1914 - Jan 2 Noodles Fagan Part1

“ ‘Noodles’ Fagan, who is the guest of the Spectator this week, while appearing at the Lyric theatre, gave a big time to a tumultuous party of friends yesterday morning”

Hamilton Spectator January 2, 1914.¹

It could well have been the noisiest crowd ever to gather in a Hamilton vaudeville theatre.

To start the year of 1914 off in Hamilton, a free entertainment was given at the Lyric Theatre, an event organized and sponsored by the Hamilton Spectator, an event particularly geared for the legion of newsboys working throughout the city.

Although scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., the time posted on the invitations, fully a half hour before that time the vicinity of the theatre on Mary street was swarming with newsboys and when the doors opened, pandemonium reigned as the invited guests marched in.

Although the event was aimed at entertaining the Hamilton “newsies” who sold the three Hamilton Daily newspapers on street corners throughout Hamilton, more than 500 adults were also present.

 In all, the theatre was taxed to capacity to seat all who came : In the party were some 4,000 men, women and children, mostly children, not to mention a few dozen lusty infants. It was the biggest crowd the Lyric ever knew. Every seat in the house was occupied and in the majority of seats two eager youngsters had squeezed in trying to double the seating capacity. In each of the boxes was what would have been a good-sized audience in itself.” ^I

^“In what undoubtedly was the largest holiday party ever known here, school children, newsies and their brothers and sisters and cousins were entertained free of expense by the Spectator, given a ‘trip around the world’ by the moving picture route, and impressed with patriotism, the advantage of education, cleanliness, loyalty to their parents and the evils of tobacco and drinking by ‘Noodles.’ ”¹

¹“Newsies Cheered for Noodles and Mayor : Great Crowd Tribute to Spectator’s influence : Little Folks Were Guests of G. F. J.”

Hamilton Spectator. January 2, 1914.

The host was “Noodles” Fagan, the proclaimed “King of the Newsies” known internationally for his championing of newsboys in cities throughout Canada and the United States. Fagan believed that the young fellows who sold newspapers had hard lives and were exposed to all kinds of evil influences. It was his cause to provide some educational entertainment, accompanied by some good advice to the newsies, and with the sponsorship of large newspapers, Noodles Fagan was a very well-known, and a very popular man.

Noodles made his presence and influence on the gathering even before the doors of the Lyric were opened :

“The all-around enthusiasm of the Noodleites, and even the grown folks who were there, was evidenced when three hearty cheers were given for the Spectator and the Lyric. ‘Noodles’ had the children spell out the words ‘the Hamilton Spectator’ which they did with a right good will.

“ ‘Noodles’ had lined his children in pairs on Mary street and they waited like soldiers awaiting the order to march, each boy and girl in his place and every eye following the leader as he walked along the line with his good-natured face aglow and his contagious smile for everyone.  

“ ‘Noodles’ gave the order to march and the child soldiers of his army went inside to an hour an a half of excellent and instructive entertainment, entertainment that in its way was as good as a sermon and one they will remember always.”¹

The Spectator reporter came up with the following overview of the first part of the entertainment :

“There was a cheer when ‘Noodles’ made his first entrance, but a motion from him for silence, the 4,000 children stopped abruptly and from that time he held their attention, swayed them, sang to them and had them sing with him, showed them pictures, entertaining and instructive: and, in fact, for the time he was really and truly their leader right to the time when three cheers for the Spectator, and three cheers that they added themselves for ‘noodles’ they filed out and home to remember one of the best times they have ever had”¹

(To be continued)