IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V ,.'<- .' ^ (? / /A ^.1 #v i \ \ # #> * ^ V. "^ y^4fs '^^ Fi7- CIHM/!CMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 1980 Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of this copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction aie checked below. Ea Coloured covers/ Couvertures de couleur L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible cie se procurer. Certains ddfauts susceptibles de nuire d la quality de la reproduction sont notds ci-dessous. D Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur n Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur D Coloured plates/ Planches an couleur 7 fi Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d^color^es, tachetdes ou piqu^es Tight binding (may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin)/ Reliure serr6 (peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intdrieure) D D Show through/ Transparence Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes ^ ir u b f< D Additional comments/ Commentaires suppldmentaires Bibliog jphic Notes / Notes bibliographiques n Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Bound with o'^her material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents D Pagination incorrect/ Erreurs de pagination Pagas missing/ Oe'i pages manquent n Cover title missing/ Le titre de rouvertura manque Plates missing/ Des planches manquent D Maps missing/ Des cartes g^ographiques manquent D Additional comments/ '^ommentaires suppl^mentaires The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of ihe original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —►(meaning CONTINUED"), or the tymbol V (mear.Jng "END"), whichever applies. The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the kind consent of the fcilowing institution: National Library of Canada Maps or plater, too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper Iflft hand corner, left to right and iop to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les images suivantes ont dtd reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la ccnditlon ©t de ia nettetd de I'exemplaire film^, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Un des symboles suivants apparattra sur la der- nidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le oas: le symbole — ► signifie "A SUIVRE ', le symbole V signifie "FIN". L'exemplaire film6 fut reprodjit grdce d la g6n6rosit6 de I'^tablissement prdteur suivant : Bibliothdque nationale du Canada Les caries ou les planches trop grandas pour Stre reproduites en un seul clich6 sont film6es d partir de Tangle supdrieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'imagas ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 1 I 1 2 3 4 5 6 THE ANNALS (SF THE TOWN OF GUELPH 1.827 TO 1877. C. INIiKK i'Hl IUKI( CHiN ni iuliini (if ihe (luclph lloi.ilil. PRICE, 75 CENTS. ■ Yf.^iS^ iiir-i — I r,ii>ii err: LI' II. Canada, .8/7. I -iO Day's Block. a-xj:£iXi:E^i3: Day's Block. NOTED TEA STORE J. E. M«ELDERRY Announces with pleasure that he is in a better position to serve the pub- lic with GOOD GOG.OS ^ OBCE^^I' IF'OIi C.A.SS: THAN EVER. Buying entirely for Cash and selling for Cash he can ensure his CUSTOMERS A SAVING IN EVERY ARTICLE NEEDED. In TEAS it is a well know fact he gives the best value in Youn^' Hyson, Old Hyson, Gunpowders, Japans, Souchong Congous, P^keos, Assams, &c., TO BE hAr> IN GUELPH. A Complete Assortment of GENERAL GROCERIES all New Goods, arriving daily and sold at the lowesv price for cash. A LARdE LOT OF BACON, HAMS, SHOULDERS, BREAKFAST BACON. &€., Sugjar Cured and Extra Choice. Goods delivered promptly and carefully in any part of the town. J. E. McELDERRY. 2 Day's Block, Guelph. .^ar-THE Noted Tea St»jre.-*5s '£\ THE ANNALS .)i ■nil' TOWN OF GUELPH 1827 1877. 7Ml'll,r.D UNDKU I III. DlRECTKtX < )F « I'.nnOK OF 'rilK (llKII'II IlKK \i.i>. I) » Lci.^ht ir.d tal! llic linr:- of -.jj'^ ^'Ovv, VVhile all is lonohnc.^ and n-asic 'clow ; There, as the massy foha^c, fav aloof Displayed adarl., i ir.ipenetral'.i; ruci. So, gnarled cr.i r:j:d, clispt and ir.tcrwound, __ An uncouth vAa;.e of roots embossed the ground. — MOtNTGOMEJlY. ' And when these toila rewarding. Inroad lands at length they'll claim. They'll c.ill the new posscbsiuu By some familiar name." — AGNCi Stwcki-axd. --anjjiisa* GUELPH, CANADA : HERALD STEAM PRINTING HOUSE. 1877. FC 20 Tl V^ivaM^ lDEr)lC-A.TI03Sr. — »a,'»"A« TO HIS WORSHIP FREDERICK JASPER CHADWICK, MAYOR OF GUBLPH : Di'.AR Mr. CHAnwiCK, :-In issuiiig this little work, which I hupe will prove of interest, not only to my fellow townsmen, but to all who are glad to see such material prosperity as is evident in the growth of iJuelph, allow mc to dedicate it to you, from whom I have rereixed many ])ersonal kindnesses. Believe me, Yours sincerely, C.ACTON BURROWS. GUELPH, April, 1877. •v. J* PREFACE. In the preparaiiuii (it iliis liiUc wDik. tlie obie( I lias been to .Ljixe, as suocimly as possilile, a i^'eiieral outline of tlie liislorv of the I own ol' < luelpli, with some relerciKC tt) the principal events ^\hi^h have, tlinin;..; the jitlN' years of it^ e\i>>le'iii-e. ahsorJH'il the piiblir attention. That many matters, wliich niiyht be of interest to some of the older resi- dents, ha\e been omitted, will be seen at a ;4la'"ic:e ; but this has been done for \vhal were considered, after cureful rellectinn, to be ;^ootl ;nid snllicient reasons. In the earlier \ears of the settlement, as is the ease in all newly settled ilistricts, nian\- thinj^s occurred which, under more favorable circumstances, could not have ha|)pcned, and which, while they formed fertile themes of ;.;ossip at the time, it would serve no j'ood pur- pose to rei)roduce now, even if all that is said to ha\ e taken jilacc < Mdtl l)e substantiated, which is far from bein;^ the case. In fact, so con- tradictory are the recollections of sonic t)f the e.irly settlers with rei,Mril to many allej^^cd c\cnts. more espcciun;i "l^r /^^'^'^J^'e tnv the ^iire its |)ubnrnt Kin '^y April 23rd. lU-- \fif »". 1 '• / / preparation of tl F"..^.s^'.hi,"^:;":-;;;;':-'™".?i "^ U'ork. 'ou-int,rnrethepr . 'iicipaJ onic errors i ; -" ' I "nj.ossible to th t'le I'ilficth A II) oroiii niiiver- "e (h'd not pinvh, ISO It. a.qe 1 1 7 ) '^ "loniioned " '>^'iim- still U-c orriirred. tl ">■ re\i so or'MJr. (I 'f'" read Dr. y\i| "^ P'lrchasiim j),- \,| ^:^^T!;'."^yJWr^Ma;ron in le fol- ;.; s iioiiso. n;i(| a.i.'"c ; 44- I- ^■•»f' T. llollid i'ai,^f 145 J, or or t^'ouncil iteisoii. n'>-. ."';;;\^":?M^""-j!g." That this was an honest expression of belief there can be no doubt, when it is borne in mind that for some years afterwards the mail communications between the two sections of country were both infrequent and irregi'ar, some- times not oftener than once a year; and, though, in response to an invitation published by Governor Simcoe in 1791, a considerable number of settlers from New Jersey and Pennsylvania had come to the Upper Province, they were widely scaucred, and consequently unable to take any concerted measures to make their influence felt, all the newspapers being published in Montreal and Quebec, Whatever accessions of emigrants were gained, therefore, must be attributed to private influences, rather than to any action taken by the public authori- ties, and it is not surprising that the prevailing opinion at home was, that Canada was simply a vast field of snow and ice, convenient as a fur producing country, and, as yielding some very good pine for masts and building purposes, to some extent valuable, but certainly not the place to which a man should emigrate to better his fortunes. This was undoubt- edly the popular feeling at home with regard to the entire country, and more especially with reference to what, in official documents were vague- ly referred to as "the upper countries." The war of 1812, however, changed all that, and it was found that during the interval between the division of the country into two provinces, llpper Canada had become a power in the land. Prosperous towns had sprung up, and large tracts of country had been put under cultivation, disclosing the fact that so far from being " a vast solitude," and " a hopeless wilderness,'' it was in re- ality far superior, in all its physical aspects, to the older and better known districts. This k.iowlcdge, hov/evcr, had not, to any large extent, reach- ed the people of England, and it came as a sort of revelation to them when the true state of the case was announced, which was not till the war developed the resources and the loyal spirit of the settlers, as shown in the residts of their struggles at Detroit, Alackinnc, Ogcensburg, Queens- ton, Stoney Creek, Chauteauguay, Lundy's Lane, Oswego, and other places, where the Canadian militia, won laurels which many an old regi- ment in the regular army might have envied. At the close of the war in 181 5, when many of the British officers returned home, still further in- formation was published, and the serious attention, not only of a much larger class of the general public, but of capitalists seeking profitable and secin-e fields for investment, was turned to the advantages which pre- sented themselves in this new country. A still further impetus was given to the tide of emigration by the developments relating to the rapid pro- gress of the newly settled portions of western Canada, in the debates which took place in England in 1822-3, on the proposed scheme for re- uniting the two provinces, and upon the measure, fmally assented to by the Imperial Government, fc raising, by loan, the sum of /!ioo,ck)o, to indemnify the people of LI'jper Canada for losses sustained by them during the late war. It was during this period that the idea of forming the Canada Com- pany, to whieh so much of the prosperity of Upper Canada is to be attributed, was conceived. Mr. John Gait, to whom the entire credit of the inception and successful launching of the company is undoubtedly due, had for some time been considering the question of emigration to Canada as a means of providing an outlet for those persons in England and Scotland who, formed a not inconsiderable portion of the population, THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 9 pro.£:rcss of 'in honest 'ne in mind "s between i'''ir, somc- esponse to onsiderable Jiad come t>nseqiientJy i:ence felt, Whatever :nbiited to 'c authori- homc was, ^t as a fur masts and le place to uudoubt- "itry, and -re vague- however, tween the become a • tracts of at so far ^'as in rc- er known 't, reach- to them 1 the war hown ia Queens- d other :Id regi- - war in her in- a much ofitabJc cli prc- s given id pro- ebates for re- to bv oo, to them Corn- to be iit of tedly )n to ^land tion, reduced in circumstances, but too proud, or by reason of their education unfitted to take their place in the ranks of the commercial and laboring classes; and also those of the lower orders who, though able and willing to work, could not obtain employment adequate to the rearing of their families in such comfort and independence as was desirable. Mr. Gait was a man of unusually keen perception and remarkable constructive as well as administrative ability, which, combined with a liberal education, eminently fitted him to devise and carry out a scheme of this nature. He had spent considerable time in travelling and had become well and fa- vorably known as an author and writer on topics of public interest in the periodicals of his day. When, therefore, he first announced the outlines of his plan, he was able to command the respectful attention, not only of his friends, but of the Government. He docs not appear to have been anxious to take an active part in the business himself, for in 1823, tired of a life of adventure, he had cstaljlished what he intended to be a per- manent home at Eskg.-ove, near Muoselburgh, with the object of devot-. ing his time to literature and the education of his three sons. He had not long been there, however, when his plans having received the consid- eration of the members of th-i Government, he was sent for by Mr. Robinson, afterwards Lord Godcrich, at that time Chancellor of the Exchequer, for the purpose of holding a consultation on Canadian affairs. The Province of Upper Canada was then seeking assistance from the home government in liquidating certain liabilities incurred principally in carrying on internal improvements, and Mr. Robinson was led to offer, that if the Province would guarantee the payment of half its civil ex- penses, the Imperial Government would satisfy the then existing claims against it. Mr. Gait at once directed his atttention to the consideration of this offer, and held frequent consultations with friends well informed on the existing state of affairs, more especially with Bishop Macdonnell, who supplied him with most valuable data. The result of these confer- ence was to somewhat modify Mr. Gait's original ideas respecting emi- gration to Canada, and to impel him to take proceedings which eventually issued in the formation of the Canada Company, of which he was appointed secretary. Shortly at'tcrwards he was appointed, together with Sir John Harvey, Col. Cockburn, !\Ir. I^IcGillivray and Mr. Davidson, a government com- missioner to visit Canada to make a valuation of the upper province, a work which was completed and reported upon the same year. A dispute ensued on the question of the Clergy Reserves, it being strongly urged that they should be excluded from the valuation, but on the matter being left to arbitration between Archdeacon Strachan and Mr. Gait, an agree- ment was arrived at even more advantageous to the Company than the previous arrangement, the great Huron tract being assigned to them as an equivalent for the reserves. All disputes being amicably settled, the Company was duly chartered, with a capital of ^1,000,000, and prepara- tions for active operations were imuTDdialely commenced, and in October 1826, Mr. Gait again embarked for Canada, arriving at Little York (now Toronto) in January 1827. It was not long before business came pressing upon h'm, in the course of a few weeks nearly three hundred offers to purchase land having been lodged at his office. During his first visit to the western country he had been favorably impressed with the fertility and general character of the country lying west of Lake Ontario, and had received some glowing reports of a tract situated a few miles north of Gait, which was then a flourishing village. This land having been 10 THE ANNALS OF THK TOWN OF GUELPH. acquired by the Canada Company, he ordered an inspection to be made of it, and the result proving in every way satisfactory, he determined upon making this the scat of the first settlement undv,r the auspices of the Company. The tract comprised about 40,000 acres, over large por- tions of which the foot of civilized man had never trod, except in the inspection ordered bv Mr. Gait, and that was necessarily of a curscMy nature. It was one ciense forest, through which not even a blazed Indian path was visible, and the only trace of a human habitation of which there is any record, was an Indirn hut, long deserted, which the first exploring party discovered near to the spot wlicre the fir«;t tree was des- tined to be cut on the site of the present town. This pot had been represented to Mr. Gait as in many respects the most advantageous for his purpose in the entire tract, and the result of subsequent surveys fully justified the wisdom of the selection, situated as it is on the banks of a fast flowing stream, with sufficient fall to furnish admirable water power, and being also in the centre of a section of country which for fertility and beauty, as well as for natural advantages, cannot be surpassed in the whole Province. All the necessary preparations having been made, Mr. Gait 5etout to inaugurate the new town, or as he always persisted in calling it the western city. He had been to New York on business for the Company, and ar- rived at Dundas on his return on April 21st. At Dundas hif purpose had been made known, and a number of the residents of that town, together with others from Ancaster, accompanied him on his mis- sion, the party arriving on the 22nd at Gait, where they were hospitably entertained by the inhabitants, Mr. (Sal*- being welcomed by his old friend the Hon. Wm. Dickson, who owned all the land in that neighborhood and who had named the town in honor of Mr. Gait, and in recognition of the pleasure the acquaintance in previous years had afforded him. St. George's day, April 23rd, had been fixed upon by Mr. Gait as the day for the commencement of operations, on which subject he says: — " This was not without design, I was well aware of the boding effect of a little solemnity on the minds of most men, and especially of the unlet- tered, such as the first class of settlers were likely to be, at eras which betokened destiny, like the launching of a vessel, or the birth of an en- terprise, of which a horoscope might be cast. The founding of a town was certainly one of these, and accordingly I appointed a national holiday for the ceremony, which secretly I was determined should be celebrated so as to be held in remembrance, and yet so conducted as to be only apparently accidentally impressive." Early on the morning of the 23rd, therefore, the whole party started on their journey, the main body of the adventurers going forward, Mr. Gait and Dr. Dunlop, who held a sort of roving commission in the Canada Company's service, and rejoiced in the high sounding title, more honorable than profitable, of " Warden of the Canada Company's Woods and Forests," following at a short distance. Mr. Gait placed himself entirely under the guidance of the Doctor, who, having traversed the ground before, was supposed to know the way, and doubtless he thought he did. But the most experi- enced of backwoodsmen occasionally lose themselves in the bush, and so it happened in this instance. Scarcely had they entered the thick part of the forest, a few miles from their destination, when the Doctor found he had missed his road. " I was exceedingly angry," says Mr. Gait, " for such an incident is no trifle in the v.oods ; but after wander- ing up and down like the two babes, with not even the comfort of a THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OK (lUELPH, 11 blackberry, the heavens frowninj; and the surrounding forest sullenly still, we discovered a hut and ' tirlinpj at the pin,' entered and found it inhabited by a Dutch shoemaker. We made him understand our lost condition, and induced him to set us on the right path. He had been in the French arnn-, and had, after the peace, emigrated to the United States ; thence he had come to Upper Canada, where he bought a lot of land, which, after he had made some betterments, he exchanged for the location in the woods, or, as he said '•imself, 'Je swape' the first land for the lot on which he was now settled. With his assistance we reached the skirts of the wild to which we were going, and were informed in the cabin of a squatter that all our men had gone forward. By this time it began to rain, but undeterred by that cir- cumstance we resumed our journey in the patldcss woods. About sunset dripping wet, we arrived near the spot we were in quest of, a shanty, which an Indian, who had committed murder, had raised as a refuge for himself. We found the men under the orders of Mr, T'ryor, whom I had employed tor the Company, kindling a roaring fire, and after endeavoring to dry ourselves, and having recourse to the store basket, I proposed to go to the spot chosen for the town. By this time the sun was set, and Dr. Dunlop, with his characteristic drollery, having doffed his wet garb, and dressed himself Indian fashion, in blankets, we proceeded with Mr. Prior, attended by two woodmen with axes. It was consistent with my plan to invest our ceremony with a little mystery, the better to make it remembered. So, intimating that the main body of the men were not to come, walked to the brow of the neighboring rising ground, and Mr. Pryor having shown the site selected for the town, a large maple tree was chosen ; on which taking an axe from one of the wood.nen, I struck the lirst stroke. To me at least the moment was impressive, and the silence of the woods that echoed to the sound was as the sigli of the solemn genius of the wilderness departing for ever. The Doctor followed me, then, if I remember rightly, Mr. Pryor, and the woodmen finished the work. The tree fell with a crash of accummulatcd thunder, as if an- cient nature were alarmed at the entrance of social man into her inno- cent solitudes with his sorrows, his follies and his crimes. I do not suppose that the sublimity of the occasion was unfclt by the others, for I noticed that alter the tree fell, there was a funereal pause as when the coffin is lowered in the grave ; it was, however, of short duration for Dr. * Dunlop pidled a fiask of whiskej- from his bosom and wc drank pros- perity to the city of Guelph. The name was chose in compliment to the Royal Family, both because I tliought it auspicious in itself and because I could not recollect that it had ever before been used in all the king's dominions." Among those who formed the party on that day, so memorable a one for Canada, besides Mr. Gait and Dr. Dunlop, were Mr. Charles Pryor, who was Mr. Gait's confidential friend and secretary. Mr. John Mc- Donald, a practical surveyor, who was afterwards for many years sher'fif of Huron ; Wm. Gooden, Curtis and Harry Lamberton, Christopher Keogh, Stacy and Ira H olden, besides a number of other axe men and chain bearers. There were also, as previously mentioned, several gentle- men from Dundas, Ancaster, Gait and other places, who had come to witness the natal rites of the new town, among whom were Mr. (icorge Corbet, now a resident of Owen Sound, and Mr. James Mackenzie, who now resides in Guelph, who are belic\'ed to be the only survivors of those 12 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. Avho wielded the axe against the giant tree which first fell by the hand of man in the district now so fair and prosperous. On the arrival of the advanced portion of the party on the ground, it was lound tl'.at the Indian's hut wouid not nearly accommodate them all, and as the rain had been falling steadily, they erected a sort of taber- nacle, of branches of trees, and after the ceremony they returned to this, and nothwiihstanding the storm, spent a pleasant evening in lively con- versation, and listening to the almost im-xhaustil^le sallies of wit and humor from Dr. Dunloji. This gcntlcmah was well fitted for his position as a pioTiecr leader, hardy and active as an Indian, brave even to rash- ness, and by his irrepressible flow of spirits and love of joking, always the life and soul of the party in which he found hiniself. In early life he had served as an ensign in the Sylh Regiment, and for several years had led a somewhat wandering life, apparently not possessing any taste for the quiet enjoyp.icnts of the domestic circle. He was never married, though, as we learn from Strickland's "Twenty Seven Years in Upper Canada,' he on one occasion went to far as to throve up a copper with his brother to decide which of them should marry their housekeeper, in order that the proprieties might be duly observed. It was arranged tliat the Doctor himself should toss the copper three times, and that he was to cry " heads"" and his brother " tails," the one to whom the most heads should fail to be clear of the responsibility, and he. who should have the most tails was to accept the blessedness of the matrimonial state. Heads turned up each time, and the Doctors brother accordingly married the lady, though it is, perhaps, doubful if he v/ould have done so had he known that in his anxiety for his brother's happiness the Doctor had used a com, which he had piciIr. Pryor and Mr. Gait, that Mr. McDougall placed his compass on the stump, anil that the streets were planned with a view to general convenience, and to secure river frontages for residences and mills, as in ihe case of Woolwich Street, ar.d that other streets were laid out so as to converge at one point, where it was intended to build the Company's ofllccs, bank. Sec. ; and also to leave an open space to be reserved forcxer as a market place. The stump was, by Older of Mr. Gait, neatly fenced round by IMajor Strickland in 1828, and the top being levelled and planed, the cardinal poirits of the compass v/ere chiselled thereon, and a sun dial was placed upon it, serving, for many years, as a town clock. It stood as a memorial of the foundation of the town, and was held in the highest \cneration by the early settlers, until about 1843, ^\^en it gradually disappeared from decay. On the morning of the 24th, those gentlemen who hid come from a distance to be present at the foundation of the new town, took their departure, and Mr. Gait and his men at once set to work to build shanties for themselves, and for the temporary accommodation of those settlers who ni'ght soon be expected to arrive, upwards of 160 building lots hav- ing already been engaged, and during the whole of that summer houses were built as fast as materials could be provided. One of the lirst neces- sities was the building of a house for .Mr. Gait, where the busines.s of the Company might be transacted, and a shed or storehouse for provisions, and for other purposes incident to the settlement of a new town. The first few weeks were spent almost exclusively in chopping and logging, the clearances being principally on the iAlarket Square and east- ward to ^^'atcvIoo Street as far as Gordon Street, where, for several years, the business portion of the town was situated, only a few straj'.gling houses being built on the vvcst side for a considerable time afterwards. As the trees were cut, shanties and log houses were built, the hrst commenced being the Triory, which, though not altogether tlnished until the spring of 182S, was occupied by Mr. (ialt from the first. The house, which is beautifully situated on the south bank of the river Speed, was built of squared logs, was large and commodious, and with the rustic porch, pre- sents a very fair appearance, though somewhat rough, imitation of Ionic architecture, and stands to this day as a witness of the practical skill and artistic taste of Mr. (ialt, who drew the plans and superintended the work. During the visit of Mr. (lalt to Xew York in the s]iring, before com- ing to Guelph, he had through Mr. Buchanan, the liritish Consul, engaged a blacksmith, named John Owen Lynch, who, with his family, arrived here in May. .\t tliat time a number of shanties had l:)een built, but none of them were large enough to accommodate this family, so that a house of elm logs, was soon built for them, on the lot now occupied by Mr. F. W. Stone's store on (Jordon Street, the blacksmith's shop being built in the rear, a low log structure, used now by Mr, Stone as a stable, This house was of coi'siderable dimensions, and was shared by Jas. Mc- Cartney, brother-in-law of J. O. Lynch. The next house, other than the shanties, was built on the site now occupied by Mr. G. Lees' packing house, and was used as a tavern kept by Philip Jones, who remained here about two years, when he removed into Woohvich. Then a large log house was built on the site of the present Fountain Hotel, by a man 14 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWM Of GUELPH. named Lamport, after which several other houses were built by the Canada Company for mechanics who h«d been sent from New York. These n\en were Thos. Stewart, shoemaker, Wm. Gibbs, baker, — who started the first bakery in the town, — Wm, Holmes, wagon maker, Wm. Collins, carpenter, and Jas. Anderson, also a carpenter, brother-in-law of Collins, with whom he lived. All these houses were in the immediate neighborhood of CJordon and Surrey .Streets, one on each corner, Holmes' being on the lot where Sole & Johnston's bakery now is. Another black- smith, named McGarr, soon afterwards arrived as assistant to Lynch, his house being built on Gordon Street between Holmes' and the corner of Waterloo Street. On the site of the stone building lately used as a Central School, a carpenter named John Williams built a house, which he afterwards sold to a tailor n:.med Joseph Croft, who lived there about live years. About this time a tavern was opened in one wing of the Priory, by a man named Reid, who removed, with Major Strickland, to (iodcrich, in 1828. At this time settlers began to arrive in large num- bers, and houses were rapidly put up in all directions. Among those who purchased lots from the Company, and arrived here during the sum- mer, as appears froni the books of the Canada Company, were the follow- ing :— Jas. U. Oliver. August 11. Allan McDonnell. August 12. Alex. .S. Elder. May 20. Thos. Leigh. Thos. Kelly. " Aaron Anderson. " Edward Wovswick." Nancy Riffe. Bernard McTague"'' do do " Lot i( ci u <( <( a a n (( i( (( (( (< u u (( 4- 5- 6. 8. 9- 10. II. 12. 1.3- 14. '5- 16. 17- 19. 20. 21. ''2 23- 24. 25. 27. 29. 35- 42. 47- 53- 71- 31- 15- 27. 27. 3'- 27. '/• 19. 16. u 16. Jas. Thompson. Ja«. McLcvy. Robt. McLcvy. David Gilkison. Ch»s. Boynton. Philip Jones'. Andrew Mc\'ean, Wm. I\lliott. Wn". Leaden. do Wm. Reid. James Smith, jr. Geo. Abbott. Geo. Dobbics. Wm. Reid. Thos. Pjutler. Jas. Corbet. Geo. Whiteside. Wm. Goodwin. Chas. Armstrong. Aug. i: June 1. M:iv 19. '^' 16. June 2. July 10. j\.\nQ 9. Of these, it may be mentioned that J. D. Oliver built the first stone house in the town, in consideration of which the Company gave him a free deed of his lot ; David Gilkison built the first frame house and store ; Chas. rilK ANNALS5 OK THE TOWN OF GUEl.i'H. 16 Hoynton built a large frama house, which he soon afterwards turned into an liotel, and Philip Jones, as before stated, built a tavern of round logs. Another party of emigrants arrived later in the summer, and being mostly farmers, they settled on what has since been known as the Scotch Block, on the Klora Road. Amoni; them were, Alex. McTavish, Donald (.;illies, Alex. Reid, McFie, Peter lUitchart, Angus Campbell, Holli- day, Joseph McDonald, Capt. McDonald, (^who was an uncle oif the present Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, and who died a few years ago upwards of ninety years of age,) Jas, Stirton, Jas. Mc()uillan, \Vm. I'atterson, Rose, McCrae, John iJcnn, Jas. Mays. 'I'hos. Knowles, Thos. Daly, the Kennedys, (three families;, M. S/veetnam, and others, most of whom, however, afterwards sokl out, when they had made some improvements, and removed elsewhere, a practice which was far too prevalent at that time, and, though it often placed a little ready money in the hands of those who sold their farms, rarely resulted in the improvement of their condition ; while, on the other hand, all of those who retained the farms they themselves had cleared, afterwards became more or less wealthy, and many of them v/ere in after years able to purchase eligible land in other places. A third party arrived at about the same time, and settled in the Paisley Block, among whom were - Jno. Inglis, Jno. Laidlaw, J. McCorkindale, Drew, Campbell, Alexander, (lideon Mood, Wm. Hood, Thos. Hood, iJoyd, .McKersie, John .Speirs, 'I'hos. Jackson, John Jack' son, Joseph Jackson, Wm. Jackson, and Geo. Jackson, most of whom became wealthy and influential citizens. .Most of these early settlers had families, and the sons of some of them have since held prominent posi- tions in the various councils and in the legislative halls of the country. Recognizing the importance of educational facilities in a newly con- stituted community, Mr. Gait had stipulated that half the price of the building lots should be appropriated for the endowment and maintenance of a school, undertaking that the Company should advance the necessary funds to build the school house, to be repaid gradually from the proceeds of the sales of lots. lUit during the first year the people were so fully occupied in clearing their land and raising their own houses, that nothing could be done in building a school house, especially as it was Mr. (halt's intention that it should be a substantial stone structure, which could not l)e built in a few days, in June, therefore, he erected a shed, adjoining the Prior}-, since removed, and a school was opened, under the charge of an .American named Davis, who appears to have been a fair type of the dominie of the period, whose intellectual .nciiuirements did not go much beyond the " Three Rs," and who had a deeply rooted con\ iction that there was no better mode of instilling knowledge into the minds of the rising generation than by the medium ofa good sound birch rod; or at least, that when all other means of enlightening the youdiful mind had failed, that was certain to accomplish the desired result ; and so zealous does he appear to ha^■e been in the ai)plicaiion of this elevating theory, that he was on several occasions in danger of having it practically tested on his own person, at the hands of some of the English and Scotch set- tlers, who entertained the absurd notion that the best way of reaching the brain was not by corporeal punishment, and that blistering both hands was not the surest method of drawing out the intellectual faculties ofa child. Mr. Calt, strangely enough, being of the same way of think- ing, and not holding a very high opinion of the mental capacity of .Mr. Davis, was not long in dispensing with his valuable services, and pend- ing the opening of the new school house, several of the more intelligent 16 THE ANNALS OF THK TOWN OF Gl.'F.i.PH. of the settlers' wives were induced to open private schools, and it is said some of them were fairly successful. In May Mr. J. O. Lynch imported into the sctilcmcnt a marc, which heini,^ the only liorse owned within a radius of toiirtcen miles, had work cnoii-ii to do. He also brought a row, the tirst seen in the town. Mr. J. I). Oliver, later in the year, brouj^ht a team of horse;;, '.\hich relic\ed the poor marc very considerably, otherwise she would soon have fallen a martyr to the cause of cixili/ation, for, though she was in admirable con- dition when she arrived, overv/ork in a few months had reduced her to a mere frame, useful only as an anatomical study. Mavinjj llnislicd houses an I shanties sufficient to temporarily accom- modate the innni^rants, Mr, (lalt next turned his attention to buildinti additional storehouses and sheds for the Company, and then commenced the erection of the Market House. This was situated about midway between what are now known as Huskisson and Neeve streets, on a spot now traversed by the Grand Trunk Railway. The building consisted ot twelvn sets of double posts of s(|uared tim])er, supporting a cottage roof, ;ind was in si/c about 40x50 feet. It w.is open on all sides, and the iloor was raised about 18 inches, with steps all round, formed of squared logs. The whole was surmounted by a flagstaff, from which the British ensign tloated on gala days. This building, thougli called a market house, and used as such, so far as there was any business to be transact- ed, M'as erected more for the pur[)ose of holding public meetings and as a rendezvous for the })eople, where they might meet and discuss all they knew — for newspapers were scarce and mails infrequent — of the politics and public affairs of England and Canraln. About this time, finding that the distance between York and Gueli)h, by the circuitous route by way of Dundas and ( ialt, the only road at that time opened, was productive of serious inconvenience in purchasing and forwarding supplies, Mr. ('.:dt determined upon establishing a depot at the head of Lake Ontario, so that supplies could be brought so far by water, and accordinuly applied to the (iovernment for a grant of land in that locality for that purpo.-,e. In reply he was requested to select what he consid'ijred a suitable spot, and he accordingly chose a plot of about three acres on the banks of the canal which was then being constructed to connect Ihirlington IJay with the lake, a piece of land which Mr. Gait says was, in hi3 opinion, among tlic most \aluabie in the whole Province. It fronted on the canal, and on the right was JUirlington 15ay and on the left Lake Ontario, a situation, than which, for the purpose contemplated, none could ha\e been more eligible. One of the principal reasons in view in takin;;- this step wrs. that in order to encourage th^ immigration ot farmers, arrangements were made by which the land taken up, and the necessary supplies of provisions .\nd farming implements, could be paid for in produce, wjiich, together with consignments taken for sale on commission, would have to be transported to York or some of the lake ports on the American side, for which a shipping depot would prove of great advantage. The calculation was that the profits derivable from such a trade would not only defray all expenses, but leave a handsome profit to compensate for the money taken out of the country by the opera- tions of the Canadii Company. While engaged in making these prepa- lations. ?>lr. Gait was surprised by the aiTival of a large party of immi- grants, forwarded from New York by Mr. Buchanan, the liritish Consul. These people, tifty-seven in number, had been sent to La (iuayra, or Caracas, in South America, by the Colombian Company, and had found THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELl'H. 17 that the glowing pictures of prosperity drawn by the ajjcnts in Enghind, by which ihcy had been hired away from their homes, and the ahnost immcdiaie achievement of wealth and position which liad been promised them, were all a delusion, and when, by the inthidnce of the English officials, they were enabled to reach New York, lliey were in the most destitute condition. Mr. liuchanan. knowing that the Canada Company had established a settlement in Canada, and misconceiving the nature of the enterprise, forwarded them to Mr. ('lalt, and they were on their way to Ciuelph when he met them at his nevv depot. 'I his put him in a posi- tion of great difficulty, his authority not extending to the reception of any immigrants who wcvc not in a position to take up land, and still less to relieving a party of people who were p'aclically jjaupers, though, but for their poverty, they might be more desirable immigrants than many who were fortunate enough to possess large means. That they should have been sent to the care of the (iovernriient there can be no doubt, but here they were, on his hands, and they had to bo provided for in some way. Many of tliem were women and children, who, as a result of their short residence in the unhealthy climate of South America, and the privations they had endured while there and on board ship, were in a very weak and sickly condition, and prompt action for their relief had to be taken, and after doing what the limited means at his disj)osal would permit for alleviating their distress, he forwarded them to Mr. Pryor at Guelph. Upon their arrival tne men were set to work, but their strength had hc- come so reduced by want and suft'ering tliat they could not earn sufficient to maintain their families, so that it was absolutely necessary to supple- ment their earnings with advances from the Company's funds. Though these people had been sent to him, and from motives of humanity, he had recei\ ed them and supplied their wants, he considered they were legitimately a charge on the Government, and so retained in his hands a portion of the sum then due by the Company to the Government until the matter could be adjusted. The receiver-general at York, however, informed him that his retention of this money would seriously embarrasc him in nis fmancial affairs, and it was therefore agreed that the whole of the Company's liabilities should be paid up, with the understanding that the matter should receive a fair investigation and settlement. From the first inception of the Company, there had been many interested persons, both in England and in this country, who had been opposed to it, and some also to whom Mr. Gait had, for some unexplained reason, become personally obnoxious, and these persons lost no opportunity in fomenting disco'd between the Company and the Government, and between Mr. Gait and the Company, and in a very short time he learned that this cir- cumstance had been so misrepresented in London, that the Directors were almost inclined to censure him for what had been construed by hib enemies into a slight on the local government, and soon afterwards he received from the Directors a communicatior which almost amounted to a reprimand. In the interim, the new arrivals had regained their health and strength, and by their thrift vind industrj had shown that they were likely to become most desirable settlers. Mr. Gait had therefore allotted to each of them fifty acres of land, at the usual price, and in corsidera- tion of their previous sufferings and present poverty had waived the first payment, with the understanding that they M-ere to pay the full amount due at some future time, with six per cent, interest on the amount due, and on whatever was advanced to meet their necessities; a contract which was rigidly adhered to by them, all of them ultimately paying the full 18 THE ANNAl.S OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. amount of their liabilities, nncl many of them becoming wealthy and pros- perous farmers and tradesmen, alike an honor and a source of strength to the community. Mr. (lalt at once wrote to Kngland, defending the course he had taken, and explaining the real facts of the case, when the matter droppetl. Still the malcontents ^vere on the alert to llnd some means by which they might injure him in the estimation of the Company, and the next thing was to inflame the minds of the stockholders on account of the large amounts he was expending in carrying on the ojieratiuns of the Company in the new settlement, and the lie.ivy expenses incurred in the working of its affairs, which was represented as being the reason why the profits of the Company were not larger, which it was asserted the\ ought to have been. Now, that the operations of the Company during the few months the settlement iiad been established were on u. somew hat extensive scale, and, viewed by the light of subsecjuent events, perh.ips a little extravagant, there can be no doubt ; but considering the jiiagnimdc of the scheme in contemi)lation, and the amount invested, it was neces- sary that the work should, to some extent at least, be in proportion, so that the returns should soon correspond with the investments. That, there were y.omo items of expense for work which might have been de- ferred he did not deny, but he was working more for the future than for the present, and m his opinion noth.ing could be more satisfactory than the state of affairs as they then existed, everything presenting a degree 'of prosperity which even he h^.d been hardly prepared to anticipate. This matter was also clearly explained, and excrything seemed likely to run smoothly on, when in a very short time another storm arose, which gave liim some trouble. The name of the town had been selected, as has before been stated, as an expression of loyalty to the royal family, and because there was no other ])lace of the same name in the Empire. That trouble could arise out of so comparatively insignificant a thing as the mere name of a place never for a moment occurred to him, but it was made the means of giving him not a little annoyance, for his enemies in England, ready to snatch at any trifle by which they might do him an injury, magnified this into an intentional slight to one of his warmest friends, Lord Goderich, who while Mr. Robinson, Chancellor of the Ex- chequer, haa taken a deep interest in Canadian affairs, and had been partially instrumental, through Mr. Gait, in forming the Canada Com- pany. It was therefore contended that as a matter of courtes)-, and as an expression of the obligations the Company had been under to Lord Goderich, the town should have been called after him. So far, the com- plaint seemed reasonable, and had the matter presented itself to Mr. Gait at the time in this light, probably he would have called the town Goderich, but as it was, it did not appear to him to be a very serious matter what the town was called, for as he himself said. " A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."' So strongly was the matter pressed at home, however, that the Directors sent him a letter, condemning his choice of a name, and ordering him to change it from Guelph to Goderich. This he would not, under .any other circumstances, have been unwilling to do, but he felt that he had been harshly and unjustly treated in the matter, and that a degree of importance had been attached to the mere naming of the place which appeared to him unwarrantable, and feeling also that the question had been raised nierely as a pretext for injuring him. he was naturally disinclined to concede the point, and so re'plied, dei'endin'g his chbic'e of a name, and reprcscntirfg also that, as THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUEF.Plt. 1,1) commercial transactions had taken place, and deeds had been {;i\ en of land situated in the Town of Guelph, an Act of tlic Lct^iali'.lvire would have to be procured to make the proposed change, but, unwiUing as he was to alter the name, if tlie Company insisted upon it, and would send him the necessary instructions, he would at once take the rec|uisite stepls to obtain the passage of an Act in accordance with their vie^vs. This, as he expected, i)Ul a (juietus on this bu;.jbear, and he heard no more of the matter, but to show that it was not from any disrespect to Lord (ioderich that he had chosen tlie name of (luciph, he called the name of another town which he founded about two years afterwards, after his lordshij). This was not by any means l!ie last attempt made to injure him and make his jjosition uncomfortable, for another instance of still more gross misrepresentation soon occurred. It was now the month ot August, and the I2th being the kings birthday, and also the anniversary "f the forma- tion of the Canada Company, he determined to celebrate it by a general holiday and ))uhlic dinner. The market house was ii course of con- struction, and the boards were placed on the root, but up to the nth, which was Saturday, it was not wholly shingled, and many of the people were anxious that it should be completed for the grand celebration to take place on the Monday, and, whether with Mr. Gait's knowledge or not does not appear, for no mention is ma le of the fact in any of the books relating to the time, the work was romplcted on the Sunday, the sanctity of that day. according to the evidence of tliosc avIio were here at the time, not being very generally observed, as is frequently the case now in new settlements. On the Monday morning the town was in a state of the greatest excitement, it being determined to roast r.n ox whole on the market place, and have a right jo\ ial time generally, in which they appear to have succeeded. Early in the morning four huge posts, which remained as a memento for many years, were let into the ground, from which, by means of logging chains, the carcase was suspended, an immense log lire being kindled on each side. While the ox was roasting a large number of guests, who had been specially invited by Mr. (ialt to take part in the festivities, arrived from Gait, where they had passed the night. Some of these gentlemen lived in Montreal, some in Kingston, Dundas, An.caster, Gait, York and other places, among whom was Mr. Gurnett, of Ancaster. proprietor of the Gofr Gazctk\ in which he pub- lished a jjraphic description of the proceedings. So far as is known, however, there is not a copy of the paper containing the report now in existence. Among the residents of the town and neighborhood present were Mr. Robt. Thompson, Mr. Jas. McCrae, Mr. Jas. Thompson— who, two or three jears afteiwards took up the farni now owned by Mr. Sheriff Gow— Mr. J. Hodgert, Mr. D. Gilkison, Mr. Wm. Thompson, Mr, Allan McDonnell, Mr. Aaron Anderson — who built a house where the Bank of Commerce now stands, but who afterwards took up land on the Waterloo Road, by Silver Creek, — Mr. B. McTague, Mr. D, Gilkison, Mr. Wm. Leaden, Mi'. Andrew McVean, Mr. J. D. Oliver, Mr. Jas. Parkinson, Mr. John Lindcrman — who had settled in Eramosa — Mr, John McCall, of Beverley, Mr. Nicklin, of Woolwich, Mr. John Mitchell — who afterwards opened a lime kiln and was the Company's valuator- Mr. C. Donohuc, Mr. James Butler, Mr. Stewart Coghlin and Robt. On*, of Guelph Town- ship, and several of the settlers in the Scotch and Paisley Blocks, whose names have been given, Mr. J. Rife, who had squatted near the westerly limits of the township, near what is still known as Rife's Creek, most of whom are now dead. When dinner time had arrived the roasted ox was 1 •20 J'HK ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. earned into the market house, and placed upon a strong t;ible, where it was carvec,and t!ie guests, to ilic number of about two hundred, enjoyed a right royal feast, 'he many other good things provided for the occasion making the w;v/// such as by no means to be despised. That the aiode of serving the dinner was not the most elegant may easily be conceived, and that all tlie amcnittes of a modern banquet were not observed may be as readily believed. In fact the hrst thing to be done to lend an air ot refinement to the meal, was to pro\ide forks, which each man did for himself, by going to the lumbei- pile and selecting or cutting a suitable stick, whitling a fork out of it with his jack knife, wh' :h indispensable article every man of course had with him, and with which he afterwards cut up his be' f. Plates being somewhat scarce, and the few possessed in the tow; being far too \aluabie to risk at such a gathering, each selected as clean a shingle as possible, from the ])ile, which rem lined after the market house roof had been finished, and with keen appetites all sat down and enjoyed a hearty meal. "After the cloth was removed," toasts were drunk to everybody and every conceivable thing, the liquors, of all imaginable descriptions, being passed round in buckets, from which each man helped himself by means of tin cups, about two hun- dred of which had been supplied for the occasion by Mr. Linderman. Speeches were made by Mr. (jalt, Mr. Pryor, Dr. Dunlop and many others, and when these gentlemen left, those who remained continued to celebrate the day in an exceedingly hilarious manner, most of them, who had not succumbed to an overpowering somnolency, celebrating the night too, many of them being found next morning reposing on the ground in the market place, in loving proximity to the liquor pails, in which conveniently floated the tin cups. This celebration was taken hold of by the fault- finders, not on account of the quantity of liquor consumed, for that was a mere trifle in those days, and an indispensable adjunct to such an occasion, but because they asserted that the health of Sir Peregrine Mait- land, the Lieutenant Governor, had been omitted from the list of toasts. Sir Peregrine, though he had always been ready to do all in his power to further the objects of ttae Company, had for sVne time shown a coolness towards Mr. Cialt personally, on account of some misrepresentations made by envious and interested parties before the acti\ e operations of the Coni- pany were commenced, from which .Sii" Peregrine had formed the opinion that Mr. Gait entertained feelings of hostility to himself, and that his political opinions w'ere inimical to the policy of the government, especially on the subject of the clergy reserves. That thi-^ was a false impression there can be no doubt, for on every available opport^mity he spoke in the highest terms of the Lieutenant (iovernor, both witii respect to his per- sonal character and as a valuable ofiicer of the Crown ; and so for as his political opinions were concerned, there is nothing on record to show that he ever gave expression to them in this country, and that he never allowed them to influence him in the least, in his position as agent for the Company, is tolerably certain. On this occasion, ai3 has b'^en testified to by scores of reliable persons, who were present on the occah.ion,the Uiual toasts, " the King" and " the royal family," having been di'ly honored, the health of the i''.arl of Dalhousic, the (iovernor General, was proposed, with an acknowledgment of the many services that nobleman had ren- dered to Mr. Cialt , after which the health of Sir Peregrine Mainland was proposed, Mr. Gait most heartily expressing his gratitude for the earnest- ness a id promptness with which his excellency had responded to every application for assistance in the interest of the Company. Wh'in the THE ANNALS OK THK TOWN OF (iUtLPU. 21 here it was ycd a right )n making of serving , and that lay be as lend an man did a suitable spensable ftcr wards possessed ing, each remained appetites loth was )le thing, I Ijuckets, two hun- nderman. ly others, celebrate had not ight too, d in the .leniently he fault- ;hat was such an ne Mait- f toasts, s power coolness ns made le Coni- opinion hat his pecially )ression e in the bis per- r as his ow that never for the ificd to c usual )nored, Josed, rcn- ui was irnest- every n the (1 news of these slanders and secret niacliinations reached Guelph, Mr. Gait was natually chagrined, and for a time was secretly revolving in his mind the advisabiUty of resigning his position. While he was in doubt as to the wistlom of this course, hc^'.vevcr, he was \-isitcd by Col. Coffin, A\ho had conmiand of the militia, who intimated tiiat the Lieutenant (iO\ernor thought of appointing him to the command of a regiment, and rci.|ue3ted him to consider wliicli of the gentlemen in the Company's service, or settled in tiic town, lie woukl recommend as ofliccrs. This, with hints which he iiad previously received from various quarters, led him to belie\e that Sir P. Maitland had seen reasons to change his Cipinion respecting him, and he was beginning to think the storms had blov.n over, when to his amazement lie received an intimation that he was to be reprimanded by the Board of Directors for insulting the Lieutenant Governor, and in the course of a few days this provetl to be the fart, for he received a letter from the Company, informing him that Sir Peregrine had made a complaint to Mr. liuskisson, Secretary of State, who had communicated it to the Directors, and tliat they, assuming him to be guilty of the charge, wished him to luiderstand that they altogether dis- approved of his course in this matter. ?ilortified beyond measure at the gross injustice of thus condemning him without givirig him an opportu- nity of repelling the charge, he, after due consideration, sent his long contemplated resignation to .Mr, J3onan(.[uet, the chairman of the Board, enclosing a private note, leaving it with tliiU gentleman to lay it before the Directors or not, and in his discretion, Mr. Bosanuuet withheld it, and wrote a kind letter to Mr. (jalt, begging him to continue in his posi- tion, which, as his family were soon expected from England, he was not sorry to do ; and so, for th.e present, peace was restored. Up to this time no regular religious service had been held in the new town, and the only place of worship within mar.y miles was at (ialt, and that was only a small, barn-like structure, used as a general religious meeting house for all denominations. Alter the visit of Bishop Macdon- nell, arrangements were made for a periodical \ isit by a priest, but no provision could then be made for holding Protestant services. .'Vt that cime the Roman Catholic see of Kingston included the whole of L'ppcr (."anada, and the pastoral districts were very large and widely scattered, the most westerly being that of Niagara, which included the whole of the country west as far as Lake Huron. This was tlie missionary district, over which three missionary priests of the Jesuit ' rder had the pastoral oversight, and tours were made by them to every portion of it at slated times. One of these priests. Father Campion, a most devoted man, a personal friend of the famous l'"ather De Smet, who, in his pioneer mis- sionary labors among the Indians, walked literally from the Atlantic to the Pacific, was assigned to the duly of visiting and caring for the Cath- olic jieople of Ciuelpli. His district extended as u^r westas Chatham and Windsor, and it usually occupied him about three months to make all his pastoral \ isits, which he did alone, braving all dangers, which at that time were neither few nor f^, nail, not the least of them arising from the wolves and bears with which the forests then abounded. Travelling In- day, and sleeping in trees or caves bv night, this devoted man ])ursued his labors, his reward being always fatigue and not unfrequently hunger, which were borne with the cheerfulness and resignation ofainartyr to the high and noble duty to which he was called. In most of the places he visited, as at (iuelph, there was no chapel, and service was held in some humble dwelling, whose narrow walls and low, rough roof, were for 22 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF (^UELPH. the time made sacred by tlic prayers and sighs of the sorrowful and devout -as sacred as any cathedral consecrated by episcopal forms and pompous ceremonies: or else, when the weather would permit, in those temples, not made with hands, whose roof was the azure of the limitless sky; whose floor was nature's grantl mosaic of the emerald verdure, almost hidden by the crimson, the gold, the purple and the thousand other hues of the llowers and leaves; whose aisles and naves were formed of the o\ erarching boughs of the mighty forests, and whose altar candles were the watching stars of God. His first visit to Cnielph was in August, and during his stay religious services were held by him, sometimes in the leafy groves adjoining the clearing, and sometimes in some lowly shanty, but generally, and for nearly four years afterwards, the services were held in the house of Mr. John O. Lynch. Just as he was al)out to leave his little flock the first time — it is said after he had moimted his horse, — he was called back to i)erform a pleasant duty, the celebration of the first marriage in the new settlement. Christopher Keogli, an eni- ploye of the Canada Company, and a fiiir maid named Kitty Kelly, had been plighted lovers in Dundas, and arrangements had been made for their union at some future time, when they coufd be married by a priest, bit neither of them thought the auspicious time would arrive so soon ; so that when the priest arrived the young man was all anxiet\- to have the knot tied at once, but the lady, with maiden coyness, demurred, and it was not until the priest was just about leaving that her friends prevailed upon her to give her consen^ and the expectant bridegroom was just in rime to stay the departure of the priest to effect the union of two loving hearts, i'fiat was another gala day, all the settlers, from Mr. (lalt dcwn to the resident of the humblest shanty, turning out to do honor to the occasion, and that day, the 26th of August, 1827, was remembered for many years as one of the pleasantest spent in the early days of Guelph. Christopher Keogh has been dead some years, but Mrs. Keogh, (aielph's first blushing bride, still lives near the town where fifty years of her life ha\e been spent, surrounded by her sur\iving children and grandchildren. In September Mr. Samuel Wright arrived here and opened a bakery on the Dundas Road, near the river. The bakery was in the open air, built of limestone, and not being accustomed to sucii o\ens, and, indeed, iK'ing a miller by trade, not having a very large experience in baking at . 11, he one day heated the oven so hot thi'.t he transformed it into a mini- ature lime-kiln, and it crumbled into di-.st before his eyes. This was a lesson which he did not forget, and in future the heat of his fires \ .is not so intense. He carried on his business here with success and piotlt for about two years, when he bought out William (iibbs, the ^'ankee baker, and lor many years retained the principal |)art of the patronage of the town. The next bakery ojiened was th.it built by R. I'arkrr, on the present site of Armstrong's carriage factory on Woolwich street. This was a small stone building, detached from the house, and was used as a bakery for many years. In these early times there was not much need of magisterial super- vision, but, as much probably as a matter of compliment as anything else, in the fall of 1827 D/. Dunlop, Messrs. Pryor, Hrcwster, Hodgert and Col, Lamprey icceived ^he Commisr,ion of the I'eace, to which Mr. Strange was afterwards added. Previous to this, disputes were adjusted and petty crimes punished by the magistrates elsewhere, 'Squires Lep- pard and Smith being the magistrates in Woolwich, and 'S(|uire Ellis, of THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELFH^ n •owful and forms and t, in those : limitless verdure, thousand ;re formed ir candles in August, letinies in imc lowly e services about to nnted bis bration of an cm- kcDy, had made for ■ a priest, soon ; so have the !d, and it )revailed as just in 1 of two Mr. C.ah honor to iembere(! days of n\t '.Mrs. .'n where 5ur\ivini; a baker\- jpen air, , indeed, living at > a mini- is was a ' .IS not •lotlt for e baker, e of the , on the t. This icd as a .1 super- nything- lodgert ich Mr. idjusted es Lep- Kllis, of Fisher's Mills, and 'Squire Scollick, of Preston, in Waterloo. From what is stated by those settlers who were here at tkc time, these magis- trates' courts were conducted more on the principles ofeqi'ty than on the basis of law, the legal knowledge of their worships on the bench being of the most crude and limited nature, and their decisions being given as the result of their innate feelings of justice and their hard common-sense views of right and wrong ; and who shall say that there was not as much even-handed justice meted out then as now, when, through the multipli- city of apparently conflicting statutes, law and justice do not always seem to go hand in hand? When the Guelph magistrates were appointed, however, a quantity of law books were procured, and being men of con- siderable education and ability, they at once assumed a high place in the estimation of the other justices of the peace, who were accustomed to refer unusually knotty points to them for decision. For several miles out of Guelph there was at this time no road, excepting a beaten path through the dense primeval forest which lay between the new town and Gait, and Mr. Gait determined upon opening dp a road in that direction, and the work was undertaken by Mr. Absa- lom Shade, of Gait, a gentleman who afterwards took a prominent part in the public affairs of that town. The road consisted of a cutting up- wards of one hundred and thirty feet wide, and was about seven miles long, the whole of the chopping and logging being completed in the sum- mer of 1829. On each side of this magnificei.. glade the tre«s rose to the height of about 150 feet, along the centre of which the high road ran, forming an approach which, for beauty and grandeur, was probably never equalled, and fully justified the expression of admiration used by Mr. Gait, who called it "the glor)' of Guelph." Indeed it might have consti- tuted the glory of any city, and in an older country and under other circumstances would have been preserved as a boulevard, than which no finer could be conceived. In speaking of this splendid avenue, in a letter to one of his friends, Mr. Gait says: "The imagination forbears when it would attempt to depict the magnificent effect of the golden sun shining through the colossal vista of smoke and flames; — the woodmen dimly seen moving in * the palpable obscure,' with their axes glancing along, in the distance. A Yankee post-boy, who once drove me to Guelph, on emerging from the dark and savage wood, looked behind v.i astonishment as we entered the opening, and, clapping his hands with delight, exclaimeii, 'What an Almighty place!'" In again referring to this work, he says : " By doing speedily and collectively, works which, in detail, would not have been remarkable, these superb effects were obtained. They brought ' to home ' the wandering emigrants, gave them employment, and by the wonder at their greatness, magnified the import- ance of the improvements. This gigantic vision did not cost much more than the publication of a novel." This magnificent approach to the embryonic town, from the first called the Waterloo Road, was, however, fated to be soon marred, the clearings of the settlers very soon making gaps, which, however desirable as adding prosperity to the town and township, robbed this grand avenue of its beauty and glory forever. In the fall of 1827, Mr. Gait received a visit from the Provincial Inspector-General, and his old friend Bishop Macdonnell, whom he had not seen since he had held those important conferences with him in England, which contributed so much to the formation of the Canada Company. It was at this time that the site for the Catholic church was chosen, and j^^ a compliment to the Bishop, Mr. Gait at once set men to 24 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF 6UELPH. work to clear Macdonnell street as far as the summit of the hill, where it was at once decided the church of the future should be built. Here the clearing ceased, except that on the crest of the hill a large elm tree was left standing, forming a very prominent feature in the beautiful landscape which the place then presented. This tree was about nine feet in circum- ference at the height of a man's head, and was allowed to remain, partly on sccount of its beauty, but more, perhaps, on account of the labor necessary to fell it. Not that it was in any way remarkable for size, for there were in the neighborhood some buttcrwood and cherry trees, which, according to actual measurements taken by Major Strickland, were, some seven, and some eight and nine feet in circumference. Mr. Gait speaks of an oak, on the Waterloo Road, which, at the first glance, reminded liim of the London Monument, an effect of the amazement which the greatness of the dimensions produced. He measured the girth, at the height of a man's head, and fv.and it to be thirty-three feet, above which the trunk rose without a branch to the height of at least eighty feet, crowned with vast branches. " This was an oak," he says, " probably the greatest known, and it lifted its head far above the rest of the forest. The trees around, myrmidons of inferior growth, were large, massy and vigorous, but possessed none of the patriarchal antiquity with which that magnificent ' monarch of the woods ' was invested. I think, therefore, that I was not wrong in imagining it the scion of a forest that had passed away. Had 1 been convinced it was perfectly sound, 1 would have taken measures for cutting it down and sending home planks of it to Windsor Castle. The fate that awaited it would have justified the profanation. The doubt of its soundness, however, and the difficulty of finding tools large enough to do it justice, procrastinated the period of its doom." It was a tew years afterwards cut down for fence rails by the owner ot the place, who remarked to Major Strickland on one occasion, when called a Goth for wishing to cut it down: " I don't know what you mean by a Goth; but I do know, that if I could get a cross-cut saw long enough to cut that tree, 1 would not let it stand there long; for you see it is mighty straight in the grain, and would split like a ribbon." In the fnll of 1827 Mr. U. Gilkison, who was doing a very fair busi- ness at his store, and who was one of the fortunate ones who came here with a little capital, applied to Mr. Gait to be allowed to build a 'saw-mill on the site where Allan's mill now stands, but this had from the first been reserved for a grist mill to be built for the Company. The next ehgible place was on a spot within a fev/ feet of the present mills owned by Mr. Gcldie, and this was at once purchased by Mr. Gilkison at a moderate figure. Some difficulty, however, was experienced in construct- ing a dam, chiefly from the want of proper machinery and tools, but after repeated trials all obstacles were overcome, and a dam, though not such a one as under more favorable circumstances it would have been, yet sufficiently strong to answer the purpose, was built, and work \vas at once commenced. The want of sawn lumber had been a serious draw- back in the building operations up to that time, and now the demand was greater than could be met, though the mill was run every hour it was possible to work. From this time several frame houses were put up, and the internal arrangements and fittings of the log houses were greatly improved, the doors and partitions hitherto having been constructed of such rough boards as could be hewed out with axes. One of the first houses built after this, was raised by Mr. Leaden, on the corner of Water- loo and Huskisson streets, Mr. Leaden, or Captain Leaden, as he was THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. S6 ill, where it Here the m tree was I landscape :in circum- lain, partly fthe labor or size, for ees, which, were, some alt speaks , reminded which the rth, at the K3ve which eighty feet, obably the the forest, massy and kvhich that therefore, ad passed lave taken ) Windsor ofanation. ling tools Dom." Jt er ot the en called lean by a nough to lis miglity air busi- ime here saw-mill the first The next owned son at a jnstruct- ols, but >iigh not ve been, was at IS draw- tlemand. r it was up, and greatly cted of he first Water- he was usually called, had served many years in the i rmy. in which he held a lieutenant'^ commission, and had recently retired with a pension ; and having a little property, but not sufficient to enable him to maintain his position in the society in which he had been accustomed to move, wisely resolved on coming to the new settlement. The building he raised was of squared logs, and was used partly as a dwelling house and partly as a store, in which he did a very good business until his death. The interior of the house and store was comfortably fitted, far more so, in fact, than it is now — for the house still remains — and was a favorite place for the more intelligent and better class of settlers to meet to spend the winter evenings in discussing topics of interest, and such news as was occasion- ally brought in. Winter being now close at hand, all operations were suspended, ex- cept chopping, to prepare for u hich a considerable space had been under- brushed in the fall. Most of the men, nearly all, indeed, who were not engaged in chopping for themselves, were employed by Mr. Shade in completing the Waterloo Road, and in opening the first portion of the Dundas P.oad, in continuation of Gordon street, by which means all were kept busy the entire winter. Mr. Gait, having nothing of special importance to detain him at Cuclph, and expecting his family from Eng- land early in the spring, departed for New York, where he was received with every mark of consideration, ar.d where he spent his time princi- pally in making himself thoroughly acquainted with the det.^ils of the machinery of the colonization schemes and land offices, which he consid- ered would be of essential benefit to him in conducting the affairs of the Company in Canada. He also made trips into New Jersey and Penn- sylvania, for the purpose of seeing the practical working of the new colo- nies which had been settled in those parts, principally by the English and Germans. Shortly after this his family arrived, together with despatches from Mr. Bosanquet, informing him that his resignation hav- ing been withheld, his duties would continue as before. He therefore at once removed to the house at Burlington Bay, where they resided till the summer, when they came to Guelph, so that he could give more time and personal supervision to the operations being rapidly pushed forward there. Among the free grants announced to be made at the commencement of the settlement, of some of which notice will be taken hereafter, the Company promised fifty acres of land, to be vested in trustees, for the benefit of the first child born in Guelph, if a male, and if a female, a house and lot, to be vested in a similar manner. It is scarcely necessary to dwell on the excitement and anxiety in matronly circles for several months, not for the sake of obtaining the fifty acres of land, for that was not a very valuable consideration, when land was offered in Quarter Sessions at one shilling and three pence per acre, but for the honorable distinction which it was supposed would attach, in after years, to the man who could proudly place his hand on his breast, and say, with head erect, " Behold in me the first child born in this great city !" Three or four ladi-^s were secretly cherishing the hope that the honor of being the happy mother of this future great man would fall to them ; and who shall say what expectations and bright prospects were formed in their fond visions of the future, when, perhaps, the town having grown with his growth, th« child then expected would take his place in the foremost ranks of the men of his day, and perchance preside over the interests of his fellbtN'-citTr'cps as the occupant of the ctvjc chair, or even be honored 26 THE ANNALS OP THE TOWN OF GUELPH. Still more by being selected to represent them in the legislative halls of his country. But how often the fondest hopes are shattered and the brightest dreams dispelled by unforeseen events; and how frequently the happiness we aspire to is rudely snatched from us, when almost within our grasp, by the hand of a stranger. Even so was it in this case. At the end of January a newly-married couple, named Thomas and Marga- ret Brown, immigrants from England, arrived in town, and the coming . struck consternation to the hearts of the ladies so anxious for the arrival of the expected little stranger, in whom the hope of Guelph was to be centred. Nor were the fears thus excited, as the event proved, without reason, for the newly arrived lady had not been here many days, when an interesting event was announced, and had there been a newspaper published in the town at the time, in that column so anxiously perused by ladies, a notice of the birth of Letitia, heiress to the estate of the noble house of Brown, would doubtless have been chronicled. About four days after this, Mrs. Lynch, wife of Mr. John O. Lynch, presented her liege lord with a son — not the first, and consequently not the heir apparent to the Lynch property — but, had it not been for the interloping Miss Brown, the rightful claimant of the honor of being Guelph's first-born child, ot which fifty acres of land was to have been but a slight and ten porary recognition. And this was not the worst; for the parents of the young supplanter showed such a thorough lack of appreciation of the exalted position to which their heiress had been born, that in a few months they abandoned the property so generously deeded to her (valued at about thirty shillings), that they, one night, " folded their tent like the Arab, and as silently stole away," leaving the birthright acquired by the young lady to take care of itself, thus treating with contempt the honor which others would have so highly prized. And such is life ! The property remained unoccupied for some time, when James Carr settled on it, and subsequently, by virtue of having paid the taxes on it for a certain time, it was claimed and awarded to Mr. Robert Thompson, who owned it for some years. Had an application been made to the Canada Company for fifty acres of land for Thomas H. Lynch, the first-born male child, there is every reason to believe it would have been granted, but no such application was ever made by his parents, and consequently nothing further was done in the matter. In March Mr. Gait received news that one of the agents in Scotland had made some mistake in the arrangements for forwarding a party of emigrants, which necessitated his going to Montreal, when he heard that trouble was again brewing, reports inimical to himself and throwing dis- credit on the management of the affairs of the Company having had a damaging effect on the stock, which was rapidly falling in the market, the general opinion, in consequence, being that the Companv could not go on. Knowing, from past experience, how insidious were tne workings of the parties who were interested in bringing about this result, and how easily a slight rumor at that time affected the standing and value of stock on the London exchange,, in consequence of the m«ny bubble companies which had burst, and brought ruin and disaster into thousands of happy homes and prosperous communities, it is no wonder that the shock was to him, as he says himself, electrical. So far as his own operations were concerned, nothing to him could be more promising and prosperous, and he was not long in coming to the conclusion, from what he heard from other quarters, that the cry of impending (ailure had been raised, not for thfe purpose of kcltiatfy eausinfe tnb breaking up of the Com'pany, but for THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 27 the purpose of affording an opportunity to English speculators, some of whom had already acquired a large interest in and control over the Board, to effect his recall, and the transfer of the management of the Company to the hands of themselves or creatures whom they would appoint. Nor was he altogether wrong in his surmises, for on his return from Montreal, he found that a Mr. Smith, the accountant of the Company had arrived, with instructions to take the oversight of the books and accounts, and also take charge of the financial affairs of the Company here, thus vir- tually placmg Mr. Gait in the position of a subordinate, in fact a mere overseer. On this subject Mr. Gait says :— " His emoluments seemed to give a perplexing corroboration to the report I had heard in the lower province. They were, in n^y opinion, greatly beyond an adequate pay- ment for the duties to be performed, and, as the directors complained of my apparent expenditure, I could not but conclude that it was resolved to break up the Company ; and that the excessive* emoluments of the accountant were bait to lure hi»"i out of the way, and enable him to meet the exigencies to which he might be exposed when the machination should take effect. I call it machination, because I think it was a trans- action of that nature ; but I confess it did not seem to me to be very heinous to buy the stock cheaper, if no sinister means were employed to lower the price ; especially as the effects of the Company in promoting the prosperity of the province, were, in my opinion, of primary import- ance. Provided they were to be continued, I did not care who were the stockholders ; but I could not think, without wincing at the idea, of being father to a wild and ruinous scheme, for such I saw would be the conclu- sion, if the subscribers were induced to refuse to pay up their shares. They were by this time at a discount, but are now (he wrote this in 1833) the highest priced vendible stock in the market ; only seventeen pounds are paid, and the price with the premium is fifty-five per cent, and there has been no change in the system established by me." Distasteful as were the proceedings of the Directors towards him, and more especially with regard to the sending of the accountant, who tacitly at all times, and more positively on certain occasions, appeared to assume a superiority in position over him, Mr. Gait determined to carry on his work with as much vigor as if nothing had occui ed, and not to allow anything to interfere with the progress and prosperity of the town. Previous to leaving for Montreal, he had given orders for the quarrying of a lot of stone, and on his return he at once commenced to build a school house. This was a stone building, about 50 x 40 feet, and stood on Waterloo Street, a few yards east of the present Grand Trunk Rail- way passenger station. At the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone of this building, and also of the bank, which was performed on the same day, though the building was not at once proceeded with, eloquent speeches were made by Mr. Gait and Mr. Pryor, and a very humorous one by Dr. Dunlop, after which various amusements were indulged in, the most notable being the firing of cannons, made from beech and maple logs, about four feet in length and one in diameter, with a two inch bore, and bound with strong iron bands. These primitive cannon usually burst at the second or third discharge, not without some danger to the bystanders. A few fights brought the public proceedings to a close, when the elite adjourned to the Priory, where a dinner on a somewhat frand scale had been prepared. Mr. Gait presided, the vice chair being lied b)' Dr. Duiilop, and about eighty guests being present What fol- 28 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. lowed the removal of the cloth it is not necessary particularly to des- cribe, but "The nicht giew on m' sangs an' clatter, "An' aye the ale was growing better," As the "wee sma' hours" approached some f the guests grew a little pugnacious, and Thomas Brown, the father of Miss Letitia, acting as con- stable ^ro tetn, was called on to quell the disturbance, and in his attempts to restore peace had his hand badly cut by a carving knife in the hands of one of the rioters. He was consequently disabled from working for some time, and was therefore appointed to the honorable position of "grog boss" among the Company's workmen, the duties of which he filled to the entire satisfaction of the men. A portion of the walls of the school-house still remains, the other parts having been pulled down or fallen away when the gravel pits were dug close by. The school was taught by a Mr. John Matthews, who appears to have been a man of far different character and qualifications from Mr. Davis, to whom reference has already been made, his experience having been acquired in England, and his general temperament being such as to fit him for a teacher. When the school was opened there were about forty children in attendance, a number which steadily increase 1, until, in 1832, the number was upwards of seventy in moderately regular attendance. During the summer of this year Mr. Pryor was sent, with a number of men, to ' irvey certain portions of the Huron tract, and to clear and lay off a plot for the contemplated town of Goderich. To supply the place of Mr. Pryor, in the superintendence of the out-door work being carried on in Guelph, Mr. Gait had, in the Spring, engaged Mr. Strick- land, who had had several years' experience in bush life, and had acquired a practical knowledge of house and bridge building, as well as the usual knowledge of woodcraft generally, which made him a valuable acquisition to the Company's staff. One of the errors which Mr. Gait had com- mitted, was in the selection of inexperienced persons to fill positions in the Company's service ; men who not only lacked the knowledge requisite in leaders of'^a pioneer enterprise, but who do not seem, with one or two exceptions, to have possessed the physical strength and endurance so indispensable for such arduous and wearying duties. In Mr. Strickland, however, he had found a man in every way fitted for the life of a leader of woodsmen, and for directing any operations which it might be found necessary to undertake, from the felling of a tree to the building of a house or bridge. Having spent several years in farming, both under his uncle, in Durham, and on his own account, near Darlington, his agricul- tural experience was also valuable to the immigrants, who were neces- sarily ignorant of the differences between farming in England and in this country. Being also a man of liberal education and refined man- ners, he was a welcome addition to the social circle in the town, and soon became a prime favorite. On his arrival he found the town con- sisted of some thirty log houses, and about .-^s many shanties, a large frame tavern building, not yet opened, a store, (Mr. Gilkison's), and the walls of two stone buildings, one of which was the school house, and the other was intended for the Company's offices. On driving into the town^ he went at once to the tavern kept by Philip Jones, or rather, as he says, by Mrs. Jones, who appears, from all accounts, to have been the " boss of the shanty," and to have governed Mr. Jones tolerably well, though to strangers she was as pleasant and accommodating as could possibly be. On this occasfon the house was futi, some emfgra'nts having arrived THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF CUELPH. 29 and le town, e says, " boss though ossibly arrived that day, and so, with characteristic nonchalance, Mr. Strickland betook himself to a hay-loft, where he slept soundly till morning, after which he established himself in Mr. Gait's coach house. For the remainder of the summer he was employed in superintending the erection of several houses, and in building two bridges, one over the Speed, and the other over the Eramosa branch. That over the Speed, where Allan's bridge now is, appears from a painting executed in the fall of 1828, to have been a very substantial and not inelegant structure, built on piles, the super- structure being partly of squared timbers. This was a great convenience to the settlers, ns a good number of farms had been cleared on the other side of the river, and the farmers had hitherto been compelled to cross on a rude ferry, consisting of a raft of logs lashed together; and as the stream, especially in the Spring, was very swift, this was frequently attended with considerable labor and frequently also with some danger. Among the other works carried on this year, a number of other streets were laid out and cleared, including Wyndham street, as far as the junction with Woolwich street. A plot on the left of Wyndham street, behind the American hotel, was from the first designated by Mr. Gait as a burial ground, and on the opposite side, where the Alma block now stands, was a triangular piece of land, purchased by Mr. Pryor, and for many years afterwards known as Pryor s field. It was bounded by Wyndham and Woolwich streets and a line running from about where the Court House is to about half way down Quebec street. Douglas street was not in the original survey, it not being at that time intended to run a street through there, and it was not until the site of the Court House was fixed upon that it was decided to open a street to afford a nearer approach to it than by way of Wyndham and Woolwich streets. A huuse was commenced for Dr. Dunlop, on the present site of St, George's church, and in the following year it was finished. A house of much larger proportions and with more pretensions to elegance than, per- haps, any house within a radius of fifty miles, was then commenced on Quebec street for Mr. Pryor. It was of squared logs, and the inter- nal arrangements were most commodious, while the finish was posi- tively elaborate, and evinced very great taste on the part of Mr. Pryor and Mr. Strickland, who together drew the plans, and under whose personal supervision much of the work was executed, until both men were called away to other posts of duly, which was long before it was finished, so that Mr. Pryor never lived in it, and the work was not finally com- pleted till about four years afterwards. The whole of the work was executed by John and Robert Levy. After Mr. Pryor's departure the house fell into the hands of the Canada Company, from whom it was purchased by Dr. Allen, who added the finishing touches to it, but not in any way altering the original design. It was, some years afterwards, purchased by Dr. G. S. Herod, who still occupies it. Reference has already been made to a stone building to be called the bank. According to Mr. Gait's plans, the office at York was to be closed, and all the books and papers removed to Guelph, where all the business of the Company was to be transacted. To make this practicable, a strong and commodious building would be needed, with fire-proof vaults for the safe keeping of records, books and deeds, and for this purpose the bank was built. It was furnished with very strong and solidly-built vaults, with iron doors, and altogether it might have served for a bank of much greater pretensions and doing a far larger amount of business than it was probable would he transacted by the Company for many years, 30 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. It was situated on the site of the station-master's office at the Grand Trunk passenger station, and had the plans of Mr. Gait been carried out, though it was undoubtedly to some extent a needless expense at the time, would have proved of advantage to the town, by bringing miny people here who would not otherwise come, and by rendering it necessary for all the officials and clerks to live here, and of course spend a certain portion of their salaries in the place, instead of in a distant town. Before the place was quite finished, however, circumstances occcurred which, as will be seen hereafter, entirely changed the plan of of>erations, and the head office was fixed in Toronto, and the building was never used except for storing a few articles and occasionally as an emigrant depot. When Hon. Adam Ferguson visited the town in 1831, this building was pointed out to him by Mr. J. D. Oliver, who grimly remarked, "There stands the bank that never stopped —since it never commenced." The produce, especialiy barley, from the tarms in the surrounding country, now beginning to be brought in plentifully, and the cost of transporting it to a suitable market being very heavy, leaving absolutely no profit for the farmers, Mr. Andrew McVean determined to build a distillery, so that much of the barley could be used on the spot, and the cost of bringing liquor — of which, it must be said, no small quantity was then used — might be saved. He accordingly commenced the erection of the distillery in August, 1828, on the site of the present oatmeal mill on Mr. Shtrifif Gow's property, and for about three years did a very profitable business, large quantities of his liquors being shipped to Gait, Dundas and other places, more especially west and north of Guelph, where there was no distillery. In ii->32 he retired from the business, which, with the mill, was purchased by Mr. G. J. Grange, who, with two partners, under the firm name of ( irange, Courtney & Bartley, made some additions to the buildings and greatly increased the business operations. The increasing business of the town, and the constant arrival of immigrants, who, until they could have time to select land, required accommodation in the town, now rendered it necessary to provide more hotel room, and by the advice of Mr. Gait, Mr. Robert Elders built a very commodious tavern, on the lot now occupied by Jackson's organ factory. This was soon afterwards purchased by Mr. John Linderman, of Eramosa, who considerably enlarged it, and conducted it for many years. A few months after Elders had opened his tavern, this being found insufficient for the growing wants of the town, Mr. Thomas Keat- ing, together with his brother Patrick, built another, adjoining, on the present site of the Royal Hotel, so well known in after years as the liriiish Coffee House, where meetings of all descriptions were held, and where many a political battle has been fought out. Adjoining this hotel, Mr. Keating opened a general store, which was also the post-office, Mr. Keating being the first regularly-appointed postmaster. Previous to this the tavern kept by W. Reid, adjoining the Priory, had been used, semi- otlicially, as a post office, but now the mails were regularly received and made up here, until, Mr. Kcating's business increasing, and fre- quently calling him away from home, he resigned the position, which was assumed by Thomas Husband and afterwards by — Hume, who held it until his death, when the late Mr. R. Corbet received the appointment. In the summer of 1828 Sir John Colbcrne had arrived to succeed Sir Peregrine Maitland as Lieutenant-Governor, and Mr. Gait hoped that, now that an unprejudiced and impartial man had assumed the direction of public affairs, his course would be fi'ee from many of the THE ANNALS OF IHE TOWN OF GUELPH. 31 the Grand en carried snse at the ?ing many t necessary i a certain .vn. Before i which, as IS, and the sed except ot. When as pointed stands the -irrounding he cost of absoUitely to build a )t, and the antity was erection of :a! mill on ^ profitable It, Dundas here there 1, with the , under the ons to the arrival of required vide more rs built a )n's organ nderman, for many lis being IS Keat- on the le liriiish nd where otel, Mr. ifice, Mr. s to this d, semi- received and fre- hich was o held it intment. succeed It hoped ned the ly of the annoyances and troubles which had been so harrassing for some time past. I'his feeling was much strengthened by the receipt of a kind and pressing invitation from Sir P. Maiiland to go to York on a visit to His Excellency, a favor of which Mr. Oalt lost no time in availing himself. But even from this circumstance, which he thought was to add so much to his comfort and prosperity, one ot the most serious embarrassments he had yet experienced was to arise. After Mr. (ialt had been introduced lo .*Sir John, he offered to introduce Mr. .Smitli, the accountant, who, in;;tead of receiving the proposal in the spirit in which it was intended, scornfully rejected the offer, and even went so far as to use grossly insulting words towards Mr. Gait, the consecjucnce being that a violent altercation ensued, during which ihe accountant threatened to report Mr. (ialt's action to the Company, and made use of some expressions which left no doubt that his mission to Canada had been partly that of surveil- lance. Mr. Gait, therefore, determined to at once resign his position, and accordingly wrote to the Company informing them that it was his intention to leave for England, by the first ship, to demand a full investi- gation of all his affairs before the Board. The accountant, however, forestalled him in this matter, for on the return of the messenger who had conve>'xl his letter to the post-oflicc, he learned that that gentleman had that morning crossed Lake Ontario, and was then on his way to New York to take ship for England. It was, consequently, necessary for Mr. Gait to remain for a time to watch over the interests of the Company, which he would never leave in the hanils of unauthorized persons, and, if necessary, to wind up the business. But he still persisted in his inten- tion of going home, and at once commenced preparations for that pur- pose, more especially as rumors of the impending breaking up of the Company had revived since the departure of the accountant. Soon after this, further apparent confirmation of these damaging rumors was given, by the Directors, without notifying Mr. Gait, ordering the bank at York not to honor any more of his drafts. Notwithstanding this harsh and unaccountable treatment on the part of the Directors, Mr. Cralt stood manfully to his post, and determined, if possible, to save the Directors, in spite of themselves, from the effects of the suicidal policy they were pursuing. He accordingly sent Dr. Dunlop to Montreal, to endeavor to procure money from the agents of the Company, or irom some of the correspondents of the leading shareholders, a payment of /8,ooo, being soon due to the Colonial Government. No success whatever attended this mission, and matters were in a desperate condition, as, if the pay- ments to the (Government were not made when due, the public credit of the Company, against which not a word could be said hitherto, would be irretrievably injuied, and the consunnnation so much desired by those v.'ho had circulated the injurious reports, the breaking up of the Com- pany, would in all probabihty bo accomplished. To avert this, as well in tire interest of the Company as in tnat of tiie town which he had called into being, and which was now so prosperous, he took a step which under other circumstances he would not have presumed upon. He had in the bank ^ 1 0,000 worth of government debentures, which seemed to have been forgotten by everybody but himself. He accordingly waited on the receiver-general, whom he had himself obliged on more than one occa- sion, and after stating the circumstances, offered, if he would endorse his bills on the Company for the payment to government, to hand over tlie debentures as security. The proposition was a startling one, and requiretl time for consideration; but, the matter being submitted to Sir John 33 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN itV i/\VKLVU. Colborne, liis .isserit was secured, and the transaction effected in a very few clays, thus tidinj,' over what was, perhaps, the most momentous crisis in the history of the Company, and a blow was averted, which must undoubtedly have been felt for many years by the entire country. " The bill was accordingly drawn," says Mr. (lalt, " the honor of the Company saved, and the public oflicers sheltered from the inconvcnicncci> that might have attended the sudden suspension of their salaries the means of li(|uidati«.:^f which were provided for in the pay- ment." In this way the affiiirs of the Clompany continued to be concfuct- cd in a satisfactory manner, only a few persons in this country being aware how near had been a disaster which must have entailed the most calamitous results, and brought ruin on a large number of families. At this time the only medical man nearer than ('.alt was Dr. Dunlop, and as he was frequently away for weeks at a time, the duty of attending tu the ills and ailments of the settlers fell on Mr. Strickland, who, though l)ossessing some smatterings of medical knowledge, could not be expected to exhibit the skill of a regularly qiialihed practitioner, which, liowever, it must be admitted, was, on their part, frequently of the most element- ary character, and their treatment sometimes of the most incomprehen- sible nature. On one (xcasion, in the summer of 1828, a party of immigrants had arrived from Scotland, and J)r. Dunlop, being called away suddenly on business, weiit to .Mr. Strickland's house, and left a message, rc<;|uesting him to take the calomel and jalap, and go down to his house and treat those Paisley bodies with a dose apiece. " What 1 all of them, sir ?" said tlic servant. *' 'S'es, to be sure," replied the Doc- tor; "they have but just arrived, and ha\c got as fat as pigs on the voy- age. Some of their bacon must be taken otY, or with this heat we shall have them all sirk on our hand-;. And tell him not to spare the jalap." Mr. S.iickland liteialh' obeycl the oi'dcr '"by administering forty-two closes of various strengths to the men, women and children, designated by the Doctor as * the Paisley bodies." ' Whether as a result, or in spite of, this somev.hat rude application of medical science, is matter for con- jecture, but the fact is on record that there did net occur one cise of sickness among these people during the remainder of the summer. " Shortly after this,"' says Strickland, "■ a medical man, a M'-. Welsh, applied for a town lot and commenced practice. This gentleman was certainly a great oddity, lie ne\er had but two jxitierits that I ever he;ird of, and they both died. The settlers used to call him the ' mad doctor,' and \ believe not without reason. Me built a log house without any door, his mode of entrance being through a square hole he had cut out of the end of the house about six feet from the gruuncl. I walked over to his place one clay to speak to him on some busine-s. and found him very busy in his garden, driving into the ground a great (|uantity of short sticks. I askecl him ' what all those sticks were for.' ' Why, you see, sir, I have planted part of my garden with Indian corn, ancl 1 am puttint; sticks down to mark the places where I have planted theni.' .\ day or two afterwards I met him wearing his coat turned inside out, the rough seams and red edging of which had a curious effect. I incjuired ' what mighi be his reason for going about in such a costume (' ' Well, you see. I call this my morning attire ; in the evening I have nothing to do but turn my coat, and, lo I I am dressed ; a very capital arrangement, and quite good enough for the Bush. Do you not think so r' ' As far as regards economy,' I replied. ' it may do well enough, and as you do not appear to care about being Irughed at, your i)lan will answer: and who THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 33 knows but that you iii;i) have the pleasure of introducing ;i new fashion inlt) the colonics ?'" Another of the odd characters who had settled here at that time, was a portrait and n.iinialure painter, who had travelled a ^ood deal in Kussia, and could speak the Ian}:juage of that country Ihiently. He purchased a lot of land on the Waterloo Road about a mile out. On the land c hoscn by him to build upon, he discovered a j;ood limestone bed, and he accordingly determined to build a stone house, though, unfortunately for his plan, he had not a shilling to commence uith, and it was not likely that he would establish a very lucrative business in jtortrait and minia- aiure painting fcr some years, at least. Hut to work he went, excavating stone, his only assistant being a young and delicate lady, whom he had married in the United States. The tine arts do not appear to ha\e had a very softening or cle\ ating innucn been coii- iiiy and tlie tnotcd their ; effectually most ample was added ch deserves 1, 1S29, f,dand, rehi- . expects to ted him to ind inform- prosperous rie trustees. ; nj^^ency, I atidence of I ."ofits. lo time, from ivild lands, rally com- • lordship's ROUP. proof did ions, there had been and of lid basis, ould also 'rait been expenses IS powei, 1 family, leviating >re or less 10 could npany at le might uture, b\ ts whicii 2 liberal e been ? who, but •d battle L' happy THK ANNALS OF IHK TOWN OF GUELPH. 37 and comparatively well off, he would have been a strange man if he could have looked back upon his course with anything but complacency and inward satisfaction, even though ho might be called upon, in the future, to suffer for it to some extent himself Before leaving Canada, which he felt within hiiuself would be the termination of his counection with the Company's concerns, though he did not then allow anybody else to think so, he determined to pay one more visit to the sister settlement at (]oderich. During his management of the affairs of the settlement he hail commenced and nearly completed the cutting of a road to the shores of Lake Huron, upwards of seventy utiles in length. '■ He took his departure in a sleigh, and travelling alone in the endless woods, the chill of whose uniformity was only taken off by ;ni occasional log house for refreshment, he freely indulged himself in chewing the cud of bitter thoughts. ' I felt myself unworthily treated,' he says ; ' for everything I touched was prosperous ; and my endeavors to foster the o!:)jects of my care were all flourishing, and, without the blight of one single blossom, gave cheering promises of ample fruit.' '• Profit to the Conijjany, which I saw would soon come of course, was less my objeci th.tn to build in the wilderness an asylum for the ex- iles of society — a refuge for the ileers from the calamities of the old world and its systems foredoomed. '' In the course of this journey, that was rendered more desolate by a heavy fall of snow, wliich often wreathed itself into impassable heights in the forest glade of itie new road, and rendered it necesfuiry for the sleigh to deviate into the woods. Mr. (lalt was once nearly lost in the wilderness. It was almost midnight, and he was sixty miles within the depths of the primeval forest ; while the moonlight only served to show the flakes of the falling sno'v. ' iVll around was silence," he says, ' and the winds slept even in the branches. I halted, where, by a strange glare reflected from the ground, 1 seemed in a spacious court of a college, solemn with overshadowing trees'." "'Having reached Goderich the township allotted for which was almost cleared of the trees, and several log houses built— Mr (ialt took up his lodgings in the same log house where he hail formerly stayed with Dr. Dunlop, when formerly there, in course of his exploratory expedition to Lake Huron, The lake itself was now covered with ice, and the land- scape with snow, as far as the eye coulo reach ; but the cheering changes in the aspect of the kjcality itself, soothed and delighted him. A strong and growing attachment to the I'r j\incc had taken root in his heart ; ancl it is c]uite e\ident, that the necessity for his leaving it caused him many bitter regrets. The day after his arrival was so boisterous and stormy, that the drifting of the dry snow made out-of-door exercise impossible, l)ut the following vnorning, bright and calm, was, he tells us, ' spent in \ iewing the localities, and the progress made in the settlement; but al- though not aware that anything was left unexamined, my eyes were cur- sory and myself listless; for it was not likely I should ever be there again ■and let a man nerve himself ever so resolutely, there is satlncss in a final thought, especially if, as in my case, it be attended wi'h regicts and darkening prospects. Indignant reflections may appease farewell, nor was I w ithout that acrid palliative. The Canada Company had originated in my suggestions ; it was established by my endeavors ; organized in due disregard of many obstacles by my perseverance, and though extensive and complicated in its scheme, a system was formed by me, upon which it could be with case conducted. Yet without the commission of a fault 38 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. — for I dare every charf:;e of that kind- -I was destined to reap from it only troubles and mortifications, and something which I felt as an attempt to disgrace me'." Soon after his return to Guelph, Mr. Gait openly announced his intention of leaving for England, although he deemed it impolitic to give the same publicity to his fears of a scheme, hatching somewhere, for the pur- pose of breaking up the Company. Weary and sick at heart, discouraged and almost broken down himself, he preferred to bear the burden alone than to excite fears in the minds of those around him, which, after all, might prove, so far as they were concerned, baseless, and which, even supposing the worst he anticipated should come, it would do no good td raise at present. He therefore allowed them to think he was going to ICnglnnd only on a Inisiness trip, and it was with this feeling that they assembled in front of his house, on the morning tixed for his departure, and presented him with the following address: Sir, — We, the undersigned inhabitants of the town and township of tiuelph, learning that you are about to leave us, beg to express our sin- cere regret that we should be deprived of your presence, and the satis- faction and pleasure it has ever afforded us. We trust and hope that your absence from amongst us will not be of long duration, and that you will accomplish the objects of your journey, whatever these may be. We would wish to express to you the obligations which you have conferred upon us, in the prosperity which has flowed upon us ever since we became united with you and the Canada Company— many of us havinj; come here in dependent circumstances, who arc now in a fair way to become independent, and all having improved their condition under your foster- ing care. iJy the measures you have adopted, our lands in many instances have, in the space of eighteen months, doubled or tripled their value ; and we do not look upon our obligations the less, that the Canada Company have shared in the advantage. You have set an example to the Province in the formation of proper roads and bridges, and showed by what means the progress of the settlement of tie colony can be accel- erated an hundred-fold by your measures, which have created this town and township. Finally we beg you to accept of our best wishes for your happiness and prosperity, wherever you may be ; and we request yoa to thank the Canada Company for all the benefits they have conferred upon us, and the greatest of these we consider their having sent you amongst us. i'.S'iif ///•(/ by J 4^ heads offantilies.) That this address was not written m a spirit of flattery, but was the genuine expression of the feelings and sentiments of the setelers, there can be no doubt, for it was but a statement of what was the simple and unexaggerated truth. Where, two years before, stood a wild and tangled forest, now had risen a thri\'ing and enterprising town ; where, on his arrival, the wolf and the bear had roamed at will, holding imdisputed possession, making the woods echo with their savage growls and shrill, imearthly bowlings, were now heard the songs of joy and praise, the expressions of gay, contented, and thankful hearts; and where the untutored savage had occasionally wandered, perchance losing his way, in the pursuits of the chase, were now seen all the evidences of civilization and comparative refinement. It is not strange, therefore, that Mr. Gait, in whose busy brain all this had been planned, and by whose untiring energy, indomitable perseverance and practical skill this fair scene of order and prosperity had been called into being, out of the wild confusion and inhospitable desolation which had reigned but two years before, ip from it m attempt unced his tic to give )r the pur- 5Couraged den alone after all, ich, even good to 1 going to that they leparture, wnship of s our sin- the satis- liope that [ that you be. VVe conferred c became inj: come o become air foster- in many :)led their Canada imple to showe'l )e accel- lis town for your t you to rod upon amongst VVx) was the "s, there I pie and tangled on his isputed id shrill. lise, the ere the lis way, ilization r. Gait, imtiring cene of )nfusion before, THR AXMALS OF THE TOWN OF OUELPH. 39 should have experienced mingled feelings of pleasure and sadness, hope and regret; pleasure that he was privileged to ha\e been the means of bringing hapj)incss and peace to so many who needed comfort and help, and that he should ha\e been ahlc to reclaim from the native forcstb so rich a possession ami plant the germ of future greatness and jM-osperit\- in this city in cml^ryo; sadness that in his etVorls to serve his fellow men his motives should have been so terribly misconstrued and his actions so cruelly misrepresented ; hope -a feeble hope, it is true but still a hope, that he would yet be enabled to carry out the plans he had so fondly cherished, and still further serve the people lo whom lie had lieen as a father; and regret that he should, under such gloom and uncertainty, be leaving the little community w liich he had grown to love almost as his own kin. Whate\er were the faults of ]\Ir. (ialt"s management- and that it was alw;'.\s wir.e and judicious, nobody con\'ers:>nt with the facts will for a moment assert — there can be n^^ doubt that his general policy, and his motle of working, were, in their entirety, most athnirable, and had he been permitted to carry out his plans as conceived by liim, the result would have been of the most gratifying nature. As has before been stated, however, there was a clique in England, composed of some who were ilisappointed at not having the management of the Company en- trusted to them, envious of the honorable jjosition in which Mr. Gait had been placed, and anxious, if possible, to bring about cither his recall or the com))lete ruin of I he Company. There were others, also, who were ever active in fomenting dissatisfaction and circulating damaging rumors fv>r sinister purposes, and to enable them to operate in the Company's stock on the exchange, and tinall>, perhaps, to olitain a controlling influ- ence in its affairs, even if they did not succeed in getting the Company entirely into their own hands. Thatthe treatment which Mr. Gait received ;U the hands of these jjeople, and from the Directors through their inlluence was unjust, is clear from the commencement, and it is fortunate that the magnificent success which the Company has since ])roved, has furnished such an ample vindication of the course he adopted, and the wisdom and forethought with which he formed the scheme, which, in no essential par- ticular was altered after he retired from the service. In support of this, it may, perhaps, oe as well, to quote the opinion of Mr. Mactaggart, the engi- neer under whom thn' gigantic piece of worlc. the Kideau canal was carried out — a gentleman whose pnictical kno'vledge and tensive experience, entitle him to a respecful hearing. In his " Three Years in Upper Cana- da," he says : '• Mr. (ialt deserves great credit for the invention and manage- ment of the Company, in this he has shown a genius rarely excelled. He organized the whole management of business, and displayed all that •^act and diplomacv which his sujierior talents qualify him for in such an eminent degree. He appointed surveyors and other people to look after the Crown Reserves in the various townships, that they might be disprtsed of to the Company's advantage, liu: these rei-er\es were not found to be of utility, as nothing like a system of settlement could be employed in relation to them, lying as they do scattered up and down the townships. However, their sale will be much in the favor of Canada, and tend much towards its improvement ; for as the/ lay like uncleared specks amid a cleared country, they injured the progress of tlie settlements. On many of these reserves, sqiiattirs had taken up their abode — a class of people, who, having wandered from home without the means of becoming regu- lar landholders, are glad to lind patches anywhere in the woods whereon 40 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. they may subsist. To these unfortunate human beings, and, in truth, to all, he showed much tenderness, which has assisted to raise the just popularity he at present enjoys. He did not drive the squatters off the Com- pany's lands, as many would have instantly done ; but sold them to the advantage of the Company and squatters, considering the little clearings they had made as uncleared forest. By doing this he has established a class of people in the townships devoted to the interest of the Company, who will neither despoil, nor allow to be despoiled, those valuable woods v/hich n^ay yet rome to good account, on the reserves. Nevertheless, there were some in Upper Canada who continued to view the exertions of the Company with jealous eyes. These Avere they v>ho found them- selves unable to pluck the poor settlers before they got upon their lands, in the shape of fees or what not. They found the Company established the settler in a twinkling, without putting him to the galling trouble and expense of hanging about office doors, receiving rebuffs from con- ceited clerks, and getting their purses lightened into the bargain. Were it for nothing else but this circumstance alone, the Canada Company will be respected ; when we find the distress of mankind alleviated in any degree, petty tyranny and pride laid prostrate before justice and humani- ty, it is enough for our aftections to become attached ; we want no more.'' In referring to this subject in his work, " Twenty-seven Years in Upper Canada," Major Strickland says: "Of Mr. Gait's litness for the office of superintendent of the Canada Company, it would, perhaps, be considered presumptuous in me to give an opinion. His position was an unfortunate one, and from his tirst residence in the country to his resig- nation, there appears to ha\e been a serious misunderstanding between him, the Governor, and the Executive Council, in conset|uence of which Cialt's character was misrepresented at home as that of a meddling poli- tician and troublesome person. Other charges regarding the wasteful expenditure of money in forming the new settlements were aiade before the Directors, and these repeated complaints against him left him no other alternative than to resign his situation. My own opinion is, that Cjalt was ill-used by the Canadian Government. He says, in his auto- biography, that his whole and sole oftence consisted in having accepted a file of the Colonial Advocate, and shaken hands with the editor, the notorious William Lyon Mackenzie. In those days of ultra-toryism, such an instance of liberality and freedom from party prejudice was sufficient to excite the displeasure of the Governor and his council, though, as he says in a letter written in 1830, he had from his youth upward ever been a Tory. There is no doubt that Gait acted imprudent- ly in this matter, though I fully believe without any intention of opposing the Government. In regard to the Company's affairs, more might be said to his prejudice- not in respect of his integrity, for I believe liim to have been a most honorable man, and incapable of any meanness — but in regard to his management. Although, as the original projector of the Canada Company, he evinced much cleverness, and afterwards dis- played considerable judgment in the choice of the best situations tor building towns and villages, yet he committed some grievous mistakes. Kis ideas were generally good ; but often not well carried out in detail. * * * ''• * * i \vas very sorry to hear of Mr. tialt's retirement. He had always acted in a kind and liberal manner towards me; and, indeed, when he left the Company, I considered that I had lost a true and affectionate friend. I could not help, therefore, noticing with regret that, although most of the clerks belonging to the office were at that time truth, to ■ the just the Coin- Ill to the clearings bHshed a "ompany, )le woods ertheless, exertions nd them- ;ir lands, tablishecl g trouble rom con- p.. Were pany will d in any . humani- 10 more." Years in ss for the rhaps, ])e n was an lis resig- betwccn of whicli ng poli- wastcful e before him no is, that lis auto- iccepted tor, the ' toryism, ice was council, s youth )iudent- )posing ght be Irim to ss — but :ctor of rds dis- «ns tor istakes. detail, rement. e; and, t a true 1 regret at time THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF OUELPH. 41 in Toronto (then Little York), only Dr. Dunlop, Mr. Rcid and my'elf accompanied Mr. Gait to the landing-place to see him depart and cry ' God speed I' But this is the way of tlic world. Those who should be •.nost grateful when the hour of adversity dawns on their benefactor are often the hrst to desert him."' That a man, who had by his own genius and courage, 'accomplished work such as to call forth eulogiums, such as these, and many more which might be cited, should be permitted to become the butt and victim of designing and unscrupulous speculators, is a sad commentary on the theory of " the eternal fitness of things," which some persons are so ready to preach ; and a striking illustration ot the injustice and cruelty by which so many in this cold and seltish world arc made to suffer. It is painful to reflect that the Company, upon mere rumors and statements afterwards proved to be false, and made by persons altogether incompe- tent to judge, should have condemned a faithful servant, without even giving him an opportunity to explain or demonstrate the utility and pro- bably ultimately successful results of the course he had adopted. Yet so it wa3 ! And when too late, their folly in expecting to "reap where they had not strewn,'' or without waiting for the time of harvest, was fully shown to them ; and there can be no doubt that had they persisted in fol- lowing the advice so recklessly given by men who, while possessing no ability or knowledge in matters such as this, were anxious, like wreckers on the wild sea coast, to profit by the loss and desolation of others, and reversed the policy laid down bj- Mr. Gait, ruin and misery must have been the inevitable result. Leaving Guelph early in the spring of 1829, '^''■- ^''^^t proceeded to York, to settle some remnants of business there, and in taking leave of Sir John Colborne, that gentleman assured him of his undiminished con- iidence in his integrity and ability, and afterwards wrote in the most cor- dial terms respecting him to the Secretary of State. After a stay of a few days v. York, Mr. Gait left Crnada for ever, and proceeding to New York, set sail for England, and on his arrival was informed that the Company was to be broken up, and its inability to go on announced. Anxious, if possible, at any cost, to prevent this pending calamity, he proceeded at once to London, and mainly by his influence, and his enthu- siastic advocacy of the claims and prospects of the infant settlement, the disaster which seemed so near was finally averted, for which, if for nothing else, Upper Canada owes him a debt of gratitude which can never be repaid. At Hrst he could not ascertain who, among the Direc- tors and influential stock-holders, were friendly, and who opposed to him, and so he determined to be present at the next meeting of the Board ; " but, instead of any opportunity of vindication or explanation being afforded, the whole character, effect and importance of Mr. Gait's Canadian operations were skilfully kept out of view, and simply the gen- eral balance of his accounts stated. The impression meant to be pro- duced from this mode of procedure evidently was, that 'he expenditure had been lavish and inconsiderate. Yet, after all, what did this amount to ? Four thousand pounds had been allowed for the township of Guelph, and this had been found inadequate for necessary purposes, by something under seven hundred more. 'The head and front of offence had been this, no more;' and let it be added, that the settlement at the time, instead of being an unfortunate one, was progressing beyond even the most sanguine expectations. 'Y\\^fama occasioned by this general meeting was next to conclusive ; and from private sources it was ascer- 42 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. tained that some negotiatio/i was goinjf on between the Company and the Ciovernmcnt for the latter taking back the lands. There was some idea that particular parties might step in and purchase tlicni ; but this Mr. Gait resolved to prevent, if possible ; and he did his utmost to remove the sinister misrepresentations which had been made, by exhort- ing his particular friends on no account to dispose of their shares." Being dci,iro.is, abijve all things, to save the Company from falling into the hands of the parties now seeking to get control of the lands, which he knew would be a serit)us blow to the prosperity of the settlers, Mr. Gait made a think movement, which had the elYect of entirely rout- ing the enemy. Having ascertained the effect of .Sir John Colborne's letter at the Colonial CM'fice, he next day solicited an audience of .Sir George Murray, Secretary of State, anci laid before him a full and explicit statement of the affairs of the Company, and his \iews of iho prospects of success which then f^xisted. I'pon this Sir Cieorge intimated to the Directors the perfect willingness of the (iovernment to relieve the Com- pany of the lands, on an equitable basis ; paying for such improvements as had been effected at a fair valuation, 'i'he readiness with which the (iovernment made this offer had the effect, which often occurs on the minds of selfisii men, that as soon as they found others considered worth having, what they were about to discard, they began to think that they might be too hasty, and might, perhaps, be making a sacrifice by which others might benefit, and so they at once resolved to hold on, thinking, probably, that what was wortli having, to the (iovernment, might be worth retaining to themselves. The connection between Mr. Gait and the Canada Company Ijcing now practically severed, it mav be interesting to the n^^ader to learn something of his life after this reriod. One of the many proofs of the disinterested manner in which ne conducted the Company's affairs was, that though in a position in which he might, had he been so inclined, have placed himself in a condition of comparative ease, he now found himself, if not in poverty, at least in somewhat straitened circumstances. Having the command of very large sums of money, and being sole direc- tor cf all the operations in Canada, he could, doubtless, have managed, without u'.iy breach of the trust rejjosed in him, to have operated to some extent on his own account ; but in not the smalles' transaction was this ever done, and in no single instance did he attempt to turn anything to his personal advantage. The consec[uence was, that being thrown once more on his own unaided resources, he was compelled again to turn his attention to literature. In a letter to a friend, written in Jul), iS^y, he writes : "Thetrutii h.>s come out. It w.is not alleged hcadstrongness on mv pari uas been the cause of what has taken place, but the want of funds to carry into effect the operations in the manner proposed origin- ally by me, ,',nd to which the Government was so reluctantly brought to accede. It was a weak policy to seek for fault in my proceedings, when the reduction of my emoluments was found to be indispensable; but the same policy hns been acted upon, J understand, towards Dr, Dunlop. He was recalled on the pretext of some ixjlitical indiscretion ; but the sentence was revised, and he has since been placed on the better footing of being served with a notice to tjuit, on account of the necessity to economize. I have brought here with me a great mass of book materials, the fruits of my solitary iioctes in the Canadian wayside taverns. Part of the ' Landlady ' I have sent to Blackwood, leaving it to himself to publish in the magazine or otherwise. I have heard no literary news since my THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 43 return, beiiifj engajfed in wading through the Company's accounts. The labor of this is, however, now nearly o\er, and then I shall betake me to my pajjcrs. My arrangements on leaving Canada were for my being back early in October; but that is now out of the ((uestion: nor indeccl would 1 go again into the Com])anys ser\ ice, without more discretionary powers being allowed me. The attcmi>l to manage so complicated a concern by instructions from London was too absurd ; and nothing but the enjoyment 1 had in tlie work of improvement could in any degree compensate for the \exations of the last eighteen months.'' Though Mr. Gait was fully prepared to take up his pen agam, and resume his place in the ranks of literature, the fact of his being recalled by the Company had the effect of brmging upjii him serious embarrass- ments, application for immediate payment being made of nearly all his outstanding debts, aniong which v.as a ( laim by Dr. \'alpy of Reading, in whose charge Mr. (ialt's three sons had been for some time. This was the last claim Mr. Gait expected would be pressed, the Doctor being an old personal friend, and being himself in easy circumstances, could not have been in very urgent need of the money, but a formal demand for payment by the Doctor's solicitors soon convinced him that he had no reason to presmne oi. private friendsliip for leniency or consideration .It this time, and none was granted. Not being then in a })osition to meet this demand an arrest so(jn followed, and in referring to the matter he says: — *'As I had by this time ascertained that, independent of a security given for my chief debt, and several farms in Canada suftlcient for the others, 1 was only embarrased about the arrc;ars of an annuity of three hundred pounds, that though irregularly |)aid, i had long countctl on. 1 saw v,hat was in my power; and pride was appeased by the con- sideration that I had always made more than I expended, and that it was entirely owing to others not fultilling their engagements to me, I had ever suffered any perplexity in uioney matters. " Though he wrote thus boldly, and to all appearances maintained his pride unabated, it must have been very humiliating and saddening to his mind to reilect, that after he had done so much for others, expending for their benefit the strength which other men would ha\e been using in the interests of their families, they should now, when their purposes had been served, cast him off like a worn-out garment ; and while profiting by the expenditure of liis mental and physicial abilities, they should forsake him in the hour of his temporary necssity. Still, with that courage which never under any circumstances forsook him, he determined to battle manfully on, and not to surrender while a hope remained. " I felt my independence aug- niented,"' he says, "by looking on poverty, undismayed at her emaciation. I had, however, given hostages to society, and was no longer at liberty to consult my own wishes, and therefore immediately began to build a new scheme of life, in which the secondary condidon of authorship was thus made primary. This winding up of my philanthropic dream is stated with as little emotion as possible, but it was not so felt.' Ilowe\er much he might seek to disguise his sorrow and mortifica- tion at the turn aftairs had taken, there can be no doubt he still felt the sting in his heart, and though he applied himself, with characteristic energy to the pursuits of literature, he steadily refused to renew the acquaintances of former years, unless some marked advances were made towards him for that purpose. For some three or four years he continued to work hard at literature, at one time editing the Courier, ?Li another preparing a life of Lord Byron, and then again in writing works of fiction, 44 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF OUELPH. such as Lawric Todd ; uiuil at last his hcaUh broke down, and he became a confirmed invalid. Shortly before leaving Guelph, he one day stumbled, and received a severe shock in the spine from the root of a tree, from which he never fully recovered. At the time, and for some time afterwards, he experienced very little inconvenience, but eventually various nervous diseases manifested themselves, and soon afterwards he had a touch of paralysis. At this time he wrote — " I could, indeed, no longer equivocate to myself, that the afternoon of life had come, and the hour striking. The consciousness of having overpast the summit of my strength, was not, however, so obvious to others as to myself; and thus, though I sulTered what the school-boy called an 'aM-overishness', I had no particidar symptom that could be described ; some relaxation was, however, recommended, of which I would gladly have availed myself; but it is not in my nature to be long at rest, for I have found my truest reprose in a 'change of employment."' In the year 1831, he became absorbed in the interests of the British American Land Company, but though through this and the following year he gave much time and thought to the matter he was not destined to take any active part in the business, and at the close of 1 832, he had several paralytic seizures, and his general health became permanently affected. The following letter, written in April 1833, will give some idea of his physical and mental condition at that time :— My Dear Sir. — Not being to-day in the best of spirits,.! feel, like otherSjdisposed to wreak my chagrin on my friends, and on you among others. John and Thomas have sailed for Canada, and you cannot imagine how much this event disconceits me. Perhaps it is owing to my disease that it aftects me so much: but I could not have|conceived, a priori that it would have depressed me to any degree like what it has done. John, poor fellow, goes with my full concurrence, though I cannot say the same of Thomas, but I submit. He is himself in the meantime pleased, but the Canada Company have no . acted towards his father so as to give me the slightest confidence. I am willing to think that I feel morbid on this point ; but I cannot help it, especially as every day contirms the soundness of my undertak- ings in the Upper Province, and the Company having pocketed above ;^3oo,ooo through my instrumentality— putting out of the question the good done to Canada, and the relief there granted to the poor of this country. When I went out as Commissioner, the circulating medium did not amount to ^72,000 ; and last year upwards of 300,000 sovereigns were lodged in the Bank ot Upper Canada. Although I myself say it, it has fallen to the lot of few to have done so much for any country, and to be so used, for the Government openly say they were over-reached ; — just as if the present distress in this country could have been foreseen in the spring of 1824. My health is upon the whole mending, but I cannot move without nid ; so my active life is over and the hopes which led me towards the British American Land Company must be given up. We only wait for letters from Canada to make me retire, for I am no longer fit lor public business. This is a great calamity ; for it will oblige me to depend en- tirely on literature, a poor trade, and even for it I am sorely disabled. Since the " Stolen Child," I have dictated another work in two volumes. It is finished, and I think one of the best I ever wrote. It is a tale of the Reformation, and in the incidents and development as original as I could make it. ***** * My lameness gives me THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 45 I had British cannot ndertak- above tion the of this medium ereigns say it, 1 y, and ched ; — .'seen in nuicli Ic'iiiurc, and that apportioning of my time I have been long acciis- lomeil to, enables me to do a great deal, even to the surprise of myself; for 1 have in the meantime been obliged to suspend reading, as it invar- iably makes mo fall asleep. What 1 feel most is an occasional brightness ot intellect, which on reflection is often attended with alarm, as my sleej) declines. Can you advise nic anything as to thi ; ? Dr. A. T. Thomson is for a voyage, or a residence at the sea side. Hut I am so helpless, and so many troubles perplex me that require a stouter health to withstand. ICver yours truly, John GM.r. In 1834 Mr. (ialt removed to Scotland, and continued his literary work, sending forth a considerable number of volumes, essays, sketches, &c., one of which '• Literary Life and .Miscellanies," was by special per- mission ot His .Majesty, dedicated to William 1 \'. (iradually, however, but steadily, his strength declined, and on the morning of April nth, 1839, he breathed his last; and his remains lie buried in the family grave at Cireenock. After Mr. Gait's retirement, the management of the affairs of the Company was entrusted to the care of two conmiissioners, Hon. Wm. Allen and Mr. Thomas Mercer Jones, and on their arrival most of the servants of the Company who had been appointed by Mr. Gait, and were associated with him in the laying out and building of (iuelph, were re- moved to Goderich, which was then beginning to assume very respectable proportions, though a long distance from any other settlement, not a house being then built within ten or twelve miles of it. The work of clearing farms in the forest, however, soon began, and in a very short time home- steads and smiling fields were to be seen in many parts of the Huron tract. The work at this settlement was principally conducted under the supervision of Hon. W. yVUcn, while the management "f affairs at (iuelph wao left in the hands of Mr. T. Mercer Jones, who soon won the respect of the entire community, by his upright and gentlemanly demeanor to- wards the settlers. In JNIay 1839, a serious disaster befell the town of Guelph, the results of which were felt for some time. Those who are old enough to remem- ber when the Upper Province was one wild, almost impenetrable forest, or those who have travelled through regions of the country where the hand of man, even yet, has made but slight inroads on nature's vast domain, will have frequently noticed, in the woods, .'arge gaps or lanes, the ground covered with trunks and branches of trees, twisted and tangled in all manner of inconceivable shapes, through or across which by no possibility could a man proceed. It wi'l also have been noticed that in these gaps, the trees api)ear to have been twisted otf at the stumps, or torn up at the roots, as if some monster of iniinite strength had passed that w.iy and torn them up like rushes in his mighty grasp, and thrown them down in anger and scorn. These wild scenes of desolation are caused by hurricanes, which occasionally visit thickly wooded districts, but which rarely occur after the land becomes cleared, it is supposed on account of some mysterious climatic change which takes place with the disappearance of the forests, somewhat in the same way as the change s in temperature and the quantity of rainfall which follow the clearing of the land. A hurricane such as this, and which, for violence has never been equalled in this part of the country since, visited the town and township at this time. The weather, for that season of the yenr, had been unusuallysultry,and the air was hushed to an unnatural stillness, only broken by the occasional sound of thunder booming faintly in the dis- 46 TUf'; ANNALS 0|- THF, TOWN OF OUKl.PH. tance, which, bcinj^ nothing unusual, attracted but little attention. That niorniiv^ all nature sceniecl in a preternatural repose, until towards ten ''^'k, when the sky began U) assume a most unusu.il appearance, a n cloud overshadowing all, casting on the earth a most sickly pallor. \\ards noon the sky assumed a still more awful appen ranee, presenting to the view a vasl urch of rolling blackness, and a nameless dread seized on the hearts of all, as the clouds gathered thicker and thicker and more threatening in their lowerings. Suddeidy they seemed to gather closer, as if concentrating their force to overwhelm one devoted spot, when, al- most immediately, they separ.ued into attached masses, chasing each other through the sky, and then whirling and eddying like the foam in the vortex of ;t whirlpool. The thunder now broke forth in roars and peals, while the forked lightnings ilarted hither and thither, now and again striking some tall tree or other prominent object. In speaking of this storm, Strickland says:— •' In a short space the clouds seemed to con verge to a point, which apjiroached very near the earth, still whirling with great rapidity directly under this point ; .and ni^parently from the midst of the woods arose a black column in the shape of a cone, which instant- ly ioincd itself to the depending cloud. The sight was now grand and d in the extreme. Let any one picture to the imagination a vast ■>n of smoke, of inky blackness, reaching from earth to heaven, gy- i.i ^ with fearful velocity ; bright lightnings issuing from the vortex— the roar of the thundei the rushing of the blast the crashing of timber — the limbs of trees, leaves anu rubbish, mingled with clouds of dust, whirling through the air — a faint idea is the given of the scene. " Ihrtnish .nli tlic sky ari.M; imUimklohs storms. And de;uli st;iiuls tliri;ati;ninji in a tliKiis.ind form ;; luiids th;ni;fd will, hmd destniclidn dnnvn tlu' tlay, And airy ilcnions in wild whirlwind l)lav; I'liii'k lhundcri:la]is, and liuhtnin;;':; vivid t;Iare Disturb the sky, and trouble all tiie air." " 1 had ample time for observation as the hurricane commenced its desolating coarse about two miles from the town, through the centre of which it took its way, passing within iifty yards of the spot wh?re a num- ber of persons and myself were standing watching its fearfu.' i^rogress. As the tornado approacheil, the trees seemed to fall like a pace of cards before its irresistible current, .\ftcr passing through the clearing matle round the town, the force of the wind gradually abateil, and in a feu- minutes died away entirely. As bOon as the storm was over, 1 went to see what damage it hatl done. From the point where I first observed the black column to rise from the woods and join the cloud, the trees were twisted in e\ery divectioii. A belt of timber had been levelled to the ground about two miles in length, and about one hundred yards in breadth: at the entrance to the town it crossed the River Speed, and up- rooted about six acres of wood which had been thinned out and iclt b)- Air. (ialt as an ornament to his house. The Eramosa Road was com- pletely blocked up for nearly half a mile, in the wildest confusion possi- ble. In its progress through t'ls town it unroofed seveml houses, levelled the fences to the ground, and entirely demolislied a frame barn: windows were dashed in, and in one instance the tloor of a log house was carried up through the roof. Some hair-breadth escapes occurred, but, luckily, no lives were lost."' P'rom this time, for about three years, very little progress was made in the town, but few houses being built, and business generally being in an almost stagnant state. The Commissioners who succeeded Mr. Gait THK ANNALS OF THE lOWN OF GUELI'H. 47 ion. That )warcls ten earancc, a :^lf immigrants being comparatively few, and the improvements effected, in consequence of the financial stringency, which affected the whole of Canada, beirg consequently very limited. In the summer of 1832, however, a fresh impetus was gi\'en by the arrival of a large party of immigrants from England, who had chartered the ship " Caroline" to 48 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. bring them out. Among them were, Messrs. John and James Wilson, Edward Murton, Wm. Necve, Edmund and Osmond Huntley, Josiah Mc- Kelkan and others, the entire party consisting of nearly a hundred persons. All of them were in comparatively affluent circumstances, some of thorn keeping servants in livery, and their arrival was the signal for a general revival of business, guineas being very plentiful with them, and they were not in any way niggardly in spending them. Houses sprang up on all sides, and a period of general prosperity commenced, the influence of which was never entirely lost in the town. One of the houses built at this time was that whicli stood for many years on the site of the present Cirand Trunk passenger station, and the coachman's house, belonging to which, still stands, on the east side of the track. The house was a large two story brick Iniilding, very commodious, and for some years was un- doubtedly the best house in town. Mr. John Combe Wilson, who • lilt it, resided in it for some time, after which it was rented to Rev. Artn.a Palmer. Besides tliis party of wealthy immigrants, there were a few others, who came from Ireland. A nun^ber of gentlemen had decided on com- ing to Canada, and formed a party by themselves, chartering a vesr.ol. Among them were the late Chancellor BIake> the late Archdeacon Brough, Dr. Robinson, afterwards well known as an eminent physician, the late Justice Connors, Rev. Edward Blake, Rev. Arthur Palmer, Mr. Samuel Crawford and Mr. R. M. Richardson. All of these were in good circumstances, and all men of education and position, every one of them holding a B. A. degree. The three last-named came to Guelph, and Rev. A. Palmer at once organized a church, meeting for the time being in the school-house. The congregations were from the first as large as the building would conveniently accommodate, many dissenters of the various denominations attending the services regularly, the utmost har- mony prevailing throughout, until the Presbyterian church was built, when, of course, many of them left, though some of the Methodists never severed their connection with the Episcopal Church. Of the party who came out together, the only survivors are Rev. Archdeacon Palmer, now in England, and Mr. Richardson, who still resides in Cuelph. In the fall of the same yeai", several other well-to-do immigrants arrived, including Captain Poore and Mr. Rowland Wingfield. Mr. Wingfield did not remain long, but rclurned to England, and in 1834 lie again came out, bringing with him several head of Durham cattle, Lei- cester and Southdown sheep, Berkshire pigs, and ducks, geese, fowls and pigeons in large numbers. Ho purchased tlie farm now owned and occupied by I\Ir. John Howitt, and for some time was very successful in breeding, and to him is due the honor of bringing into this part of the country the first specimens of these very fine breeds of cattle and sheep, for which — the cattle especially -this part of the country has since been so famous. In 1.S34 Mi". Wingfield, Captain Poore, Mr. Durand of Dundas and three or four others, contested the election for member of Parliament to represent the District, when Mr. Durand was elected. After this Mr. Wingfield sustained some severe losses, and sold his farm to Mr. John Howitt. He then removed to Chatham, and thence to Windsor, and a few years afterwards returiied to Guelph, intending to open a billiard hall, but an American billiard marker, whom he brought with him, being entrusted with ^300, all Mr. Wingfield's store, to go to the States to purchase tables, etc., decamped with the money, leaving Wingfield penniless. He soon afterwards received a remittance from THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 49 Wilson, liah Mc- persons. of them , general vnd they ig up on uencc of built at present mging to s a large was un- k-ho • ult . Art Ova w others, on com- a vesr.jl. :hdeacon )hysician, imer, Mr. e in good c of them jlph, and me being large as rs of the nost har- as built, sts never arty who mer, now [migrants ;ld.' Mr. 1 834 lie itllc, Lci- |"owls and ncd and ■cssful in lirt of the id sheep, Ince been urand of lenibcr of elected, his farm hence to ;nding to brought to go to leaving bee from his friends in Wales, when he returned home, and is no\v in the enjoy- ment of a large estate, which has been in his family for several genera- tions. During th's year the work of church building commenced in earnest, the first to be erected being St. Andrew's church. In laying out the plan of the town, certain portions of land had been set aside by Mr. Gait for the uses of the various relig.ous denominations. The portion allotted to the Roman Catholics was the hill at the head of Macdonnell street; for the Episcopalians the piece of land now known as St. George's vSquare, and to the Presbyterians a portion of the market place where the Town Hall now stands. Besides these sites, other lands were also allotted to them as glebes. The Presbyterian church was built on a hill, which was levelled when the church was pulled down, and was a very handsome and commodious frame bv.ilding, with seating accommodation for about two hundred persons. The first pastor was Re\". William Smith. After the Rev. Father Campion had been removed to another dis- trict, the Rev. Father Cullen had the oversight of the congregations in this part of Upper Canada, and by his earnestness and zeal he induced the members of the Roman Catholic Church in (iuelph to erect a sanctu- ary for themselves. When once commenced it was not long before the building was ready for use, the members of the church providing the materials and giving their own labor in placing them on the ground ready for the builders' use. Rev. Father Cassidy was then appointed to the charge of the parish. The church, which was a frame structure, was not really finished for some time, either internally or externally, the painting not being done until 1835, when Mr. Harris, father of Mi. John Harris, who then lived at Niagara, sent a quantity of white lead to Guelph for the purpose. The work was doi">.e by James Beirnes. This was the first time, so far as is known, that paint had been used in Guelph, externally at least. This church stood until 1846, when on the night when the nc'-s was received of the liberation of Daniel O'Connell, the Irish residents became so enthusiastic, that they lighted large bonfires on the hill, and some of the sparks fiilling on the roof, the church was burned down. St. George's church was commenced in the fall of tlie same year, and by the energy of Rev. Arthur Palmer, was fully paid for before it was fin- ished, which was in the Spring of 1833. It was a very substantially built fn.nc structure, said to have been the most solidly and strongly put to- gf ther building of its kind ever erected in Guelph, and stood as one of tie most conspicuous objects in the town until about three years ago, V len it was finally removed, it having by that time become not only too ' aall, but for other reasons unsuitable, as well as, to some extent, a de- traction from the beauty of the town. In the following year the Methodists built a neat frame church, on the site of the present Norfolk street church. Besides the parties of wealthy immigrants who came to the settle- ment during this year, there Avere a great many of the poorer classes, many of whom were in a sick and destitute condition. One party, debili- ted by sickness and an extraordinarily long voyage, had to remain for a time in Montreal, and while there some of them died from cholera, which was making fearful ravages in the Lou'er Provinces that summer. On the arrival of the others in Guelph, the disease again broke out among them, and the authorities, to prevent the spread of the disease, kept them 50 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OK GUELPH. all in the Market House, which was boarded in for the purpcse. A few of them died, Init \jy careful treatment and the self-sacriricing attentions of the towns-people, most of them soon recovered, and they scattered to different parts of the township. In 1833, the Court of Requests, for the recovery of debts under ^10 was established, the Court consisting- of eight commissioners, who met at the British Coffee House, kept by Thos. and Patrick Keating, The first entry in the records of this court reads as follows : — Gore Districi', / Court of Request, opened at the liritish Coffee To Wit: — ( House Inn of Thomas and Patrick Keating, in the said District, at the hour of 10 in the forenoon of Saturday, the 15th d;iy of June, 1833. Present - Wm. Heath, J. P., Henry Strange, J. P., Osmond Chas. Huntley, J. P., Samuel Crawford, J. P. There was only one suit at the tirst court but at the next there were twenty-two. The other commissioners were, Edward Huntley, Ceoffrey Lynch, Dr. Clarke, Robt. Ambrose, and afterwards John Inglis. The Court was held every two weeks, until Nov. 21, 1841, when it was abolish- ed, under the Acl making provision for Division Courts. The clerks of the Court of Request were successively — W. Heath, Edmund Huntley-- both of whom afterwards returned to England ; Jas. Hodgert, now dead ; Wm. Lowry, who now lives on the Waterloo Road ; and A. A. Baker, who held the office when the Court was abolished. In referring to (hielph at this time. Dr. Thomas Rolfe, in his " Sta- tistical Account of Upper Canada;' says : — " It is extremely healthy, and possesses saw-mills, grist mills, tanneries, distilleries, and other manufac- tories ; a large and increasing population ; new and superior houses in course of erection ; an excellent market house ; three well conducted taverns ; three large and handsome churches and a school. Hovve\er, it may suit the purpose of grt elling malcontents and brawling grievance- mongers to abuse, vilify and misrepresent the labors and exertions of the Canada Company, it was mainly owing to their zeal, enterprise and assi- duity that the l'ro\ ince became so much settled. They were the means of diffusing a more accurate account of Canada amongst the British people, and giving a tone to emigration, of which it formerly stood so much in need. Sonie persons inimical to Guelph had described it as a failure. How far it is to be considered so, let the following statement, from a resident, decide: - "'In the first place the emigrant is told that Gucluh is a failure. How far this is consistent with truth will be seen by the improvements now making, both in town and neighborhood. During the past year no less than sixteen frame and two brick houses made there appearance in our streets, and there are at present two large taverns in progress, a chapel and seven or eight frame houses building or contracted for in the town ; and builcing of all sorts and descriptions daily rising out of the woods, if I may use the expression, in the country. Almost the whole of the land that is available is disposed of, and is under cultivation and settled on, with the exception, I believe, of from 2000 to 3000 acres out of 48000, which compose the township, witli a large and daily increasing propor- tion of town lots, also disposed of, and built upon. We have breweries and distilleries, which give us the highest market price for our grain in cash. So much for Guelph being a failure.' The short road from Dun- das to Guelph, by the mills of Mr. Crooks, of West Flamborough, is through a dense pine wood, extensive cedar swamps, with very few clear- THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 51 ;. A few ittentions ittered to nder /lo , who met ng, The sh Coffee ig, in the renoon of Present - Osmond here were Geoffrey ^Hs. The IS aboHsh- clerks of Huntley — low dead ; A. Baker, his "Sta- althy, and manufac- houscs in conducted owe\er, it ;rie\ancc- 3ns of the and assi- lie means ic British d so much > a faihne. nt, from a a faiUu-e. rovements St year no earance in s, a chapel ^he town ; he v.oods, le ot tho lid settled t of 48000, ig propor- brewerics r grain in Tom Dun- 3rough, is few clear- ings until within seven or eight miles of Guelph. It is but 24 miles, admirable travelling when frozen up in winter, but almost impassable in the spring and autumn months, and but little improved in the midst of summer. The horrible causewayed roads, most clumsily put together, and occasionally broken, renders the most circuitous route by Gait far preferable." Captain Poore had for two or three years been endeavoring to form a volunteer rifle company in the town, but the men had little time to spare for such purposes, and, at that time, perhaps, but little inclination for playing at soldiering. In 1835, however, considerable anxiety beean to be felt as to the probable result of the political agitations which were then beginning to be heard, more especially with regard to the faction headed by William Lyon Mackenzie. This was an opportunity eagerly seized upon by Captain Poore, and during the summer he formed a com- pany some sixty strong, which met for drill every Saturday, on a portion of Capt. Poore"s farm, where the race-course is now situated. The year 1837 opened threateningly for Canada. For some years serious differences had been growing up between the Colony and the Imperial Government, and the breach was gradually but surely widening. In 1832, in consequence of some scandals, having more or less reasonable foundations, which had occurred in the conduct of the Judiciary, and the House of Assembly having decided that, as f:ir as that measure would have the effect ot removing the causes for the unpleasant popular feeling then- existing, the judges should be made independent of the Crown, and should have permanent salaries assigned to them, and that only the Chief Justice should hold a seat in the Executive Council. The bill was passed by a fiiir majorit)-, but when sent tc England for the Royal assent, Lord Goderich thought fit to reject it. The Assembly thereupon retaliated by adopting the course pursued under similar circumstances in the Lower Province, by refusing to pass more than annual bills of supply, attaching the names of the individuals to each of the sums voted for salaries, and positively refusing to permit any person to hold more th; one office at the same time. This latter measure was also rejected by i.ord Goderich, and the Assembly then demanded the abolition of the Legislative Coun- cil, and the substitution of one, the members of which should be elected by the people. This was not only refused by the Imperial Government, but Lord Stanley (the late Earl Derby) treated the colonists to a long and somewhat severe homily on their impertinence for daring to wish to legislate as they imagined would be best for the countn-, in opposition to the superior wisdom at home, and for their temerity in offering any oppo- sition to the Imperial will. There was also existing a feeling of bitterriess between tne inhabit- ants of the Upper and Lower Piovinces, and between the French and English portions of the inhabitants, each nationality being jealous, lest the other should enjoy any advantage which the other did not. All these minor points of difference, however, were sunk in the more important question of opposition to the home government, in what was universally looked upon as the tyranny of the course of action pursued by them, and the consequent burden of taxation under which the country was suffering. The people did not dare to hope for any practical measures of improve- ment, their hopes having been so often blighted in the past. To speak of education, or the progress of public works, or the enactment of wiser and better law3, was equivalent to announcing oneself as a half-demented enthusiast; and to express a hope of the speedy establishment of a 52 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. M sounder form of government, was looked upon by the people as the wild imaginations of a heated fancy, and by the Government partizans as little less than treason. There was practically no constitutional government, the sole power, and the administration of affairs, being realh in the hands of the Governor. In 1834, Mr. Viger having been sent to l'"ngland to lay the griev- ances of the colony before the Government, a commission was appointed the following year to inquire into the causes of the dissatisfaction and the remedies which might be taken to alleviate them. The Colonial Secretary was willing to surrender the disposal of the entire revenue to the Assembly, on condition of their making separate provision for the judges, and Axing the salaries of the civil officers for two years; he also agreed to place the whole of the proceeds of the sales of unclaimed lands in the hands of the Assembly, but made such restrictions as to their man- agement as virtually to nullify the effect of this provision. These so-called concessions were not by any means satisfactory, and in the early part of 1837 the popular discontent began to take definite shape, the murmurings of an insurrectionary movement being heard, more or less distinctly, in all parts of the country In the Lower Province some active demonstrations of hostility had already been made, and in the Upper Province there were symptoms that the example might soon be fol- lowed. In the House of Assembly Mr. Wm. Lyon Mackenzie was particu- larly active, and on several occasions defeated the Government ; but Sir J<>ancis Bond Head, at that time Lieutenant (Governor, steadily refused to concede any of the points demanded. Outside the House, public meetings were being held, violent speeches made— some of them most unjustifiably so— and in consequence, eighteen magistrates and thirty-five militia officers were deprived of their commissions. During the summer the agitation increased in intensity, the training of bands of Mac kenzie's sympathizers was secretly carried on, and in some places the people went so far as to elect their own magistrates and militia officers. .Some of the newspapers were also active in keeping the rebellious spirit alive, and soon armed bodies of men in the Lower Province openly set the Govern- ment at defiance, and some sanguinary encounters had taken place between them and the regular troops. At the outbreak of these active measures of hostility in Lower Canada, Sir F. P. Head sent nearly all the British troops to the i'.ssistance of the (Government there, relying on the loyalty of the people of the Upper Province to restrain or suppress any hostile demonstration which might be made here. The wisdom of this action is open to serious question, and the results proved that the Lt. Governor was not adequately informed, or, wh.it is equally probable, greatly underestimated the strength, or affected to despise the influence and determination of the insurgents. The event proved that, though he was sustained by the loyalty of the people generally, Mackenzie and his sympathizers were strong enough to cause great trouble and loss to the country. On the 4th of December, 1837, the rebels assembled at Mont- gomery's farm-house and taver::, a few miles up Yonge street, with the intention of marching on and "taking" Toronto ; but a party of militia, with the cTssistance of a number of citizens, soon routed them, and Mac- kenzie fled. This was, however, but the beginning of the troubles, and the Government at once called for the active assistance of the militia companies organized in various parts of the Province. Captain Poore had lost no time in placing his corps in a state ready for service, and on the day of the engagement at Montgomery's they left Guelph, 62 strong, s the wild ns as little vernment, Ih in the the griev- appointed ction and e Colonial •e\ enue to >n for the s; he also . med lands their man- ctory, and nite shape, d, more or ince some nd in the oon be Tol- as particu- it ; but Sir ly refused ISC, public hem most thirty-five ic summer kenzie's ;op1e went Some of alive, and e Govern- en place esc active nearly all ying on suppress visdom of that the probable, influence hough he and his ss to the at Mont- with the •"HE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 53 re I 1 of militia, and Mac- bles, and le militia in Poorc :e, and on 1 strong, under the command of Capt. Poore, Lieutenant Thompson, and Ensign Cirange, a brother of Mr. G. J. Grange ; with John Thorp, James Arm- strong and James Marshall as sergeants, leaving Col. Lamprey and Col. Young in charge of a portion of the company to protect Guelph. It was known that there were a considerable number of Mackenzie's sympa- thisers in Kramosa and other districts in the neighborhood, and that if an opportunity were offered they might make some active demonstration, and possibly take possession of the town, so that there was a very natural feeling of alarm here, and it was positively necessary to leave some experienced and determined officers in the town, to prevent the rebel- liously inclined in the country districts from taking such steps as, but for the very pronounced feeling of loyalty on the part of the towns-people, they would undoubtedly have proceeded to, they being in want of ammu- nition, some quantities of which were in the stores in Guelph, several men having been employed for some days in running bullets, and a number of kegs of powder being also in store in the armory, known as Hodgerts' octagon house, where the Herald block now stands. On arriving at Dundas the company put up for the night at Bamber- ger's hotel, and the town jjcing somewhat of a rebel hot-bed, a warm reception was given to the Guelph volunteers, stones being thrown at them, and a sort of intermittent fire of such missiles being kept up throughout the night, at the hotel, in which the company were so.mdly sleeping, mostly on the floor and tables. None of the men were hurt, however, beyond a few slight bruises, and the next morning they marched to Hamilton, where they were heartily welcomed by the majority of the citizens, though there were quite a number who looked upon them with anything but friendly eyes. The company remained in Hamilton three days, being quartered in the Court House, when, being relieved by some other \olunteers from Guelph, they marched to Ingersoll, Woodstock, Rrantford, and other places. While at lirantford a report was brought in that the rebels were making pikes and moulding bullets at Scotland, and the Company at once started for that place, but on their arrival found nothing more conspicuous or treasonable than a cider mill in full opera- tion. After a time the company returned to Hamilton, and on Christmas day went to the front, being stationed between Drummondville and Nia- gara Falls. The corps which left Hamilton was 1,300 strong, besides about 500 Indians, and upwards of 450 sleighs were employed in convey- ing them. In consequenceof the energetic action taken by the authorities against the steamer '' Caroline," and the insurgents stationed on Navy Island, the corps of which the Guelph men formed a part were not called into action, their duty consisting of the move arduous, if less glorious task of preserving peace in the outlying country, and defending the approaches to the scene of action. They were away about ^ix weeks, and when they retvuncd they separated, but were not disbanded, each man going to his own home. In the fall of 1838 another Company was raised by Captain Poores orders, the men enlisting for a specified time, from November 1st, 1838, to May 1st, 1840. This Company was drafted to Hamilton in the first week in November, and remained there the whole of the period of their enlistment. In common with other parts of the country, Guelph suffered comid- erably by this rebellion, not only on account of the general stagnation in business which followed, but also because of the absence of so many of the men from their farms and stores; and it was some years before tlie confidence and prosperity which had previously existed, fully returned. 54 THE ANNALS OF THE TOV/N OP OUELPH. It had for some time become a matter of serious inconvenience, that the people of Guelph, and the country lyinj,^ north and west of it, sho'.ilc' he compelled to go so long a distance to Dundas, the District town, to transact legal business, and a movement had for some time been on foot for the division of the Gore District, which then included the whole of what are now the counties of Wellington, Waterloo, Grey, Bruce, and the district as far as the shores of Lake Huron. As the result of the agita- tion which was vigorously carried on, an act was passed in 1837, 7 Wil- liam IV., chap. 18, providing for the division of the Ciore District, and foi the erection of the District of Wellington, as soon as a jail and court-house could be erected, and other necessary preliminary arrange- ments made. Among the provisions of the act were, that the jail and court-house should be situated in the Town of Guelph; that a District school should also be erected, the teacher's salary to be ^^100, to be paid out of the Provincial lunds, as also the sum of ^250 for the support of common schools, in addition to a share in such sums as were granted luider the Provincial statute of 4th William IV. The justices were em- powered to borrow ^'6,000 for building the jail and court-house, to be repaid in annual instalments of ^250, with interest, for which they were empowered to levy an additional rate of id. in the £ lor four years. During 183S a movement was commenced for improving the road between (iuelph and Dundas, much inconvenience being felt in conse- quence of the difficulties in travelling between these two points, letters, as appears by documents now in the office of the Clerk of the Peace, sometimes being five and even seven days in transit. Several meetings wore held to consider the matter but nothing definite was done until 1839, when a public meeting was called, Mr. Henry Strange being in the chair, and Mr. Thos. Saunders acting as secretary. It was then proposed that a survey should be made, for a road direct to Dundas, instead of going round by way of Waterloo. Subscription lisis were opened to defray the expense of the survey, which was entrusted to Mr. R. W. Kerr, of Flamborough West. The estimated cost was ^'3 1 , 1 59. 1 7.7, or ;^'i285.i6.8 per mile. A strong opposition was offered to the scheme on the part of some residents in Puslinch, who wished the road to be run from Guelph to the Waterloo macadamized road, cutting it at about Lamb's tavern. Petitions wero prepared in fiivor of the original scheme, with the intention of forwarding them to Col. Chisholm and Hon. James Crooks, for presentation to the two branches of the Legislature, but upon its being found that Hon. Mr. Crooks, being personally interested in the success of the rival scheme, would be likely to " throw cold water " on the Guelph enterprise, the petition was sent to Hon. Adam Fergusson, instead of to him. Soon after this had been done, Mr. Henry Strange, \.'ho had been the prime mover in the matter, suddenly died, and no further action was taken for some time, as will appear hereafter. In 1840 the Act for the separation of the District of Wellington from the District of Gore came into operation, and on the 28th July the first meeting cf the Court of Quarter Sessions was held, the Justices present being Messrs. Alexander Dingwall Fordyce, John Inglis, Geoffrey Lynch, Wm. Reynolds, Jas. Webster, Wm. Ellis, Wm. Hewat, Edward Murton, Edward F. Henning, Robt. Ailing and Henry VV. Peterson. The fol- lowing officers were then appointed for the District : — ShcriiT— Mr. Geo. J. Grange; District Treasurer— Mr. Wm. Hewat; Surgeon to the Gaol — Dr. Wm. Clarke; Inspector of Weights and Measures — Mr. A. A. Baker; Gaoler — Mr. Robt. Dunbar ; Chief Constable — Mr. John Jones. The THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 65 liencc, that f it, shoulc' :t town, to sen on foot le whole of ce, and the f the agita- l2>7, 1 Wil- istrict, and a jail and ■y anange- he jail and t a District , to be paid support of }rc granted ;s were em- ouse, to be h they were years. ig the road It in conse- ints, letters, the Peace, al meetings done until ge being in t was then to Dundas, isis were sted to Mr, ;3i,i59.i7.7, the scheme road to bo it at about nal scheme, Hon. James re, hut upon 2sted in the water" on Fergusson, trange, \>'ho liO further ngton from ily the first ices present ffrey Lynch, ud Murton, The fol- Mr. Geo. the Gaol — \. A. Baker ; [ones. The Sheriff was required to give security, himself in ^i,ooo, and two sureties in ^500 each. These sureties were Messrs. Marcus Blair of Hamilton and Mr. Thos. Saunders, of Puslinch. On October 3rd, Sheriff Grange took the oath of office, before Messrs. A. J. Fergusson and Thomas Saunders, commissioners. At the same sittings of the Court, the Courts of Request, with the districts assigned to each were numiaered as follows: — i. Guelph and Eramosa ; 2. Waterloo; 3. Wilmot ; 4. Woolwich, Nichol and Queen's Bush ; 5. Erin, (iarafraxa, and the townships added from the home dis- trict, viz : — Proton, Luther, Amaranth and Melancthon ; the divisions to take effect September ist. At the second meeting of this Court, held October 27th, thirty-one tavern and beer licenses were granted for the District. The fees charged were — for beer license, from ^^i. to ^3., and for tavern licenses, from ^^5 to £']. At the meeting of the Court in August i84i,a proposition was made to lease from Wm. Dyson, a room in a new brick building he had just erected on Gordon street for many years known as the Red Lion tavern, and now called the Fountain Hotel. For many years the magistrates' courts had been held at the British Coffee House, but now that the Dis- trict had been set apart, and the legal business would be large, and constant- ly increasing, it was decided to lease this place, at a rental of ^50 per annum, until the Court House, soon to be commenced, should be ready for occupancy. By the terms of the lease, Mr. Dyson was required to fit up the room in a suitable manner, with the usual Judges' bench, dock, witness box, accommodation for counsel, witnesses, &c., and to provide a separate staircase for the Judges, all of which was done. The attention of the Imperial Government having been called to the way in which unscrupulous persons in England were in the habit of misrepresenting to intending emigrants, the resources and general condi- tion of the country, and the rate of wages, cost ot living, &c., a list of questions was sent to prominent and reliable persons in all parts of the Province, with the request that they should be answered as accurately as possible, for the information of the home government, to allow them to issue reliable circulars for the generilguidance of emigrants. From one of these lists, tilled in by Mr. S. B. Harrison, and now in the office of the Clerk of the Peace, the following facts are gleaned. The price of land in the township of Guelph ranged from 12s. 6d. to 15s. per acre. The cost of clearing was $14 to $16 per acre. Wheat was worth 3s. gd. per bushel, oats iid. per bushel, and barley is. lod. per bushel. In this year the Wellington District Agricultural Society was formed, the committee reporting at the first meeting that ninety four members had been enrolled. The net income of the District in 1841, was ^^726 I IS. 6d., of which Guelph paid ^132. The expenditure for the year was ^650. At the January sessions in 1842, Mr. Adam Johnston Fergusson's commission as Justice of the Peace, and his appointment as Judge of the District were presented, when he took the oaths of office. At this time a scene took place in the Court worthy of notice, as showing that the coun- try was not altogether free from religious intolerance. A case in which a note for a small sum of money formed the basis of action was being tried, when a jury was demanded. Upon the jury rising to be sworn, counsel for the plaintiff" objected to one of them, on the ground that he was a Mennonist, and consequently ineligible as a Juryman. The Men- nonists were a sect holding somewhat the same religious tenets as Quakers, 66 THE ANNAT.S OF THE TOWN OF GUETJ'H. I^r. claiming nmonjf other things, exemption from scr\ico in time of war, a pri\ ilcge for wnich they were made to pay dearly enough, a tax of as much as £^ pev year l^eing imposed ujjon them, in peace or war, as an C(|uivalent for the exemption, the other taxes, to which all citizens were liable in common, being collected in addition. It was not till 1848 that this special tax could "be even reduced, a majority in Parliament always voting down any measure brought in for their benclil. At the sitting of the Court over which Judge Fergusson tirst presided, the objection was raised, and the Jiulge had no alternative but to allow it, and the juryman was ordered to leave the box, and another man called to fill his place. Whether it may be regarded with satisfaction or not is a c|uestion, but the fact remains, that the objecting plaintiff lost his case. During this year the act for the election of school commissioners came into operation, and the first meeting of the Hoard took place May iith. The Board consisted of Rev. Arthur Palmer, chairman, Rev. P. W'astel, Rev. Thomas Gibncy, Roman Catholic priest. Rev. [. Smith, Dr. Henry Orton, Mr. Thomas Sandilands, Mr, Charles Julius Mickle and Mr, Wm. Neeve. Mr. A. A, Paker was the first clerk to the Poard. The first action of the Poard, after organizing, was to take under their control all the schools in the District, and order an inspection of all the school- houses, many of which were in need of repair, and in some districts new school-houses were required, and in course of time these were built, .Several changes were also found to be necessary in the staff of teachers, some of whom were found to be ver\- incomjietent. Some of these were therefore discharged. In 1843 the new jail was finished, the distinction of being the first man to be confined therein being due to James Lindsay, for stealing cat- tle. It being proved that he had been carrying on this business for a long time, he was sentenced to be imprisoned for Wvc years. This docs not appear to have cured him of his propensity for dri\ing other peo])le's cattle, for he had not been released from his long confinement more than six weeks, when he was arrested on a similar charge near Toronto, and sent to the Pro\ incial penitentiary for seven years. The criminal business during the year 1S44 was very light, it being on record that at the January sessions there was not a single prisoner for trial ; at the July sessions only one, and at the November sessions only four, of whom two only were found guilty, and these for minor offences. This, howe\ er, as will be seen, was Init the lull before the storm, for the courts were kept busy enough during the succeeding three or four years. This year witnessed the revival of the St. Andrew's Society. In t'ne year 1838 Mr. Gait had established ■\psciido society, without any regular- ly elected officers or times for meeting, but now a properly organized society was formed, but who were the otticers there is no record to show. i\ St. George's .Society on a similarly loose plan had also i^ecn in exist- ence, and this year it also was revi\ed, ViX. John Howitt being the first president, no record having been kept of the names of the other officers. This was nothing remarkable, for, until 1840, the records even of the courts, and of the meetings for the transaction of public business, were \ ery meagre, and in many instances no records at all were made, the business being transacted in public meeting, and it apparently being thought that those interested coi.ld 'emember what had been done, at least until the next meeting. At the close of this year the Wellington District Pencvolent Association was formed, with Rev. Arthur Palmer as president. This association was formed of all creeds and nationalities, THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF CUELPH. 67 ; cat- for a lis docs people's re than ito, and t being Dner for ns only ■fences. for the r years, ]n t'ne regular- anized o show, n cxisl- he first afficers. \ of the >s, were de, the ' being lone, at lington hner as lalities, for the relief of all in distress, with the same catholic disregard to relig- ious or national distinctions, and for many years it continued its benevo- lent operations, being the niea^s of doing an incalculable amount of good. In 1845 ^ '^cw era may be said to have commenced in Ciuelph. As the town had progressed in population and prosperit)-, two distinct attempts had been made to publish a local newspaper, but, partly owing to the limited constituency in the surrounding country and the financial depression which had existed all over the Province forstvcral years, and partly also in consetfuencc of the lack of practical ability on the part of those who made the ventures, both attempts proved signal failures. In the case of the Adiu-r/isrr, which was now commenced, the result proved far difterent. The country was more prosperous, farmers were obtaining higher prices for their produce, more settlers were coming in, and, what was of far more conse(|ucncc, Mr. John Smith, the proprietor, was a man of experience, and seemed to adapt his paper to the wants of the people upon whom he depended for support. In rS^G an act was passed providing for a reorganization of the Dis- trict Councils, granting to each of the D'Strirts enlarged powers and an additional number of councillors, tlie Wellington District being included. Under this new arrangement, which came into operation in January, 1847, many improvements were made, under the direction of Mr. A. D. Ford\ ce, the Warden, by which increased facilities were afforded for travel, by the repairing of many neglected county roads and the erection ot new bridges at several important points. During this year a new mill was built by Drs. Clarke and Orton -the latter being the father of Dr. Orton, M. P. on the site of the present People's Mills, now owned by Mr. James (Toldie. It was a frame structure, of considerable dimen- sions, with six run of stones. A large business was done in gristing, and the enterprise promised to be exceedingly profitable for the proprietors, as it was undoubtedly a great convenience to the small farmers. Earl)- in the next year, however, these hopes seemed for a time to be shattered, and a heavy blow was struck at the industry of the place. About two miles out of the town, on the Kramosa road, lived two families named Oliver and Coghlin, between which a long-standing religious feud had existed, the Olivers being Orangemen and the Coghlins Roman Catho- lics. Whenever any members of these families met, high words, and frequently hard blows, were exchanged, the young men es])ecially evinc- ing great bitterness towards each other, and none of them bearing a very high character for sobriety, the disputes generally resulted from excite- ment through drink. On the afternoon of March 23rd three of the Olivers were driving home in a sleigh, and when a short distance beyond the lu-amosa hill, they met some of the Coghlins, and a light ensued, in which Charles Coghlin stabbed Richard Oliver with a bayonet, killing him almost instantly. For this Coghlin was tried before .Mr. Justice McLean, and being found guilty of murder, was hanged in front of the Court House on July 1st. There had been some difficulty in getting the scaffold erected, threats of a serious nature having lieen made by the friends of the convicted man that whoexer undertook the job should suffer for it afterwards, and the lawless character of some of them was sufficient to deter many from doing the work who otherwise would have willingly undertaken it. Of the extensive sympathy for the family of the doomed man which existed in the minds of the lower classes, ample evidence was afiorded on the morning of the execution, when a most 68 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPJ*. unseemly riot took place under the scaffold, which, but for the presence of a large posse of special constables, would probably have had serious results. When the prisoner was first arrested he was brought before Dr. Clarke, as Justice of the Peace, and the Coghlins declared that the pris- oner vas not fairly dealt with by him, a statement for which there does not appear to have been the slightest foundation, judging from the numerous letters on the subject which were published in the Advertiser at the time. This impression took a deep hold on the minds of the Coghhn family, however, and it was feared for some time that some injury, either of a personal nature or in his property, would be intlictcd on the Doctor. When, therefore, in March, 1846, the mill was burned, the general impression was that it was the work of an incendiary, and it was so stated in a proclamation issued by the Government, offer- ing a reward of ^250, in addition to ^400 offered by Drs. Clarke and Orton and the District Council, for such evidence as would lead to the conviction of the culprit. Nothing ever came to light upon which to base a charge, though several persons were suspected, and the matter gradually lost its interest. The loss by the fire was ^5,500, which was covered by insurance to the amount of about ^3,000. Hitherto the Conservatives in the District had possessed no perma- nent organ for the enunciation of their political principles. Two separate attempts had been made to establish a Conservative paper here, one in 1842. when Mr. Chas. Macdonald commenced the publication of the Herald. Mr. Peterson, Registrar of the District, who was the first to establish a newspaper west of Anc.ister, had published a German paper, the Canada Museum^ in Berlin, in 1832, and having the press, one of the Ramage make, and a quantity of type still on hand, Mr. Macdonnell made an arrangement with Mr. Peterson, by which that gentleman was to be the actual proprietor, though Mr. Macdonnell was to be nominal owner, and the practical manager and editor. This paper only lived about nine months, when a Mr. Matthew S. Willet came to the town and made a similar arrangement, by which he commenced the Wflling- tonian, a paper very similar in all respects to the Herald, but from a variety of causes the venture did not prove a success, and in a few weeks it was dropped. In the vSpring of 1847, Mr. F. D. Austin effected an arrangement with Mr. Peterson of somewhat the same nature as the others, and brought out the Herald. He soon after took a partner, and the paper was published by Austin & Pearson. In the course of the following year, it being desirable to improve the character of the paper and to put in new type, a joint stbck company was formed, by Mr. Web- ster, Mr. Peterson, and several other gentlemen in the town, and Mr. Geo. Pirie, a man of liberal education and considerable ability, was in- vited to take the editorial control, which he did, and the paper a'.* once took a foremost place among Canadian newspapers, its fearless advocacy of the principles of the Conservative party, and the unflinching opposi- tion it offered to everything savoring of meaness or trickery in local or general politics, as well as the ability displayed in its editorial columns, and the enterprise shown in the news department, stamping it from the commencement as a high class newspaper, destined to exert a powerful influence on the future of the District, a mission which it most emphati- cally accomplished. It was soon found, as has generally been the case, that a joint stock company, in a small town like Guelph, was not the best machinery for carrying on a newspaper business, and it was finally ar- ranged that Mr. Geo. Pirie should become sole proprietor and editor, a THE ANNALS OF THIJ TOWN OF GUELPH. 59 presence i serious jfore Dr. the pris- lere does rom the hurtiscr s of the lat some inflicted burned, :endiary, nt, offer- irke and id to the which to le matter hich was perma- > separate e, one in )n of the 1 first to m paper, ne of the icdonncU man was nominal ly lived he town V'flling- from a w weeks "ected an as the tner, and of the le paper Web- and Mr. was in- ;i'. once dvocacy I opposi- local or columns, from the powerful mphati- the case, the best nally ar- ditor, a position for which his remarkable abilities eminently fitted him. With what success he conducted the paper those who had the honor of his acquainiance can fully testify, and it is not too much to say that the Con- servative party in this town and surrounding districts, owes much of its prosperity and power to his untiring exertions and saJf denying labors, in wli'rli he never flagged up to the time of his death, which took place in 1870. ut the course pursued and the success of the paper since, the public are left to judge for themselves. Early in 1848 an appeal was made by Rev. Arthur Palmer and a number of the most prominent men in the town, for funds to assist in the relief of the people of Ireland, who were then in the greatest distress consequent on the recent potato famine, and to the credit of the people of Guelph, small in number thougli they were, it is recorded that upwards of ^400 was subscribed. The farmers of the Wellington District had always taken a deep interests in the proceedings of agricultural societies, more especially that of the Gore District, and several local clubs had been formed in the townships in the neighborhood of Guelph, excepting Puslinch. This year the Puslinch farmers determined to have a club, and accordingly in February a meeting was held, and th'' Puslinch branch of the Wellington District Agricultural Society was organized, a club which has, perhaps, been more generally successful, and exerted a more beneficial influence, both on account of the hearty interest taken in it, and the more than ordinary intelligence and energy of its members, than almost any other in the Province, and there is probably not one local organization of the kind in this country which to-day commands so much respect among the agricultural community. In April a deputation arrived here from Toronto, to consult some of the leading men of the town as to what steps should be taken by Guelph in support of the proposed Toronto and Goderich Railway, which the company contemplated bringing through the town, if sufficient encour- agement were offered. A public meeting was at once called, Sheriff Grange in the chair, when the intentions of the company were fully explained by Mr. Thos. (now Judge) Gait, who said he had visited the town in 1827, and had on foot traversed the distance from Guelph to Goderich, before there was even so much as a pathway cut through the woods, and he felt peculiar pleasure in being the first to lay before the people of this town a proposal to build a railway across the same country. It was resolved that a committee should be appointed to collect subscriptions to defray the expenses of a survey and push the matter forward ; but, though a number of meetings were held, and considerable stir was made in the country, the project, so far as this company was concerned, died a natural death. Mr. James Webster had sat for the District in the Local Assembly for several years, and the Reformers thought that a gentleman of their own side in politics should be chosen at the next election, which was expected to take place at no distant day. They accordingly organized, and Mr. A. J. Fcrgusson, District Judge, was induced to resign his posi- tion for the purpose of becoming a candidate, which he did in April, and Mr. Wm. Dummer Powell was appointed his successor in May. At the retirement of Judge Fergusson addresses were presented to him by members of the bar and others, on both sides in politics, expressive of the high esteem in which he had been held as a judge, and the warm feelings of respect entertained for him personally. Canvassing went 60 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF OUELPH, vi},'orousIy on cUirinp the remainder of the year, the result of which will be referred to hereafter. In the November session of parliament an act was passed incorpor- ating the (iuclph and Diindas Road Company, for the purpose of building a macadami/.eX''illoughby; Maryborough, Hugh Holltnsheacl; Nichol, John Valentine; Normanby, John Robertson ; Peel, C. O'Callaghan and J. Wilson; Puslinch, J. Cockburn and T. Ellis; Sydenham, Thomas Lunn ; Sullivan, W. Halliday ; Waterloo, Elias Snyder and H. Snyder ; Wellesley, John Hawke and G. Hawke ; Wilmot, J. Ernst and A. Kaiser ; Woolwich, John Meyers and E. Passmore. Mr. 68 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. Thurtell was unanimously elected Warden, and Mr. A. Stephens and Mr. T. Heffernan were appointed auditors. The church of St. George, to the building of which reference has already been made, was now found to be quite inadequate to the accom- modation of the rapidly mcreasmg congregation, and it was therefore determined to build a larger edifice, of stone, the corner stone of which was laid July 17th, 1851, by Rev. Arthur Palmer, assisted by Rev. E. M. Stewart, Assistant Minister; Rev. J. G. Geddes, Hamilton; Rev. M. Boomer, Gait ; Mr. Sheriff Grange, Mr. R. Jackson, Col, W. Hewat, churchwardens, and others. In the afternoon a sermon was preached by Rev. M. Boomer, from ist Peter, i. 1-5 ; after which the ceremony of laying the stone was performed. The Building Committee consisted of Messrs. F. W, Stone, James Wilson, G. J. Grange, A. A. Baker, W. H. Parker and Frederick Marcon, together with the Rector. The architect was Mr. William Thomas, and Messrs. John Worthington, John Har- rison and James Thompson were the contractors. In the bottle placed in the stone were deposited: a par^ hment roll, inscribed with the names given above, Report of the Church Society for 1850, Charge of the Bishop of Toronto, delivered May 1851, Visitation sermon preached by Rev. A. Palmer, Scobie's Almanac for 185 1, Circular from the Rector to the par- ishioners. Appeal to the members of the Church in the Mother Country, Programme of Ceremonies used on this occasion. The Church of July loth, Guelph Advertiser of the 3rd July, and the Guelph Herald of the 15th July. The estimated cost of the new building was ^2,500, and the work was at once commenf^ed, but the original design was never fully carried out, only a part of the contemplated stone building being erected, as an addition to the original wooden structure. The work was com- pleted in the course of a few months. For some time a scheme had been under consideration to erect a new Market House, and in February of this year it took definite shape by the circulation of a subscription list, the heading of which was as follows : — "PROSPERITY TO GUELPH !— Proposal to raise one thousand POUNDS, to build a NEW MARKET HOUSE ! ! — The Agriculturists of Guelph and acijoining Townships have long felt the want of some Public Mart, to which they might resort for the purpose of turning their Produce into Cash ; and the Inhabitants of this Town having also long felt the want of such a place of general accommodation, the Undersigned hereby agree to take the numbers of Shares opposite their respective names, in the above important undertaking; such shares to be 5/each,and to be called up in installments of 20s each, at intervals of three months. A Committee of Management to be appointed when halt the amount shall have been subscribed." The estimated cost of the new building was ^1500, deben- tures for which sum were to be issued, redeemable at 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 years, the expectation being that the profits derived from the fees would be sufficient to meet the payments which would then become due. A public meeting was called to consider the matter, when it was announced that 121 shares at ^5 each had already been subscribed, which amount was ready for investment in debentures, but great opposition was offered to the scjheme by Dr. Clarke and many others, and a very warm discus- sion ensued, during which interested motives were imputed to the pro- moters, various recriminatory charges were made, the meeting finally separating without any definite action being taken. Another meeting was held shortly afterwards, but in the interim Dr. Clarke and his friends had organized a powerful opposition, and upon the question being put to THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 69 a new Dy the vs :— SAND uelph art, to into want ree the ailed nittee been eben- id lo vould A need lount Tered scus- pro- nally eting lends lUt to the meeting whether the work should be undertaken or not, it was decided by a large majority that they did not want a Market House, and would not have it at any price, at least for the present. The railway mania had by this time fairly taken possession of the country, and Guelph had become infected with the contagion. In this case, unlike many others at that time, the desire for railway communica- tion vvas a most laudable one, and the building of a line to bring the town into direct communication with some large business centre and shipping port was absolutely necessary to the prosperity of the town, and as the Great Western, with its contemplated branch to Gait, which was already being spoken of, would cut off a large portion of the trade from the town, it was of the most vital importance that a like advantage should be secured for Guelph. The question was therefore brought formally before the County Council in July, and a proposition was made that ^25,000 stock should be taken in the proposed Toronto and Guelph railway, a scheme which would secure to this town much greater advantages than (jalt would derive from the contemplated branch of the Great Western to that town. A public meeting was accordingly called to consider the proposition of the County Council, and the enthusiasm in favor of the plan was of the most intense description, and a deputation was at once appointed to proceed to Toronto to confer with the Directors of the Company on the subject, when it was arranged that if the amount named were voted for the railway, Guelph should be made the terminus of the road for the present, and should always be a first-class station. Subse- quently a fusion of the rival companies, the Toronto and Goderich and Toronto and Lake Huron railways, and, a bill incorporating the Toronto and Guelph Railway Co. having passed the Legislature in August, the scheme was fairly floated, and on the news being brought to Guelph the excitement was most intense, cannon roaring and bonfires blazing in every direction. Shortly afterwards a by-law to grant the sum of ^25,000 was submitted to the ratepayers, and carried by 112 to 6. In the Town- ship a similar by-law was carried by 130 to 4, for granting ^10,000, and by-laws were carried in other townships making grants of various amounts. Attracted doubtless by the splendid success which had attended the efforts of the promoters of the Toronto and Guelph Railway, a deputa- tion, consisting of Mr. (now Hon.) Isaac Buchanan, Mr. A. Kerr and Mr. R. Juson, soon afterwards arrived from Hamilton, asking for a grant of ^3,000 per mile, to enable the Great Western Railway to continue their branch line from Gait to Guelph. The deputation was very cordially received, and the proposal very favorably considered, at a public meeting called by Sheriff Grange at the Court House, but, though, as will be seen hereafter, the work was subsequently completed, no action was taken in the matter at tb.at time. In September of this year the agency of tlie Canada Company, which had up to that time been held by Mr. F. Marcon, was discontinued, and all books and documents were removed to the head of^ce in Toron- to. — In December the Guelph Horticultural Society was formed, with Mr. A. A. Brker as President, Messrs. W. S. G. Knowles, J. T. Tracy and W. Benham Vice-Presidents, and Mr. Robert Sunley, Secretary- Treasurer. In the last session of the Legislature an Act had been passed, tempo- rarily uniting the counties of Waterloo, Wellington and Grey for munici- pal and judicial purposes, and also tor parliamentary representation, the entire district covering 150 scjuare miles, and consisting of 33 townships, ro THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. each of which sent a reeve, and some of them deputy reeves also, to the Council, so that, with the reeves of Guelph, Gait and Preston, the Coun- cil consisted of 45 members. The first meeting was held January 26th, 185?, Dr. Clarke being the member from Guelph, and Mr. Thurtell from Guslph Township. The members of the Town Coun..il for 1852 were Dr. Clarke, Reeve; Messrs. J. Smith, G. Sunley, W. S. G. Knowles and Dr. Orton. In January the Puslinch Agricultural Club was formed into a sepa- rate organization, so as to be entitled to their share of the Government grant made a*^^ the last session of Parliament. The President was Mr. John Cockburn, Vice-President Mr. John Hammersley, and the Secre- tary-Treasurer, Mr. David Stirton. The Guelph Township Agricultural Society was formed at about the same time, in a few days 112 persons having subscribed not less than five shillings each to the funds. At the first meeting there were present, among others: — Messrs. James Wright, Richard Jackson, James Loghrin, A. A. Baker, J. McCrea, J. Harland and D. Allan, Col. Hewat, Drs. Clarke and Liddell, Messrs. William Day, John Mitchell, James Davie, Thomas Card, A. Quarry, Joseph Jackson, John Card, Robert Scott, George Pearson, W. Nicholson, F. Marcon, A. Fisk, J. T. Tracy, W. Jackson, John Day, George Harvey, E. A. Harland, W. H. Parker, Arthur Hogge, Henry Watson, George Mur- ton, Henry Lynch, C. Davis, J. C. Wilson, John Sauvey, G. Pirie, John Thorp, James Grahame and others. After the objects and nature of the society had been explained, and some able speeches had been delivered, the following officers were elected: President, Mr. R. Jackson; Vice- President, Mr. John McCrea; Secretary-Treasurer, IVIr. J. Harland; Directors, Messrs. James Wright, A. Hogge, W. Whitelaw, E. Hubbard, A. Ritchie, J. Card, R. Campbell, A. Ouarrie and J. Davie. About this time an advertisement was published by the Canada Com- pany, offering for sale the lower portion of the Market Square. This, as may be imagined, created no small consternation in the town, especially among those who owned property in that neighborhood, and a public meeting was called, at which a resolution was unanimouslypassed calling upon the Council to take such steps as might be necessary to prevent such an encroachment on the rights of property owners, and such a high-handed confiscation of what had always been looked upon as Town property. The Council consequently obtained the advice ot Mr. Fergusson, and the opinion of eminent counsel in Toronto, the result being that the case was thrown into Chancery, where it continued pending for a long time. At length the trial took place, when some score or more of witnesses were subpcenaed from Guelph, and in course of evidence it was clearly shown that on all the maps published by the Company the land in question was distinctly marked " Market Square,'' and, also, that in all sales of land in that vicinity, it had been clearly stated by the agents of the Company that it had been reserved as an open space for market purposes in perpetuity, upon which representations the adjacent lots had been con- sidered far more valuable than those more remote. In reply to this the Company asserted that their agents had never been authorized to make such statements, but the Court held that the fact that all the agents had made the same representations, together with the evidence afforded by the maps, if not conclusive proof that it had been the intention of the Company so to reserve the land for a market as contended by the Town, was sufficient to entitle the Tov/n to retain the land, and judgment was given accordingly, thus securing the land in question as a market place THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 71 », to the e Coun- ry 26th, ell from vere Dr. and Dr. I a sepa- ernment was Mr. e Secre- -i cultural persons At the Wright, Harland William ■, Joseph olson, F. arvey, E. rge Mur- irie, John ;re of the leliveredj n ; Vicc- Harland; [lubbard, id a Com- This, as specially a public d calling vent such \-handed l^roperty. ;son, and : the case Dng time, sses were ly shown Dtion was f land in Company purposes leen con- this the to make ents had brded by on of the he Town, ment was ket place or for such numicipal purposes as might be lawful, for ever. The Town Council this year was composed of— Dr. Clarke, Reeve ; Messrs. W. S. G. Knowles, Dr. Orion, G. Sunley and J. Pipe. Early in this year another important step was taken in constituting Guelph a first-class town, and in affording to the inhabitants the facilities for rapid communication enjoyed by other places. In the course of the previous year the Montreal, or (irand Trunk Telegraph Company, had been vigorously engaged in e.xtending their lines to various important pomts in Upper Canada, and in January of this year a deputation arrived in Guelph to ascertain how far the town would be likely to support an office here, and to what extent financial assistance would be granted in bringing the lines to tliis point. Tie Company asked a bonus of ^375 for that purpose. A meeting was called to lay the matter before the people, and in a very short time the requisite amount was fully subscribed, and the work at once commenced, so that in June an office was opened, adjoining Thorp's Hotel, and from the commencement to the present time has proved one of the most remunerative oflices, for a town of this size, in Canada. In the Upper Canada Gazette of January 22nd a proclamation was issued, erecting Waterloo into a separate county for all purposes, with Jierlin as the County Town, much to the chagrin of the people of Cialt, who had for some years been agitating the movement, with the expecta- tion that that would l^e the county seat. The new county was adjudged to assume ^3,809 a^. its proportion of the debt which had been incurred in building tlie Guelph and Dundas Road and for other purposes, in accordance with the provisions of the Act 12 \'ic. cap. 78, sec. 15. At the meeting of the County Council in Guelph on January 24th, therefore, only the members of the counties of Wellington and Grey were present, those two counties still remaining united. In this council Messrs. 15. Thurtell and Thomas Hood were the members for (nielph Township, and Dr. Clarke for the Town. Dr. Clarke was elected Warden by a vote of 1 5 to 13. In ^Iarch a bill was passed giving to the County of Wellington two representatives in Parliament, the county being divided into the North and South Ridings. The following were the townships, with the popula- tion of each, \\\ the respective ridings: NORTH HIDING. | SOUTH RIDINc;. Nichol 2,459 Guelph Township 2,870 Garafraxa • 2,o83|Guelph Town i,S6o I'ilkington 1,990' Puslinch 3,862 Peel , 2,455 Eramosa ->35o Maryborough 994! Erin jt590 Amaranth 33 Arthur, Luther and Minto 1,803! Total 12,119, Total i4,S'M For a considerable time the bridge across the Sj -^ed at the Eramosa Road, known at that time as the Breakneck Bridge, nad been in a very dilapidated condition, and it was now determined to replace it with an iron structure, at a cost of about ^700. During the succeeding summer the present bridge was erected by Mr. John Watt, the approaches on either side being graded at the same time. The old cemetery, situated in the angle between Wyndham and Woolwich streets, having been condemned, a plot of land, consisting of .'.jwii^art:'.^ 72 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. forty acres, situated in the Scotch Block, on the Elora Road, was pur- chased for the sum of ;{^6oo, and during the summer was partially laid out and fenced. By a special arran;,'emcnt, ten acres of this was set apart as an lOpiscopal cemetery, in connection with St. George's Church. The Guelph and Gait Railway was now in a fair way of becoming an accomplished fact. In September, 1853, a rivalry sprung up between Gait and Preston as to which town should be the terminus of the road, and some sh.irp practice was resorted to by the (ialtonians to secure the largest reprer^entation on the Hoard of Directors. Many straw men were induced to take shares for which they never expected to pay, and for which they never would be in a position to pay, in order to secure an addi- tional number of votes in the election of Directors. Gait thought it was all secure, when, to their surprise and mortification, it was found that the day before the stock books closed, previous to the election, a bar-tender in Preston, named McCracken, had signed his name for shares to the amount of ^25,000, thus securing 1,000 votes, a <(9/(/> which fairly stag- gered the (Jalt people, and completely swamped them in the election. Of course McCracken never paid a shilling for the shares, notwithstand- ing that a suit was commenced — though not proceeded with — to compel him to do so. Previous to this Guelph had subscribed for ^10,000 of stock. Mr. Sheriff Grange was elected President of the Company, and he turned the first sod, near Gait, May 12, 1854. In September, 1853, ground was broken at Berlin for the Guelph and Sarnia Railway, a work which was vigorously proceeded with. In December, 1853, Mr. George Brown came to Guelph by invita- tion of the Reformers to deliver an address on the political questions of the day, and a large number of persons assembled to hear him. Unfor- tunntcly for the harmony of the meeting, however, some of the Conserva- tives, with a section of the Reformers, had sent an invitation to Mr. Wm. Lyon Mackenzie to be present, probably as much for a joke as anything else, and he arrived soon after Mr. Brown had commenced speaking. This was tJic signal for a general disturbance, the Reformers having announced that Mr. Alackcnzie should not be allowed to speak, a privi- lege which the Conservatives were equally determined should be accorded him. So great and uncontrollable did the interruption eventually become, that the Reformers adjourned to the Temperance Hall, and Mr. Macken- zie addressed those who remained. The members of the Town Council this year were: Mr. W. S. G. Knowles, Reeve ; Messrs, John Pipe, John Harris, W. Stevenson and Dr. Clarke. By virtue of a proclamation published in the Gazette in September, 1853, the County of Grey was set apart for municipal, judicial and elec- toral purposes. The first meeting of the Wellington Courty Council was held January 23rd, 1854, the following being the names of the mem- bers:— Amaranth, John Currie ; Arthur, Robert Morrison ; Eramosa, D. Black ; Erin, William Clarke, Robert L. Campbell ; Guelph Town, W. S. G. Knowles ; Guelph Township, James Wright, George Shortreed; Garafraxn, J. Donaldson, John Dobbin ; Maryboro', Samuel Robertson ; Nichol, James Ross ; Peel (a double return), William Stutridge and P. O'Reilly; J. Wilton and G. Molloy ; Pilkington, Hugh Roberts ; Puslinch, J. Cockburn, D. Stirton. Mr, James Wright was elected Warden. Some alterations having become necessary in the arrangements for holding Division Courts, the following Divisions Vv-ere adopted: No, i, (iuelph Town and Township ; No. 2, Puslinch ; No. 3, Eramosa ; No. 4, Nichol THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 73 vas pur- ally laid was set Church, econiing between he road, ;cure the nen were , and for an addi- ht it was [ that the ar-tender •es to the irly stag- election, dthstand- :o compel * 1 0,000 of Dany, and ber, 1853, y, a work by invita- estions of Unfor- onserva- Mr. Wm. anything speaking, rs having <, a privi- accorded y become, Macken- W. S. G. :nson and cptcmber, and elec- f Council the mem- amosa, D. Dh Town, ihortreed ; .obertson ; ige and P. Puslinch, en. Some 3r hokling I, (}uelph 4, Nichol concessions i to 10 in (iarafraxa, and I'eel from the 4ih concession east- ward ; No. 5, Erin, Amaranth, East Luther, and Garafraxa ; No. 6, Pil- kington, concessions 1 1 to 14, inclusive of Peel ; No. 7, Peel, concessions I to 10 inclusive, and West Maryborough ; No. 8, Arthur, East Mary- borough, Minto and West Luther. At about this time the Guelph Mercury was first published, under the management of Mr. G. M. Keeling, who had for a time, in 1848, had the management of the Advertiser, which paper, now, under the manage- ment of Mr. John Smith, who had resumed control some years previous- ly, was published tri-wcekly. The Baldwin administration, having been defeated on a cjuestion relating to the Clergy Reserves, a dissolution of Parliament took place, and on July 17th the nomination for South Wellington took place, when Mr. A. J. Fergusson was returned without opposition. The nomination in the North Riding took place the following day, the candidates being Ur. Clarke, of Guelph, Conservative, and Mr. George Barron, of Elora, Reformer. The canvass had been vigorously prosecuted by the Re- formers for several months, but notwithstanding that, and the fact that Mr. Barron was far better known in that part of the county, Dr. Clarke was elected by an overwhelming majority. Li August the county sustained a severe loss by the death of two of the most prominent citizens. The first was that of Mr. Wm. 1). Powell, Judge of the County and Surrogate Courts, a position which he had held since the retirement of Judge P^ergussoii in 1847, and the duties of which he had discharged with the greatest satisfaction to the entire community, and in which, though still a comparatively young man, he had acquitted himself in such a manner as to command the respect of the entire legal profession, and the warmest esteem of all with whom he came into con- tact, not only for his conduct on the bench, but also for his self-sacrificing labors in promoting all movements for the interests of the town He died suddenly August 20th from epilepsy, superinduced by fatigue and exposure in driving from place to place in the discharge of his duties, in the various parts of the large counties of Wellington and Grey, over which his jurisdiction extended. A few days afterwards another useful citizen was removed, in the person of Mr. B. Thurtell, who, with the ex- ception of two or three years, had represented Guelph Township in the District and County Councils from 1841, and had several times held the honorable position of Warden. In October a serious fire occurred on Wyndham and Macdonnell streets, in which about a dozen of the best stores in the town were burned, the loss amounting to several thousand pounds. In December another fire occurred in the new buildings recently erected by Dr. Clarke on Wyndham and Quebec streets, the Doctor's loss being about ^1,000, and others losing property to the value of .^500 more. Guelph had latterly been attracting considerable attention, not only throughout Canada, but also in the United States, on account of the im- portant position it was assuming in manufactories and general commerce, and also from the large quantities of grain and fine cattle sent from its market. As an indication of the interest lelt in the town, it may be mentioned that the International Journal, in September 1854, published a description of the town, which, though in some particular not quite correct, and in some respects partial in its notices of manufactories and buildings, may be worth reproducing here. It says : — "Guelph (commonly pronounced Gwelf,) lies 14 miles north from Gait, and nearly 100 miles 74 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. from Goderich on Lake Huron, to which there are daily stages over fine roads. Guelph was founded ])y Mr. Gait, the Canada Land Company's Agent or general .Superintendent, about 20 years ago, and in 1850 the population was 4,399. The houses are scattered over a large and rolling surface, and contrary to the Ubual order in Canadian cities and towns, many of the streets radiate from a central, open space, as the streets in Washington, D. C, radiate in all directions from the Capitol. 'I'he river .Speed flows past the lown, affording by a gradual fall of about 30 feet, a valuable water privilege for mills or other machinery. One gentleman, Frederick George, Esc]., who came to the country a few years ago, as a farmer, has now upon the .Speed, a llour mill with four run of stones, to which workmen are preparing to put in an addition of four j^airs more. On the opposite side of the Speed, and connected with this mill by plat- form and railway, there is a distillery, capable of using nearly 200 bushels of grain per day, and adjoining this there is a piggery containing 200 sleek-looking " jjorkers."' The ^ame proprietor has on his premises a saw-mill, a tannery, and a building used for a foundry, which are leased to tenants. IJesides these he has about 1200 feet of land fronting on either side of the Speed, with sufficient water power to drive the machinery in any buildings that may be erected on the premises for manufacturing purposes, 'fhe dam across the river is built ot stone, and is amply secured from accident. There are two other (irist Mills in the town, owned by Mr. Wm. j'Ulan. and Mr. Jas. Present; a distillery by Mr. Allan ; a Brewery by Mr. Williams, and another by Mr. Hodgert ; and five malt kilns, owned by dificrent individuals. There are three foundries in Guelph. The establishment of Mr. John Watt gives employ- ment to over 60 men. The machine shop is in a large three-story stone building, the lirst and second stories of which are used for manufacturing and general machine work, the third for preparing patterns, &c., and the attic or half-story, is used as a pattern loft. In an L, or wing of the main building, is the moulding and casting room ; the blacksmith work being done in an adjoining building. Steam engines and boilers, mill work, stoves and agricultural implements, are manufactured at this establish- ment. The 1^'oundry and Tin-ware Manufactory of Smith, Mathewson & Co., is devoted to stoves, agricultural implements, &c., and is a neat and well arranged establishment. The other foundry is that of Mr. A. Robertson, devoted to general castings and machinery. The tannery of Mr. John Harvey is very extensive, and turns out annually about 5000 sides of sole leather, besides upper leather anJ kipskins. Mr. Gow has a large tannery in operation, and there are three others in the suburbs of the town, owned by Mr. Jackson, Mr. Clarke and Mr. Horning. A fan- ning-mill manufactory is carried on by Mr. James Mays, where fanners capable of cleaning a bushel of wheat per minute, are made and sold for .$25 each. There is a chair factory m the town, carried 011 by Mr. Allen, and a number of furniture manufactories, some of which are aided by steam or water power, and use the most approved machinery for expedi- tious work. Over the door of the ware-room of one of these establish- ments, we noticed, on a sign in large letters : " Boston Rocking Chairs," but whether that offered for sale was the genuine article or only an imi- tation, we did not inquire. In the suburbs of the town, there is a woollen factory in operation, by Messrs. Campbell & Co. Thorp's Hotel is a good house and well conducted. The proprietor has realized a fortune from its fruits, and is erecting his " Castle" on a beautiful hill-side in the suburbs, to which he will retire. The Hotel will be let, and is now in i THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. •75 /er fine njiany's R50 the rolling towns, reets in he river 30 feet, itleman, 50, a3 ii ones, to s more. l)y plat- bushels ling 200 mises a i leased iting on •ive the lises for Dne. and s in the Uery by lodgert ; re three employ- y stone icturing and the lie main being 11 work, itablish- Lhcwson a neat Mr. A. mery of ut 5000 iow has .^urbs of A fan- anners old for Allen, ded by expcdi- tablish- Hhairs," an imi- wooUen tel is a fortune in the now in the market. The Grand Trunk Railway will pass near it, and will be opened to Toronto within a year, and the Gait branch of the Great West- ern will be extended in a few months to the town. The " Wellington,'' by William Jlood, is a commodious house ; and we notice the " P^armer's Arms" by Wm. Underbill, the "Railroad Inn" by Wm. Temple, and '• Mechanic's Arms" by Thomas Ingraham, &c. A new hotel, of large size, has been erected, and is ready for a tenant ; it is built of stone, with narrow doors, narrow windows, &c., and has altogether too much of the stiff, strait-jacket appearance for the modern taste and fancy of travellers. Were a stranger in search of a nunnery he would as likely direct his steps to the new hotel as to the convent on the hill, for they are as near alike, externally, as can well be conceived. However, travellers will not (juarrel about the exterior of a hotel if the AfM- iVIiotc, and other essen- tials, come up to their reasonable ideas of comfort. Guelph has a tri- weekly, and three weekly papers, and iin intel'igent, social, hospitable, and cnterpr ising community." The limits of the town having been considerably enlarged, and it being ex])ected that this would be the last council under the existing arrangements, before the regular incorporation, the election for council- lors in January 1855 was very hotly contested, as it was thought very probable that the inembers of the council this year would have a very lair chance of election under the new law, when the head of the Corpora- tion would be the Mayor, instead of the Reeve. On the day of nomina- tion, therefore, a large crowd assembled, and great excitement prevailed, each of the candidates being very popular, and the difficulty with most of the electors appearing to be, whom they should select. The nomina- tion took place at the Court House, on January ist. Mr. S. H. Ciarrard nominated Messrs. J. Harris, J. Watt, J. Pipe, J. Smith and P. Gow, who were seconded by Mr. Geo. Pirie. Mr. J. W. B. Kelly nominated Messrs. J. Harris, J. Watt, Wm. Stevenson, Robt. Scott and W. S. G. Knowles. All these gentlemen went to the poll, but after about an hour Mr. Scott retired. At about three o'clock on the second day Mr. Stevenson also retired, having polled in the two days 56 votes. At the close of the poll the votes stood as follows : — Harris— 182, Gow — 178, Watt— 170, Pij-e — 169, Smith — 148, Knowles — 140, showing a remarkably close run. Messrs. Harris, Gow, Watt, Pipe and Smith were therefore declared elected, and at the first meeting of the Council, on January i6th. Mr. John Smith was chosen Reeve. The members of the Township Council for this year were, Mr. T. Hood (reeve), Mr. W. Whitelaw (deputy reeve), Mr. G. Shortreed, Mr. M. Sweetnam and Mr. R. Cooper. The meetings of the Council were held at Blyth's hotel, the sum of ^15 being paid for the accommodation. One of the lirst subjects which claimed the attention of the ratepayers this year was a proposed Bill to amend the Gait and Guelph Railway y\ct, among the proposed provisions of which were, the giving to each municipality subscribing for stock in the Company, certain representation on the Board of Directors ; the extension of the railway from Guelph to Owen Sound ; the building of a branch to some suitable point on the northerly part of the eastern shore of Lake Huron ; and aiso an extension from Preston to Berlin, and thence to some suitable point on Lake Huron ; and also an extension from Preston to Paris ; to increase the amount of stock from ^140,000 to ^1,500,000, and to increase the amount the Company was authorized to borrow by their Act of Incorporation irom ^50,000 to ;i^i,ooo,ooo. To this Bill there was great opposition, 76 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH, whca the full meaning of its provisions were explained to the people, which, however, was not until it had nearly slipped through a second reading. Subsequently an amended Bill was brought in, giving to each municipality subscribing ;^5ooo a seat at the Board ; allowing the con- struction of the e tension from Guelph to Sydenhan;, or some suitable place near that village, and also the extension from Preston to Berlin, subject to the approval of the Governor in Council. It also provided for the increase of the capital from ^i4o,0(Xi to ^550,000. A further proviso was that the Owen Sound, or Sydenham line should not be commenced until ^350,000 of the stock was taken, and 10 per cent, paid thereon ; nor the one to 15erlin until ^{^50,000 stock should be taken, with the like proportion paid. Sections 5 and 6 provided that as the Great Western Railway and the Gait & Guelph Railway Companies were desirous of entering into an arrangement for the working and leasing of the road, power should be given to the said Companies to make arragements for that purpose, the Great Western to grant assistance, by providing iron, &c., for the railway, or to build and finish the works of the Gak and Guelph Company, the amount of such advance or assistance to be a first charge on the works. The extension to Owen Sound was to be com- menced within three years and finishe.l within seven years. By a final arrangement, made in October, Guelph subscribed an additional amount, making the total stock held by the Town ^20,000, this action being endorsed by a public meedng held October 4tn, and effected by the Council a few days later. Throughout the whole of the British Empire a movement, which originated in London, England, and the ramifications of which extended wherever the English tongue was spoken, had for some time been in operation, for the raising of a fund, known as the Patriotic Fund, for the relief of the widows and orphans, and others who suffered by the conse- quences of the Crimean war, which at this time did not appear likely to cease tor some time. Appeals were published, and sent to every city, town and village throughout ihe Britisn possessions, for contributions towards this noble object, and everywhere were they right nobly respond- ed to. In Canada, the modes of raising contributions were various, in many places the favorite mode being by a regular assessment, and among other places Toronto and Hamilton adopted thir plan, but Guelph, true to the benevolent instincts which had always characterized it, as in the case of the appeal for help for the poor suffe' ' r^, Irish people v/hen the potato famine brought such misery and jul..cang on that fair land, re- solved to adopt the voluntary principle, the people preferring to give what they had to give freely, rather than have their benevolent offerings put upon the basis cf an ordinary tax. In other places liie amount of the assessment v/as in the proportion of ^100 for every i, coo inhabitants, which would have made the sum to be raised in Guelph ab:Hit ^300, had *^his method cf raising the money been adopted. Toronto and Hamilton did, with some difficulty, and al.50 with some expense, raise the sums expected from thjin, but Guelph did more. Here, hundreds of willing and energetic workers vvfe found, among all classes, young and old, and instead of the ^^300 which was expected from Guelph, upv.'ards of ,1^450 was soon raised and forwarded to headquarters, being more than half as much again in proportion to the nuuiocr of inhabitants as was raised in the cities where the assessment was made, and where, in some instances, there was no little dissatisfaction expressed at being compelled to pay, whether the people would or not. That the benevolence of Guelph was THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. people, second to each ;he con- suitable ) Berlin, r'lded for r proviso UTienced :on ; nor the like Western sirous of he road, lents for ling iron, lak and be a first be com- ]y a final , amount, on being d by the It, which extended : been in d, for the le conse- hkely to ^ery city, ributions •espond- arious, in among pb, true IS in the v/hen the land, re- to give offerings nt of the labitants, 300, had Hamilton the sums of willing old, and of /aS^ m half as raised in nstances, d to pay, lelph was duly appreciated, even in the cities where the tax was adopted, may be readily inferred from the following, clipped from the Toronto 0/(i Coitn- ^lyiiian, which was only one ncws]:)aper in a hundred which made the graceful acknowledgement of Guelph's superior benevolence: " The only conimanity in Canada in which there appears to be any enthusiasm about the Patriotic Fund is the little town of Guelph. There they seem to be proudly conscious that there is ' no disgrace in poverty honestly come by.' The rich have given of their abundance, and the poor of their penury, and the scores who have placed their published names opposite sums of sevenpence halfpenny and three ^ ence, are worthy of all praise, and will in no wise lose their reward, 'i'his noble feeling will reflect eternal honor upon the whole district. Perchance the very name of their town, being that of the royal lacy who occupies the proud- est throne in Christendom, may have its mfluencc, as well as the fact that many of its inhabitants are countrymen of him who is the father of the future kings of England, and the husband of their gracious Queen. Nobly, right loyally done, men of (Juelph! We devoutly wish that there was something of the same good spirit in other places we wot of. Your donations have been heartily given, and may He w^'o seeth in secret one day reward you openly, for this your free-will offcung to ' the fatherless and the widows ' in their bereavement." Among the leading members of the County Agricultural Society, none had for many years been more active and zeal is in promoting the intere!its of the farmers, both by his efficient and untiring exertions, as secretary and treasurer, and by his practical suggestions whenever an opportunity offered, than Mr. John Harland. It was therefore deter- mined to make some acknowledgment of his services, and a subscription was tal -n up among the memliers of the association for this purpose, md on the evening of March 24th a dinner was given in his honor at the British Hotel, a very large number of gentlemen from all parts of the county being present. After dniner Mr. John McCrae, in the name of the Society, presented him with an address, which, besides alluding to his general usefulness, contained the following passages: "Your general knowledge of agriculture, the first and most noble employment given to man, pointed yo;i out as the most (it and proper person to organize the Agricultural Society for this fine county, of which you^have been and are so distinjTuished a member, and in the success of which you have been so devoted an advocate. To you the continued progress of the Society, and the advantages thereof brought before the public,'jfmust in the main be atuibuted, for although you may have been directed and encouraged by the body of the IMrectors, yet without your constant aid and advice, the \arious presidents and directors never would have brought the Society into successful workmg order. Again, as a member of the Board of Agriculture, and your essay on the capabilities of our county, brought your name before the public, and made known to the Province the fitness of the soil of our county to bring all the cereal productions of the earth to perfection, as well as the capabilities to raise the finest stock in Cana- da, encouraging the industrious immigrant to make a settlement among us.'' The address was accompanied by a presentation of a handsome cup, salver and snuff-box, all in silver, manufactured in Toronto. i'or two or three years past, it had been evident that some action woidd have to be taken by the School Trustees to provide a Central hchool building, those buildings then in use being altogether inadeijuate to the accommodation of the large and e\er increasing number of chil- *'K^ (8 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. drer in attendance. In 1854, therefore, a committee of the Board was appointed to obtain information respecting sites which might be available for the erection of a suitable building, and reported : — ist. That there are within the Corporation upwards of eight hundred children between the ages of five and sixteen years. 2nd. That the two School Houses belonging to the town will not accommodate more than one-fourth of that number ; also, that one buildmg is in a bad state of repair, and situate so near the Railway that it would be advisable to remove from it altogether. 3rd. That the Trustees have been under the necessity of hiring school accommodation at the cost of about thirty- five pounds per annum ; — they have also received notice from the landlord of the Female School Room that he will require it for other purposes at midsummer, and that the school house at present in charge of Mr. Hough, may be reciuired in like manner, as the term for which it was rented expires at that time. 4th. That under the present management the Trustees employ four Teachers, at an aggregate salary of three hundred and twenty pounds a year. The Committee would therefore recommend the selection of a suitable site of not less than one acre in a central part of the town, and the building of a School House of sufficient dimensions to accommodate the present and fast increasing school population, and place the same under the management of one efficient Head Teacher, where all the ad- vantages of centralization will be acquired without a large additional out- lay to the ratepayers. No definite action was taken on this matter until April 1855, when a largely attended meeting was held at the Court House to consider the question. It was then announced that offers had been made for the sale to the Board of lots 1046, 1047, 105 1 and 1052, com- prising about an ?.cre of ground, on the crown of the hill, adjoining the Catholic church property, which might be had for ^445. After some discussion it was decided to purchase these lots, but, as will appear later on, no steps were taken for some time towards the erection of the pro- posed building, temporary accommodation being found in other places. Up to this time the Methodist body had been worshipping in a small building, which had long since become too small for them, and during the winter of 1854-5, an energetic effort had been made to raise subscrip- tions for the erection of a commodious stone church, on the corner of Norfolk and Cork Streets. These eftbrts had been so far successful, that in April of this year a sufficient fAmi had been raised to warrant the commencement of the building, and on the 23rd of April the fourdation stone was laid. A short service was held in the church then in use, immediately adjoining the site ofj the new building, after which the con- gregation adjourned to where the corner stone was to be laid, which, after the usual preliminary services, was performed by Mr. John McLean. In the cavity of tlic stone Mr. Wm. Day placed a bottle, containing tlie following :— The name of His Excellency the Governor-Cieneral of this Province. The date when this bottle was deposited, and this foun- dation stone laid ; and the name of the gentleman who laid it. The names of the ministers present on this occasion. The names of the President of the Canada Conference of tlie Wesleyan Church, and of the Chairman of the District and Superintendent of the Circuit. The names of the Ti-ustees of the Cnielph Wesleyan Church. The names of the Ladies of the (iuelph Wesleyan Bazaar. The names of the Choir. The number of members belonging to the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Town of Guelph. The names of the gentlemen composing the Town Council, and Municipal Officers; population of the Town of Guelph for 1853; THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF OUELPH. 79 ard was .vailable at there between Houses ourth ot lair, and from it sssity of mds per ; Female svmimer, may be xpires at ;s employ y pounds tion of a own, and mmodate :he same 11 the ad- ionalout- tter until .irt House lad been 352, com- )ining the iter some lear later the pro- r places, n a small d during subscrip- :orner of iccessful, nant the iundation li in use, the con- ich, after ean. In ,ning the kl of this Ihis foun- it. The IS of the d of the c names s of the ir. The |ch. Town Council, or 1853; annual assessment of real and personal property in the Town of Ciielph for the year 1854 duly authenticated by tlie se;il of llic inunicipaiih . Names of County Oflicers and other gentlemen. Names u'i the Mcm]>ers of Parliament. Names of the Contractors and Architect. Copies of the Guelph Herald, ^ld7\'rtisfr^ Mercury, and the Christian ( iimr./id/i and some small coins. Addresses were ther, delivered by Mr. John Ale!. can, Mr. Wm. Day, Rev. Lewis Warner, pastor, and Rev. d. Goiu'.son, oi" St. Catharines former pastor, after which a soiree uas held in the old chapel, when several addresses were delivered, and a number of anthems sung by the choir. The estimated cost of the building was /,"24oo, the contractors being, for the stone work, Mr. Freeman, and for the wood work, Messrs. Halt & Robinson. In May, Mr. John Fipc, in consequence of the !)ressure of business, which required his presence in England for a few months, resigned his scat at the Council Board, he at the same time stating that he considered the business to come before the Council during the year of so nnich im- portance, that he could not consent to have h's place at the Board vacant so long. The resignation was, of course, accepted, and in the following- week Mr. Fred. Ceorge and Air. George l^Uiott were brought forward as candidates for the vacant seat. The election was very close, but resulted in the election of Mr. George, by a majority of nine votes only. In the early part of this year the P)aptists in the town had taken steps to erect a place of worship, they previously having been compelleil to meet in a school-house. Funds were soonraised, and a nuat frame chapel erected on Norfolk Street, and on Sunday, July 8th, it was opened for Divine worship. The Rev. Mr. Booker, of Hamilton, preached in the forenoon, selecting for his text Nehemiah, 2nd chap., and 20th verse ; " The God of heaven, he will prosper us ; therefore we his servants will arise and build." The Rev. 3lr. Clarke, of Nassagawcya, preached in the afternoon and evening, on both occasions from ( ienesis, 29th chap., 17th verse, last clause: "This is none other than the house of (lod, anci this is the gate ot lieaven." The diflerent discourses were alike earnest, evangelical, and appropriate, and the chapel was well lillea at each ser- vice. On Monday evening, a soiree was held in the chapel, which was well attended, Tlie provisions made for the sustentation of tiie outward man was profuse, and highly creditable to the ladies of the congregation. On remo\.d of the tables, Mr. K. Hubbard was called to the chair, and after the assembly had joined in singing and in prayer, addresses appro- priate to the occasion, and marked by much brotherly feeling and catholicity of spirit, were delivered by the Revs. McDougall and Booker, and other gentlemen present. The sum rcalizetl at the diMercnt scr\ices amounted to about /,'2o. Towards the close of the year the interest in the contemplated incor- poration of (]uelph as a town gradually increased, and some warm cliscussionswerc held on the subject. Up to tliis time Guelph had ranked in schedule D. in the Municipal Act, ana was called a town only by \ irtue of its being llie seat of the county buildings and offices. Now it Mas proposed to place it in schedule B., and to divide it into wards, with an mcreased number of councillors and with a Mayor as the presiding officer. The Hi:iiALiJ and ^idvcrtiscr both advocated this measure, but the Mercury opposetl it, Mr. G. Keeling, the editor of that paj'cr making some most absurd and extravagant statements with respect to the propos- ed change, with a view to infiuencc persons to sign a petition agamst tlie proposed incorporation. Among the other bugbears conjured up l)y this ■"'^v2i?iafflfSiur.'»j!;iia.->&i^j^ii 80 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. gentleman to frighten the'people, was the statement that the incoporation would entail upon the town an additional expenditure of about ^'1200, _^4oo as salary for the Mayor, ^250 or ^300 for a Chamberlain, besides payment of Councillors and an endless array of officers of various grades. This was represented as necessary under the Act, although in fact the Act provided that the payment of the Mayor and Councillors should be altogether optional. The other two papers in harmony with the great body of the ratepayers, urged that the town having reached the requisite status as to population — 3000, — was in duty to itself, and in defence of the business interests of the inhabitants, bound to take the necessary steps for incorporation, and so maintain its position among the neighboring municipalities, some of which were petitioning for such incorporation even before they had acquired the population specified in the Act. It was rightly urged, also, that it was a duty which a community owed to the country at large, as soon as it had reached that stage of de- velopment and prosperity contemplated by the Act, to take advantage of the privileges and rights to which it was entitled, and thus add not only to its own importance, but to the general well-being of the country. The majority of the Council took the same view, and accord- ingly ordered a census to be taken, with a view to the division of the town into wards, some of them favoring three wards, and others four. It was decided, however, at a meeting of the Council held November 1 5th, that the Town of Guelph be divided into three wards as follows:— All below the C.rand Trunk Railroad and Market street one Ward. Com- mencing at the I^ailmad, running along Quebec and Paisley streets to the 'I'own Line, thencft to and along Market street, to the place of begin- ning: The remainder another Ward ; And that the Reeve and Mr. Gow be a Committee to prepare the necessary papers and proceed to Toronto for the purpose of arranging the matter with the Governor (jeneral. On the following day the Reeve, Mr. John Smith and Mr. Gow proceeded to Toronto with the petition of the Council, and on the same day Messrs. George, Keeling, W\itt, Scott, S. Smith and Kelly proceeded there also, with a counter petition signatures for which had been actively sought during the day. When this became known, a number of ratepayers met and drew up a petition supporting the action of the Council, and on the following Monday 260 signatures had been procur'ed. Messrs. Sandilands, Harris, Day, Sunley, and Fisher then went to To- ronto to support the Reeve and Mr. Gow in their audience with the Attorney General, the Postmaster Ger.eral and the Inspector General, and impress upon them the desirabilty ot a division into four wards. Some misrepresentations having been made by the counter memori- alists to the Governor-General, at the next meeting of the Council Mr. Ciow introduced a memorial, as under, which was adopted, and duly forwarded : — To His Excellency Sir Ediiiund Walker Head, Barl., Goxicrnor-Gcneral of British North America, &^c., dr'c., St'c. The Memorial of the Town Council of the Town of Guelph humbly showeth : — That the rapid advance of the Town of Guelph in wealth and popu- lation, the large boundaries of the municipality, and important financial and other interests, loudly call for more extended corporate powers, and an addition to the number of councillors it at present possesses. I'hat the subject of an advance of this municipality from Schedule poration t /,I200, besides 5 grades, fact the hould be :he great requisite sfence of ary steps ghboring rporation in the immunity ge of de- dvantage thus add ng of the d accord- on of the ; foui\ It iljer 15th, ows:— All d. Com- streets to of begin- JNIr. Gow Toronto eral. On proceeded ly Messrs. lere also, y sought ayers met Council, 3rocur'cd. nt to To- with the ( "icneral, .uds. r nicmori- )uncil Mr. and duly v-Gcficral )h humbly and popu- t financial iwers, and Schedule THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 81 D. of the Municipal Act to Schedule B., has long been under considera- tion, and was at one time contemplated by the Council of 1854 when an extension of the boundaries of the corporation was sought for at the hands of the Government; but that it was finally postponed to give an opportunity of taking the census showing the populadon of the present year. That in carrying out such intention, and from a full conviction of the advantages likely to ensue therefrom, the initiative steps were taken by the unanimous concurrence of the Council in April last, in instructing the assessors to take the census with the assessment, for which purpose addi- tional columns were inserted in the assessment schedule, as may be seen by the one annexed, marked A. That on the 28th of June last, the Clerk of this Council was instruct- ed by resolution hereunto annexed, marked 15,, to prepare a full state- ment of the population of certain divisionsof the town therein mentioned; but that although frequently requested to carry out such resolution, the same was delayed until the beginning of October last, when it was agreed by resolution annexed, marked C, that three persons should be appointed to take a fresh and more perfect census of the municipality, which was returned by the Clerk two weeks thereafter. That on such census being received by the Council, a petition to Your Excellency in Council was unanimously adopted by your memorial- ists, praying that Your Excellency in Council would be pleased to issue a proclamation declaring Guelph a town in vSchedule B., with three wards, as therein described ; setting forth that your petitioners believed such division the most desirable and equitable that could be made ; which after due consideration your memorialists are desirous of repeating". That on the occasion referred to, your memorialists had presented to them a petition against any division of the town into wards, of which a copy marked D. is hereunto annexed, in which the objection urged was, that " it would necessarily lead to the creation of a number of new muni- cipal offices, largely increased expenditure, and increased taxation," the incorrectness of which your memorialists were so fully aware of, and the same must be so well known to )-our Excellency and your constitutional advisers, that they do not deem it necessary to offer one single reason for rejecting it. Further: — That although such petition had attached thereto 231 names, this Council is assured by their Clerk that upwards of go thereof arc noi; those of municipal electors. That on the transmission of the aforemention':!dpetitionof the Coun- cil to Toronto, your memorialists are informed tnat a counter petition was addressed to your Excellency, setting for h that the municipal peti- tion was only adopted on the casting vote of the Reeve, and praying the disallowance of the same on the plea that the di\isions asked for were unjust. That such petition was signed by about 120 persons, of whom a number were not municipal electors, nor will have any voice in the next election, and that such petition was carried to Toronto by several parties opposed to the action of the Council. That uj)on such proceedings becoming known, 261 " householders and freeholders '' of the municipality signed a petition in a few hours, praying your Excellen y in Council to grant the request of the corpora- tion, and declaring the division therein asked for to be fair and equitable. And one of the largest and most icspcctable deputations that ever left Guelph waited upon certain members of your Excellency's administration, and urged the granting of the request of the Council, '4Mi UdE 82 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. ' ! That at a subsequent meeting of the Town Council corrected min- utes of previous proceedings of tJKit body were forwarded to the Hon. llie Provincial Secretary, for tlic information of your Excellency. That the time is rapidly approaching for another election, and it will be necessary for your memorialists to pass a liy-law for appointing Me- turning Ofiicers, should Your Excellency see lit to grant their recjuest. Your memorialists therefore humbly pray that your Excellency in Council assembled will cause the immediate issue of a proclamation declaring Guelph a Town in schedule 1), as prayed for in a former petition, with the ward divisions therein described. And your Memorialists as in duty bound will ever pray, &:c., &;c. Dated at Guelph this 7lh day of December, 1S55. (Signed,) jXO. SMITH, Reeve. JAS. HOUGH, Town Clerk. At a meeting of the Council in the following week it was unani- mously resohcd to send a petition to the (iovcrnor-General, praying for the division of the town iuio four vvards, the line of the Grand Trunk Railway to form the di\ision line in one direction, the Dune as Road, (.Gordon Street, Wyucham Street, and the Woolwich Road being the intersecting lines, the four uards centreing in the ^Market Square, thus securing the erection of the future Market House in that locality, the object for which the majority had all along contended, though some per- sons, having property in other places, had been opposed U) this location. At a meeting of the Council in December it was proposed to open negotiations with the trustees of St. Andrew's church, for the purchase of that building, with the site, for the purpose of building a Market House and Town Hall, the want of a suitable council chamber being very much felt, and as the town was now on the eve of taking a higher rank in the municipalities, it was thought right that it should ]J0ssess correspondingly adequate i)uildings. It was also felt that the town had now reached such proportions, and liad attained that position in v.calth and importance, as to render it necessary that a public hall should be proxided, for the hold- ing of meetir.gs and for the transaction of public business, instead of using the Court House, rooms in taverns, or such other rooms as might happen lo be available. This was the opinion also of the Council, but as the Reeve jjointcd out. the suit between the Town and the Canada Com- pany regarding the Market Square, in which the church would be in- volved, was still pending, it having been taken to the Court of Appeal, and it was not certain that the trustees of the church would be able to give a title to the land. The question was therefore laid over for the time, until a final decision w.is given. 'ihe annual dinner of the St. Andrew's Society this year was the most interesting and largely attended since t!\e formation of the society, t )ne reason fo"- this was the presence in town of a large number of gen- tlemen, mnr.y of them .St olcli, tt) attend the sale that day, of a ]iortion of the land belonging to the Macdonakl estate. Hon. (now Sir) John A. Macdonald, owner of the property, was present, and was warmly greeted by gentlemen on both sides of politics. At noon a sumptuous lunch was partaken of at the iiritish Motel, after which the party adjourned to the Macdonald property, when the sale commenced, some of the property sold that day bringing as nnu.h as /" 10,000 per acre, Cfuaier lots on the Market Square reaching X^Z-'^o cash, and square lots fetching /"20 ]ier foot frontage, exclusive of the buildings. THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF OUELPH. 83 Clerk. vas ihc iocicly. |of ^^en- rtion of [ohn A. ;rectcd jell was |1 to the |ropcrty on the '20 per In the evening a grand dinner was given at the Wellington Hotel, Mr. FcrgLisson, M. P. P., in the chair, supported on his right and left by Hon. John A. j\Iacdonald, Mr. John McLean, Mr. James Webster. Mr. W. Hewat, Mr. Peter Gow, Mr. Whitelaw and others. After the usual loyal toasts, Mr. Gow gave " The Attorney-General West, and the Bar of Upper Canada," and in reply Hon. John A. Macdonald is said to have made one of the best after dinner speeches he ever delivered. In the course of his remarks, he said that when he canie to Guelph he little anticipated the pleasure of the evening's entertainment, for, visiting the town on business, he thought of himself and his pocket rather than of St. Andrew, which was quite excusable seeing he was a Scotchman. He certainly anticipated meeting a large company of respectable gentlemen at the afternoon st.le, but he was surprised and delighted to see so numer- ous, so large an assemblage from the town and neighborhood in remem- brance of the country that gave them birth. But that delight was much increased vv'hen he heard himself and the Bar of Upper Canada thus toasted and so heartily responded to by men so intelligent, so respectable and so influential. The speaker having jocosely and with hearty good will, disposed of his profession, next referred to the day, and the objects of the association they were then celebrating, which he considered of vital service to the coinmunity at large, for whether the Society had reference to Englishmen, Irishmen, or Scotchmen, it gave them a unity of purpose and enabled them to give a properreception to those who from time to time come amongst them ; whilst the circumstance made them none the less loving neighbors and good citizens. In conclusion he congratulated the inhabitants of Guelph upon the present and future prospects of the place, reminded them that although that was his first visit, he was a land holder here, and his interest ^vas wrapped up in its prosperity, he therefore asked jH . .uission to give " the Town and Trade of (juelph. ' Some other toasts followed, with songs, &c., after which the company separated, much gratified at having had the pleasure of hearing so eloquent a speech as that given by the Attorney-General. The year 1856 was a notable one in the history of Guelph, as marking the commencement of a new era in its progress and importance. The lirst election under the new organization took place on Monday and Tuesday January 14th and 15th. In the South Ward thc'e was no contest, Messrs. W. Day, W. Atkins and Peter Gow being nominated by Mr. Fisher, and seconded by Mr. John Clarke, were returned by acclamation. Mr. Henry Hughes was at the same time elected Tavern Inspector for the Ward. In the East Ward the contest was exciting, Messrs, J. C. Presant, Evan Macdonald and R. Thompson being nominated by T^Ir. W. Dyson, and seconded by Mr. Penfold, with Air. James O'Reilh' as Tavern Inspector — and Messrs. J. C. Presant, Thomas Williams and W^illiam Crowe, with Mr. James Harris as Tavern Inspector, nominated by Mr. Thomas 11 us- liands, and seconded by Mr. Thomas Hewer, As Mv. Crowe and Mr. McDonald declined running against each other, it was determined that a show of hands sliould decide which of the two was to retire, and the majority being favorable to Mr. McD, the latter retired. Great efforts v.'cre made to enlist the svmpathies of the electcrs in favor of Mr. Wil- liams, and sleighs with ilaming handbills ran rapidly through the ward, but few were tempted to take a seac, and on Monday night the poll stood, Presant 23, Thompson 19, McDonald 18, Williams 14; with O'Reilly one ahead of Harris for the Inspectorship. — On Tuesday two more votes were given for the first three names, and the poll closed at noon. Just as 84 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. I f the poll closed, Mr. Thos. Husbands handed to the Returning Officer a protest against the election, on the plea of their not being 500 inhabitants in the ward, as required by the Act, but this was not pressed. In the North Ward the election was held at the Court House, and the returning officer appointed by the Council refusing to act, the ratejjayers chose Mr. John Harvey, whereupon Mr. E. Hubbard proposed, and Mr. John Harrison seconded, the nomination of Messrs. John Thorp, F. George, and A. Robertson, with Mr. James Mays as Tavern Inspector. Mr. Thomas Anderson moved, seconded by Mr. John McQuillan, a ticket in which the only difference was, Mr. David Allan for ''vlr. F. George ; and in commencing polling considerable activity was di.^played. About one o'clock on the second day the poll closed for want of voters, when the votes stood thus:— Thorp 6 r, George 55, Robertson 49, Allan 24. For Inspector there was no contest. The West Ward appeared from the first to attract most attention, from the strenuous efforts made to pre\ cnt the return of Mr. John Smith, his nomin.ation being very unpalatable to a certain portion of the ratepayers. After some delay, arising out of the difficulty in settling the tickets to suit some malcontents on both sides, Mr. Fraser moved, and Mr. Barber seconded the nomination of Messrs. Samuel Smith, G. Elliott and Robert Scott as Councillors, and Mr. Joseph Higginson as Inspector. Mr. J. T. Tracey moved, and Mr. Ain- lay seconded, that Messrs. G. Elliott, George Sunley and John Smith be Councillors, and Mr. William Wilson be Inspector. The show of hands was in favor of the second ticket, and after a slight delay the polling commenced with vigor, the votes at the end standing thus: [{;iliott69, John Smith 57, Sunley 55, Samuel Smith 26, Scott 24. For Inspectors, Wilson 49, Higginson, 21. During the second day there was little inter- est felt or exertion made as the above figures had decided the contest, and on two or three occasions nearly an hour elapsed without a vote, but as the Candidates lowest on tlie poll would not retire whilst there was hope of a vote, it was not until 3 p. m. that the poll closed, when the numbers stood, — Elliott 89, John Smith 65, Sunley 60, Samuel Smith, 47, Scott 43 — Wilson 53, Higginson 29. The choice of Councillors for the Township was less interesting than for many years past, no contest taking place in either of the wards, Mr. W. Whitelaw, Mr. G. Shortreed and Mr. M. Sweetnam being returned without opposition for the wards they respectively represented the previous year, and Mr. John Rannic and Mr. A. Ouarrie being elected in the places of Mr, R. Cooper and Mr. Thos. Hood, who were not candi- dates on this occasion. In consequence of the division of the town into wards, the old Board of School Trustees became dissolved, and an election of two ti'ustees was required for each ward In conformity with the law, Mr. Newton, the Returning Officer, called a meeting of the electors on the 15th January, at Underhill's tavern, when, on the motion of Mr. G. Elliott, seconded by Mr. Rcbt. Scoit, Mr. Samuel Smith was elected ; and on motion of Mr. Sunley, seconded by Mr. Horning, Mr. Geo. I'irie was elected, both unanimously. In the East Ward Mr. Presant moved, seconded by Mr. Orme, that Messrs. W. Crowe and \lcx. Emslie be elected, which was carried by acclammation. In the South Ward Messrs. John Clarke and W. Stevenson were returned, and in the North Ward, two of the former trustees, Messrs. John Harrison and W. Heather were elected. On Monday, 21st, the newly elected Town Councillors met at the Court HousC; and organized by presenting to the Clerk their oaths of ! I i I r Officer a ihabitants 1. In the : returning yers chose AT V T r>lT n F. George, ctor. Mr. X ticket in orge : and About one , when the 11 24. For I from the to pre\ cnt lalatable to out of the both sides, of Messrs. , and Mr. d Mr. Ain- 1 Smith be w of hands the poUing Elhott69, Inspectors, little inter- ;he contest, a vote, but there was , when the Smith, 47, ;sting than Kvards, Mr. jg returned sented the elected in not candi- old Board rustees was lewton, the Ih January, , seconded motion of 3cted, Ijoth led by Mr. Iwhich was larke and Ithe former Inet at the Ir oaths of I THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 85 oflice. The Clerk then announced the election returns as follows : — West Ward- Messrs. CJeo. Elliott, John Smith and George Sunley. South Ward - Messrs. Wm. Day, Peter Gow and Wm. Atkins. Kast Ward —Messrs. Jas. C. Presant, Evan McDonald and Robert Thompson. North Ward— Messrs. John Thorp, Fred. George and Adam Robertson. The chairman stated that a proclamation having been issued by the Government declaring Guelph a Tmvn, with four wards, the election had been held in accordance, and that the fust duty which devolved upon them was the election of a Mayor, whereupon, Mr. Day moved and Mr. Thompson seconded, that Mr. John Smith be Mayor for the current year, which was unanimously carried. The Council then adjourned for half an hour, to accompany the Mayor elect to the residence of Judge Macdonald, to be sworn into office. On resuming, the Mayor brictly returned thanks for the honor conferred upon him, stated his conviction that the duties and responsibilities accompanying the office were not light, and trusted that he should acquit himself to the satisfaction of the Council and the Town generally, lie then reminded the Council that their next duty was, the election of a Reeve and Deputy Reeve, with the taking of such steps for the appointment of the Committees as might be deemed advisable. It was then mo\'ed by Mr. Thompson, seconded by Mr. McDonald, and unanimously resolved, that George Sunley, Esq., be Reeve. Moved by Mr. Atkins, seconded by Mr. Presant, and unani- mously resolved, that Peter Gow, Esq., be Deputy Reeve. The County Council met on Monday, January 28, the members present being: — Amaranth, David Spence; Eramosa, L. Parkinson; Erin, Peter McGill, William Everdale; Ciiielph, William Whitelaw ; Ciuelph Town, George Sunley, P. Gow; Garafraxa, J. Donaldson, John Dobbin ; Maryborough, John McKicman ; Nichol, James Ross ; Peel, John Wil- ton, \Villiam Stutridge ; Pilkington, Charles Allan ; Puslinch, D. Stirton, John Black. The Council being organized, it was moved by Mr. McGill, and sec- onded by Mr. Everdale, that Mr. Charles Allan be Warden for the pres- ent year. It was moved by Mr. Donaldson, seconded by Mr. Parkinson, that Mr. D. Stirton be Warden for the present year. On a vote being taken it stood thus : For Mr. Allan—Messis. Everdale, McGill, iVIcKic- man, Ross, Stutridge, Whitelaw, Wilson, 7. For Mr. Stirton — Messrs. Black, Dobbin, Donaldson, Gow, Parkinson, Spence, Sunley, 7. The numbers being equal, and there being no evidence to guide the Council as to which Township had the largest number of names on the assess- ment roll, considerable discussion ensued, and strong opinions were expressed as to the course to be pursued. The representatives of Arthur were not present, and Mr. Allan's friends were desirous of postponement until their arrival, whilst the supporters of Mr. Stirton insisted upon the question being disposed of by those present, and that parties could not vote when they were not present on the motion being put. Eventually, an adjournment was carried, to enable the representatives of Puslinch and Erin to procure the collectors' rolls of their respective townships, and thereby decide who had the casting vote, it being well understood that the question lay be*^ween them. On Tuesday morning the representa- tives of Arthur — M srs. R. Morrison and P. Kelly — took their seats, and after some delay the roll for Erin was produced, but as there were fi\c collectors in Puslinch it was found impossible to obtain the whole cf them within a reasonable time. In organizing, therefore, Mr. Stirton rose, and proposed, seconded by Mr. McGill, that Mr. Allan be Warden , 86 THE ANNAI.S OF THE TOWN OF GUEI.PH. .ind Mr. Donaldson witlulrnwint,' liis motion of tlic previous day, the same was carried unatiiinously. On Wednesday, 30th January, the first train which ever passed over the raih-oafl between Toronto and (iuelph made its appearance at the York Road bridge about half-past two p.m. and gre.it enthusiasm was manifested by the inhabitants j^encraliy. A lar;^e concourse of people assembled at the station, and on the train coming up, the event was sij;- nalized by loud checrinj^-, the firing of cannon, and other demonstrations of joy. 'This was not an ollicial opening of the line, but simply a trip of a private nature, for the inspection of the road and to give the visitors a view of the coimtry and an opportunity to sec the town of (nielph. The party consisted of twenty-three gentlemen, the most distinguished of whom weic, His ICxcellency the (jOvernor-CJcueral, the Attorney-General, the Postmaster-Cieneral, Chief Justice Robinson, Justice Richards, Justice lUirns, Chancellor Blake, the members of Parliament for Toronto, tl e Mayor of Toronto, the ex-Mayor of Toronto and the President of the Northern Railway, t.\;c. The party were met at the station by Mr. Sheriff ('.range, ^ir. Jas. Webster, l\Ir. Kingsmill and others. His Ex- cellency was escorted 10 the Court House, where addresses were presented by the Warden and County Council, the Mayor and Town Council, the Presidenl and Committee of the Mechanics' Institute. The company then proceeded to the British Hotel when a splendid lunch was partaken of, and in a brief period the whole party was again on its way to Toronto. The Methodist church having been now nearly finished, it was form- ally opened on Sunda}-, March 2nd, when sermons were preached, in the morning by Rev. Enoch Wood, President of the Canada Conference, in the afternoon by ]\ev. Richard Jones, and in the evening by Rev. (i. (lemley, nearly one thousand persons being present at each service. On the following evening a public meeting was held, when it was announced that the cost of the building would be /37S5, only ^475 of which had been jiaid. A loan of ^iSSo had been obtained, leaving still a consider- able sum to be raised. The collections amounted to £114., and ;.t the meeting on Monday £112 more was promised. At about this time a movement was commenced to erect a monument in the town to Mr. John Gait, in announcing which the Herald of March 5th, said: — " We have mucli pleasure in annoncing that a move- ment has been made to procure the erection of a monument to tlic memory of the founder of our " good town,' the celebrated John Gait, the author of Lawrie Tod, The Annals of the Parish, The I'rovost, The .Steamboat, The Lairds of Grippy, Ringan Gilhaize, and half a dozen other piquant and racy Scotch novels, which have given to their author a world-wide and undving fame. Mr. Gait's discrimination in selecting tne peninsula of the .Speed as the most favorable site for the granary, the laboratory, and commercial mart of the rich agricultural country which lies between Huron and Ontario, has of late years become suffi- ciently conspicuous, and the hamlet to which its illustrious founder, in anticipation of it destiny, assigned the patronomic of the reigning family having risen, steadily, if slowly, to its present status and importance, appears likely to mark its onward course by accelerated rapidity, and increased stability. The opening of the Toronto and Guelph section of the Grand Trunk Railway, has been deemed a favorable opportunity for bringing the present movement before the public, on the supposition that it may probably be desirable to combine the monument to Mr. (jalt witli that proposed to be erected to commemorate that event. We learn that IMF, ANNALS OL' THE Tl)\VW OF GUELl'II. «7 (lay, the ised over :c at the asm was )f people was si}^- istrations a trip of visitors a ph. The I i shed of -General, Is, Justice onto, tie nt ol the 1 bv Mr. His Ex- presentcd uncil, the company partaken ) Toronto, was form- ed, in the )nfcrence, Rev. (). ice. On nnounrcd hicli had consider- d .'.t the lonument; |.u.\l,D of a niove- ht to the bhn Gait, ost, The a dozen ir author Isclccting granary, country Ime suftl- |under, in ig family |3ortancc, iity, and ;ction of inity for Ition that alt with tarn that three ol ■ ih. 'oldest inhabitants*'— Messrs. IJakcr, Corbet and Thorp have ai^rccd to act as a provisional committee in rnakin;^ the preliminary arraiigements ; and we are persuaded that under such supervision the affair will soon be brought to a succeosful issue. We h.ive seen a very excellent design for tiie proposed monument, others will, doubtless, be offered anil the selection will lA course be left to the sul) .( i ibi rs.'' At th"st the pnjposition was very wannly received, anvl in the following week a largely atlemled public meeting wa;i held, \vhen:i conniiiUee cu:i- sisling of llie folleuing gentlemen was appointed to collect subscriptions and obtain de'^igns: Messrs. John Smitli,Mayor of Guelph,'A. J. Fergus- son, M.P.P.. W'm. Clarke, M.IM'., Chas. Allan, Warden of Wellington, John Scott, Warden of Waterloo, Col. Hcwat, R. Corbet, John Thorj), A. A. A. IJakcr, I). Allan, Thos. Sandilands, John '.McLean, (jCo. .Sunle) , \Vm. Day, J. J. Kingsmill, Andrew Lemon. Geo. Pirie, Fred. George, Peter (iow, Robt. Tliompson, John Harris, sr., Edward Carroll, Ke\'. K. Torrance, \Vm. Whitlaw, Reeve cf (iuelph Township, David Slirton, R.ec\e of Puslinch, John McCrea and Robt. I'atterson, Guelph Township, Wm. Patterson, P-'blinch, Geo. Armstrong and Rev. Wm. Ikirrle, Era- mosa, A. D. Fcrrier and Samuel !5roadfoot, Nichol, James IMathieson, flamillon, John (Juarry, Mayor of Dundas ; Dr. Hamilton, Flamboro', John McDonald, Goderi.di, and Dr. Daly, Stratford. ^\l th's meeting $400 was subscribed, and further promises were afterwar> /A / •..XVVM '/ ^» #^ % ^^ t!? W fc 1^ ^ 6^ mmiMamm 88 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. prominent citizens of Toronto. On their arrival they were conducted to Horwood's hotel, (now the Royal,) then nearly finished, and a most un- seemly farce was there enacted. In that part of its report of the day's proce'^dings relating to Guelph, the Toronto Leader said: — '* An invita- tion having been given by the Directors of the Grand Trunk Railway Company to the members of the Legislature, the City Council, and the Board of Trade, to take a trip to Guelph on Saturday, along the Toronto and Guelph section of their line, which is to be opened this morning for passenger traffic, a large number of the members of Parliament, as well as of the Corporation and Board of Trade, took advantage of the invita- tion. About ten minutes past one o'clock, five cars pretty well filled with ladies and gentlemen, started from the depot at the Queen's Wharf. On reaching the magnificent bridge which spans the Credit, the train stopped, and nearly the whole party walked down a very long flight of stairs to the bank of the river, to make a closer inspection of this piece of work- manship, over 800 feet in length and 1 1 5 feet from the level of the river, supported on five massive stone piers with heavy abutments. We glided along to the centre of the bridge and stood between the centre piers to show that there was not the slightest visible deflection caused by its immense weight. We then passed along the bridge entirely to give the passengers below a better idea of its height. As there had been a heavy shower very shortly before, the ground was rather wet, and the company remained only a few minutes outside. During this little divertissement, the attendants for the occasion had been busy, tor on reaching the cars, there was a very expensive display of sandwiches and champagne made which, it is unnecessary to say very speedily disappeared. Some 12 dozen or so were thus quickly disposed of. There was also an abundant supply of very excellent water for those who don't drink champagne till after dinner. The train halted a few minutes at the Georgetown Bridge, and a number of persons went out to take a peep at it. It is of a diftev- ent construction, but equally substantial looking with the Credit one. Matters went all well until we reached Guelph, when a scene occurred, which we must say was grossly indecent. Some of the worthy M.P.P.'s it is said, concocted a scheme to introduce Mr. Shaw, the M.P.P, tor Lanark, to the inhabitants of Guelph as the Governor-General. Accor- dingly when the hon. gentleman stepped out of the cars, they took oft" their hats and gave him a hearty cheer as the Governor-General. Mr. Rankin, the hen. member for Essex, then took Mr. Shaw's arm and they walked along to the new hotel, followed by nearly all the excursionists, with a large turn out of townspeople. Upstairs the gentlemen marched and made their appearance on the balcony in front of the hotel, which was speedily surrounded by a large crowd of persons eager to get a glimpse of His Excellency. The hon. member for Essex, without pauf ing for a moment to define his new position, introduced Mr. Shaw to the audience fts Sir Edmund Head, the Governor- General of Canada. His Excellency then came forward, and stated -•that he had come up to Guelph along with a number of their repre- ss .itatives, both from Upper Canada and Lower Canada, and he was happy to say that upon a closer acquaintance the Lower Canadians did not appear to be that inferior race which he at first believed them to be. He was happy to see so large and thriving a town as Guelph, and he was sure that the representatives of the people now that they had witnessed the beautiful country through which they had just passed — and the magnificent road over which they had tra\elled, would go back to THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 89 their places in the legislature, determined to meet in a more liberal spirit the demand'3 which the Grand Trunk Company had made upon them. " Mr. Turcotte then came forward and stated that he was a represen- tative of that inferior race which had been alluded to. The hon. gentle- man spoke at some length, referring to the necessity of maintaining the Union intact, and the feet that if they did so, the two provinces, each representing the most civilized nations on the earth, would, by the com- bination of French vivacity with English reserve, make the most noble people in the world. " Mr. Foley, the hon. member for Waterloo, came forward — seemingly in a state of great excitement. He said that a fraud had been practised upon them, and that this was tne very same kind of fraud which had been practised upon Upper Canada in Parliament. They had been grossly deceived by false representations (cheers and hisses and noise and turmoil). Several parties pulled Mr. Foley back, but he was deter- mined to speak. He said. Gentlemen, that is French Canadian justice — (hisses and cheers.) This is French Canadian justice — (hisses and cheers.) That is the kind of justice which a portion of the Upper Can- ada representatives, with their French majority, are giving to us — (cheers and uproar.) Gentlemen, you have been imposed upon — most foully im- posed upon. You have been led to believe that the Governor-General is here to-day, while he is not here. (Here the hon. gentleman was forcibly dragged from the front of the balcony, perhaps in mercy to himself, for he was speaking above his strength.) " Mr. Powell came forward and briefly denied having had anything to do with the deception. Several gentlemen then attempted to speak, but the noise and confusion was too great. Mr. Alderman Duggan, finding that he could not get an audience from the balcony, came down and mounted a one-hoi'se wagon, and commenced to address the people, tell- ing them amongst other things that he had got up the first meeting which was held in Guelph in connection with this railway enterprise. During the time the worthy Alderman was speaking, there were several parties trying to get the horse to run off, but it was somewhat baulky and resist- ed all their coaxing. While this was going on below, Mr. Mayor Smith, of Guelph, was attempting to get a hearing from the balcony ; but at this stage fortunately the steam whistle sounded and the crowd moved off towards the depot. Nothing particular occurred on the homeward trip. In some of the cars singing was kept up all the way. The cars arrived at the terminus at half-past six. The excursion was a very pleasant one, although the day was somewhat chilly and wet, and but for the unhappy incident at Guelph, it might have formed a pleasing retrospect. But whether it will be taken seriously or not, it was rather a serious jest, and one which had it been aimed at any one other than the representative of royalty might have passed off with a guffaw. IJut it will now be apparent to the meanest capacity thit " when drink's in, wit's out." The press throughout the country was verj- severe in the denuncia- tions published of this sorry jest, and when Mr. Shaw returned to his constituency he was met with universal condemnation. On his arrival at his home in Smith's Falls, some of the indignant electors of Lanark sent him the following address: — To His Exxellency Jaims Shmu, Esquire, M.P.P,, Governor-General, May it Please Your Excellency: We, Her Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the inhabitants of the 90 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. Village of Smith's Falls, beg leave most humbly and most i-espectfuUy to approach your Excellency, at this our t:arHi'st notice of your arrival amongst us, to bid you welcome to this our humble village, and to express cur deep sense of the honor conferred on us by the visit of so ai/i^iist a personage as the representative (albeit self-constituted) of Her Most Gracious Majesty. It could not fail to afford us the most intense satis- faction, when the news reached us from C.uelph, of the elevation to so distinguishsd a position of one who sojourned so long amongst us, and whose social liabits and familiar intercourse roith all, and more particu- larly of late years, have been the theme, and excited the admiration of all. There are those, we are well aware, who will not fail to grumble at your Excellency's assumption of the oflice of Governor-General ; but, if your Excellency will be advised by us, you will treat all such invidious XQ.tci'^xks, as is yuur ivonted custom in the House, ivith dignified silence ! We would beg leave to refer to history for a precedent for an appoint- ment similar to your own ; it is to be found in Don Quixote, where San- cho Panza was made '' Governor of the Island of Barataria,"and a model Governor he was ; and why not you ? Only a li ;tle longer bear with uc, your Excellency, and we will Laxe done. We are not altogether pleased with all of your Excellency's ad- viser?, and would recommend the dismissal of some of them, and the appointment in their stead (excuse us for troubling >ou so much) of Mr. Foley, M. P. P. for the North Riding of Waterloo; as the advice, which we hear, he tendered you, on ihc auspicious event of your elevation to the dislinguis/ied position yon now occupy, was such as to nieet our entire approval; and which if followed out, would no doubt be attended with the most beneficial results to us all, and to your Excellency in particular. Your Excellency, we have done. (Signed.) All of Us. Whether these very intelligent and dignified legislators looked upon this freak as a joke or not, the affair developed a laxity of political moral- ity and a disrespect to the Oueen, through her representative, unjustifi- able in zccc]- subjects of Great Britain, but peculiarly reprehensible when found among the Legislature. At best it was a miserably foolish diver- sion to play on ignorance, and a poor, selfish mode of creating amuse- ment, and as such should never have been perpetrated by men with any claim to education or gentlemanly consideration ; but when it is borne in mind that the insult was not really to the people of (juelph, but to Her Majesty the Oueen, the conduct of these legislative clowns cannot be too strongly condemned. The probability is that the transaction was con- cocted and carried out under the influence of champagne, which flowed abundantly that tlay, but that was no excuse. In the position in which they were, as members of the Legislature, come to inaugurate a great public work, they should have remembered what is due to Her Majesty, as ilie representative of our glorious Constitution, and that no frivolous freedom can be permitted with her deputy in Canada. The Legislative excursionists might, as some of thcni did, and some do even now, on such occasion^, allow their excitement to ilnd vent in frothy sj^eechcs, but nothing could palliate the gross conduct of Mr. Shaw and his associates, and it certainly was in miserable taste that the men who had been select- ed to represent the people in the Legislature should be so politically im- moral as to impose a broad lie on the people, or a portion of the people, and laugh at the vulgar and crhninal deception played on the credulity of an audience which had no means of detecting the imposture. THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 01 fully to anival express uQitst a ;r Most c .\-atis- n to so us, and particu- )n of all. iniblc at ; but, if nvidious silcnc:' ! appoint- ere S;in- a model vill have ncy's ad- and the i) of Mr. e, which |0n to the vr entire ed with irticular. Us. ,cd upon Inioral- nijustifi- !c when h divcr- amuse- with any boine in t to Her )t be too as con- flowed which a great lajesty, ivolous islative on such |ies, but ociates, ii sclect- lally ini- pccplc, ulitv of On the Monday following the opening, the trains commenced to run regularly between Toronto and (kielph, and on the first train upwards of 150 passengers left Guelph. The Oddfellows also celebrated their anni- versary by a trip to Toronto, between four and fnc hundred persons joinhig the excursion, Mr. Hutchinson, the station-master here, making every arranL;cment for their comfort. The first train to Ilerlin was run July 1st, and during the month of November the Grand Trunk was opened to Montreal, thus aftording a direct railway communication between Guelph and the Atlantic, an advantage whi .h soon made itself felt in ihe prosperity of the town and neighborhoor', by ensuring for the farmers a larger return for their products. The ce'cbration at Montreal was extremely grand, consisting of monster processions during the day, and torchlight processions and illuminations at night. There was also a public dinner, at which gentlemen from all parts of the country were present. Among the residents of CUielph who received invitations to be present were, Messrs. D. Allan, W. Allan. W. J. Brown, Fl Brown, Dr. Clarke, Chas. Davidson, John Smith, A.J. Fergusson, W. Hcwat,N. Higinbotham, G. S. Herod, A. Macdonald, J. Peters, H. W. Peterson, W. K. Smith, J. Webster and Capt. Vale. Guelph liad long suffered from the want of additional hotel accom- modation, and this fact, together with the opening of the (irand Trunk Railway, had induced Mr. Harwood to give up an hotel in Toronto and open the hotel in (Uielph, which for some years bore his name. To celebrate the opening a number of prominent gentlemen in the town formed themselves into a committee, and a grand dinner was provided. The committee consisted of Mr. C. Allan, Warden of the County; Col. Hcwat, County Treasurer; Mr. T. Saunders, Clerk of the Peace; Mr. John Smith, Mayor; Messrs. Jas. Webster, John Harland, A. A. Baker, W. D. P. Jarvis, D. Allan, G, A. Drew, G. Elliott, W. Day, G. Sunlcy, J. Harris and P. Gow. Mr. A. J. Fergusson, M. P. P., took the chair, and Dr. Clark, M. P. P., the vice chair. The 1 2th of July, kept with much parade in many parts of the Prov- ince, had always passed off very quietly in Guelph, sometimes no notice whatever being taken of it. This year, however, formed an exception to the rule, for a party of about two dozen Orangemen having been to a pic- nic at Rockwood, were, on their return by the train, attacked with stones and clubs, and a serious disturbance was the result. I'he Orangemen took refuge in a saloon and defended thcmseles as best they could by blocking up the doors and firing occasionrd shots from pistols. The Mayor and other magistrates were quickly on the spot, and succeeded for the time in quelling the disturbance, but it being feared that the light would be renewed, and with more vigor, after dark, the Mayor and Reeve swore in a number of special constables and read the Riot Act in various places. It was well they did, for in a short time the battle was renewed. A man named Kelly raised a loud shout and in other ways in- cited the mob to disturbance, when he was ordered to be arrested, which was at once accomplished. A dozen constables soon overpowered him, and succeeded in conveying him to the gateway loading fothcga'ttl, when they were assailed with stones and sticks, and the crowd numbering many times their own number, they were soon overpowered, and the ]jrisoner was rescued, but not before the Mayor and several constables had been struck with stones. The Mayor forthwith sent for Capt. Kings- mill of the Rifle corps and presented him with a requisition for his services, and in half an hour a body of from forty to hfty armed men took 92 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. up a position on the ground previously occupied by the mob, which had, in the interval, perceptibly diminished. Sufficient time having elapsed, the streets were cleared as far as possible, and a keen look out kept for the rioters. At ten o'clock the Reeve and Deputy-Reeve, accompanied by a section of the Rifles, visited the various taverns, clearing them of all strangers, and ordering that no more drink should be served that night. About midnight a disturbance took place in the rear of Moran's saloon, and some half dozen constables proceeding thither, found Kelly, the rescued man, with others, and again effected his arrest. Again he was rescued, and but for the timely arrival of a portion of the Rifles he would probably have escaped. He and four others, who had assisted in the rescue, were taken to the gaol. The next night (Sunday), a kceri look out was kept, and also on Monday night when a large number of men were collected on the Catholic Church premises, and about forty Orange- men from Rockwood were lying in readiness in various pa''ts of the town, but in consequence of the vigilance and energy of the constables and the military, no further disturbance took place. The rioters were brought before the magistrates, and most of them fined, but Kelly was sent for trial at the Assizes. After the election of the Council under the new organization, one of the first questions claiming attention was the erection of a suitable mar- ket house, and after considerable discussiox:^ and correspondence with the trustees of the Scotch Kirk, the site of that building was purchased for ^1750. Then a long delay occurred in deciding upon plans, and in letting tenders, but all these preliminaries were at last arranged, and on Thursday, September i8th the ceremony of laying the corner stone was performed. The Town Council, contractors, &c., assembled at the Court House, and preceded by the band of the Rifle Corps, marched to the site of the new building, where a large number of the inhabitants had assembled. A platform had been erected, r.nd from this the Mayor addressed the people, explaining the object for which the meeting had been called. The Town Cierk then read the following list of manuscripts, Sec, deposited in the cavity under the stone : — County of Wellitii^ton^ Totvn of Gtielph, History and Statistics. The first tree of the forest cut down within the limits of our present Town, of which we have any record, was felled on the 23rd day of April, in the year 1827. The Population of the Toxvn of Gttelplu . In the Year 1843 was 700 In the Year 1846 1357 In the Year 1847 1480 The Town of Guelph was incorporated with the Township under the Municipal Act in the year 1850. In the year 1851 it was set apart with the powers common to incorporated villnges. At the commencement of the prgsent year it was constituted a Town proper. The Annual Assessment of real and personal property for this year is ;^33,372 7s od., and the population about 5000. There are also deposited a Lithographed Map of the Town, published in the year 1855 ; a copy of each of the Town Newspapers ; one Victoria Sovereign ; one Victoria Florin ; one Victoria Shilling ; one Victoria Sixpence ; one Canada Penny. THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 93 which had, ng elapsed, )ut kept for :companied ig them of served that of Moran's ound Kelly, . Again he he Rifles he I assisted in a keen look aber of men )rty Orange- 1 of the town, ibles and the fere brought was sent for lation, one of suitable mar- •ndence with is purchased plans, and in iged, and on ler stone was at the Court ched to the Ditcnts had the Mayor meeting had manuscripts, 'atistics. our present ay of April, ^p under the apart with kncement of )r this year \, published me Victoria be Victoria Memoranda. Governor-General of this Province : — His Excellency Sir Edmund Walker Head, Bart. Mcmliers of the Legislative Assembly : — North Riding — Dr. Wm. Clarke. South Riding — Adam Johnston Fergusson, Esquire, formerly Judge of the County Court. Tow>i C''rponition. John Smith, Esquire, Mayor. Councillors — Messrs. Frederick George, John Thorp, Adam Robert- son, James Presant, Robert Thompson, Evan McDonald, William Atkins Peter Gow, George Elliott, George Sunley, and William Day. Treasurer — James Hough. Building Committee. Messrs. Day, Robertson, Thompson, and G. Elliot, Chairman. Architect — ^William Thomas, Esq., Toronto. Inspector — Mr. John Wright. Contractors. Masons — Messrs. Morrison «S: Emslie, Guelph. Carpenter — Mr. George Netting, Toronto. Plasterers — Messrs. Stephen & Pringle, Guelph. Slaters — Messrs. Mitchell, Rannic, and Duthcr, Toronto. Painter and Glazier — Mr. Chas. Marsh, Toronto. Cost '^f Building. Aboi't ^6,500, and ;^ 1,750 for the ground, formerly the site of St. Andrew's Church. This bottle and its contents were deposited by the Chairman ot the Building Committee, and this corner stone laid by John Smith, Esq., first Mayor of Guelph, on the i8th day of September, in the year of our Lord 1856, and in the Twentieth year of the reign of our most gracious and beloved Sovereign Queen Victoria. All of which is duly authenticated by the seal of the Corporation, and signed, John Smith, Mayor. James Hough, Town Clerk. The stone being suspended by a windlass, Mr. Elliott proceeded to deposit the bottle in the cavity prepared, and the Mayor performed the usual ceremony of laying the corner stone, the Rifles firing a fiu de joi:, and the band playing appropriate music. The Mayor then addressed the audience from the stand, in doing which he briefly referred to the history of the town from the cutting of the first tree in 1827, spoke of the struggles in the past for the erection of a Market House, and regretted that one of its most zealous advocates, Mr. Thorp was too ill to be pre- sent on that occasion, concluding by expressing the hope that the steady progress the town had hitherto made would be continued, and that the building then erected would tend much to develop the business of the place, and prove a source of profit both to those who brought pro- duce tu it for sale and those who bought there. Mr. Fergusson then delivered a brief address, and in pointing to the past looked upon it as an index of the future, and fully anticipated that in a few years the popu- lation of the town would be tenfold what it was then. The band then played " God Save the Queen," and the company dispersed. 94 THE ANNALS ()F THE TOWN OF GUELPH. In the evening a dinner was given at Horwood's hotel, about sixty gentlemen being present. The Mayor occupied the c! air, having on his right Mr. Fergusson, M.IM'., and Mr. I). Stirton, Reeve of Puslinch ; and on his left, Mr. Wm. Thomas and Mr. W. Whitelaw, Reeve of Guelph Township. Mr. EUio.t, chairman of the Market House Com- mittee, occupied the vice chair. A number of toasts were drunk and responded to, among the speakers being Mr. Stirton, Mr. Elliott, Mr. I'ergusson, Mr. Whitelaw, Air. Pirie and others. The building of the railway had by this time begun to have a very sensible effect on the value of property in the town, and on the progress of business generally. As a proof of this it may be mentioned that a park lot which four years previously had been bought for $300, was this year sold for $1800; and in another case, six acres of land, which five years before had been sold for ^300, was now sold for ^2,700. A lot on the Market Place was bought in 1854 for £62^, and this year fetched ,/,'2,5oo. Building operations were being pushed with great vigor, and the improve- ments all through the town were very marked, more especially in the business portions, Wyndham street particularly presenting a very busy aspect, among the other line stores erected during this yeai' being those built by Mr. R. Corbet. The Toronto Colonist^ referring to (Juelph at this time, says: — "(iuelph is particularly fortunate in possessing a build- ing stone easily worked, and \ery pleasing in appearance, closely resem- bling in color the white brick so much used in Toronto. This is well displayed in a street newly built, called Wyndham street, leading nortli fiom the Market Square, and branching off to the right and left on either i/idc of tlie Wellington Hotel. This is now the chief business street, many shop]ceey)ers and others recently moved into it from the Market S(|uare. St. Ceorgc's Church, which, when finished, will be a handsome building, is in this street. The new market, the walls of which are just fmished, is a fine substantial edifice. It is built of Guelph stone, from ;i design by Mr. Thomas. The trade and manufactures of Guelph are rapidly increasing. Ten years ago the quantity of llour sent to market by the principal miller was considered to be too highly estimated at eight hundred barrels. This season the exports of wheat and flour are set down at fifty thousand bushels of the former, and fifty thousand barrels of fiour. One mill alone is said to manufircture twenty-five thousand barrels. The manuf^icture of whiskey is also large, the quantity sold amounting this year to about twelve thousand five hundred barrels. The opening of the Grand Trunk has given the means of turning the stone quarries of (kielpli to valuable account. There are now four in full operation, anil arrangements are being made for the delivery and sale of the stone all along the railway. There are also several foundries and breweries, some of them doing a large business. The water ])owcr alTorded by the River Speed is quite sufficient to supply much more than what is rec|uired by the factories now on its banks ; but now one mill owner has let power for ten additional factories to be erected next year. The local trade of Guelph is very considerable, the country .about it in all directions being ot the most fertile description and well settled. The Guelph storekeepers have hitherto done a large business with Hamilton, but the completion of the Grand Trunk renders their communication with Toronto and Montreal so much more direct, that their trade will be chiefly with those places, especially with Toronto."' And again in reference to Guelph as a stock depot, it says: — "No one interested in stock-breeding, or in agricultural pursuits generally, vbout sixty /inj^ on his Puslinch ; , Reeve of ouse Com- drunk and Clliott, Mr. lave a very he progress that a pari: IS this year 11 five years . lot on the led ,:{;2,5oo. le improve- ally in the a very busy being those (nielph at ing a build- iscly resem- This is well iding nortli ift on either ness street, the Market I handsome ich are just ne, from :i kielph are to market ed at eight our are set ind barreh e thoxisand mtity sold rels. The the stone ur in full iind sale of ndrics and tcr power more than w one mill next year, about it in tied. The Hamilton, lunication de will be vys:— "No generally, THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 95 who has occasion to visit this place, should lose the opportunity of seeing Mr. Stone's herd of short-horn cattle, probably the finest and most valu- able in the Province, Mr. Stone, who is one of the leading mercha^its, has gone to an expense in importing cattle from England, which would hardly be credited by any one not aware of the immen3<; capital which is requisite at the present time to enable a breeder to lay the foundation of a first-rate stock of short-horn cattle, or the more expensive kinds of sheep. Year after year Mr. Stone and many other entrprisin.T; agricultu- rists have gone to the most eminent English breeders to enter into com- petition for the purchase of stock with men who, as regards genuine mercantile enterprise, extensive means and social position, comprising as they do many noble Lords and royal Dukes, may fairly rank with the prmces and cotton lords of England. With a noble spirit of enterprise, these men have invested in this way the accumulated savings of a life of toil, and at great risk to themselves, and endless care— and, in spite of great discouragement and even opposition, have doubled the agricultural wealth and resources of the country. Mr. Stone has now fifty-four head of thoro'-bred Durham cattle, chiefly direct importations, and from the choicest strains and best blood — the very aristocracy of the breed. The prices of some of these cattle would astonish many an unsophisticated backwoodsman, who would stare at being asked ^150 for a calf 6 months old, or the price of a small farm for a two year old heifer. Mr. Stone has also some very fine Cotswold sheep and a lot of nice Southdown ewes just imported." There was very little excitement over the town elections in 1857, there being no question of very great importance likely to come up to ab- sorb public interest. The nominations were held on Monday, January 5th, the candidates being: -West Ward — Messrs. Sunley, Elliott, Samuel Smith, Brown, A inlay and Wilson. Mr. John Smith was not a candidate on this occasion. In the South Ward — Messrs. Day, Gow, Clarke, Knowles, Condy ai;d Carrol. East Ward — Messrs. Presant, Tatham, Thompson, Macdonald, O'Reilly and Adsett. North Ward — Messrs. George, Har- vey, Rob ;rtson, Armstrong, Mackenzie and Anderson. The polling was not by any means as spirited as in previous years, the vote being com- paratively small. The result was that Messrs. G. Sunley, G. Elliott, S. Smith, F. George, J. Harvey, J. Armstrong, E. Macdonald, R. Thomp- son, G. P. Tatham, W. Day and W. S. G< Knowles were elected. On the Council being organised, Mr. George proposed the election of Mr. George Sunley as Mayor, on the ground of his long standing in the town, his property and business qualifications, and the position he had long occupied in the Council. He had been informed, and perhaps they might be told, that Mr. Sunley declined the nomination ; but he hardly thought that with the knowledge that the whole Council would support him, he would resist their wishes. Mr. Harvey seconded the nomination. Mr. Elliott said he should be happy to support Mr. Sunley if he thought he would accept the appointment. After some hesitation Mr. Srnley accepted the appointment and took the oath of office. The Mayor having taken the chair, Mr. Smith moved, and Mr. Day seconded, that Mr. P. Ciow be Reeve. Mr. Tatham moved, and Mr. George second- ed, that Mr. W. S. G. Knowles be Reeve. On a division Mr. Gow was declared elected. Mr. James Armstrong was unanimously elected Deputy Reeve.* The official Gazetlc oi December 21st, 1856, contained the following announcement: — " His Excellency the Governor General has been pleased i^l 96 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. to appoint Port Guelph, in the County of Wellington, to be a warehous- infc port from and after January 1st." Under this order a regular staff of Government officers were appointed, and much greater facilities were afforded for the warehousing and entry of goods. Mr. John Harland was appointed Collector, and Mr. E. Carthew landing waiter at this port. Towards the close of the previous year a proposition was made to make a grant to Mr. John Smith, as compensation for loss of time and the work which had devolved upon him as mayor. This raised a storm of opposition in certain quarters, more especially among those who had contended against the incorporation of the town, and who had been so extravagant in their statements of the probable expense which would be entailed by the change, in the payment of the various municipal officers. It was urged that Mr. Smith had promised that, if elected, he would serve without demanding, or expecting any remuneration, and those who had been disappointed in delaying the incorporation were very zealous in their efforts to defeat the proposed grant. His friends, however, claimed for him that, even if he had made such a promise, he had not contem- plated that he would be expected to perform the duties of Police Magis- trate, in addition to those of -the Mayoralty, and as, if a Police Magis- trate had been appointed, he would have received a salary of ^150 per annum, it was not unreasonable that Mr. Smith should receive a grant of ;^ioo. Finding that the opposition was likely to be much more bitter than they had at first anticipated some of the friends of Mr. Smith sug- gested that a subscription should be taken up for the purpose of indem- nifying him, but Mr. Smith and some of his supporters objected to this, and finally the grant was carried in the Council. In the Spring of this year considerable changes were made in the Militia Department throughout the Province, and a general re-organiza- tion of the corps was a necessary consequence. Among the other changes was that the ist Waterloo Battalion became extinct, and the ist WelHngton Battalion was created. In the Gazette of February 14th, the following appointments were announced: — To be Majors: Captain G. Harvey, from late rst Waterloo ; Capt. John C, Wilson, do. To be Cap- tains: Lieutenant Edward Thompson, from late ist Waterloo ; Lieut. William Henry Parker, do,; Lieut. Walter King, do.; Lieut. Robert Richardson, do.; Lieut. Alfred A. Baker, do.; Lieut. Richard Greet, do. Ensign James G. Husband, do.; Ensign Arthur Hogg, do.; Ensign John Thomas Tracy, do. To be Lieutenants: Ensign W. Porter, from late ist Waterloo ; Ensign and Adjutant James Cain, do. Charles Davidson, Henry Watson, Robert White, Thomas Watson, George Murton, Henry W. Peterson, John C. Allan, Nicol Kingsmill. To be Ensigns: Georg'j Tolton, Edmund Harlandj James Webster, jr., Colin Biyth, John C. Chadwick, jr., Frederick J. Chadwick, Walter Murton, Thomas Heffer- nan, Leonard Harland. To be Adjutant: Lieutenant James Cain. To be Surgeon : Surgeon William Clarke, from late First Waterloo. To be Assistant Surgeon: William S. Hewat. The following Officers from the late First Battalion, Waterloo, are permitted to retire, viz. ; — Major Wm. Thompson, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Ensign James Davie, retaining rank. Ensign David Allan, do. In the Gazette of May i6th, the following notice appeared: — Volun- teer Militia Rifle Compatiy of Guelph — To be Acting Adjutant with the rank of Lieutenant: Ensign James Armstrong ; to be Eijsign: Sergeant George Bruce, jr., vice Armstrong, promoted ; to be Surgeon: George S. Herod, Esquire, I !' varehous- ar staff of ties were Harland this port. s made to time and d a storm ; who had d been so would be il officers, he would those who zealous in r, claimed )t contem- ce Magis- ce Magis- "^150 per a grant of lOre bitter Imith sug- of indem- ;ed to this, ade in the organiza- the other |nd the 1 st 14th, the aptain G. |o be Cap- o ; Lieut. . Robert Jreet, do. [sign John late 1st )a\idson, n, Henry ; George John C. Hefifer- Uiin. To To be from the [ijor Wm. [s Davie, Vohtn- h the |Sergeant George th:: annals of the toww of guelph. 97 In May, Mr. John Smith retired from the management of the Ad- vertiser, his interest in that paper having been purchased by Mr. P. Cleri- hew, late of the Berlin Telegraph. In addition to a long and somewhat windy article, in faint and ineffectual imitation of the style which marked the productions in Addison's Spectator an explanation of the principles, political, moral, religious, social, domestic, and, in fact, in relation to almost every other conceivable subject on which men's opinions could possibly differ, the new proprietor printed the entire platform of the Re- form Alliance, as the sutnmum bonum of human desires, and of all that related to the advancement of mankind, and as the infallible guide to universal prosperity, contentment and peace. Unfortunately for the stability of the Utopian vision which Mr. Clerihew's fertile imagination conjured up, the millenium which he apparently anticipated as the certain consequence of the enunciation of these principles, not only to the world at large, but to our good town in particular, faded like thousands of other visions have faded before and since, and in a short time the sanguine dreamer awoke to the stern reality of the fact, that the degeneracy of the people in this part of the world was such, that they could not appreciate either his dreams or his talents, and evinced their callousness to his frequent and impassioned appeals to come forward in support of his universal peace and prosperity theories, by the cold and unpatriotic command — " stop my paper." At the Assizes in March a case of a mo:; , ainful nature was tried. James McGarrie, a boy fourtr^en years of age, was placed in the dock charged with the murder of a boy named William Cull, eleven years of age, in Garafraxa, on the nth of October, 1856. It appeared that the two boys were in the woods together gathering berries, when a dispute arose between them, and finally McGariiC struck Cull on the head with a stick, knocking him senseless. He then took a piece of a glass bottle, which had been broken in the struggle, and deliberately cut the child's throat from ear to ear. The youthful murderer then ran away, and it was not for several days that the body was discovered. McGarrie was arrested near Goderich, and iully confessed the murder, giving the fullest account of all the revolting details. At the trial a defence was set up that he was of unsound mind, and that he must have committed the dreadful crime while in a fit of insanity, but this availed nothing, the jury finding him guilty of wilful murder. The Judge then sentenced him to be hanged on the i ith of April, but before that time the sentence was com- muted to imprisonment for life. At the close of this month the town was called upon to mourn the death of one of the most prominent and highly respected inhabitants, in the person of Mayor Sunley, which took place, somewhat suddenly, on the 30th March. Mr. Sunley had been extremely unwilling to accept the position of Mayor, probably because he felt that his health would not permit of his discharging the duties of the position satisfactorily to him- self, but it was little thought that his tenure of office would be so brief, and terminated by so sad an event. He presided at a meeting of the Council only a few days before, and within a day or two of his death no serious apprehensions were entertained that the result of his illness would be fatal. On the day of the funeral upwards of a thousand of his fellow townsmen assembled in front of his residence, to follow his remains to the ^rave, and thus testify to the love they bore him person- ally, and the high estimation in which they had held him as a friend, a citizen, and as Mayor of the Town. The funeral procession was formed I 1 M THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. m in the following order : Guelph Rifle Company, the Fire Company, the members of the 'I'own Council in carriages, the ministers and physicians of the Town, the pall-bearers, the hea*-se, the executors and children of the deceased, Mr. Mclvin and Mr. Mills, his partners in business, the band, playing the dead march, in " S.iul,' the Associated Mechanics of Guelph, and some hundreds of inhabitants, in carriages, on horseback and on foot. 'I'he stores throvighout the town were closed during the afternoon, and for several days a deep gloom was cast over all. On the 13th of April the nomination of candidates for the seat in the Council rendered vacant by the death of Mr. Sunley took place, when Mr. John Kirkland and Mr. W. J. Brown were the candidates. Mr. Brown was elected by a very small majority. At the next meeting of Council Mr, Samuel Smith was elected mayor for the unexpired teiTn. At this meeting the Market House Committee reported that they had expended ^64oo 17s. ghd. on the building^ and that ^2743 3s Sad. more would be needed to complete the work, including the stone cornice wiiich it had been decided should be put up, instead of the wooden one, as at first contemplated. At about this time a number of new stores were opened, including the hardware establishment of Horsman Bros., the business of which very speedily developed into large proportions, the enterprise and thor- ough business knowledge of the proprietors soon placing them iu the front rank in their trade, a position which they maintained with marked success for several years, and which the present pioprietor, Mr. John Horsman, still con^mues to hold. On Sunday, May loth, a chapel, intended for tha Evangelical Union congregation, was opened, sermons being preached by Rev. R. Peden of Hamilton, who was assisted in the devotional exercises by Rev. E. Barker of Eramosa, and Rev. John McDougall, pastor of the church. The chapel, capable of holding between two and three hundred persons, was well filled at all the services. On Monday evening a tea meeting was held, followed by a public meeting, Rev. J. McDougall in the chair. Addresses were delivered by Rev. R. Paul (Primitive Methodist), Rev. Dr. Cooney (Wesleyan), Rev. E. Barker (Congregationalist), Rev. J. Clarke (Baptist), and Rev. R. Peden (Evangelical Union). In the fall of this year a general election took place, and in the North Riding Mr. Charles Allan of Elora (Reformer) was elected over Dr. Clarke by a small majority, principally on account of some of the electors disapproving of the course taken by Dr. Clarke on the question of remov- ing the capital to (2uebec. In October, the new building on St. George's Square, for the Bank- of Montreal, was finished, and a motion was passed in the Council for laying a sidewalk in front of it. In November a Gas Company was formed, and a petition was presented from Sheriff Grange and others, asking the Council to take such measures as might be deemed advisable for the encouragement of the enterprise, by adopting gas for the lighting of the streets and other purposes. The year 1858 did not present any circumstar.ee of any great public interest. The election for Councillors resulted as follows : — E.ist Ward, Messrs. John Harris, Charles Davidson and James Murphy ; South. Ward, Messrs. J. Kirkland, P. Gow and W. Day ; West Ward, Messrs. George Elliott, George Keeling and George Bruce ; North "Vard, Messrs. J. Harvey, F. George and James Armstrong. At the first meet- ing of the new Council on Jan. 13th, Mi. George Elliott was elected any, the lysiclans ildren of ness, the lanics of Drseback iring the e seat in ce, when es, Mr. meting of ed temi. they had r^d. more ice wiilch me, as at nckiding of which ind thor- m in the 1 marked Mr. John al Union Peden of Rev. E. church. persons, neeting ic chair. 1st), Rev. Rev. J. [e North Iver Dr. I electors "remov- le Bank ncil for liny was [others, Ivisable lighting pubhc 1 Ward, South, llessrs. |Ward, meet- klected THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF CUELPH. do Mayor, Mr. James Armstrong, Reeve, and Mr. John Harvey Deputy- Reeve. At the next regular meeting of the Council, Mr. F. George resigned his seat, in consequence, partly of some disputes in the Council and probably because he was not elected Mayor, and partly on account of business engagements. On the 15th February Dr. Herod was elected to till the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. (ieorge. It having been represented to the Council that it would be a great convenience to farmers and others living to the East and North of the Town if a foot-bridge were placed on the Grand Trunk railway bridge, the contractors. Messrs. Gzowski & Co., were written to on the subject, requesting them to erect such bridge, according to their contract, and the required accommodation was shortly afterwards provided. In April a little tea-cup storm was raised in the Council over a somewhat small matter. The ladies of the town had subscribed to present a flag for the Town Hall, and instead of formally making the presentation through the Mayor, it was sent .0 the Council through one of the members. No doubt the ladies were guilty of a breach of etiquette, and their conduct in cast- ing such an unwarrantable slight upon His Worship the Mayor was most reprehensible, and of course the Council pretested against such an insult to his dignity, but it is not recorded that that they refused to accept the gift. In December the by-law for establishing a monthly cattle fair, instead of the quarterly fair, as heretofore held, was introduced, though the by-law was not carried until January loth, 1859. A vacancy having occurred at this time in the representation in Par- liament for South Wellington, Mr. David Stirton was elected, but there was little excitement over the matter. In the fall of 1858 an act was passed in the Legislature for the elec- tion of mayors of municipalities by direct vote of the people, instead of by the Councils as heretofore. The passing of this act was the cause of considerable excitement in this, as in other towns, many being anxious to be the first to receive the honor of election to that honorable position by the suffrages of the people. At the nomination in Guelph, in Decem- ber, therefore, a larger number of electors were present than at at any previous nomination for many years. The candidates were — Mr. James Webster and Mr. Peter Gow, and at the election, Mr. Webster was the choice of the people, defeating Mr. Gow by 226 to 203. The Coun- cillors for 1859 were— Messrs. J. Harris, C. Adsett and J. Murphy. South Ward — Messrs. J. Kirkland, J. Stevens and Robt. Thompson. West Ward — Messrs. C. J. Buckland, R. Melvin and G. M. Keeling. North Ward — Messrs. J. Harvey, Jas. Armstrong and F. George. After the declaration had been made, a large body of the electors proceeded to the residence of Mr. Webster and took possession of the house. The health of the newly- elected Mayor was drunk, and a number of very complimentary speeches were delivered, congratulating Mr. Webster on the honor which had been conferred upon him. After this the party drove to the residence of Sheriff Grange, where the jovial part of the programme was repeated. On the loth of this month a large fire occrrred at the granary recently erected by Mr. John McCrae at the junction of the Grand Trunk and, Gait and Guelph Railways. The building was a large and substantial structure, and had only been in use a few months. At the time of the fire there were stored in it about i5,ocx) bushels of barley, peas, oats, &c.', which, with the building, were to a large extent destroyed. The loss was about $4000, which was only partially covered by insurance. 100 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. On January 14th, the County was called upon to mourn the loss of one of its oldest and most valued citizens Mr. Charles Allan, M. P. P., who had been elected for the North Riding only about a year and a half previously. Mr. Allan had been in Guelph the day before and had reached Hamilton, from whence he intended going to Toronto, On his way to the railway station he was taken suddenly ill, and before he could be conveyed to the residence of his friend, Mr. J. Matheson, he expired, ihe cause of death being disease 01 the heart. At the funeral, which took place at Elora on the 17th, gentlemen from all parts of the County, as well as from the County of Waterloo, were present, the funeral being the largest ever seen in that part of the country. Mr. Allan had served in almost every capacity it was possible for a man to fill, from that of village Councillor to Warden of the County, and at last, as a member of the Legislature, and few men ever lived in the County who were more highly respected than he, for his business integrity, his devotion to the interests of his fellow citizens, and tlie general kindliness of his disposi- tion. In the Council on the 17th, the election of Reeve and Deputy Reeve took place, the nominees being, for Reeve, Mr. John Harvey, proposed by Mr. Keeling, and seconded by Mr. Armstrong ; and Mr. John Harris, moved by Mr. Kirkland, and seconded by Mr. Murphy. On the ques- tion being put the vote showed a tie. and the Mayor thereupon gave the casting vote in favor of Mr. Harvey, who was consequently declared elected. For Deputy Reeve, Mr. Murphy nominated Mr. John Kirkland who was seconded by Mr. Mclvin. Mr. Robert Thompson was nominat- ed by Mr. Keeling and seconded by Mr. Armstrong. On a vote being taken Mr. Kirkland was elected by a vote of seven to five. The Township Council for this year consisted of Messrs. Whitelaw, Laidlaw, Rannie, Shortrced and Sweetnam. Mr. Whitelaw was elected Reeve and Mr. Rannie, Deputy Reeve. The County Council was com- posed of the following meml)crs:— Amaranth, C. Gillespie, Reeve ; Arthur and Luther, R. Morrison, Reeve, John Sinclair, Deputy ; Elora, Charles Clarke ; Eramosa, Donald r)lack, Laz. Parkinson ; Erin, Wm. Everdell, Wm. Cornock ; Fergus, Alex. Wilkie : Garafraxa, John Dobbin, Thomas Duffy ; Guelph, Wm. Whitelaw, John Rennie ; Guelph, John Harvey, John Kirkland ; Maryboro', Wm. Hambly ; Minto, J. Harrison ; Nichol James Ross; Peel, Thomas Gabutt, Wm. Sturtridge ; Pilkington, John Smith ; Puslinch, Wm. Leslie, Samuel Taylor. On motion of Mr. White- law, seconded by Mr. Dobbin, Mr. James Ross was unanimously elected Warden. On the 4th February, the nomination of candidates for the represen- tation of the North Riding took place at Fergus. For about three weeks political excitement had run high all over the north part of the County, it being evident from the first that the contest would be very close. The candidates were Mr. James Webster, Conservative, and Mr. James Ross Reformer. At the nomination there was a very large attendance, and the show of hands was in f-xvor of Mr. Ross by a small majority. A poll was, of course, demanded by Mr. Webster, and the election took place on the nth, resulting in the election of Mr. Ross by a narrow majority. This result was due to the fitct of Mr, Ross, as Warden of the County, b.eing intimately acquainted with most of the electors personally and also to the fact that many Conservatives^ more especially those in the neigh- borhood of Elora, at the l^t moment, werq jpduced out of friendship for Mr. Rdss, to succumb tb the 's\tmg jJfW^tfrt bVbfllght m tte^T upon loss of I.P.P., a half id had On his ; could xpired, which Zounty, l1 beinj; served that of mber of e more n to the disposi- ;y Reeve n'oposed I Harris, le ques- gave the declared Kirkland lominat- tc being litelaw, elected IS corn- Arthur Charles Lverdell, Thomas Harvey, . Nichol in, John •. White- elected |epresen- ee weeks [County, (e. The Us Ross :ice, and A poll 3k place majority. I County, Lnd also Ic neigh- lendship lat upon THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 101 them by his friends. A few days afterwards a grand dinner was given to Mr. Webster at Fergus, the chair b«ing taken by Lieut-Col. Valentine, of Nichol, ana the vice chair by Mr. Thos. Whitley, Mr. Webster's mover and seconder at the nomination. 'I'he attendance was very large, and' the enthusiasm exhibited was such as to render it certain that at a future election, should Mr. Webster run again, the result would be far different from what it was then. In April some consternation was caused in the Town by an assertion made in the Mercury, that the assessment this year, on account of the (ialt and Guelph Railway debt, would be is. iid. in the £. In order to grant the bonus to this railway, /"2o,ooo had been borrowed from the Municipal Loan Fund, and it was true that on January ist, the arrears due, in consequence of the inadequate assessment made under Mr. F. George's financial policy in the previous year, amounted to $12,678, but by the judicious management of the Council of 1859, that indebtedness had been reduced by the payment of $3,200, so that it was found necessary to levy a rate of only is. in the £. In April a shocking murder was perpetrated a short distance from tlie Town on the Brock Road. John McC^pffney was in the woods with his wife and son, aged about 12 years, when, after taking their dinner, McGaffney accused his wife of infidelity, and while the son was absent, struck his wife on the head with a krge piece of wood and then battered the ])ody almost out of recognition. Tlie murderer did not attempt to escape, and when arretted fully admitted the crime. At his trial it was proved beyond a doubt that he was subject to fits of temporary insanity, he having for several months been an inmate of the Toronto Asylum. It was also proved that the suspicion of his wife's infidelity was a delusion. He was acquitted of the charge of murder, and ord', iod to be confined in a lunatic asylum during llci Majesty's pleasure. The new church of St. Andrew being now finished, the formal induc- tion of Rev. John Hogg as pastor of the congregation was held July ist, the service being conducted by Rev. Mr. Gibson of (jalt and Rev. Mr. McDonnell of Fergus. The death of x\Ir. H. W. Peterson, for many years Registrar of the County, which occurred June 13th, having caused a vacancy in that office, Mr. James Webster was appointed to succeed him July i6th. It was at first thought that the appoiuyiient would necessitate Mr. Webster's resignation of the office ot Mayor, but the opinion of the Attorney-Gen- eral having been obtained, to the effect that such resignation need not necessarily follow such appointment, Mr. Webster retained the position. In August another important enterprise connected with the trade of the town was commenced. Mr. C. E. Romaine, acting for Messrs. Gooderham & Worts, distillers and grain dcalcr^3, of Toronto, purchased a quarter of an acre of land near the apex of the Market Square, and at once commenced building a large granary, capable of holding 50,000 bushels. He immediately commenced buying large quantities of grain from farmers in all parts of the county, the consequence being that better prices were realized than had been the case for a considerable time. The Rev. J. G. Macgrcgor having retired from the pastonne ot Knox's Church, a unanimous call was extended to Rev. D. H. McVicar, which, having been accepted, the ordination service was held October nth, Rev. William Millican ofGarafraxa, Rev. George Smellie of Fer- gus, Rev. James Middlemiss of Elora, Rev. Thomas Cuthbertson of Wiiilerbourne, Rev. Alexander McLean of Aberfoyle, and Rev. Andrew 102 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. McLean of Puslinch, officiating. The sermon on the occasion was preached by Rev, Mr. Millican, who chose as his text, Psalm Ixxxvii, 3. Cn the following Sabbath Mr. McVicar preached his first sermon in the church, from 2 Corinthians, :»'. 5. The month of October brought some severe losses to many of the merchants in the town, consequent on the stoppage of the International and Colonial banks. Although the notes of these institutions were not convertible at the local bank agencies, and were looked upon with suspi- cion by most of the sagacious moneyed men, still a considerable amount of these promises to pay had got into circulation here; for in those hard times persons were apt to think '' a brown loaf better than no bread," and when a decent-looking ticket, unadorned with " wild cats,'' and claim- ing no paternity from the land of bogus banks across the lines was offered in payment, they were not generally disposed to be very critical. And so, for a while, there was quite an interesting spice of excitement, desks and tills were examined, spleuchans were ransacked, and not a few good folks who had put off dunning credUors on the previous day, with the time-honored response ot " no funds," found to their astonishment that they had nice little rolls of bank bills securely stowed away in snug receptacles, which, on examination, gave out a moderate percentage of the now proscribed commodity. But while nearly all the merchants lost more or less heavily, a few of the canny monied men were smitten much more heavily, by venturing to accumulate large stocks of the suspected scrip. In fact, there was a general loss on all the trading community. In the case of the International Bank, the affair was undoubtedly got up with the intention of swindling the Canadians, who lost, in the aggregate, nearly $250,000 by the failure. In November a proposition was made to the Vestry of St. George's Church by Dr. Clarke and Mr. W. J. Brown to purchase the site on St. George's Square, for the sum of ^2150, the purchasers to hold the pro- perty in trust for the Town for two years, at the expiration of that time, if the Town did not buy it, it was to be the sole property of Dr. Clarke and Mr. Brown, to be used as they thought fit. The matter was fully discussed in the Vestry, but the proposal was not accepted, Rev. Arthur Palmer agreeing, if the congregation would contribute ^1500, to provide the balance of what would be required to finish the church where it then stood, from other sources. The Rev. H. W. Stewart, B. A., assistant minister ot St. George's Church, being about to remove to another sphere of labor, a deputation, consisting of Messrs. Leslie, Battersby, Th9s. W. Saunders, F. J. Chad- wick, H. W. Peterson and Capt. Vale, waited I'pon him and presented him with the following address: — TO THE RJLV. HENRY W.M. S I'EWART, D. A. Reverend and Dear Sir, — We, the undersigned, members of the Church of England, and others, mhabitants of the Town of Guelph and vicinity, hearing of your proposed change to some other parish, cannot allow you to leave this sphere of your useful ministry without expressing our heartfelt regret at parting with you ; and renewing our assurance of every kind wish for your health and happiness, We would avail ourselves of this occasion to bear willing testimony to the constant faithfulness with which you, in co-operation with yc ur esteemed father, have discharged the laborious duties devolving upon you, during the absence from the parish, for a period of nearly two years, of the Rector, the Rev. Arthur Palmer, sion was bIxxxvu, ermon in ny of the :rnational were not 'ith suspi- e amount iiose hard \o bread," md claim- :as offered cal. And ent, desks . few good , with the ment that y in snug ;entage of hants lost tten much suspected pmmunity. dly got up aggregate, Georges to on St. the pro- that time, Clarke was fully Arthur o provide where it George's 2putation, J. Chad- presented srs of the elph and , cannot xpressing Lirance of [estimony r-ith ycur ling upon Wo years, 2V THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF OUELPH. 103 And we earnestly trust that the blessings of a kind Providence may attend you, wherever your lot may hereafter be cast, and that there your future ministry may be marked with the same measure of success which it has been hero. This address, which was signed by about four liundred persons, members of St, George's and other churches, was replied to in suitable terms by Rev, Mr, Stewart, who expressed the hope th.at all those who had signed it might receive the same blessings they had -.vished should be given to him. At the nomination for Mayor, in December, there was very little excitement. It had been the very generally expressed wish that Mr. John Harvey should be the next Mayor, and steps had been taken to carry his election liv acclamation, but a few persons, inimical to him, were determined that this should not be, if they could prevent it, and accor{lin,;]y a requisition was prepared to Mr. James Webster, to allow himself tt> be nominated, which liowever, he refused. (Jn the day of nomination, therefore, against his expressed wish. Dr. Parker was nominat- ed, and he only escaped being obliged to go to the poll, Jjy claiming his right to exemption from service, as a medical man, under the statute which makes special provision for such a purpose. Mr. Harvey was thereupon elected by acclamation. The close of the year was very near being marked by the destruc- tion of the new market house, Ijy fire. In order to prevent the meat from freezing, Mr, Wald, who occupied the first stall on the left, had fill- ed a stove with firewood, and there l^eing no guard plate beneath, the stove became hot enough to ignite the fioor, which soon burned through, and the stove fell into the stall beneath, where there was a quantity of butter stored, which, of course, burned very fiercely, and had the fire not been discovered when it was, the probability is that the entire building would soon have become a heap of ruins. .As it was, however, a liberal supply of water being procured, the flames were extinguished liefore very much dainage \\as done. The members of the I own Council for i860 were: F.ast Ward — Messrs, C, Davidson, D. .\llan and N. Higinbotiiam. South Ward — Messrs. J. Kirkland, T. lloUiday and Dr. Parker. West Ward -Messrs. George Elliott, C. J. IJuckland and G, M. Keeling. North Ward - Messrs. James Armstrong, Fred, (George and Dr, Herod, At the first meeting of the Council, .Mr, (Jeorge Elliott was chosen Reeve, and Mr, Chas. Davidson Deputy J^eevc. The County Councd for the year was composed as follows: — Amar- anth, Chas. Gillesi)ie, Reeve ; Arthur, John Martin, Reeve, Robt. Mor- rison, Deputy Reeve ; Elora, (village) Charles Clarke, Reeve ; Eramosa, D. Black, Reeve, L. Parkinson, Deputy Reeve ; Erin, P. McGill, Reeve, W. Cornock, Deputy reeve ; Fergus (village), James Grindley, Reeve ; (iarafraxa, John Dobbin, Reeve, Thos. Duify, Deputy reeve ; (iuelph, Wm. -Whitelaw, Reeve, John Rannie, Deputy reeve ; (iuelph (town), G. Elliott, Reeve, Charles Davidson, Deputy reeve ; Luther, George Todd, Reeve; Maryboro', W. S. Hambly, Reeve, Joseph Medill, Deputy reeve ; Minto, Joseph Harrison, Reeve, Noah Bullock. I)cputy reeve ; Nichol, John Beattie, Reeve ; Peel, Wm. Sturtridge, Ree\ e, John Ciibson, Depu- ty reeve ; Pilkington, John .Smith, Reeve ; Puslmch, Wm. Leslie, Reeve, John Cockburn, Deputy reeve. On motion of Mr. Leslie, seconded by Mr. Beattie, Mr. Whitelaw was elected W trden, A fire of a serious nature occurred on the morning of January 31st, 104 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. on the Market Square, on the premises occupied by H. Jacobs & Co., cigar manufacturers and the Castle Garden Saloon, on the site new occu- pied by the Herald Bloclv. The buildings being principally of wood, were soon enveloped in flames, and though the fire engines were quickly on the ground, the hose was rendered useless by the severe frost, only one engine being able to be of any service whatever. Jacobs &. Co.'s loss was about $500, while Mr. Moran's on the saloon with the stock was about $4000. The period ol crvice of the Governor (ieneral having expired, by official rule, during the past autumn, and he having been re-appointed by Her Majesty recently, Mr. Allen moved, in the meeting of Council of February 6th, the following address, to be presented on behalf of the Corporation : — To His Exxellcncy Sir Edmund IVai/ccr Head, K. C. 11, Governor Gen- eral of British North America i^c, S^c. May it please your Excelt^ency : The Municipal Council of the Town of Guelph having learned that Her Most Gracious Majesty has vouchsafed to testify her cordial approv- al of the manner in which you have discharged the onerous duties of the high position you occupy as Her Majesty's representative in this Colony, by prolonging your terui of office, respectfully beg leave to tender their sincere congratulations on so desirable and auspicious an event. Under the judicious, the firm and constitutional rule of your Excel- lency, agriculture, commerce, manufactures, education— all the staple interests of the country have been fostered and have flourished ; greatly increased facilities have been given to internal traffic, the credit of the province has been maintained and improved, and the country has attained a position and enjoys a prosperity unsurpassed by any portion of Her Majesty's dominions. Should the expectation of Her Majesty's loyal subjects in this Pro- vince be realised by a visit from the Prince of Wales or other member of the Royai FamiU in the ensuing summer, we entreat your Excellency's good offices to nrocure us the honor and the happiriess of welcoming a scion of Her Majesty's illustrious house to her loyal town of Guelph. Guelph, February 6th, i860. Dr. Parker opposed the presentation of this address, on the ground that the Council should not interfere in any way in politics, while the majority of the members contended that there was nothing political in it. Dr. Parker, however, insisted that there was, and that by introducing such an address, some of the members had disregarded their oath of office, and threatened that if the address should pass he would resign his seat. Di'. Parker then moved for an adjournment, which was lost by a vote of 7 to 4. Dr. Parker then moved, seconded by Mr. Kirkland, *' That the address now ])roposcd to the Administrator of the (lovernment is an improper interference with public affairs, and calculated to disturb the efficient working of the Co'.incil." The amendment was then put and lost, after which the address was carried. At the next meeting of the Council, the Clerk rend a communication from the Governor General's Secietar}', acknowledging the receipt of the address and enclosing the following reply of His Excellency to the same :— • Mr. Mayor and Centlenioi of the Municipal Council of Guelph. Although I am not aware that my term of office has been specially prolonged, I thank yoi'.r very sincerely for your congratulations on my 5 & Co., cw occu- of wood, ; quickly ost, only & Co.'s the stock piled, by Dinted by ouncil of ilf of the nor Gen- rned that d approv- ties of the ;s Colony, ider their ur Excel- die staple greatly dit of the attained )n of Her this Pro- member :cllency's :omir lelph. le ground while the cal in it. in'j such of oflice, his scat. a vote nf That the ;nt is an 5turb the put and ig of the Jeneral's )sing the specially IS on my THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 105 having continued up to the present time to administer the government of this Province. I rejoice to think that the last harvest, with which Providence has blessed us, will have done much to restore Canada to its former prosper- ty; and if His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visits the Province, I shall hope to see hirn welcomed by a thriving and a loyal jjeople. I acknowledge the expression of your attachment to out most graci- ous Sovereign. EDMUND HEAD. Government House, Quebec, February I3lh, i860. Dr. Parker then moved, seconded by Mr. Elliott, that the answer of His Excellency to the Address of the Council, be received and entered on the minutes of the Council. In moving this the Doctor said the Gov- ernors reply was an admirable one, and had completely changed his opinion of His Excellency, who, he now believed, was not such a bad fellow after all, and he hoped the address would be entered on the min- utes with the reply. In February the Town Clerk received a new Commission of the Peace for ihe Town, containing the following names: -William Clarke, David Allan, George Elliott, Charles Davidson, John McCrea, W. S. G. Knowles, John Harris, John Horsman, C. P. P. Hutchinson and James Hough. At the same time the Clerk of the Peace received a new Com- mission for the County, as follows:- Township of Guelph.— John C. Chadwick, George Elliott, Wil- liam Whitelaw, James Laidlaw, George Piric, William Day. Township of FIrin. — Henry Read, John McEwan, John Rott, Adam Conboy, James Kerr. Township of Eramosa.- John Blanchtleld. Township of Nichol. — Charles Michie, George C. Hamilton, Brebner Cadenhead, James Ross, Nicholas Murphy, James Reynolds, William Tindal, George Wilson, Alexander Muir, Eugene Scanlan, James Wilson (Fergus), James Grindlay. Township of Garafraxa. — John Campbell Ross, Joseph W. Ferrman. Township of Luther.— George Todd, James Newson, Duncan Saunders, Hugh McDougall, Jarnes Isles. Township of Arthur T. H. Philips, Richard Chalmer, John Morrison (the Eider, Lot 23, Con. loth.) Township of Pilkington.- Hugh Roberts, Arthur Ross, John Finlayson, David Henderson, James M. Frazer, John Potter, Walter P. Newman, William Gibbon, Charles Clarke. Township of Peel.— Robert Nay, A. Bannerman, George Stewart, Thomas Holt, James Gibson, Thomas Heritage, William Blackwell, George Halley, Thomas Burns, Alexander Weir, John Mnlloy, Senior, Samuel Thompson, David Blair. Township of Maryborough.— Samuel Kilgour, John Watson, William Clarke, William Ayerst, John Robinson, William Robinson, John Walker, WiUiam Johnson, John Kilpatrick, Samuel Benson, Thoma Henderson, John Johnston, Henry Maudsley. Township of M into.— Noah BuUork, Robert Caldwell, John Smithurst, Henry Stovel, Senior, Leonidas Chalmer, Archibald Harrison, Alexander Dow, William Webber, William Keith, Mat hew G. Miller, Joseph Harrison. 106 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. At the meeting of Council on May 7th Mi. F. (Jeorge tendered his lesignation, on account of pressing business engagements, and the resig- nation was accepted. At the same meeting a committee, consisting of the Mayor, Messrs. Allan, Kirkland, Keeling, Dr. Parker and Dr. Herod, appointed to make arrangements for the reception of His Royal was Highness the Prince of Wales. On May 21st Dr. Clarke was elected to till the vacancyin the representation of the North Ward caused by the resignation of Mr. George. In May an Act received the Royal sanction for the consolidation of the debt of the Town of (iuclph, the provisions of which were as follows: The Tov.n being indebted to the Municipal Loan Fund in the sum of $80,000, and on ordinary debentures $48,132, the arrears on which were $3,667 ; and on other accounts the Town being indebted $4,475, the same should be consolidated by the issue of debentures for such sums uncon- nected with the Municipal Loan Fund, to the amount of $28,000, for the purpose of redeeming or discharging certain debentures, due and in a short time to be due, provided that the by- law for issuing such debentures should receive the assent of a majority of the electors, and that the Town should not deviate from, change or repeal the terms of the issue of such debentures, except that the Town might abstain from issuing all the debentures. The whole to be redeemable not later than the year 1880. In the Council on June 4th, the Mayor, Messrs. Allan, Buckland and Dr. Parker were appointed a committee to correspond witli Rev, Arthur Palmer with reference to the purchase by the Town of the site of St. George's church, the result being that Rev. A. Palmer declined to name a sum, and for a time the matter dropped. In June of this year the Herald commenced the publication of a semi- weekly edition, in reference to which some very flattering notices appeared in the newspapers in various parts of the country. Among others, the Colonist said: — " Our contemporary the Guelph Hkrald now publishes a semi-weekly edition, besides his usual weekly issue. We are glad thus to notice the enterprise and energy displayed, for the Herald is one of the best Conservative papers we receive. It has long and man- fully fought our battles, and stood true to the interests and fortunes of our party. We are glad to notice this sign of increased prosperity, and hope its spirited proprietor will meet with the success he deserves under this additional responsibility." The London Free Press said: — "The Guelph papers have made a sudden start, and there are now two semi- weekly journals issued in that comfortable well-to-do place. The semi- weekly edition of the Guelph Herald is now before us, presenting itself as a well-filled, attractive sheet, containing a capitally selected and well digested budget of the news of the day, such as may be taken up and read with pleasure and profit by any one, be his bias what it may. Mr. Pirie, its conductor and proprietor, is among the oldest members of the Provincial press, and that he knows well how to cater to his readers is fully shown in his new and creditable enterprise." The Canadian Free- man said: — " It is this week our pleasing duty to chronicle a change in the Guelph Herald. Though differing- essentially with our contem- porary in general politics, we the more cheerfully accord him the credit of being among the fairest and most liberal of the Conservative journal- ists in the Province. The columns of the Herald have always been open to just remonstrance against grievance or wrong, to truthful refuta- tion of misrepresentation or falsehood, and to temperate discussion. Further, we have never known the editor of the Herald to descend to THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 107 ;red his le resig- sting of Herod, 5 Royal ected to I by the ation of follows : e sum of ch were the same s iincon- D, for the and in a ibentures he Town e of such g all the r 1880. Buckland vith Rev. he site of 'clined to tion of a notices Among ALD now We are I15RALD .nd man- tunes of rity, and under — " The ,vo semi- he semi- ng itself md well up and ly. Mr. Is of the laders is pi Free- in :ontem- le credit iournal- I's been rcfuta- :ussion. Icend to the mean and insulting slang with which some other journals befoul their columns. We wish our contemporary triumphant success." At the meeting of the Town Council in August 8th, Dr. Parker made a statement to the effect that the joint committees of the Town and County Councils had transmitted a memorial to the Governor-General, soliciting a visit from the Prince of Wales, to which no answer had been returned. The memorial read thus : — To His Excellency Sir Edmund Walker Head, Governor General of British North America, etc., etc. The memorial of the Joint Committee of the Municipal Councils of the Town of Guelph and the County of Wellington, to solicit a passing visit from His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to the Town of Guelph, duting his tour through Western Canada, and to make such arrangements as will insure to His Royal Highness fit and proper recep- tion within the reach of youi memorialists, should the prayer of your petitioners be granted — Humbly showeth: That your memorialists desire to approach your Excellency at this auspicious moment for Canada with renewed assurances of devoted attachment and loyalty to the person and government of our gracious, beneficent and beloved Queen, and, in common with the whole Province, hail with pride and gratification the approaching visit of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to this country. That the obvious and direct route for His Royal Highness from Toronto to Sarnia would appear to your memorialists to be by the Grand Trunk Railway, passing through the centre of the Western Peninsula, one of the finest and most populous agricultural districts in Canada, thus affording to a large portion of Her Majesty's Canadian subjects, other- wise debarred by their remoteness from the frontier towns, an oppor- tunity of exhibiting their devotion and loyalty to the Crown by welcoming the Heir apparent to the British Throne io this most important part of Her Majesty's Dominions. Therefore your memorialists, on behalf of the people ot this town and county, pray your Excellency to use your kind offices to secure the Town of Guelph, a town which bears the illustrious family name of the House of Brunswick, and is situated on the route, a visit of an hour or two from His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. And your memorialists as in duty bound will ever pray. Signed by the members of the Joint Committee of the County and Town Councils. No reply having been received to this memorial up to August i8th, the Mayor of Guelph and Warden of Wellington proceeded to Quebec to present ar other and similar memorial. They were introduced to the Governor General by Col. Irvine, and presented the memorial, and in reply his Excellency said the Prince would par- through Guelph and would probably be induced to stop long enough to receive an address. The deputation were directed to transmit a copy of the address proposed to be presented, to His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, who would inti- mate to them when and where the Prince would receive it. At a meet- ing of the Joint Committee, held a few days afterwards, it was decided to erect a covered stand in which to receive the Prinze, each person oc- cupying a seat therein to be charged a small sum for the privilege. An address was also drafted, and Mr. Hough was despatched to Montreal to submit it, through the Governor General, to the Duke of Newcastle. 1(»8 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. In a few clays a telegram was received intimating that the Prince would leave the cars and remain in Guelph for a short time, and preparations were at once commenced for his reception. On September 12th the Prince paid his much wished for visit to Guelph, and a most loyal recep- tion was accorded hmi. The following description, published in the Hkrald, will give a better idea of the proceedings than anything written now could possibly do. Wednesday last will bo written in large letters in the annals of Guelph, and will be remembered for many years to come, as the period of an event that must needs be of a rare occurrence in the interior of a Province so far removed from the central seat of Government of this mighty empire. How little could the founder of our good town have anticipated, how remote from even his fertile imagination, the idea, that in little more than thirty years after he felled the first tree in the un- broken forest which then stood v/here Guelph now stands, ten thousand persons would be assembled within a fiew hundred yards of the site of that goodly maple, to welcome the heir of the British Crown, the eldest son of the reigning sovereign, after whose illustrious house he named the embryo town, for which he chose so fair a site. As only some ten days intervened between the period at which it was conceded that the Prince should make a short stop at Guelph on his way to Sarnia, and the date of his arrival, the preparations for the royal visit had to be made somewhat hastily, but despite such disadvantage the arrangements were tastelulb.- designed and well and elegantly com- pleted. The amphitheatre connecting on the one side with the railway track, through a beautifully ornamented arch, surmounted with a crown of tlowers, and having on the opposite side a dais surmounted with a gaily-colored cupola and a flag staff, from which floated the rcval stand- ard, was capable of accommodating some 6000 persons in the seats and on the floor. The entrance arch and dais were connected by an elevated gangway about 150 teet in length, which had a rope rail on either side, and surmounted by numbers of niinature union jacks, was neatly carpet- ed. This gangway led up to the platform forming the pedestal of the dais, which was elevated a few steps above it, was elegantly carpeted, and furnished with three handsome arm chairs. On the floor of the amphitheatre to the right of the dais, seats were prepared for the school children, and on the left some of the brass bands were subsequently placed. Lofty flagstaffs, bearing a variety of colors andflags, rose from different parts of the building, which did much credit to Messrs. Bruce and Armstrong the artificers. The sidewalks on Wyndham street and the Market Square wxre tastefully dressed with evergreens, and flags fluttered gaily from the house tops and from elevated flagstaffs. The Dundas Artillery Company under Lieut. Smith, which had arrived on the previous evening, drove up and unlimbered their guns on the upper section of the Market Square early in the forenoon, Major Notman, who commands the Company, was pre- vented from attending by sickness in his family. Lieut. McKenzie acted as signal man, to announce the arrival and departure of the Royal party, which regulated the firing. The Company wear a very handsome uniform and have quite a soldierly appearance, and their Brass Band, although numbering few instruments, were fully as efficient as any on the ground. The other brass bands present, were those of Fergus, Elora, Berlin and Guelph, who all merit much praise for their services on this occasion. Soon after noon, the school children, who had assembled in the Town THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 109 would rations !th the recep- in the lything rials of period ior of a of this vn have ea, that the un- , lousand ; site of ; eldest med the which it h on his he royal [vantage tly corn- railway a crown with a stand- ;ats and levated [icr side, carpet- 1 of the .rpeted, of the school iquently ,e from Bruce Ire were le house [y under I up and re early iras pre- fie acted [l party, miform jlthough ground, (in and Icasion. Town Hall to the number of 500, were ushered into the amphitheatre by their teachers and took their seats, and soon after the gentlemen invited by the Mayor and Warden to take places on the platform with the members of the Town and County Councils arranged themselves around the dais. Colonel Webster, commanding the 6th Military District, Lieut. -Colonel Saunders, Lieut. -Colonel Fergusson, Lieut. -Colonel Drysdale, Lieut.-Col. Munro, Major Greet, A. (2- M. G., Major W^ilson, Captain Date, Captain Hamilton and other olHcers, the Rev. A. Palmer, Rural Dean, Rev. E. M Stewart, of St. George's church, and Rev. John Hogg, of St. Andrew's church, these gentlemen appeared in' their clerical gowns — the Re\. Messrs, McVicar and Torrance, of the Presbyterian church, the Rev. Messrs. Holzcr and McOuag, Roman Catholic, Rev. Messrs. Douse and Adams, Methodist, Rev.^Mr. Clarke, Baptist, Rev. Mr. Clarke, Congre- gationalist, all of Guclph, F. Kerr, Esq., County Surveyor. J. Hough, Esq., Deputy Clerk of the Crown and A. D. Ferrier, Esq., Clerk of the County Council, John Miller, Esq., R. F. Nellis, Esq., and Wm. Cooke, Esq., from Gait, and several other gentlemen were present. The stop- page of the trains on the line prevented the appearance of several gentlemen from Toronto. About 12.30 the rifle company, led by Capt. Higinbotham and pre- ceded by the Artillery Company's brass band, entered the enclosed space and took post in front of the arch. They were followed by a detachment of the Guelph Cavalry (dismounted) who were posted by Colonel Web- ster in front and rear of the dais. The Royal party having left Toronto at 11 a.m., were announced in the instructions transmitted to the employees of the Cirand Trunk along this section of the line, to arrive in Guelph at i p.m. and that hour was now at hand. The school children, aided by Messrs. .Sunley, Wheatley, iS:c., with instrumental music, and led by Mr. James Fergusson, sang some stanzas in very excellent style, l)ut were not heard, we believe, by many present, so fully occupied were they in expectation of the arrival of the Prince. Precisely at 12.50 the pilot engine, announced to run 10 minutes ahead of the royal train, passed through the town, setting expectation on tip-toe. One o'clock passed, however, and the minute hand of the town clock that looked down on the amphitheatre had passed a third of the points on its next hours journey, but still there v/as no sign of the ]^rince"s approach, and many grave conjectures were made as to the cause of de- tention. The royal party had been detained a few minutes at different stations on the route, and more especially by descending to view the stupendous viaduct over the Credit, so that it was 1,22 ere the train ran up to the landing place. The Prince immediately left the royal car, and was received on the platform outside the ar :h by the Mayor and Warden, who, leading the way into the interior of the amphitheatre, were followed by the Prince's equerries ; the Prince, -hat in hand, and gracefully bowing — the Governor General, Duke of Newcastle, General Williams, the hero of Kars, Col. Bruce, and other members of the Royal suite. The artillery now com- menced firing the salute, the rifle company presented arms, the school children rose and waved their handkerchiefs, and the assemb'ed thou- sands cheered with a vehemence that quite drowned the martial sound of trumpet and drum, which vainly endeavored to make audible the strains of the National Anthem. The Royal cortege passed along the platform amid this outbui'st of 110 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. pl'^asur.ible excitement, the fluttering of flags and strange commingling of sounds, to the dais, ih the centre of which the Prince turned and stood until his suite arranged themselves, and a half circle was formed by the gentleman occupying the platform. The rifle company marching along the gangway until the leading file reached the platform around the dais, opened and fell back on each side, forming a double line from the pjatform to the arch. The Mayor now advanced and read the following address : — To His Royal Highness the Prince ok Walks: May it please your Royal Highness- - The Mayor and Council on behalf of themselves and the inhab'tants of Guelph, proudly welcome your Royal Highness to this Town, which bears the family name of the illustrious House of Brunswick, a town which has risen in thirty years from an unbroken forest. We thank your Royal Highness for the honor of this visit, and the opportunity thus afforded of expressing our loyalty and devotion to the person of our Queen ; and attachment and fealty to the free institutions of the great Empire of which we are proud to form an integral part. We entertain a profound sense of Her Majesty's kind and gracious consideration for her Canadian subjects, in delegating your Royal High- ness to visit Canada, and are deeply sensible of our obligations to your Royal Highness, in encountering the fatigues and perils of an Atlantic voyage, to come amongst us. Our warm affections will follow your Royal Highness, and our earnest prayers to Almighty God for your safe return to that empire whose future liopes and expectations, in common with our own, are bound up in your Royal Highness. JOHN HARYEY, MAYOR. The address, which was beautifully engrossed on parchment, was received by the Prince, who handed it to the Duke of Newcastle. The Warden then came for\vard and read the following address from the County Council : To His Royal Highness, Prince AWert Ed^vani, Prince of Wales, Duke of Saxony, Prince of Cobonrg and Gotha, Grand Steward of Scot- land, Duke of Cornioall and Rothsay, Earl of Chester, Carrick and Dublin^ Baron of Renfrew, and Lord of the Isles. May it Please Your Royal Hiohnkss: We, the municipal representatives of tlie County of Wellington, in County Council assembled, gladly avail ourselves of the opponunity pre- sented by this visit of your Royal Highness to our County Town, to tes- tify in word as we are ever ready to do in our daily li\es, our devotion to the crown and person of our illustiious and beloved sovereign, while with others we cannot avoid the expression of our regret that the duties appertaining to the high position held by her gracious Majesty have pre- vented her acceptance of the invitation proficred by our Legislature, and from becoming personally acquainted with the present feeling of loyalty pervading this portion of her dominions. We gratefully acknowledge the readiness with which she has met theprayer of her Canadian subjects, by deputing, as her representative, one who at some distant day will wield the sceptre now held by her. In doing this, we beg to congratu- late your Royal Highness upon the enthusiastic and hearty reception which has greeted you during your tour through the province, and can assure you that in the backwoods of this peninsula, thousands of miles from the parent state, where the hardy pioneer is busily engaged in Duke \f Scot- ick and ton, in ty pre- to tes- 3tion to Ic with duties ve prc- re, and loyalty wledgc ibjects, ay will ign>fu- :cption nd can f miles ^g'ed in battling with the difficulties of a fresh settlement in a forest land, there burns ai strong a feeling of attachment to tlie throne as in those "happy homes of England," in the midst of which you dwell. And our pleasure in welcoming you to this section of Canada, is onl)- marred by the reflection that the limited time at your disposal does not permit you to travel through the interior of the noble country spreading from this town northward to the shores of Lake Huron and to witness how the labors of less than a score of years have converted the wilder- ness into a land ^teeming with plenty, and tilled with a prosperous and contented people. in conclusion we pray your Royal Highness to convey to our belov- ed Sovereign this expression of the feelings of devotion and esteem which animate the people of this country ; and an assurance, that should occasion ever call for more active proofs of loyalty, the nien of Welling- ton will bo found worthy ot the illustrious name which they proudly bear. WILLIAM WHITELAW, Wakdkn. The Prince having handed the County address— which was equally handsomely got up as the other- to the Duke of Newcastle, received from him and read, with a singularly distinct and musical intonation, the following reply ; delivering, at the conclusion, the document to the Mayor: — Gkntlkmen, I thank you sincerely for the Address which you have presented to me. In the Queen's name I thank you sincerely for the expressions of your loyalty to her crown and person, and for myself I am grateful to you for this welcome to this the chief town of so fertile and beautiful a dis- trict, bearing, as it does, the name of my own family. The Mayor was now directed to present the gentlemen of the Town Council, and then the members of the County Council were presented by the Warden. Colonel Webster and the Rev. A. Palmer, who had been presented at Toronto, again paid their respects to the Prince, and the school children sung the following stanzas in admirable style :- ^ Ciod suvc our gracious (jiicen, Loiifj may Victori.'i reign, (Jod save the Queen ! Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, l.oni; to reisn over us, (joil save tlie (^\ieen I Crowned with each kin^jiy grace. Wisdom and righteousness. Our youthful Prince ; .Strong in tht nation's might, Alay he defend the right, J'urn al! liis foe:; to flight, Cod save the Trincc ! The Prince now descended from the dais, and preceded by his equerries and followed by the rest of his suite, passed slowly round the platform, giving to the multitude outside the enclosures a perfect view of his person and countenance. This condescension on the part of his Royal Highness was met with another hurricane of hurrahs. Lingering a minute in front of the dais, the procession then passed between the lines of the Rifles towards the railway, followed by the gentlemen on the platform. The artillery now began firing the parting salute, the bands commenced " God Save the Queen !' which soon passed into " Rule, Britannia !" and the crowd in the amphitheatre, from the basenient away 112 THE ANNALS OF T\}7 TOWN OF GUELPH. up to the highest range of seats in the lofty senu-circle, arose sinuilta- neousl> and cheered loudly and long. And so, amid thf: clamor of voices and instruments, the steam whistle uttered its shrill scream, and the Royal party in a few seconds were out of sight ; the people came down from house tops and verandahs, and the amphitheatre was emptied of its occupants in a twinkling. The Prince's visit occupied scarcely twenty minutes. He was, indeed, only 14 minutes within the arch. In the afternoon the officers of the Dundas artillery company, the Guelph cavalry, including the gentlemen about to receive commissions in the corps — Capt. Hutchinson, ist Lieut. Hemmings, and 2nd Lieut. Hood, with several officers of the sedentary militia, dined at Thorp's hotel. The cavalry paraded the streets mounted, in the evening, and the different bands discoursed music in all directions. In the evening nearly all the houses on Wyndham Street, were il- luminated. Among the more conspicuous, were Higinbotham's block at one end, and the Alma block at the o'.her, the Great Western hotel and Mr. Harte's store on the opposite side of the street, in front of which weresuspended some pretty colored Chinese lanterns, were well lighted up. The store of Horsman Brothers, ironmongers, was very tastefully illuminated, showing four beautiful transparencies, in the top window, surround by " the mammoth horse shoe," was a large crown with the let- ters V. R. Underneath this window were three other transparencies in a line, the one in the centre being the Prince of Wales' feathers, with the motto " Ich Dien," the one on the left represented the arms of Canada, with the legend ** hon mutal genus solon" and on the right was the rose, thistle, shamrock and maple leaf entwined, surrounded by the inscription " we are all one." The /o/zl enseinhlc had a very pleasing effect, and re- flects great credit on our enterprising townsmen Horsman Brothers. The British hotel was also well lighted and had colored lights hanging from the evergreens in front, and the seminary of the Ladies of Loret'io was a blaze of light, its spacious front and elevated position, giving it a singularly brilliant appearance. In the evening the Town Council gave a ball in the Town Hall which was attended by Col. and Mrs. Webster, the Mayor and the Mi.^'ses Harvey, Major and Mrs. Wilson, the members of the Town Council, officers of the active and sedentary militia, and a host of civilians. Dancing was kept up with much spirit till midnight, and a day of much enjoyment was concluded without accident or disap- pointment. One of the members of the Prince's suite, in an account of the tour, published in tlic Si. yovies' Chronicle, one of the oldest and best papers then published in Great Britain, in referring to the visit to Guelph said : — " But at the beautiful town of Guelph the first really fine and im- posing spectacle was presented after leaving Tornto. The town is charm- ingly situated in the hollow of a basin, the sides being gently swelling hills, all of them, or most of them, exc ^dingly well cultivated, and dotted with snug and handsome villa residences with gardens and orchards. The station is apparently in the middle of the town, and here, close to a splendid and highly ornamented stone structure (which I learned was the town hall) a tasteful pavilion was erected, facing the railway, and on one side was an amphitheatre, something like that at Toronto, only not on so large a scale. A throne was placed under the pavilion, and at the foot of the dais the Guelph corporation were v/aiting with their address. The amphitheatre was filled with well-dressed people — some 4,000 or upwards — while outside a large open space contained a crowd twice as THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 113 simulta- )f voices and the ne down ed of its r twenty lany, the missions d Lieut. Thorp's , and the were il- block at lotel and of which ghtedup. tastefully window, h the let- ncies in a , with the ■ Canada, the ro3e, iiscriplion , and re- isers. js hanging f Loretlo ing it a cil gave IWebster, Imembers a, and a Inidnight, |or disap- of the md best Ciuelph and im- |s charm- |swelling dotted Orchards. lose to a led was and on |only not i at the iddress. |.,ooo or Itwice as large in number, and the houses abutting on the square had their windows filled with spectators. There was a fine triumphal arch, and of course the town was gaudily decorated. A number of children sang the National Anthem as the Prince walked to the pavilion, and the greatest enthuiasm as usual prevailed. The Prince was evidently much struck with the fer- tility of the country about (luelph, and indeed said so in reply to the address which was presented to him. He also said that he was peculiar- ly gratified at receiving an address from a town which bore his family name. The people of this beautiful and nourishing town, now containing about 5,000 inhabitants, will never forget the gracious condescension of his Royal Highness, and in this section of Upper Canada loyal sentiment is likely to burn brighter than ever. "There is an appearance of prosperity about duelph which is most pleasing to behold. It is the most attractive-looking town and neighbor- hood I have yet behel.l in Upper Canada. There are several really splendid buildings, evincing good taste in theirarchitecture, among which I must name the Town Hall, the English Church, the Court House, and more than one elegant row of houses and shops, which I was enabled to obtain a glimpse of during a hurried scamper through a portion of the town. Thero are sex .^ral really imposing hotels, one of which I entered, and found the interior fitted up in quite a luxurious manner. The town is a stone one ; most of the public, and many of the private buildings are constructed of this material, which is peculiar, differing from any other stone which I have seen in Canada. It is a kind of limestone, but to my observation seemed to partak. of the saponaceous. Viewing the sur- rounding splendid agriculturing country, which extends to nearly fifty miles in length on the Grand Trunk Railway, I should say that Guelph is destined to become the centre of one of the finest and richest districts in Canada West, and certainly here no English capitalist can do wrong in investing his surplus funds. I shall not soon forget Guelph — the fine aspect of the town, although the streets are by no means regular, and the English church occupying the centre of the principal thoroughfare — the beautiful rolling country, admirably farmed all around, and the pretty little river speed." From Guelph the Prince proceeded to London, where a grand ovation was prepared for him, and in the evening a ball was given at the Tecumseh House. From London the royal party went to Sarnia, and from thence to Detroit, Chicago, &c. During ttie visit of the Prince to Kingston, some unfortunate mis- understandings arose on account of the position which the Orange body felt it their duty to assume in reference to the reception of his Royal Highness, and some persons had charged the Orangemen with disloyalty, the charge being reiterated by the London Times. At a soiree given by the Orange Lodge in this town subseciuently, Hon. John Hillyard Cam- eron, Grand Master and Sovereign of the Loyal Orange Institution of British North America, in referring to the matter, said, " there had been an attempt to insult and coerce Orangemen, and in the irritation conse- quent on such provocation, some of them may have been betrayed into proceedings that were to be regretted, but they were not the * ruffians' the London Times had termed them ; there were none more loyal to their Queen, nor more ready to shed their blood for the maintenance of British connection." The Orangemen in the town also, while they regretted the occurrences which took place at Kingston, took every means to disavow any disloyalty either in word or thought, and repelled the insinuations J,. 114 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. which had been made in various ciuarters, inimical to their avowed love for the Oueen and British institutions. At the November yXssi^es the trial of George Harris, for murder, took place. The evidence adduced showed the crime to have been one of the most atrrcious and unprovoked ever perpetrated in this part of the country. Harris was a colored man, a laborer, living near the town, and for about eighteen months he had been living with a colored girl named Sophia Waldren, about sixteen years of age, but they were not married, though deceased went by the name of Rachel Harris. P{arris had been in the hd the editors of the local journals. The following gentlemen acted as stewards: — Dr. Herod, Dr. Harvey, Messrs. Charles Davidson, J. Horsman, W. S. G. Knowles, Y. Kerr, F. J. Chadwick, Capt. Hutchinson. J. Davis, G. Murton, W. Allan, J. Webster, Jr., W. Wilson, J. Allan, J. Douglas, J. C. Wilson and J. Harrison. Among the guests around the long tables, were Mr. N. Kingsmill, Capt. Vale, Messrs. J. Davie, A. Hogge, H. \V. Parker, R. Johnstone (Fergus), A. Quarry, Col. Saunders, Col. Hewat, R. Corbet, A. A. Baker, D.Allan, R.Brodie, J. Beattie (Reeve of Nichol), Col. Wilton (Peel), John lies, John Caulfield, James Webster, Kd. Carthew, W, P. Wilson, J. C. Chadwick, R. Shortreed, D. Muri-ay, Col. Valentine, S. L. Shotter, (Erin), J. Thorp, J. L. Smith, M. Anderson and A. Cadenheaci (Fergus,) G. McKenzie Stewart, T. W. Saunders, A, Lemon, S. Broadfoot and A. Sherratt (Nichol), J. Fiulayson (St. Jacobs), James Reynolds, W. Rev- nolds; J. Morrison, C. O'Callaghan and M. Cox, Arthur; William Gib- bon, Flora ; H. Tolton, D, Day and J. McKerlie, Eramosa ; Major Wil- son, Dr. Munro and R. Brown, Fergus ; R. Thompson, J. Presant, James Thorp, William Lindsay, J. Coulson, G. Draper, C. McElderry, J. Kellar, A. V,. Stewart, John Millar, B.J. Harte, J. Murphy, J. Hazelton, M. Ryan, T. K. Beatty, G. Fox, John Hogg, F. Fetherstonhaugh, E. Harland, J. 15ain (Flora), E. V. Smith, A. W. Blyth, George Richardson, A. Blyth, Jr., T. Card, A. Kennedy, J. Mitchell, A. Allan, A. McKenzie, E. Hub- bard, J. Watson, D. Henderson, P. Moran, J. O'Neill, G. Robins, J. McCrae, T. VV. Cooper, J. M, Eraser (Flora), R. Lingwood (Nichol), J. Leslie, B. Ternant and J. A. Thompson, Arthur; J. McLaren, Er.notville; John Green, Elora, &c. Grace was said by Rev. Arthur Palmer, who, after dinner, also re- turned thanks. The usual loyal toasts were then drunk, and Col. Kings- mill delivered a most patriotic address, which was greeted with loud cheers. The chairman then said, the gentleman who would next speak had had his share, at least, of abuse, while making efforts which he considered eminently successful in the interests of the country. He then gaA'e "The Hon. Attorney- General Macdonald," which was received with the great- est enthusiasm. Hon. J. A. Macdonald then rose and said :-- " Mr. Mayor, Vice-Chairmen, and Gentlemen: — I should indeed be devoid of those sentiments which must actuate every man of proper feel- ing, if I did not experience the greatest pleasure and thankfulness for this reception — this kindly greeting from the people of Guelph and the County of Wellington. For it is a greeting like this — a kindly welcome of this kind — that compensates a public man for much of the trial and oblocjuy that he must go through during his career, (Applause.) As you have said, sir, a public man gets plenty of abuse, and I get more than my share of it ; but as I have acted according to the best of my ability aud judg- ment — although, of course, I have committed many errors— as i ieel my meaning to have been honest, and that I des'gncd in my best way to do the best for my country, I have been able to bear up against all the attacks to which I have been subjected, and I have confided in the good 116 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. hearts and the fair play of the people, of Upper Canada especially, feeling that they would not allow me to be condemned unheard. (Cheers.) And I find, from meetings like this, that although I have been traduced, I can yet face the people of Upper Canada at a public board, and that they are willing not only to allow me an opportunity of giving explanatory state- ments, but are ready to ride many a mile to meet me, notwithstanding the inclemeney of the weather and the breaking up of our summer roads. (Cheers.) Hereafter, then, though I may be subjected, as I certainly shall be, to many attacks, calumnies, and sinister representations, I will look back and remember with confidence which will cheer me, the greet- ing which has been given me by the men of Wellington and Waterloo, who have come to bid me Godspeed. (Applause.) I must say that, even though I knew I had many personal and more political friends in this part of the country, I did not expect this magnificent demonstration in Guelph. Some Opposition papers have said that nobody would be here to meet John A. but a parcel of parasites and toadies — that a set of mere sycophants, officials, and seekers for ottice, would come (laughter), but I find that there is a fair representation of the whole bone and sinew of the country. I ascertain from those who know you, that here I can find the honest farmer who has driven thirty or forty miles to meet me ; while the merchant and the hard-working artizan are here, too, to meet their fellow-countrymen." He then at great length reviewed the action of the (Government on all the questions of public interest at that time, contend- ing that what had been done had been for the immediate and ultifnate good of the country, and would be looked upon in after years as the best policy which could have been adopted. Other toasts followed, and one of the most successful and best conducted political demonstrations ever held in Guelph was then brought to a close. On Saturday evening a fire occured in the Victoria Mill, owned by Mr. J. Presant, and it being a frame building, it became an easy prey to the flames. The wind at the time was blowing a hurricane, and several other buildings in the neighborhood were for a time in great danger of being sacrificed, but by the effoi'ts of the firemen and the inhabitants, these were saved. The fire engines were early on the spot but the only result, so far as the mill was concerned, was the destruction of the hose carriage, which, having been run close to the mill, could not be withdrawn and was burned. It was soon evident that the mill could not be saved by human eflorls, and attention was directed to the getting out of flour and grain, and to the safety of a cottage a short distance off, occupied by Mr. Bradley and the miller, and that of the residence of Mr. Presant, still further dis- tant. The former building soon caught fire, but it was, by considerable exertion^, extinguished, and Mr. Presant's house was only kept from ignit- ing by the use of wet blankets and water thrown by hand ; the heat was so intense, the sweep of the flames so overpowering, and the wind so high that the fir

'ear, signed VTunicipality, ,f the Market made some current year St of said pe- etition of last ir, and which ii as the bu si- very prospect rent necessity urposes : and ibject among ow exist, and result, if the lonal reasons )rshipful body ntlv made to arket Square. ing the previ- wn Council in .on of C.uelph INATIONS. 1282 1 176 402 5ie >73 857 98 133 . . . 106 '."...,. 6 ". 54 7 Congregationcdists 263 Christians Lutherans Universalists Second Adventists Episcopal Methodists EDUCATION. Boys attending school 457 <^''rls '• '• 393 37 5 I 6 5 Total 850 Males over 20 who cannot read or write- 40 Females over 20 who cannot l LIVE STOCK. Horses 384 Cows and horned cattle 559 Sheep 27 Pigs 443 Total value $38, 151 00 DWELLING HOUSES. Stone 238 Brick 58 Frame 568 Log 69 Total 933 FACTORIES, ETC. read or write 39|Grist mills 2 Tanneries 3 Total 79 Breweries 3 Widowers 53 Widows 100 Colored persons 10 Lunatics 2 Births in i860 1S8 Deaths in i860 55 The following were the statistical returns for the County as shown by the census taken at the same time: — Distillery i Cloth factory i Planing factories 2 Iron foundries 3 Printing offices 3 Townships. Puslinch .... Guelph Tp .. I Nichol I Pilkington. . . ; l^lora : Fergus j Minto I Peel j .Maryborough! (jarafraxa . . . j Amaranth . . . j Luther | Eramosa . . . Erin Births Died, i860 Total 21478 19094140572 20 4 1>S 6 34 21 16' 26 II 7 43 28 274 For several years there had been a feeling that tlie assessment rolls of the County did not give so full and accurate a statement of the actual value of land and property as was desirable, and in taking the census on this occasion great care was taken to obtain such information as would make the statement as nearly as possible correct, and the agricultural census of the Coi?nty showed the following figures : 120 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF OUELPH. Townships. j I Under Acres Cultiva- loccupied. I tion. Cash vakie of Farms, $. Vakie ofiTotal vahie Farm Im indols.ofall plemcnts Live Stock. 1. Puslinch ! 2. Guelph 3. Eramosa 4. Nichol 5. Pilkington... . 6. Amaranth ... . 7. Luther S. Garafraxa. . . . 9. Peel 10. Minto 1 1 . Arthur 12. ^Laryborou<(h. 13. Erin 55-679 34.207 33 27 18 I74>< 942 508 744 16.514 54.429 60 . 9 1 3 52.439 49.617 43. 572 60 753 32.884 I 22.953KI 19-653;^ 15-233 16. 127 6.625 2.046 24.520;.. -5 032 7-440,"^' 13-034 14.056 '< 32.743 Total 532.49!/'^ 232.348;^ 12. 464. 800I505. 031 1 .616.248 I .636.625 1-5^3-340 967.42: I .226. 516 939.150 333-400 105.820 1 .250. no 1.318.570 416.650 599.720 838 . 500 1.248.974 76.468 56.865 46 . 984 49.706 31-789 12.780 2.049 55-301 56-530 1 1 . 504 25-443 30 . 1 7 1 49-441 2'32 . 742 179^888 130.165 120. 120 110.644 37.680 1 2 . 596 167.857 161 .669 59-755 81.956 91 .421 229.755 In June the otficc of postmaster of Gueljih became vacant by the death of Mr. Robert Corbet, which occurred on Sunday, June 23rd. His death was alike sudden and unexpected. Havin<^ been for a short walk, he reached home about half-past nine, and shortly afterwards went to bed. He had retired but a ;.hort time, when he bejjan to cough and spit blood. The nearest medical man was sent for in all haste, and Dr. Herod was in attendance almost immediately, only to find his patient beyond the reach of medical aid, and when Dr. Clarke arrived a fe'.v minutes later, Mr. Corbet had expired. Death was the result of the rup- ture of a blood vessel in the region of the lungs. Mr. Corbet was in his 59th year, healthy and robust, and with every appearance of enjoying for many years a green old age. He had been postmaster of Guelph for the long period of twenty-four years, his being one of the oldest appoint- ments in the ser\ ice, and he had seen the business of the office increase under his management many hundred-fold. He was diligent, industrious and provident in business, and had, in the course of his long residence in town, amassed considerable property, having erected one of the finest and most valua'jle blocks of buildings in the business portion of the town. 1 le was a native of (iiasgow, J-'.cotland, and son of Mr. James Corbet, an old and respected employee of the Canada Company, who was present when the first tree was felled in Guelph. At the funeral, nearly all the business men in town were present, most of the stores being closed on that afternoon. In the general election, which occurred in June, consequent on the dissolution of Parliament, Mr Stirton, who had been elected in 1858, was returned without oj^position in the South Riding. In the North Riding the contest was between Dr. Clarke and Mr. James Ross, who had de- feated Mr. Webster at the previous election. The result was a victory for Dr. Clarke by 7 1 \ otcs. Finding that it would be impossible for him to attend to the interests of his constituents in the North Riding of Wellington, and discharge the duties of Councillor at the same time. Dr. Clarke, at the meeting of the Town Council on August 5th, resigned his seat at the Bo^rd, and at the THE ANNALS OP THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 131 on the I58, was 1 Riding lad dc- Ivictory iterests rge the of the at the election which followed Mr. (leorge Palmer was elected in his place without opposition. The Government having recently made some important changes in the location of the military stations, and some further alterations being in contemplation, it was thought advisable to ask the (Jovernn-'-nt to station some of the troops in (lucliih, and a memorial to that ehict was adopted in tlie Council, as follows: Jo J lis Excelleiuv Sir Edmiiiul W'alkir ILiuf, Liart.y Coininandey-iii- CJiief:— May it Plkase Your Excellency. We, the Corporation of the Town of Cuelpli, having learned from the ])ub]ic prints that a large addition is immediately to be made to the military force now in Canada, beg leave respectfully to submit to your Excellency's favorable consideration the following among the claims cf Guelph as a military station, or as quarters for troops. That in 1854 the Commissioners selected Guelph as a place for the erection of an arsenal. That Guelph is situated in the centre of ()ne of the finest agricultural districts in Western Canada, with excellent gravel roads diverging into all ]>arts of the interior, and is connected by the (irand Trunk Railroad _ and (iroat Western, with all the principal places, cities and towns in Upper Canada. That Guelph is, in population, the fourth town in the Upper Pro- vince, and is, commercially, entitled to a much higher rank. That all articles of food, forage and fuel, of the best c}uality and in unlimited quantities, may be procured in Gnelph, at rates as cheap, or cheaper, than in any other place in Canada. That Guelph is noted for its salubrity, and has never suffered from afiy endemic disease, while the beauty and picturesqueness of its scenery makes it a most desirable place of residence. That Guelph can offer barrack accommodation, second to none in the Province, not specially erected lor such purpose, composed of a large four-story stone hotel, with a range of h\e three-story stone buildings attached, which would furnish the necessary accommodation for officers and men connected with which is a large stone stable. These buildings have an abundant supply cf excellent water; opposite these buildings is an extensive public square which could be used as a parade ground. There is another large stone building in the town which could also be obtained if required. The whole can be had at a merely nominal rent. Should your Excellency grant the prayer of this Corporation, it will cordially give your Excellency every assistance and co-operation in locating a military quota in this town, and will also do everything in its power to make the residence of Her .Majesty's troops in the town satis- factory and pleasing. We therefore sincerely pray your Excellency to quarter in this town four or five companies of troops, and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray. A public meeting was soon afterwards held, when the action of the Council was endorsed, and Col. Webster was sent with the memorial to Toronto, to lay the matter before the military authorities there, and to Quebec, to present the memorial to the Governor-General. In reply, His Excellency said he would bear in mind the liberal offer made by the town, but at present the strength of the forces would not permit of any of the troops being quartered in Guelph. \ 122 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. In October another vacancy occurred in the Council by the death of Mr. G. M. Keeling, one of the members for the West Ward. The cause of death was paralysis, and appoplexy of the brain. Mr. Keeling had resided for some years in Guelph, having been at one time proprietor of the At/:rr/ist'\ after relinquishing which he commenced the publication of the Afi-rcit, y, which he continued to edit until his death. In the elec- tion which followed Mr. John Keller and Mr. Henry Hatch were the can- didates, the former being elected by a narrow majority. As a consequence of the outrage committed by American cruisers on the British steamer Trent, and the arrest on the high seas of Messrs. Mason and .Slidcll, serious fears were entertained in T.ngland and iii this country that a war between ICngland and the I'niied .States was immi- nent, and as Canada would, from its proximity to the States, be the first to suffer, some little anxiety was felt to make such preparations, in case hostilities should commence, as would place the country in a comparative state of defence and security. With this view meetings were held all over tlie country, among the first towns to take this step being (iuelph Not that there existed here any alarmist feeling, or that the people were unduly e.xcitcd, but tiiat the men of Guelph were anxious to evince their loyalty by being prepared in case of an emergency, and, as had been the case on previous occasions, be the first to place themselves in readiness for any contingency, and take the van in any movement for the defence of the country and the British Government. A numerously signed requi- sition having been presented to the Mayor, a public meeting was called on December 17th, when the Town Hall was, within a few minutes of the doors being opened, filled to repletion, and the meeting was accordingly adjourned to the Market Square, the Alayor and the speakers addressing the crowd, the largest ever seen at any meeting in the town before, from the balcony in front of the hall. The Mayor, in opening the proceedings said the situation in which the two countries were placed was a very grave one, and the result of the dispute might prove veay serious, but he was sure the men of Guelph would be ready to do their duty. If war did come, it was the duty of Canadian citizens to show that they were in a position to meet their foes with resolution and decision. He hoped their proceedings would be conducted with prudence and propriety, and if the worst occurred he had no doubt the men of Guelph would, as heretofore, prove themselves a credit to the great empire of which they formed a part. Addresses of a loyal and energetic character were delivered by Col. Webster, Hon. A. J. Fergusson, Lt.-Col. Grange, Mr. C. E. Romaine, Lt. Col. Saunders, Mr. George Elliott, Mr. John Harris, and others. It was finally determined to appoint a committee to conduct the drilling of the militia in the County, and to take such other measures as might be deemed necessary tor the organisation of the people for defense, such committee to be composed of Col. Webster, Lt.-Cols. Hewat, Saunders, Grange, and the Hon. A. J. Fergusson, Majors Greet and Wilson, Cap- tains Schweizer, Kingsmill, Higinbotham, Hutchinson and Cain, and Lieut. Armstrong. It was also decided to petition the Council for the use of the Town buildings for drilling purposes, a request which the Council promptly granted. A meeting was held a few days afterwards to organize a Highland Rifle Company, when addresses were delivered by Messrs. Adam Robertson, (}. Pirie, D. Murray, J. Massieand D. Guthrie. The result was that about thirty names were enrolled the first evening, and a number of others a few days afterwards. Drilling went vigorously on, and munitions of war were being extensively prepared, until, a few leath of e cause ing had ietor of ilication he elec- the can- isers on Messrs. :l in this s imnii- ihe first in case parative held all (Juelph pie were \ce their been the cadiness defence 3(1 requi- as called tesofthe ordingly drcssinj.; re, from :eedings ry grave he was war did THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 123 ^ere ni a )ed their bd if the Iretofore, [omied a -ered by lomaine, iers. It jUing of Mght be se, such [undcrs, In, Cap- lin, and "for the lich the ^ards to :red by Juthrie. /ening, jrously a few days before the close of the year, Messrs. Mason and Slidcll were surren- dered to thp British riovernment, and thus the war cloud which had loomed so portentously over the country for some weeks was dissipated, and, to some extent, the usual feeling of tranquillity was restored, though the men of Guelph did not wholly abandon the organizations which had been effected. The municipal elections for the year 1862 passed oft very quietly. The candidates for the Mayoralty were Mr. James Webster and Mr. (jeo. Palmer, the latter being elected by a small majority. The members of the Council were : — East Ward— Messrs. Chas. Davidson, (leo. Hood, and R. Mclvin. West Ward- .Messrs. Chas. I'nckland, Henry Hatch and F. W. Cialbraith. North Ward — Messrs. John Harvey, Adam Kob- ertson, and Francis Evatt. South Ward-Meosrs. H. W. Peterson, Thos. Holliday, and Dr. Parker. At the meeting of the new Council, Dr. Parkers was chosen Reeve, and Mr. Chas. Davidson, Deputy Reeve. The County Council was composed as follows: — ^Amaranth, Chas. (rillespie ; Arthur, Sidney Smith, Garatt Cavanagh ; Elora (village) Chas. Clarke ; Eramosa, Robert Royce, Jar.ics Loghrin ; Erin, P. Mc- (iill, Alex, liinnie ; Fergus (village), James Grindley ; Garafraxa, John Dobbin, Wm. Armstrong ; Guclpli, Wm. Whitelaw, James Laidlaw ; Guelph (town), Thomas S. Parker, Charles Davidson ; Luther, Duncan Saunders ; Maryboro', Wm. S. Hambly, Wm. Ayerst ; Minto, Noah Bullock, Malcolm Wright ; Nichol, Sem. Wissler ; Peel, W'm. Sturtridge, John Madden ; Pilkington, John Smith ; Puslinch, Wm. Leslie, Samuel Taylor. Mr. Whitelaw was re-elected Warden, without opposition. The pulpit of Knox's Church having become vacant by the transla- tionjof Rev. McVicar, to Montreal, a '^all was extended, early in Janu- ary, to Rev. W. S. Ball, of WoodstocK, which being accepted he was duly inducted on Wednesday, February 5th. The Rev. Mr. McMicken, of lierlin preached an appropriate sermon from Acts xvi. 15, " Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." After the induction service. Rev. Mr. Duff, of Elora, addressed the minister, and Rev, Mr. Smellie, of Fergus, the congregation on their respective duties as pastor and people. In the evening a complimentary soiree was given to the newly inducted pastor, at which about 600 were present. Rev.^Mr. McLean took the chair, and|'addresses were delivered by Rev. Mr. Bar- rie. Rev. J. Hogg, Guelph, Rev. D. Inglis, Hamilton, Rev. R. Torrance, Mr. D. Stirton, M. P.P., and others. Mr. Ball expressed his regret at the absence of his brother-in-law, Hon. George Brown, whom he had ex- pected together with Dr. Ormiston and Dr. Thompson. The evening was, on the whole, one of the moit enjoyable ever remembered in Knox's Church. On the following [^unday morning, Rev. Dr. Thompson/ of Gait, preached from St. John v. 35, and in the evening Rev. W. S. Ball preached from Colossians i, 28, the churchbeingcrowded at both services. The vacancy in the postmastership of Guelph, which had existed since^the death of Mr. Robert Corbet, was in'April filled by the appoint- ment of Col. Kingsmill, father of Mr. J. J. Kingsmill, of the law firm of Fergusson & Kingsmill. Col. Kingsmill, a veteran officer of the' Penin- sular war, had been for^nany years sheriff of Welland and Lincoln, the duties of which, as years increased, Jwere found to be beyond his strength and he accordingly resigned his shrievalty to accept this appointment, which was a less onerous, but also a less remunerative office. There had been several applications for the position, and some of the candi- dates were considerably annoyed that their claims were overlooked, but 124 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. tlie general opinion was that the appointment was a good one, and would give general satisfa' tion. In July the conj;icgation of Knox's Church met for the purpose of presenting to their pastor, Rev. W. S. Hall, a carriage as a token of the esteem they entertained for him personally, and the gratitude they lelt to him for tlic unwearying exertions he had made in clearing off the debt on the church. The presentation, which consisted of a handsome Rock- away carriage, built ))y Messrs. J. 15. Armstrong & Bros., was made by Mr. David Stirton, M.I*. P., in an appropriate address, which was feeling- ly responded to by Mr. Ball. A few days later the congregation of St. Andrew's Church, through Mr. James Massie, made a similar presenta- tion to Rev. John Hogg. In August a fire occurred in the planing mill of Messr--. Stewart & Co. on the Paisley Block Road, ])y which a considerable number of per- sons were temporarily thrown out of employment, portions of the building beijig used by Messrs. Stewart, Cossitt & (loodfellow as drying premises and steaming rooms for material for fanning mills, ehalf of ourselves and fellow townsmen, most cordially welcome your Excellency to Guelph. We regret that the briefness of yo;ir Excellency's visit, and the ab- sence of very many of our fellow townsmen at the Provincial Exhibition, precludes us from offering to your Excellency that reception which we would heartily desire to give the honored representative of our most gra- cious Oueen, but we trust your Ex':ellency will ere long again visit our town, when circifmstances may permit us to acknowledge the honor in a manner more becoming its importance and our own wishes. We gladly avail ourselves of this opportunity to express our loyalty to the ()ueen, our respect for your Excellency, and our ilcvotion to the con- stitution of our country. We most earnestly hope tliat your Excellency. Lady Monck and family, may enjoy all health and happiness while resident in this Prov- ince, and that your Excellency's administration of public affairs may tend to the peace and prosperity of the Province, and to draw closer these reciprocal relations of allegiance and proteciion which have hitherto united us to the mother country. Dated at Guelph, this Twenty-iiftli day of September, A. D., 1862. JAMES HOUGH, ( .. PALMER, Town Clerk. Mayor. His Excellency read the following Reply : — To the Mayor and Toxvh Council 0/ Guelph. (zKNTLKMEX : - I thank you sincerely for the Address that you i ave presented to mc, and I wish at the some time to express to the inhabitants ot the Town and neighborhood, my warm acknowledgements for the kind reception they have gi\cn me. It was stated that no copy of the Council's address having been for- warded, the response was necessarily brief. The members ot the Town Council, the Warden, the Clergymen present, and several other gentle- men were then presented to His ]'"xcellency by the Mayor. The Governor (icncrai accom.panied by Lord Mulgrave, on suggestion, then went to the extreme end of the platform, where all around had a good opportunity of seeing him, and on the call of the Mayor three cheers were given for the Queen, and a like compliment was paid to the C/Overnor (.cneral and Lord Mulgrave. Lord Monck intimated his in- tention of paying another visit to Guelph, at no distant period, with more time at his disposal, and having made remarks to different gentlemen on the platform, including Mr. D. Allan, whom he recognized as his fellow passenger from Liverpool, he ascended the platform of the car, and soon 126 THE AJ/NALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. after the train moved on slowly amid the booming of cannon and the cheers of the crowd. The contest for the Mayoralty for 1863 commenced early, and was somewhat exciting. When Mr. Palmer had been elected, he had dis- tinctly pledf^ed himself that he would offer no opposition to the election of Mr. H. W. Paterson the next year, and upon that understanding Mr. Peterson had refrained from becoming a candidate. This pledge, how- ever, Mr. Palmer now denied having made, and thus forced Mr. Peterson to take more energetic measures Ihan would otherwise have been neces- sary, and also to come into the field earlier than he would have done had Mr. Palmer not announced himself as a candidate, a course which v/as most inconsistent with his conduct all through the last contest, in which he strongly objected to Mr. Webster on the ground that he had served one term and should therefore retire. Meetings were held by both can- didates almost every evening for some time, and the fight continued up to within a day or two of the nomination when Mr. Palmer, acting on the advice of some of his more judicious supporters, retired, and Mr. Peter- son was consequently elected by acclamation. The election of Councillors for the year 1863 resulted as follows : — East Ward — IMessrs. Geo. Hood, George Palmer and R. Wilson. South Ward— Messrs. P. Gow, E. Carroll and Dr. Parker. West Ward- Messrs. Henry Hatch, George Elliott and W, F. Galbmith. North Ward — Messrs. John Harvey, A. Robertson and R. Mitchell. Mr. Geo. Palmer was elected Reeve and Mr. George Elliott Deputy Reeve. The members of the County Council for the year were as follows : — Amaranth -Charles Gillespie; Arthur — Robert Morrison, Sidney Smith ; Elora Charles Clarke ; Eramosa — Robert Royce, Jas. Loghrin ; Erin — P. McGill, Alex. Binnie ; Fergus — James Cattanach ; Garafraxa -A. Drysdale, A. Dyce ; Guelph Town-Gerge Palmer, Geo. Elliott; Guelph Township— John Rennie, (i. Shortreed ; Luther — Mr. Saunders ; Maryborough — VVm. Ayerst, W. S. Hambly ; Minto — A. Harrison, M. Wright ; Nichol— George Barron, John Beattic ; Peel — Thomas Garbutt, W. Sturtridge ; Pilkington— John Smith ; Puslinch -W. Leslie, W. Clark ; Mr. George Elliott was elected Warden. For some time there had been a desire on the part of the towns- people that some place should be provided for holding concerts, balls, &.C., independent of the Town Hall, which was not always available, and not in all cases suitable. To supply this want Mr. John Thorp, with his usual enterprise, erected a very commodious hall adjoining his hotel on Macdonnell Street, and on New Years' eve it was opened by a grand ball and supper, under thv'! patronage of Mrs. Sheriff Grange. The ballwas opened by Col. Webster and Mrs. Grange, and dancing was continued with great vivacity until after the new year had come in, when the com- pany sat down to an elegant supper, presided over by Col. Webster, after which dancing was resumed and kept up till about four o'clock. In the Gazette of January i6th ♦he following appointments on the Commission of the Peace were announced : — Guelph Town — Judge A. Macdonald, Messrs. (leo. Elliott, Fred. W. Stone, A. A. Baker. John Neeve, David Allan, George Pirie, William Hewat, William Clarke, James Armstrong, John McCrea, W. S. G. Knowles. William Day, John Horsman, John liariis, Jr., James Webster, Sr., Charles Davidson, T. S. Parker, P. Gow, A. Robertson, R. Melvin, William Stewart, W. F. Gal- braith, N. Higinbotham, Edwin Newton, James Hough ; and for the Township— Messrs. WUhan} WhitQlaw, James Laidl^w, Thomas Hood, THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF OUELPH. m and the and was had dis- : election ding Mr. Ige, how- Peterson en neces- :lonc had liich was in which d served Doth can- ned up to g on the Ir. Peter- )llows : — I. South Ward- North Mr. Geo. vc. )llows : — .Sidney Loghrin ; iarafraxa Elliott ; aundcrs ; son, M. Garbutt, Clark ; le towns- ts, balls, ble, and vith his lotel on and bail ball was ontinued he com- ter, after s on the udgc A. er. John Clarke, ay, John on, T. S. F. Gal- for the s Hood, John Rannie, R. Campbell, A. McCorkindale, William Logan, William iJenham, Jr., John Hobson, Jr., John Kirkland, S. Hodgskin, William Alexander, Andrew Quarry, J. C. Chadwick, John Card, Arthur Mogge, William T. Vale, Henry Watson, W. H. Parker, Charles Mickle, Richard Jackson, (ieorge Shortreed and James Wright, Sr. Hon. A. J. Feigiisson-Hlair having returned from a visit to Scotland, a number of his friends, without regard to political differences, tendered him a dinner, which was given in Thorp's new hall on January 29th, a large number of ladies and gentlemen from nil parts of the country being present. Col. Webster, in the absence of Mr. .Sheriff Grange through indisposition, occupied the chair, and on his right sat the guest of the evening ; Mr. J. Cowan, M.P.I'.; Mr, G. Davidson, Sheriff of Waterloo ; Mr. George Elliott, Warden of Wellington : Dr. Clarke, M.P.P.; Mr. C. I''.. Romaine, Mr. McK. Stewart and Col. Hcwat ; while on his left sat Hon. W. Dickson, Col. Kingsmill, Dr. Parker, Mr. P. (Jow, Mr. D. Stir- ton, M.P.P., Mr. H. W. Peterson, Mayor of Guelph, Mr. William White- law, and others. Speeches were delivered by Mr. Fergusson-Blair, Dr. Clarke, Mr. Stirton, Hon. Mr. Dickson, Mr. Webster, Col. Kingsmill and Mr. Romaine, the company separating just before midnight. The Hon. A. J. Fergusson-Blair having accepted the portfolio of Receiver-General, a new election became necessary in the Brock Elec- toral Division, and the nomination took place March 28th. Mr. Fergus- son was nominated by Mr. James Ross, and seconded by Mr. Elias Eby; Dr. Parker, of Guelph, being nominated by Mr. John Rennie, and sec- onded by Mr. James Mitchell, of Kramosa. Dr. J'arker, after addressing the electors, and consulting some friends, withdrew his name, and nominated Mr. George J?iric, editor of the Hkrald, but that gentleman positively declined the honor, and Mr. P'ergusson-Blair was consequently returned without a contest. At the Assizes in April, John Bain, a tavern-keeper in Elora, and John JJain, his son, were tried for the allegedmurder of Thomas Lysight, on February 28th. The deceased went into the tavern on the day ii.imed, and with soine others made a disturbahce, and young Jiain put him out, when a general fight ensued, in which the two Bains struck deceased several times, and finally he was knocked down, his head striking a stone, death resulting shortly afterwards from concussion of the brain. The defence was that Lysight was a very violent man, and that he had caused the dispute, the injuries he received being intlicted in the course of a fight in which he was the aggressor, and that the prisoners had acted only in self-defence. After a few minutes' aliscnce the jury returned a verdict of " not guilty." The Macdonald-Sicottc ministry having been condemed by Parlia- ment on a vote of want of coniidence mo\ed by Hon. John A. Macdonald, on April 28th, Parliament was dissolved and a general election took ])lace early in June. In the South Riding Mr. I)a\id Stirton was nomi- nated by Mr. George Elliott, Warden, and seconded by Mr. P. McGill, Reeve of Erin. No other nominations being made, Mr, Stirton was de- clared elected. In the North Riding Dr. Parker, of Guelph, was nomi- nated by Mr. Robert Hay, of Maryborough, and seconded by Mr. E. Passmore, of Pilkington. Dr. Clarke, of Guelph, was nominated by Col. Drysdale, of Garafraxa, and seconded by Dr. Maudslay, of Maryboro. Mr. John Beattie, of Nichol, then nominated Mr. George Palmer, who was seconded by Mr. George Spafford, of Drayton. Mr. Palmer, how- ever, did not go to the poll. The result of the election was in favor of m 128 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. Dr. Parker, which was undoubtedly due to the fact of Dr. Clarke's over- confidence, causing him to delay the commencement of his canvass until within a few days of the nomination, and his indecision in giving a defi- nite answer as to whether he would be a candidate or not. A few days after the election the friends of Mr. Stirton entertained him at dinner at the Wellington Hotel, among those present being Hon. M. H. Foley, M.P.P.; Hon. J. C Aikens, M.L.C, Mr. J. Cowan, M.P.P., Mr. J. Rymal, M.P.P., Dr. Parker, M.P.P., Messrs. James Ross, George Elliott, H. W. Peterson, C. K. Komaine, II. H. Swinford, N. Higin- botham and W. Whitelaw. A number of speeches were made, congratu- lating Mr. Stirton on his success. In April Dr. Clarke made an (j(ier to the vestry of St. George's Church to piuxhase the site on St. George's Square for the sum of $io,- ooo, which was accepted, the congregation being anxious to build a more suitable edifice on Woolwich street. In July Dr. Clarke offered to trans- fer the site to the Town, at the same price, an offer which was not then accepted. in August the town sustained a severe loss in the death of Mr. James Wright, one of the oldest settlers. Mr. Wright, from the time he arrived here, took a deep interest in all public matters, and served in various offices, in the old District Councils, as Commissioner of County Roads, as Reeve and as Warden. He took an especial interest in the development of the resources of the district, and in the opening up of means of communication with the adjacent country, more particularly in the building of the Brock Road, the completion of which was largely due to his energy and perseverance. In 1851 Mr. W'right ran in the Conserva- tive interest against Mr. A.J. Fergusson for the representation of the County in Parliament, and was only defeated by a small majority. Since that time he had taken an active interest in the Agricultural Societies ot the County and Township, and for some years had acted as Secretary- Treasurer to the South Riding Agricultural Society, which, with the other societies with which he was identified, severely felt his loss. The town having now assumed such ]>roportions as to warrant the step, a movement was set on foot, on the suggestion of the Mayor, to induce the managers of the Provincial Exhibition to hold the show of 1864 in Guelph, and a public meeting was called, at which it was resolved to ac>k the Council to make a grant of $2,000 towards the necessary fimds, and also to ask the County Council to vote a similar amount, which, with $ 1 ,000 which it was expected to raise by private subsci'ip- tion, and $500 it was hoped would be granted by the Township, it was thought would be sufficient to defray the expenses. The proposal was rejected by the Directors of the Provincial Exhibition, and a movement was subsequently set on foo', for a County show, the result of which will appear hereafter. On Sunday, October 4th, the ceremony of laying the corner stone of the Roman Catholic Church of St. Bartholomew was performed. The work had been in progress for some time, and the stone work had been raised to a considerable height, and the south side of the partially-built walls was tastefully decorated with 'Evergreens and streamers. The pro- cession, headed by the Bishop, passed from the old church to the west end of the new buildings, where the sanctuar> was to be, at which place the Bishop blessed a large wooden cross, placed on the site to be occu- pied by the altar. The procession th6n passed to the front of the church, where the corner stone was placed, and there the Bishop uncovered, and THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 129 :essary lount, [bscrip- it was lal was cement Ich will tone of The kl been fy-built le pro- le west place occu- lurch, Id, and assisted by the attendant clergymen, recited certam liturgies and prayers, in latin, the choir afterwards singing the 137th Psalm, ''Except the Lord build the house," &c., and while the corner stone was being adjusted in it5 place, the Bishop, wearing his mitre, recited a prayer in Latin, and having blessed the corner stone, assisted by the clergy, he repeated the 51st Psalm, also in Latin. A vessel containing a roll of parchment, bear- ing the following inscription in Latin and English, was deposited under the corner stone ; the Latin inscription was also engraved on a sheet of zinc : " His Lordship Right Rev. John Farrell, D, U., First Bishop of Hamilton, blessed and laid the first stone of this Church, to be built to the honor of C}od, under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, con- ceived without sin, and of St. Bartholomew, Apostle and Patron of the Parish, the 4th day of October, the Feast of the Holy Rosary of the B. V. M., A. D. 1863. " Pius IX., Pope ; Flavian Turgeon, Archbishop ; Very Revs. Ed. Gordon, V. G., John Walsh, V. G.; Revs. M. M. O'Shea, .S. Maheut, Ed. Glowalski, J. Holzer, S. J., .Sup. ; Dh. Petit, S. J., J. Archibald, S. J,, N. Sorg, S. J., assisting. " Victoria, (2uee!i ,; Lord Monck, Governor-General of Canada ; H. W. Peterson, Mayor of Guelph." Subsequently the Bishop, clergy, etc., passed in procession around the site of the church, recitmg prayers in Latin, and sprinkling the foundations of the building with holy water. Having made the cir- cuit of the church, the clergy on returning to the corner stone sung the hymn " Veni Creator Spiritus," and the ceremony was concluded with prayer by the Bishop, After this, the Rev. J. Walsh, V. G., of Toronto, ascending a temporary pulpit, wreathed with evergreens, delivered along and eloquent discourse, having reference to the erection of the new church, lauding the zeal of those by whom the work had been pro- jected and undertaken, and pointing out the benefits that must accrue from the erection to the present and future generations. There was very little excitement over the municipal elections for 1864. only one candidate coming forward for the mayoralty. Dr. W^illiam Clarke, who was elected by acclamation. The members of the Council were: East Ward, Messrs. George Hood, G. Palmer and R. Melvin. South Ward, Messrs. H. W. Peterson, P. Gow and J. Lamprey. West Ward, Messrs. G. Elliott, H. Hatch and R. Hampson. North W^ard, Messrs. J. Harvey, A. Robertson and Richard Mitchell. Mr. (ieorge Palmer was elected Reeve, and Mr. Adam Robertson, Deputy-Reeve. The County Council was composed of the following gentlemen ; — Guelph Town — George Palmer, Adam Robertson ; Guelph 'I'ownship — George Murton, Robert Can;pbell; Nichol — Samuel Wissler, Wm Tay- lor ; Pilkington — John Smith ; Elora — Chas. Clarke ; Fergus — James Cattanach ; Garafraxa — Alex. Dyce, George Monger ; Orangeville— f\ C. Stewart ; Amaranth — Charles Gillespie ; Luther — Duncan Saunders ; Maryborough — W^m. Ayerst, Joseph Madill ; Minto — Archibald Harri- son, Noah Bullock; Peel Geo. Allan, Robert McKim ; Puslinch — Wm. Leslie, John Clark ; Eramosa — James Loghrin, Robert Royce ; Erin — George Martin, J. Bennie ; Arthur — Robert Stevenson, S. Smith. Mr. Wm. Leslie was elected Warden. The Primitive Methodists in the town had long been in need of a more suitable place of worship, but how to obtain one with their limited means was for some time a difficulty. To commence a building fund 130 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. the ladies held a bazaar in 1862, subscription lists were opened in March 1 863, and when they commenced the building, at about that time, they were not sure ot being able to push on the work very rapidly. By subscriptions from members and the general public, assisted by the Ladies' Aid vSociety, they succeeded in raising nearly $1000, before the building was complet- ed, and on February 12th the dedication services took place, the sermons on that and the following Sunday, being preached by Revs. R. Boyle, R. Cade, W. F. Clarke, J. Pringle, and J. A. Millar. At the soiree on the following Tuesday evening, addresses were delivered by Revs. W. S. Ball, John Hogg and others. On the night of Wednesday, June 8th a most disasterous fne occur- ed at the Peoples' Mills, owned by Mr. W. P. McLaren of Hamilton, and leased at the time by Mr. Charles Whitelaw, of Paris. 'I'he fne, which had commenced in a shed, containing about 1000 empty barrels, was soon communicated to the main building, and although the hremen were speed- ily on the ground, and hundreds of the inhabitants were prompt to aid the tiremen in their endeavors to subdue the raging element, it was soon evid- ent that all efforts to save the mill woukl be ineffectual, and means were consequently used to get out the produce, utensils, and furniture in the building. Under the direction of Mr. Gay, the mill manager and Mr. Arkell, the foreman, a considerable quantity of flour in barrels, together with the office safe, books &c. were removed. Meantime the fire continu- ed to increase rapidly, and breaking through the roof, an immense column of flames rose to a great height, lighting up the town and country for miles around. At one time it was feared that a shed in front of the build- ing, containing some 2,000 barrels of flour, and also Mr. Hockin's stave factory, would be destroyed, but, though several times ignited, the efforts of the people of the town were successful in saving them. In less than two hours from the time of the alarm the ruin was complete, nothing but the blackened walls remaining. The total loss was nearly $30,000 on which there was but a comparatively small insurance. An inquest was held by Dr. Hewitt, when evidence was adduced which left no doubt that the fire was the work of an incendiary, but nothing definite was proved to show who the guilty party or parties were, though several persons had been heard to make threats, which left a strong suspicion on the minds of the jury as to who had accomplished the work cf destruction. Early in August the town was shocked by the occurance of a fright- ful case of assault, which terminated fatally shortly afterwards. On the night of Saturday, August 6th, Mr. John Piatt, a tavern keeper, who was highly respected in the town, retired as usual. Tiie night being exceed- ingly warm he could not sleep, and went out on the sidewalk, where lie fell asleep in a chair. At about four o'clock in the morning Mr. William Mitchell, tailor, while returning to his residence from the railway station, discovered Mr. Piatt lying on the sidewalk, and assisted him into the house, when medical aid was at once procured, and it was found that he had been most brutally beaten, several of his ribs having been broken, and other injuries inflicted. Mr. Piatt said he had been set upon by two men, whom he did not recognize, who, without any provocation assaulted him so suddenly that he had not an opportunity to defend himself. He rallied for a time, but died on Friday, an inquest being held the same day, but adjourned till the following Wednesday, when the jury brought in a verdict that in their opinion deceased had come to his death by violence, but at .whose hands there was no evidence to show. Scarcely had the funeral of Mr. Piatt taken place when another stave efforts ess than ling but cxx) on est was ubt that roved to ons had minds fright- On the /ho was exceed - lere he Villiam station, nto the that he Dfoken, by two saulted If. He i same )rought ath by Another THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 131 tavern keeper, named Henry Hughes, died under what were considered suspicious circumstances, and an inquest was held in this case by Dr. Herod. The evidence went to show that deceased had been somewhat addicted to drink, but not to such an e.xtent as to cause the symptoms displayed. i3eing troubled with diarrhoea, he sent to the drug store kept by Mr. Robert Farley for some medicine, and was supplied with what was said to be a cholera preventive. Soon after taking the medicine he was seized with violent pains, which increased in intensity, so that the doctors who were summoned could not afford him any relief, and he soon afterwards died. The evidence was very voluminous, especially that given by medical experts, and the jury brought in a verdict that death had been caused by sub-acute inflammation of the stomach, super- induced by intemperate habits, but accelerated by an over-dose of Liquor Ammonia Fort., combined with other drugs, taken in excess by deceased, and improperly administered by Robert l-'arley, chemist and druggist. The jury censured Mr. Farley for the carelessness displayed in com- pounding and prescribing the medicine. Mr. Farley was subsequently arrested on a charge of manslaughter, but at the Assizes the Grand Jury threw out the bill, much to the satisfaction of the public, who sympa- thized with him in his unfortunate mistake. » At a meeting of the Town Council in October the seat of Mr. J. Lamprey, one of the members for the South Ward, was declared vacant, by reason of his absence from the locality longer than the time prescribed by law. An election was therefore ordered, the candidates being Mr. C. E. Romaine and Mr. J. T. Cunningham, the result being the election of Mr. Romaine by 42 to 7. At the nomination for the Mayoralty in December Dr. Clarke was again the only candidate and was consequently declared elected. The election for Councillors for 1865 was conducted with more energy and spirit than for many years past, and resulted as follows : - South Ward — Messrs. P. Gow, C. E. Romaine and H. W. Peterson. West Ward — Messrs. H. Hatch, G. Elliott and Jas. Massie. East Ward — Messrs. Geo. Hood, N. Higinbotham and J. Harris. North Ward — Messrs. J. Harvey, R. Mitchell and A. Robertson. Mr. H. W. Peterson was chosen Reeve, and Mr. Geo. Elliott, Deputy Reeve. Mr. George Hood then entered a protest against the election of Mr. Elliott as Deputy Reeve, on the ground that he had, by himself or partner, an interest in a contract with the town. The protest, however, was not pressed. The County Council consisted of the following members : (J iielph Town — H. W. Peterson, Geo. Elliott ; Eramosa — Jas. Loghrin, Robert Royce ; Guelph Township — George Murton, K. Campbell ; Puslinch — Wm. Leslie, J. Clark; Fergus —M. Anderson; Erin — Geo. Martin; A. Binnie ; Minto— N. Bullock, M. Wright; Nichol— J. Beattie, S.Wisslcr; Elora — J. M. Eraser; Amaranth — C. Gillespie. Maryboro', — J. Madill, W. 8. Hambly ; Garafraxa — Geo. Monger, W. H. Hunter; Orangeville — Thos. Jull'; Peel— Wm. Sturtridge, John Madden ; Pilkington — John Smith ; Arthur — D. Saunders, J. Small,'; Luther — Robert Stevenson. Mr. Leslie was re-elected Warden. The financial position of the Town at this time may be briefly sum- marized as follows :- The debt of the Town, (without the Railroad debt), was : — Debentures falling due during the next 12 years — $43,826 ; Rail- road debt, (originally $80,000, 7.2oths paid,) say $52,000. Total debt, $95,826. The assets were : — Market Square and Public Buildings there- on, paying at the time nearly 6 per cent, were worth $80,000. School 132 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. houses in the different wards, and school property, say $10,000. Gait and Guelph Railway stock $70,000. This paid no direct revenue, but an indirect benefit was derived from it. Debentures of Village zf Preston, $9000, and Guelph Township $10,000. These paid 6 per cent. Ceme- tery property worth $1,900. Total assets — say, $181,500. During the month of January the town lost two of its oldest, most prominent and useful citizens by death. The first was that of Mr. Wm. Day, which occurred on the 7th. He was one of the most spirited and enterprising of the early settlers, and to his active exertions much of the material progress of the town was due, by his indefatigable efforts and untiring industry, he having contributed an unusually large share to the building up of the place, many of the public buildings here, as also in other towns, having been erected by him. On the 27th inst., another most useful and enterprising citizen was removed by the death of Mr. John Thorp, also a builder, who had erected, perhaps, a greater portion of the buildings in the town than any other man. Mr. Thorp came to (iuelph in 1828, and at once engaged actively in building houses for the new settlers. St. Andrew's church, demolished to give a site lor the market buildings, the original St. George's church, the first Romaa Ca- tholic church and several hotels, were all of his workmanship, and exhib- ited the good taste and practical skill which he possessed to a large degree. He afterwards went into the hotel business, occupying at various times different hotels, including the North American, and, after his return fi'om the campaign in the Mackenzie rebellion, the British hotel. From the first introduction of railroads in the Province, he had been ex- ceedingly desirous of getting a line to run from Toronto to Guelph, and this object and the erection of a market house on the Market Square, were zealously advocated by him, and he had the gratification of seeing the Toronto railway scheme inaugurated while he was a member of the first Municipal Council. Being of a speculative turn, he purchased among other property, a tract of land, and laid out a village between Guelph and Elora, which he called Thorpville, where he procured the establish- ment of a post office. In 1855, he retired from business and occupied, for some time, the handsome residence, erected by him, now occupied by Mr. John Horsman. He soon returned to business, however, occupying the International hotel, now known as the City hotel, which he enlarged to four times its original capacity. It having been customary, during the Spring, for Rev. W. S. Ball, of Knox's church, and Mrs, Ball, to have a re-union of the members of the Bible classes under tlieir instruction, the members of Mrs. Ball's class resolved to mark the one this year by a presentation, with an address, expressive of their grateful appreciation of her unwearied labors for their good. The presentation consisted of a handsome tea set, the tea pot bearing an appropriation inscription. When the news of the brutal assassination of President Lincoln was- received here, the people deeply sympathized with the American nation in the serious loss they had sustained, and promptly and readily gave expression to their feelings by such outward observances as the melan- choly occasion demanded. On the day appointed for the funeral obse- quies of the late President, therefore, the stores, offices, workshops, &c., tnroughout the town were closed, and business generally suspended for two hours. The national colors were hoisted at half-mast from the Town Hall, the Court House and several other buildings, while the town bell was tolled at funeral time. Religious services were held in the To^vn »o. Gait e, but an Preston, Ceme- !St, most Mr. Wm. ited and ch of the 'orts and ire to the s also in , another h of Mr. r portion came to s for the e lor the omaa Ca- nd exhib- a large at various after his ish hotel. i been ex- ph, and lare, were :eing the the first among Guelph tablish- ccupied, upied by ccupying enlarged THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF C.UELPH. 133 55 IJall, of rs of the ill's class address, for their tea pot toln was- nation [ily gave melan- i\ obse- jps, &c., ^ded for ie Town Iwn bell Town Hall at one o'clock, by Rev. R. Torrance, assisted by Revs. Messrs. Ball, Hogg, Carroll, Pedley and Graffley. Appropriate passages of scripture were read, the audience engaged in singing psalms and hymns suitable to the occassion, and the clergymen offered rolemn and impressive pray- ers for the afflicted nation, the bereaved widow and family of the deceased, and for the survivors whose lives had been attempted, and who were still in danger from wounds inflicted by the assassins. After this the Hon. Mr. Foley delivered an eloquent and impressive address, dwelling on the admirable life and character of the late President, concluding with the hope that the cordial spirit of amity which then existed between the two nations, evinced on the part of Canadians by the services which were then being held all over the country, would remain forever un- broken. In May the business community sustained a severe loss by the death of Mr. Thos. Sandilands, one of the oldest and most justly esteemed residents of the town. He became a resident of Guelph in 1832, when the town was recovering from a state of depression, consequent on a commercial crisis. He commenced business as a store keeper, and suc- cessfully carried it on for over twenty years. A few years after his settlement here he was appointed local agent for the Gore Bank, the first bank agency established in Guelph. When he relinquished mer- cantile pursuits he retained the bank agency, and was afterwards appointed manager of the bank, an appointment he held at the time of his death. In the management of the bank he might have been con- sidered by some as a little too cautious, but his probity and sincerity in all his dealings were unquestionable. More lucrative employment was more than once offered him by other banking companies, which he de- clined, he preferring to remain in Guelph, where he had made so many friends and where his influence and benevolence rendered him so useful a citizen. He died on May 22nd, the immediate cause of his death being heart disease. The school accommodation having for some time been very inade- quate for the accommodation of the large number of children in attendance, it was resolved, at a meeting of the School Trustees held in May, to call upon the Council to assess the Town for the purpose of building a new girls' school, the attendance of the female pupils having largely fallen off recently on account of the health of many of the child- ren having been affected by the insufficient accommodation. A public meeting wa called a few days afterwards, when resolutions were passed to the effect that it was inexpedient to build another school house as it was not then required by the inhabitants, especially while business was in such a depressed state as at that time. The School Trustees were therefore asked to rescind their resolution. At the next meeting of the Trustees a committee was appointed to confer with a committee of the Town Council as to the best means of raising the required money for building the school house, but the Council declined the conference, and the Trustees therefore proceeded to award the tenders for the building which was comnitr.ced with at once. In September the committee on Finance and Assessment presented to the Tov/n Council a report in which the following recommendations were made: — "That a petition be drawn up and signed by the Mayor and Clerk, setting forth the most prominent subjects in the bills before the Legislature which they considered objectionable, and the amend- ments they considered would be beneficial, as set forth in the following 134 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. I! clauses of the report: — Personal property should be assessed upon a sliding scale, but that incomes under $400 should be exempt in towns and cities, and that the slidmg scale should advance at the rate of $200, from $400 to $1000 ;at the rate of $500 from $1000 to $5000; at the of $1000 from $4000 to $10,000 and at the rate of $2,500 from $40,000 and for higher sums increasing by $5,000. That the heads of all corpora- tions should be elected by the members of each corporation as there could be no valid reason why towns, as in the proposed Bill, should be an exception to all other municipal organizations. That all persons voting on by-laws for creating debt should be freeholders or tenants under lease for the same period of years as the debt is incurred ; also, that provision might be made compelling municipal councils to annually assess for their indebtedness and limit their power of creating debt. That Boards of School Trustees in towns should be compelled to levy and collect the amount required tor their use, that the anomaly of a corporation within a corporation should not exist, and that as Boards of School Trustees were elected by the ratepayers, as well as municipal corporations, the int I D.Allan, /'s Society, toasts, the i to byU.- brate," was e President responded ; iow; "The Parker, M. lelivered by le proceed- P. Gov/ and ified success ety. some lime he building nselves in a corner stone Professor of th America, I. Ball, John ^ Barrie, of 'aris and J. e church, in of the work was $7000, addition to old church ilaced being le acknow- lultand Mr. [estions, and s, had pre- is cheap6n- nd to Mr. ase of the irief history ,, being the )n Victoria, provinces ited under Itone of an of Christ- laid in the by the regational [the month Lvhom sur- late of the ig opened Ihe church- upon his Ibership of THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 139 the church numbers 86. Its officers are : William Fletcher Clarke, Pas- tor ; Richard Baker, Robt. Thompson, Edwin Newton, Samuel Hodg- skin, Robert J. Jeanneret, and Chas. Raymond. Deacons. The Trustees of the church property are : Thomas Hodgskin, Richard Raker, Samuel Hodgskin, Robt. Thompson and Edwin Newton. The building commit- tee are : William Fletcher Clarke, Chairman ; Edwin Newton, Secretary Treasurer ; Richard Baker, R. Thompson, S. Hodgskin, C Raymond, R. J. Jeanneret, James Goldie, Thomas Lawrence, Alexander Thompson, Wm. McLaren, and John Davidson. The architect and superintendent is Stephen Boult. The contractors are ; James Davidson, mason ; Stephen Boult, carpenter and builder ; Wm. Day, plasterer, and W. H. Jacomb, painter and glazier." The bottle also contained a copy of the Herald, and other Guelph papers, the Toronto Globe, Leader^ &c. The assessment rolls of the Town for 1867 showed the population to be : East Ward 1037, South Ward 1443, West Ward 1581, North Ward 1296 — total 5357. The value of real and personal property and amount of income was returned as follows : East Ward real property $279,830, personal do. $37,200, amount of taxable income $31,200, non-resident lands $4,114; total $352,345. South Ward real property $215,052, per- sonal property $4,000, income $27,600, non-resident lands $104.60 ; total $257,112. West Ward real property $369,853, personal do. $34,100, in- come $51,800, non-resident lands $28,061 ; total $483,814. North Ward real property $352,017, personal do. $5,610, income $26,200, non-resident lands $4,620: total $439,727. Total real property in all the wards $1,216,752, total personal do. do. $132,200, total income do, $136,800, total non-resident land, $47,246; grand total $1,532,998, which showed the aggregate wealth of the town as shown by the Assessors. The total number of first class militia men was 344; 2nd class do. 542 ; 3rd class do. or reserve 226. The number of men liable for statute labor was 235. The whole number of cattle in the town was returned as 447, sheep 372, hogs 512, horses 329. On June 28rh a disastrous fire occurred in the Liverpool Produce Store, Dundas street. The building, being entirely of wood, was totally destroyed, considerable delay having occurred in the arrival of the fire engines, and in the ringing of the alarm bell, so that when the men did arrive, the fire had nearly done its work. Both building and stock be- longed to Messrs. Naughton & Gauhan, who estimated the aggregate value to be $14,000 on which there was an insurance for $12,500. In the following week a fire occurred at Newton's Hotel, near the Grand Trunk Freight Station, by which the hotel and several small houses ad- joining were destroyed, the loss being about $3,000. The Wellington, Grey and Ikuce Railway Company having completed the arrangements for the building of the road, from Guelph northwards, the first sod of the new railway was turned at Fergus, June aSih, by Mr. Adam Brown, of Hamilton, President of the company, in the presence of a large number of spectators from all parts of the country. Speeches were delivered by the President, and by Messrs. McGiverin and White, of Hamilton, and Dr. Parker, of Guelph, Directors of the road. The scheme of Canadian Confederation havmg been brought to a suc- cessful issue, and the plan of govenmient consequently greatly changed, the elections which ensued excited far more interest in all parts of the country than had been the case for many years. In the County of Wel- lington additional interest was given to the elections on account of a change in the representation which bad taken pipxe in accordance with 140 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. a bill introduced by the Government, and passed in July, 1866, for the re-distribution of seats,one of the provisions of which was that the County of Wellington should be divided into three ridings, instead of two, as heretofore. The following were the divisions, with the population of each township : North Riding -Amaranth, 1,196; Arthur, 3,597 ; Luther, 689; Minto, 2,341; Maryborough, 3,134; Peel, 5,008; total, 15,965, South Riding — Guelph, township, 3,088 ; Guelph, town, 5,076 ; Puslinch, 4,701 ; total, 12,865. Centre Riding — Elora Village, 1,043 ; Eramosa, 3,604; Erin, 4,948; Fergus village, 1,117; Garafraxa, 4,866; Nichol, 2,395 ; Pilkington, 2,397 ; total, 20,370. In the South Riding the candidates were : For the House of Com- mons, Mr. Uavid Stinton and Mr. F. W. Stone ; and for the Legislature of Ontario, Messrs. Peter Gow and Wm. Leslie. Mr. Stone being then in England, his friends labored at considerable disadvantage in conse- quence of his absence, and there can be no doubt that had he been here to address the electors, if he had not been elected, the majority of Mr. Stirton would have been much smaller than it was. Under the circum- stances, however, a good run was made, proving that Mr. Stone was not only popular in the riding, but that a large number of the electors were prepared to make considerable sacrifices, as many of them did, to en- sure his election. The contest for the Legislature was more closely con- tested, and the defeat of Mr. Leslie was not only a disappointment, but somewhat of a surprise to his friends. Mr. Leslie had 225 names of Puslinch electors on his requisition, and as a number of others subse- quently pledged themselves to vote for him, he was of opinion that he would poll as many votes in Puslinch as Mr. Gow, but the returns showed that he only polled 171 votes in that Township. He was se- lected one of the Union candidates on account of his supposed strength in Puslinch, but the returns showed that he polled nearly double the number of votes in the Town of Guelph that he polled in Puslinch, and that Guelph Township also gave him a larger majority than Puslinch did. The nomination of candidates for the North Riding took place at Arthur, September 6th. Quite a number of prominent politicians were present from the adjacent townships, and especially from the villages of Mount Forest, Fergus, Elora and Salem. A substantial platform had been erected on the grounds opposite O'Callaghan's Hotel, in front of which the electors assembled to the number of 500. The Brownites of Mount Forest mustered in strong force, together with a select assortment from distant portions of the North and upper sections of the Centre Riding. With the exception of a few personal friends of Messrs. Drew and Beattie, the Unionists were nearly all from Arthur township and vil- lage, and the adjoining parts of Minto, Amaranth, Luther, Peel and Mary- boro". The assembly had a most respectable appearance throughout, and the best of order was observed during the entire proceedings. Mr. Geo. A . Drew, Elora, was nominated as a candidate for the Commons, by Dr. Tuck of Drayton, and seconded by Mr. Peter Kean, of Minto. Hon. M. H. Foley was nominated by Mr. Samuel Robertson, and sec- or.ded by Mr. D. Yeomans, of Mount Forest. In the Legislature, Mr. Jonn Beattie was nominated by Dr. Maudslay, of HoUin, and seconded by Mr. C. O'Callaghan. Mr. Robert McKiro, of Peel, was nominated by Mr. R. Stevenson, and seconded by Mr. Wm. Sturtridge. The result was that Mr. Drew was elected for the Commons by a vote of i486 to 1269, showing a majority of 217. For the Legislature Mr. McKim was elected by a majority of 71. THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 141 for the County two, as ation of Luther, 15.965. uslinch, ramosa, Nichol, of Com- jislature ng then a. conse- ;en here r of Mr. circum- was not ors were d, to en- sely con- lent, but names of rs subse- \i that he returns was se- strength )uble the iich, and inch did. place at ans were illages of "orm had front of wnites of sortment le Centre «rs. Drew and vil- nd Mary- •oughout, gs. Mr. ommons, f Minto. and sec- ture, Mr. seconded nated by he result (f i486 to Kim was In the Centre Riding the nomination tt>ok place at Fergus. Two can- didates were nominated. Dr. Parker, of Guelph, and Mr. John Dobbin, but the latter gentleman declining to go to the po'l, Dr. Parker was de- clared duly elected. For the Legislative Assembly, Mr. A. D. Ferrier was proposed by Mr. Jas. Reynolds, of Pilkingtori, seconded by Mr. Geo. A. Lacey, of Hillsburg. Mr. James Loughrin was proposed by Mr. A. Hood, and duly seconded. Mr. T. .S. Armstrong was nominated by Mr. R. Taylor, of Elora, and seconded by Mr. Robert Black, of Gaiafraxa. At the close of the poll to vote stood Ferrier, 1083 '> Armstrong, 1025, and Loughrin, 338. Mr. Ferrier was therefore declared elected. A fire, which at one time threatened to be of a most serious nature, occurred on .September i8th, in the hosiery works of McCrae, Arm- strong Sc Co. It originated in the second story of the building in the packing room, and soon spread to the other apartments, running through the carding and other rooms with great rapidity, but by the exertions of the workmen, assisted by a large number of the neighbors, the fire was extinguished in about half an hour, but the damage was very heavy, probably reaching to $3,000, which, however, was fully covered by insur- ance. The next morning a fire occurred in the carriage works of Mr. Wm. Dyson, but fortunately the buildmg was isolated and the weather calm, or the damage might have been mucl: greater than it was. The loss was heavy, as besides the building, a large number of finished bug- gies, and vehicles of various kinds in course of construction, were de- stroyed, the loss amounting to about $4,000. There was no insurance. During November a young man named Foster, living near .Sleeman's brewer)', was married, and on the night of the 25th, a large party of Youghs living in the South Ward assembled for the third time, to treat him to charivari. The night being very dark, favored their designs, and for nearly an hour they alarmed the neighborhood with their unearthly noises — ringing bells, beating drums, tin cans, boilers and kettles, dis- charging guns and pistols, shrieking, singing,cursing, whistling, groaning, throwing dirt, stones and sticks, blowing horns and trumpets, and per- forming all other insane tricks usually accompanying a charivari. Sud- denly a head was protruded through a window, and a gun discharged into the crowd. With a loud cry, a lad about 15 years of age named Thos. Chamberlain, fell down, and as the noise instantly ceased, a number of the party bore him away to a dwelling house near by, where Dr. Orton, jr., attended him, but notwithstanding that all was done which medical skill could devise, he died in a few days. At the inquest, which was held by Dr. Howitt, evidence was given that the gun was fired by Joseph Foster, father of the newly married man, under circumstances of great provocation, his wife being dangerously ill, at the time, and suffering from the effects of the excitement caused by the pandemonium outside. There was no reason to believe that he intended to seriously hurt any- body, and after carefully considering all the circumstances the jury brought in a verdict tantamount to one of justifiable homicide, at the same time properly recommending that the parties engaged in creating the disturbance on the night of the shooting should be rigorously prose- cuted. The candidates for the Mayoralty in 1868, were Mr. N. Higinbotham and Mr. John Harris, the former being elected by a small majority. In accordance with the Municipal Act of 1866 the following members of the Council retired: — East W^ard — Mr. Thomas Sayers. West Ward — Mr. F. W. Galbraith. North Ward— Mr. John Harvey. South Ward— Mr. 142 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. Uf T. Heffernan. The Council consisted of the foUowine: members : — Mayor — Mr. Higinbotham. Reeve— Mr. R. Melvin. Deputy Reeves — Mr. H. W. Peterson and R, Mitchell. Councillors :— East Ward — Messrs. F. j. Chadwick, Thos. Sayers, and P. McCurry. West Ward — Messrs. James Massie, Alex. Thomson* and Geo. Howard. South Ward —Messrs. Wm. Day, Thos. HoUiday and T. Heffernan. North Ward — Messrs. John Harvey, James Mays, and Dr, Herod. In March, Mr. Peterson resigned his position as Deputy Reeve, and Mr. James Massie was elected, Mr. C. Buckland being elected for the vacancy in the re- presentation for the North Ward caused by Mr. Massie's election as Deputy Reeve. The County Council consisted of the following members : — Messrs. JJoyd, Broadfoot, Campbell, Cassin, Cornell, Cornock, Dobbin, Duffield, (iillespie, Gordon, Hunter, Johnston, Jull, Mair, Melvin, Mitchell, Mc- Innes, McMillan, Passmore, Peterson, Rea, T^obertson, Saunders, Small, Stirton, Swan, Whitelaw, McManus, Cross, ■ itherland. By the retire- ment of Mr. Peterson in March, a vacancy wa^ .reated, which was filled by the election of Mr, Massie. Mr. S. Robertson, Deputy Reeve of Maryboro', also retired, and Mr. A. Maxwell was elected in his place. Mr. Small, of Arthur, died in April, and Mr, R. Stevenson was elected to fill the vacancy. In April the country was called upon to mourn the death of Hon, Thomas D'Arcy McGee, and in common with other towns and cities, Guelphgave expression to the feelings of sorrow at the loss the country had sustained, and sympathy with the bereaved relatives of the hon. gentleman. A public meeting was held in the Town Hall, where appro- priate resolutions were passed, and eloquent adresses'delivered by several prominent citizens, among whom were Rev. Arthur Palmer, Dr. Clarke, Mr. W. S. (r. Knowles, Rev. W. F. Clarke, Mr. J. Harris, Mr. A. A. Baker, Mr. Melvin and Mr. G. Palmer, 3ome of whom had known Mr. Mc(jee, and all of whom expressed the abhorrence which was universal- ly felt of the foul crime of murder, by which Mr. McGee had fallen. The resolutions were ordered to be engrossed and forwarded to Mr. McGee's widow. The assassination of Mr. McGee, with the news of hostile preparations going forward on the other side of the lines, created a state of intense anxiety and alarm throughout the Dominion, and there can be no doubt that in many cases measures were resorted to for the detection and pun- ishment of supposed Fenians, which at a more peaceful time would have been looked upon with disfavor, and met with a firm condemnation on the part of the people generally. So was it in Guelph. For a lor -_, time the existence of a small band of Fenians had been suspected, an ' some persons contended that there was a regularly organized circle n this vicinity, and that Fenian leaders were in the habit of cominr to the neighborhood in disguise, and to some extent making Guelph a vi.ntreof operations. Some weeks previously a number of cases of second hnnd guns, rifles, &c., had been sold in Guelph, and it was suspected that the Fenian sympathizers had purchased them. Thinking there was suffi- cient evidence in their hands on which to act, warrants were placed in the hands of Chief Constable Kelly for the arrest of certain individuals in (iuelph, and in one day three arrests were made, a Puslinch farmer, and two men in Guelph, all of whom were lodged in jail. It was said that documents were found upon these men clearly proving their connection with the Brotherhood, but though the prisoners were detained in close THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 143 ies )ns ise :bt in- ive ion jne ne lis Ihe of Ind Ihe lis confinement for a considerable time, nothing definite could be laid to their charge, and they were consequently released. The excitement, however, was not by any means abated, for the Fenians were known to be making preparations for an invasion, and towards the end of May, Lieut.-Col. Higinbotham received a letter requesting him to have h's bat- talion ready to take the field at any instant, as it was not known when they might be required to meet the foe. The Guelph companie? received the news on the Queen's birthday with loud cheers, and instructions were sent by telegraph to Elora, Fergus, and Mount Forest for the men to set- tle up their iDusiness and make ready for an immediate march on the frontier, and arrangements were made by \>hich 500 men could be mar- shalled in Guelph at 48 hours notice. A few days afterwards orders were received that the 30th Battalion should be attached to the Flying Squad- ron, and the men were kept under arms for some weeks, but were not required for active service. In May a new fire engine, which had been ordered by the Town Coun- cil from the Silsby factory, was received in town, at the trial at Presant's mill and Allan's distillery, gave unqualified satisfaction. The total cost, including hose, reels, &c., was $5,638.68. On one or two occasions the merchants of Guelph had endeavored to make an arrangement by which to rid themselves of the American silver nuisance, but without avail. In July of this year another attempt was made, in conjunction with the merchants of Toronto, Hamilton and other places, by forming a league, the members of which should be liable to a fine OS $50 if they received American silver except at a discount of 4 per cent, on silver coins above the denomination of 25 cents, and 10 per cent, on coins under that denomination. A meeting of the merchants was held, and a compact to the above effect was signed by most of the merchants in town, and for a time it was rigidly adhered to, but gradu- ally the arrangement became a dead letter. For some months past an unhappy division had existed among the members and congregation of Knox's Church, and the Presbytery had to be called upon to adjudicate on the matter, but as some of the adherents were still disaftected, it finally became evident that the breach was such as to be almost beyond the hope of healing, and a Committee of the Presbytery was therefore appointed to organize those who wished to se- cede into a separate congregation. On July 27th, therefore, the commit- tee met at the Court House, Rev. Mr. Middlemiss, of Elora, convener, and a large deputation of church members being present. Certificates from Rev. W. S. Ball in favor of 1 14 members in good standing with- drawing from Knox Church were presented, and being foui \ sufificient,ia communion roll was mnde up, and the congregation of Chalmers Church was declared to be constituted. A Board of Managers to act pro teni. was then appointed, consisting of ten gentlemen lately managers of Knox's Church, and Mr. D. Stirton, M. P., and Mr. Jas. Gow, after which arrangements were made for a regular siipjily for the pulpit. On Monday, Oct. 19th, the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new Knox's Church, on Ouebec street, was performed by Rev. Ur. Ormiston ; the pastor, Rev. W. S. Ball, Revo. Messrs. Griffin, Wood, Clarke and Torrance, of Guelph, and a number of the Presbytery from Gait and other places taking part in the service. On Sunday, Oct. i8th, Dr. Parker, M. P. for Centre Wellington having received a professional call to visit a sick child at Rockwood, pro- ceeded there, intending to remain all night, but finding that his services l4 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. could be of no avail, at about lo o'clock he started to walk to Guelph, taking the road, in order, as he said, to avoid the danger of falling through a bridge on the track near Rockwood, where two men had already been killed. Finding the road very muddy, he altered his determination, and took the railway, walking cautiously, as the night was verv dark. Before he was aware of it, however, he had arrived at the fatal L-ridge, which was spanned only by beams to support the rails, and plunged throiigh to the road beneath, where he lay, unable to move till the next morning. When he was discovered medical aid was at once procured, and Dr. Hewitt and Lieut. - Col. Higinbotham brought him to Guelph, when it was found that he had sustained a fracture of the thigh and serious internal injuries. He lingered, mostly in an unconscious state, until the following Saturday, when he died. Among those present at the funeral were Archdeacon lirough, the deceased's father-in-law, Mayor Clarke, of Hamilton, Mr. C. Magill, M. P., Mr. J. Young, M. P., Mr. Macfarlane, M. P., a number of Ministers, and several of the prominent electors of the Centre Rid- ing. The pall-bearers were Lieut. -Col. Higinbotham, Judge Macdonald, Dr. Herod, Mr. Geo. Elliott, Mr. E. McGiverin, and Mr. Adam Brown, of Hamilton,. Rev. Mr. Geddes, of Hamilton, assisted by Rev. Dr. Al- exander, officiated. The candidates for the Mayoralty in 1869 were Dr. Herod and Mr. Melvin, the former gentleman being elected by a good majority. For Reeve, Mr. Richard Mitchell was elected, and for Deputy Reeves, Messrs. P. McCurrie and J. Goldie. The members of the Council were : East Ward — Messrs;. F. J. Chadwick, T. Sayers and W. Allan. West Ward — Messrs. G. Bruce, G. Howard and and A. Thomson. North Ward — Messrs. John Harvey, J. A. Wood and A. Robertson. South Ward — Messrs. W. Day, J. Holliday and T. Heffernan. The members of the County Council were : Guelph Town, Richard Mitchell, James Goldie and P. McCurry. Guelph Township, W. White- Ip^v, George Darby. Puslinch, Wm. Leslie, M. Spreuhan. Eramosa, John Duffield, John Rae. Erin, D. McMillan, Ed. Johnson. Garafraxa West, John Dobbin. Garafraxa East, \V. H. Hunter. Fergus George Mclnnes. Elora, J. M. Frazer. Pilkington, W. Clarke, Hugh Roberts. Nichol, John Mair, John Broadfoot. Peel, J. Cross, W. S. Sutherland and J. McManus. Maryboro, S. Robertson, J. Landerkin. Minto, Jas. Connell, John Prain ; Arthur, R. Stevenson, R. Gordon. Mount Forest, Thomas Swann, Luther; D. Saunders. Amaranth, C. Gillespie. Orange- ville, T. Jull. Mr. John Mair was elected Warden. . The election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Dr. Parker, M. P., for Centre Wellington, was held Jan. i8th. Several candidates had been named, among whom were Hon. George Brown, Hon. H. M. Foley, Mr. A. McKellar, Mr. T. White, of the Hamilton Spectator, Mr. James Ross, Mr. John Smith, Warden, Mr. C. Clarke, Mr. James Logh- rin. Dr. Howitt, Mr. H. H. Swinford, Lieut.-Col. Higinbotham and Mr. Geo. Elliott. Mr. Ross, of Cumnock, was the only one who ac- cepted a nomination, and was elected by acclamation, thus leaving vacant the office of Crown Lands Agent, which was worth from $1,000 to $1,200 per annum. On February 6th, the Town sustained another severe loss by the death of Mr. James Webster, Registrar of the County, at the age of 61. Emigrating to Canada in 1833, he settled in the township of Nichol, where, in partnership with Hon. Adam Fergusson, he purchased a tract of land, founded the village of Fergus, and remained there until 1852, THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 145 uelph, irough (T been »n, and Before ch was he road he was Lieut.- that he s. He Lturday, ideacon on, Mr. number tre Rid- ;donald, Brown, Dr. Al- and Mr. ty. For Reeves, :il were : . West North South Richard White- :,ramosa, tarafraxa George iRoberts. Itherland |nto, Jas, Forest, [Orange- Parker, ididates H. M. \for, Mr. ;s Logh- im and I who ac- vacant $1,200 by the te of 61. Nichol, a tract til 1852, when he removed to Guelph. In all the political movements of his day he took an active part and sat in Parliament as representative of the then District of Waterloo in 1844. In 1859 he was appointed Registrar of the County of Wellington, which office he retained till his death. In the same year he also held the position of Mayor of Guelph. For two or three years his health had been so impaired that he was unable to take any active part in public matters, but he never ceased to evince a deep interest in all questions having for their object the improvement of the Town and County. On the day of the funeral the stores were closed for an hour, and a large number of citizens joined the mounful cortege. The pall bearers were — Col. Hewat. Col. Saunders, Mr. Geo. Davidson, Sherift" of Waterloo, Mr. J. L. Smith, Toronto, Mr. G, D. Fergusson, Fergus, Mr. Chas. Davidson, Guelph, Judge Macdonald, Guelph, Mr. D. Chalmers, Woolwich, Mr. David Allan, Mr. Wm. Alexander, Guelph, and Mr. A. W. Scheweigener, Berlin. Mr. James Webster, son of the deceased, was soon afterwards appointed to the vacant office. In April Mr. John Harvey resigned his seat in the Council for the North Ward, and Mr. Robert Mitchell was elected in his place. Except the unusual activity in the building trade, nothing of any moment occurred in the Town for some months, so that the recurrence of the time for the municipal elections was a relief to the " flat, stale and unprofitable" state of things which had rendered the people listless with regard to everything except business. Up to within a short time of the nomination, it had been thought that Dr. Herod would be elected to the Mayoralty for 1870 without opposition, but at the last moment Mr. James Barclay was brought out and a very close contest was the result, Dr. Her- od being elected by a majority of only twelve. Fcr the Reeveship, the contest was more exciting, two candidates being brought out in good time and the canvassing prosecuicd vigorously on both sides, the vote at the close giving Mr. Richard Mitchell a majority of eight over Mr. James Goldie. The candidates for the Deputy Reeveships were — Messrs. F. J. Chadwick, Henry Hatch, James Goldie, and C, Buckland, the votes be- ing — Hatch 424, Chadwick 41 Goldie 344, and Buckland 118, the two former being elected. There was a contest for a Councillorship in two wards. In the East Ward, Mr. David McCrae polled 94 votes, against 68 for Mr. John Stewart, and in the West Ward, Mr. J. McNeil polled 147 vote against Mr. Buckland's 74. The members of the Council were, therefore: — East Ward — Messrs. T. Sayers, W. Allan and D. McCrae. West Ward — Messrs. G. Howard, G. Bruce and J. McNeil North Ward— Messrs. J. A. Wood, A. Robertson and Robt. Mitchell. South Ward — Messrs. T. Heffernan, W. Day and J. Holliday. The members of the County Council for 1870, were: — Messrs. Chas. Gillespie, Robert Gordon, Anthony Buschlen, J. M. Frazer, John Rea, Alex. McQueen, D. McMillan, E. Johnson, G. T. Orton, John Dobbin, Wm. Gibson, Wm. H. Hunter, Thos. Hamilton, James Laidlaw, G. A. Darby, Rich. Mitchell, F. J. Chadwick, H. Hatch, Peter Hanson, Robt Hay, Wm. H. Lowes, James Cornell, John Prain, John Robinson, John Mair, John H, Broadfoot, M. McCarthy, James Cross, W. S. Sutherland, T. McManus, Wm. Clark, Hugh Roberts, Wm. Leslie, Wm. Nicol. Mr. John Mair was elected Warden. For some time there had been much opposition shown by interested parties to the building of the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway, this being one of the causes which had led to the delay which had occurred in prosecuting the work. To overcome the evil effects of this opposition 146 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. a delegation from Hamilton, comprising the Mayor, the President of the Company, and others, with Messrs. C. Davidson, J. Massie, H. Hatch and Lt.-Col. Higinbotham, as delegates from Guelph, in March proceeded to Harriston, where they were met by the following representatives of the townships which had granted bonuses to the road: — Mr. Cornell, Reeve, and Mr. Prain, Deputy Reeve, with Messrs. Dalmage and Hughes, Councillors of Minto ; Mr, Perkins, Reeve and Mr. Weir, Deputy Reeve jf Howick; Mr. Hay, Reeve, Mr. Lowes, Deputy Reeve, and Mr. Patcr- son, Councillor of Maryboro ; Mr. Cross, Reeve and Mr, Brown, Coun- cillor of Peel, with several other gentlemen interested, besides about three hundred ratepayers from the various township, Mr, Adam Brown gave a brief outline of the history of the Company, and a statement ot the unforeseen difficulties which had arisen in prosecuting the work, in consequence of which they were unable to complete the road at the time stated when the bonuses were granted, and he therefore asked an exten- sion of time of one year from Maryboro', Minto and Howick. Mr. Brown was very clear and candid in his remarks, and was listened to with much attention. He was followed by Aid. Edgar, Messrs A. Sproat, M. P., N, Bullock, D, D. Hay, and others, who spoke in favor of the extension, and it was finally moved by Mr, J, Laing, and seconded by Mr, Wm. Crea- sor, that the meeting had the fullest confidence in the Railway Company, and that it would be for the interests of the townships that the extension of time be granted. At a subsequent meeting of the Reeves and Coun- cillors of the townships, it was resolved to endeavor to carry by-laws for the object sought, which was afterwards successfully carried out, and the withdrav/ing of the bonuses, which the opponents, of the road were anxi- ous to bring about, was prevented. From the assessment roll for the year it appears that the population of the town was 6424, Total value of real property, $1,214,200, Total value of personal property and taxable income, $240,460, Aggregate total value of all property, $1,403,665, The Grand Trunk Railway Company having decided to remove their workshops from Toronto, a proposal was made to ask Mr, Brydges to locate the workshops in Guelph, and a public meeting to consider the matter was called by the Board of Trade. Mr, George Murton, Presi- dent of the Board, took the chair, and addresses were delivered by Messrs. John Hogg, F. J, Chadwick, W. Wilkie, W. S. G. Knowles, H, W, Peterson, and others, when it was resolved : — "That the Mayor be requested to call a special meeting of the Council, to take into considera- tion the propriety of offering suitable ground for the workshops of the Grand Trunk Railway, as a gift, and to exempt them from taxation for a term of years, and, in addition, to offer a bonus of at least $10,000," The special meeting of the Council was accordingly held, and a communica- tion sent to Mr. Brydges, to which a reply was received that he could not entertain the offer, as the situation of the town was not suitable for the object sought. On the 23rd July, the hand of death deprived the town of one of its brightest ornaments, in the person of Mr. George Pirie, editor and pro- prietor of the Herald. For twenty-two years he had labored, through the columns of his paper, and in numberless ways as a private citizen, to promote the best interests of the town and neighborhood, and up to within three weeks of his death he continued to give to his readers the results of his ripe experience and brilliant intellect. He had been, for many years, a sufferer from asthma, and was periodically subject to ve their ges to er the Presi- red by les, H. lyor be isidera- bf the n for a The of its \d pro- hrough izen, to up to lers the len, for Iject to THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 147 distressing attacks of this complaint, and it was long a matter of wonder how he bore up so well under his affliction. In the previous November, he was laid aside by a severe illness, and then old age and the breaking down of a naturally good constitution, began plainly to tell upon him, and though still able to discharge his duties, up to within a short time of his death, it was evident that the strong man was gradually but surely sinking. Mr. Pirie, at the time of his death, was upwards of 71 years of age, having been born in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland, on February 28th, 1798. He received a very liberal education in his native city, and also in London, where he was afterwards apprenticed to a relative. Sir John Pirie, an eminent merchant, and at one time Lord Mayor of Lon- don, In 1818 he came to Montreal, where he lived some time, acting as agent for his father, who was a leading merchant and shop owner of Aberdeen. Not long after he visited Scotland, but returned in 181 9. On the voyage out, he, in company with some other passengers, visited the island of Anticosti, where he was for some time exposed to a thick, damp fog, by which he contracted a severe cold, which resulted in chro- nic asthma, from which he continued to suffer, more or less, during the remainder of his life. After remaining two years in Montreal, he again returned to Scotland, and in company with a Mr. Saunders, commenced business in Aberdeen as a wholesale dry goods merchant. He was obliged, however, from infirm health, to give it up in 1834, and in 1838, came out again to Canada and settled in the township of Nichol, where he bought a farm in the Bon Accord settlement. He continued farming until 1848, when finding he was unable to perform the arduous duties of a farmer, he was induced by Mr. James Webster to purchase the Guelph Herald, then only in the second year of its publication. From the first day of his management, the Herald was a staunch Conservative paper, maintaining the position of the leading organ of that party in this part of the country. Mr. Pirie was an able, accurate and spirited writer. Thoroughly acquainted with the political history of the country, and of the characters of its public men, he brought his knowledge and experi- ence to bear with singular effect on every subject under discussion. En- dowed with an acute intellect, and being a thorough master of a clear, incisive style, aided by a keen and often sarcastic wit, he was a formi- dable opponent in a discussion, and not seldom came out of these en- counters victorious. Having once expoused a cause, he held to it with great tenacity, but when a fight was over and a truce proclaimed he retained no resentment, nor were his private friendships or relations broken up in consequence. When he expoused a cause, he did it on conscientious grounds, because he believed he was right, and frequently was he known to sacrifice his own interests in advocating what he consi- dered was for the public good. But not only as a public writer and journalist was his loss greatly felt. Prominent and honorable as was his position in his profession, he was equally useful as a public spirited citizen, whose time, talents and means were always at the disposal of his fellow townsmen. He was for twenty years a member of the Guelph School Board, acting either as a Grammar or Common School Trustee, and if there was one thing more than another which lay near his heart, it was the educational interests of the town. As a magistrate he was one of the brightest ornaments of the bench, and so enthusiastic was his patriotism, that at the time of the " Trent " affair, though then a feeble old man, he gallantly joined the Scottish company formed in the town at that time^ and drilled night after night, to be able to take his place among 148 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. his country's defenders. For twenty-one years he was the indefatigable secretary of the St. Andrew's Society, and to many other charitable organizations his energies were freely given. The funeral was one of the most mournful sights ever seen in CJuelph, nearly all the inhabitants wearing crape, and a \ ery large number joining in the procession to pay the last tribute of respect to one whom all honored, whatever their dif- ferences of opinion may have been. The pall-bearers were : Messrs. David Stirton, M.P., P. Gow, M.P.P., James Gow, James Fergusson, John A. Davidson, G. B. Fraser and James Innes. At a meeting of influential merchants and others held on July 27th, a company was organized under the title of the Guelph Gas Company, and Messrs. F. J. Chadwick, Richard Mitchell and N. Higinbotham were ap- pointed a committee to canvass the town in order to obtain subscrip- tions of citizens and capitalists to the company's stock list. The sum of $4,000 was subscribed at the meeting, which, with the sum taken by Mr. Perry, the projector of the con.pany, made $10,000 taken up. For $16,- 000 Mr. Perry offered to purchase a site and erect a stone building 80 feet by 40 and 16 feet high, and to provide all that was necessary to make 20,000 feet of gas in 24 hours ; also to buy ihe necessary pipes, metres, &c., for 100 consumers, and main pipes running from the gas works up Wyndham street, as far as Suffolk street, thence across to St. Andrew's Church, up Quebec and Paisley street, to Dublin street along Macdon- nell street to Allan's bridge, up Woolwich street to the Court House, around the Market Square from Wyndham street, up Church street to Norfolk street. Shortly afterwards the company was fully organized, with a capital of $30,000, in 1,500 shares, at $20 each, the term of the company's existence to be fifty years. The Directors chosen for the first year were Messrs. F. J. Chadwick, N. Higinbotham, James Massie, Richard Mitchell, Donald Guthrie, J. C. McLagan and John Hogg. Mr. Perry, the proprietor of the undertaking, was chosen manager, and it was expected to have gas burning by the ist of November. Gas was not used, however, till January i8th, 1871. On September 13th the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway was opened as far as Fergus, when addresses were presented on the occasion to Mr. Adam Brown and the other Directors, by Mr. J. M. Fraser, Reeve of Elora, and Dr. Orton, Reeve of Fergus, on behalf of those municipal- ities. The great want of house accommodation, especially of such descrip- tions as would be suitable for mechanics, having long been felt, a public meeting was called to consider the question, the result being that a state- ment was drawn up as follows : * We, the undersigned, are willing to erect, during the fall, dwelling houses containing four rooms each, pro- vided the mechanics will undertake the work at reasonable terms." Donald Guthrie, Chas. Davidson, F. J. Chadwick, N. Higinbotham, J. C. McLagan. In pursuance of this agreement a considerable number of houses of the description named, were erected during the fall and winter. The municipal elections for 187 1 were attended with an unusual de- gree of excitement and interest. Mr. Richard Mitchell was elected Mayor without opposition. For Reeve the candidates were Messrs. Jas. Massie and F. J. Chadwick, the former gentleman being successful. The Deputy Reeves were Mr. George Howard and Mr. N. Higinbotham. The members of the Council were : East Ward — Messrs. D. McCrae, W. Allan and J. Stewart. West Ward— Messrs. J. McNeil, G. A. Bruce and. H. Hatch. South Ward— Messrs. D. Kennedy, T. HoUiday and T. tigable .ritable : of the bitants to pay eir dif- Messrs. gusson, ' 27th, a ny, and rere ap- .ibscrip- ; sum of by Mr. or $16,- Iding 80 to make metres, /orks up Andrew's Macdon- ; House, street to •ganized, n of the the first Massie, :g. Mr. id it was was not /ay was jccasion Reeve Imicipal- Idescrip- |a pubbc a state- lilling to |ch, pro- terms." Jtham, J. Imber of . winter. Isual de- elected srs. Jas. tl. The |)otham. [cCrae, [. Bruce and T. THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 149 Heffernan. North Ward— Messrs. A. Robertson, R. Mitchell and Chas, Walker. The members of the County Council for this year were : — Amaranth, C. Gillespie ; Arthur, Robt. Gordon, Anthony IJushlen ; Elora, J. M. Fraser ; Eramosa, John Rea, Alex. McQueen ; Erin, D. McMillan, Chas. McMillan; Fergus, G. T. Orton, M.D. ; Garafraxa East, W. H. Hunter, Thos. Hamilton; Garafraxa West, John Dobbin, Stephen Piper; Guelph T'p, Jas. Laidlaw, Geo. Darby ; Guelph Town, Jas. Massie, N. Higin- botham, Geo. Howard; Luther, P. Hanson; Maryboro, j. D.Johnson, W. H. Lowes ; Minto, John Connell, John Prain ; Mount Forest, John Robinson ; Nichol, John Mair, John Broadfoot ; Orangeville, M. Mc- Carthy ; Peel, W. S. Sutherland, Thos. McManus, Thos. Rose ; Pilking- ton, Hugh Roberts, Donald Wallace ; Puslinch, Wm. Leslie, Wm, Nichol. Mr. Mair was elected Warden. Mr. A, D. Ferrier, M.P.P., Clerk of the Council, who had filled the office for twenty-two years, now resigned that position, when an address accompanied with a handsome piece of plate, was presented to him by the Council. Mr. John Beattie, of Fergus, was then appointed clerk. For some years attempts had been made to induce the Directors of the Provincial Exhibition to hold it in Guelph, but without success, and now it was proposed to establish a Central Exhibition, for which it would be necessary to purchase a piece of land, and a committee of the County Council was appointed to consider the matter. They now recommended the purchase of a portion of the Catholic glebe, containing 35 acres, at a cost not to exceed $5,000, on easy terms, which they specified. The report was adopted and the Warden and County Solicitor instructed to carry out the provisions named. The Ontario Legislature, having existed four years, was dissolved in February, and in March the general election took place. In the South Riding of Wellington Mr. P. Gow was returned without opposition. In the North Riding Mr. McKim was re-elected, defeating Mr. John Cross. In the Centre Riding Mr. A. D. Ferrier, the late member, did not run, and the contest was between Mr. Alexander McLareii and Mr. Charles Clarke, the latter being elected. The general result of the election was that the Conservative party had a majority in the House of 44 to 37. On Tuesday, May 23rd, the event so long hoped for by the congrega- tion of St. George's Church, the laying of the corner stone of the new church, took place. A special and largely attended service was held m the old church, after which the children of the Sunday- School, followed by the members of the congregation, the building committee and the clergy present, including Revs. Messrs. Geddes, Hamilton ; Boomer, Gait; Cooper, Fergus, and others, formed a proces- sion and proceeded to the site of the new building. After the stone had been prepared, Mr. George Elliott deposited in the cavity a sealed can- nister, containing a statement of the history of the church, the names of the building committee — Archdeacon Palmer, Messrs. Wm. Reynolds, T. W. Saunders, George Elliott and Judge Macdonald. The cost of this building, as stated, was to be $29,998.60. The following papers were also deposited in the canister: Guelph Herald, Advertiser, Mercury, Toronto Qhbe, Leader, Church Herald and Canadian Almanac. The stone was then laid with the usual ceremonies by Rev. Archdeacon Pal- mer. The efforts of a number of the leading agriculturists of the county together with several of the prominent citizens of Guelph, to establish a 160 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. Central Exhibition, having been sacccssful, and liberal grants having been made by the Town and County, the necessary preparations were completed, and tne show fixed to be held on October loth, nth and 12th, The amount offered in prizes was $8000, a larger amount, by several thousand dollars, than was ever offered at any similar exhibition in Ca- nada. As the preparations advanced, it was found that the buildings provided would be insufficient to accommodate all the cattle and goods entered for competition, and a number of additional buildings were erected. There were nearly 7000 entries from all parts of the Province, and in all respects the show was beyond the most sanguine expectations. On the first day the attendance was good, and on the second day the number of persons on the ground was about 15,000, the number being still larger on the third day. During the third day, Mr. James Ander- son, of Puslinch, President of the Central Exhibition, delivered a practi- cal and eloquent address, on the advantages to be derived from such exhibitions, and the mutual benefits to be realized by farmers and manu- facturers in thus meeting in friendly competition. Speeches were also delivered Ly Mr. D. Stirton, M.P., Mr. John Mair, Warden of the County and Mr. R. Mitchell, Mayor of Guelph. During the Exhibition week the Guelph Herald was issued daily. In December the Herald, which had been conducted since the death of Mr. Pirie, under the management of his widow, passed into the hands of Chadwick & Co., who, in their salutatory, announced their in- tention of issuing the paper daily, and of making such improvements as would render it in every respect equal to any daily paper published west of Toronto, a promise which they persistently endeavored to fulfill, with great success. The only feature in the paper, indeed, which did not undergo a change, was in its unswerving support of the principles of the Conservative party, and in the consistent advocacy whicli it had always given of measures having for their aim the advancement of the people's rights and general good, and at the same time condemning with all the energy of integrity and partiotism, everything inimical to the popular weal. On Sunday, December 17th, the new edifice known as Chalmers' church was opened for public worship, the sermons being preached by Rev. John Thompson, of Sarnia, and Rev. Dr. Waters, of St. Marys. On the defeat of the Sandfield Macdonald ministry in December, and the advent to power of the Reform party under the leadership of Mr. Edward Blake, Mr. P. Gow, member for South Wellington, was ap- pointed 1 .-ovincial Secretary. At the election on January 4th, 1872, Mr. Gow was re-elected without opposition. There was no contest for the Mayoralty in 1872, Mr. Richard Mitchell being re-elected by acclamation. Mr. James Massie was elected Reeve, and Messrs. G. Howard and G. A. Bruce, Deputy Reeves. The members of the Council were : — East Ward — Messrs. Wm. Allan, J. P. MacMillan and J. Stewart. West Ward— Messrs. R. W. Bell, J. McNeil and J. Crowe. South Ward — Messrs. D. Kennedy, M. Snider and W. Stevenson. North Ward--Messrs. Robert Mitchell, A. Robertson and John Hogg. The members of the County Council for the year were : — Amaranth, Mr. W. B. Jelly. Arthur Village, Mr. A. Buschlen. Arthur Township, Mr. R. Stevenson, Mr. T. Flahiff. Elora, Mr. H. Hamilton. Erin, Mr. D. McMillan, Mr. E. Johnson. Eramosa, Mr. J. Rea, Mr. J. McKerlie. Fergus, Dr. G, T. Orton. Garafraxa East, Mr. R. Henderson, Mr. T. 1 having )ns were ind 1 2th. ' several n in Ca- buildings nd goods ngs were Province, Bctations. day the ler being s Ander- [ a practi- rom such nd manu- were also he County tion week since the d into the I their in- ements as ished west ulfiU, with did not es of the id always people's th all the le popular Chalmers' cached by Vlarys. )ecember, dership of , was ap- 1872, Mr. THE ANX.M.S OF THE TOWN OF OUELPTI. l&l n Richard ras elected ves. The llan, J. P. [j, McNeil Ir and W. Irtson and amaranth, 'ownship, I Erin, Mr. JMcKerlie. In, Mr. T. Hamilton. Garafraxa West, Mr, W. Gibson, Mr. S. Piper. Guelph Town, Mr. J. Massie, Mr. (i. Howard, Mr. G. A. Priicc. Guelph Town- ship, Mr. J. Laidlaw, Mr. K. Darby. Luther, Mr. \V. Dawson, Mr. P. Hanson. Maryborough, Mr. H. Maudsley, Mr. J. Ogden. Minto, Mr. J. O'Connell, Mr. J. Prain. Mount Forest, Mr. J. Robinson. Nichol, Mr. J. ilair, Mr. J. iiroadfoot. Orangcville, Mr. M. McCarthy. Peel, Mr. W. S. Sutherland, Mr. J. McManus, Mr. J. McCiowan. Pilkington, Mr. H. Roberts, Mr. J. L. Brohmann. I'uslinch, Mr. W. Leslie, Mr. W. Nicol. During the year two vacancies occurred in the Town Council, one by the death of Mr. .Stewart, in whose place Mr. D, Coffee was elected, and the otlier by the retirement of Mr. McNeil, who was succeeded by Mr. George Elliott. In .\pril a (ire occurred in Messrs. Arms & Worswick's tool works on Sutfolk street, by which the premises were entirely destroyed, and about forty men tlirown out of employment. Mr. CJeorge A. Bruce's car- riage factory, adjoining, was ba\ed by the untiring energy of the firemen. At tlic Spring Assizes, Levi Gillies, ronvicted of an attempt to con\- mit rape, was sentenced to two years imprisonment, and receive thirty lashes on entering prison, thirty more at the expiration of a year, and thirty more a fortnight before the expiration of his term. Theophilus Coates, convicted of a similar offence, was sentenced to six months im- prisonment and forty lashes. This was the first time the punishment of the lasli was inflicted in this county. John Wilson, convicted of rape was sentenced to be hanged on the 20th of June. The sentence was com- muted to penal servitude for life. The corner stone of the new Baptist Church on Woolwich street, was laid on Monday, May 7th, by Rev. Dr. Davidson. Among the minister^ present were Rev. Mr. Mackie, pastor of the church ; Kev, Dr. Fyfe, Rev. i\Iessrs. Mont»omerv, Beamsville ; Gcrrie, lilora ; Griffith, .St. ^ ieorge {•"or (riant, Hillsburg, and Dr. Hurd, Ijrantford. some months an effort had been made to introduce the system of nine liours labor, and in May a mass meeting was held, about 2,000 per- sons beincr present, to consider the c|uestion, when a resolution was passed in favor of the movement, and in many instances it was afterwards adopted. An application ha\'ingbeen made to the Town Council to grant the use of the main portion of the l'Ahil)ition building to the Sisters ot Si. Joseph's Hospital for a jiicni'- on June 2.).tli, a majority of the Council decided to refuse it, and in a few c\a\ s a monster mass meeting was held, at which the action of the Council was strongly condetiiaed, and a reso- lution passed asking them to r{:St:ind their lesoliitinn, which was done at a special meeting called to consider the mattci'. At the general election for the House of Commons, in August, 1872, Lt.-Col. Higinbotham ^vas elected for the Nortii Riding of Wellington, by a majority of 60 over Mr. (i. A. Drew. In the Centre Riding Mr. James Ross was elected by a majority of 46 over Dr. Orton, and in the South Riding Mr. Stirton was re-elected by acclamation. The Central Exhibitioii, held October Jst, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, was a magnificent success, the entries being much more numerous, and the at- tendance much larger than in the previous year, it had been expected that Lord Dufferin would pay the town a visit during the week, but in that the people were disappointed. On the 3id, however, Lt.-G,overnor How- land arrived in town, and was received in a most etithusjjjstjc manner, 168 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN" OF GUELPH. addresses being presented by the Mayor and Corporation, by the Warden of Wellington, and by the Directors of the Central Exhibition. In the afternoon a lunch was given in the Town Hall, when addresses were de- livered by the Lieut.-Governor, the Mayor and others. It being considered by many that the hospital accommodation inthe town was insufficient, a number of prominent gentlemen took the matter in hand and a public meeting was called in November to coi.rHer the question. The chair was taken by Mr. James Massie, and addresses were delivered by Nfr. Stirton, M. P., Revs. Messrs. Ball and Hogg, Drs. Herod, Keating, Clarke, Brock and McGuire, and Messrs. John Hors- man, John Harris, J. M. Bond, C. Raymond, F. W. Stone, John Hogg, A. Lemon, and others, after which preliminary arrangements were made for collecting subscriptions, and for making enquiries as to suitable sites, cost of buildings, &c. The movement was vigorously pushed forward, the result being that the present handsome and commodious building was erected, and a General Hospital established, second lo none in any town of the size of Guelph in the Province. The municipal elections in January 1873, were unusually animated, so for as the wards were concerned. For the Mayoralty, Mr. Adam Rob- ertson was returned with scarcely any opposition. For Reeve there were three candidates. .Messrs. Massie, Cioldie and Hatch, the first named being elected. I'or Deputy Reeves the candidates were Messrs. George Howard, F. J. Chadwick, D. Kennedy and J. P. Macmillan. Messrs. Howard and Chadwick were elected. F'or Councillors, in the North Ward there were six candidates, Messrs. John Hogg, Richard Mitchell and Robert Mitchell being elected. In the South Ward there were seven candidates, the successful ones being Messrs. T, A. Heffernan, D. Kennedy and T. Holliday. In the East Ward their were six candidates, and Messrs. J. Horsman, D. Coftee and Robt. Bell were elected. In the West Ward there were six candidates, those elected being Messrs. Geo. Elliott, 1. C. Mc Lagan and John Crowe. During the year Mr. Rell re- signed his seat in the East Ward and Mr. C. Davidson defeated Mr. D. McCrae for the vacant position. The legal business of the County having become too large for the County Judge to attend to, Mr. Austin Cooper Chadwick, barrister, was appointed to the position of Junior Judge, the appointment being announced in the Gasette of January i8th. The members of the County Council for the year were : — W. B. Jelly, Robert Stevenson, Alexander Fraser, Hugh Hamilton, John Rea, Duncan McMillan, Henry Michie, William Gibson, Robert Henderson, James Laidlaw, James Massie, William Dawson, John Prain, Robert Kilgour, John Mair, Maitland McCarthy, Hugh Roberts, Wm. Leslie, James Golden, Thomas Flahiff, William Duffield, John Berry, John Mitchell, Thomas Hamilton, Geo. Darby, F. J. Chadwick, G. Howard, Peter Hanson, T. B. Patterson, John H. Broadfoot, Jacob L. Brohman, William Nicol. Mr. John Mair was elected Warden. The new St. George's Church was opened for Divine worship on April 20th, by the Bishop of Toronto. Among the clergymen who took part in the service were. Revs. J. G. Geddes, Hamilton, F. A. Bethune, Trinity College, Port Hope, and F. Alexander, Curate of the parish. A by-law for raising $30,000 for the use of the Board of School Trustees, principally for the building of the new Central School, was submitted m September, and carried by a fair majority. The Central Exhibition in 1873 was even more successful than that THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 16S arden In the !re de- i in the matter er the iresses g, Drs. Hors- ogg, A. laUe for le sites, orward, Hiilding ; in any lated, so m Kob- ere were ; named , George Messrs. e North Mitchell re were man, D. ididates, In the rs. Geo. Bell re- Mr. D. t for the ter, was being B, Jelly, n Rea, derson, , Robert . Leshe, , John oward, ohman, rship on dio took Jethune, bh. School \o\, was lan that in the previous year. The number of entries was 5550, and the amount of prize money was about $8500. The attendance was very large and the exhibit, especially in the stock departments, exceedingly hue. A sad accident occurred to Col. Saunders on the morning of October 6th, resulting in his death a few days afterwards. He was driving into town in his own conveyance and while coming down Paisley street a run- away team, attached to a heavy vehicle, dashed into his buggy, smashing it to pieces, and throwing Col. Saunders violently to the ground, by which he sustained a severe shaking, and while in an unconscious state he was kicked on the head by one of the horses. Col. Saunders was 78 years of age, and had been Clerk of the Peace of the County since its foundation. He was also lor some years Inspector of Inland Revenue, and occupied several other places of trust in the County under the Government. The dispute which had been pending between the Government and Mr. F. W. Stone, relating to the purchase of Moreton Lodge, and the farm on which it stood, havinjj been at last satisfactorily settled, Mr. Stone offered most of his fine cattle for sale in October. There is no doubt that this was the largest sale of stock ever held in this country, and for quality, perhaps no finer collection was ever offered on this continent. The Government shortly afterwards took possession of the property, and converted it into a Model Farm and School of Agriculture, selling the land at Mimico, which had been intended for a similar purpose. The municipal officers for 1874 were : — Mayor — Mr. J. Harris. Reeve — Mr. Geo. Howard. Deputy Reeves — Messrs. C. Raymond and Geo. Hood. ^Councillors — East Ward, Messrs. C. Davidson, D. Coffee and D. McCrae. West Ward — Messrs. Geo. Elliott, Jno. Crowe and Geo. Bruce. North Ward — Messrs. A. Robertson, E. Harvey and W. H. Mills. South Ward— Messrs. A. B. Petrie, T. Heffernan and J. W. Hall. The members of the County Council for this year were : Amaranth— Wm. B. Jelly, Jas. Golden. Arthur Township — R. Stevenson, M. C. O'Donnell. /Arthur Village— J. F. Hollinger. Elora— R. Dalby. Era- mosa— J. Rea, W. Duffield. Erin— D. McMillan, W. Teeter. Fergus — M. Anderson. Garafraxa W. — W. Gibson, John Mitchell. Garairaxa E.— R. Henderson, Thos. Hamilton. Guelph Township — J. Laidlaw, G. A. Darby. Guelph Town — G. Howard, C. Raymond, G. Hood. Harris- ton — J. Meiklejohn. Luther- -W. Dawson, P. Hanson. Maryborough- Jas. Robb. Minto — John Prain, M. G. Miller. Mount Forest — J. Ro- binson. Nichol — John Mair, J. H. Broadfoot. Orangeville — F. C. Stewart. Peel — Jas. Cross, J. McManus, J. McGowan. Pilkington — H. Roberts, Geo. Swr.i . Puslinch — W. Leslie, W. Nichol. Mr. James Laidlaw was electt ' Warden. In the general election for the House of Commons, in January 1874, Mr. Stirton was re-elected for South Wellington, defeating Mr. Henry Hatch. In the Centre Riding Dr. Orton defeated Mr. R. McKim by 49 votes, and in the North Riding Lt.-CoL Higinbotham was elected over Mr. Geo. A. Drew by 6 votes. When it became apparent that a contest was pending, Mr. McKim resigned his seat for North Wellington in the Ontario Legislature, to become a candidate for the Commons in Centre Wellington, and in the election which ensued for the Local House, Mr. John McGowan defeated Mr. E. J. O'Callaghan, the Reform candidate, by a majority of 82. In Aptil considerable excitement was caused in the town by the 154 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. n escape from the gaol of Samuel McLean, a mail clerk on tt>e G. W. R., committed for trial for stealing money letters. The circumstances were of so suspicious a nature thnt an investigation was held by the Ciovern- ment Inspector, which clearly showed that some iriends had for some time been hoping for his escape, but nothing defmite could be proved with regard to any outside complicity. At the ensuing Assizes, however, llillen, the turnkey, was tried for aiding in the escape, but was found " not guilty." At the same Assizes, John Dunn, til/'a.'! Sullivan, was charged with having committed a most heinous crime, by assaulting a little girl, about six years of age, and the case being fully proved, he was sentenced to be hanged, but the sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life. Dur- ing the month of April the town was shocked by the intelligence of two cases of suicide, one being that of Richard Howitt, who shot himself with his own gun, near his father's house, and the other that of Maurice Armour, who shot himself near the Exhibition grounds. In July the foundation stone of the new Methodist Church on Dub- lin street was laid by Mr. James Hough. Among the ministers present were Revs. J. B. Howard and J. E. Lanceley, pastors of the church ; W. H. Poole, Toronto, and T. Wardrope, Guelph, The trustees were Messrs. Jno. B. Kelly, W.T.Chipchasc, \V. B. Clarke, J. H.Osborne, M. A. Keables, J. A. Davidson, R. S. King, John Jackson, jr., Hugh Hurley, Ci. O, Mad- dock, John McConnell, Alfred Smith, Wm. Wheatley, J. H. Bishop and W. H. Husband. In August the town was shocked by a lamentable tragedy. For some time a girl named Eliza Hazel had been leading a life of crime, and to retain her she had been placed in the gaol, but on her release she re- turned to her former companions. Her father happening to meet a young man and woman named Daniel Hurley and Mary Carver, and thinking them to be his daughter and a young man with whom she was intimate, fned at them, wounding Hurley in the head and Miss Carver in the cheek and neck. Hazel was tried at the Assizes, found guilty of shoot- ing Avith intent to do grevious bodily harm, and sentenced to twelve months imprisonment. In the course of his tour of the Province, His Excellency, the Gov- ernor General, visited Guelph in August, when lo_\al addresses were presented by Mayor Harris and by Mr. J. B. Armstrong, on behalf of the Directors of the Central Exhibition. In November the petition against the return of Dr. Orton for Centre Wellington was tried in Guelph, and resulted in the seat being declared vacant in consequence of corrupt practices by supporters, but the peti- tioners failed to prove that Dr. Orton had any personal knowledge of such practices, and they therefore failed in their attempt to discjualify liim. At the election which took place in January, 1875, ^'*- Orton was again returned, defeating Mr. James Ross by 126 votes. The election of a member of the Local House for West Wellington also took place in January, Mr. J. McGowan being returned by a majority of 98 over Mr. McKim. The members of the Town Council for 1S75 were : Mayor, Mr. R. Melvin ; Reeve, Mr. Geo. Howard ; Deputy Reeves. Messrs. Chas. Ray- mond and D. McCrae. Councillors, East Ward, Messrs, Thos. Sayers, C. Davidson and D. Cotfee. North Ward, Messrs W. H. Mills, C. Chase and A. Robertson. South Ward, Messrs. A. B. Petrie, T. A. Heffernan W. R., :s were ""lovern- r some proved owcver, s found cd with 1, about xl to be ;. Dur- i of two himself Maurice on Dub- present rch ; W. : Messrs. Keables, O. Mad- ihop and idy. Tor •ime, and she re- a young h inking ntimate, r in the f shoot- ;o twchc lie Gov- ses were aehalf of Centre declared the peti- /ledge of isciualify rton was ection of place in Dver Mr. Mr. R. |as. Ray- Sayers, I. Chase leffernan THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 165 and J. P. MacMillan. West Ward, Messrs. John Crowe, (icorge Bruce and George Murton, Sr. The County Coimcil consisted of the following members : Amaranth, W. B. Jelly, James Golden. Arthur Township, Arthur Stevenson, M. C. O'Donncll. Arthur Village, J. F. Ilollingcr. Clifford, A. S. Allan. Drajton, W. I".. Wortley. Klora, k. Dalby. Eramosa, John Rea, M, Cunimings. Erin, D.* McMillan, W. Teeter. Fergus, M. Anderson, (iarafraxa West, W. Gibson, John Mitchell. Garafraxa East, R. Hen- derson, Thos: Hamilton. ( Juelph Township, J as. Laidlaw, Creo. Darby. Guelph Town, Geo. Howard, C. Raymond, l). McCrae. Harriston, A. Meiklejohn. Luther, W. Dawson. Maryboro", J as. Robb, John Ogden. Minto, John Prain, M. G. Millar. Mount Forest, J. Robinson. NicoJ, John Mair, J. H. Hroadfoot. Orangcville, F. C. Stewart. Peel, James Cross, W. Harcourt. Pilkington, Hugh Roberts, Geo. Swan. Puslisch, W. Leslie, W. Nicol. Palmerston, W. Thomson. Mr. Jas. Laidlaw was re-elected Warden. Licut.-Col. Higinbotham having been unseated on account of bribery by agents, another election took place in March, when he was re-elected, defeating Mr. G. A. Drew by three votes only. On ihe night of Saturday, April loth, a large fire occurred at the sew- ing machine factory of Mr. C. Raymond, the loss being about $20,000, arid the insurance $i6,ochd. Mr. Raymond at once commenced to re- build, and in a few months the present factory, one of the finest in the Dominion, was erected. The assessment returns for the town, completed in April, showed the following figures : Population, 8,578 ; real property, $1,920,360; personal property and taxable income, $384,400. Total, $2,304,760. In June the trial of the petition for the unseating of Mr. John Mc- Gowan, M. P. P. for West Wellington took place, and resulted in Mr. McGowan being unseated, on account of a case of treating by an agent, but Mr. McGowan was altogether exonerated from the personal charges of corrupt practices preferred. I n August a charge of attempted murder was preferred against a young man named Wm. Marks. The accused, with Richard Yates and some others, had been out shooting, and on their way home had indulged lather freely in drink, and a dispute arose, some time after which, quite unexpectedly by any of the others, Marks fired his gun, shooting Yates. From the evidence given at the trial there was some doubt as to the shooting being intentional, and the sentence therefore was light — nine months imprisonment. During the same month Henry White, a colored man murdered his wife in Peel, by striking her on the head with a large piece of wood, and then throwing her into a well. He was sentenced to be hanged, and the execution took place Dec. 23rd. The election to fill the vacancy caused by the unseating of Mr. Mc- Gowan, for West Wellington took place in September. The candidates were Mr. John McGowan, nominated by Mr, Thos. Swan, of Mount Forest, and seconded by Mr. Thos. McMr..nus, of Peel ; and Mr. Thos. Garbutt, proposed by Mr. R. Stevenson, of Arthur, and seconded by Mr. T. Harcourt, of Peel. The result was that Mr. McGowan was re-elected by a vote of 1,238, against 1,210 for Mr. Garbutt. In October, His Honor Lt.-Governor Macdonald visited Guelph, when addresses were presented to him by the Mayor, the Warden and Mr. J. P. MacMillan, on behalf of Sister Alphonsus, of St. Joseph's Hos- pital During the day His Honor visited the Model Farm, St. Joseph's 166 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. Hospital, the factory of Messrs. W. & R. Bell, the Osborn Sewing Machine factory, and several other places of interest, after which a lunch was given at the Royal Hotel, at which most of the principal residents of Guelph were present. During the same month the new Baptist church, of which Rev. Dr. Davidson is pastor, was opened, the sermons being preached by Rev. Dr. Fyfe and Rev. Wm. Stewart, of Hamilton. The Baptist missionary convention was held in the church at the same time. On Wednesday, November J 7th, Rev. Alexander Dixon, B.A., Canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Diotese of Niagara, was inducted into the Rectory of St. George's Church, by Venerable Archdeacon McMurray, assisted by Rev. Rural Dean Thompson, of El ;. .1. The new Town Hall was formally opened L ficember loth, by a con- cert, ball and supper, given by the St. Andrew's Society. The concert was, perhaps, the most largely attended ever given in Guelph, the well known Kennedy family supplying the entertainment. The ball and sup- per were equally successful, and reflected great credit on the society. The material progress of Guelph during the year was greater than in any previous year, the total value of the buildings erected, according to the list published in the Hera[,d, being little short of a quarter of a million dollars. This list included the new Town Hall and the new Central School, each of which stands unrivalled, for their respective uses, in the Province. The members of the Town Council for 1876 were : — Mayor — Mr. R. Melvin. Reeve — Mr. Geo. Howard, ist Deputy — Mr. D. McCrae. 2nd Deputy — Mr. D. Kennedy. 3rd Deputy— Mr. Geo. Hood. Coun- cillors : — East Ward — Messrs. T. Sayers, J. B. Armstrong and D. Kribs. North Ward— Messrs. W. H. Mills, C. Chase and Dr. Herod. South Ward — Messrs. A. B. Petrie, Geo. Sleeman and J. P. MacMillan. West Ward — Messrs. W. Hart, Geo. Bruce and J. C. McLagan. The County Council was composed of the following members : — Amaranth — John Gillespie, Joseph Banks. Arthur T'p. — R. Stevenson, M. C. O'Donnell. Arthur Vil. -Alex. Eraser. CUfford— Jas. Brown. Drayton — Henry Deebel. Elora — Robt. Dalby. Eramosa — Jno. Rea, M. Cummins. Erin— D. McMillan, J. W. Burt. Fergus —M. Anderson, Garafraxa W. — W. Gibson, J. J. Dobbin, (jarafraxa E, — W. H. Hunter, T. Hamilton. Guelph T'p.~ Geo. Darby, M. Sweetnam, ( iuel^a Town — Geo. Howard, D. Kennedy, Geo. Hood. Harriston — J. Meiklejohn. Luther — Wm. Dawson, Jas. McLuhan. Marjboro — Jas. Robb, Jno. Ogden. Minto— John Prain, M. G. Millar. Mount Forest— R. Kilgour. Nicol — Jno, Mair, J, H, Broadfoot. Orangeville — F. C, Stewart, Jas. Allen. Peel — Jas. Cross, F. McManus, Thos. Whale. Palmerston — Jas. McEwing. Pilkington — Hugh Roberts. Puslinch — Wm. Leslie, Wm. Nicol. Mr. John Rea was elected Warden. The Government having decided to erect new buildings in Guelph for the Post Office, Inland Revenue Department, &c., considerable dis- cussion ensued in the town in the month of March as to the best site to be selected, some recommending that the buildings should be placed on a portion of the Market Square, others that they should be erected at the corner of Woolwich and Wyndham Streets, while the majority favored the site of the old Wellington Hotel, on St. George's Square. This was finally recommended to the Government, and to cover the additional cost, a subscription having been taken up, it was ultimately decided upon, and the work was soon afterwards commenced. The amount voted by sewing I lunch ents of ev. Dr. ly Rev. sionary , Canon nto the vlurray, ^ a con- concert ;he well nd sup- ety. :er than xording ter of a the new spective -Mr. R. McCrae. I Coun- Kribs. South West ibers : — venson, Brown. 10. Rea, iderson. Hunter, Town — klejohn. b, Jno. ivilgour. rt, Jas. rston — Leslie, JGuelph )le dis- site to Lced on h at the favored lis was llitional IcI upon, Ited by THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUKLIMI. 167 the Government for the entire cost of the buildings, including the pur- chase of the site, was $25,000, but the total cost will probably exceed $30,000. During the summer the erection of the new Masonic block, and the new Wellington Hotel was commenced, the result being that Guelph now possesses one of the finest blocks of stone buildings in the Dominion. The Masonic Hall is a magnificent structure, of which the Order gen- erally may be justly proud, while the hotel is superior in all itsin, was first chosen as the Protectionist candidate, but he soon afterwards with- drew, and at the last moment Mr. Jas. Goldie was induced to run. The result was that Mr. Guthrie was elected by a vote of 1366 to 1228, though there can be no doubt that had Mr. Goldie been in the field sooner he would have been elected by a handsome majority. The ceremony of planting the cross and turning the first sod of the foundation of the new Roman Catholic Church, took place July loth. His Lordship Bishop Crinnon, of Hamilton, officiating, accompanied by about twenty-five priests of the diocese. Rev. Father Dowling delivered an eloquent and impressive address, exhorting those present to do all in their power for the completion of the work commenced under such favor- able circumstances. The Mayor having declared August 9th, a civic holiday, and this beir.gthe day appointed for a monster Conservative picnic, at Kinnettles, a great many of the citizens availed themselves of the opportunity to go to Fergus to hear an address from Sir John A. Macdonald. On his way to Fergus the Right Hon. gentleman visited Guelph, when an address was presented to him by the Liberal Conservative Association of the town, to which he made a suitable reply in the Town Hall. 158 THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF CUELPII. On August 19th another of the few remaining early settlers was re- moved by the death of Sheriff Grange. Mr. Grange came to Guelph in the year 1834, and after having been in active business for some years, was, in 1840, appointed sheriff, which oUice he filled till the time of his death. In 1852 he became heir to a large fortune, bequeathed to him by a relative in Ireland, and he afterwards entered largely into real estate transactions, in Guelph, Toronto, Berlin and Stratford. Since his arrival in the town he had always taken a deep interest in all public matters, and no man, perhaps, did more to advance the interests of the town and county than he did. The funeral was one of the most numerously at- tended ever witnessed in Guelph, gentlemen from all parts of the Province being present on the occasion. In September, Mr. Peter Gow, M.P.P., resigned his seat for South Wellington, in the Ontario Legislature, and accepted the Shrievalty of Wellington, vacant by the death of Sheriff Cirange. At the election which followed, Mr. James Maisie was elected by acclamation. l^y the hst published in the HeraU) in November, it appears that the total value of the buildings erected in the Town in 1876, was $288,000, a rate of progress not equalled by any town in the Dominion, in propor- tion to its size. The contest for the Mayoralty in 1877 was very keen. The candi- dates were Mr. 1". J. Cliadwick and Mr. Geo. Howard, and from the fiict that the friends of Mr. llovvard had been able to place him in the posi- tion of Reeve at the previous election, and that they were thoroughly organized and determined to carry their man, they felt sure of victory. The event, however, was a complete disappointment for them, Mr. Chad- wick being returned by a majority of 219, the largest ever given to a May- or in this tcvvn. Mr. Geo. Hood was elected Reeve, and Messrs. W. Hart, Geo. Sleeman and J. }'. ^lacMillan, Deputy Reeves. The mem- bers of the Council are:— East Ward — Messrs. D. Coffee, Joseph Hcffer- nan and A. Dunbar. South Ward — Messrs. V. Gauhan, J. Lamprey and J. T. Cunningham. West Ward IMessrs. George P^lliott, J. C. McLagan and T. Gowdy. North Ward- Messrs. F. Riscoe, \V. Hearn and W. H. Mills. The County Council consist of the following gentlemen : Guelph Town, George Hood, Wm. Hart, George Sleeman, J. P. MacMillan. (juelph Township, G. A. Darby, M. Sweetnam. Pllora, H. Hamilton. Orangeville, John Foley, James Allan, Mount Forest, J. McMuUen. Fergus, M. Anderson. Arthur A'illage, Alexander Frazer. Clifford, G. Macdonald. Harrison, A. Meiklejolm. Palmerston, VV. Thomson. Erin, J. W. Hurt, Chas. McMillan. Eramosa, John Kea, (ieo. Duffield. Minio, J. T. Prain, M. Bateman. Peel, J. IMoUoy, J. Harcourt, T. Whale. West Ciarafraxa, W. Gibson, J. J. Dobbin, liixst (iarafraxa, W. 11. Hunter, A. Baker. Puslinch, W. Leslie, Wm. Nicol. A.thur Township, R. Stevenson. Drayton, J. Landerkin. Luther, James McLirtian, W. Lux- ton. Maryboro', H. AJaudsley, Wm. Long. Amaranth, J. Gillespie. J. Banks. Pilkington, Hugh Roberts. Nicol, John Main J. Broadfoot. Mr. John Rea was re-elected Warden. On January 26th. most of the members of the Legislature of On- tario visited Guelph, for the purpose of seeing the town and inspecting the Model Farm. On their arrival Mh .Speaker Wells was presentctl with addresses by His Worship j\Iayor Chadwick, Mr. John Rea, \Var- den of the Count), the Board of School Trustees, ccc, alter which the visitors drove to he Model Farm and round the town. A fitting enter- was re- jelph in e years, e of his him by xl estate s arrival matters, wn and )usly at- ^rovince 3r South ;valty of election ; that the S8,ooo, a 1 propor- le candi- the fact the posi- loroughly victory. •. Chad- a May- ssrs. W. mem- 1 Hcffer- rey and c Lagan IW. H. Giielph Millan. milton. Mullen. ford, G. . Erin, Minlo, . West lunter, lip, R. J. Lux- pie, J. adfoot. lof On- jecting [senteil I, War- |ch the I enter- THE ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF GUELPH. 169 tainment was provided for them in the Town Hall, where speeches were delivered by the Speaker, some of the leading members of the House, the Mayor, the Warden and some of the prominent citizens of the town and county. The members of the Presbyterian Churches, and the citizens gener-, ally, were, on March 3rd, called upon to mourn the removal, by death, of Rev. Dr. Hogg, pastor of St. Andrew's Church. For eighteen years the rev. gentleman had been identified with the religious and educational interests of the town, and had, by his undeviating devotion to the welfare of the church and the town generally, won for himself the warmest re- gards of every person with whom he had been brought in contact. His funeral was largely attended, many persons being present from Hamilton, Gait and other places where he had 1)een well known and highly es- teemed. The 23rd of April of this year being the 50th anniversary of the cut- ting of the first tree on the site of the town, steps were taken by the St. George's Society to secure a fitting celebration of the day. At a meeting of the Society on January 25th, a committee was appointed, with Mr. C. Acton Burrows as chairman, to make the necessary arrangements. The society will hold a dinner in the Town Hall on the evening of the day, which will no doubt be largely attended. In the inaugural address delivered by His Worship Mayor Chadwick, on 'aking his seat in the civic chair, he recommended that the anniversary be celebrated in a manner befitting its importance, and that a special committee be ap- pointed to carry out the arrangements. This proposition being favorably entertained by the Council, a special committe was appointed, with Mr. George Elliott *as chairman. At a special meeting of the Council on April 1 2th, a grant was made towards the expenses of the celebration and as the St. George's, St. Patrick's, St. Andrew's and the Caledonian .Society have promised to co-operate with thi- Council, there is no doubt such arrangements will be made for the due c.:;lebration of the day, that it will be long remembered, and when, perchance, some person may write "The Annals of the Town of Guelph," not in the year of jubilee, but in the centennial year, the occasion may be referred to as one of the most pleasing in the entire history. GUELPH ADVERTISEMENTS. 161 o-TJELi^ia: Sheet Metal Works Alma Block, 99 Wyndham Street, MARTIN & CAMEBON MANUFACTURERS OF o c o O c o o N 0) 0. < o o o N < O OS o o Q Q O r.?3 ^ittiiiiiitii^'v R t^ P^ ^ CO •n* tr-" tE* *j H-a J5 t=^ Stp ^ CP &CJ S t»- X^ &sl '^ tr-« 2 5* &CJ ^M^7 p*- CIZ3 "f' »^=j tpd &CJ CO stoves, Tin and Copper Ware, Force and Cistern Pumps, iron Sinks, Lamps, Coal Oil, &c. GI-I"V-E TJS .A. OA^Lri. 162 r.UELPH ADVERTISEMENTS. WATCH, CLOCK AND JEWELLERY ESTABLISHMENT, CUELPH. (FOUNbKI) IN 1848.) This is the phicc lo get :i i^ood, reU.ible (iULl) OR SllAER WA'ICII, a Clock, or anything in the Jewellery or Electro- I'late line. Plain Gold Rings, Hair Rings, Gents' Signet Rings, Gold Mounted Hair Guards, Cuff Buttons, &c., MKulo lo nnli-T liv ;i lir-.t-(l:is-; working Jewi-llcr. Wat<'lH's, (|. Tnmes Micliif, l'.-;q. !•'. \V. Cuinbtrkuid Km|. T. Siithtrhiiid Stay.!.-', li^l- \\'illiam Eliiot. I'-i). George Titylor. Esq. John J. Aniton, Ksq. W. N. ANDERSON, (ienei-.i! Manager. • J. H. PEUM.MER. Iii^pea-r. New Vokic— J. ("•. Harper and J. H. Ciadby, Agent.:. Chic.\(10- \. (r. On;liard, Agent. , BRfANCHES. liarrie, P.rantfi)rd, Cayuga, t,'liathani, Collingwood, Dundas, Gait, ODderic)), Giuliih, Ifamil- ton, Eondim, I.\icaii, Munireal, Orangeville. ()ttawa,- Paisley, I'etevboro', .St. Catharines, Sar- nia, Simcoe, Stratford, Strathroy, Thorold, Toronto, Trenton, Walkerton, Windsor, Woodstock. Commercial credilb issned for use in Europe, the F'.ast and West Indies, China, Japan and South America. Sterling and American E.xcliange bought and sold. Collections made im the most favorable terms. Interest allowed on deposit Receipts and Savings Bank Deposits. ■ ' BANKERS. New V'ork— The American Elxchange National Hank. Eondon, England, Kaiik of Scotland OEFICE IX GUEEPH— Corner of Wyndliani Street and ftEirkct Square. G. W. SANDILANDS, Local Director. WILLIAM .SMITH, Manager. ERY e. s, Gold rietor. ■J »NTO. )0,000 )0,000 ■land K--.1. , Esq. |h, I rami 1- riiies, Sar- /oodstock. apan and I Scotland H, hnager. GUELPII ADVERTISEMENTS. 163 r?;^^5^sS^ W. BELL & CO. MANl'FACTURKRS OF ORGANS & ORGANETTES o Silver Medal at Ontario Provincial Exhibition for 1S71. Silver Medal at CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION for 1876. 47 All Instiuments guaranteed for fivs years.IEk 164 OUELPIl ADVERTISEMENTS. Silver CreekIBrewery GEO. SLEEMAN, BREWER AND MALTSTER, "W-A.TEIiLOO .A.-V^Eiq-XJE!, G-XJELm. Best quality of Ales, Porter and Lager Beer KEPT IN STOCK. HART & SPEIRS, LAND, LOAN, fiENERAL & INSURANCE A&ENTS, CONVEYANCERS, &c., No. 11 Day's Block, Guolph, Loans negotiated. Money always on hand for Mortgage and tnst-class pei'sonal security. Fire and Life llisks taken in A i Companies. JS?* Office of Guclph Wliitc Lime Company. ROBERT PARKER, MACDONNELL STREET, GUBLPH, Has been in'buyiness 12 years, and in Guelph 24 years, always working at the business, which gives him the experience that is required in carriage making. He is still'carryinjj on the business at the old stand, Macdonnell Street, where the pubhc^can see "and examine his stock, and judge for themselves. He has always on hand a good s'lock'of liugfiies/.Market WagojiSj^^Sleishs and Cutters, of the latest styles, aua has the name of selling cneap for ca&h. ERY r, E3L.i=*ia:. Beer MNTS, ll hrst-class ipanics. Iblph, iuelph 24 II gives him Ic making, lold stand, see 'and |es. litters, of the r.UELPH ADVERTISEMENTS. lef) JOHN HORSMAN, HARDWARE MERCHANT GhTJELIPBC. This House was opened on the i4ih April, 1857, and docs more business than all the rest put together. Jolin Horsnian is the sole proprietor and needs no one to go into Company with him to help to bolster him up. His Stock is always large, well- assorted and cheap. BURR & SKINNER, Mamifacturers and Wholesale & Retail T^^'alers in :FTJiiisriT"cri?,E) SCHOOL FURNITURE A SPECIALITY. Wareroom -97 Wpidham St. Factory— Cor. Clasgow & Oxford Sts. JOHN HARRIS, MARKET SQUARE, CUELPH, MacMILLAN & O'CONNOR^ BARRISTERS, &c. Office over Bank of Commerce. JOHN P. MacMILLAN, EDWARD O'CONNOR. I 16G OUELPH ADVERTISEMENTS. SODA WATER & ICE CREAM. ^W^. J. LITTLE HAS NOW IN OPERATION HIS FIRST-CLASS where the loveiii of that delightful beverage can quench their thirst at all times. His Ice Cream is also delicious. Bread, Cakes & Confectionery constantly on hand. Public Dinners pro\ii!cd in elegant style and at the lowest possible rates. "W- Cr. LITTLE, Upper Wyndham Street, Guelph. COSSITT'S AOEICULTUEAL IMPLEMENT WORKS G-XJELI^I^:, OlSTT. r.uy only the genuine FARMER'S FRIEND GANG PLOW, patented March 1875. Send for circular and terms. . L. COSSITT, Manufacturer of Ganj,^ Plows, Fanning Mills, Horse Turnip Seed Drills, Horse and Hand Power Feed Cutters, Lawn Mowers, Horse Pokes, &c. (•■rF'i.T'ir .\riVF.T?Ti' tA'o '"^ "■I'NIVKD^T.VnSv I'fljl^ (ENTOSI cc OSBOElsT" SEWING MACHINES itented Drills, les, &c. Having been awarded CENTENNIAL MEDALS and DIPLOMA and MEDAL in Canadian Award at the PHILADELPHIA CENTENNIAL INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION in ie"^6 and Certificate of the Centennial Judges for "Simplicity and Adaptability" May be taken as a j^niaiamee lliat ;hcy are i!e-^cr\ ia;.;" u: liie ijublic conli dence, \vlii( li is imw uniNCisalK a(.i:(i:(!rcl ', 'uni. We Claim that our Hand Shuttle Machine has no equal. ,£.!f^ \\" !•: Ask [ \ s i ' r.( r ; o .\ . ^ •• :^. Every Machine warranted to L,M\e satisfa ( t ion on c'.(.rr descriptioH of wovl>. C.IVK US A TRIAL, VlJ'.ASi:. :* ..- ...>l ' f ! ! ;•• WiLKIE &, OSBORN, Mannfacturers, Giieiph, Ontario, Canadfi,, 1 (kS C.UEI.I'ir AUVC.U llsr.MKNTS. ■it .'J. GOLDSMITH HALL, GUELPH THE OLD POST OFFICE. v m ■ii 1 SIGN OF THE LARGE CLOCK Is the spot to K'et su|)))lic(l with WAI CUKS, CLOCKS. | K.WKLI-F.RV, SIIA'KK i'l.AI!:. \c.. nt hottoni pi ice. If yen \r;tnt i once t time '^c\ c nc of 4 KAwroini's Tin SI woiMiiv m ak hks hi sihtT r.T^es. fnun .riio to $4.0. !n j^old rases, frmn .li.jo to $1 30. War- ranted for two years. Jobbing', Engrrtving, Gold and Silver Plating done as before. CHARCKS MoDKK \ri:. HOOD &, McHARDY, WHOLESALS AND RETAIL BUTCHERS STALL NO. 1, GUELPH MARKET. Have ahv.nxs on hand a lar i'liiiips. Tai, Cuijper and . -jv Ironwares at Iju est Drices. W. H. MILLS. ROBERT MITCHELL, Attorney at Law, Solicitor in Cliaiirery A Insohenoy, . , Notary Public, Commissioner, &c, A Day'a Block, opposite Horsman's Store, Guelph. J^lT- MonC) to lend in sums to suit borrowersi .-•"ffc*. %'. ■■■■n '»^ •-Ui'-if ,% 1 632012 .y W. SUNLEY, dealer in all kinds of I Coal or Wood Cook \ N I ) RANGES. PARLOR, HALL ANI! BOX STOVES oi IHK HF.Sl' MAKKS AND I. All's! l>F.SI(iNS. TIN, COPPER, and SHEET IRON WORK IN ALL ITS BRANCHES. i Galvanized Iron Roofing and Cornice Work a Speciality. Wi-.si' Market S<.)T'ark, (".uki.fh. GEORGE HOOD, i'.RKi:hKK ()L HEREFORD CATTLE AM' BERKSHIRE PIGS, le^OSETTA. F'.A.RnVI. a-XTELFH. M^ Sii)( K HAS RK( i.i\ Kit 9 Centennial Medals and Diploma