The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-09-06
LABOR HAS OUTING
Glorious Weather Is Made For
The Days Festivities.
BIG PARADE BY THE UNIONS
Fine Events at Sibley Park /;
Addresses Delivered.
BIG PARADE BY THE UNIONS
From Mondays Daily.

from Mondays Daily.
Glorious weather characterized Labor
day this year. The sun shone out
from a cloudless sky, and there was
that fall chill in the air that sends
the blood surging through the veins
and adds to wholesome minds. To
many in Mankato the day was a
holiday. The law makes it a holiday.
and none are obliged to labor against
their will on this day, but not all
people observe the day as such. and
most of the usual avocations of life
are pursued in their even tenor.
Organized labor in Mankato observed
the day i'll much the same way that
it has several years past, the princi-
pal features being a parade to Sibley
park, speeches and a picnic dinner,
followed by sports. Hundreds of Ia
boring men turned out and took a
day Off from their toll, with their
families.
With Bands and Flags.
The parade started at $3.50 o'clock
sharp, and was an imposing spectacle
Henry Norleen was the marshal of the
day and with the assistance of his
subordinate commanders had every
thing pass off in order and with mill
tary precision. The parade started
on Broad street, went down the paved
portion of that thoroughfare. turned
down Rock to Front, and thence up
front to Sibley park. Bands were
playing and flags and banners fut-
tering, and good will prevailed. Thous-
ands of people lined the streets to wit.
ness the parade.
Parade Was Good
The following was the order of for
nation:
First division, Fred Lemke, aide.
Patrol of Mounted Police.
Mankato Fire Department.
Mayor and city officials in carriages.
Speakers in carriages.
Second division. Mr. Banker, aide.
Concordia band.
Quarry Workers union.
Stone Cutters union.
Cigarmakers' union.
BARRIERS union.
\ Bricklayers' union.
Third division-August Miller, aide.
Twentieth Century band.
Millers' union.
Carpenters union.
Engineers union.
Laborers' union.
Brewery Workers union.
Transfers union.
The families of the marching men
walked or rode to Sibley park, carry
inc heavy baskets filled with good
things for dinner. Coffee was furnish
ed on the ground.
Three Speeches Given.
As soon as the parade had reached
the park. lines were broken, and all
assembled around the speakers stand.
A couple of hours were devoted to
speechmaking. Congressman w. s.
Hammond of st. James was introduced
and gave an entertaining talk on the
dignity and value of labor. in which
he spoke of the Importance of the
working men.
George B. Howley of Minneapolis,
president of state federation of labor,
was introduced and roundly applauded.
He spoke of the value of organization
and outlined some of the things that
the federation had been able to ac-
complish in Minnesota.
C. H. Billings of Eau Claire, Wis,
general organizer of the American So
ciety of Equity, was perhaps the best
speaker. He spoke at length on the
benefits of the farmers organizing, so
as to get more for their products. He
told how farmers unions in one place
can exchange with those in another
place, getting more for their product
than if the product went through the
hands of the middle men. For instance.
Minnesota farmers, organizing, could
sell their potatoes further south to
unions that would sell their apples to
the Minnesota unions. Both would