Dipping into the past…

February 5, 2014 · 0 Comments

150 YEARS AGO

Thursday, January 21, 1864

• rom The Sun, Orangeville:

BOARD OF SCHOOL TRUSTEES – The Board of School Trustees for this village met at Kelly’s hotel on Monday evening last, and after adopting the minutes of a former meeting, the tender of Mr. Wm. Haley to deliver 11 cords of wood at 90 cents per cord, for the use of the school, was received and accepted. Tenders were also read from several persons for making, staining and varnishing 50 seats and desks for the school room. After some discussion their further consideration was, on motion of Mr. Parsons, seconded by Mr. Bell, deferred till the next meeting of the Board. A letter from Rev. J. Goodman, asking the use of the school-room for the evening of the 23rd inst. was read, and on motion of Mr. Rutledge, seconded by Mr. Parsons, the request was granted. Committees were then appointed and instructed to effect a few unimportant changes in the school-room and premises adjoining after which the Board adjourned, to meet at Bell’s hotel on Monday evening next at 7 o’clock.

COUNTY COUNCIL – The Wellington County Council met at Guelph on the 26th inst. for the dispatch of business. There were 27 members present. The clerk having called the council to order, Mr. Geo. Palmer seconded by Mr. Robt. Royce, proposed Mr. W. Leslie. Reeve of Puslinch, as a fit and proper person for Warden; and Mr. Sem Wissler seconded by Mr. Jas. Cattanach, proposed Mr. Chas. Clarke of Elora. Mr. Leslie having received a majority of votes, took the chair and the Council proceeded to business. The usual standing committees were then appointed, and some other business transacted, but the session was not an important one. Owing to the derangement consequent on the removal of our office, we are unable to give a report of the proceedings.

ORDINATION AND SOIREE – The preliminary steps having been duly taken for the settlement of the Rev. Archibald Brown over the congregation of the Canada Presbyterian Church at Mono Centre, his ordination and induction took place in the church there on the 27th ult. The building was crowded with a respectable and attentive audience. Rev. A. McFaul of Caledon conducted the diet of public worship. The Rev. Mr. Fraser of Bond Head put the usual questions to the presentee and conducted the solemn ceremony of ordination. The Rev. Mr. Pringle of Brampton addressed the congregation congratulating them on their auspicious settlement and setting before them their duty in both the spiritual temporal point of view. Mr. Brown enters his new charge with every prospect of abundant success. In honour of the auspicious occasion, and to procure some funds to finish the parsonage (which is nearly completed) was held in the evening, which was a complete success. The rev. Mr. Thomson of Erin was unanimously called to the chair and tea and cakes were served out with a profusion, taste and activity, characteristic of the people of Mono Centre. After ample justice had been done to the good things provided, suitable addresses were delivered. … The choir under the leadership of Mr. Morton, ably assisted by Mr. Innis, Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Davidson, discoursed sweet music at intervals which tended greatly to enliven the meeting.

THE THAW – The warm weather of the past week has all but done away with the sleighing. As we write, however, there are indications of snow falling, and the probability is that next week the sleighing will again be good.

DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP – The co-partnership heretofore existing between the undersigned, as Waggon-Makers,, and Manufacturers of Agricultural Implements, has this day been dissolved by mutual consent. All accounts due to the firm of Nicholson and Woodward if not immediately paid, will be handed over for collection. – Isaac Nicholson, John Woodward.

STRAY HORSE – Strayed from the premises of the subscriber, Lot 11, Con. 17, township of Garafraxa, on Friday evening, the 29th ult., a Brown Mare, 6 years old. She is part Indian, and large sized, and may be readily known by a small protuberance on the inside of the left fore leg just below the knee joint, as well as by a small white star on her forehead. Any person returning her to the undersigned will be substantially rewarded. – James Reid, Garafraxa.

125 YEARS AGO

Thursday, February 7, 1889

• he deputation appointed at a public meeting to lay the question of a second high school for Dufferin before Dufferin County Council waited on that body on Wednesday, January 23. The deputation consisted of Dr. Barr, MPP, and Messrs. Skelton, Rutherford and Berwick from Shelburne and James Braiden, from Amaranth. At the morning session Shelburne Reeve William Jelly presented the petition and a resolution was passed agreeing to hear the deputation at 2 p.m.

Dr. Barr was the first speaker. He said the deputation was not so desirous of having the matter decided now, and favoured having the question discussed now and the necessary bylaw passed at the June session. There was no doubt whatever of the necessity existing for a second high school; the present high school is crowded beyond the building’s capacity and the ability of teachers to do justice to their students. He pointed out that much smaller counties than Dufferin had two to four high schools. The present high school being situated at the extreme south of the county and 24 miles from the northern limit, did not meet the wants of the north, even if there was ample room, which there is not. He showed that the entire cost to the county would not exceed five or six cents on $1000 assessment, so it was absurd to suppose that the petition would meet opposition on the grounds of expense. The largest share of the expense would be borne by Shelburne. He pointed out the fact that parents were unwilling to send their children a long distance from home at such an early age, and as they were willing to pay for higher education they should not be deprived of the privilege.

Mr. J. Skelton was next to speak. He stated that the entire county assessment was over $8,000,000 and that six cents on every $1000 dollars would raise $480, which would be more than the proposed high school would need for years to come. He noted that York County Council had established four new high school districts, making seven for that county. He reminded Orangeville representatives of the great contrast between the circumstances of their village when Wellington County established their high school in 1863 and those of Shelburne today. Shelburne was in the centre of a large territory destitute of high school accommodation and had more than double the population Orangeville then had. Shelburne’s public school had 360 enrolled pupils. Orangeville’s public school at the time was assembled in one room presided over by a single teacher.

Mr. George Rutherford endorsed all that had been said by the previous speakers. He wished to know if the council was here to do justice to the whole county or were only elected to represent Orangeville.

In the end, the matter was put over until the June session, but the council’s committee on education said it did not feel “at liberty to grant the prayer of said petition at present.”

Commented the Shelburne Free Press: “The [committee’s] report, without doubt, is as silly a one as ever appeared in print. It would have been just as reasonable if it had stated that the government had authorized the High School Board to purchase a plug hat for the principal, and for that reason they did ‘not feel at liberty’ to grant the prayer of said petition.”

100 YEARS AGO

Thursday, February 5, 1914

• t Dufferin County Council last week a grant of $200 was made to Lord Dufferin Hospital. This is $100 less than last year’s grant, and the reduction was based on the fact that owing to a change in the law the hospital can charge each township a fixed rate of $1.00 per day for patients resident in the township.

Heavy expenditure on bridges will again be required, especially in East Garafraxa. The assuming of bridges over a certain size on townlines between townships is proving a heavy additional expense to the county.

75 YEARS AGO

Thursday, February 9, 1939

• hirty-one motorists were marooned overnight in Caledon Village, on Monday, January 30, when driving conditions on Highway 10 made it impossible for them to continue. Among them was the crew of a provincial snowplow which stalled in the drifts on Caledon Mountain.

• he annual meeting of Dufferin Farmers’ Mutual Fire Insurance Company was held in Shelburne Town Hall last Saturday afternoon. The meeting was not as largely attended as usual, due doubtless to the fact that in 1938, the 44th year of the company, fire losses were slightly below normal while there had been substantial increases in the number of policies and the amount of insurance in force. In 1938 the company paid out $12,794.10 in losses compared with $18,595.23 in 1937 and $22,882.62 in 1936.

50 YEARS AGO

Wednesday, February 5, 1964

• reight trains, with up to 75 empty box cars have been heading north on the CPR to Owen Sound where they are being filled with wheat that is being shipped south to East Coast ports for overseas shipping following big trade deals reached with Russia and other grain-needy countries in Europe.

• cCaul Knitting Mills, of Toronto, have purchased the former School Photographs Ltd. building on Shelburne’s William Street.

10 YEARS AGO

Friday, February 6, 2004

• he Provincial Government will object to the Town of Mono’s implementation of The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan. Planning Direct Mark Early said as much during a recent public meeting to address the issue before Council adopted the proposed, possible contentious amendment to Mono’s Official Plan which would ban further aggregate pits in the town.