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Dipping into the past…

March 26, 2014   ·   0 Comments

150 YEARS AGO

Thursday, March 24, 1864

• rom The Sun, Orangeville, compliments of Dufferin County Museum and Archives:

We are pleased to notice that our respected townsman, Guy Leslie, Esq., has been appointed agent for the issuing of passports to British subjects about to visit the United States.  Such an agency was required in this village, and we know of no one more capable of satisfactorily filling it than Mr. Leslie.

At the Wellington Assizes, held in Guelph on Wednesday last, a farmer named Lattimer was sentenced to five years in the Penitentiary for forging the name of Austin Martin to a promissory note in July 1863.

The Great Western Railway authorities have transmitted to the Mayor of Galt the sum of 40 dollars for the benefit of Mrs. Long, who had two cows killed by a train on the Galt and Guelph Railway a few weeks ago.

The Macdonald-Dorion Ministry is no more! On Monday afternoon the Premier announced the resignation of his Cabinet in the Assembly assigning as a reason its inability to carry on the government for want of a parliamentary majority.  For some time past it was evident that the Administration could not survive the session, but it was not expected that it would of its own accord shuffle off the robes of office… A more incapable and corrupt Ministry never ruled, and the two years during which it has held office are a blank in the legislation of the country.  White taking credit to itself for retrenchment, it largely increased the annual expenditure and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in useless commissions appointed for no other purpose than providing places for its friends and supporters.

ARRIVAL OF THE ARABIA – The Royal Mail steamship Arabia, from Liverpool on March 5th via Queenstown on the 6th, arrived at Halifax March 16.   Danish affairs are reported unchanged.

The Archduke Maximilian arrived at Paris on the 5th and it is reported that he will embark for Mexico on the 25th, all difficulties being settled.   A Vienna telegram says that the mission of the Prussian Minister, Manteuffel to Vienna had the desired result. Austria having consented to a continuation of the operation in Jutland.  A telegram from the Persian Gulf announces the successful laying of 450 miles of new cable to India, and that the paying out of the line towards Europe was about to commence.

THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION – Gen. W.F. Smith was nominated Major-General in the regular army to fill the place made vacant by Gen. Grant’s promotion.  It is believed that Gen. Lee will execute one of his bold movements, abandon his communications with the rebel capital and make a dash for Washington or for the rear of the army of the Potomac while Gen. Grant is preparing for the capture of Richmond.  Gen. Stewart is said to be preparing to make a raid into Virginia.  The discovery of a plot to seize President Lincoln and carry him South is announced in a New York dispatch of the 19th.  It is evidently a hoax.

125 YEARS AGO

Thursday, March 28, 1889

• ast week Government Detective Murray arrived in Shelburne, ostensibly to make inquiries into the late “Stealing Case.” We understand that he was sent by Crown Attorney McMillan, of Orangeville. On Thursday S. C. Noble was located at Meaford and arrested on information laid by Mr. F. A. Campbell, of Shelburne. The prisoner was taken before Justice Cleland, of Meaford, and the papers made out and handed to Police Chief Grant, of that town, who took the prisoner to Shelburne. On their arrival Mr. Noble was handed over to J. D. Wilson, J.P., who put him in charge of Constable Canning. The prisoner was put in the lock-up, where he remained all night in the inner cell. Between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. the constable gave the prisoner his breakfast and allowed him to remain in the outer cell where it was much warmer. When the constable left he locked the door securely, but from what can be learned it was shortly afterwards picked and the prisoner allowed to escape. He was seen coming out of the cell by a couple of boys who said nothing about it for some time afterwards. He took down the back lane and when last seen was crossing Mr. Mark Harrison’s farm, one concession east of Shelburne. The picking of the lock in broad daylight is without doubt one of the boldest games ever attempted in the village. Should the guilty party be found out he will suffer for his rashness. We understand an attempt is being made to have Noble re-arrested. Pearson, the other party connected with the case, is still at large. Constable Canning feels very sore over the matter, but cannot be blamed for the escape.

• he residents of Melancthon Station are down on the CPR. The distance from the station to Shelburne is 3 1/2 miles. Since the railway opened 16 years ago the fare has been 10 cents for a one-way ticket and 15 cents for a return ticket, but on Monday of last week the fares were raised to 15 and 25 cents. Last Saturday evening six persons refused to pay the new rates and walked to Shelburne to transact their business. The wages of working men average about 12 1/2 cents per hour and they claim it will pay them to walk the distance instead of paying the increased fare demanded by the railway.

 

100 YEARS AGO

Thursday, March 26, 1914

• ncouraged by the enthusiasm shown in a meeting in the Labour Temple, Toronto, the representatives of some 200 provincial agricultural organizations proceeded last Friday toward the organization and inauguration of two central bodies which will form a protective and trading head for all farmers of the province of Ontario. These two bodies will be distinctive in makeup and purpose – one educational and social in its influence and the other purely commercial. The new United Farmers of Ontario is patterned after the Farmers’ Associations of the western provinces. E. C. Drury, of Barrie, was elected President of the UFO. The same meeting organized a co-operative trading company to be known as The Farmers’ Co-operative Company.

 

75 YEARS AGO

Thursday, March 30, 1939

• t should be Spring now. Last year at this time the snow was all gone. This year we still have plenty of it, and bright, sunshiny days (but not too warm) and sharp, frosty nights are taking slow toll of the snow drifts and ice. Wednesday morning’s forecast has no real warm spell in sight. The Shelburne Skating Rink was open again Tuesday night. Horning’s Mills, Redickville and Honeywood are finally out of the news now that the roads there have been re-opened to motor traffic after having been blocked by deep snowdrifts.

 

50 YEARS AGO

Wednesday, March 25, 1964

• helburne’s veteran publisher and bandmaster, T F. E. (Thomas Frederick Ernest) Claridge died Tuesday night of last week. He was in his 88th year and had been in declining health for several months. “Nice Day” or “The Chief” as he was known to so many, was born at Hornby in 1876 and moved with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Claridge, in 1882.  He was in the newspaper business since his public school days when he started as a paper boy for the Economist, which he purchased in 1903 and amalgamated with the Free Press in 1928. He had been bandmaster of Shelburne Citizens’ Band for 62 years and led it at its usual Remembrance Day program last November 11. In the earlier part of his career, he served for 23 years on the Public Library Board and was choirmaster of the former Wesley United Church for 15 years. A veteran of the Masonic Order, he was a member of Lorne Lodge No. 377, Shelburne, for 56 years, 49 of which he served as its treasurer.

• ufferin County Council has voted in favour of amalgamation of the Dufferin and Wellington Health Units. Under an agreement between the counties Fergus will be the headquarters of the joint Health Unit, with sub-offices being maintained in Shelburne, Orangeville, Mount Forest, Palmerston and Guelph.

 

10 YEARS AGO

Friday, March 26, 2004

• rangeville taxpayers will bear the brunt of the costs if a library servicing agreement cannot be worked out with neighbouring East Garafraxa, Mono and Amaranth, says Orangeville CEO Rick Schwartzer.  The three municipalities contributed more than $240,000 in library services last year, but the library purchasing agreement expired at the end of 2003.

         

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