Dipping into the past…

August 21, 2013 · 0 Comments

150 YEARS AGO

Thursday, August 20, 1863

• rom The Sun, Orangeville:

We invite the attention of our town and country readers to the advertisement of Mr. F. Irwin in another column. Mr. I. has just received a large stock of general groceries and new crop teas, as prices ranging from 50 cents to $1 per lb. The stock is decidedly the best ever offered in Orangeville and intending purchasers will find it to their advantage to call and examine the quality and price.

THE GOVERNOR GENERAL’S SPEECH – The speech of His Excellency the Governor General at the opening of the Parliament on Friday, is, in great measure, the re-echo of the one delivered at the beginning of last session. Though wordy, it promises little, and is as meagre as any that has yet fallen from vice-regal lips. Its most important feature relates to the Militia Law which, though only passed last session, is said to “require extensive amendment” in order to render the volunteer force more efficient.

THE AMERICAN WAR – A despatch from the Herald (New York)) says : Affairs remain quiet in the front. Picket firing has ceased entirely, and both armies seem to have settled down into a sort of lethargy. There is no large force of the enemy north of the Rappahannock, though a sort of picket line has been established from United States Ford via Hartwood Church and Stafford Court House. This line is very weak, and offers little or no resistance to our scouting parties. Most of the prisoners captured from the enemy profess a desire to take the oath of allegiance. They all express themselves as tired of the war, and utterly discouraged. The degree of destitution in the rebel army exceeds that of any previous period. No information has been received yet, indicating that Gen. Lee has been reinforced to any considerable extent.

VALUABLE PROPERTY FOR SALE – The undersigned, wishing to retire from mercantile business, offers for sale a Grist Mill and Saw Mill with fifty acres of land, or more to suit purchasers, on easy terms. One thousand dollars required down, and the rest in annual instalments with interest. The property is located in the rising village of Hockleyville Lot No. 14, 1st concession of Adjala. The Saw Mill is capable of of clearing one thousand dollars of itself, with good attendance. For further particulars, apply by letter (post paid) to Thomas Hockley, Esq., Lorraine P.O., Hockleyville, or to G. McManus , Esq. Mono Mills.

NOTICE OF BYLAW (AMARANTH) – Whereas it is expedient and necessary to establish a new line of road in the south west part of this Township, in accordance with the survey of C.J. Wheelock – a line to be used instead of the 10th Concession line, which cannot be made passable owing to the bed of the Grand River…. This Bylaw shall take effect upon, from and after the 3rd day of October in the year 1863.

125 YEARS AGO

Thursday, August 23, 1888

• orning’s Mills: Progression seems to be the watchword here. Building is being prosecuted briskly and the sound of the hammer and the rasp of the saw greet the ear at every turning. Mr. S. Polley has commenced operations on his new residence on Castle Hill, which makes the fourth residence at present in the course of construction. Seek at it good citizens, and more power to your elbows.

A select party of our elite excurted to Rosemont on Sunday last, on the principle, we suppose, of “better day, better deed.” And now Dame Rumour has it that one our village belles is about to turn her back on Horning’s Mills and the choir and take a through ticket to Winnipeg and beyond. And such is life; even though someone – Robin Hood or Tom Payne, we think – once said, “the mills of the gods grind slow but sure.”

The diphtheria scare has nearly subsided. There have been no deaths and no new cases lately. We protest against the reckless folly of those who, members of families in which the disease was at its worst, daily visited out stores and post office at the risk of sowing the infection broadcast. Many are asking if there is a Board of Health here and what it has done in the public interest. We voice the reasonable request and ask the Chairman to explain. We innocently thought the position of member was not a sinecure but a public trust which involved many active duties.

• r. W. T. Scott, formerly of the firm of Rice & Scott, cheesemakers, has had a writ issued in an action against Mr. E. Berwick, of Shelburne, for $3,000 damages. Mr. Berwick was Receiver in the Workmen’s Lodge from which Scott was expelled for non-payment of dues.

• t the trial of the liquor license case against Mrs. Smith on Saturday, Mr. Hughson, her counsel, raised the objection that no valid licenses could be issued in Dufferin this year by reason of the fact that the statute, which declares that applications for license should be advertised before April 1st, had not been complied with. Justice of the Peace Pattullo was of the same opinion, but the case was decided in favour of the defendant on the evidence. Mr. Hughson’s strange objection will likely be brought to a head when the next case against unlicensed sellers of liquor is advanced.

• ince the headquarters of No. 7 Company was changed from Mono Mills to Shelburne, the drill shed at the former place has been of no use and the government concluded to sell it. The Beeton World gives the following account of the sale: “The Mono Mills drill shed was sold or was not sold Friday. The government had appointed Smith, of Orangeville, to do the hammer act as auctioneer. He, being in the Northwest, wrote Patterson, of Mono Mills, to sell it. Col. Gray, the government’s representative, was there, and, knowing Smith to be away, he had McQuarrie, another Orangeville auctioneer, to do the knocking down. Patterson got up in the Col.’s absence, and sold the building to his father for $50, taking the money and giving a receipt. McQuarrie sold it, after some spirited bidding, to Mr. Kidd, of Mono Mills, for $140, which was paid to Col. Gray. So who owns it is not certain, but it is expected that the government will declare both sales illegal and put it up once more. The Cardwell Agricultural Society have an interest in the structure of $150.

100 YEARS AGO

Thursday, August 25, 1913

• he Dufferin Fall Exhibition, held at Orangeville on Thursday and Friday of last week, was the most successful of the history of the society as to attendance and exhibits. The exhibits in the hall were large and varied and it was on the whole an excellent display. It is said that the exhibit of livestock was not as large as usual, but in many classes there were some excellent animals. The exhibit of Hereford cattle from the Hunter estate was the largest in the cattle line. There were also a number of very handsome horses entered and those in the carriage class were exceptionally good. The dog show proved quite an attractive part of the exhibition and was visited by hundreds of people. The Airedale class appeared to have the larger number of entries. T. A. Middleton, of Conover, John Mowat, of Shelburne and E. G. Bingham, of Orangeville, were the principal exhibitors in this county. John Mowat’s imported Airedale, Dalmahoy King, shown by W. M. Berwick, won first prize in the Open Class and first for the best Airedale in Dufferin County and first for the Best Airedale exhibited at the show. Bingham’s Bonnie Vick won Mowat’s Special for the county and second in the Open Class for females. The weather was all that could be desired and as a result the gate results amounted to $600. Fruit vendors and all kinds of show games to make a few cents out of the visitors were plentiful and all appeared to be doing a share of the business.

• he last layer of earth is being placed on the big dam on the Pine River at the head of Prince of Wales Road and an air of expectancy hovers around the camp as the strenuous labors of the past three seasons are on the eve of fruition, which means a tremendous boom for the industrial interests of the County of Dufferin, three weeks’ time only being required for the electrical current to be sent whirling through the district. Experts from the Westinghouse Company have completed the installation of the electric appliances, which are the most modern obtainable, and another from Quebec is supervising the placing of the motive machinery, which is also up to date, the entire plant costing not less than $25,000. The transmission line to Shelburne and Orangeville is already in position, so that almost on a moment’s notice an unlimited amount of power can be supplied to these towns and the citizens can now go ahead and inaugurate blast furnaces, furniture factories, woolen mills, car shops or anything but ship yards, confident in the ability of the Pine River Light & Power Company to keep the pressure up to the safety point 24 hours per day.

• he Dufferin Central Agricultural Society held its annual Fall Fair in Shelburne this Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday the sky threatened rain and the air was very chilly but the exhibits of roots, grain, fruit, vegetables, dairy produce, ladies’ work, etc. poured in up to noon when nearly 1900 entries had been made in all classes in the hall. Several businessmen of the village put up exhibits on the west side of the hall, which also proved a big attraction. The display of Ladies’ work was no doubt equal to what it has been previous years, many exhibitors coming from Weston, Brampton, Orangeville and other places, and if the show of fruit and roots is hardly as elaborate as last year, it is no doubt due to the exceptional season from a farmer’s outlook.

On Wednesday the weather was all that could be desired. Although cloudy, scores of teams and rigs poured into town early in the morning from all directions. A large exhibit of stock, poultry, etc., was brought in and all classes were well represented on the fairgrounds.

50 YEARS AGO

Wednesday, August 21, 1963

• “Fiddleville” can once more take a bow for a first. A long overdue association of old time fiddlers’ was born on August 10 when a goodly number of fiddlers from Canada and the United States met to discuss and organize. The purposes of the association are to keep alive Old Time Fiddling and folk lore, and to preserve the 12 distinct styles of fiddling predominant in Canada today. Plans for the establishment of a North American Museum and Folk Lore Centre were made, the locale to be decided later.

• he CPR is offering special fares to this year’s Canadian National Exhibition. Return trips Monday through Saturday from Shelburne will cost $3.90.

10 YEARS AGO

Friday, August 22, 2003

• espite the best efforts of three fire departments, a blaze caused more than $1 million damage to the D. D. E. Downey Farms in Melancthon Township last Friday. No one was seriously injured but the potato packaging plant, two storage rooms and millions of pounds of this year’s potato crop, were damaged by fire, smoke and water. However, the farm is back harvesting and able to store the balance of the potato crop.

• controversial skateboard competition is planned for Elizabeth Street, Orangeville, on Sept. 18.