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The TALES you probably never heard about

PRESS OF ONTARIO GIVES HIGH PRAISE

TO THE TELEGRAPH’S SPECIAL CITYHOOD NUMBER

A NUMBER WORTH KEEPING

[Welland Telegraph, 17 July 1917]

Hamilton Herald

A very handsome and interesting special number of the Welland Telegraph has been issued to celebrate the entrance of Welland into the sisterhood of cities. One of the best features of it is a historical sketch of the Welland canal. This and other historical matter of interest make the special Telegraph number worth keeping.

FIGURES A SURPRISE

St. Thomas Journal

The Welland Telegraph publishes a special edition on the occasion of the town being made a city. The paper contains much information about the rise and progress of the latest addition to the sisterhood of cities and gives evidence that it will be a creditable newspaper representative of Welland City. The Telegraph gives some statistics that may surprise some people. Take, for instance, the following example of the increase in the value of its manufacturing products:

1906 $150,000
1912 6,500,000
1915 13,285,495
1916 19,375,115

Total Industrial Pay Rolls For:

1906 $50,000
1912 1,300,000
1915 2,117,618
1916 3,610,336

These figures speak eloquently of Welland’s progress.

WELLANDS CITYHOOD

Stratford Herald

Welland has put on the mantle of cityhood, and Louis Blake Duff, the energetic and capable publisher of The Telegraph, has spread himself nicely on the auspicious occasion. A 16-page issue of The Telegraph on July 3rd presented attractively the high points in the city’s history and the business interests which have produced a real live city. Coming on the golden jubilee date of Confederation, the Welland cityhood celebration had a distinctly patriotic tinge, and The Telegraph’s special number reflects this spirit effectively. Every phase of the Baby City’s expansion is outlined and illustrated, and the issue is worthy of the occasion. We presume the next step will be the changing of The Telegraph from a very creditable semi-weekly to a good daily. Here’s wishing Welland and The Telegraph continued growth and prosperity.

THE CITY OF WELLAND

Peterborough Examiner

Welland, the baby city of the Dominion, is warmly welcomed to the family circle of Canadian cities, of which she became one on July 2nd. The event was formally celebrated and synchronized with, and was a splendid  contribution to the observance of the golden jubilee of Canadian union. It was besides a most significant feature; for the new city was, and is, a living and lively example of the great progress made by Canada in the past fifty years.

Not one of the least evidences of this progress emphasized  last Monday, is the Welland Telegraph “whose special edition, to mark the inauguration of Welland as a city,” is in every way worthy of the event it signalizes, and of its reputation and record as a live and well conducted newspaper. The current interest in the special number consists in a graphic report of the inauguration proceedings as well as ample information about the present industrial per-eminence Welland holds amongst the minor cities of the Dominion, and of her almost magic growth as a manufacturing centre, represented by an increase in manufactured products from $150,000 in 1906 to $19,375,115 in 1916, and an increase in industrial pay-rolls in the same ten years from $50,000 to $3,610,336.

The special issue also gives interesting historical reminiscences, illustrated with photos of the early makers of Welland, so graphic as to be interesting to those who have lived through the interval between two striking epochs of its history, and two prominent features of eminence-mud in 1867 and manufactures in 1917. The Telegraph is to be congratulated upon its very creditable inauguration issue, and The Examiner hopes it may continue to share in the progress which the happy inception of Welland’s cityhood, its natural and provided facilities as a manufacturing centre, its splendid transportation conveniences, and the enterprising spirit of the citizens promise.

THE PARABLE OF WELLAND

Brockville Times

The attainment of full city status by the town of Welland, which was duly celebrated by the proud citizens of that new manufacturing centre of Dominion day, emphasizes what can be done by any progressive community possessing the two great assets of cheap power and the spirit of enterprise. The celebration number of the “Welland Telegraph” (a well edited, interesting and informative 16-page journal) shows that Welland now has both.

Having original advantages very similar to those enjoyed by Brockville in the matter of competitive transport agencies, favorable location in proximity to markets, etc., Welland was something of a “Sleepy Hollow” of the Niagara Peninsula until its live men awakened to the paramount importance of cheap power as an industrial community maker-decided to get cheap power-worked for cheap power and got cheap power. Now Welland not only has its required ten thousand population,but it has upwards of two score large manufacturing industries, with payrolls exceeding $3,000,000.00 per annum in the aggregate.

Stick-to-it-iveness, hustling, getting together and publicity did it. It always will.

Does anything more require to be said to point the moral for Brockville in the rise of Welland to prosperous civic status?

A METROPOLITAN SPORT

St. Catharines Standard

Welland is the only city in Ontario without a daily paper, but it has two pretentious semi-weeklies. The Telegraph put on a commendable metropolitan spurt last week by the issue of a bright historical illustrated birth- of a-city number which reflected the spirit that is going to make Welland continue to grow.

[See related TALE: TBD]

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