The 'Hard Times' Social in Black Diamond
Coal miners and their families in Black Diamond held a 'Hard Times' social, where the most bedraggled costumes were awarded prizes, offering a brief moment of levity during a period of economic strain.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The 'Hard Times' entertainment, which was announced in last Sunday's Post-Intelligencer, was held in the hall on Tuesday evening and proved a success in every way. Notice was given that the 'regalia' of the occasion would be 'old rags and battered hats,' and that the gentleman and lady who appeared in the worst costumes would each receive a prize. The judges were Mr. Charles George, Mr. Hutchinson and Mr. John Watkins, and the prizes were awarded to Mrs. John Gwilym and Mr. Wesley Thomson. The grotesque costumes and the 'hard times' supper were a source of great amusement, and an intrinsically excellent and enjoyable programme of songs and recitations was rendered.
“Notice was given that the 'regalia' of the occasion would be 'old rags and battered hats.'”
During the 1890s, the term 'Hard Times' was a literal description of the economic reality for mining communities. This social event highlights how communities use communal humor and shared poverty to bolster morale when economic conditions are dire.
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