October i, 1903.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



15 



FIELD DAY" OF THE APSLEY RUBBER CO. 



THOSE who have followed the career of the Hon. Lewis 

 D. Apsley will recollect that while a member of the 

 Fifty-third Congress and a prominent member of the 

 House committee on labor, he was one of those who 

 were active in making the first Monday in September in 

 each year a national holiday. It was, therefore, very fitting 

 that, on September 8 last, when the Apsley Rubber Co. were 

 congratulating themselves on the completion of another large 

 addition to their rubber shoe plant, at Hudson, Massachusetts, 

 the day should be specially observed at that place. It was done 

 by planning what was very happily called Field Day, followed 

 in the evening by a banquet and ball. No man in the rubber 

 trade knows better how to 

 plan such an affair than Mr. 

 Apsley, and in this instance 

 his decided faculty for organ- 

 ization was apparent. Com- 

 mittees were chosen from the 

 foremen and leading employs 

 of the factory, so that the long 

 and interesting program of 

 sports and entertainment was 

 carried out perfectly, without 

 delay or friction. 



The sports began at 10 

 o'clock in the morning, with a 

 bowling contest open for both 

 ladies and gentlemen. This 

 was followed by a very hotly 

 contested polo game in the 

 Hudson armory, and that in 

 turn by two basket ball games 



the first between the em- procession of employes throuqh wood square 



ployes of the cutting room and the making room, and the 

 second between the junior arctic makers and the junior stock 

 carriers. At 1 o'clock the officers of the company, the em- 

 ployes, and the invited guests assembled in the public square, 

 and, led by the Concord brass band, marched to Riverside 

 Park. A few of the guests rode, but the officers of the com- 

 pany, headed by Mr. Apsley, marched with the procession, 

 each carrying a special flag furnished by the committee on dec- 

 oration. The entertainment at the park consisted primarily 

 of a base ball game between teams from the clothing and last 

 and the boot and shoe departments. The former elected to 

 call themselves the " Has Beens " and the latter the " Cranks." 

 The score was 11 to 9 in favor of the Has Beens. Other sports 

 which were enthusiastically applaud- 



seemed to have wholly devoted itself with enthusiasm. Not 

 forgetting the very normal hunger and thirst that such a 

 gathering engenders, Mr. Apsley had purchased all of the ba- 

 nanas, peanuts, and popcorn that the town afforded, and, 

 arranging a temporary bar under the grand stand at the park, 

 had a half dozen active young chaps dispensing pink lemonade 

 to all who were athirst. 



At 6.30 in the evening the company gathered in the new rub- 

 ber factory building, which had been handsomely decorated 

 and arranged for the convenience of all. 



On the first floor was a gentlemen's reception room and on 

 the second floor a reception room for ladies. The third floor 



was [reserved as a ball room, 

 and the fourth for a variety of 

 indoor games. The fifth was 

 filled with tables for the ban- 

 quet, seats being arranged for 

 some 600 guests, while the 

 sixth floor was utilized as a 

 smoking and card room. 



The banquet, as might have 

 been expected, was first class 

 in every detail. At its close 

 Mr. Apsley arose and said : 



Employes, Ladies, and Gen- 

 tlemen : Let me extend to you 

 the best wishes of the Apsley Rub- 

 ber Co. and assure you it is a very 

 great pleasure to have you here 

 under these environments. We are 

 thankful for the beautiful day, as it 

 has made it possible for a lot of fun 

 and pleasure. The friendly games 

 we have engaged in have been fully 



ed were the hundred-yard dash, the 

 fat men's race, one mile bicycle race, 

 the ladies' bicycle race, two mile bi- 

 cycle race, ladies' foot race (50 yards), 

 broad jump, and hop, step and jump. 

 For all of these suitable prizes were 

 awarded. 



Not only were all of the employes 

 of the Apsley Rubber Co. present at 

 the park, but a host of townsmen 

 and invited guests joined in cele- 

 brating Apsley Field Day, to which 

 the usually quiet town of Hudson 



enjoyed by one and all, and they have brought to our notice some ath- 

 letic wonders, but I fear, as president of the company, I made a slight 

 mistake in affording so great an opportunity to Miss Lynch, Mrs. Black- 

 ler, Mrs. Murphy, Messrs. Perkins, Walsh, Wascott, Peters, Green- 

 ache, Riley, Hickey, Enos, Galvin, Kuhlthau, and Mahoney to show 

 their skill and ability as athletes. They are wizards; but let us hope 

 that neither the reputation they have made nor the prizes they have 

 received will cause them to desert their old occupation and say " Good- 

 bye " to us. 



I will not detain you from the other pleasures that have been provided 

 for you with any lengthy speech. I certainly hope that the evening's 

 pleasures will be equally enjoyed by one and all. I must, however, con- 

 gratulate you, employes, also the town of Hudson, on the completion of 

 this second large addition to the rubber 

 boot and shoe plant within two years, 

 which now gives us the capacity to make 

 from 12,000 to 15,000 pairs of shoes per 

 day. This increase ranks our plant as 

 one of the large manufacturing establish- 

 ments of the country. The phenomenal 

 success and growth in so short a time is 

 marvelous. 



I can only attribute this success and 

 development to two things, namely : 

 First, the management of this company, 

 as you employes know, has had the lib- 

 erality and courage to use the best rub- 

 ber and plenty of it in the manufacture 



