WHEN YOU AND I WERE YOUNGER, HARRY

By T.N. Morrison

Mr. Morrison retired in 1972 as editor of The Tribune, after 43 years’ service with the newspaper.

[Welland Tribune, 17 February 1987]

Welland’s often derided “Toonerville Trolley,” and learning to swim in the Lock Pit were among a host of memories stirred for Harry Diffin when he was invited to recall “what it was like growing up in Welland”.

His recollections, as recorded in this article, could induce waves of nostalgia for senior citizens, and for others, show that at least the earlier times could be lively and entertaining even without stereo, TV and cellular telephones.

The “Toonerville,” as Harry remembers, provided the great bargain five-cents ride on the local street car service that piled between the Michigan Central Railway depot (King Street), and the Grand Trunk Station (East Main Street). It was also routed across the canal to the top of West Main Street, and, often with uncertain passage, part way along Niagara Street. It was a single track operation with a spur located in front of the Methodist Church on King Street to enable the opposite-bound cars to pass.

The Niagara, Welland and Lake Erie Railway, as it was labelled, endured various embarrassments. In winter time icy rails at times caused trolleys headed for the Grand Trunk Station to begin sliding backwards about Burgar Street. And on the Niagara Street stretch, the passengers on occasion had to get out and push as the car faltered in the effort to negotiate the hilly terrain. Then there were the sudden stops when pranksters reached out the rear window and yanked the power pole from the overhead wires.

But the old and long gone street car did meet all trains and there were plenty of them serving Welland. So much so, that as many did, one could board a Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo railway car at a desired time in the morning; lunch and shop or attend a theatre in Buffalo, and be back home by rail in time for supper. Outings to Hamilton on the T.H. and B. were also popular.

Another important transportation service for Welland was the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto radial line. This hourly service, conveyed Harry Diffin to and from St. Catharines and Ridley College each week, and, on picnic outings to Port Dalhousie, gave Diffin and countless other youths the great thrill of riding in “open air” cars.

Recreation activity in river and canal was much more prolific, in those days. Motorized pleasure craft hummed along both waterways, and canoeing was popular in the river. Skating and hockey flourished on the frozen river in winter and each season news was awaited that Wilson Chambers had successfully stroked his way on his ancient blades from River Road to the city.

Gala regatta days brought crowds to the canal in the Merritt park area to watch exciting sea cadet cutter races and swimming exhibitions. In summer, it seemed as though the entire community congregated in Merritt Park for the weekly band concerts, featuring the Citizen’s Band, and, alternately, the Lincoln and Welland Regimental Band. Ice cream cart vendors enjoyed a roaring trade on these festive occasions, made all the more picturesque with pleasure craft buzzing along the canal at park-side. Traditionally, the concert intermission periods lasted long enough for the thirstier musicians to consume a beaker or two at a nearby watering hole.

The canal is also remembered from this period for the emergency crossing service made necessary when a freighter struck and damaged the Alexandra Bridge. When repairs necessitated holding the bridge in a turned position for several weeks, a tug was employed to ferry pedestrians across the waterway. Until they were spotted and unceremoniously ejected, it was great sport for young blades who used the system for marathon joy-rides.

In earlier days the bridge was turned to open passage for ships and before it was mechanized the turning operation was done manually by two men who walked in circles after connecting long levers to the structure’s pinion wheel. Even after the apparatus was motorized, occasional breakdowns caused resort to the manual system.

The Lock Pit, where river and canal met, not far from the present Niagara Street river bridge, was a favorite hangout for youth. It was constructed to permit river-borne craft entry in the canal and held credit as the location where Harry Diffin and others learned to swim.

Before the Reeta Hotel and theatre was built, the movie and stage hose were the Grand and the Griffith, both located on the south side of East Main Street. The Grand, just west of Hellems Avenue, handled films only and for years, had the respected Maud Dawdy in the ticket booth. Equally well-known were Rhea Harper and Raymond Strawn, pianists who supplied the musical accompaniment for the films. Unforgettable ws the storm they always managed to mount on the keyboard when cowboys and Indians engaged in fierce combat on the screen.

The Griffin Theatre, a second-storey emporium across the alley from Walter Dixon’s photography studio, offered vaudeville and pictures, and has often been recalled by long-established Wellanders for one particular program where a performer believed to be named Alburtus demonstrated magic and hypnotism. The flamboyant show had the town on its ear for two publicity stunts. In one, he had a young man pedal furiously for days on a stationary bicycle on a theatre balcony. In the other, he put a fetching damsel to sleep on a bed in the window of Sutherland’s furniture store, and there the sleeping beauty reposed for several days, not even fluttering an eyelid as the sceptics stayed up after the midnight hour to maintain a round-the-clock check in the window. In the theatre, the performer additionally mystified the patrons by merely peering into a crystal ballot to repeat and answer questions sent to him from the audience in written form.

Heady days indeed!

Then came the community’s pride-the hotel and theatre known as the Reeta, built by Welland entrepreneur Sam Lambert. The theatre, which later became the Capitol, was the largest and finest in the peninsula and catered to a variety of stage shows, including a repertory company from England, the Dumbells, Bringing Up Father, famed magicians Blackstone and Thurston, locally cast minstrel shows, revues spotlighting some prominent local citizens in ludicrous roles, biblical musical dramas, and some of the earliest productions of Welland Little Theatre.

Harry Diffin remembers the awesome night he experienced when, with his parents, he was a guest of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Lambert in one of the theatre’s luxurious boxes. These ultra-class enclosures disappeared when remodelling took place when films replaced the stage presentations.

The theatre was also remembered for “Sacred Music Concerts” on Sunday evening when visiting bands, such as the Hamilton Hindoo Koosh entertained with popular selections. Of course, Abide With Me, and other hymns were played, but the program leaned to the secular and drew capacity attendances. Silver collections gained generous response.

Everybody went to the Welland County Fair on the Denistoun Street grounds in the era we are dealing with. It was always a big week in Welland with a grand parade through town heralding the opening. The midway was an exciting cacophony with side shows, games, rides, shooting galleries and weight guessing gents competing. School plays and professional acts were presented in front of the grandstand and the race track alternately housed daredevil auto stunt men, gladiators in thundering chariots and trotting horses.

Hardly a farmer for miles around missed this outing, since the agricultural theme was strongly evident. That tantalizing aroma of sizzling onions and hamburg usually enveloped the visitor on entering the grounds, and was only a prelude to cotton candy, kewpie dolls, and other carnival acquisitions.

For a number of years the fair included excellent horse shows.

Dances were looked forward to with great anticipations. In fall, winter and spring, “Buckingham Palace” which had been created out of the space occupied by the Griffin Theatre, was the hall catering to the largest of the hops. Various organizations were sponsored and two of the most popular annual events were the Eastern Star dance, the Fireman’s Ball. Booked often for these affairs was Clarence Colton and his orchestra, from St. Catharines. A Welland family band, the Secord Orchestra, had its followers, often holding forth at the Oddfellow’s hall. Horton’s Orchestra thumped and fiddled away merrily for round and square dances at the Crowland Township hall at Cook’s Mills and in Fonthill. Dancing was also enjoyed to the music of a combo led by violinist Clark Harper and including his wife Rhea at the piano.

Came summer and the trippers of the light fantastics journeyed in droves to popular dance halls at Long Beach and Morgan’s Point. Also a lure on Lake Erie was the Crystal Beach Ballroom at Crystal Beach where at times big name bands were featured.

A driver since he was 14, some of Harry Diffin’s experience at the wheel was gained as a teenager in Florida where a licence wasn’t required. During his family’s stay there in the Twenties a ride in a friend’s Stutz Bearcat was a memorable thrill. The young Diffin also drove motorcycles, and trucks in construction work. In 1931, he purchased his first brand new car, a model A Ford for $710.

While a student at Welland High School, Diffin played for the first football team to represent the school. That was in 1928 and among his team mates were such well-known local figures as Pete Goodwillie, Ted Dandy, Frank Burwell and George Scott. Under the coaching of recent Queen’s graduate, fledgling Welland lawyer Stewart S. MacInnes, the club made an illustrious debut by winning the district championship.

Surprisingly enough for one so long involved in municipal office, there was no thought of this career choice in Harry’s mind as he looked on while the Citizen’s Band played outside his home, serenading his father, a victor in aldermanic and mayoralty contests. This was a tradition of the times with the band leading an impromptu parade to the homes of election winners, usually the night after voting day.

But later on, when Harry’s hat was in the ring, back when aldermen were elected at large, there was another tradition. That was the custom of final campaign meetings in Sacred Heart parish hall before a bumper turnout of French-speaking citizens and another session, drawing a full house of Magyar lineage at the Hungarian Hall.

The candidates placed the utmost importance in these sessions, feeling with good reason that favorable receptions augured well for their fortunes on election day.

As he built towards an exceptional service record of 378 months on city council, Harry Diffin had to enjoy a generous share of favourable receptions.