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Show LABOR'S HOLIDAYS OF DENTURES AGO Workmen's Guilds of England Had Unique Methods of Celebration. Labor Day Parades In This Country Are No Longer Popular With the Organized Workers First Ons Held in 1884. Since 1SS2, when the Knights of La-Dor La-Dor resolved to hold their pnrades on Labor day, that holiday has been kept before the public in various localities, until now almost every state has followed fol-lowed the example of Colorado by making the first Monday in September Septem-ber a legal holiday. The Idea of parading pa-rading on that day has, however, lost popularity with labor organizations, as the holiday is celebrated In many forms of recreation by the several million strong army of wage earners who live by the exercise of brain or brawn. One day each year Is therefore set apart for workers of all classes to relinquish labor and pursue the enjoyment enjoy-ment of their individual bent. When there Is such n diversity of sports every ev-ery man demands his choice as to whether he shall spend the day at fishing, baseball, motoring or become an excursionist Nothing commends the good old days ns strongly as the accounts of the feasts and festivals of the old English craftsmen, who kept certain holidays In revelry or ceremonious pageant even before America was discovered. In the present century It is almost Impossible to imagine the influence of some of these old guilds of workmen, or to comprehend the occupations In which they were engaged. No longer la there any demand for homers, who engaged in making cups, spoons and -cte-'ji: D ' I it 1 iwj 4-1 py I I 111 v ! r ' si Entrance to Guildhall, London. window panes from the horns of cattle; nor is there but little demand for those whose business It was to dislodge chimney soot. Even the tinker tin-ker who went from place to place mending pots and pans for housewives, and who passed them down to succeeding suc-ceeding generations, has disappeared. There is no industry today, however, except, perhaps that of building airships, air-ships, but was represented in some crude way in the labor of the craftsmen, crafts-men, and if honesty and quality of work are considered, our hats must be off to those men of old. That Labor day in Europe today la the 1st day of May Is probably the outcome of this day having been celebrated cele-brated by many of the old craftsmen before the age of invention. Among other merrymakers, the chimney sweeps spent a frolicsome Mayday, and in some localities still keep op some of their old customs. In former times London's chalk-faced chimney sweeps carried shovels and brushes as they paraded the streets dressed ! cheap finery and decked with strips of gilt and colored paper. To them no Mayday was complete without a May dance. The berlbboned milkmaids who danced on the same day also aspired to have music at their jollification, and often marched behind a cow with gilt horns In procession. On that day these rural workers borrowed silver cups and tankards, which they hung around their milk-palls, decorated with ribbons and flowers. Such attractive at-tractive paraphernalia helped them In collecting coins from their customers, before whom they danced. Partly to secure a holiday and partly part-ly to increase their funds, the Friendly Society of Carters also celebrated the 1st of May with a procession. In country coun-try places the carters, with their wng-ons wng-ons and horses gay with ribbons, stopped at the numerous public houses and at homes. At every stop those wlihln were under obligation to give ribbon to help in the decoration of the carta. |