The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-09-05
LABOR DAY WAS
GREAT SUCCESS
Large Crowd Present and Good
Program Carried Out.
LACEY AND KIRKPATRICK SPEAK
Three Fine Bands Furnish Music
For the Occasion, and Our Peo-
pie Take Good Care Of
Their Guests.

successful and exceeded all eXpeCta-
Itions. Weather was unfavorable and
rain came down with the morning
hours. This cut down the attend
ance to great extent. Courage is
required on the part of excursionists
to leave home in the face of a down
pour of rain when they require a
bright sunshiny day for their enter
tainment. The size of the crowd
was a surprise to every one.
Mondays celebration of the nation
al holiday was the second time Oska-
loosa has handled the program under
the association agreement made by
Ottumwa, Abba and OskaloOsa trades
assemblies to join forces and efforts
trades unions did the honors three
years ago, in 1909. Abba entertained
the hosts in the fall of the following
year, 1910, and last year, 1911, the
people joined in a great demonstra-
ton at Ottumwa. Each celebration
has been greater and better than its
predecessor until the affair has as
sumed somtwhat gigantic proper
tions. But for the storm that marked
the opening hours of Monday morn
ing, Oskaloosa would have been Wis
tied by holiday crowd of monster
proportions. The special excursion
train from Ottumwa and that from
Abba were crowded to capacity and
all regular trains assisted in taking
care of the additional business. AL
bia was out in force and Ottumwa
more than returned the thousand ex.
cursiQnists that Oskaloosa gave her
last year Townepeople turned out
enmasse to assist in the entertaining
of the visitors and everything that
could be done to show the guests a
good time was cheerfully attended
to. II was an orderly, well-behaved
crowd and it was well taken care Of
The Day in Detail.
Credit for the success of the day
is reflected upon the local trades as
sembly which had charge of the dem
onstration as the representative OF
the local organized labor. The as
sembly appointed the committees and
had charge of the organization of the
working forces of the day, made up
the program and looked after the en-
tertainment of the guests. lndivid-
ual unions participated in the parade
and in some instances had their own
special form of entertainment for the
visitors of their craft.
Rain ceased falling during the
morning hours following the arrival
of trains and preparations for the pa
rade were resumed. The parade was
surprisingly nice and a lasting credit
to both Oskaloosa and visiting unions.
Immediately after dinner the crowds
went to the fair grounds for an after
noon of sport and entertainment. II
was a great gathering of town folks
and visitors and every one had a
pleasant afternoon. Careful estt
mates of the crowd on the ground for
the afternoon placed the figures be
tween eight and ten thousand people.
( Band concerts in the city park from
tanned the crowds from supper time
until the departure of trains. Iowa
Brigade band first, then at seven-thir-
ty the Abba band, and the Fifty
fourth Regiment band of Ottumwa at
the close. The only failure on the
program of the day was the balloon
ascension, The big bag was burned
in filling and partially destroyed. No
ascension was possible, but the
crowd was not disappointed.
Nor did the entertainment program
cease with the band concerts. Wis
itors were entertained at a special
dance held at the Armory hall that
was opened at nine o'clock with the
Beckman orchestra. This was one
of the happiest features of the entire
program and was duly enjoyed. The
floor was crowded with happy young
people from the first number until
the close and the home waltz, long
after midnight. Many of the visit
ors stayed over, remaining in the city
with their company until today. The
dance was arranged for by the pro-
gram committee.
! The Parade.
Committees have been at work for
months on the organization of the
parade and the thousands of people
who reviewed the results from the
sidewalk were agreeably surprised
at the results of organized effort.
The demonstration OF the trades I'M
ions was revelation to many of the
people who may have been uniform
ed of the character of the workers
Organization existing in oskaloosa.
Place in the parade was assigned
to the following unions: Laundry
Workers, Garment Workers, Car
Workers, Journeymen Tailors, United
Mine Workers. Horse Shoers. Motion
Picture Operators, Painters and Deco
rators, Electrical Workers, Printers,
Street Railway Employees. Carpen-
tara and Ioinara priak Iavarv nar