The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-08-31
N. Y. City c.
Holds First Labor
Day Celebration
Sept. S. 1882 Thousands Of
Trade Unionists Puruded
New York Streets
LEADERS WATCHPARADE
Eight Hours For Work: EIGHT
For Rest; Eight For
Recreation

1882, +. j. McGulre, founder OF the
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Join
ers of America and Fifth Vice Presi-
dent of the American Federation of
Labor from 1890 to 1900, suggested
to the Central Labor Union of New
York City the idea of setting aside
one day in the year as Labor Holi-
day. The Central Labor Union agreed
with the plan and organized a Labor
Day parade and festival on the first
Monday in September, 1882 This was
the first Labor Day Celebration in the
United States.
The New York Herald for Septem-
ber 6, 1882, gave an extended account
of the celebration, including de-
scription of the colorful parade and a
list of labor leaders who reviewed the
parade in Union Square. The Herald's
story follows:
Nature did her best yesterday to
please the Central Labor Union, whose
members paraded to convince the po-
litical world of their strength. A fair
sky, a gentle breeze and not too warm
a sun greeted the men who reported
to their different headquarters at eight
o'clock in the morning.
AS usual on occasions of this kind
the promised spectacle far eclipsed the
actual one, and yet there were men
enough in the parade to surprise some
of the onlookers. Of the fifty thous-
and promised there were perhaps ten
thousand in line at liberal estimate.
The ten thousand, however, made a
fine appearance and were applauded
loudly by the Spectators who thronged
the sidewalks all along the route.
Grand Marshal McCabe may take
some credit to himself for the man.
ner in which the parade was conduct
ed. The participants were early on
hand and they marched like soldiers
when the order came to move. The
first division, under Roger Burge as
marshal, composed Of workingmen
south of Canal Street and from the
suburbs, formed on Mall Street, right
resting on Broadway
This was to lead the way and would
have started at the agreed time of
ten o'clock but for the tardy arrival
of the Newark jewellers, who finally
came up from the ferry nearly five
hundred strong and were assigned to
the right of the line. AS it was the
march up Broadway began at about
half-past ten.
At Fourth Street the second divi-
sion fell in. 1t had marshalled it's
forces, consisting of workingmen of
the east side above Canal Street,
under the direction of Joseph A. Lies,
at Cooper Institute. The workingmen
of the west side above Canal Street
constituted the third and last division
and formed at Washington Square
under Marshal M. McGrath. They fell
in behind the second division when
the column reached Lafayette Place.
At the Reviewing Stand
The line of march was from Broad
way to Fourth Avenue at Union
Square on to Seventh Street, to Fifth
Avenue, to Forty-second Street, where
the men were dismissed The Park
Department Building on the north side
of Union Square was used for the re-
viewing stand. Half a hundred po-
licemen under command of Captain
Williams cleared the broad pavement
in front of the stand. Of hundred
persons who had been invited to re-
view the procession at this point about
fifty responded.
The delegates to the convention of
the Knights of Labor being held in
the city were we'll represented. A
Sister of Charity who took seat upon
the stand early attracted some Gu
riosity until it was discovered that she
was there for the purpose of taking
up collection among the Park De-
partment employees whose pay day it
was.
Among those on the reviewing
stand were: August Ernst, John Swim
ton, Robert Blissert, P. ]. McGuide,
Louis Post, William Hanson, all of
New York; Mayor T. V. Powderly, of
Scranton, Pa; Gilbert lockwood, of
Pittsburgh, Pa; Assistant Grand Sec
retary of the Knights of Labor; T. j.
Mcbride, of Pittsburgh; Miles Nc
Paddin, of Pittsburgh; John Elliott, of
Baltimore; ]. A. Madeira, of St. Louis;
John Flannery, Of the Miners Natl
onal Union; Alexander C. Rankin, of
Pittsburgh; J. L. Wright, of Pennsyl-
vania; c. T. Moore, of New Castle, Pa;
Andrew Burtt, of Pittsburgh; John F.
Daily and Charles Ward, of Providence,
R. l.; Charles A. Litchinson, of Mar
blehead, Mass, and Henry Appleton,
Of Providence.
Music and Marching
The ample sidewalks of Union
Square were crowded with people
when, at about eleven o'clock, the
head of the column emerged from
Broadway. Two minutes later the air
was resonant with cheers and the
music of many bands. A small squad
of mounted police, commanded by
Roundsman Cannon, rode at the head
of the column.
Then followed Grand Marshall Nc
Cabe on horseback, Marshal Burke on
foot and small detachment of Brick