The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-09-16
KNIGHTS OF LABOR
BEGAN LABOR DAY.

Since 1882, when the knights OF
Labor resolved to hold their parades
on Labor day, that holiday has been
kept before the public in various To-
cal1ties, until now almost every state
has followed the example of Colorado
py making the first Monday in Sep
tember a legal~holiday. The idea of
parading on> that day has, however,
lost popularity with labor organiza-
tons, as the holiday is celebrated in
many forms Of recreation by the sew
eral million strong army Of wage
earners who live by the exercise of
brain or Drawn. One day each year is
therefore set apart for workers Of all
classes to relinquish labor and pursue
the enjoyment of their individual bent
When there is such a diversity of
sports every man demands his choice
as to whether he shall spend the day
at fishing, baseball, motoring or be-
come an eXcursionist.
Old English Festivals.
Nothing commends the good old
days as strongly as the accounts of
the feasts and festivals of the old
English craftsmen, who kept certain
holidays in revelry or ceremonious
pageant even before America, was dis
covered. In the present century it is
almost Impossible to imagine the in
tluence of some of these old guilds of
Workn1en, or to comprehend the occu-
pations in which they were engaged.
NO longer is there any demand for
horners, who engaged in making cups,
spoons and window panes from the
horns of cattle; nor is there but little
demand for those whose business it
was to dislodge chimney SCOT. Even
| the tinker who went from place to
place mending pots and pans for
housewives, and who passed them
down to succeeding generations, has
| disappeared. There is no industry to-
day, however, except perhaps that of
! building airships, but was represented
in some crude way in the labor Of the
craftsmen, and if honesty and quality
| of work are considered, our hats must
be off to those men of old.
First Day of May.
| That Labor day in Europe today is
the first day Of May is probably the
! outcome of this day having been cele-
brated by many of the old craftsmen
before the age of invention. Among
other merrymakers, the chimney
sweeps spent frolicsome Mayday,
and in some localities still keep up
some Of their old customs. In former
times London's cbalk-faced chimney
sweeps carried shovels and brushes
as they paraded the streets dressed in
| cheap finery and decked with strips
Of gilt and colored paper. To them
no Mayday was complete without a
| May dance.
The beribboned milkmaids who
! danced on the same day also aspired
to have music at their Qualification,
and often marched behind a COW with
gilt horns in procession. On that day
these rural workers borrowed silver
cups and tankards, which they hung
around their milkpails. decorated
with ribbons and flowers. Such at
| tractive paraphernalia helped them in
| collecting coins from their customers,
| before whom they danced.
| Partly to secure holiday and part
| ly to increase their funds, the Friendly
Society Of Carriers also celebrated the
first of May with a procession. In
country places the carriers, with their
wagons and horses gay with ribbons,
| stopped at the numerous public
houses and at homes. At every stop
those within were under obligation to
give ribbon to help in the decoration
! If The carts