“Good weather, good grounds, good attendance, and
two good nines – all the conditions were favorable for a good game of ball at
Dundurn Saturday, and a good game of ball was had”
Hamilton
Spectator. June 8, 1885
A weekend in the latter part of the
season of spring in 1885 was memorable, maybe not for any spectacular
occurrences, but for a series of lesser events which when put together give a
taste of what life was like in the city at the time.
The baseball game at Dundurn Park
attracted 1900 of Hamilton’s most enthusiastic fans to a game which lasted two
hours.
The
Hamilton Clippers were well ahead of the Guelph Maple Leafs, 4-1.
As
described by the Hamilton Spectator reporter on the scene, it looked like the
result of the game was already decided at that point:
“The
Clippers did nothing in their half of the ninth inning, and the crowd began to
move to the gate when the Maple Leafs went to bat, satisfied that the game was
over. But it wasn’t.
“The
Leafs had got (pitcher) Pete Wood’s range, as it were, and began pounding him
so lively that three of them skipped over the home plate.
“
‘How’s the score?’ demanded Pete Wood.
“
“A tie,’ cheerfully responded the scorer.
“Off
went Peter’s cap, and the trouble began.”
The
game went into the tenth inning :
“In
the Clipper half of the tenth inning, (2nd baseman) McGra, who had sprained an
ankle in the previous inning and now limped painfully, brought in two runs with
a big hit, and the Clippers’ sympathizers breathed a trifle easier.”
In
the bottom half of the 10th inning, Clipper pitcher Wood helped his
cause with some nifty defensive efforts:
“For
the Leafs, Jimmy Hower started off with a two-bagger. In this inning, Pete Wood
did some capital play. Twice the ball was struck to him, and twice did he
menace the base runners, making them hug their bags, and allowing himself just
sufficient time to get the ball to first before the striker reached that bag.
It was well and cooly done.
The
injured Clipper 2nd baseman, Pat McGra, took the field despite his
sprained ankle and made a key play:
“McGra
closed the inning by sharply fielding a ball that he had to run nearly to first
base to secure. Pat was the hero of the hour.
“The
game was most interesting, and at times intensely exciting. There was little
heavy hitting, but there was plenty of brilliant fielding, and just errors
enough to give it variety.”
The
Spectator coverage of baseball games in 1885 was very detailed as to the
narrative of the game’s progress, plus a full scoreboard with all the
appropriate statistics.
At
the end of each games coverage was a section simply called “Notes.”
Here
are just a few of the many notes which followed the coverage of the Clippers’
6-4 extra inning victory over the Guelph Maple Leafs:
“The
game of baseball seems to be understood, to some extent, in the place called
Hamilton.
“The
best batters do not make the best batting when the pitcher gives them their
bases on ball.
“Chamberlain
(Clippers’ 3rd baseman) was the ladies’ favorite in the Clipper-Leaf
game. Charley Maddock (Maple Leafs’ 2nd baseman) was jealous of him.
“(regarding
Clippers left fielder Pfann) Pfann plays a pfine game in the pfield.
“Baseball
in Canada has now reached a high degree of excellence, and the league teams
make games that are exceedingly interesting for the spectators.
“Charley
Maddock tore around the St. Nicholas (a downtown Hamilton hotel), after the
game, as if his name was spelled mad-ox. His temper was slightly ruffled by
recent baseball events.
“The
Maple Leafs and Clippers are bound to give Hamilton audiences the worth of
their money. A 14 innings game and a 10 innings game so far, and both close and
exciting.
“Wouldn’t
it be a good policy for oitcher Wood to trust more to his fielders and not give
so many strikers bases on balls? Those fellows who go to first on balls
occasionally get around.
“The
most exited man at Dundurn on Saturday was the man who in the sixth inning put
up $15 to $2 on the Clippers. When the Leafs tied the Clippers in the ninth
inning, the man who had backed the home team went behind the grandstand and lay
down.
“Baseball
has become fashionable in Hamilton as well as popular. The ladies’ side of the
grandstand at Dundurn was crowded, and many handsome toilets were displayed.
Not a few of the ladies had never seen a ball game before, and they voted it
‘ever so much nice than cricket.’ ”
It
should be noted that the Clippers were not the only Hamilton team in
professional Canadian Baseball league. On June 8, 1885, the second Hamilton
team, the Primroses was tied with the Clippers for first place in the league.
In
the Notes of the Spectator for June 8, 1885, it was noted that the tie for
first place would be over by the end of the afternoon as the Primroses and
Clippers had a scheduled league game at Dundurn:
“There’ll
be wigs on the green this afternoon at Dundurn. Somebody is going to get
beaten.
“There
won’t be any monkeying this afternoon at Dundurn, when the Primroses and
Clippers wrestle for the lead in the league race.
“You
need not be at all astonished, if you see the Primroses coming down from
Dundurn in hacks this evening, with brooms displayed.
“The
Primroses are entitled to very great credit. They are all Hamilton boys, and
have got together a rattling nine without the heavy financial backing enjoyed
by some other clubs in the league.
“The
Clippers and Primroses still stand even in the lead for the championship, with
three won games each. The Maple Leafs are third with one game won; the Londons
fourth with an unbroken goose egg, and the Torontos are to be heard from.
“Today,
one must lose, either the Clippers or the Primroses, if there is a game. Each
of the clubs lost bits first and won the three following games and now stand
even in the race for the championship. The strongest eams that can be put on
the field will be the ones for today’s match, and if it is not the best match
yet there will be many surprised people in Hamilton.”
Market
day conditions, especially prices and supply, were usually commented on in the
press, and the Spectator on Monday June 8, 1885 noted that “the local markets
were abundantly supplied on Saturday, and the demand good. There was very
little change in prices. Meats and dairy products were a shade lower.”
A
case at the Saturday morning Police court drew interest as the day before
(Friday) a very large funeral took place. Captain Henery, the head man at the
Barton Street Jail, had passed away and there was an unusually large procession
of his friends, family and associates accompanying the hearse to the Hamilton
Cemetery.
The
procession was probably too long for the patience of Henry McLaren’s coachman,
William Dillon who decided to drive through the procession. Dillon did not
appear in the Police Court but police constable Limin told the magistrate that
Dillon did indeed commit the offense. Magistrate Cahill found Dillon guilty and
imposed a fine of $2 or10 days in jail.
In
June 1885, a prolonged and bitter strike by unionised cigarmakers was still in
progress. The cigar makers had brought in non-union into their premises to
continue production.
An
incident, involving the strikers and non-union workers was reported as follows
:
“Several
non-union cigar makers were assailed on Saturday evening near the corner of
King and James streets by a crowd of union men, who shocked their sensibilities
by calling them ‘scabs,’ ‘rats,’ and other names expressive of the intense
scorn in which the non-union men are held by the union men. So terrible were
the threats of the assailing party that the frightened non-union men sought
refuge in a neighboring store, and would not come out until a couple of
policemen were sent for to escort them home. They were also accompanied by two
cigar manufacturers, one of whom, Mr. J. Schwartz, was struck in the leg by a
stone.”
Saturday
evening proved to be an eventful time on Stuart street as a notorious pair of
brothers tangled with a Hamilton policeman :
“Two
brothers, John and William Collins, were behaving themselves unseemingly, and
Constable Cruickshank undertook to arrest them. They resisted, and a hard
struggle took place. Both the Collins are powerful men, John being an iron
moulder and William, a blacksmith, and they fought desperately. They got
Cruickshank down on the road, and pounded him, and sat on him, and rolled over
him. But Cruickshank is a plucky young fellow, and as sturdy as he is
stout-hearted. He caught on to John Collins and never let him go until constables
Nixon and Robinson arrived on the scene. William got away when he saw
reinforcements arriving, but was shortly afterwards arrested in his own house,
Queen street. A man named Craig was also arrested for interfering with the
police. Cruickshank was considerably bruised and shaken, but is not much the
worse for his struggle. Many absorbers of mixed drinks have suffered far more
than he from their little encounters with John Collinses.”
Sunday
June 7, 1885 proved to be a very hot, humid day, with an occasional outburst of
rain through into the mix. But neither heat not rain could curb the weekly
outdoor demonstrations of the Salvation Army in downtown Hamilton:
“Notwithstanding
the very hot weather, the services all yesterday were conducted with more than
exuberant fervor, and crowds of people were present at the three meetings on
the market square; though here the little English captain complained of “Canada’s
broiling hot sun.” In the barracks during the day, several sensations occurred
arising, as usual from the presence of visiting female officers. Capt. Miss Lee,
an American officer from Rochester, wielded the sceptre, and called for a “hallelujah
sing-song,” that is, demanding the each soldier give his or her experience in
the verse of a hymn, which had to be sung. Some of these pieces were very well
given. Miss Lee has a remarkably clear, loud, ringing voice, and her singing
and address told well; but the decided impression was made by a cadet, Miss
Commbs, of Oakville. This officer displayed most remarkable power and a
wonderful flow of words. She will doubtless make a distinct mark as an army
orator. Another officer, Miss Bowman, also spoke well and produced a decided
effect by her supplications during a very fervent prayer meeting, during which
five persons professed conversion. Capt. Dyer stood aside during all these
proceeddings, but his quiet, earnet exhortations during the holiness meeting
made such an impression that erring soldiers were drawn from their seats to the
penitent form. There is now every possibility that the new barracks will be
immediately proceeded with.”
The
last major event of the weekend of June 6th and 7th 1885
was a near tragedy on the bay:
“Several
boats were on the bay when a squall arose. One of them – a small lugger with
five young men of the city in it – was struck and capsized 300 yards out from
Browne’s wharf. Fortunately all the young men were swimmers and also sober, and
they clung to the boat until they were taken off by the crew of the sailboat
Neptune, which put out from Browne’s wharf. They were in the water about 20
minutes, and were pretty well exhausted when rescued. Daniel Phillips
especially distinguished himself in rescuing the party, and after they were
safely on board the Neptune, he swam about for some time recovering their stray
articles of clothing.”
In
1885, every article of the Spectator contained a column headlined as follows :
“The
Diurnal Epitome: What Goeth On In and About the City : Items of Local News
Gathered by Spectator Reporters and Presented in Attractive Form for the
Interested Reader.”
The
column under that headline on Monday afternoon June 8, 1885 contained many items, a few of which
looked back at the weekend:
“-
The new street sweeper has arrived. It looks as if it ought to do its work
well. It will be put into operation as speedily as possible.
- A lad named Mars fell from a swing at Ainslie wood
yesterday afternoon and received some pretty severe bruises about his body.
- There will be plenty of sport at the cigar-makers’
picnic at Dundurn today. The ball match between the Clippers and Primroses is
sure to attract a big crowd if the day turns out fine.
- The Bayview band and a portion of the Independent
gave a concert at the corner of King and James streets. The playing was not for
the championship.
- A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Fred
Kane and Edward McCullough for the larceny of a bouquet of flowers from Walter
Holt, at the James street market Saturday morning.
- The hailstones that fell yesterday afternoon were
remarkably large. One, picked up on James street south, measured nearly four
inches in circumference, and many were as large as ordinary-sized walnuts.
- The rain yesterday caused a cave-in in the gravel
path in front of the court. A circular hole, several feet in diameter, sank.
There was a cave in at the same sport a couple of weeks ago. There was probably
a well there at one time which was never properly filled up. The matter will be
attended to now.
- The hot spell yesterday afternoon sent sweltering
citizens in droves to the water. The Beach, Bayview and Landsdowne park were
liberally patronized, and the bay was dotted with yachts, luggers and smaller
boats all day. It was cool on the water, and a steady sou’westerly breeze made
sailing good.
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