1915-06-26ii

It was the grand finale of Baby Welfare Week - an Outing Day at Dundurn Park, with over 1000 specially invited mothers and infants, plus the general public, invited to attend.

On Thursday, June 24, 1915, a large advertisement was placed in the Hamilton Spectator, noting that the big event was to begin the following day at 3 p.m.,  that there would be no admission fee and that the attractions would include a band concert, daylight fireworks, draws for two complete ‘Neponset Doll Houses’ and two dozen dresses, a balloon ascension, a photo contest with a $5 prize for the best child photo taken on the grounds, extra lawn swings and slides installed for the afternoon and, finally “favors for the kiddies and refreshments for mothers and infants.”

 

The Herald reporter who attended the Outing Day provided a detailed coverage of the event for his paper’s readers:

“Hundreds of mothers and their children gathered in the park and a very pleasant afternoon was spent. The street railway company had special cars at the service of the welfare committee, and they were used to good advantage in the transportation of the mothers and the kiddies.

“About three o’clock, all that could be seen in the park were baby carriages and pleased mothers and happy children. It is estimated that there were about seven thousand people on the grounds and everyone had a smiling face.

 

“The principal part of the afternoon was devoted to the daylight fireworks that were exhibited by the Hand Fireworks company, and many a kiddie could be seen running to catch the balloons that were sent up.

“Another feature of the afternoon was the manner in which Bruce A. Carey taught the children to play that old game entitled Nuts in May. The Salvation army band furnished the music for the afternoon, and all of the kiddies paraded behind the band singing that old favorite Tipperary, and then the parents took up the chorus and the old grounds resounded with it.”¹

¹ “Mother’s Day a Big Success : A Large Crowd Gathered at Dundurn Park Yesterday”

Hamilton Herald.   June 26, 1915.

An important event of the afternoon’s fun was a pie-eating contest, in which several boys from the Boys’ Home orphanage were entered:

“The boys started laughing, and this is not conducive to speed, the result being that it took about nine minutes to finish one piece of pie by the winner.”¹

A meal had been promised for the invited mothers and their children.  But, with the supply quickly running short, Mayor Walters and W. E. Phin hurriedly returned downtown to gather more donations from restaurants:

“The committee in charge of the refreshments had its hands full in supplying the people, but all lent a willing hand to make the afternoon a success. Mayor Walters could be seen going through the crowds of waiting mothers and children and handing out good things to eat.”¹

^{Hamilton Mayor Chester Walters with a baby whose w father had been recently killed at the front.}

By six p.m., the park was nearly empty with all mothers, children and others well-satisfied with how well the outing had been run off.

The next day, the Hamilton Herald carried an editorial on the importance of the Baby Welfare Week:

“The plan of setting aside one week in the year for the promotion of the welfare of babies is that appeals not alone to philanthropic sentiment, but to the hard sense and cool logic of the practical economist. It is a movement which deserves all the encouragement and substantial support which can be given to it.

          “Especially at this crisis in the history of our country and empire, it is meet to give though and careful attention to the problem of conservation of infant life, for the drain on the young manhood of the empire has already been great and is likely to be greater, and no wastage of life can be afforded.

“Many people have become interested in the work who had never given it any thought before. Much valuable information about the rearing of babies has been disseminated. Mothers have learned many things that are good to know about the numerous ailments to which infants are subject, and the best ways of treating them; also about proper feeding and clothing and handling.

“It has been a beneficent and beautiful work, good for those who engaged in it as well as for mothers and children and the community at large.”²

² “Baby Welfare Week”

Hamilton Herald.   June 26, 1915.

The Herald editorial writer had positive words for the previous day’s public event :

“ ‘Baby Week’ closed yesterday afternoon with a large picnic at Dundurn park, an affair which was not only highly successful, but was unique in character.

“All the children from all the city institutions devoted to the care of the young were there. And many hundreds of babes in the arms of their mothers were there too. Thousands of citizens were present to assist in giving a good time to the kiddies old enough to be entertained.

“All sorts of amusements were provided, and the youngsters were fed  with good things to an extent which almost made one doubt whether baby welfare in the form of ice cream, cake and candy might, in some cases, cause temporary trouble.

“It was a glorious wind up of a most successful week of activity in behalf of the babies.

“Not only was this the first ‘baby welfare week’ in Hamilton, it was the first in Canada. We may be sure it will not be the last in this city.”¹