HISTORY OF THE ASSOCIATION. 



X \\)\i\, i;)02, an article appeared in xho Boston Transcript Avhieh 

 C^ 1 ir- >j/ advocated the holdiniz: in Boston of a woi'k horse })arade. This su<>- 

 ^^{y ?^' ."♦^'•'^tion caught the eye of ^fr. 11. A. Lawrence, who had long 

 <^ ^S) '^^^'•^i''^'*-^ to see such a parade established in Boston, and who was 

 hd ^ ^^ rr-^^^' ianiiliar \yith the working of the London and Liverjxx)! cart horse 



l^arade societies. INfr. Lawrence called upon the writer of the Transcrijjt article, 

 and it was agreed between them that an attempt should be made in this direction. 

 Accordingl}' it was announced in the newspapers that a meetin<>- of all those 

 interested in getting up a work horse parade in Boston, would be held at the Parker 

 House, on May 1), 1902, and a large room capable of holding about one hundred per- 

 sons was engaged. The attendance, however, was somewhat less than had been 

 expected, being estimated at from four to six persons. The meeting was adjourned 

 to ^lay 28tli, and in the meantime numerous printed circulars were sent out, statino- 

 the object of the adjourned meeting. Upon this second occasion some eight or ten ^■-''^" 

 persons, by actual count, were present, two or three of whom, however, mysteriously 

 disappeared soon afterward, and, so far as the Association is informed, have never 

 been seen since. 



However, a lieginning had been made, and sliortl}" afterward an association Avas - 

 formed, with the following officers : — President R. A. Lawrence ; Secretary, PL 



C. ]\Iersvin ; Treasurer, Dr. Austin Peters ; Directors, Joshua AtAvood, od, R. K. 

 Clarke, H. K. Lyman, Arthur Perrin, C. S. Rackemann. ]\lr. John H. Jewett of the 

 Herald, and Mr. Frank G. Trott of the Globe, Avere elected honorary members. The 

 intention AA'as to hold the parade on Labir Day, 1902, and as Mr. ^lerAvin Avas obliged 

 to leave the city, Mr. R. Iv. Clarke took his place as Secretary. It Avas found, Iioav- 

 cver, that the time Avas too short, and, moreover, the selection of Labor Day was i.^*^ 

 disapproved by many teamsters. Accordingly the parade Avas postponed to ^Memorial 

 Day, jNIay 80, 1903. Early in the spring, })repa)ations Avere begun, Mr. Clarke 

 becoming Vice-President, Mr. INIerwin resuming his place as Secretary, and Mr. W. 



D. Quimby, a master truckman, being added to the list of directors. It Avas jSfr. 

 Quiml)}' Avlio suggested the scheme of drivers' certificates, perhaps the most valuable 

 feature of the parade, and certainly an improvement upon the English system. The 

 conditions upon AA'hich these certificates are aAvarded Avill be found stated beloAv. 



