Dipping into the past…

December 10, 2014 · 0 Comments

150 YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 8, 1864
• rom The Sun, Orangeville, compliments of Dufferin County Museum and Archives:
THE TRAMWAY – The importance of this measure, from an agricultural point of view, cannot possibly be over-rated. To some regions nature has been lavish of her minerals – to others she has given almost unlimited resources of timber in her boundless woods and forests – in some the bowels of the earth are rich in silver and golden ores – and others, plenteous resources of mines, equally valuable, and much more indispensable, lie deeply concealed, – but to the vast country bounded by the Great Lakes, a fertile and healthy climate has been given. No one will deny that the agricultural interests of a country are those on which its stability and progress mainly depend. … How is it that with a virgin soil and abundant crops our farmers are so much behind, in material prosperity, those on the frontier? It cannot be that their industry is less, or their economy deficient; their capacity is equal to that of the inhabitants of any other part of the country, and in intelligence they are by no means wanting; yet, notwithstanding all this, they complain of being poor, and find their difficulties constantly increasing. We believe that a great many of our farmers are not in such good circumstances as they were some years ago, and the reasons for this are not far to seek. Unable to carry his produce to market, except at certain seasons of the year, the farmer has been compelled to buy his goods on credit, at a very great advance in price over what he could have purchased them for cash, which he could have done had there been any way of carrying his produce to an advantageous market. … We ask our farming friends to look seriously into these matters, and give the Tram project a full and candid consideration. Let no bugbear of increased taxes frighten them from entering the project. … We cannot conceive how any sensible farmer can be so blind to his interests as to oppose the project, nor can we conceive a locality which would be more benefited by a Tramway than this section of country. It is very evident that a great business centre must spring up somewhere in this part of the province, and we believe that this village is the place, and the benefits derived from the country by this village are amply repaid by the great advantages which the surrounding country has obtained from it.
THE VILLAGE ELECTIONS – Contrary to our expectations, there is to be no lack of candidates for municipal honours in Orangeville this year. In our last issue, we had thought that Messrs. Armstrong, Jackson, Jull, Thompson and Wallace would be allowed to walk the course unopposed; but since then, both Messrs. Stewart and Hewat have signified their desire to “enter the lists.” This is certainly unwise on the part of Mr. Stewart. As stated in a former issue, he can only claim the suffrages of the electors on personal grounds – his views and theirs conflicting on the most important public matters – and, in deference to their opinions, and for his own credit, he should have retired.
NEW PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHURCH – We have been shown the plan of a brick church, which the Primitive Methodists of this place intend erecting next summer, on a piece of ground west of First Avenue, recently purchased from Mr. J. Ketchum, for the purpose. The building is to be upwards of 48 feet long, by 32 feet wide. and is to have a well-designed spire, rising 68 feet from the basement. It will cost for construction about $1,200, and will, when completed, add greatly to the architectural beauty of our village and prove a lasting monument to the zeal and liberality of the Primitive Methodists of this section and their worthy pastor, Rev. J. Goodman, whose labours have largely contributed to the prosperity and success of the mission here.

125 YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 12, 1889
• The first test of Shelburne’s new waterworks system was made Saturday afternoon. The hose was first attached to the hydrant in front of the Mansion House on Main Street East, when it was found there was sufficient pressure to throw the water onto the roof of the Town Hall. Trials were also made on the western hydrant on Main Street and at the foot of Owen Sound Street. It was found that all the roofs of three-storey buildings could be reached. During Saturday night a break took place in the watermains, but men were at work yesterday repairing the damage, and it is expected that a more thorough test will be made shortly.
• Wednesday evening of last week, the house on Mr. James E. Marshall’s farm near Honeywood, occupied by Mr. Duncan Marshall, was discovered to be on fire. Mr. and Mrs. Marshall were away to Creemore, but the children and a brother-in-law of Mr. Marshall were at home and about to retire for the night. Some of the contents of the house were saved, but the building was burned to the ground. Mr. Duncan Marshall had insurance of $100 on the contents, while Mr. James E. Marshall, of Shelburne, owner of the building, was insured in the Western Assurance Co. for $250. The fire is supposed to have started around the chimney.
• Alex Fawcett, a youth under 16 years of age, has been tried and convicted for theft of $10.50 from the Salvation Army barracks in Dundalk during a service.
• All municipal councils in Ontario will meet on Monday next, according to statute, and the various municipal treasurers will present their financial statements. Nominations will take place on Monday, Dec. 30th, and elections the Monday following.
• D. K. Brown, a former resident of Keldon, late of Fergus, has got himself into trouble. S. W. Fawcett, general agent for the Buchanan Implement Works, of Ingersoll, had him brought up before Magistrate Cross, of Drayton, charged with feloniously stealing a note, the result being that Brown was committed to Guelph Gaol to stand trial. It seems that Brown had given Fawcett his note for some implements, but as the note was not drawn on one of the company’s forms Brown was asked by Fawcett some time afterwards if he would give a new note, and having consented to do so, Fawcett was in the course of drawing up the new one when the first note was picked up by Brown and carried into another room on the pretense of showing it to his wife. Upon his return he refused either to sign the new note or return the old one, hence the trial and commitment.
• An Order-in-Council has been passed erecting Orangeville into an outport of customs and warehousing from January 1st next, under the supervision of the collector of Toronto.

100 YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 10, 1914
• The contract for the completion of the powerhouse in the Beaver Valley has been let to a Buffalo firm, says the Flesherton Advance. It has now been decided by the Hydro-Electric Power Commission that the power must be turned on by April 1sr next, and the first development at Eugenia will be for only 300 horsepower. There is no movement as yet towards erecting the power line to Owen Sound. The Hylands are still busy putting in the head-gate dam, and the dressed plank for the big tube has been going out for the past two or three weeks. The tube will be of wood to the brow of the escarpment and steel tubing from there to the powerhouse in the valley.
• The farmers of the Melancthon Telephone Co. are stringing and erecting poles for their telephone line.
• The next open meeting of the Honeywood Literary Society will be held on Wednesday evening of next week, the 16th inst. There will be a splendid program of readings and recitations, solos and choruses and an interesting debate: Resolved, “That Honeywood should seek incorporation as a police village.” The affirmative will be upheld by Chas. Tupling, Carman Siddall and Vester Doan, while the opposition will be argued by Geo. Prentice Jr., Wilbert Foster and Harry Leitch. There will be the usual collection in aid of the Red Cross Fund.

75 YEARS AGO
Wednesday, December 14, 1939
• hree of five brothers were given jail sentences in Orangeville last Thursday. The five McMahons were James, 28, John, 26, Robert, 23, William, 21, and Kenneth, 16. They appeared in Dufferin County Police Court to answer to charges which included theft of grain, breaking and entering and receiving stolen goods. The charges were laid following the theft of eight bags of sweet clover seed from the farm of Clifford Duke in Mono Township. Value of the stolen property was placed at $35. William McMahon was sentence to three months definite and three months indefinite, Magistrate William F. Woodliffe telling him: “You are the one that conceived this plan and will be punished accordingly.” Kenneth was sentenced to 60 days in the county jail, and on the charge of receiving stolen property Robert McMahon got 30 days. Similar charges against the other brothers were withdrawn by Crown Attorney R. D. Evans.
• ork on the Grand River dam near Fergus is continuing, with the number of workers on the job despite the weather ranging between 10 and 60 daily. Most of them are working on the road diversions necessary to circumvent the large lake that will form when the dam is completed.
• lthough Santa Claus is coming to Shelburne and will be here at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, he will likely be obliged to make the trip by aeroplane, due to the unseasonable lack of snow for use by his sleigh and reindeer.
• The annual meeting of the Central Ontario Hockey League was held in Dundalk Friday night. Hillsburgh and Erin having dropped out of the Intermediate league this year, Grand Valley will be included in the Northern section with Chatsworth, Markdale, Flesherton, Dundalk and Shelburne.

50 YEARS AGO
Wednesday, December 9, 1964
• Provincial Treasurer James Allen was guest speaker at the annual Warden’s Banquet hosted by 1964 warden Earl Lanktree, reeve of Amaranth. The banquet in the Cedar Room of Shelburne Arena also featured tributes to recently retired County Judge R. T. Robb. In response, Judge Robb, 75, said he didn’t intend to do anything in his retirement but keep busy. “Never has anyone been treated with greater kindness and indulgence than I.”
• In the only reeveship election in Dufferin held Monday, William Richardson edged out Amaranth Reeve Earl Lanktree, Dufferin’s 1964 warden, 301 to 242.

10 YEARS AGO
Friday, December 10, 2004
• or the second time in its six-year history, an Orangeville school trustee will chair the Upper Grand District School Board. At the board’s inaugural meeting Tuesday of last week, Bob Borden’s peers elected him to succeed Guelph trustee Jennifer Waterson. The first Orangeville trustee to hold the position was Jim MacGregor, currently Orangeville’s deputy mayor.
• Dufferin County Council has increased its tax levy by 7.5 per cent to cover $20.3 million of a total $47-million budget for 2005. The budget compares with a 2004 spending of $45.5 million, of which $18.6 million came from local property taxes.
• A 17-year-old Orangeville youth is to appear in court January 10 on several weapons charges laid following a drive-by shooting with a BB gun near Orangeville District Secondary School on December 1.
• Former premier Ernie Eves is rumoured preparing to give up his Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey seat to permit John Tory, his successor as Progressive Conservative leader, to seek the seat in a byelection.