This page was exported from Shelburne Free Press [ https://shelburnefreepress.ca ] Export date:Wed Jul 3 13:24:50 2024 / +0000 GMT ___________________________________________________ Title: Dipping into the past... --------------------------------------------------- 150 YEARS AGO Thursday, August 18, 1864 • rom The Sun, Orangeville, compliments of Dufferin County Museum and Archives: ORANGEVILLE AUGUST FAIR — This Fair, established for the sale and exchange of horses, cattle, sheep, produce, etc., was held here on Friday night. Though not largely attended, much stock changed hands. The show of cattle was very good, but the prices paid were only moderate — a result due both to the want of due competition and the “hard times.” THE AMERICAN WAR — The war news of the past week presents few features of interest. The Federal Admiral Farragut has succeeded in his expedition against Mobile, having captured or destroyed the forts and most of the armed vessels that disputed his passage up the inlet, and obtained command of the city with the loss of one of his ironclads. In Northern Virginia, the Confederate force under Early is retreating with the spoils captured at the south-western corner of Alabama, on the Mexican Gulf, was a great use to the Confederates as a harbor for blockade runners. Its loss to them is a severe one. In Northern Virginia the Confederate force under Early is retreating with the spoils captured by it in the Shenandoah Valley, and even further North. Sheridan is in pursuit, but there is little reason to believe that he will either succeed in seriously harassing the retreating foe or recovering the lost property. THE TRAMWAY — This great project has at length been recognized by our “village fathers,” who, at their last meeting, voted $100 towards its survey. Refusing to carry out the wishes of the ratepayers, as expressed at two public meetings, they had at last to succumb to the people's wishes, on the petition of the electors, and do that in the end which might have been much more agreeably done at first. There is no doubt that a large majority of the people of this and the adjoining municipalities are willing to vote the issue of debentures on which the capital for constructing the line can be obtained, and there is no reason why unnecessary delay should be incurred. ORANGEVILLE COUNCIL — This Council met at Jones's hotel on Monday evening. Present: Messrs. Stewart, Hewat, Thompson and May. The Reeve called the attention of Council to a communication he had received from the Corporation of Mono stating that the Corporation had appointed its Reeve, Mr. Geo. McManus, arbitrator to arbitrate on the non-resident monies due by Orangeville to Mono at the time of their separation, and requesting the Orangeville Council to appoint an arbitrator for the same purpose. On motion of Mr. May, seconded by Dr. Hewat, the matter was laid over for future consideration. Dr. Hewat presented a petition from James Kelly praying the Council to bear half the expenses of having a crossing across First Street, where it intersects Broadway. On motion of Mr. May, seconded by Mr. Thompson, the prayer of the petitioner was granted. The committee to whom had been referred the petitions praying for grants to improve Front and Second Streets, reported in favor of a small grant for the former and against any expenditure for the present on the latter. Both reports were received and adopted. The committee to whom had been referred the petition of Orange Lawrence and others, praying for a grant towards defraying the cost of a working survey of the Orangeville tramway, reported in favor of making an appropriation of $100 for the purpose. On motion of Mr. May, seconded by Dr. Hewat, the report was adopted and the appropriation made. A communication from the School Trustees stating that they would require $200 for school purposes for the present year was received but laid over till next meeting. 125 YEARS AGO Thursday, August 22, 1889 • ne year ago tomorrow it was announced that Mr. W. B. Jelly, the then reeve of Amaranth, had discovered the remains of a huge animal of a species now extinct, and that he had dug out four ribs measuring four feet in length and six inches in circumference. The announcement was received with ridicule and many would not believe the statement. Mr. Jelly lives on Lot 9, Con. 7 and the remains mentioned were discovered in a low place on his farm that was originally a swamp. It had never been cultivated and was used for pasture. This low place had been filled with water for years and was used as a watering place for cattle. Last summer it went dry and Mr. Jelly went to work with a scraper to make it deeper and found the bones. The same evening there was a heavy fall of rain and the hole again filled with water. The soil below the black muck is a peculiar kind of sand and blue clay and every shovel full would contain thousands of small shells of all descriptions. Mr. John Jelly, of Shelburne, visited the place a few days ago and got permission to excavate in the place mentioned and try to unearth the whole skeleton. He and Mr. W. B. Jelly and a gang of men commenced work on Monday, August 12, and met with great success before work had to be halted because of water flooding the excavation. Up to that time they took out 23 ribs, several joints of the vertebra and one horn. These interesting specimens are in Mr. Jelly's store in Shelburne and have been inspected by hundreds of people. The longest ribs are four feet long. The first joint of the vertebra is 14 inches across and the horn is 12 feet long and measures 24 inches at the base and 22 inches at three feet from the base. The horn was broken into three pieces in taking it out, but can easily be fitted together and spliced. The base of the horn was six feet in the ground and was well preserved. The tip projected nearly to the surface and that part which extended into the black muck is lacking, having decayed. We should judge that about one foot of the tip is missing. It is one of the most interesting discoveries that has ever been made in Canada and will no doubt attract a great deal of attention. Our limited knowledge of the antediluvian period and history of extinct species prevent us from naming the curiosity. No doubt the skeleton belongs to a species of as large proportions as the mammoth, but the particulars do not correspond in detail. The mammoth had tusks, which are ivory and usually about nine feet six inches in length. In this specimen there are two curves in the horn exactly the same as the horns of a large ox or cow. Mr. John Jelly intends to allow the directors of the Melancthon Agricultural Society to exhibit the monster skeleton at the Fall Fair to be held in Shelburne on October 8 and 9. • n Friday last Mr. O. R. Peck, president of the Ontario Pump Company of Toronto, was fatally injured at the Shelburne Waterworks. His company has the contract for the waterworks and at the time of the sad occurrence had commenced the erection of a tower for the windmill. The first bent had been almost raised up to its proper position by means of a windlass, but not being properly stayed, a gust of wind carried it over and Mr. Peck, being on the bent at the time and about 25 feet from the ground, fell with it. The bent fell across the stonework intended for the tank and was badly smashed up. Mr. Peck died Saturday evening, his wife being with him at the time. Deceased was 37 years of age. • he excursion of the Foresters and Workmen of Shelburne and Dundalk to Owen Sound and Wiarton on Monday last was a great success, with 10 heavily ladened passenger coaches rolling into the depot at Owen Sound and the party going by steamer to Wiarton. 100 YEARS AGO Thursday, August 20, 1914 • anada's first war session of Parliament opened at Ottawa Tuesday, with no society aspect and no sign of partisan politics. Canada's war vote for the present emergency session is to be $50 million. The overseas contingent of the 36th (Peel) Regiment was assembled at Toronto last Friday, being quartered in Ravina Rink. Six men left Shelburne Friday evening to join the regiment, which will be trained at a mobilization camp at Valcartier, near Quebec, and be part of the initial Canadian force of between 22,000 and 25,000 men. The Shelburne boys were given a good send-off. The flag was run up on the Town Hall, all business places were closed and the procession to the CPR station was led by the Town Council and Citizens' Band. • udge Fisher held special sittings of the Criminal Court at Shelburne on Tuesday of last week for the trial of Isaac Scott of Grand Valley, who was arrested there on July 28 charged with indecent assault on Mary Hilts, a girl of nine years of age. On hearing the evidence the judge dismissed the case. 75 YEARS AGO Thursday, August 24, 1939 • t the Dufferin County Police Court, George Watson, of Dundalk, was sentenced to 14 days in jail by Magistrate William Woodliffe. Charged with reckless driving and driving while intoxicated, he was sentenced to 14 days on each charge, sentences to run concurrently, and fined $25 and costs of $31.75. His permit was cancelled for six months and his car impounded for three months. “I am satisfied you were driving while intoxicated,” said the Magistrate, after evidence was introduced showing that the accused's car struck George Rutledge, who was straddling his bicycle on a Shelburne curb on July 20. After knocking Rutledge into the air, the accused drove down the highway for some distance but returned to the scene. Eyewitness Harry Bailey, of Shelburne, said Watson “staggered and didn't navigate very well.” 50 YEARS AGO Wednesday, August 19, 1964 •  total of two x-ray technicians, three nurses and one mobile unit will be used in Dufferin County during a tuberculin test and x-ray that began Tuesday. Throughout the drive to find all the unknown cases of tuberculosis in Dufferin County, the clinics and x-ray unit will visit all communities between now and September 4. 10 YEARS AGO Friday, August 22, 2004 •  province-wide blackout that also affected the Northeastern United States, caused residents to lose power for six to 24 hours. The blackout hit at about 4:15 p.m. Thursday afternoon. Some parts of Orangeville regained power by 11 p.m. Thursday and most of the town was back on line by 7 a.m. Friday, but many Shelburne residents did not receive power until Friday afternoon. --------------------------------------------------- Images: --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Post date: 2014-08-20 12:38:28 Post date GMT: 2014-08-20 16:38:28 Post modified date: 2014-08-27 13:30:10 Post modified date GMT: 2014-08-27 17:30:10 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Export of Post and Page as text file has been powered by [ Universal Post Manager ] plugin from www.gconverters.com