomed horses.
4, by a very appropriate arrangement
tne plasterers followed Immediately he
hlnd the .lathers and made one of the
neatest showings in the parade with
their costume of entire white.
The painters, decorators. and naner
Hausets unions IN the city were repre-
sented py number of wagons and
hoats. The wagons decorated with The
embiems of the trade that they renTe-
sented.
In this division was decorated wagon
OF the paper hanging firm of Parr RTos
& Vancil. in which a goat was riiino
under the suggestive banner II i,1s9
butted in just
The Brick Layers and Masons. union
drew last place in the first division with
a membership of SO in line. all uniform
ed In pure white and marchine ,,ndsr i.s