Dipping into the past…

December 17, 2014 · 0 Comments

150 YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 15, 1864
• rom The Sun, Orangeville, compliments of Dufferin County Museum and Archives:
ORANGEVILLE GRAMMAR SCHOOL – We are pleased to observe that, at the last meeting of Wellington County Council, a by-law was passed establishing a County Grammar School in this village, and appointing a Board of Trustees to manage its affairs. This village and neighbourhood have long needed such an institution, and, if properly managed, it will prove a great boon to the community. Some months ago we advocated its establishment in these columns, and we are pleased that the people have concurred in our views, and moved in the matter with the proper spirit. As the school will prove a great benefit to the farmers of the surrounding townships who desire to give their sons and daughters a higher standard of education than our common schools afford, we have no doubt that if their Councils are applied to, they will each give a liberal grant towards the erection of the necessary building.
FENIAN EXCITEMENT IN ORANGEVILLE – The residents of this village and neighbourhood were thrown into a state of great excitement on Monday morning last, in consequence of a rumour which gained circulation, to the effect that several hundred Fenians had, the night previous, attacked and destroyed an Orange Hall and a Presbyterian church in Mono, and were rapidly marching towards the village, destroying everything in their way and putting all Protestants to the sword, regardless of age or sex. This opinion was strengthened by the arrival of a postillion from the neighbourhood where the outrages were supposed to be committing, who confirmed the rumour and carried with him instructions to have the Infantry Company here put under arms. In consequence of some informality in the order, this was not, however, done. The news soon spread, and the neighbourhood being alarmed, farmers and their families flocked into the village from every direction for protection, and in a few hours the streets were crowded with an affrightened populace. The people thus gathered were greatly excited and, many of them arming themselves with guns and such other weapons as were available, a company was organized to resist the advance of the imaginary foe, but, fortunately, no foe arriving and news having come from Mono that our good people had been made the subjects of a silly hoax, our villagers laid down their arms, gratified that “nobody was hurt,” while the peasantry returned to their homes relieved of all their fears, and well pleased that their residences had not been molested.
ORANGEVILLE AND BRAMPTON STAGE LINE – Mr. W. J. Lewis, the enterprising proprietor of the line, has changed his timetable, so as to enable merchants and others having business to transact in Toronto, time to go and return on the same day, having from three to four hours to remain in the Queen City of the West. We also notice that he has reduced his fares, through passengers from Orangeville to Brampton being carried for 75 cents each, or by purchasing a return ticket (good for two days) each way for 50 cents. Passengers from intermediate stations on the route will be carried at equally low rates, the return tickets, however, being good for only one day. This, certainly, is the cheapest stage line in the province, while the route is the most difficult, and we sincerely trust that Mr. Lewis’s endeavours to accommodate the public will be rewarded by a corresponding increase in public patronage.
ORANGEVILLE COUNCIL – This Council met at Bell’s hall on Monday evening last, and received and adopted a report of a committee appointed to let the construction of sidewalks along North Broadway, First Street West and Bythia Street. This report set forth that the jobs had been satisfactorily completed and recommended the payment of the different amounts. A communication from Mr. T. Jackson, asking to be relieved of being one of the Collector’s sureties, on the ground that he had accepted a numerously signed requisition from the electors to offer himself as Councillor at the approaching village election, was received and, on motion made and seconded, his request was granted.
WELLINGTON COUNTY COUNCIL – At its meeting in Guelph on December 6, plans and specifications for the construction of a road from Guelph to Erin were laid before Council and their cost ordered to be paid.

125 YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 19, 1889
• One criminal and four civil cases constituted the business on the calendar at the December sessions of the County Court, which opened in the Court House, Orangeville, before his Hon. Judge McCarthy on Tuesday. The Grand Jury, whose duties were confined to an inspection of the jail, reported “that the County is to be congratulated on the apparent absence of crime, there being no case brought before us for investigation. In obedience to your Honour’s suggestion we examined the jail and found it in a highly satisfactory condition. In every department cleanliness, comfort and order appear to engage the strictest attention of the officials in charge. There are at present confined therein 15 inmates – 11 males and four females – nine of whom are vagrants, one committed for want of sureties to keep the peace, one male, an idiot, three female vagrants and one insane. There is one case relative to a man named Chambers Falcon in which he desires to be placed in a hospital. He has a little means of his own, which he is willing to expend towards expenses. With regard to this case, we would recommend that the opinion of the jail physician be obtained, and if he thinks the patient would be better at a hospital, that steps be taken to remove him there accordingly, and that the matter be laid before the County Council to further this object.”
The most interesting of the four civil cases occupied the attention of the court until a late hour on Tuesday night and is still unsettled. It was an action to recover $100 for one year’s wages. The plaintiff is John J. McGowan, a big, strapping young man who travelled all the way from Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, to prosecute his claim, while the defendant is Enoch Price, a wealthy farmer living near Marsville. The defendant claimed that the plaintiff neglected his work, and paid $140 into court at the commencement of the action. Although the plaintiff’s case was an unusually strong one, the judge charging in the jury in his favour, the jurors, after remaining out over three hours, failed to agree and were dismissed. They stood 10-2 in favour of the plaintiff. The case will likely come up again at the next sessions.
• On Friday last, two mastiff dogs owned by Mr. H. Falconer, of Shelburne, attacked his nephew, a little fellow about 13 years of age, and gave him several bad wounds on his head and legs. Messrs. Hemstreet and Henderson, who rescued the boy, were under the impression that he was badly hurt, but the case is not all that serious.
• It will be recalled that some time ago D. Hyndman, of Grand Valley, appeared before Magistrates J. D. Wilson and William Jelly, of Shelburne, charged with selling liquor during prohibited hours. The offence was clearly proven, but counsel for the defence set up certain technical objections which caused the magistrates to reserve judgement. Counsel for the prosecution, Mr. Douglas, claimed that the objections were not well taken and went to the trouble of obtaining the opinions of eminent lawyers in support of his contention, resulting in the magistrates making a conviction in the face of a written opinion by County Crown Attorney McMillan, which they felt could not be relied on. In addition to a fine of $20 Hyndman faces a heavy bill of costs.

100 YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 17, 1914
• Under terms of a bylaw published by Shelburne Council, ratepayers of the municipality will be asked to vote in favour of a supply of electric power from the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario.
• On Thursday, High Constable William Marshall went to Collingwood and arrested Alexander Cooper, who is charged with stealing fittings from the big dredge of the Superior Portland Cement Co. at Caledon Lake. He was brought to town and released on bail. Another brother, James, is implicated and a summons has been issued for him. The Coopers are coloured men and were engaged in putting in cement bridges in East Garafraxa last summer.
• The Minister of Education has decided that Ontario schools must devote attention during the present war to the causes of hostilities among the nations and the reasons why the British Empire is taking part. This will be done by directing that the subject shall form part of the history courses in all classes where it can be intelligently studied and by questions not only in the departmental examinations, but also in the school promotion examinations. The department is forwarding to each school a copy of the British diplomatic dispatches issued by the federal authorities at Ottawa.

75 YEARS AGO
Wednesday, December 21, 1939
• heering, singing and shouting, the vanguard of Canada’s contribution to the British Empire’s armies strode down gangplanks Sunday and Monday in a fog-shrouded Scottish port as stolid Scots cheered themselves hoarse and war planes and warships kept watch. Leader of the first contingent of the Canadian Expeditionary Force is Major-General A. G. L. McNaughton, who said: “We know this is not a glorious adventure, but a job which must be done.”
• Fred W. Bray, manager of a large chick hatchery in Hamilton that bears his name, was the guest speaker at Shelburne Rotary Club Friday night. He spoke of both the poultry and egg business and how it will likely be affected by present world conditions. In normal times, surplus production serves largely as gold in the international exchange. “That is, if we, as Canadian, wish to buy something in Germany, we would have no difficulty establishing our credits in Germany by shipping over a carload or two of eggs, providing the price as suggested by the egg exporters was satisfactory. Then we in turn might easily have brought home the toys, Dresden china and other mechanical gadgets Germany has to offer in trade. However, since September 1, the possibility of us selling Germany any eggs is highly remote, and since September 15, the chance that Poland will have the opportunity of helping feed the English people is entirely wiped out. The principal exporting countries of poultry in order of size in 1937 were: Hungary, Irish Free State, Bulgaria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, Soviet Union, Finland and China. The principal importing countries were the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria.”

50 YEARS AGO
Wednesday, December 16, 1964
• Shelburne’s new reeve is former councillor Phil Franchetto, who defeated the incumbent reeve Bill Irwin, by 370 to 247 votes.
• The guest speaker at the annual open house held by Centre Dufferin District High School, last Wednesday, was Donald M. Graham, director of education for Toronto’s Forest Hill Village schools. Mr. Graham, a graduate of Shelburne High School, recalled in his opening remarks that after leaving Shelburne he played lacrosse with the University of Toronto team on which Lester B. Pearson, now Prime Minister, was both his coach and instructor in English.

10 YEARS AGO
Friday, December 17, 2004
• ufferin County’s 128th Warden is John Oosterhof, reeve of East Luther Grand Valley, who has been a member of the township’s council since 1997.
• Dufferin County Council, last Thursday, approved Shelburne’s annexation of a 37.5 –acre parcel of Amaranth inside Shelburne, that became known as the School Road properties. After years of fighting, vicious words and even a literal road block, in the end no one showed up to opposed the deal that will bring Centennial Hyland’s Elementary School and 13 homes within Shelburne’s town limits.
• Ontario’s Green Belt has been extended farther north to include the Town of Orangeville and portions of Amaranth and Mono.