1914 - Jan 26 Richard Pim

“The announcement of the death of Richard Pim at the asylum for the insane last night will recall to many Hamiltonians the eccentricities of this old veteran, who for many years was a familiar figure on the streets of this city.”

     Hamilton Spectator. January 26, 1914¹

Hamilton has never had a lack of colorful figures on its downtown streets, and certainly that was the case in the late 19^th and early twentieth centuries.

One of the most prominent of Hamilton’s street characters during that period was Richard “Old Dick” Pim.

Born about 1844, Richard Pim had music in his soul. Daily, he would be and his accordion would be heard, along King or James streets, and on market days, he would entertain the shoppers on the square.

Not only would Richard parade the streets, squeezing out sounds from his wheezy bellows, he would also sing with a booming voice. Not all that able to remember the popular tunes of the day, Richard specialized in presenting his own musical compositions to the public.

When Richard was 60 years old, he entered the annual Around the Bay Road Race.

As described in the Hamilton Spectator :

“Though sadly outdistanced, he gamely plodded his way around the 19 miles of the course. Dick’s running costume consisted of an ordinary suit of underwear, with a Union Jack tied around his waist, and the cheers of thousands greeted him as lined up with the best Marathoners in the country.”¹

¹ “Richard Pim Died at the Asylum : Eccentric Old Character Was Familiar Figure : Battered Old Accordion Was Sole Companion”

Hamilton Spectator. January 26, 1914.

As the years passed, Richard’s behavior grew progressively problematic.

During the 1906 Hamilton Street Railway and the accompanying rioting, Richard decided to show his support for the strikers by attempting to set fire to a street car. The police caught him but rather than being sentenced to a term in jail for his actions, Richard was declared to be insane and was sent to the asylum.

After eight years in the asylum, he died in that institution after an attack of apoplexy. He was 70 years old.

1914 Jan 26 McKittrick Syndicate

 “Despite formal objections raised by some of the townships affected, the application of the McKittrick syndicate for annexation to the city of the property in the west end was approved this morning by the Ontario Railway board, sitting at the court house here, and work will be commenced on the proposed new $100,000 bridge and other improvements without loss of time.”

     Hamilton Spectator. January 26, 1914¹

        The developers were ready to go, and the City of Hamilton officials had already approved the widening of municipal boundaries to bring the area into the city boundaries, its legislated which took effect on December 31, 1913.

        But…

        There were formal objections to the annexation filed by the Townships of Barton, Ancaster and West Flamboro.

        To adjudicate the matter, a session of the Ontario Railway board took place in the Wentworth County Court House in downtown Hamilton.

        Complicated legal matters mainly involving insufficient notification of the annexation to the affected townships and potential invalid names on petitions calling for the annexation to be reversed took a great deal of time to settle.

        Also, there were questions as to what would happen to schools and roads already existing in the area. The chairman of the Ontario railway refused to make specific rulings on those matters, directing officials with the city and the townships to settle the matter through negotiation. If a satisfactory agreement could not be reached, there would have to be an imposed settlement by a board of arbitration at a later time, a settlement that might well not be satisfactory to all parties.

        J. G. Farmer, the solicitor representing Ancaster Township, brought up the matter of the taxes in arrears owing to the township. The Hamilton City Solicitor agreed that the city would pay the township all the owing tax amounts, owed until December 31, 1913 and would pursue the delinquent property owners itself.

Also appearing for Ancaster Township, J. Counsell drew attention to the road which bordered the annexation lands, along the border with his township. Counsell felt that because there would be vastly increased traffic on the road because of the development to take place within the annexed lands, the developers should bear a portion of the cost of maintaining that road.

Chairman McIntyre, of the Ontario Railway board, dismissed the township’s submission. Hamilton City Solicitor Waddell added that the developers were prepared to pay for a $100,000 bridge across Beasley’s Hollow and for a new road connecting the development with Dundas. Both things would take much traffic away from the county road.

Objections were raised the sewage resulting from the construction of homes in the annexed area would be flowed into the Desjardins canal, thereby placing the health of residents of Dundas and West Flamoro near Coote’s Paradise in jeopardy. It was also suggested that the water supply of those areas would be negatively impacted.

The Hamilton city solicitor testified that the objections were without any credibility as the City of Hamilton was already building a west end sewage disposal works which would not mean that raw sewage would be going into the canal or the marsh.

After a few more minor objections to the annexation plan concerning the size and style of the sewage works were dismissed by the board, the matter was settled. Not one of the concerns raised by the townships raised by the townships were accepted.

Both the annexation of township lands by the City of Hamilton and the development proposals of the McKittrick syndicate were approved.

1914 Jan 26 Frozen Bay

A short article from the Hamilton Spectator of January 26, 1914, quoted in full :

“Fully two thousand people enjoyed the excellent skating on the bay yesterday. A short distance out from shore, the going was a little rough, but towards the centre of the bay and along the north shore the ice was in splendid shape. Many skated to the beach. Several young men carried hockey sticks and organized scrub hockey teams. One young man went in the water up to his knees when the ice over a channel near the north shore gave way.”

     Hamilton Spectator. January 26, 1914¹

1914 Jan 26 Civic Salaries

“Mayor Allan this morning again gave voice to some opinions on the civic salary question – opinions which are calculated to make some city officials squirm”

   Hamilton Spectator. January 26, 1914¹

When senior mangers at Hamilton City Hall considered that it was their time for a raise in pay, there had been a direct route to campaign for it – lobby the mayor personally.

Tired of being continually harassed on such matters, Hamilton Mayor Allan reached a boiling point. On January 26, 1914 he let off steam telling a Spectator reporter the following :

“ ‘When these applications come before the board, they will be considered on their merits. I cannot understand just why certain officials think they are entitled to annual increases just because they are working for the city. Take a man with a settled job in a business concern. He receives an increase every three years, whereas certain city officials come along, year after year, trying their best to get more money.

“ ‘They are addicted to the button-holing process which is a bad system. They send their friends to me or to other members of the council, saying what a good thing it would be if such and such an official was given more pay. It makes me tired. Long ago, I took the stand that such a process is not right, and I have adhered to it ever since. If all members of the council took the same view, the practice would soon die out, because of its futility.

“ ‘I have never tried to get votes that way. I never made any promises of that nature.’ ”¹

¹ “Would Stop Button Holing : Mayor Allan Deplored City Hall Practice : What He Thinks About Salary Boots”

Hamilton Spectator. January 26, 1914

1914 Jan 24 Scots Dinner

“In the words of Harry Lauder, it certainly looked like a braw bricht nicht at the New Commercial hotel last night, upon the occasion of the annual dinner of the sergeant’s mess of the 91^st Canadian Highlanders”

Hamilton Spectator January 24, 1914¹

It was the last peace time gathering to celebrate Robbie Burns day before the Great War changed many, many things.

It was a merry gathering and, judging from enthusiasm evidenced in his copy, the Spectator reporter in attendance, joined in the celebration fully:

“Mon but it was a grand affair! It started, ye hon, with later soop when Sergeant Bill Hunter hi’self tak the lid off the pat. Subsequently there came fish witho’t banes, also haggis, of course, and at this point – is anybody listening – the first wee drap of auld kirk

“Later still was the roast bubby jock wi’ sausages tilt and trimming  tam, tawties chapit an ither orra vegetables, hame brewed yill and ocegaura.”¹

¹ “Dinner of Sergeants’ Mess Merry Affair : Haggis Paraded in Time-Honoured Style : Praise From Officers For the Crack 91^st”

Hamilton Spectator. January 24, 1914.

The reporter seems to have indulged, not only in the food offerings, but also in the liquid refreshments as the events of the evening seemed to blur:

“This is about where the proceedings started. Just where and when they would up is verra, verra difficult to say at this writing. To get back to the beginning and the shank of the evening, there were all the non-com’s of the 91^st hobnobbing with the representatives of other regiments in city and out of town.”¹

As with most gathering of Scots, the presence of a bag piper was required:

“There, too, was Pipe Major Dunbar to see that the haggis was paraded around the room according to the time-honored custom, and to set the whole room astir with the lilt of pipes.

“The last notes of the pipes died away – and, well, after that everybody wanted to sing. There were songs, before, during and after each course, and more songs sandwiched in whenever opportunity afforded. At times, it was difficult to hold a fork and the air at the same time.”¹

Naturally, there were toasts at the dinner, toasts prompting speeches :

“Captain McCulloch was the first speaker, responding to the toast of Canada. He congratulated the regiment upon the position in which it found itself, and declared it to be second to none in the whole Dominion.

“He reviewed the conflicts in which Canada was engaged earlier in its history, and painted a particularly fine word picture of the death of Wolfe and Montcalm.

“ ‘ In old Quebec,’ he said, ‘there has been raised a common monument to these two brave men. It is the only monument in the world, I suppose, that does honor to he who lost and he won, and shows that we Canadians are generous enough to honor a brave man, even in defeat.

“ ‘I believe that we should develop our character as a people,’ Captain McCulloch continued. ‘We don’t want to be imitators of the Scotch or the Irish or of any other people, however worthy, but should instead, develop the national spirit in Canada. We are pretty well ever boasting of our size now, and beginning to think of higher things.’ ”¹

The next speaker was Col. Bruce, responding to the toast to the Canadian militia :

“Col. Bruce said, ‘I am sorry that our brigadier, Col. Moore, is not here to respond to this toast, as he was my commanding officer, when I went into the militia twenty-five years ago. I think Col. Moore is to be congratulated on what I consider the best brigade in Canada.

“When I went into the militia twenty-five years ago, things were not as good as they are today. We had no fine drill halls, no shooting facilities, and not even the rifles amounted to much. The country is now realizing that the militia is an asset. While the militia has been improving in other respects, the personnel has improved also. I feel sorry for the young men who have never put a term in the militia.

“It is an honor to belong to the Canadian militia, of which any man may well be proud, and of which the country may be proud.’ ”¹

Col. McLaren was the last speaker. In responding to the toast to the 91^st Highlander Regiment specifically, he credited the influence of the regiment for the successful lobbying of the federal government for the expanded armories on James Street North, and for helping cement Hamilton’s nation-wide reputation as a “military town.”

Within just a few months, the reality of war would be present. Many of the men present at the dinner would be among the very first to sign up for duty when war was declared in the summer.

Many would enter the armed forces later. Many would not return to militia duty, or even their home city.