Dipping into the past…

March 19, 2014 · 0 Comments

150 YEARS AGO

Thursday, March 17, 1864

• rom The Sun, Orangeville, compliments of Dufferin County Museum and Archives:

On Sunday last, a fire broke out in the kitchen of the “Marksman’s Home” hotel in this village but the flames having been discovered before they had gained much headway, were easily subdued without damage to the building. The fire originated from the kitchen stove-pipe and but for its timely discovery and the well-directed exertions of the villagers, would have resulted in a great conflagration and the destruction of several buildings.

ORANGEVILLE COUNCIL – The Village Council met at Kelly’s hotel on Monday evening last, but no business of importance was transacted. Accounts for printing, stationery, etc. amounting to $22.50 were presented and ordered to be paid.

THE DANO – GERMAN WAR – This war progresses slowly. The Allies having been repulsed in another attack on Duppel, have not again resumed the offensive. The time thus lost gives the Danes an advantage, for in the present condition of affairs they have everything to gain and nothing to lose by delay. The powers friendly to them are arming, and with England and France, seem only waiting a favorable opportunity to oppose the German invasion of Denmark.

A FIRE ENGINE NEEDED – Compactly built and largely composed of wooden buildings, Orangeville is imminently endangered by fire. In its present unprotected state, a fire once started and favored by the wind would probably reduce the principal part of the village to ashes before its destructive progress could be arrested. To such a calamity the cost of a fire engine would be comparatively trifling, and we trust now that the village is incorporated that immediate steps will be taken to provide one.

The AMERICAN WAR – The news from the seat of war in the States, this week, possesses no important features of interest. Gen Sherman, who had pushed his way into the heart of the Southern Confederacy to attack Mobile has returned to Vicksburg, having accomplished nothing but the devastation of the section of country through which his marauding army marched. In the various skirmishes which have taken place at all other points, the Federals were either repulsed or compelled to retreat to escape disaster. No serious losses on either side are reported. Baffled in their movements and defeated in their efforts to subjugate the South, the Federals are becoming desperate. In their perplexity, they have resolved on a change of Generals and new base of operations for the spring. Gen. Grant supersedes Gen. Halleck as Commander-in-Chief and Gen. Meade, or Gen. W.F. Smith – it is not certain which – is to lead the “Army of the Potomac” once more to Richmond.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS – The Queen of Denmark and her eldest daughter will be present at the christening of the son of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The ex-Queen, Marie Christine, of Spain, renounces her intention of residing in Rome and offers her palace for £68,000 with furniture.

The marriage of Archduke Joseph of Austria and the third daughter of the Queen of England, the princess Helena, born in May 1846, is being arranged.

The Richmond Inquirer says that Jeff Davis’s health is improving and that his digestion is good. We guess, remarks Prentice, that most of the rebels have more digestion that victuals.

125 YEARS AGO

Thursday, March 21, 1889

• meeting of the patrons of Shelburne Cheese Factory was held in the Town Hall on March 9, for the purpose of organizing and appointing officers for the season of 1889. On being appointed chairman, Mr. H. Besley explained the object of the meeting and it was moved by Mr. S. Jelly, seconded by Mr. Trivell, that Mr. Besley act as President for the year. It was moved by Mr. Jelly, seconded by Mr. M. Harrison, that J. Walker receive the sum of 50 cents from each patron for his services as secretary-treasurer of the factory for the season. The patrons elected Mr. S. Jelly to act as salesman for the season at a salary of $10.

• . J. Mungovan, editor of the Dufferin Post, wrote the following letter to the editor, published by the Shelburne Free Press:

“Among the Orangeville news under date of March 18, presumably sent as an Associated Press despatch, is an item in reference to the criminal libel suit against the editor of The Dufferin Post. The writer of the item was either not conversant with the facts or deliberately distorted them. It is said that at the police court on Saturday counsel for Mungovan signed an apology to the complainant and agreed to pay all costs. The criminal proceedings against The Post have been withdrawn, but these were not the terms of the withdrawal. There was neither an apology nor an agreement to pay costs by my counsel. I simply accepted the sworn evidence of the complainant that he had nothing to do with the outrage in my office, and agreed to publish a statement to that effect This was the basis on which the prosecution was discontinued. Counsel for complainant pressed for an apology and costs, but both were flatly refused on grounds which fully appear in the extended report of the proceedings. I trust you will insert the foregoing in justice to me, and that it will also be published by such other journals as have given publicity to the erroneous and misleading item which I have corrected.”

• he sale of the Shelburne Planing Mills and Factory, which were advertised to be sold on April 6, 1889, under mortgage from Thomas Jennings, will not take place. The present owners have paid up the amount due and the sale is withdrawn. The Yokom property at Masonville will be sold on that date as advertised.

• n Saturday morning, between 2 and 3 o’clock, the Orangeville fire brigade was called out to extinguish a fire at the Queen’s Hotel. The firemen succeeded in mastering it before it had spread much.

100 YEARS AGO

Thursday, March 19, 1914

• ome little time ago a great deal of unfavourable notoriety was given the 36th Regiment by parties unfriendly to it who gave the press garbled reports regarding a Court of Inquiry that was being held. The summing up of the court was that the evidence adduced did not in any way reflect on any officer or officers of the regiment, and had the charges been made in a court of law the parties making them would have at once been not-suited. The Annual Inspection Report states that this regiment is above the average of the regiments training in camp.

• he Minister of Militia has been given notice of a resolution to be introduced in the House of Commons, further extending the time for payment of Fenian raid volunteer bounty grants. The resolution will propose the payment at any time prior to December 31, 1915, of $100 to every volunteer who is living at the date of the passing of the act based on the resolution who was regularly enlisted in and served with the militia called out for active service in 1866 by the Government of Canada.

• uelph and Wellington County are after some of the fruits of the Hydro system which are to come in the shape of radials. Guelph City Council has passed a resolution requesting that the Hydro-Electric Commission of Ontario inquire into the cost of construction and operation of a line from Guelph to Orangeville through the townships of Eramosa and Erin and the villages of Erin and Hillsburgh. The populations of the municipalities which would be served is sufficient, the resolution says, to provide revenue for a profitable railroad and it would be also of much economic value to the municipalities.

75 YEARS AGO

Thursday, March 23, 1939

• helburne’s two hockey teams in the Central Ontario Hockey League were guests of the Rotary Club at its dinner in the Mansion House last Thursday night. President Harry Zinn, in voicing appreciation of the hockey teams’ activities, outlined the extent of the financial matters concerned with the alterations to the skating rink and the amount of hockey revenue surplus that had been contributed to the debt, which was in the neighbourhood of $340. He said the players had shown themselves to do their part as citizens in this community undertaking and besides had provided splendid clean sport. Reeve T. J. O’Flynn also congratulated the teams on their good season’s record.

50 YEARS AGO

Wednesday, March 18, 1964

• ragedy struck Dufferin Oaks about 11:30 a.m. Saturday, when a 90-year-old resident, Mr. Hugh Bates, of Grand Valley, was so severely burned that he died shortly after being admitted to Shelburne District Hospital. As far as can be determined, the victim had been smoking in his room and this is believed to be the cause of the blaze, which destroyed a considerable amount of the room’s furnishings.

• bout 800 hockey fans gathered in Shelburne Arena Friday night for the third game of a best-of-five final series between Shelburne Muskies and Dundalk. The game ended with the final score 11-3 for the home team and afterward Harold Rolstin presented Muskies’ captain Ken Wood, with the Earl Rayburn Memorial Trophy.

10 YEARS AGO

Friday, March 19, 2004

• helburne ratepayers could be looking at a 5% increase to the town’s portion of their property tax bill if council approves a draft version of the 2004 budget.

• rangeville is one of the safest communities in the province, according to a recently released report. The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, in its latest report, found that in 2002 Orangeville had the fifth lowest number of reported crimes for police services in their category – 5,812 reported crimes per 100,000 people.