Dipping into the past…

July 31, 2014 · 0 Comments

150 YEARS AGO

Thursday, July 19, 1864

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

THE MINISTERIAL ELECTIONS: On Monday Hon. Geo. Brown was returned by acclamation for South Oxford. Hon. O. Mowat, it is now ascertained, will also be returned for South Ontario. Hon. W. McDougall is opposed in North Ontario, by Mr. M. C. Cameron, and will perhaps be defeated.

FEDERATION AND THE COALITION: The views of the Canadian press on this momentous subject furnish a by no means inapt representation of the chaos on a small scale. A great many of our contemporaries – with reverence be it said – are sadly in need of more light on the question; for in their ideas they are as wide as the poles asunder, a veritable political blindness appearing to have settled on some of them. If some collector of curiosities could be induced to exhibit a specimen of their views, what a Babel would be represented!; the confusion of tongues would be nothing to it. Nevertheless, we hope that by-and-by order will arise out of the present jarring obscurity; that the crude opinions now entertained will be formed into something consistent and reasonable; and that the accomplishment of the federation of the British North American Provinces will be the final result. We are glad to see that the subject is exciting such universal attention, for the views of the people will thereby be made manifest to their representatives, and when Parliament next assembles much will already have been accomplished. …

We trust that our legislators will well and carefully consider the federation question, and that no ill-digested scheme will be adopted. We are not ignorant of the difficulties to be encountered, but if the people perform their duty they will not be found insuperable. In our opinion the Intercolonial Railway will have to be built as one of the conditions of a Federation, but in view of the stability and security which this measure would bring to the country, it ought, under any circumstances, to be carried into operation. Care ought also be taken that the conditions upon which the various provinces unite should be accurately defined and clearly understood. The powers of the federal legislature ought to be sufficiently ample, and the prerogatives of the federal head definitely laid down, so that when difficulties arise – as arise they surely will – no doubts and uncertainties may paralyze the hands of the government. Let the pernicious doctrine of State Sovereignty be carefully eschewed, so that in time to come no great secession war on British soil may deluge the country with blood. … Let a small but regular army be maintained, its numbers increased according to the national ability to support it and the emergency of the times, and this in addition to the present volunteer force, would preserve peace at home and provide against invasion from abroad.

THE TWELFTH IN ORANGEVILLE: Tuesday, last being the Twelfth of July, the Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, one of the most remarkable events in English history, was celebrated in a suitable manner in this village, by the Orangemen of the surrounding district. At nine o’clock a.m., the members of Lodge No. 427, Mr. Jas. Keyes, Master, and Lodge No. 635, Mr. Geo. Bell, Master, met the brethren of Lodge No. 20, Mr. Jas. Carry, Master, at Springbrook and were shortly after joined by Lodges Nos. 22, 333, and 1099, under the Mastership of Messrs. T. Reed, J. Gillespie, and J. Still, after which the brethren marched in procession to Orangeville, where they were joined by Lodge No 851, Mr. A. Cony, Master. After marching through the principal streets of the village to the invigorating music of fifes and drums, till noon, the different Lodges repaired to the hotels of Messrs. Bell, Jones, Wallace and Kelly, where they partook of excellent dinners which had been specially prepared for them. At half-past one the brethren again formed in procession, and paraded the principal streets till 4 p.m., when they separated, having spent the day agreeably in each others’ company.

CHARLESTON TRAM MEETING: As will be found by a perusal of the speeches made at the meeting, the advocates for a tramway had decidedly the best of the argument, while the opponents had no valid reasons to urge against it.

THE AMERICAN WAR: Fighting around the Northern capital — the Confederates in great force advancing on Washington — is news of startling interest. While Gen. Grant has been trying in vain every approach to Richmond, Gen. Lee has dispatched a large force to threaten the North, and Washington is at this moment in imminent danger of being taken. The Confederates having captured Harper’s Ferry advanced towards Baltimore and destroyed the railways running from that city, severing communications with the North. Should the South succeed in taking the Northern capital, great results might be expected to follow. Jefferson Davis might probably offer terms of peace on condition that the South should be recognized as a nation, and if these terms were rejected we imagine that the city of Washington would be destroyed and a further invasion northward take place.

ORANGEVILLE COUNCIL: This Council held two meetings last week, and decided upon improving the streets, jobs on which were contracted for yesterday. An arrangement was made with Mr. J. Ketchum for a gravel pit, the Council binding itself to gravel 2nd East Street within three years.

125 YEARS AGO

Thursday, July 18, 1889

• Shelburne was in all its glory on Friday last, when Orangemen with their relatives and admirers within a radius of 20 miles assembled to do honour to King William of glorious, pious and immortal memory, to celebrate the 199th anniversary of the historic event at the Boyne; and to reaffirm with special emphasis their loyalty to Queen and Country, and their dearly-bought rights of civil and religious liberty. As was the case generally throughout the country, the celebration carried with it more than ordinary significance, the recent incorporation of and money grant to Romish aggression. It was the largest Orange demonstration that has ever taken place in or around Shelburne, and its success was unqualified.

The town people threw their heart and soul into the event, and Shelburne wore its best bib and tucker to receive its visitors. Evergreen arches profusely decorated, coloured streamers stretching across the streets, bunting hanging in graceful folds from the business blocks, with flags of all sizes fluttering everywhere – all these united to give the village a gay and picturesque appearance, which was heightened tenfold when the Orangemen appeared on the scene with their banners and regalia. Headed by Shelburne Citizens’ Band, the local lodge went to the morning trains and welcomed the incoming brethren.

100 YEARS AGO

Thursday, July 18, 1914

• The many residents of Shelburne who had made arrangements to provide accommodation for the large crowd of visitors expected at the Orange celebration on Monday spent a few anxious hours in the forenoon. Rain commenced to fall on Sunday about noon and continued the greater part of the afternoon. In the early hours of Monday it again rained heavily, and up to 9 o’clock there was not much hope entertained for fine weather. The southbound train arrived at 8:33 and only one lodge, from Orange Valley, north of Flesherton. arrived while it was still drizzling. But later the lodges and friends began arriving from all directions and about noon the northbound train arrived with 18 extra coaches being pulled by three locomotives. In all there were 37 lodges on hand. The train’s late arrival delayed lunches and processions, but in the end the celebration was one of the most successful the town had ever had.

75 YEARS AGO

Thursday, July 20, 1939

• Last Wednesday was the Glorious Twelfth, but with the nearest Orange Order celebrations being in Arthur and Guelph it was a particularly quiet day in Dufferin. The Shelburne, Melancthon and Orangeville lodges went to Arthur, while another 15 Dufferin lodges took part in the celebrations at Barrie.

• The big community picnic in Midland sponsored by Shelburne Rotary Club last Thursday was patronized to a greater extent than ever in spite of the long trip via Wasaga Beach and Elmvale. Nearly 40 cars left the village at 1:30 p.m. en route to Midland’s beautiful Park Lake, where about 300 children enjoyed the water. Bandsmen led by bandmaster T. F. E. Claridge regales the picnic with a long program of numbers.

50 YEARS AGO

Wednesday, July 15, 1964

• Tickets for the 1964 National Fiddle Contest, to be held in Shelburne August 7 and 8, went on sale last Friday and before the day was out $1,400 in sales had been taken in.

• Toronto’s three daily newspapers, the Star, Telegram and Globe and Mail, have all continued publishing despite a strike that began last Thursday by close to 700 printers, members of the International Typographical Union.

10 YEARS AGO

Friday, July 18, 2004

• The relevance of Dufferin County Council’s Community Development committee has been called into question after its members voted to stop the very work the committee was formed to do about a decade ago. Minutes of the committee’s June 25 session showed a motion had been passed recommending that the County “do no more work in creating new waste disposal sites in Dufferin.”

• About 26 Shelburne residents living near the abandoned CPR rail line have asked the town council to do something about the snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes now using the right-of-way. Their petition the council said the use “is becoming an increasing danger to pedestrians and motorists using Main Street and Victoria Street.”