The first stories began to appear in the Hamilton Herald during the month of June 1913. A mysterious lady, who the local newspaper reporters dubbed “the Pink Mask Girl” was infiltrating New York City’s high society circles, then disappearing as quickly as she appeared.
When she finally granted an interview with the press, she identified herself as Bonnie Burr and claimed that she could alter her appearance in less than a minute and disappear into a crowd. When challenged by a representative of the Herald “to a contest of wits with the people of Hamilton,” Bonnie accepted. “I will go to Hamilton and show the general public of that city that one girl can fool them all.”
Over the next few days, the rules of the contest were laid down. Bonnie Burr would appear in public at places and times announced by the Herald. While she would always be in disguise, she would never dress as a man. Photographs of her would appear daily in the Herald, showing her in the disguises she had worn on the day before.
Any resident of Hamilton or within 25 miles of Hamilton was eligible to participate in the contest. To win one had to approach Bonnie with a copy of the current day’s Herald and greet her with the following salutation : “Pardon me, you are the mysterious Bonnie Burr, of the Hamilton Herald, famous for results.”
The prize was $100, payable in gold.
Bonnie Burr’s first public appearance in Hamilton was in front of the Herald office, just west of the corner of King and James streets. She was not in disguise so that every one would have a chance to study her features for the upcoming contest.
A great crowd gathered, blocking all traffic along King street west. Hundreds watched from the windows of adjacent buildings as Bonnie spoke to the assembled about the contest. She then left in her fancy automobile, a Canadian Tudhope 6-48.
Several ambitious motorists tried to follow her but she wrote the following day that “just for a joke I let them keep pace with my car for awhile, then suddenly I let my Tudhope skim away like a bird, leaving my pursuers like mere specks in the distance.”
Everyday, Bonnie Burr would write in the Herald of her adventures on the previous day. Her articles also served to promote certain businesses which used her visit for publicity purposes.
Her first article talked of her trip to Hamilton from New York City aboard the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway’s famous train, “The Canadian.”
Described as an all-steel train of palatial elegance, electrically lighted throughout,” The Canadian left New York City on Wednesday at 8:02 p.m. and arrived in Hamilton at 9:45 a.m. the following day.
Bonnie, describing her approach to Hamilton over the T.H. & B. lines on The Canadian, wrote that she could “smell the sweet fragrance of the fields of clover in the country. Summer flowers blossomed in a riot of colour all along the tracks; daisies, buttercups and bright-hued posies. The view from the train between Vinemount and Hamilton overlooking the lowland or fruit belt with Lake Ontario for a background is unsurpassed anywhere.”
Bonnie Burr’s first impression of Hamilton was that the city was a “flourishing, interesting metropolis with fine shops, imposing buildings and alert, up-to-date people. Everybody seems so happy and full of energy, a marked contrast to the jaded, world-weary Gothamites.”
Bonnie Burr’s first disguised appearance, as announced in the Herald was at King and James streets, between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., on the evening of June 26, 1913.
A tremendous throng gathered at that location and there was an intense air of excitement in the air. Bonnie appeared, as announced, but was not recognized. She overheard the following conversation : “Fred, don’t you believe there is such a person as Bonnie Burr?
“No,” scoffed the young chap, “these people are fools to stand here.”
“Then why are we here?” the young lady asked. Her escort looked uncomfortable for a moment, then replied, “Oh, just to see the fun, little girl.”
Bonnie’s next appearance was announced as to take place the next evening at the corner of Young and James streets, between seven and eight o’clock in the evening. Again, large crows gathered, but no one recognized Bonnie, who had posed as a Salvation Army girl, passing the tambourine.
During her hour at the designated corner, Bonnie went up to a group of men to solicit a donation. One of them said to her, “I’m sorry, I have no change. I’ll tell you what, if you can point out Bonnie Burr, I’ll donate $25 to the Army.
Over the next few weeks, Bonnie Burr visited locations all over the city of Hamilton, but was not captured. Once, while leaving The Right House, a three year old tot looked up at her and said, “Hello, Bonnie.” The child’s mother, embarrassed, but laughing, remarked, “Even the children are looking for Bonnie Burr!”
An appearance at Summer’s Mountain Theatre was one of Bonnie Burr’s most “dangerous” outings. Accompanied by an escort to avert suspicion, Bonnie had to enter the theatre through a gauntlet of searchers who sized up all the ladies present with comical intensity.
The play, an English farce, performed by the Summer’s Stock Company, “inspired fits of merriment,” in the audience. Other moments of laughter came when unsuspecting ladies, walking up the centre aisle of the theatre were accused, much to their dismay, of being Bonnie Burr.
The Mountain Theatre, located at the top of the Wentworth Street Incline Railway, was described by Bonnie Burr as “an ideal place to pass a summer’s evening, open to the fresh breeze of the summer night.” The theatre’s location, Bonnie felt, “gives one the sensation of being in a great balloon as one looks down in contemplation of the twinkling lights of Hamilton.”
On an afternoon free from disguised appearances, Bonnie decided to spend some time relaxing in Dundurn Park. A persistent flirt, nattily dressed, came up to her. With an exaggerated bow, he doffed his hat and said, “Hello Bonnie.”
Deliberately sitting himself beside her, he introduced himself as “Romeo.” When Bonnie rose to move away, he said “Don’t be in a hurry, Bonnie.” Leaving in a huff, she quickly headed towards nearby residential streets hotly pursued by “Romeo.”
“I’ll call the police, if you don’t stop following me,” Bonnie warned her pursuer.
“Oh, Bonnie, I double, double dare you.”
“If you think I’m Bonnie Burr, why don’t you salute me?”
Not having the latest edition of the Herald, “Romeo” could only keep her in sight as she led him away from any stores. Spotting a street car about to come up York street, she hailed it “with a loud tom boy whistle.” Jumping on the car as soon as it slowed down, Bonnie left Romeo chasing behind the street car waving his hat in the air.
For several weeks, the search for Bonnie Burr continued. Gradually her disguises became less and less elaborate, yet still she was not captured. One of her final appearances was on July 12, at the corner of Barton street and James Street North, where she was part of the Orange Parade.
While walking along the street, Bonnie overheard the following conversation : “Well, I hope I can catch this Bonnie Burr person so I will get something to at when I get home tonight. My wife’s gone looney over this affair and I’m starving. I’ll catch her before I go home tonight.”
At this point, Bonnie Passed in front of the man and “accidentally” dropped her purse. The man picked it up for her then carried on with his boast that he was going to capture Bonnie Burr.
The end of the contest came inside the G. W. Robinson store. By this time, Bonnie wore no disguise at all. A woman spotted her but was unable to repeat the salutation correctly. Another woman, standing nearby, Mrs. Allan Campbell of Fullerton Avenue, stepped to Bonnie. With a copy of the Herald in her possession, she then correctly recited the salutation.
Bonnie immediately identified herself and took Mrs. Campbell to the Herald Office, a large crowd following them both. Because the winner had a sale check from the Right House in her possession, she won a mahogany dining room suite as well as the one hundred dollars in gold.
Bonnie Burr’s final appearance in Hamilton was on stage at the Temple Theatre where she presented Mrs. Campbell with her prizes. After this ceremony, Bonnie Burr left Hamilton, ready to baffle the inhabitants of other cities with her disguises.
