The Day Seattle Shut Down: Sailors, Longshoremen and the First Labor Day

Labor Day was observed in this city as a holiday for the first time yesterday, and was fittingly enjoyed by the people. Banks, courts, public offices and business houses closed their doors in order to give their employees an opportunity to enjoy an outing. The postoffice observed holiday hours; the railroads only ran passenger trains. People came from the country for miles around to enjoy the sights of the city and take in the celebration at Madison Park, which was arranged by the Western Central Labor Union. Others attended the regatta, and some went out to the parks to enjoy a quiet day lounging about the grounds.

The arrangements for the picnic and dance given at the park by the labor unions had been going on for several weeks, and the plan was to have as enjoyable a day as possible — one in which workingmen could take an outing with their families, away from the cares of their daily toil. The weather was all that could be desired, and it was in fact an ideal day for an outing.

The forenoon was taken up with a tug-of-war on Pioneer Place between teams composed of sailors and longshoremen, and the Elliott Bay Yacht Club regatta; the afternoon and early evening were devoted to a long programme of athletic sports at Madison Park, the prizes for the different contests being donated by the merchants of the city. The evening was given to various parties and a ball at Leech's park pavilion, at which prizes were awarded to lucky holders of admission tickets and for dancing.

THE TUG-OF-WAR.

The tug-of-war between the sailors and longshoremen at Pioneer Place attracted a crowd of fully 2,500 people, and the teams pulled for thirty-six minutes, the sailors winning. Year before last the longshoremen were the victors and last year the sailors won, so the match yesterday decided the championship.

At 9:30 o'clock Langer & Leuban's band paraded down Front Street to Pioneer Place, playing popular marches, and in a short time an immense crowd gathered about the ropes marking off the arena where the strong men were to contest for supremacy. As usual, the small boy got there first and secured front space, and all had their voices and whistles with them. At first they guyed the men inside the ropes, then the teams, and all manner of remarks could be heard. A Swede belonging to the sailors' team was greeted with: "Pull hard, Ole, or you'll lose your job," and other like expressions. Lynch, a brawny son of Erin's isle and anchorman of the longshoremen, paraded up and down the enclosure and was subjected to such remarks as: "Be jabers, but there's a strong man; look at his chest," and "Don't let those Swedes pull you over the line, Ireland."

The men all stood the joshing good-naturedly and rolled up their sleeves preparatory to the hard pull before them. They took their positions, rosined their hands and waited for the word. Pete Burns, a herculean sailor, was anchorman for the sailors, and Lynch, fully as large, served for the longshoremen. A piece of white ribbon was tied in the middle of the rope, and on the sailors' side just over the first cleat was a piece of red ribbon and on the longshoremen's side a piece of blue. The referee, W. O. Armstrong, explained to the men that the white ribbon had to be pulled over the first cleat on either side to entitle either team to the championship. He also cautioned the crowd to maintain order and not to break down the ropes.

At 10:06 the word was given and the sailors immediately gained an inch, which advantage was soon lost, and the white ribbon hovered near the center for some minutes, neither side gaining any advantage. George Moran, captain of the longshoremen, tore up and down telling his men to keep cool and pull steady. All of a sudden he would break out with: "Go it, bullies, we've got 'em on the run. We can't lose." At each command his men would tug with all their might, but couldn't make any effect on the tars. Secretary Gronow of the Coast Seamen's Union was captain of the sailors, and held his men under fine control. After pulling almost even for fully twenty-five minutes the longshoremen began to weaken, and inch by inch the white ribbon traveled toward the sailors' side. The crowd seemed to favor them and encouraged them by yells whenever they gained an inch. It seemed to encourage the men and they tugged and pulled until victory was theirs.

Their friends gathered about them and shook their tired hands until they could hardly hold them up. Captain Gronow was the happiest man in the crowd, but said he would not yell as much or work as hard again for all the tug-of-war matches on earth. The sailors pulled steadier than their opponents and showed better team work. Captain Gronow was not slow to notice that an advantage could be gained by commanding his men to pull immediately after a like command from Captain Moran, and before the longshoremen could regain a fresh hold the sailors would pull the ribbon toward their side an inch or more. Captain Moran, in explaining the defeat of his team, said he didn't have his regular crew or he would have pulled the sailors over the face of the earth.

The personnel of the two teams was as follows: Sailors — anchorman Pete Burns, John Irwin, Fred Johnson, Oscar Pearson and others; captain, Gronow; average weight 165 pounds. Longshoremen — anchorman J. Lynch, J. Evans, F. Richards and others; captain, George Moran; average weight 180 pounds.

At the conclusion of the tug-of-war the crowd gathered around a stand decorated with bunting and listened to an address by O. F. Wegener, orator of the labor organizations. He said he did not intend to make a lengthy speech because it would not be in keeping with the present hard times. He thought the American eagle could look with pleasure upon this country of ours, which, able as it is to feed hundreds of millions of people in abundance, could at the present time not furnish a dinner to a citizen because the people themselves had been fleeced by the financial and industrial depression.

The battle at this present desperate crisis, he said, is the aim of the labor unions — to bring the workers and their families, the majority of the population, to earn more; what they earn they consume here, and the steadier work is and the more they earn, the greater the purchasing power of the people. In other words, when the laboring man is able to earn good wages he can buy the products of others, and the whole country prospers. The desire of the labor organizations for good working hours and fair pay is not therefore for personal satisfaction, but is in the interest of the whole people and should be encouraged.

The speaker dwelt for some time upon the necessity of workingmen taking part in politics, of discussing the questions of the day in their homes and labor halls, claiming that only in this way can the depression under which the country at present is suffering be removed.

THE SPORTS AT THE PARK.

In the afternoon at Madison baseball park the athletic games drew a crowd of 1,500 men, women and children, and the children were especially hard to manage. Langer & Leuban's band played several selections, and then went over to the pavilion and played for those who desired to dance. The sport began with the football game; the Blakelys failed to show up, and the Seattle Wonders were substituted and played a rattling good game. At the end of the hour allowed the Wonders had three goals to their credit to Seattle's two. Albert M. Westwood acted as judge and gave general satisfaction.

The result of the other sports was as follows: foot race for men, 100 yards — first, F. Freeburger, a pants pattern; second, E. G. Bushell, a $3 hat; third, A. Deifel, a pair of pants. Slack wire walking — first, L. Wagner, a pair of $5 shoes; second, C. Frankfurth, 100 cigars. Fat men's race, 100 yards — first, P. J. Emerson, four pint bottles of champagne; second, Harry Smith, a case of Zinfandel wine. Ladies' foot race — first, Millie Remington, a piano lamp; second, Lena Cook, an album. Ladies' egg race — first, Hattie Whipple, an album. Girls' foot race, fifty yards — first, Ada Code, a $2.50 prize at the Calvert Company. Three-legged race — first, A. Blanch and J. Smith, two razors. Standing high jump — first, James Armstrong, a cuff and collar set. Standing long jump — first, John Mahan, a colored toilet set. Throwing the heavy hammer — first, P. J. Emerson, a pair of $3 shoes. Slow men's race, for union men only — first, J. C. Reynolds, a dozen bottles of port wine. Fifteen minutes go-as-you-please race, for union men only — first, Tom Shields, a choice pants pattern.

The sports all passed off without trouble of any kind, and some very close finishes were had in some of the races, especially in the young girls' race, four competitors coming in almost abreast. The dancing at the pavilion was largely attended all afternoon, and it was with much reluctance that the crowd stopped at 6 o'clock. Many went home and returned in the evening to Leech's park to attend the ball, thus making a day of it.

The day was celebrated at the Denny Clay Company's mine at Kummer by about 150 people. The afternoon was spent in games, athletic sports and dancing, and in the evening a musical and literary entertainment was held, the whole affair winding up with a supper.