1915-02-26a

By 1915, the City of Hamilton’s reputation as having persistently combative, consistently dysfunctional city councils firmly in place.

In an interview with the Hamilton Spectator, published on February 26, 1915, Alderman Garson indicated that he, in his role as chairman of the property committee, was tired of being the target of ill-treatment. Things had become so bad he was considering not running for election to Hamilton City Hall again :

“ ‘I have taken a lot of personal abuse, which, had I not been chairman of the property committee, I would not stand for,’ declared Ald. Garson this morning. “The manner in which some of the members of my committee act at meetings is very annoying, and I am tired and disgusted with it. Some of them are like babies, and when men get to that stage, it is time they dropped out of municipal life. “¹

¹ “He’s Disgusted”

Hamilton Spectator.    February 26, 1915

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Relations between newspaper reporters and people at Hamilton City Hall often are tenuous at best. Occasionally, City of Hamilton politicians decide that the intrusion of the public, via the newspaper reporters and their investigations, was not welcome.

Such was the case as reported in the Hamilton Spectator of February 17, 1915:

“The official censor at the city hall has been busy during the past few days, and especially among the heads of the works department.

“Under ordinary circumstances, the works department is a central source of legitimate news, and except on rare occasions is tendered with every courtesy.

“For the last few days, however, the works department officials have been mum. ‘Nothing doing’ has been the slogan of the works department for several days, and this morning, when the reporters called, one of the officials even went so far as to forget to even say that much. He turned his back on the reporters and remained standing at the window, gazing at the sky until the reporters finally left the office.

“It was learned later that orders have been given not to hand out any information to the reporters and one official was told that he was spending altogether too much of his time talking to newspaper men, and would be expected to cut it out in future.”¹

^{1 “}Officials Mum : Are Under Orders Not to Converse With Newspapermen”

Hamilton Spectator. February 17, 1915.

In the next day’s newspaper, it became clear why the gag order had been issued, and that the order was not being followed.

In an attempt to fulfill an election promise, Mayor Walters, in conjunction with members of the Board of Control, was slashing department budgets severely:

“The decision of the controllers to cut down the office staffs in four of the busiest civic departments has caused consternation among officials.

“ ‘I don’t know how we can get along with less employees in our department than we now have,’ said one official this morning. ‘To make matters worse the new board of control insists on heads of departments being present at almost every one of the daily meetings. This occupies so much time that regular work in the department gets far behind. Instead of cutting staffs, they should be increased. If this silly idea of dragging heads of departments before the board daily continues, office staffs will have to be increased or important business affairs will suffer. In some of the departments, heads of departments are actually cutting out their noon hour in order to catch up with work, and it is not unusual for clerks to work at nights.’

“ ‘I have four clerks in my department, and I need every one of them,’ said E. A. Dempster, city accountant, this morning.

“In the treasury department, there are five assistants, and W. R. Leckie, treasurer, said he could use additional help to good advantage.

“In the works department and city engineer’ department, where staff reductions have been ordered, the heads of those departments say it will be next to impossible to comply with the order.

“ ‘I have eight men and require every one of them,’ said Archie Kappele, secretary of the works department.

“ ‘My department is already cut as fine as is consistent with good business,’ declared City Engineer Macallum. “I have eight men and if this number is reduced, the department will suffer.’ ”¹

    ¹“Howl Against Board’s Order :Officials Declare City’s Business Will Suffer.”

           Hamilton Spectator. February 18, 1915

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1915-02-25ts

“Although stories from Salisbury plain say that official news has reached there to the effect that the first and third Canadian brigades were in action all day Sunday and subjected to heavy fire, no confirmation was forthcoming from the war office up until press time today.”

Hamilton Spectator.     February 25, 1915.

For the relatives of Hamiltonians who have quickly volunteered in August, 1914 and who, afterwards, had undergone extensive training at Valcartier, Quebec and at Salisbury Plain in England, it was seen as inevitable that the boys would eventually see combat.

However, the news that indeed their sons, fathers, nephews, uncles  or brothers might possibly have  reached the front was unsettling:

“That the report may possibly be true is indicated by the fact that the censor permitted the dispatch to be cabled.”¹

¹ “Are Hamilton Soldiers on Firing Line? : Report 1^st and 3^rd Brigades Were in Action”

Hamilton Spectator. February 25, 1915.It would take some time for the news that the local lads had seen action, but by March 15, 1915, the first letters from home, written by Hamiltonians who had seen combat started to arrive in Hamilton :

“A large British mail brought to Hamilton for distribution today scores of letters and post cards from soldiers at the front.

Abner Fraser, city auditor, has received a letter from his son, James A. Fraser. It was dated February 22, but all other marks were erased by the censor, which would have indicated exactly where Fraser was located when it was written :

 “ ‘My Dear Father – Received your most welcome letter and was sure glad to hear from home. I also had a letter from Jeanette and Aunt Eliza. I was up to the trenches last Friday night for twenty-four hours, and, to tell the truth, I would rather be up there now than in the place we are, a hospital without any windows. Some place I should say.

“ ‘We were moved from our billets (a barn) to this place in motor transports and have been here two days. Now we are to move back to our old billets from where we started out. We will be there for a short time, and then we will take our places in the trenches where the dirty work will start.

“ ‘While we were in the trenches before, alongside the Argyle and Sutherlanders, there was one of their men killed and another wounded.

“Well, there is not much to say – that is much they will let me say, all letters being censored.

“Hoping all are well, also hoping to hear from you soon. Your Son, Jim.”

Soon afterward more letters from the front would be received in Hamilton. Some would be welcomed, others would contain news that families dreded to hear.

 

1915-02-19ag

“Leslie L. Glennie, 200 Lottridge street, an insurance agent, was instantly killed a few minutes before 1 o’clock this afternoon.”

Hamilton Spectator.    February 19, 1915.

Just minutes after the accident occurred, the Hamilton Spectator sent a reporter to the scene. He quickly gathered as much information as possible, enough to get the news of the fatality included in the late afternoon edition of that day’s newspaper.

Leslie Glennie, a married man 35 years of age, was an agent for the London Life Insurance company. He was known to many in the Spectator newsroom, as he worked out of an office in the Spectator building on James street south.

Glennie used his bicycle to visit customers, usually for the purpose of selling insurance policies, or collecting money to pay the monthly charges on policies previously sold. Even in the dead of winter, he used his bicycle to get around.

Early in the afternoon, Leslie Glennie was cycling west on King street, heading downtown, when he collided with a Hamilton Street Railway streetcar:

“The accident occurred at the corner of King and Steven streets. One wheel passed over the unfortunate man, almost completely decimating him. His head was crushed so as to be unrecognizable and he was not identified until nearly an hour afterwards.”¹

¹ “Fatal Plunge Under Wheels of Street Car.”

Hamilton Spectator.    February 19, 1915.

According to witnesses, Glennie had been cycling directly in front of the streetcar for several blocks, but when Steven street was reached, he skidded on the wet pavement and fell in front of the oncoming car :

“”The motorman applied the emergency brakes, but before the car could be stopped, the man was beneath the wheels.

“The car was crowded with passengers hurrying to work, and many ran to Glennie’s assistance, but death was instantaneous. The body was firmly wedged beneath the front trucks so that the car had to be jacked up before the remains could be extricated.”¹

It was a horrifying scene for all who witnessed the aftermath of the accident. At first, only Glennie’s mangled legs could be seen protruding from beneath the streetcar. Several women fainted at the sight.

By the time, two doctors and the police arrived on the scene, there was nothing that could be done until the streetcar was lifted off the unfortunate man.

Glennie’s identity could only be determined after his clothing was searched and several insurance papers were found in his pocket.

At first, there were rumors that Glennie’s bicycle had been struck by an automobile which had left the location hastily. That story was determined to be untrue.

Passengers on the streetcar stated that the motorman was entirely blameless, and that he had done everything possible to bring the car to a stop as quickly as possible.

The remains were removed to the city morgue, where a hastily-assembled coroner’s jury viewed it. It was decided that the circumstances of the sad incident were clear, and that no blame could be attached to anyone. It was concluded that a formal inquest was not necessary.  

 

1915-02-08ii

It was a story that was a welcome read in the coldest part of February 1915.

After prolonged negotiations, the City of Hamilton had purchased the former toll road which ran up the escarpment from the end of Queen street south.

Beckett Drive had not proved to be a paying proposition as a toll road, and had been more or less abandoned and unmaintained until it was purchased by the municipality.

Throughout the winter, the road was being repaired, with many out of work men thankful to be hired to work on the project.

On February 8, 1915, the Hamilton Times ran a story with information forwarded by a resident in the Queen Street South-Beckett Drive area:

“There were recently observed in a mountain ash tree on Queen street south, and all at the same time, six varieties of birds. They were Downy Woodpeckers, Finches, Grosbeaks, Bohemian Waxwings, English sparrows and one lone robin.

“The winter birds feed on the berries of the trees, and the Parks Board was evidently wise to that fact when it planted so many of the ash trees. The citizens, especially those who love birds, might follow that example to their own happy advantage.

“The Beckett Drive, now being cleaned and rebuilt offers a splendid natural home for birds. A pair of Blue Jays was also recently seen in this locality.”¹

¹ “Winter Birds : Six Varieties Seen in One TreeOn Queen Street”

Hamilton Times.   February 8, 1915.  

1915-02-08ad

It was a last minute call to Charles Robert McCullough to fill in for an ailing speaker, Dr. S. Banks Nelson, who had been scheduled to speak at Knox Church on February 7, 1915.

McCullough, both locally famous and nationally famous, as a founder of the Canadian Club, readily was able to speak on Canada and the Great War.

To a large gathering, he articulated why Canadians should recognize the duty to participate in the war:

“ ‘There is no greater honor,’ said Mr. McCullough, ‘than to die for one’s country. We have received a legacy of bravery from our ancestors in the past, the heroes of the battles of Stoney Creek, Lundy’s Lane and Queenston Heights. There have been many monuments erected to the memory of these brave men, who, although they were outnumbered, fought, and because they were on the side of right they were given the victory.

“The greatest call Canada has ever known came last August when Britain refused to sacrifice her honor to the German tyrant. Canadians then responded nobly, and they have been doing so ever since. But Britain still needs men, and our motto should be to serve, if not on the field, at home, and we at home can help look after those who are at the front, fighting England’s battles. Rich and poor alike can do their share in this war, and, as in the days of long ago, we are fighting for the right, and the just God will give us the victory.’ “¹

¹ “Canada and War : C. R. McCullough  to the Knox Church Men.”

Hamilton Times.     February 8, 1915

 

 

1915-02-25aa

“Uninterrupted fighting formed the feature of this morning’s communique from the board of control.”

Hamilton Spectator.    February 25, 1915.

Heated words and open hostility between politicians and city staff are a tradition at Hamilton City Hall. With the war raging in western Europe, the Spectator reporter assigned to cover the February 15, 1915 meeting of the Hamilton Board of Control used military terminology to describe the action.

One of the main participants in several of the issues was the notably combative Controller Robson, labelled “Controller-General Robson” by the Spectator man. City Engineer Macallum, never known to back down from a fight, was given the title “Major-General Macallum” in charge of “the sappers” (Works Department staff.)

The war column follows:

“For a time the outlook along the whole front was regarded as grave. General Robson, however, finding himself unable to break through the Macallum defenses, fell back repulsed after losing a considerable amount of territory.

“Summary of the racket:

“Major-General Macallum advanced with specifications for concrete pipes for raising main east end sewer. General Robson brought his heaviest batteries to bear on the purchase of aforesaid concrete pipe.

“ ‘Why can’t you make the pipe yourself ? You’re up-to-date’ was the opening shot in the engagement.

“ ‘I can’t do that because I haven’t the patents,’ was the return volley from the Macallum side.

“Robson salvo No. 2 : ‘Poppycock.’

“ ‘You don’t know what you are talking about.’

“Third salvo from the Robson lines : ‘You are not up-to-date. Why didn’t you make the pipe yourself?’

“Major-General Macallum in charge of sappers : ‘For the second time – because I can’t do it without the patents.’

“This shot penetrating the Robson lines, the Robson forces fell back with great losses. Controller-General Robson, still spluttering like a wet firecracker, Major-General Macallum secures desired permission to have at least part of the sewer built with concrete pipe.”¹

^{1 “}Robson Fired Salvo at the City Engineer : And Received Lively Broadside in Return”

Hamilton Spectator.   February 25, 1915.