The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-09-10
LABOR DAY CELEBRATION.


lives.
From early in the morning until
midnight there was something going
on, not an idle minute being apparent
in the whole days and nights pro-
gram. From the time that the first
band notes awakened the echoes in
the downtown streets, until the last
note of the orchestras' FURNISHING
dancing music for the dancing parties
at night, there was something for the
crowd to do and see.
That the success of labor's celebra-
tion a year ago had spread far and
wide was made apparent yesterday
by the many strange faces to be seen
on the streets. Crowds came from
cities and villages all over the central
part of the state, and everybody went
home at night, awfully tired, but sat
isfied.
The big feature of the mornings
program was the parade which started
at 10 o'clock in West Owosso.
However, all of the trades were,
represented by big delegations, and
there were numerous floats, varying
from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Many of the tradesmen marched in
their overalls or in uniforms of white.
The procession was headed by the
Curtis band of Bancroft, followed by
Clarence Mccall, marshal of the day,
and members of the general labor
committee, carrying the tradesmen's
banner. The first float was that of
the Ann Arbor carmen, miniature
cattle car in which two goats rode,
calmly chewing their cuds. The car
men, attired in overalls, followed.
Owosso Lodge, Loyal Stars of Am
erica, came next with a handsome
float and was followed by the boiler
makers float showing several of the
workmen at the forge riveting a
boiler. The machinists marched next,
and were followed by the Owosso 10
cal of musicians band. The railway
clerks float came next with the clerks
riding in a sedan behind. Next came
the iron moulders all in white, fol-
lowed by the carpenters and joiners,
and the millman. The bricklayers also
were attired in white as were the
painters and paper hangers. The
Owosso city band came next.
The fire department was out in
force. The Odd Fellows float de-
picted the duties of the lodge in car
ing for stricken brothers. Grinnell
brothers float came next, followed by
that of E. F. Hayward, beautiful
creation. Floats of A. F. Bridegroom
and Scarlet & Jennings were fol-
lowed by big float representing the
Connor Ice Cream Co. that acted like
a magnet for all the kids. After
dinner mints were thrown into the
crowd by the handfuls, and slabs of
ice cream handed out. This explains
why scores of boys and girls followed
the line of march. The Delco light
was next.
The prize committee announced
the following prize winners in the pa
rade and various contests:
Best decorated float, E. F. Hay
ward second, Connor Ice Cream Co.;
best comic float, Fairman's shimmy
band; second, machinists' union; best
mechanical float, Ann Arbor car de-
second, Ann Arbor boiler
makers; best decorated automobile,
Owosso Aerie of Eagles; best team of
horses, West Side fire department.
Winner of water battle, Ann Arbor
ear department; winner of tug of war,
Stove Co.
During the morning and afternoon
there were free acts at various points
about the city and in the afternoon
and evening there was dancing at the
city market parlors, the Moose lodge
room, and at the armory. There were
also two ball games at Athletic park,
and at four o'clock the tug-of-war
between teams representing the Ann
Arbor car department and the Stove
plant was put on. The stovemen won,
taking down $25 and the losers get
ting $15.
No more brilliant or pleasing dis
play of fireworks has ever been seen
here than that which wound up the
program. 1t was carried out on the
vacant land north of the armory. For
more than an hour rockets shot into
the air, illuminating the heavens with
dazzling lights of various colors ac-
companied by explosions that must
have reminded the overseas men of
the battlefield These rockets were
with mammoth set pieces
Of many designs including the Ameri- |
can flag, that for beauty could not
be surpassed. The end of the display |
,ame sooner than planned, for spark |
dropped on the fuse to numerous
rockets and then everything that was
eft went up. |
The result was perfect bedlam of |
explosions, with rockets shooting into |
the air, bursting and loosing showers
n III o,,I Inciertac