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SOMETIME BOY OF QUAKER RD. PASSES 95TH YEAR

Old Wellanders will Welcome Word of Old Page Family

[The Welland Tribune and Telegraph, 27 March 1923]

              The Tribune and Telegraph is indebted to an old friend of the paper and of many of the older generation of this city and vicinity, A. Wright Page of New York City for the following clipping from a Michigan newspaper regarding the 95th birthday celebration of his brother, once a Quaker Road boy and, before his departure for the West, proprietor with another brother, William Page, of a store which A. Wright Page describes as being located “on the old Sawdust Road, now your North Main Street, at the second north-east corner from the Chippawa Bridge.”

             A cut of Robert W. Page, which illustrates the Michigan story, is not reproduced here, but in referring to same, Mr. Page says, “The cut makes Robert look somewhat old, but they write me that he is quite active for a young fellow of 95 years of age.”

             What was written at Ionia, Mich. follows:

             Ionia, Feb. 16, Uncle Robert W. Page, Ionia’s oldest male citizen celebrated his ninety-fifth birthday Friday, in the best of health. He was born in Canada, on Quaker Road, a few miles from Niagara Falls, and came to Ionia at the close of the Civil War and has resided here ever since. He saw the big kite that carried the rope from the Canadian side to the American to get the lines for the first suspension bridge at Niagara Falls, and was in the employ of the bridge company much of the time while the bridge was under construction. “Many a time,” said Uncle Robert, “I crossed from one side to the other in a basket running on a wire, and after the bridge was completed, I rode across on the first engine, and even away back in those days when it was far more daring I walked under the falls. Know how far it is from the Niagara to the Detroit river? Just 229 1-2 miles. I know, because I helped survey the Great Western railroad across Canada. When the Welland Canal was made I drew many a load of grub to the army of workmen.

             Mr. Page kept a hotel in the Niagara Falls vicinity for some years then came to Michigan in the face of his father’s offer to give him 310 ? acres of land to remain at home. After he came to Ionia he was in the hotel business many years as proprietor of the old River House and then the Eagle hotel.

             As he took his box of fine cut from his pocket for a bit of chew, he remarked that he had used it ever since he was 15 years old. “Might have lived to a ripe old age if I hadn’t used it,” he said, “but I can’t get along without it now.”

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