IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 12.2 I.I M 12.0 11:25 ill 1.4 1^ 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation k & [ A {./ ^ .^4b. <• ■, ♦ 6^¥r 75r INTRODUCTION At the request of some of my family that I should dot dowu and relate, from my early days of childhood to an advanced age, its memories, and my various reminiscences through life, the follow- ing pages are the result. Claiming no title as a writer, I trust my readers will not too severely criticise me in any way, but take it as a record of circumstances as they have occurred. I desire to acknowledge the assistance I have received from my son Albert, and to express the hope that the following pages may be interesting to my readers generally — to my family, especially. St. Johns, P. Q., December, 1899. Reminiscences ' / remember, / remember, Ho7v my chilil/iooii /leeled hv- FAR AWAY Where is now the luerrj- party I remember long ago, Langhing round the Xmas fireside, Briglitened by its ruddy glow. Or in Summer's balmy evenings In the field upon the hay ? Tiiey have all dispersed and wandered Far away — far away. Some have gone to lands far distant. And with strangers made their home Some upon the world of waters All their lives are forced to roam ; Some have gone from us forever — Ivonger- here they might not stay— They have reached a fairer region Far away — far away. Ml si There are still some few rtiuaiiung, Who reiiiiiul us of llie past, But they change as all thiiiKS change here— Nothing in this world can last. Years roll on and pass forever, What is coming who can say ? Ere this closes many may be Far away— far away. In reading over Hellaniy's book " Looking Backward," I was much struck witli its peculiari- ties, and particularly in his work, "Equality," which is a continuation of the former ; and in or- der that those who have not read " Looking Back- ward " niav understand, he prefaces on his title- page of " Equality " a brief outline of its character and connection with it by : " It appears that in the year 1887, Julian West was a rich young man living in Boston. He was soon to be married to a young lady of wealthy family, named Edith Bartlett, and meanwhile lived alone with his man and servant, Sawyer, in the family mansion. Being a sufferer from insomnia, he had caused a chamber to be built of stone be- neath the foundation of the house, which he used for a sleeping room. When at times it failed to bring slumber, he sometimes called in a profes- \ s e fi a t c I f( tl w h C( tl h S ei at h: 8 ' Looking peculiari- viuality," and in or- iiijr Back- his title- character ilian West He was if wealthy vhile lived ■er, in the insomnia, f stone be- ch he nsed t failed to 1 a profes- sional mcsmeri/er to pnt him into a liypnotic sleep, from which vSawyer knew how to ;i\vake him at a fixed time. All this was known only to Sawyer and the hypnotist who rendered his services. " On the night of May 30, 1SS7, West .sent for the latter and was pnt to sleep as nsnal. The hypnotist had previonsly informed West that he was intending to leave the city permanently the same evening, and referred him to other practition- ers. That night the house of Julian West took fire, and was wholly destroyed. Remains identified as those of Saw\'er were found, and though no ves- tige of West appeared, it was assumed that he, of course, had also perished. " In the year 2000, Dr. Leete, a physician of Boston, was conducting excavations in his garden for the foundations of a private laboratory, when the workers came on a mass of ma.sonry, covered with ashes and charcoal. On opening it, a vault, luxuriously fitted up in the style of a nineteenth century bed chamber was found, and on the bed the body of a young man, looking as if he had just lain down to sleep. Although great trees had been growing above the vault, the nnaccountable pres- ervation of the youth's body teni, '--'d Dr. Leete to attempc resuscitation, and to his wn astonishment his eflfurts proved successful." Til us we sue that Julian West had slept a lit- tle over a century, and during that time a ^reat revolution had bej^ain, and was K<»"K <>", in the' United »States of America, whereby all private cajii- tal was taken possession of and placed with a Cen- tral (Government, which assumed all control of rich and poor, also all mills, machinery, railroads, farms, mines, and lands and capital in general ; they called in as worthless, all botids, deeds and mortga^^'s, assuming all to be arranged by the labor ciuestiou, and then commenced a system of "equality," calling upon all classes to perform their share of labor, receiving, in the stead of money for their pay, credit cards issued by the Central Government, and credited by the Xatiomil Bank, which issued these credit cards to the individual, he taking his requirements or necessities from the store where the general supply comes from the general government, and so the credit cards finally reach the account of audit at the National Bank, somewhat in the same way that railroad tickets now get into the auditor's office of an up-to-date railway system. If at the date of exchange there is a balance reuuiining on any credit card, it is cast into the general fund ; but those who make use of their credit before the date of expiry have to be taken care of by their friends until they receive lO cpt a lit- 1, in the •ate capi- h a Ceii- )ntr()l of •ail roads, j^ctieral ; eeds and I by the ystein of perform jf money Central al Bank, idividiial, from the from the Is finally al Bank, :1 tickets ip-to-date ige there it is cast ke use of Lve to be V receive their portion of the next division. \\'(,men must share the work with the men, ch(H)sin)^r whatever employment best suits their taste. Their costumes and dress are vastly different from those previously worn, and their skirts are arranged so as not to in- terfere with their workin^^ with ease and comfort. Xearly everythinj-- is made of paper, of differ- ent te.xtiles, to suit every weather and every em- ployment. The lazy and unintellijrent num shares equally with the industrious, frugal and scientific man ; except perhaps, if he be too stupid to toler- ably compare, then he is given seeds to plant or tools to work witli in some remote corner by him- self. At the age of forty-five he is superannuated, and from this time is not obliged to work. The methods of electricity are arranged for warmth, light and power; and with the use of an electrical invention, one can renuiin in his own parlor and .see and hear theatrical performances, listen to k-ctures, or whatever is being presented at jjlaces of amuse- ment. Common baths are made and fitted in the most luxurious .style; schools and gymnasiums are elaborately built, and the interiors exquisitely decorated. Teachers on e\ery subject are pro\-ided for pui)ils, all of whom are taught the great advan- tages of a Revolutionary Government. II No doubt Julian West was surprised, at his awakening, to find such extraordinary changes in the time he had slept, and yet he was more aston- ' ished at his awakening, proper, to find it was all a dream. I can take it more rationally when reading o\'er the review taken by the Boston Transcript, which considered that the author of " Looking Backward " had recorded the circumstances as hav- ing taken place in the short space of 113 years. We can take an ordinary life, and see that nothing short of revolution or conquest could produce such startling changes. Circumstances have brought me into connection with bishops, priests and lay- men, men of science and note, judges, lawyers, no- taries and " all sorts and conditions of men," and in discussing this subject all agree that there was not time to bring about such startling events and so radical a reform in any government. I can remember socialists, the " Owenites," under Robert Owen, purchasing large tracts of land and entering on a system of "equality" in labor and value; and it is a well-known fact that the celebrated Mr. Fox used to take up the ques- tions of the day and discuss them at Finsbury Place Chapel, on Sundays, and he argued that this sort of socialism could never be carried out success- i 12 :1, at his iiiges in ire aston- was all a reading yanscript^ Looking ;s as hav- [3 years. : nothing luce such brought and lay- ,'yers, no- len," and there was ^•ents and •weuites," tracts of ality" in fact that the ques- Finsbury [ that this it success- fully. Xeither was it. It was not long afterwards that the whole affair was an insolvent concern, and soon it entirely faded away. I remember the " Chartists " who were going to inaugurate a system of " equality." Great num- bers fell in with them. The rich were to be lev- elled with the poor; lands were to be taken and worked for the benefit of all. Often their meet- ings were worked up to sedition, and quite fre- quently their gatherings were raided by the police, and a wholesome lesson read the arrested members by the magistrate before discharging them. These socialists claimed that F land was not only full of wealth, but was sufficiently large to give employment to all who lived there; that there was "an earth all round, crying, ' Come and till me, come and reap me.' " Emigration was looked upon with contempt. Lively speeches were made at these meetings, and songs were also sung. I will relate one of the latter : " My counlry I love as I ever have loved, Although I am aged and poor ; 'Tis the deeds of her tyrants I never approved, 'Tis her justice I love, not her power. In England I've lived, and in England I'll die, Content with this spot of the eai'.h ; 'Tis for knaves and for cowards their country to fly, I will cling to the land of my birth. 13 Let the sordid Malthu.siani prattle atul prate, And spread their delusions arouiul ; He who loves his country will never emigrate I'roni a land where such riches abound ; Till the parks and the forest which lie idle now Are tilled to prevent further dearth, Until all is brought under the spade and the plow, I will cling to the land of my birth." All these societies have fallen through. It nitist be remembered that Julian West slept for one liundred and thirteen years, while for my- self, now past eighty-two years of age, I have always been an active worker. Certainly great changes have taken place, and many have occurred dtiring the time of an ordinary life. I clearly remember, in my younger days, the work we had in getting a light with matches and the old tiiider box, and with flint and steel. Beg- gars then tramped the streets of London offering a bundle of matches for sale, as they do now offering a box of Congress Lights. I remember when first the introduction of Peel's " Bobbies " took place, and the old " Char- lies '' relieved of the troubles they had with the watch boxes. I remember seeing the first steam coach run- ning along the City Road, London, from the 14 Angel, Islington, to the Bank. This did not work. I remember when the first train of cars ran between Black wall and Fcnchurch Street. It was worked with an endless rope. The city authori- ties wonld not allow a locomotive to enter the citv of London. Bnt now trains of cars, with their eii- gines, run through the city, over and under; sta- tions are all over the city ; and steamboats on the Thames for the fare of a penny and U])ward. The busses through the streets, and the tram roads, pour in on every side,— and all agree that there is only " one London." There used to be beautiful processions by water. I saw one of them on the Thames, when Royalty went to the opening of the new London Bridge ; also the procession to Westminster on the periodical Lord Mayor's show day. ( In those days the mayor of London was supposed to be a learned man, but was obliged to go to vSomerset House. London, to be approved of,— which was in the form" of counting one hundred nails correctly.) Tiiese nowadays are all done away with. How well I remember the dazzling sight when the then new General Post Office in St.^ Martins le Grand was first opened ; when the mail coaches came in from all parts of England and Scotland 15 On that daj', postmen, drivers and guards, were dressed in their new red coats ; even the harness for the horses was all new. The post-boys, also on horseback, used to do all the suburban work : when, if there was a stoppage of horse traffic in the streets, they would take to the footpaths, and then show their importance — nothing or no one was supposed to obstruct or stop the mails. Born at the commencement of the year 181 8, in the vicinity of the Old Bailey, and near Xew- _gate prison, (I stay nu- notes and refer to a para- graph clipped from the Boston Smui/ay Herald of F'ebruary, 1 899, and which I make use of, as it gives .some interesting remarks of the Old Baile}', Newgate, and the Sessions House. It runs thus) : THE OLD B.\II,I';V. Historic Buildino in London Wiikre Many Trials Havk Bekn Held. " The Old Baile}', doom-hall of thousands of wretched wights, is itself doomed. I mean the building, not the institution," says a writer in the Cliaiitauqiiaii. After twenty years of negotiation and contention between the British Government and the city corporation of London, an arrange- ment has been completed for the building of a new 16 rds, were : harness s, also on n work : ffic in the and then one was ear 1818, lear Xew- to a para- Hcrald of of, as it d Bailey, IS thns) : s'Y Trials usands of iiean the ter in the ?gotiation verument arrange- ■ of a new sessions house, wherin to hold the monthly sittings of what, in modern legal parlance, is called the central criminal court— the highest crime tril)unal for London and the surrounding district. As Xcw- gate has ceased to be used as a regular prison, one of Its wings will be pulled down and a new sessions house erected in its place. Old Bailev is the name by which the present building and it predecessors have been popularly known for centuries. It is often confused in the pnblic mind with the adjacent Newgate prison, though the two are admin'istrat- ively distinct, the jail belonging to the imperial government and the courthouse to the city corpor- ation. Neither building is much more than a cen- tury old, but both stand on, or very near, sites that have been consecrated five hundred years or more to the purposes of investigating and punishing crime. " The Old Bailey is especially remarkable in that the notables of the one square mile of London commonly called ' the city,' have so much to dJ with the ceremonial part, at least, of a court that takes cognizance of all serious crimes committed ni the metropolis or its environs. It is a privilege that dates back to the fourteenth century, when it had become customary to lodge all the 'felons of the city of London and of the county of .Middlesex in one of the gates that pierced the city walls — Newgate. These prisoners were tried by varions haphazard methods nntil Edward III. decreed, in 1327, that the lord ma3-or for the time being shonld be one of the jndges, and it is in that reign that we find the first definite reference to a sessions honse in the Old Bailey — a name that some anti- qnarians hold to be derived from the ballinm or open space beyond the city wall. From that time forth the citizens tightened their hold npon the ad- ministration of ji'-tice, holding for themselves the gate prison and the conrthonse, which they rebuilt and altered from time to time. The ci'own never qnite relinqnished its hold npon the tribnnal, and always, as far as I can make ont, had the power of enlarging the commission at will, though the lord mayor nsually kept his place at the head of it. " Thns we find that no fewer than thirty-four commissioners sat at the Old Bailey in October, 1660, to try the twenty-nine survivors of the court which had condennied Charles I. to death eleven years before, and city opinion, which was still re- publican in the main, was scarcely reflected at all on that commission. The chief prisoners, notably Major-General Harrison, Sir Hardness Waller, Colonel Carew, Hugh Peters and Harry Marten, offered a grand Ironside defence, devoid of legal s w .A C Jc P: B, B: pa Pr ca; po wa I)(i for boi wa! for on seq \Vi sho assj iSi 18 subtleties, and were hanK^ed. Only the ueakli.urs who expressed insincere eontrition. were spared' As a blow to eonstitutional liberty the hau^iu^ of Charles sjndp was as futile as the hnrninj, of John Milton s ' Kskonoelastes ' and ' Defetsio nina, by the common hangman at the Old Hailey ni the same year. "The people sentenced to death at the Old iiailey ni the eighteenth century were for the most part scoundrels who richly deseryed pt.nishmen't 1 n,nunent among these were Jack Shepard, a bur- glar, who raised himself into ynlgar heroism by es- caping twice from Newgate; Jouathan Wild, who posed before the authorities as a police spy but was in reality a receiver of stolen goods; and Dr. )odd a brilliant elergyman. who ran in debt and orged the name of young Lord Chesterfield on a bond for forty-two hundred pounds. Then there was the poet, Richard Sayage, sentenced to death for killing a man in a drunken brawl, but pardoned on the intercession of influential courtiers "The session house has been added to at sub- sequent dates, and has become uglier and uglier U ithin Its walls haye been tried Hadfield; for shooting at George III, i„ ,Soo; Bellingham the assassin of Prime Minister Spencer Perceyal in i^Si2 ; the Cato Street conspirators, for plotting to 19 murder the wliole cabinet, in 1X20; Oxford and Francis, for shooting at the (^ueen, in tlie earjy forties, and the scnni of London durinjj^ the past one hundred and tliirteen years. Down to the days of Charles Dickens, Old Bailey advocates had an uueuvial)le rc]Mitation for bullying and trickery, but that is all changed now. Tlie tone of the whole court is higher than it ever was before." Almost opposite the only door of exit Newgate has, where many prisoners were taken in — some never came out — (there is, b}- the by, another door of" exit on\v" where the " some " came out only to be hanged). I recall many incidents connected with the old jail which perhaps are worth mention- ing. How well we knew when tlie old lumbering box with the gallows was being drawn out from the shed of the Sessions Hou.se, which was always im- mediately after midnight on Sunday, to be fixed all ready for the hanging time — 8 A. M. Monday — (for yon must know that the trial of a criminal took place on .a Friday, and, if convicted, was sen- tenced to be hanged on the Monday morning fol- lowing). We were awakened from our sleep b}' its noise, — the workmen hammering ; the gathering crowd, with their fun, frolic and noise ; and before the hour of eight o'clock, men and boys with 20 >xford and the carl}' ij the jxist :o the days tcs liad an 1 trickery, )nc of tlic i^forc." t Newgate in — some lother door J oat only connected li niention- Uunbcring It from the always ini- o be fixed Monday — a criminal 1, was sen- orning fol- leep by its gathering and before boys with daily papers were in the surronndings of the gal- lows. l)awling ont to sell " The last dying speech and confession "—no matter whether the criminal ever made one not. If it was a noted hanging seats wonld be erected in the window ways of I'lnldnigs that had viewing positions which wonld let alUhe way from one to ten shillings per sitting. Trnly mnch miglit be said abont this ancient and noted court and prison. I have seen three men hanging together for sheep stealing; one noted (Juaker for forgery ; and I have seen a woman hanging. I have seen three men, Bishop, Wil- liams and May, hanging together for the imirder of an Italian boy (this was in 1.S27, and the l)oy was murdered by these three men for the pnrpose of getting money, which could be obtained by the sale of the corpse to a dissecting hospital). On the gallows I have seen a man walked round in the pillory for an hour; and I have seen men flogged while strung up against the wall of Newgate in the Sessions yard. But most, if not all, of this is done away with now. I forgot to mention that on any particular trial, straw was laid on the road, for about five hundred yards on each side of the Sessions House, so that no noise should disturb the hearing! Everything was most interesting. 21 Crossiii}^^ uuj^k'ways from Xcwjj^ate we find ourselves at the corner of (iiltspnr Street and Skin- ner Street, at the corner of old vSt. vSepulchre's Chnrch — the old chnreli, with its bcantifnl peal of hells heard on every joj-ons occasion ; or its bell of solemn toll on the execntion of every criminal at Xewj^ate ; the chnrch in which I was christened; the chnrch in which I read for the Ivaster Bible. Let me explain that the parishes of London ^\\a bread and other gifts, after the morning services, to their poor ; and the parish of St. Sepnlchre's, to which I belonged, gave to each child able to rea(' it, a beantifnl Bible bonnd with brass corners. It is the aim of every child to read for this book as earl}' as possible. It is given in the old-fashioned wa}' b}' the rector, chnrchwardens, and a committee of gentlemen, one of whom wonld open the Bible promiscnonsly and bid the applicant read. Well do I remember the time when I was marshalled into the vestry, into the presence of these gentle- men, and the rector, opening the Bible, bid me read! I read: " A .soft answer tnrneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up an.ger." " Well done, ni}' boy," all of them said from around the table; " take it away with you." And how proud I was of it, with my mother at my side ; and prouder still when my father wrote my name in it, stating that I" will Se\ ha\ da\ oki and P'-ig the Ho) jacl> tigli COV( be .s wlic not opci vers so h Sep Hoi to tl gate won the 22 r " read for this Hihk on the 25th of April, 1824, when of the ajj^e of six ^-cars and one niojith old." .Sevcnty-fivc years have passed since then. I now have the old Hihle. It is a prized relic of early days; I venerate it; I love to look on it with its old brass corners, all in ^iuA state of preservation, and often pass happy monjents lookin.^■ over its paK^'S. I distinctly remember insistin.i,'- upon carryinj^^ the Bible I had earned, and which I already loved. How close I hngged it! I was dres.sed in a bine jacket with brass bnttons. I held the Bible .so ti^ditly that the bnttons of my jacket gra/.cd the cover; and the scratch the bnttons then made can be seen npon the book this day. The little fellow who followed my reading of the Bible I won was not so fortnnate. The book he was to try for was opened, and he was reqnested to read a certain verse, bnt it was too difficnlt for him to get through, so he was told to " come next year." As 3-ou stood looking from the corner of St. Sepulchre's Church to the west, there was the old Holburn Walley and the old Holborn Hill ; looking to the east you would see the busy traffic of New- gate Street to Cheapside ; looking to the south j-ou would see the old Bailey and Ludgate Hill ; and to the north you would look on Giltspnr Street and 23 ij Sinithtic'ld. AdjoijiiiiK St. vScpuklirc's Clinrcli on f »ilisi)nr Street staiicK '-e old wulclilioiise, where tthe "Charlies " of that day would eiiierj^e to ^uard the streets on their I)eat, and often to the rascally tricks of the Tom and Jerry's and life in London at that time, just for "fun " as it was called. Oppo- site the watchhouse was the (iiltspur Street Comp- ter — a prison for detention and for debtors. As you would j^M-adually wind your way alonjjf the east side of Smithfield, you would come to Lonj; Lane; and on the west side of vSmithfield from (iiltsi)ur Street you would aji^ain come to Lonjr Lane. In the line of footi)ath you would see rails and posts where cat- tle would he tied for sale on the Monday market day, while the whole center of Smithfield was fitted with pens for sheep. What a crush all this made! I fancy now I can hear the cries of the drovers, anxious to j^et their flocks or herds clear of the bustling, calling out, " Drive 'em down Hosier Lane." Yes, their dogs understood all this as well as their masters, as was well proved for their use- fulness. All these rails and arrangements were again used on Fridays for the sale of horses. Crossing over Long Lane, the space there wa.s fitted up with pens for hogs, while the houses in the background were used for public houses, coffee and reading rooms and dining rooms, where Uiey 24 would state in the window tluit a " iu.wl of soup with meat, bread and potatoes." conld he had for threepenee— niaKnifieent (hnner! Looking from there to tlic west, yon wonld see Cow Cross Strcvl and the old knacker's yard-a phiee where dead h<.rses, and horses to he killed, were taken. Later ou these were prepared, boiled and sold for eats' meat at twopenee per ponnd. (Tons of sansa^^'s were made here: what they were made of the mak- ers only knew. However, thev always tasted good). Passinjr on, at a slu.rt distance, von a.yain looked on the Holborn Valley, and in passin^'you would come across Field Lane-a place notedVor Jews' stores, fried fish slx.ps, and old clothes stores Ifa pocket was picked in Holborn of a silk ban- danna, ten to one it conld be found exposed for •sale by some "Solomon Levi " in Field Lane, and redress was ont of the question. Pewter pots wonld be stolen, but never found, for there were too many melting pots in readiness to boil them down. In the midst of this vicinity you would find the Field Lane Ragged School ; "and it was no uncommon occurrence for teacliers to be robbed while giving instruction. On the third of September came Bartlemy Fair— a noted time for the cocknies. This was al- ways held in Smithfield. The shows consisted of m 25 dramatic, minstrel and conjuring performances, and also wild beast shows. These were always ar- ranged along the cattle rails by the footpaths. Each showman vaunted forth the beauties of his performance in a stentorian voice. To the wild beast show it was threepence to enter; and when inside the director would call out, " This way to the lions," but the way generally was out into the open. Then there was the peep show. The pro- prietor would call out to '' Please clear .ae way and let the people pass who had mone}- to pa}' " to come up to the show. He would show and describe the great battles fought by the wonderful Napo- leon and the Duke of Wellington ; and should an inquisitive customer ask him which was Napoleon and which was Wellington, he would reply, " No matter, ni}'- little dears ; you pays your money, you takes your choice." Tumblers, hand organ- ists, puppet showmen, bag-pipers, and all such va- grant mirth-makers, were very numerous. Around the cattle rails, fronting the footpaths, booths or tents would be erected, where you could buy all sorts of gingerbread, nuts, cockadoodledoos in breeches, all made of gingerbread, with golden gilt on the prominent parts ; and all sorts of toys and things to make fun for the fair. The sheep pens in the center of Smithfield were fitted up for oyster 26 m •stalls, eating stalls, especially for sausage stalls— the sausages chiefly suijplied from Sharps Alley, Cow Cross Street; all sorts of knickkiiacks uerc- sold. The public houses plied their vocation to the fullest extent. There was the " free and easy," the song, the joke, the dance. Oh! for the days of childhood! How things have changed! But "there are a few remaining who rennnd us „f the past— but they change as all thnigs change -nothing in this world can la.st." In vSeptember, 1S98, we (self and wife), accus- tomed to this .same locality, were standing at the corner of Giltspur Street and Skinner Street, and lookmg towards the place we had called the Hol- born \'alley, we saw in its stead what is now called the Holborn \'iaduct, a beautiful arrangement which makes it lexel from this place to the top of Holborn Hill. Xothing remains to show where the old hill was, except a few steps, that will lead you to the old St. Andrew's Church. There it stands, with its old illuminated clock, which tells how time is passing. Standing upon the viaduct, one way you look towards Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill and Bl.ackfriars Bridge; look the other way and you will see the beautiful station of the .Metro- politan Railway. Field Lane is all gone. The Fleet ditch is all covered over. The pens and cat- 27 tic rails have all jj^oiie from vSmithficld, and in its center stands the bcautifnl meat market, its snp-' plies bein_t)^ l)roni>ht by the nnderj^round railroad, and from its station taken up by " lifts " to the main market above. vSauntcring s^^ently alon,ir the eastern side of Smithrield we pass the chief front of the old Bartholomew Hospital, where we must lin- ger to admire it and its lovely texts enonived u])on it: "Blessed is he who cousidcreth the poor and necdv: the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble. The Lord shall make his bed in sick- ness." " Sick, and ye visited me." " A stranoer, ye took me in." And thrice blessed be the old in- stitution ! Children of all classes choose an occupation verv early in life not only as a help for the family, but because a pleasure is felt in doing some- thino". The children of a city Londoner have the right to enter a ward school at seven years of age, and are continued there until the age of fourteen ; and during all this time they can be occupied at some place or other, working between school hours; in the morning they are generally occupied with cleanhig boots, knives and forks, polishing up "the handle of the big front door " and all the brass work round about the place. Between the hours of 1 2 and 2 thev mav have time to get dinner and 28 deliver a few parcels; after school hours, and until they leave for horne, they deliver parcels or do any other work required to be done. For tliis they may get two shillings per week, or if thcv have a good place they may get two shillings and sixpence a week and tea. It was one evening when with my father wend- ing our way home, and passing between the Bank of England and the Royal Kxchange, that I heard the newsboys running along with their "extras" and calling out, "The alarming state of the king" —this was just before the death of George I\'. Then came the proclamation of William I\', the " Sailor King," with his sailors at the back of his carriages as " footmen." His death brought us into the reign of our present yueen \'ictoria -God bless her !— to a reign of sixty years; whose jubilee has just been celebrated with great eclat, when our Canada was so well and prominently represented l)y our present prime minister, Sir William Laurier. " Arriving at the age of fourteen it is time to se- lect a trade, or something for the future. For my- self I chose a building trade, and was then appren- ticed. The city of London recognizes no other apprenticeship than a seven years' servitude. His indenture is made out and enrolled, or registered, in the chamberlain's office at Guildhall. The in- 29 denture is on parclmicnt ; and it would be annisin^ to read the strietures it contains. Tliose wlio have, passed throngli it can easily tell how many of its conditions are fulfilled. vSnffice it to say that the city protects the ajjprcntice as uell as the master. The lad is generally apprenticed to a master who is at least a freeman of the city of London, and at the end of his apprenticeship he can take up his free- dom of the city In- entering one of the companies which forms one of the guilds of the city of London. Should his father be a freeman he has the choice of either by servitude or patrimony. My father be- ing a freeman in the Cloth Workers Company, I chose that, and was duly enrolled and registered at the chamberlain's office in the city of Loudon, as one of its freemen— having served my apprentice- ship of seven years satisfactorily. A freeman of the city of London secures many privileges, some of which cannot be purchased,— the company which he luis joined giving him many more. Excry city company has gifts for its free- men. These gifts have been left in eai Her days by benefactors for their benefit, and by the changes to this later date some have become very valuable, which enable the company to be extensively gener- ous ; but I doubt if the periodical banquets to the 30 liveryman of the company can be conducted any more economically. A liveryman is a higher .y;rade than a freeman and It IS from that class that aldermen and sherifTs of the city of London are selected, and mnst have passed through these offices bef(,re thev can aspire to become " lord mayor of London." The .trifts, for instance, from the Cloth Work- ers Company would provide me a cottaoe residence for life, when over a certain a.e had taken place! There was the stone, the almshouses and the hill, but the surroundin_u;S were fine streets and squares; and an enterprising Yankee had put down a track for a cable car, so that no one need walk up the hill who did not want to do so. The Kagle Tavern is a noted garden fronting on the Shepherd and Shepherdess walk, City Road. All sorts of entertainments are performed on stages in the open gardens. You pay sixpence to enter, and this entitles you to refreshments for that value. No ladies are admitted, unless accompanied by gen- tlemen. The gardens are situated in a most beautiful part of London, and much frequented. From this place balloon ascents often take place. I have seen an ascent where the aeronaut went up seated on the back of his pony; another ascent with three gentle- men who crossed the English Channel and landed 32 n. Gennany. At the end „f the Sheplierd and Siieplierdess walk was tlie l.eautiful field .,f the same name. The very name ^ives it a sort ..f nn-al fdieity, where the Londcmer enjovs a l.ndy stroll ; and may we not ima.irine, in olden days the shepherds and shepherdesses partakin- of this niral qinet. and while seated on the ^n.nnd waleh- I'lR then- flocks by day or ni^ht, telling their stories ot love and war, connting the stars, ealling them all by then- names, and wot not~howdeliuhtfnl itmnst Inive been ! U„t I remember it for its lovely strolls where I have seen the celebrated apostle of" temper- ance, Father Mathew, administer the total abstin- ence pledge to batch after batch of those dexoted to the canse. and obtain the good man's blessino- All these fields are now covered svkh squares and'^strJets and fine houses built thereon. I have explained what the ordinary cockney was, but to be a " thoroughbred cockney " one must be born in the city of London, educated in the ward school, have .served his time in the city of London, and having done this become an enrolled freeman, and be able to show his parchment to cer- tify that Ins claim is valid. Such is my claim to this honorable position. Even when I first landed 111 Montreal and was introduced as a "cockney" and a freeman of the city of London, I was asked 33 to show my " ])arc1iinc'iit," wiiicli I did. Tliis en- tilled ine to become ;i member of tlie Pyiimlisliman's Clul), tlieti lield ill Montreal at the London House, on Commissioners Street, which was kei)t by an old Pyiij^lishman named Moffat, who always boasted of keeping a supply of Barclay & PerkiiTs London porter on draught, which was brouglit in ships to Montreal. M\- father was a great admirer of the .stage, and seldom missed seeing a good jilav, especially when represented by talented actors. I often went with him, and this gave me a liking the same way, which has continued all my life. It also gave me the opportunity of seeing some of the most noted actors of that day. I saw the great Edmund Kean in three of his principal characters—" Richard III," " Othello," and as " Shyloek " in " The Merchant of \'enice," all at Drury Lane Theatre. I have seen at the same place the celebrated Madame Vestris, who was roted as a "star" performer and a woman of symmetry of form, — in fact, so much ,so that a plaster cast was taken of one of her legs, which cast was afterwards stolen, — causing a great commotion, food for newspaper articles and songs. The great actors of that day would unite and play together, changing parts alternately. I once 34 •saw Macready, Cliarlcs Kc-n.hk-, Hcnictt and SIrt- Klnn knoulcs jxTforn. one cvnun.i.- at Cvent Car- den 1 heatre. The leadin^^ ladies „f that dav were Miss Panny Kc-n.ble (who later h.can.e Mr.;. H„t- ler. settled in the United States, and „nlv a feu- years ago died in one (,f the sonthern " states, (langhter of Charles Ken,l)le, and Miss Helen Fan- ^"it. J he London Spnlalor recalls the fact that the ate Lady Martin-Helen Kaneit-uas the original he,-o,ne of three of Browning's plavs-'' Straf^'ord," Colonibes Birthday" and '"The Blot in the bcuteheon "--and it quotes the poet's tribnte to he,- after the production of the last nan,ed piece You have twice," he says, " pro-ed nu- bird of paradise," and concludes: " Genius is a coininoii stor}', Few guess that the spirit's glory Tliey hail nightly is the sweetest, Fairest, gentlest and conipletest ' Shakespeare's lady ever poet Ivonged for ! Few guess this ; I know it." The .S-Av/../.;r adds: " Ladv Martin, like Ris- ton, was one of the ver3- few great actresses ^^■ho have not been either stupid, ignorant or vulgar off the stage. Thackeray's picture of the Fotheriiurav was no caricature. M. Legonve, in his entertain"- 35 inj^- reininiscences, relates liow an actress, famous in tlie early deeacles of this century — Mile. Duclies- jjois — once broke out at his father's tal)le with the Henri \'I, M. Les^i'i'^*-' — t" )()r remark, ' That jx think that if Ravaillac had not killed him he would perhaps be alive now Charles Kean, who followed the same profes- I ' " sion as his fathe:" — Kdmund Kean — was a no ted jei •for nier but was more successful as a mana>>er, His leading- lady was Miss Helen Tree, whom he afterwards married. Drury Lane and Covent Garden Theatres were always the principal ones, although I have wit- nessed good plays at the Adelphi in the Strand, where I have seen Buckstone and John Reeves, Mr. and Mrs. Keelev, Mr. and Mrs. Yates, and T\ The Wreck Ashor> other." ten by Buckstone, and " X'ictorinc, or I'll Sleep on it," had a very long run, and deserve special men- tion. Then the Olympic Theatre, in Wych Street, was a good one. It was there I saw the celebrated Uston as " Paul Pry." This had a very long run. It was also at this theatre that Charles Matthews — who afterwards married Madame X'estris— was brought out under the auspices of Liston, in a piece callecl" The Old Stager," who in the concluding 36 remarks says " that he hoped tlie puhlic would take t<. hnn tor the sakeof his father"-which "on.unht cWn the house." Listou represented \u -The Old Sta^a-r" a eabhy. and Charles Matthews ap- peared as his son, whom he was briuKin.i,^ up to the .same profession. In order to explain I must diverge a little and state that theatres .^enerallv were elosed on \\Vd- i.c'sdays and I^-idays duriuK^ Lent, exeeptin that the lar^e theatres would present oratorios or saered concerts hy noted sin-ers. At the Italian Opera House I once heard a lecture on astrononu-, which was represented on an orerry of sixt^• feet in diam- eter, showni^r tlie movements of the difTerent i^lan- ets. The smaller theatres w(,uld have lectures or amusin.tr anecdotes. The Adelphi was noted for brin^n,,^. out Matthews at Home," and well supported. Charles Matthews was his son-and this will ^-x- plani the remarks made by Listou. In other parts of London theatricals were well represented and well patronized. There was the Royal Pavilion in the Whitechapel Road, The Gar- nck in Leman Street, Whitechapel ; The Standard n, Shoreditch, The Sadlers Wells near the AiK^el Islington, and The Surry in Blackfriars Road " ' There were niauy other theatres, from the aris- tocratic I)nir\- Lane and Coveiit Cianlen to the 1' (iall". 'enny Viall. 1 Ins last was to l)e tonnd only m sechuled streets, i)layin}^f without a license, j/ixiniij:- two performances in an eveninj^, at a jjeiiny or two admission. At these places there generally ap- peared a jjair of ]L,n)od fencers to ent(ai(e in " mortal combat," and a dancinj^j jj;irl, who w(/uld amnse the andience so h)ng as it wonld throw copjjers at her and admire lier skill. In fact, I have seen (jne of these dancing girls, at different times, completely exhansted before she wonld leave the stage. 'I'he best " Penny Gaff" I ever knew was in the New Cut, and only a few minutes' walk from this was the large Victoria Theatre, with always good per- formances, and where I have seen a looking-gla.ss curtain the whole sixe of tlie stage front, about sixty by thirty feet, and in front of which balanc- ing and juggling feats were performed. A short distance from this, aud nearer Westminster Bridge, was Astley's Amphitheatre and Circus, where could always be seen gorgeous spectacular representa- tions, where horses could be brought upon the stage, and where a circus could be enjoyed. ''Mazeppa and the Wild Horse" had a long run at this place, and it was beautifully represented. At this theatre I have seen played " The Battle of 3« Waterloo," the principal part hc-inj^ taken hy an actor named (loniersal, who was said to he a strik- ing likeness to Xapoleon. At the Snrry I have seen English operas well played and many other celehrated pieces. One es- pecially, " The Pilot," had a ^reat run and intro- duced T. P. Cook as " L„nj^r 'p.-m Coffin." a cele- brated nautical character and a clever hornpipe dancer. At this theatre Charles Hill was stage manager, and his wife was a noted dancer. After the death of Mr. Hill, Mrs. Hill settled in Canada, and for years tanght dancing in Montreal, where only a few yeans ago she died. It was at the same theatre (The Snrry) that the old school-fellow of mine— William Davklge— was brought out on the stage. He became a noted performer in many of the theatres in Canada and the United States. He finally .settled down a.s a resident of Brookline. Mas.s'., and there he died only a few years ago. In these early days " free and easv" evening meetings were held at different i)ubfic houses, where one could loiter away the hours enjoying his *' pipe and pint" and at the same time listen to the songs from the " hangers-on" who were called upon to sing by the professional who occupied the chair. Music halls have now taken the place of tlio.se 39 homely meetings, and a mnch liiglier class of en- tertainment is given. In addition to enjoying the- " pipe and a pint," almost any kind of refreshment could be had. Many of these music halls have at- tained a great reputation. My wife being an orphan and myself living apart from the home of my father and mother, it is not surprising that I should contract an early mar- riage. Weddings of the working class were as a rule not expensive, and frequently to save lo.ss of time and expense, took place on Sunday. In fact, I have known men to work up to dinner time, go home and change their clothes, get married and return to their work within the hour. Wedding tours, as now, were never thought of, so that instead of going off on a trip — often with borrowed money -^they would stay at home to save all they could. The young married man, bound to get on, w^ould always have at heart the best means of economy ; his one great fear was to be out of work, for he could always see many good workmen out of em- ployment, willing to work, but could not get it. This caused him to turn his eyes and thoughts to emigration to the New World. The man desiring to save all of his earnings he could spare would seldom take a holiday, but generally contented him- self with an evening's walk, or on Sunday a ramble 40 in the fields. In tliose days tliere was no Satur- day afternoon holiday for the workinoinan, as now. Excursions were frequent, but the losini;- of the day's pay to attend them, as well as the expense, was an item for the workingman to seriously con- sider. The coronation of Her Majesty came very soon after my wedding, and of course we had to eo to that. The theatres were thrown open free on that night, and we tried to get tickets for admis- sion to one of them. For this purpose it was ad- vertised that at a certain hour free tickets would be distributed. Accordingly I made my way to the theatre, and for a long while previous to the ap- pointed time submitted myself to a dreadful crush by the throng of people present. At the specified hour a man appeared on the theatre balcony, and then scattered the tickets to the surging mass be. low, in the same manner a sower would scatter his seed. Tliose fortunate enough to get them departed rejoicing, while the less fortunate had to go away disappointed. Later came the procession in connec- tion with Her Majesty's marriage to Prince .Albert, which of course we could not think of missing. But our holidays were few and far between. Having, as I have before remarked, an idea of crossing the Atlantic, and after maturing my plans, 41 I shall never for^^et enlbarki^t,^ with 1113- wife and two children (Mary Ann and William), at vSouth- anipton, on the 3i.st March, 1844, in the good old ship "The Rainbow"— a bark that had formerly belonged to the British navy. (Kven thongh she had been sold ont of the service, there was no doubt as to her seaworthiness; and this we thoroughly proved before we landed at Quebec, which was on the 27th of May, 1844.) "The Rainbow" was owned by a Mr. Bovill of Southampton at that time. vShe was 492 tons register. 120 feet long, 32 feet one inch wide, 21 feet one inch deep. She was built at Her Majesty's dockyard in Chatham in 1823, ^^^^ ^ square stern, and a man's bust for her figurehead. She was de- moli.shed at Southampton in 1863. Between 1840 and 1850 she traded between Southampton and Quebec, leaving the former city each year about the end of March or beginning of April, so as to arrive in Quebec as soon as navigation opened. (From information very kindly secured by Messrs. Maynard & Child of Boston, general agents of the American Line, through the managing agents of the same line at Southampton, England.) When the government had certified that the vessel was a proper one, and bound the ship owners to supply certani quantities of tea, sugar, rice, \\ ii li ei tl 42 flour, biscuits (liard tack), oatmeal and water, per head, tliey tliought everything necessary was done by tlieni— even the quality was greatly overlooked —and anything extra from this supply the emi- grant had to look to for himself. At last the ropes holding the ship were loosen- ed, and under the guidance of the crew we soon left our moorings. I recall the words of Irving: "As the last blue of my native land faded away like a cloud in the horizon, it seemed as if I had closed one volume of the world and its concerns, and had time for meditation before I opened another. That land now vanishing from my view which contained all most dear to me in life,— what vicissitudes might occur in it, what changes might take place in me before I should visit it again,— and who can tell when he sets forth to wander whither he may be driven by the uncertain current of existence, or when he may return, or whether it may ever be his lot to revisit the scenes of his childhood ?" Each passenger had to take care of his own provisions and do his own cooking. A galley fire was provided expressly for him, and while prepar- ing a meal if he did not watch closely he was very likely to have his food stolen. Potatoes were boil- ed in nets, in a large boiler filled with sea water, the nets being so marked that each would know his t ] 43 own. Much fun occurred in tliis cooking business, vSonie would soak and mash up tlieir biscuits, and witli tlie plums and currants served up, make a regular plum pudding. Some would make a thin batter, and if, while doing the mixing, the vessel gave a lurch, it was almost certain to send mixer and mixed bang against the bulwarks, completely spilling the latter. Then all sorts of fun would be around the galley fire— which was alwavs in a cloud of smoke. The manner of serving out the rations also caused much fun. Oh! if a rough time came up, and especially if it came during the night, how the dishes would roll about the deck! Our passage was a splendid one. Many events took place. Births and deaths were not un- common ; but most passengers spent their time sniging and dancing and story telling. For mv- self, " I delighted to loll over the quarter-railing, or place myself in some favorable position in some corner of the boat, of a calm day, and muse for hours together on the tranquil bosom of a summer's sea ; to gaze upon the billows of golden clouds just peeping above the horizon, fancy them some fairy realms, and people them with a creation of my own; to watch the gentle undulating billows, rolling their silver volumes as if to die away on those happy s'lores. There was a delicious sensa- c t t s \' t t 11 o s tl I & J. . tl li tl ii si h 01 tl Q 44 tioii of iiiiiiirled security and awe witli wliicli I looked down, from my giddy lieiglit, on the mon- sters of tlie deep at tlieir uncouth gambols ; shoals of porpoises tumbled about the bow of the ship ; the grampus slowly heaving his huge form above the surface; or the ravenous shark darting like the spectre through the blue waters. My imagination would conjure up all that I had heard or read of the water-world beneath me,— of the finnv herds that roamed its fathomless valley, of the shapeless monsters that lurked among the very foundations of the earth, and of those wild phantasms that swell the tales of fishermen and sailors." At last came the thrilling cry of " Land." I shall never forget that cry, but cannot express the throng of sensations that rushed into my Ixjsoni. It was Canada ! It was '' my promised land ! " And I had great hope for the future. " What in the world would we do without that lovely and lightsome little figure of Hope? Hope spiritualizes the earth ; Hope makes it always new ; and even in the earth's best and brightest aspect, Hope shows it to be only the shadow of an infinite bliss hereafter." From that time until the moment of our arrival all was feverish excitement. Every- thing being favorable, we soon reached the city of Quebec, and were tied to our pier. " All now was 45 hurry and bustle. Tlie nieetiug- of acquaintances, the greetings of friends, the consultations of men of business. I alone seemed solitary and idle. I had no friends to meet, no cheering to rccei\e. I stepped upon the ground, but felt that I was a stranger in the land." In those days the usual time occupied by a sailing vessel in crossing the Atlantic Ocean was from four to six weeks. How different is emigra- tion to-day, when one can cross in si.x and seven days, and by steam vessels; furnished with bed and bedding; supplied with a meal as the time comes round, of good cooked food, and can enjoy his newly baked loaf, his butter, tea coffee or cocoa; and it is not uncommon to .see good men (represent- atives of railroad corporations or steamship compan- ies) in charge of .squads of emigrants for the pur- pose of starting them properly toward their destination. Counting 1844, I have crossed the Atlantic twenty-one times, three in sailing ves.sels and eighteen in steamers : Southampton to Quebec, New York to Liverpool, lyondon to New York, New York to I^ondon, Liverpool to Quelx'c, 1844 1 85 1 1851 1865 1865 46 New York to Loiulc.ii, Liverpool to(Jiiehec, New York to Liverpool, Liverjjoolto yiiebec, Montreal to Liverpool, Liverjjool to Montreal, Montreal to Liverpool, Gla.sgow to Ouehec, Montreal to Liverjiool, Liverpool to Montreal, Montreal to Liverpool, Liverpool to Montreal, Montreal to Liverpool, Liverpool to Montreal, Montreal to Liverpool, Liverpool to Montreal, 1S74 '■^75 i«7,5 iSjy I,S79 IS,S2 I '' ;;^es. u is, Mr. Cook," I .said. "Well," he said, o.se no tune, as your ]ya\vii from thai tiiiR-, and can claim soim- triciuls from amon^r tliem at present alive and well, men who liave raised themselves to position and affluence, and ulio are connected with most works of charitv. pliilantliropv and science. To one who was chan.i;in,u his residence f rom London, Kn,trhind. to Montreal. Canada, in those days, he is struck prii- ••pally with the methods taken to preserve l.aw and order. Ml- soon learns on which side to array himself, however. In Lon- don any row or disturbance was soon cinelled hy the police. Xot so was it in Montreal. Policemen were few and far between. ;ind was it not for the baiidiii.tr toj-ethcr of persons as societies. Law and order could not have been pre.served ; neither could the streets be traversed in safetv ; ' >r could free- dom have been possible at tl^ otiii- booths, but lor the aid of these .societies and the free use of axe handles, which they used as " billies." The fire companies were compose. 1 of this sort of citizens, and when the fire al.irm bell rang- it was never known whether they u ere needed to help quench a fire or quell a disturljance. ( How well I reniember running after the old Union fire engine, with my friend, Fred Perry, as its captain.) I have known a Parliament election kept in quiet and order at 53 tlie points of swords and bayonets of Imperial sol- diers, re-enforced by a cannon in the hayniarket (which then stood where now stands \'ictoria Square), aimed ready to rake AIcGill Street. Race and creed formed the greatest troubles in these times, and it was dangerous to go through some streets in Montreal, especially Griflfintown. How different to the present time, with the Grand Trunk offices and its hundreds of employees in them ; its miles of track, its trains of cars, its shops and roundhouses— tracks on the one side leading to the far west, and the other across the famous \'ictoria Bridge (then a tunnel, but which has now been changed and replaced by a steel bridge) to the south. Profitable employment offering, and now being well known, especially to the building community of Montreal, I soon came into connection with some of the leading works of that day. On my arrival in Montreal, in 1844, I wit- nessed the laying of the corner stone of the new Methodist chapel that stood where the Temple Building now stands. W'hen that chapel was fin- ished I obtained the contract to dismantle the whole of the inside fittings of the old chapel, then at the corner of St. James and St. Francois Xavier Street (which was afterwards fitted up and occupied 54 as a dru^r store), and removed tlieni to be fixed up and arranged witli otlier additions to a Metliodist chapel that was tlien being built in Lagauchetiere Street, in the Quebec suburbs. (I have since at- tended the jubilee services of this chapel.) It was shortly after this that I undertook a contract for work on the Episcopal church at wSt. Johns, P. Q., and removed there with my wife and f^imily, and charmed, with the quiet country life and rural felicity, have continued to reside 'there ever since. Employment turned out satisfactorily enabling us to enjoy all the comforts for a family! and It was no wonder we considered ourselves per- manently settled. And who arriving in those days (ill June 1846) could help being charmed by the beauty of the place and its tranquility ; the beauti- ful River Richelieu, with its statelv maple elm and pine trees on either side, its waters glea'ming and .scintillating by day in the sunshine, and by night reflecting the countless millions of stars in the heavens, flowing from the extensive Lake Champlain to the town of Sorel, on the St. Law- rence River, and spanned by Jones's toll bridge between St. Johns and Iberville? The northern part of the town was then called Chriscieville What an uninterrupted view of river scene could be had when standing upon this bridge, looking 55 M L c ■a so yt '» f '■; soutli towfinl Lake Chaniplain, and north toward Chanibly ! W'itli eyes turned northward one could view the rapids and fislieries without obstruction, while looking to the south he could view the steam- ers at the wharf preparing for their trip up the river from St. Johns to Whitehall. The beautiful Whitehall inliness Ic alwa3-s well su boats were noted for general neatne-^s, their speed, th-ir cleanliness and for their table always well supplied witli every deli- cacy, and for the uniform attention and courtesy of captain, officers and crew, as well as the polite bootblack, who boasted that he could find " gemmen's" boots, no matter where they were put, and who always took pains to let you know that "gemnien nebber gib less nor a quarter to hab der boots black." Stationed in the well built and spacious bar- racks in the south end of the town was a British regiment of the line. This regiment had a splen- did military band that played well and often, thereby giving much pleasure to the townspeople ; and the society created by the regiment's officers and men made the town lively and the people active. But now alas ! one can stand upon the old- fashioned Jones's bridge, and looking to the south finds his view obstructed by the wooden bridge of the Central Vermont Railroad, and to the north by 58 the pile bridge of the Canadian Pacific Railway— this latter cutting through the ornamental grounds of some beautiful family residences on the Iberville side of the river, while its yards, its tracks and dis- figuring arrangements to accommodate its tracks etc., on the St. Johns side, have made the streets most hideous. No passenger steamboats now run to the United States; only occasional excursion boats, few and far between, occupy their pier No British regiment of the line has for maii^- years been stationed in the town ; in its place there is only a small company of infantry, forming a school of instruction. And upon the river only an occa- sional yacht and a few private row boats'are to be seen. The two railroads, the C. P. R. and G. T R., running to Montreal, although called " rivals," do not fail to agree to iiigher tariffs than was ever known to exist when the G. T. R. was the only railroad passing through the town to Montreal. In 1847 I was consulted by the Hon. Robert Jones as to his toll bridge which crosses the Riche- lieu River at this place, and at that time made an inspection of it, and later on assumed the manage- ment, a position which I held for over 32 years although in 1897 I found it necessary to resign most of the work connected therewith, retaining only an advisory supervision over it, but still hav- 59 ing charge of estate affairs, wliicli with tlie toll bridge is still the property of tlie estate of the late Hon. Robert Jones. My eldest son now has tlic management of the bridge. This same year ( 1 847 ) I discussed the necessity of changing the truss work over the large span, from a king to a queen truss, and in 1S49 framed and put it up. I cannot help referring to the paragraph which appeared in the vSt. John's Ava^.v of June 4, iSS;, remarking upon my resignation from the manage- of the bridge. It follows : " After thirty-four years of successful manngemeut, as manager and superintendent of Jones's toll I)ridge, Mr'. \Vm M. Ryder has resigned the position, and since the first of this month the position has been filled by his eldest son. During this long management, while giving perfect satisfaction to the public, no accident has ever occurred, nor any circumstances whereby the bridge proprietors have been called upon to pay damages. Mr. Ryder still retains the Jones estate work and acts as adviser in bridge affairs." ^ It was .soon after arriving in Iberville (then called Christieville) that I undertook a contract for the steamboat " Iron Duke," then being built for the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railway, as a ferry boat to run from Montreal. I also contracted for the principal work of building the church for 60 the Sabrevois Mission, and later the bnilding of tlic parsonage lionse and the mission honse. The years 1847 — 1 848, record the breaking ont among emigrants of that dreadfnl and fatal disease, ship fever. Many sickened and died, and were" bnried in Point St. Charles, tlie spot being marked by a hnge bonlder, duly inscribed, which was erected by the Grand Trunk Railway, to commem- orate the sad event. This epidemic was referred to in the recent celebration of Canon Ellegood's jubi- lee, who also mentioned the fact that he preached his first sernum at that time at the church in Iber- ville, of which church I was then sexton. On the I 2th of March, 1899, Canon Ellegood came to officiate at St. Johns, and I had an oppor- tunity to talk with him, and it was with great pleasure th it we recounted old times, reviewed the changes, the improvements, enlargements and ad- vancements, mourned for lost friends, and prayed for those living. Canon Kllegood was present" at the fracas which occurred while the corner stone of St. Stephen's Church, .Montreal, was being laid, referred to in a previous page ; and during the ship fever epidemic at Point St. Charles he watched over the pillow of the dying, with help, with counsel and with hope, unceasingl}-. 61 It was customary for emigrants en route to the United States to stop over at St. Johns, and dnrnig the ship fever i)eriod manv were strickei. witli the disease and died tliere. It was while at- tending to some of tliese eases that the rector of St. Jolms, Rev. Mr. Dawes, was smitten witli tlie fever and died. In tlie spring of 1S4S, tlie rector of Clinstieville, Rev. Mr. Thcmipson, went liis month to Grosse Isle, the quarantine station, where he was taken sick by the fever, brought home and died, and it was to fill this vacancy that Canon ICllegood came to oi^ciate, and preached his first sermon. After my return from England in i.Ss2, I con- tracted for and did work at Lacolle, which caused me to demolish the "old mill," noted for the great battle fought there between the English and Amer- icans in r8i2, living at the same time in the old " Block House," which had served as a fort. In the year i860 I built the courthouse and jail at Sweetsburg, and as one of a number built by the Government in accordance with an act passed by Sir George E. Cartier, in order that the different localities should have its " Chef Lieu," I wish to malce mention of it. Districts were altered and remade for this pur- pose. Previous to this, many places were dependent on Montreal for the administration of justice, to the 62 tc to and ckei. e at- f St. lontli 3 was died. <>■()( )d con- ised rcat iier- old by bv to ■J delay of" suits, and to tlic expense and inconvcni- encv of litio-ants,— 1)ut it is of uiir district ,,f Iber- ville, Willi whic-li from the time al)o\e stated I lia\e become intimate, that I wish to s]jeak. The Ccmrt was held in .^t. Johns, in a small wooden Ijuildin.^- which, after the erection of the present courthouse, formed part of the Innatie asylum un- der the char^re (,f the late I) •. Howard, and in time demolished. The vSuperior Omrt has been presided o\er by resident jud,«4es, amonj^- whom may be named Judges Sicottc, McCord and Chag- non, and at the present day by Judj^e Charland, who was born in this district of Iberville, and whose decisions have been firmly but pleasantly rendered, and whoas jud^^e respected is by all whoknow him! Arriving at vSt. John in June, 184'^, by the St. Lawrence cS: Champlain Railroad (with" wooden rails and pieces of flat iron on the top,— the first railroad built in Canada.) who could but admire the picturesque beauty of its surroundings — the river Richelieu, rapidly taking its waters from the banks of Lake Champlain, spanned by Jones's toll bridge which if you crossed landed you on its eastern side in the town now called Iberville, which was then called St. Athanase, while the northern part was called Christieville. Passing along this part would remind yon of one of the green lanes of England. th( 64 nvcni- • IIkt- ited I The oodeii resent Ml nil- I time been whom Chaj.-- rland, wliose dered, V liim. he St. node 11 first re tlie river batiks ridge, II side tlien t was ivonld and. There was tlu- little ehnrch (in wliieli ;-fter- wards I performed the duties of sexton for sixteen years) and the seliool and cenieterv attaehed, while nearer the ehnrch was the jjarsonage and the little creek wnidiiiK llnongh the grounds-the whole Parsonage of the Christieville Church. builtand endowed by Major Christie. How rnral like It seemed ! The little ehureh at Christieville overlookin-^ the rnnning brook-well do I remember the 65 pleasant, and yet sad, time that I passed in this spot. Pleasant becanse of its position, its rural manners, and that it was the place in which most of my family were born. Sadness when I remem- ber that my father, John Ryder, visited me in 1847, stayinjj;- with me until near the close of the naviga- tion on the Richelieu River, taking about the last boat that left St. Johns for Whitehall. He was bound for New York, and from Whitehall he took the boat uj) the canal between that place and Troj'. There was no railroad in those days, and stage nid boats were the only means of travel. Being so late in the season, his boat became ice-bound on the trip, so that it retarded his journey quite a few days. On arriving at the Hudson he took one of the steamboats to New York, with the intention of proceeding at once to England. But being delayed by the ice interfered with his getting away. He wrote me, but through his not understanding the mailing system then in vogue, he placed his letter in the Post Office box unstamped [the practice in those days was not to allow letters to be forwarded unless stamped], and consequently it never reached nie. and I knew nothing of his needs, and was wondering why I had not heard from him, while he was despairing at not receiving a reply from me. Through a friend his letter finally reached m N, th th( he ne' the on! the can be i sea, tiuK was tivc! Eng kno\ of E Fren were priso sever the F after tions, 66 i in this its rural icli most I remeni- in 1847, e naviga- tlie last He was he took nd Troy. ;tage nd ig so late 1 on the te a few k one of ention of f delated 'ay. He ding the lis letter actice in Drwarded • reached md was ni, while Dly from reached Nw™ti1r ', ^""';' ^^■■'^- "> '■■•"■ '- '■■•«i left tl,i ,h W,', "?' "=™ !"■">•, and ,i„„,„ ,., "s !..> know, wholher lu- sailed f„r England a„d lie .sh.p was wrecked „„d l,e was lost, ,' w ,l"r ■e was taken siek and died on tl,e v„ a.e a," ever been ahle ,„ aseertain. All nu'efforts h «! then to Ret traee of hin, have been frnitle No only was the loss of fa.i.er gveatly . .^td h the c,rc„n,s,ances regardin,, his diLpl . "e caused .he fan,ilj.,,n both sides of -.he^'t an eo l» ,n cont.nnal „„„„,n„K. for his abse, l-ather's joun^'er days had been pa.sed on the -a, and generally in n.erchant vessel. ™ 1 '■me of the war in ,8,4, the vessel nponwhc, he as enjjaged was seized and the erew taken c',! t.ves by ,„e„ supposed ,„ be in exchange"^ fc"g rsh prisoners, b„t in reali.v being taken Etigland-only those on hoard of the war v se known,gthat the location .hey first saw was ,c Fret'h "Ti;"-''"1 "' """' "'»^- "p-'«i to : were t he, r 7 ""' S'"" "'<= ^■'^^•^<^' •■""' erew pnsone. of I- ranee lor over ten vears. He made everal escapes, never sueeeeding in getting be™,d the French hnes nn.il his fourth at,c.npt,,n,d then after suffering ,„tense hardships and n/auv pr "■' t.ons, he reached England ,„ fi„d t|„t peL had 67 been declared and that men who had been prison- ers witli him, and had not attempted to escape, had been set free and retnrned to tlieir homes many days before his arrival. I know that lie was con- fined at Mayence and Metz and Lyons, in France, but cannot now remember what other places he was held at, although father had spent many even- ings with me telling his experiences. During his imprisonment he studied, practiced and became very fluent in many languages, not to mention his increased endeavors to become more proficient and a greater master of the art of naviga- tion. It was in pursuit of this stud}-, and with the desire of completing a problem of navigation, that he crossed the Atlantic and visited me in 1847. The Mayor of St. Johns at that time, I think, was Nelson Mott. He kept the Post Office and store and the hotel, and, the little railroad closing up at the first sign of winter, it was from this store that they started the stage to Montreal. Then there was the genial Dr. Wight and the merchant princes of St. Johns, E. and D. Macdon- ald, and a few others that formed the elite or aris- tocracy of St. Johns, backed by the mililar}^ of the regular regiment at that time stationed in St. Johns. 68 1 pn son- ape, had 2s many was con- France , laces he n}' even- practiced s, not to ine more f naviga- with the ion, that : heavy bonuses have been given (advocated most energeti- c;illy by town councillors) : one finn recei/ing a good ))onus, chiefly cash down, fell into insolvency witliin less than a year ; and later, the other, a vinegar and earning factory, which received a cash bonus of $17,000, has also become insolvent. It is said the municipidiiA- of St. Johns has the first mortgage on its biiiidings, which may be an ele- phant, and whicli may perhaps be purchased by some enterprising citizen for a trifle, resold to some new bonus seeker at a large profit, who will then in turn advocate the giving a bonus to another ap- plicant. The Corticelli Silk Works and Molleur's Straw Hat Factory are the chief manufactories of the town, and a few potteries worked on a very lim- ited scale. Yet with all the business failures and successes, nothing can shut out the location the town enjoy.s, or deprive it of its reputation as a most healthful and beautiful spot, boasting many handsome residences along the rapid Richelieu River, previously referred to, that cannot be sur- passed. 74 ''I CLOSING REMARKS. It is Easter time, 1900. With these few re- marks I close tliis book. It was Easter, 18^4, my first important act is recorded liere. Thus it wifl be seen that I have related circumstances of my life during a period of 76 years-a simple recital, aspiring to nothing literary. I am thankful for all things : thankful for the love and affection of my family, thankful to the friends who treat me with respect, thankful especially to that Almighty Power, who keeps me in good health, and who per- mits me in a great measure, in the 83rd year of my age, to fulfil my ordinary occupations of life feeling assured that He will guide me to the end W. M. Ryder. 3t. Johns, P. Q., Easter, 1900. 75 Poetry and Otherwise FROM AUTOGRAPH BOOKS TO FEIJX, M. A. ANDIJIJJK CHIM.INdWOKTU. Thanks, dear ones, thanks. Your book has come this way — A fitting greeting for the New Year's day. Your words, your wishes, printed on its title page, Speaks your affection and deep love— a solace to old age. God grant your wishes held by His Almighty power- Mine shall be granted frt-ely, hour by hour— And when my mind scans over the spac >f time, I see from from infancy, thy love was lumc ; Compinion from childhood, our grief, our joys did share, Exchau ,ring home, but to assume maternal care. Near twenty years since then have passed, -how quickly flies the tii le — Ma: he who shares thy love and home be spared to thee nnd thine. I thiiZ f each in hours of toil, in pleasure— every where— On ocean foam, in foreign lands, and in the hour of prayer. God bit- , y(.a, daughter— Felix, too, and MIlie dear as WL-11, Though distance , rt us, I can .say, "Indeed thou hast loved well ' ' ; May peace and plenty, health and love, attend each on the way, And blessings from our Father's hand l)e given each New Year's day. January 2, 1882. 79 i 11 TO lAUAl.. AlthouKli I am the very last, Grandpa's lovi is unsurpassed. New Haven, Conn., April j.\, 1881. Al.l'IIA AN1> Omhca. My first, it tells of days jjoiie by, Of youth tliat reigned supreme, When guarded l)y atfectiou's eye Around the village green. My last .stands marked upon its page. The fleeting sands of time ; From youth to manhood, then to age- May happiness hu thine, New llavt'n. Conn., April 25, 1881. With lips of love, we say again That sweet, sad word, " good-bye," Affection starts the inward pain, The moistening of the eye. Twelve years ago, .see, near this page, The pen there shows its might. Reminds us all from youth to age. How time goes through its fliglit. Dear lyillie, once again receive My loving words requite. That wishes dear, and pray believe They always wish you right. New Haven, Conn., March 21, 1893. 80 TO kki.:j). •• Old Time flies fast," tlie poet sings; Then surely it is wise, Midst yoldeii Iioiirs, to clip his wings, And seize him as he flies. Those gohlen hours once lost, 'tis said, Can never be regained ; So youth's the time wiien lieart and head To studious nnnds be ciiained. I well may feel affection's start. When thoughts occur to me Of hours si)ent with gladdened heart. With thee, on the foaming sea. When on Atlantic's billowy breast. Where wave on wave is piled ; By thee all comfort was possessed, Although 'twas rude and wild. When England's shores you first did see ; Her cliffs of chalk ; her towers ; Her land ot freedom— yes, ever free. Thank God that country's ours. 'Twas there affection's gentle hand, And thoughts of earlier days. Were blended with that little band That led thee o'er her ways. 8r :i I 11 'Twas there thy parents first drew breath, 'Twas tliere their feet first trod ; 'Twas there thy l)rother, clasped in death, Was taken home to God. Years since have passed, and far from thence Some others peaceful lie In Death's cold grasp, in church3'ard home, 'Neath Canada's clear, blue sky. The chief of all, a mother's love. In thy young days was lo-St, And free from care, she rests above With Heaven's angelic host. Another kindly hand bestows Attention to thy need ; Oh ! may thy love with ardent glow, From gratitude proceed. Thy father still is spared to thee, To counsel, teach, to guide And mark thy way ; and may you be As gold the fire has tried. Remember, then, whene'er you read Tho.se lines his hand has penned. That only death, and that alone, A Father's love can end. W. M. Ryder. Iberville, V. Q., March 13, 1867. 82 TO hlZZlE. ' Reineniber me," " Xo place like liome,' Are mottoes far and near, Uttered or unexpressed— by some Bedewed with many a tear. How sad and weary beats the heart, Cast on Life's troubled sea, When home and kindred bear no part, -" Remember me." Kxclai m- DER. Or straying from the loving heartli In other lands to roam, Away from friends and cheerful mirth. We find—" No place like home." ' This day of all proclaims how fast The months and years roll on ; Then let us strive, while life shall last. To gain a " Heavenly Home." And ever try with heart and hand. Together and alone, Encircled as a family band. Prove " No place like home." May peace and plenty be your lot, And may you happy be, Vour home be ever a cherished spot, And oft " Remember me." St. Johns, p. Q., March 13, 1877. 83 f TO ALICE RYDKR WHITTIKR. " A Sabbath well spent brings a week of content, With rest for the toil of to-niorrovv ; I5ut a Sabbath profaned, whatsoever is gained, Is a certain forerunner of sorrow." MUS. JAMRS KVDKR. Malone, N. Y,, September 23, 1873. Near four and twenty years ago, Tile hand that penned the page annexed Had ceased from toil tlie to-morrow oftimes bring ; No sorrows from a mind perplexed disturbs that rest, From heav'enly sources spring. A mother's love to thee was lost — A charge to thee was given — A watchful care for those dear hearts Thus by ai^iction riven. Full well thou hast performed thy part, And now thine own demand thy care. Though distance part us, and we seldom meet. Our thoughts are with you, and we oft repeat Thy name in deep affection, And pray that health, prosperity and blessing from above For thee and thine, with everlasting love. W. M. Ryder. Lawrence, Mass., March 29, 1893. T S T 84 TO MY BROTHER JAMKS AUAiN RYDKR. Ox His Bikthdav, Sept. 30, 1896. This day of all proclaims how fast The days and years roll by- Then let us strive while life shall last To bind affection s tie. Accept, dear James, your l.rr^her's love On this your Natal Day, And may our hopes in heaven alx^ve Inspire each on his v.av St. Johns, p. Q., Sept. 30th, J896. "GOOD BYK." Once more with dearest friends we meet again Where joyful hearts and mirthful pleasures reign- So soo.Uopart, and " Au Revoir" the parting word should To cheer us on our homeward trip, across the .stormy sea. 'Tis now ' ' Good Bye, ' ■ and ask of each to pray That health, peace and safety, guide us on our way Steered by .skilful mariners across Atlantic's ocean f^an. To .ho,se we love in our dear " Canadian Home." Aylesbury, Sept. nth, 1898. 85 TO MY BROTIIHR IvDWIN. An.\l'Ti:i) TO Till- SlCVKNTII Ol- vSlvl'TKMHEK. Remember, remember, tlie Seventh of September ! Which to jour verj- kind notice we l)riiig,— 'Tis the clay above others, when mother, sisters and brothers, A Birthday Greeting to luhvin we'll sing. With presents in store, each pleasantly swore, As they skulked round the house to disguise ; Ivdwin, too, by all those that knew, How such presents were meant to surprise. But some all .so wise, love flashed in their eyes, Who plotted this secrecy great, — A brother was sent, who guessed their intent, And joined in the conclave, though late. The party was found, with each love did abound. And soon was their secret bound fast ; Then to Kdwin they went, thus exposed their intent. And vowed their affection should last. Then, hello, boys ! hello, boys ' .shout and hurrah ! Hello, boys ! hello, boys ! keep up the day ! With love and affection we'll shout and we'll sing. That health, peace, and plenty to Kdwin may bring. W. M. Ryder. 86 TO FLORENCE. So Florence, you ask me to write in vour book III remembrance of all as we find : How could I refuse, and how would it look Towards you ? to me loving and kind May you live in affection, in duty, in love Unruffled in temper, unburdened with care Till we ,neet in the blissful, bright reahns that's above, Clothed in white, with the crowns we shall wear-then Just give me a thought, who has penned these few lines- Many times you will wish he was here — And often you'll think of the joyous old times- May always bright visions appear. W. M. RVDKK. St. Johns, P. Q., January, 1882. ' ' Angels attend thee I May their wings Fan every shadow from thy brow ; For only l)right and loving things Should wait on one so good as thou. " ,,, , , I'- A. Fl,.\.NDI.:i'l And, wafted by each wind that blows, is driven far and Such, such is life, from infancy to age Is held^most dear by those we love, and manhood claims its Theu^severed from the parent branch, be kind and own its For you can proudly now exclaim, I'm twenty-one to-day ! Your parents still are spared to thee, to counsel, teach and ^"^ried!'-'''' '""''"'"'^ "'"^ ''°" ^^ "' ^^''^ '^'' ^'' ^'«« May health, peace and plenty, and blessings attend thy And thus fulfil my earnest wish, on this your natal day. St. Johns, P. Q., October 6th. 1896. 91 COUNSKL. I/isten, daughter, to your father — Do not think it but a whim When he seeks to give you counsel — Mind, you're not so old as him. Oft when young, he would be thoughtless. Pleasure was his own desire — But now, oh, dear, what sad remembrance — Burnt children " Dread the Fire." Do not knit thy brows, my darling ; Sad experience makes me speak. When I thought that I was strongest, Ah ! 'twas then that I was weak. 'Tis your Father's place to guide you, And, God knows, it's his desire That no evil should butide you — Burnt children " Dread the Fire." Far be it froin lay heart to curb you Or to cfit ;lf y )ur spirits down. But I'd l;'!'^ uznt you'd be watchful Of your ciiiijpany in the town ; Some folks, darling, are enticing, And how much you may admire. But you cannot be too careful — Burnt children " Dread the Fire." No one knows what is afore them. And 'tis well it's ordered so. Or not one among a thousand Would be lit to stem Life's woe ; 92 Some would lose their very reason, Songs would change for nioanings dire Some wouhl fear, and some would tremble,' And like burnt children, ' Dread the Fire." Work would cease throughout the world. Ships would no more sail the sea, Men who load now, could no more follow. And few whose lives would happy be' ; None can till what sad confusion Would upon the earth transpire. Even the godly man would falter, IJke a child, he'd " Dread the Fire." Daughter, do not look so heedless. Turning your dear face afar ; Do you think I mean to fright you. With the pictures that I draw ? No, niy darling, that I would not, For of nothing would I tire That could make you bright and happy ; Not like a child who " Dreads the Fire." But ever be ye bright and cheery, Everyday you're spared to try, Strive to be upriglit and honest, Scorn to condescend to lie ; Imitate our Blessed Saviour, Let His life your life inspire— And you'll pass through many a sorrow- Not like a child who " Dreads the Fire." St.Johns, P. Q., 1896. ^^- ^- ^^^'DER. 93 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ f^ 4i, 7/1 -^ /A #,V ^0 1.0 I.I |50 "■^™ 25 2.0 1.8 m III u i 1.6 v] <^ /a ^/,. Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (716) 872-4S03 L1>^ 4V ^\ «^' ) %o THiv cohbij:r of IA'NN. Plot of '' Ihe Cohhier oj Lynn." I.yiiii, Mass.. is noted for its extensive l)oot and shoe factories. As tin- workmen Ki\. old tliey are replaced by younjjer men, and to help tliom live, take to " repairing" work in the town. Those that are good workmen can get on pretty well, while the common workmen only become "common cobblers." The " Cobbler of Lynn," of whom we write, was of this common class, getting only the common pegged work, and perhaps little of that ; he found it hard to live— although having no other in his family but I'eggy, his wife. Whether from lack of work, or laziness, he used to promenade the " Lynn lieach" and took great delight watching the waves as the tide rolled them in. He would get to the end of his walk, and sit on a large boulder, far away from the noise of the town. He was known to meditate for hours there, and dabble his feet in the water coming in ; and it is very likely, when sitting on this boulder, he fell asleep and fell in the water— this is supposed was the case. A coroner's inquest was held, and a verdict of " I'ound Drowned" was returned. When taken home, his wife, I'eggy, was so shocked, went into hysterical fits and fell dead be- side the lifeless body of her husband. It is said by people passing the spot, that when the waves are rolling in at about midnight, and the moon is on the wane, that his ghost is to be seen sitting ou the boulder- and as the waves recede, vanishes away gradually. There was an old col)1)ler of Lymi, Whose chances of living were slim — Hisi)eggiug around and his Peggy within Brought no comforts to " The Cobbler of Lynn." He would look at the sea with greatest of glee, And watch the large waves rolling in, And dwell on the thought, could they only be caught Knibracing "The Col)l)lerof Lynn," 94 factories. II. and to . Tliose coiiinion obf)ler of iiig only found it t I'fk'Ky. used to riling the nd of liis se of the ihlile his itting on lUjjposed erdict of his wife, dead be- ; passing liilnight, itting on ually. hi "Hi s pesKing around and his Peggy within.' treacli He uottld valk by Lynn Bead,, and far uottld on Ihe town noise, tlie hustle and din- On a boulder would sit. while the waves at his feet W ould enc.rcle " The Cobbler of Lynn - One mon, he was in that place - found drowned." So the Coroner and Jury gave in ■ Pediaps deeply in thought in the waves he was caught- And tims ended - The Cobbler of Lynn." "" ili.s body .so lifeless and glim She gave a great cry, and said she woul.l die. Il.en fell dead by "The Cobbler of Lvnn." 95 "On a boulder would sit» while the waves at his feet." And some people say, who pass by that way, When the great waves of niidiiight roll in, By the pale moonlight, can be seen a horrible sight. Of the ghost of " The Cobbler of Lynn." March 15, 1899. 96 t.