The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-09-03
Military Tone Was Lent by
Presence Of the United
States Troops
MAYOR G. J. FRENCH
OF CONCORD SPOKE
Large Crowd Went to Gale
donia Park Yes
terday

Everything made for success in Barre's
Labor day observance yesterday Made
to order weather could not have improved
on the brand which the clerk served to
the thousands who contributed numbers
to the local celebration, and once the
crowd ascertained that outdoor eondi-
tions were to its liking the success Of
the observance planned by the Central
Labor union was assured The weather
clerk at Mortified was bound by local
pride TO provide fit setting for the big
celebration in that town and while he
was busy at the task he made enough
good weather for the celebrators here
1t was an old-time Labor day picnic
which the central body staged at Gale
dunia park and the attendance exceeded
expectations
The speaker of the day was Mayor
Charles J@French of Concord, N. u, him
self a grSnite cutter, and wheel horse
in the labor movement Of New Hamp-
shire. His subject Labor, Its Mission
in the World War and Reconstruction
Thereafter" made strong appeal To an
the hour and more that he occupied in
his address. The other big feature Of
the day was the drill given by 100 men
from the mechanics contingent now in
training at the state university in Bur-
lington. Arriving in the city shortly be-
fore noon, the soldiers were entertained
at dinner at Hotel Barre, after which
they were escorted to waiting trolley
b,- Da-
enee Of the boys in khaki lent distinct
military cast to the program and with
Mayor French's strong appeal to labor
for a united front the thoughts Of those
who participated in the celebration were
not allowed to stray far from the sub
ject of war.
Over against the more serious side of
the days observance were ranged a va
riety Of amusements and athletic con
tests. Right here in the city there was
little activity, but at the park there cen
tered a multiplicity Of diversions and
from midforenoon until the shades of
evening began to lengthen, folks who en-
JOY holiday picnic found that most of
the pleasure was to be found on the
park grounds. A very large factor in
keeping the enthusiasm of the crowd at
a holiday pitch was the Barre City band
which played at intervals during the
earlier part Of the afternoon and then
furnished music for part of the field
drill A shooting gallery, quoting
matches and various other contests were
open early and they did thriving bust
ness There were many entrants for the
program of sports, which included sack
races, dash, place kicks and various
races for women, children and grown-ups.
William Mcdonald and John Mcdonald
served competently as judges, and their
work compared favorably with that OF
Joseph d. Will who acted as referee.
Conservative estimates placed the at
tendance at 5000 Surely that number
were present during the military drill
and at one time and another during the
day many others were present. Motor
owners, after a agasolineless Sunday, awoke
at dawn of Labor day to find the sun
smiling across eerulean sky and doubt
less their pent-up enthusiasm for the
country roads slightly affected the at
tendance at the park. At any rate auto
lists focked the main highways leading
out of Barre and nearby lakes and other
resorts were largely patronized by Barre
parties. Yet the majority Of home folks,
along with many visitors from outlying
towns, preferred to celebrate the day
with picnieking, and so 1t came about
that the level ground near lntercity park
was heavily taxed with cars. M. & w.
r. trains were not running and the task
Of moving the big crowd from the city to
the park and back again devolved upon
the traction company and people who
own motor cars.
l~sI D.,,s ,t.,f- n.
stone on the way, for it was near there
that autoists were required to park their
cars and down the lane a ways the troll
lev crowds detrained for the picnic
grounds Officials Of the traction com
pany had pretty large contract, but
they handled the crowd with commend
able alacrity, and an augmented force Of
operatives did very well with the facil.
tiles at their disposal. Scarcely an in
cdent occurred to mar the trolley ride
for those who didn't motor to the park.
Car 23- -ominous number-hopped the
irons twice in making for the city at
o'clock The jumping caused similar pail
pitations for some dozens of passengers,
but no one was injured and the opera
tives were able to return the car to the
rails without calling for carbarn help.
All in all the transportation arrange
ments, handicapped as they were by the
deletion of steam trains, were a very
creditabIe part Of the days doings,
Mayor French's Address.
Seldom have Labor day crowds in
Barre listened to more inspiring adj
dresses than the speech of Mayor French.
As the common peoples mayor of Con.
cord, as an active figure in the granite
cutters union, and as state union or
ganizer for New Hampshire, his reputs
tion as 100 per cent trade unionist had
preceded him Not lot was known
about his ability as a speechmaker, but
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