Lord Bessborough is cheered to echo by loyal Hamilton
Thousands of citizens give welcome to King's representative
New station opened
Hamilton, May 27.—With a verve and a sincerity that came from the heart, Hamilton citizens today, young and old, andy by the thousands, manifested their loyalty to King and Empire by paying hommage to Lord Bessborough, the Governor-General, on this his first official visit to the city. From the time His Excellency reached here, shortly beofre 11 o'clock, until he left this afternoon throngs of citizens greated and cheered him, but it remained for Hamilton's school children to do the city proud at Scott Park this afternoon, and when the Governor-General departed from there the several thousand young folk cheered to the echo and waved thousands of small flags.
The cheering began when his Excellency and party proceeded along York Street near the city limits, where the curbs were lined with citizens. Thronged about the City Hall were thousands more, and the cheering again broke forth and hats were waved. Lord Bessborough was met at the City Hall steps by Controller Donald McFarlane and Alderman Thomas Wright, Chairman of the Civic Reception Committee. School cadets formed a guard on the stpes, and the Viceregal party proceeded to the Council chambers.
Station opened.
Prior to the luncheon Lord Bessborough formally opened the imposing new station of the Canadian National Railways at James and Stuart Streets. Accepting a pair of gold scissors from W.A. Kingsland, General Manager of the Central Region, C.N.R., his Excellency cut the white ribbon across the main entrance, and then unlocked the wide doors with a gold key.
An interesting ceremony, aside from the details attendant on the official opening, took place at the station. One hundred C.N.R. veterans, most of whom boasted a record from forty to fifty years of service, waited on W.A. Kingsland. They were headed by David Clarke, Acting President of the Veterans' Association. An illuminated addressed intended for Sir Henry Thornton and congratulating the railway knight on the splendid success he had encountered since taking over the Presidency of the C.N.R., was handed to Mr. Kingsland, with the request that he, in turn, present it to Sir Henry, with the compliments of the veterans of the Southwestern Ontario district. Among the faithful employees present was Hugh Kennedy of Hamilton, who is nearing his ninetieth birthday.
Welcomed by cadets.
This afternoon his Excellency was welcomed by several thousand cadets and school children at the Civic Stadium in Scott Park. He took the salute when the cadets and older girls, to the number of 7,000 marched past. A choir of several thousand children, under the leadership of Roy Fenwick, Director of Music in the schools, sang patriotic songs, accompanied by the bands of the Highlanders and the Royal Hamilton Light Infrantry. As his Excellency took his farewell, the vast audience of children cheered him lustily, and he waved back to them affectionately.
Ref: Hamilton.