1915-04-05tt

On Monday, April 5, 1915, the Hamilton Spectator carried a letter from Robin Richards, a Hamilton soldier who had been seriously in combat. The letter was accompanied by a photograph of him taken in the Red Cross hospital located in Hove, England.

Robin Richards’ parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Richards, resided on Mountain Avenue in Hamilton’s southwest district.

Robin Richard had been on the firing line in Western Europe, serving with the first Canadian Expeditionary force. He wounded in a bayonet charge, when a burly German soldier rammed him the stomach with his Mauser. Richard’s injuries included suffering from a displaced abdominal muscles, dysentery and ptomaine poisoning.

While recovering the English hospital, Richards sent the following letter, along with the photograph to his parents:

Red Cross Hospital, Third Avenue,

Hove, Eng.   March 19, 1915.

Dear Father – Pleasant change to be able to write without having one’s letters read.

I see the troops are still seesawing around Ypres and the village, or, rather, brick pile of St. Elio, about three miles southwest, where we spent most of our time.

Think I know every broken brick and place of possible cover in the bug. Had some real strenuous hand-to-hand fighting there just before I got knocked out, just like old pictures of the Franco-Russian war – German shells dropping indiscriminately on the mob. Casualties were heavy. I was devilishly lucky.

Trenches around St. Eloi are in terribly bad shape, so smashed by shell fire and mines that they seem mere aimless holes in the ground, connected by shallow ditches. The lack of proper parapet and depth cause a very heavy casualty list.

There are two motorbuses by the side of the road leading to the village, which were abandoned on the retreat from Mons. Interesting reading the ads for Nestle’s milk and baby food under the green paint while taking cover behind ‘em.

Don’t know which is most pleasant – waiting six hours after being told to get ready for a bayonet charge or dying in some d----d trench listening to les Allemands sapping underneath you. Looks as if the devil had ben scrambling eggs after a mine has exploded under a crowded trench.

Fighting around there seems terribly foolish. We cannot hold the German trench when wew’ve got it, and they can’t hold ours. WE made a charge around the beginning of March that I think I told you about in my previous letter. I got slugged in the stomach with the butt of a Mauser, handled by a burly 27^th Bavarian Foot Guard, while climbing a parapet. It wasn’t much of a wallop, but what with dysentery and ptomaine poisoning, I went to the mat for fair. Other fellows took the trench and blew it up. Then the Germans came back and chased us out, charged ours and drove us out.

Some of the abdominal muscles have been displaced, which makes recovery a devil of a long job. However, just a question of time, I guess. Then I should get a couple of weeks furlough before rejoining the battalion.

I managed to get over to Ypres a couple of months ago. Nice old town, some fine old buildings – particularly the Cloth Hall. The latter was not damaged at that time except for the beautiful stained glass windows smashed. Fierce job trying to repair these old trenches around this district. Two feet of mud, blood and filth, then dad Frenchmen, next ammunition, etc., equipment, next level more dead Frenchmen, broken rifles, then a layer of decomposed Germans, and, apparently, about ten feet deep you still find remains of human occupation.

I remember what you about ‘spoila optima’ Had rather a choice collection, a couple of quadrangular French bayonets and a German helmet, which really belonged to me according to medieval customs, but lost all my baggage at Batlent. I was somewhat dazed and had to be toted around on a stretcher and I guess someone pinched.

Best love to everybody,

          ROBIN RICHARDS ¹

¹ Devil’s Scramble As Trenches Are Mined : Hamilton Man Sends Graphic Story From Front”

Hamilton Spectator.     April 5, 1915  

 

 

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“The soldiers are marching to a tune, the orchestra and bands are ringing out a melody, and the young folks are singing the air of a new song which has come into the Dominion like the balmy breath of spring from the lakes.”

Hamilton Spectator.    April 17, 1915.

Spring had fully arrived in Hamilton by mid-April, 1915.

 Despite the warming temperatures, leaves coming out on trees all across the city, and the grass everywhere being green once again, there was a spirit of foreboding as it was widely known known that Hamilton soldiers were about to be deployed in the battlefields of Western Europe.

Spirits were lifted in the city, as were spirits being lifted all over, by a new song, a song which was becoming more popular every day.

The song, entitled, “When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose,” had been written by American composers, Percy Wenwich (music) and Jack Mahoney (words). It had quickly become a hit in many cities in the United States.

The song’s popularity was rapidly spreading across Canada, and even to the war zones in Europe in the month of April, 1915.

So popular had it become, the Spectator called it “a universal Hit:”

“The song, while containing no high notes, possesses certain harmonies which produce a remarkable entrancing effect when sung, and is also being used as a one-step and a waltz.

“It is rarely that a popular song with such a refreshing jingle and catchy tune has reached Hamilton.:¹

¹ “New Song Hit Sweeping Canada : Yankee Love Ballad Said to Contain Many Catchy Strains.”

Hamilton Spectator.   April 17, 1915.

 

 

1915-01-02rr

It was a heated campaign to become the mayor of Hamilton for the year 1915.

Early in the fall of 1914, several prospective candidates were weighing their options as regards throwing their hats in the ring. The decision was particularly agonizing for those who already held office at City Hall, and would have to give it up on the gamble that they might win, or lose, in the mayoral contest.

For Charles Gardiner, member of the Hamilton Board of Control, he thought his chances of being elected were reasonably good, but wished to see who might be his potential opponents.

Chester Walters was an alderman, a first term alderman, but he had become exceedingly popular because of his investigation into corruption in City Hall administration, notably in the Board of Works.

Controller Gardiner sought out Alderman Walters to ascertain his future intentions, and was assured that the alderman had no intentions of seeking the mayor’s office.

Two or three days before Gardiner was intending to announce his candidacy for mayor, Walters came to the law of Gardiner and Thompson. An employee of the firm overheard Walters say to Gardiner, “Now, Charlie, I want you to come out right away for the mayoralty and declare yourself. If you’ve got in your head that I am going to run for the mayoralty, get it out, because I’m not. I am coming for the board. You pay no attention to what you hear in the newspapers or in what any person tells you. I’m not going to run. That’s my word on it.”

Gardiner did indeed soon declare his intentions to run for mayor, but Walters had a change of heart.

Claiming that he was under intense pressure to use the abilities in exposing the Hamilton City Hall scandals on a wider, continuing basis as mayor, Walters succumbed and declared that he would run for mayor.

A heated campaign resulted and days before the vote, Gardiner went public with his claim that his opponent, Chester Walters, had given his word that he would be running for the Board of Control, not the mayor’s office. To back up his claim, Gardiner filed an affidavit, in which John Richter, the person who overheard the conversation between Walters and Gardiner, swore that Gardiner was correct in his claim.

On December 29, 1914, L.B. Sanders wrote the following letter to the Spectator in defense of Chester Walters:

“Dear Sir:

“A story is going around the city that Ald. Walters visited Controller in the latter store sometime before nomination day, saying that if the controller wished to run that he (Alderman Walters) would not run against him. This I understand was supposed to have occurred previous to Gardiner having announced himself as a mayoral candidate. The story goes that Mr. Walters said if Mr. Gardiner would run for mayor, he would run for board of control, and that he would help Gardiner all he could. Mr. Walters was supposed to have given him his hand and word on this this. Now, Mr. Editor, I think this story should be stopped. Mr. Walters is of too high a character to do any such thing, and I hope you will publish to the citizens that Mr. Walters has never given his word or any such proposal to Mr. Gardiner, and whoever is circulating the story had better stop it at once. The people ought to know that Mr. Walters’ word is as good as his bond, and if he had made any such promise, he would certainly have kept it.”

Chester Walters was supported by the Hamilton Herald in the race for mayor, while the Hamilton Spectator favored Charley Gardiner.

On December 30, 1914, a largely-attended political meeting was held in Farrar’s until the auspices of the Ward 8 Improvement society.

The Herald’s coverage was of course tilted in favor of Walters, starting from the headline which read, “Gave Ald. Walters Great Reception : Efforts Were Made By Organized Clique to Heckle Him, But They were Cried Down by the Big Gathering.”

While the exact attendance at Farrar’s hall was not stated, there were so many present that “the spacious hall was taxed to capacity, over two hundred electors remaining standing from 8 o’clock until midnight.”¹

¹ “Gave Ald. Walters Great Reception”

Hamilton Herald    December 31, 1914.

It was a rowdy gathering right from the start:

“It was evident at the outset that a certain clique had attempted to pack the meeting against Ald. Chester Walters, but there were too many thinking men there determined to hear about the municipal politics of the city and they grew so disgusted with the repeated interruptions that they shouted to throw certain well-known Gardiner supporters out of the hall. This silenced the interruptions.”¹

As the speeches were to begin, Charles Gardiner had yet to arrive:

“His workers gave him a fair reception when he arrived at the meeting late, but the reception was nothing to that of Ald. Walters’, and if last night’s meeting was any criterion, the candidate for a clean sheet at City Hall, Ald. Walters, will be successful.”¹

The election day was January 1, 1915, and the following day, the Spectator editorial was grudgingly gracious to the winner:

“There were two contestants in the mayoralty race yesterday. One man with but one year’s experience in the council, the other a man who had served the city for eight years, and during five years of that period in the responsible position as a member of the board of control. The verdict of the people, by a very large vote, was to accept the man with the lesser municipal experience.

“If anyone a year ago had ventured to predict that Chester Walters would be mayor-elect of Hamilton today, he would have been set down as a crank or lunatic, but such has been the course of events.

“Ald. Walters, by taking advantage of opportunities presented to him by older members of council, has been able to lead the civic muck-rake to such a degree that he has been landed in the mayor’s chair.

“If Chester Walters can deliver only one-half of the promises and pledges that have been made by and for him, Hamilton will indeed be fortunate in having such an acquisition.

“The Spectator sincerely hopes he can, and herewith assures him that he will have our cordial support in everything he undertakes for the betterment of local conditions and the uplift of the community in general.”²

² “Yesterday’s Elections”

Hamilton Spectator.  January 2, 1915.

 

 

 

                                               

 

1915-03-15cn

“In the police court this morning, Jacob Miller, a colored man, and his white wife, Annie Miller, were charged with keeping a house of questionable repute at 24 Railway street.”.”

Hamilton Times.    March 15, 1915.

The police court reporters were all over the case involving a reported house of prostitution, with the accused being partners in a mixed race marriage. Readers were sure to be titillated by the case for sure.

Not only were the accused managers of the house of different races, so were the two hookers, one white and the other black. The names they gave the police were Kathleen Wilson and Agnes Wilson

Antonio Delorenzo, Louis Malto and Samuel Capaque were also in court, charged with being frequenters of a house of ill-fame.

Jacob Miller was visibly upset as he stood in the prisoners’ docket:

“Miller, with tears in his eyes, stated that he was in total ignorance of what was going on in his home, but his wife stated that her husband forced her to keep the house, as he did not work.”¹

¹ “Colored Man Blamed All on White Wife”

Hamilton Times. March 15, 1915

On Saturday evening, March 13, 1915, a raid was made on the house at 24 Railway street, with Deputy Police Chief Whatley commanding a squad of Hamilton constables, and all swept up in the raid were confined in cells until the Monday morning session of the police court..

Mr, Miller did provide some humor during his testimony, his words being recorded by the Spectator reporter, who attempted to capture the speech patterns of the accused:

“ ‘I’m away at my paper-hanging all day, judge, and honest tuh goodness, I didn’t know of anything crooked. The women folk jest sit around and gossip and smoke, but further than that I don’t know nothin’ said Jake.

“ ‘Didn’t you have any suspicion there was something wrong,” asked the cadi.

“ ‘Not a suspish – but, judge, y’know what women folks is,’ laughed Jake.”²

² “Another Raid By Morality Squad : Police Clean Out Resort on Railway Street.”

Hamilton Spectator.    March 15, 1915.

In her testimony, Jakes’s wife, Annie, hotly denied her husband’s claims, saying that he knew about it all as he wanted money but did not want to work for it. His paper-hanging efforts were few and far between.

A long line of constables testified that they had been spying on the Miller residence for some time, and had seen many men entering and leaving the home at all hours of the day and night.

The three men caught at the house testified that they were there to see Jake Miller about something else entirely. The judge didn’t believe them for a moment.

The judgement was as follows:

“Jake and his wife were fined $50, with an option of two months’ vacation; the inmates were rapped for $20 each, and the three foreigners, charged with being frequenters, were fined $2.”²

 

 

 

1915-03-27uu

With the declaration of war in August 1914, there was no shortage of Hamilton men willing to leave everything, and volunteer to serve in the armed forces in the first contingent.

When a second contingent of soldiers were needed, there were more men willing to volunteer.

          However, by the spring of 1915, news of the horrors of the warfare in Western Europe were well-known, and recruiting for a third contingent was much more difficult.

          A James Street North, clothing store owner, known only as Tobey,  was famous from his distinctive promotions and newspaper advertisements.

For example, in the “Tobey Business Bulletin” included his March 26, 1915  advertisement  in the Hamilton Spectator, Tobey offered hand out  “a nice tender Spring Chicken with every man’s suit sold.”

Tobey also urged that each male reader of his bulleting should “be one of Hamilton’s well-dressed men, who make Hamilton look like a city. It will give you that optimistic feeling that the King’s uniform gives you, and some day with a Tobey suit, you might get to be a Hamilton alderman.”

Tobey bragged that his bulletin was a reflection of his distinctive style of advertising. He then noted that Lord Kitchener advertised in his own way, and Tobey felt it was timely to include Lord Kitchener’s approach which read:

“Five Questions to Men Who Have Not Enlisted

“ 1. If you are physically fit and between 19 and 38 years of age, are you really satisfied with what you are doing today?

 “ 2. Do you feel happy as you walk along the streets and see other men wearing the King’s uniform?

“ 3. What will you say in years to come when people ask you – where did you serve in the Great War?

“ 4. What will you answer when your children grow up and say, ‘Father, why weren’t you a soldier too?’

“ 5. What would happen to the Empire if every man stayed at home like you.

YOUR KING AND COUNTRY NEED YOU

          ENLIST TODAY

          GOD SAVE the KING.

For those Hamilton men who had not enlisted by March 1915, they had to expect being challenged as to why not by ladies on the street, who would accompany their question with the gift of a white feather.

Another challenge to the non-volunteers came in the Spectator of March 26, 1915 with a poem written by Dorothy Adrienne Clarke, titled “A Word to the Shirker:

 

 Young man, be up and doing; your country calls you.

 What are you doing for England?

          Aren’t you going to see her through?

 Your pals have all gone fighting, left you silent alone;

 Won’t you feel rather out of it when they come marching home/

 

Young man, have you thought of it –

          The things they will say of you?

“Oh ! He shirked when his duty was plain enough;

He’s a coward and a laggard, too.

 

Think of the tales your pals will tell

          With their friends all listening by,

“And what did you do, young man,” they’ll say,

          “Surely you had a try!”

 

Come along, young man, be brave and true,

          Don’t let this day pass by;

Put on a uniform, serve your King.

          Be ready to do or die.

 

1915-03-15jc

 

“From the firing line in France came a letter this morning that will read with pride by the relatives and friends of the soldiers from this district  who are now in the trenches.”

Hamilton Spectator.    March 15, 1915

When World War One was declared, a tremendous outburst of enthusiastic patriotism resulted in a huge number of Hamilton and area men volunteering to fight.

It would seven months before those same men were trained, equipped and transported to the scene of the warfare.

On March 15, 1915, the Hamilton Spectator published a letter it had received a letter, dated February 25, 1915  from Major B. H. Belson, commander of C company of the fourth battalion, first brigade:

“As the first contingent from the 13^th regiment comprises nearly half my company (C company) and I have them under my command over five months now, I am writing to let you know what I think of them

“I took them into the trenches for 24 hours on the 19^th inst., with Lieuts. Ballard and Wright, and, as I expected, no troops could have behaved better in any way. Sniping was continuous day and night, but we were not shelled that day.

“Our battalion escaped without any casualties, but in the other three battalions of the brigade, three men were killed and twelve wounded.

“The conduct of my own men from the 19^th Lincoln, St. Catharines, whom I took to Valcartier, has been splendid ever since they were mobilized, and I think the standard has been equally high in the 13^th contingent. I am indeed fortunate to have such keen and willing men as the 13^th under my command.

“The Canadian division will soon be holding a section of the line of trenches, and will not disgrace Canada. If your people at home could see the conditions and nervous strain under which the army has been living for months, I do not think there would be so much slackness in recruiting the third contingent.”¹

^{1 “}Hamilton Men Made Good in the Trenches : Major Belson Praises Them for Their Behavior”

Hamilton Spectator.   March 15, 1915

Major Belson ended his letter by saying that his soldiers were in need of comforts to be sent from home, particularly cigarettes and tobacco.

          In the same issue of the Spectator, a letter from Private J. A. Wilson, of 296 Avondale avenue, was printed. Private Wilson was a member of Major Belson’s company:

          “Just a few lines to let you know the Hamilton boys are doing fine. We left Salisbury Plain on February 9, and had three days on the sea. Then we entrained in box cars, 35 to 40 men per car.

“Another three days and now we are a few hours’ march from the trenches. We expect to be in them this week, so that Hamilton boys attached to the fourth battalion will soon be having a smack at the Germans.

“Our platoon is billeted in a corn mill, and we can see air duels. Germans held this village 8 days. The British took it back by bayonet. The people speak very highly of the British boys.

“I think that with Major Belson at the head of our company, Lieut. Wright in charge of our platoon, we ought to knock the stuff out of the Germans.

“We are made of the right stuff and hope to give a good account of ourselves.”¹

 

1915-04-15tt

At the April 15, 1915 meeting of the Property committee at Hamilton City Hall, there was made a motion passed, calling for an immediate,  thorough inspection of all Chinese laundries, and  Chinese restaurants in the city.

During the discussion on the motion Alderman Newsland declared “that there was no doubt there were undesirable conditions among the Celestials, particularly those running cafes.”¹

¹ Going After Chinese Cafes and Laundries”

Hamilton Spectator.  April 15, 1915.

Committee member, Alderman Glendow said, “If anything immoral is going on, the policemen on the beat should know it. They should inform the Commission so that the licenses can be taken away. If a policeman doesn’t do his duty, he should be let out.”¹

Controller Morris weighed into the discussion :

“I am told that it is for the protection of our young men and women that these places should be strictly supervised. In these Chinese cafes, I am informed that at three or four o’clock in the morning, young girls and men congregate. The policemen I have talked to tell me that in the interests of decency and morality, these places should be closed.”¹

Alderman McIntosh suggested that the Police Commission be instructed to close all restaurants in Hamilton at 1 a.m. The City Solicitor then informed the commitment that if he were to prepare such an instruction, a time to permit reopening should be decided upon.

In response to a question from Alderman McQuesten who wondered how such immorality in city restaurants had been allowed to happen, Alderman McIntosh explained the situation as he had ascertained:

“I was told by the mothers of young men that their sons are kept downtown all night by the attraction of these places. The police say that if they are closed, they can send the boys home, but that as long as they are sheltered in Chinese cafes, they cannot interfere.”¹

Alderman Peter Nichol voiced opposition to the proposed closing time of 1 a.m., thinking that 2 or 3 a.m. might be preferable:

“He knew a lot of railway men, newspaper men, telegraph operators, etc. who needed refreshments after the hour originally suggested.”¹

In response to Alderman Nichol’s concerns, Alderman McQuesten suggested that the whole problem could be solved by banning all women from restaurants after midnight.

Alderman Garson was adamant that something had to be done immediately to address the problem:

“We must save our young men and women. They stay out all night by frequenting these places. They engage a side room for the evening, and we know that they are not doing anything in the interests of morality.”¹

          The following day, the Spectator reported that the idea of the Property Committee to close all restaurants at 1 a.m. had met strong opposition. Internally, city officials, including the City Solicitor, would recommend that the suggestion be thrown, although perhaps it could be narrowed to only apply to Chinese or other cafes.

          Gordon Noble, proprietor of a lunch room was delegated as the spokesman for the restaurant owners:

“As far as lunch rooms are concerned, we have no side-rooms, we are open to police or other inspection any hour of the day or night, and are not only willing but anxious that the license of any place should be taken away if wrongdoing exists.

“It is absurd to talk of not opening until six in the morning. In the summer, half our business is done before that hour. Grocers, gardeners, farmers and others, including street railway men, who have to be out by 5:15, secure their breakfasts by or before that hour.

“The farmer today does not bring his meal along with him, as he formerly did. He comes in, puts his horse in the stable and has breakfast, sometimes before 5:30.

“The owners of restaurants, which are a public necessity, need encouragement today, if anything. Although we are paying two dollars more per hundred for sugar than a year ago, and despite the fact that practically all supplies have been materially boosted, we cannot charge more. We are consumers and must pay the dealers the increased prices, but have to bear the expense ourselves.

“If this goes through, it will mean the discharge of help which we want to keep, and in a dozen other ways, it will be hardship.”¹

The Chinese restaurateurs signed a petition asking that the changes suggested not got through. Fong Young, operator of a Chinese restaurant on King William street, declared firmly that no undesirable conditions exist in connection with his establishment, and that he was unaware of anything wrong with any other Chinese restaurant or café.

Ultimately, the suggested closing hour idea was dropped, although a request that the police increase inspections of all overnight restaurants and cafes be increased.