Dipping into the past…

January 8, 2014 · 0 Comments

150 YEARS AGO

Thursday, December 31, 1863

• rom The Sun, Orangeville:

THE NEW YEAR – The merry Christmas holidays are now passing away, and another year, with all its new hopes and high aspirations, is at hand. The country has seldom been in a position to bid the old year adieu, or enter upon the new with more favorable auguries of material and social prosperity than at present. A bountiful harvest, safely gathered, fills the land with plenty; and while neighboring nations are suffering from civil wars or foreign oppression, Canada enjoys the blessings of profound peace and tranquility. We have much cause for congratulation, but in the fullness of our prosperity may be the measure of our gratitude and thankfulness for the blessings we enjoy, never grow less, and may each succeeding new year be a happy one to our friends, and patrons, and to all.

THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS – The first election of councillors for this village will take place on Monday, the candidates being Messrs. F.C. Stewart, W.E. Thompson, T. Jull, F. Irwin, J. .May, W. Armstrong, W.S. Hewat, and S.H. McKitrick. Of these, Messrs. Stewart, Jull, Armstrong and May have at different times served as councillors in Mono and Garafraxa, and have their past services to recommend them to public favor. The other candidates are, however, well qualified for the office, and if they have not public services to recommend them, they have undisputed merit and success in their respective businesses. Between the candidates, there is very little to choose, and any five of them will make as good a Council as any municipality need desire.

The candidates for Mono are Messrs. Geo. McManus, John Avison, Thos. Elder, Samuel Hall, Geo. Little and Wm. Campbell. The first four served in the Council this year, and appear to have given general satisfaction. We have no doubt they will be re-elected. There will, however, be a close contest between Messrs. Little and Campbell, but the former, we believe, will be returned.

SCHOOL EXAMINATION – The quarterly examination of the pupils attending Bythia Street school took place in the school room on Thursday last, in the presence of a large number of the parents and guardians of the children. The examination, which was principally conducted by the teacher, Mr. Geo. Brunt, was very satisfactory. The several classes acquitted themselves in a manner creditable alike to their own industry and the efforts of their worthy instructor. In reading, arithmetic, grammar, geography and history, the pupils evinced a marked improvement since the last examination, and answered the questions asked them with surprising readiness. After several classes had been heard, the judges awarded prizes to those meriting them, and the examination closed with their distribution among the scholars.

PROPOSED GRAVEL ROAD AND TRAMWAY – It appears to us that a more important subject cannot be brought before the public in this section than the construction of a gravel road and tramway from the village to some point on the Grand Trunk Railway. Many suggestions might unquestionably be made to forward and achieve an object so desirable, but that which seems to us the most reasonable and sensible, is the organization of a joint stock company with a subscribed capital of about $60,000. This sum, according to the calculations of a gentleman experienced in such matters, would be sufficient to complete the excavating, grading and gravelling of the road, and laying of a substantial tramway side by side with it…. The traffic on the tramway would be immense and increasing every year, and the great loads which a span of horses would be able to draw on it would, it is apprehended, render it a cheap medium for the transportation of produce, merchandise and other commodities…. We throw out these hints merely with the view of arresting the attention of our public men, and eliciting the opinions of others on the project. We will refer to the subject again.

125 YEARS AGO

Thursday, January 10, 1889

• n the third sale of 1888, Laurel Cheese Factory handled 60,622 pounds of milk and manufactured 6,122 pounds of cheese, which was sold at an average of 10 cents a pound, realizing $612. Expenses included $153.05 to manufacturers, $12.00 to caretaker Hugh McGowan, and $3.00 to salesman for a total of $168.05. As a result, $444.20 was divided among patrons and nearly 9.9 pounds of milk were needed to produce one pound of cheese. The amount returned to patrons per cwt. of milk was slightly over 73 cents.

• Shelburne Public School opened on Monday with five teachers Mr. McMaster, Miss Sutherland, Miss McKinnon, Miss Willson and Miss Summers.

• One day recently Messrs. Thomas Armstrong and George Morrow, using a horse-power sawing machine, cut 50 cords of wood in the short space of six hours for Mr. Harry Irwin, of Mulmur.

100 YEARS AGO

Thursday, January 8, 1914

• wing to the presence of typhoid fever last summer and fall, the village’s sources of water supply have been under suspicion. Doctor Smith, Medical Officer of Health, sent samples from each of the three wells to Dr. John A. Amyot, Head of the Laboratory of the Provincial Board of Health, to be analyzed. Reports shows that the water from all of the wells to be free from infection and to be as good water as it is possible to get. Of well No. 1, on school grounds and well No. 3, on Main Street East, Dr. Amyot says “neither of these specimens show infection. The bacterial count is low.” With regard to well No. 2 on Victoria Street, he says: “this specimen shows neither chemical pollution nor infection with bacteria of intestinal origin.”

A letter from Dr. J. W. S. McCullough, Chief Officer of Health for Ontario, sent to Town Clerk Whalley, said the report “seems to indicate that they [the typhoid cases] are the result of fly infection. The District Officers recommends that all outside closets should be dry earth closets of approved construction and fly-proof; also that there should be installed a municipal system of collection of garbage. I should be obliged if your Board would take this matter up and pass your recommendation to the Council.”

• In Monday’s Municipal elections J. J. White was elected Reeve of Orangeville and Thomas Arnott Deputy Reeve. The full Council will include Mayor J. L. Island, re-elected by acclamation, and Councillors A. D. Holmes, Thomas Henderson, James Darraugh, L. K. Johnston, B. McGuire and James Matthews.

75 YEARS AGO

Thursday, January 5, 1938

• he first joint services of Shelburne’s United Churches were held Sunday in Knox Church, presided over by Rev. Harold Hutcheson, formerly minister of Wesley Church. Holy Communion was dispensed at the 11 a. m. service.

• Shelbure Skating Rink opened its doors to the skating public last Wednesday night and already the committee in charge reports increased attendance over last year. Skaters will find clean, warm accommodation in the rink since its interior has been rebuilt. The dressing rooms are slightly smaller, but are weather proof and particularly warm and cozy.

• Flesherton Village Council recently purchased a new snowplow blade to be used in front of a truck to keep the local streets open during winter so the fire brigade will have easy access to any property where a fire might occur.

50 YEARS AGO

Wednesday, January 8, 1964

• ast Saturday’s Toronto Star carried a story on the inability of Shelburne District Hospital to find someone willing to open a $25,000 a year medical practice in Shelburne. The story quotes hospital administrator E. J. Eldridge as saying he “can’t understand it. Shelburne has everything a young doctor could hope for: a modern 30-bed hospital, pleasant living conditions 60 miles northwest of Toronto and 6,000 people who need another doctor.” He noted that Shelburne currently only has two doctors, one of whom is semi-retired. “The last young physician we had left to take over his father’s practice in Nova Scotia.” The story said that Dr. Hedley Smith a 40-year-old native of northern Ontario is the town’s only resident physician and works up to 14 or 15 hours a day, seven days a week.

• The New Year, 1964, came in last week with a generous snow fall, locally an estimated four inches, but in the Welland area 12 inches in one six hour period.

10 YEARS AGO

Friday, January 9, 2004

• s many as 245 employees of Canam Manac’s Orangeville plant are receiving letters of permanent termination this week. The announcement was made Monday by company’s CEO Charles Dutil.

• A fire Saturday evening which caused about one million dollars damage at Orangeville Precast Concrete, will not slow down the company’s operations. Despite the damage general manager Doug Harkness said the company is ready to put the event behind them and get back to business.