NIAGARA CORRESPONDENCE

[St. Catharines Constitutional, 3 March 1870]

To the Matter of the “Constitutional”

Dear Sir,-In accordance with a promise made some time ago to send you an item of news now and then, I have determined to make a comment or more to-day. And what can be of more importance than the deliberations of our Corporation Public.

George B. Boyle, Esq., has been appointed leaser of Licences for the Town and Township of Niagara. After consultation it was determined to grant all the Shop Licences and all the Taverns Licences except one for which application was made; the application refused was that of James McMillan, the reasons therefore being that he asked for a licence for the house and premises occupied by his father, John McMillan, called “The Travellers Home” and for which the father holds a licence for the present year ending 1^st March, 1870. The father, John McMillan was elected Councillor for the Western Ward of Niagara for 1870, and so wanted the license to be in his son’s name for this year, although the son has a Sutler’s store at the United States Fort, and is the greater part of the time if not the whole of it on the other side of the Niagara River. It is rumored  that “John” has expressed his opinion that he would make more money to take out a licence and resign his seat in the Council, and I really think he would.

Our town is very quiet just now, the only excitement of late having been the Insolvent case of H.W. Crysler of Niagara. In October he sold out his goods and business of general storekeeper to his brother. Lately a Writ of Attachment was put in the Sheriff’s hands against H.W. Crysler. The Sheriff put a man in possesion of the store sold by H.W. Crysler to his brother, W.B. Crysler. After the man in possession, who used to take the money every evening, had been in possession a few days, W.B. Crysler acting on the advice of Richard Miller, Esq., it is said, took the money which the Sheriff’s man had and told him to quit thr store, as he would not allow him in it any longer. The man then left, and it is said the Sheriff gave up the case. A day or so after an Official Assignee came and took possession of the store, and W.B. Crysler and his party threw him and a couple of constables out of the store which ended this affair for the time. Meanwhile, H.W. Crysler is in the United States at a certain Spring, for the good of his health and some of his acquaintances are very anxious about him

In our Division Court lately, we had a case of a Note tried, which ought to prove a warning to those of your readers who see this. It seems that a certain party went round the Township of Niagara and got notes of $10 each from different parties on the condition that he was to get up a club of 20, when he would have a Patent Roller manufactured for each party. He then sold one of these notes to a money-shaver in St. Catharines, no Roller ever having been delivered to the maker of the note. On the note a postage stamp had been put instead of a note stamp. When due, the maker would not pay and the note was issued. The maker, by P. McCarthy, Esq., stoutly contended the Note was not stamped as required by the Act, and that he had not received any value for the Note, but the Judge decided against him, and gave judgement for the amount, as a Note under $25 does not require a stamp.

As I suppose my letter has already reached too great a length, I will close for the present.

Yours & c., Niagara Falls, February 26, 1870.