Results for ‘LETTERS’
[Welland Tribune, 8 January 1909]
The following is from “Oak Leaves,” a paper published in Oak Park, Ill:-
“Albert W. Giles, one of Oak Park’s oldest and most respected citizens, received on Christmas day a “Friendship Calendar.” Three hundred and sixty-five friends contributed to the gift, expressions of regard and wishes for a prosperous and happy new year. Mr. Giles has lived in Oak Park for thirty-one years, coming to the village in 1877. He was born in England seventy years ago, when but a small lad his parents moved to Canada. In 1864 he came to the United States, and was employed in the mustering office at Springfield in the closing days of the civil war. For twenty-eight years he was employed by Field Benedict and Co., wholesale clothiers. He is now in the house of Lindelhal and Sons. During the four years of Cleveland’s administrations, beginning in 1893, he was postmaster at Oak Park. He lives at 123 South Euclid avenue.”
Mr. Giles was well-known in Fonthill many years ago, and several old friends who remember his residence there were among the contributors to the “Friendship Calendar.” In 1859 he went to St. Catharines, and was engaged in the office of Mr. Frank Shanley, C.E., during the construction of the Welland railway. He was afterwards with a party of government surveyors who laid out two new townships in the Muskoka district. During his residence in St. Catharines, his singing, in company of Mr. Edward Gore, was prominent feature in all the entertainments of that day. Mr. Giles is a brother of Mrs. R.T. Burns, residing on North Pelham street, and a cousin of Mr. Alfred Giles of “The Chestnuts.”
[The Welland Tribune and Telegraph, 23 January 1923]
Welland, Ont., 17th, Jan. 1923
Editor Tribune-Telegraph
Dear Sir:
I noticed in your issue of the 16th inst., an account of the sleighing and dancing parties among the young people of sixty years ago, and it brings to my mind pleasant memories, as I was one of the youngsters at that time. As I am now past 85, and there is but one living person of my age left in our whole neighborhood, and that is an old lady. I have attended a number of parties in my younger days where Blind “Oliver” furnished the music and I have always understood that Oliver was not quite blind, from the fact that if there was any trouble or dispute, while the party were getting set on the floor, I have seen him get right up and in among set, and settle any dispute that may have happened and get to their places before he would start the music or leave the floor. The most of the dance music up to a few years ago was furnished by The Dean Brothers of Caistor Centre, of the late Calvin Lymburner, who lived in our school section, and about 25 years ago, I built a good sized store in our village with a hall overhead 22×24 with a stage, where many dances, shows, medicine men and political meetings were held, and where five townships and three counties met inside of an area of a few hundred yards, and where I have been D.R.O, the last 27 years in our division without a break. I intended to mention that the youngsters of today are practicing the old reels and hornpipes, including Money Musk, Devils Dream, Rocky Road to Dublin, Irish Jig, Sicilian Circle and Colitions.
I remember the old “Acorn” paper and the old “Niagara Mail.”
Yours truly
J.K. Tisdale
[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 1st 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.
[Welland Tribune, 6 July 1900]
To the Welland Tribune:
The crops of South Dakota are only one quarter of a crop at present, and if it does not rain very soon there will be none at all; as it is, wheat will have to be harvested with a hauler.
Sunday we had a very heavy wind and thunder storm. Wanby, a small town 25 miles from Bradley, is in ruins now from the effects of a small cyclone; one child killed and several injured, was the latest report. I am well and enjoying good health. From one of the old Welland boys. Yours truly,
Lewis J. Brittin
Bradley, South Dakota
July 2, 1900
Interesting Letter from C.T. Krafft
Eagle River, Ont., 30 June 1900
[Welland Tribune, 6 July 1900]
Dear Sir-As I had so many requests from friends before leaving to be sure, and write them and tell of my journey and what kind of country the Rainy River and Thunder Bay districts are, I ask permission to trespass on your valuable space in the Tribune, knowing by so doing all can get the desired information at once. Thanking you in advance, I will proceed.
I left Stevensville May 16th per M.C.R., changed to C.P.R. at Welland, arrived in Toronto at 11.10 same day, had to lay over in Toronto till 5.40 p.m., to catch train for Owen Sound, arriving at the latter point at 12.50 a.m. Here I took in the town till 11 a.m.
Owen Sound is a busy place and finely situated with a good harbor, and everyone seems contented and busy.
At 11 o’clock I embarked on S.S. Alberta for Port Arthur. Passing up Lake Huron we passed several islands not mentioned in the geography. We arrived at the Soo the next morning at 9; the rapids here are grand but not navigable, so we go through the canal. A fine view of both the American and Canadian Soo can be had. Arrived at Port Arthur the next morning after leaving the Soo. Before coming in the harbor at Port Arthur, the sight that confronts a stranger is something long to be remembered. Great mountains rise out of the water seven miles from the harbor to a height of 1,400 feet, nearly perpendicular solid rock on either side, only a narrow channel, through which we pass.
Arriving at Port Arthur, one’s first impression is a tumble-down, rickety, half-built place, where no law or order exists, but on investigation one finds a town of 2,500 population, all making money and employment in the mines, the woods and construction work on the O.& R. R. Ry., also the P.A.D. and W. Ry. The former is constructed to a point 40 miles west of the town, the latter to the border crossing into Minnesota. Let me say here that my first impressions as to law and order were not far amiss, for the hotels, 12 in number, and 5 of these without a license, run night and day, Sundays included, without any interference; their front door is open always. How long would one of these houses keep open, and that, without license in Welland? This would be a good field for temperance people to do some work, or, better, perhaps, a good eastern license inspector.
Going on to Fort William we find a good town of 3500, good harbor, boats landing daily, and hundreds of men employed in unloading and loading cars. The C.P.R has three very fine elevators here, also a group of them a mile west; these are round and made of steel.
Going on west we pass several small places-Wabigoon, Dryden, (here is the government farm, and it looks to be quite a farming vicinity), Eagle River, (will say more about this latter place later on), till we reach Rat Portage, a fine place, but all you hear is gold; some very rich finds just south of the town lately.
Here we took a steamer down Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake to Rainy River, about 90 miles; now we go east down Rainy River some 80 miles to Fort Frances, a small place, some 300 population, but on account of the low water and the Rainy River railway not being completed the price of everything is out of sight. A merchant could make a fortune here if he could transport his goods, but for this there are no facilities at present. There are numerous well-tilled farms here, and thousands to acres to homestead; the land is easily cleared in places, other places plenty of good timber; but on account of the drought this season things are not looking favorable. There has not been any rain all summer to speak of, and this dry weather seems to be general throughout the whole west from Port Arthur to Winnipeg. I travelled through several townships around Fort Francis and north. I homesteaded 160 acres and bought another 160, in Burriss township. The land cannot be discounted for farming. The Government is building good roads where required, employing only settlers, thereby giving them an opportunity to earn some money till they get returns from their farms. Anyone wishing to engage in tilling the soil, here is the place to come.
Now I return to Port Arthur, and as they took a suspected case of smallpox out of the hotel I am stopping at, the place with all its occupants were quarantined for 14 days, 18 lodgers at the time. Passed the time reading, smoking, etc., there being no other cases being developed, we were liberated. Several patients have died here and at Fort William, but the disease is getting pretty well stamped out now.
I was about to return to Fort Francis, when I heard that the Indians, some 3,000 strong, had risen up against the whites there, and the settlers have asked for troops. The governor of Minnesota has promised to have troops there by Tuesday, but I understand the Canadian Government has taken no steps as yet. This changed my plans somewhat, so I accepted a position as operator with the C.P.R., and am working at Eagle River, 272 miles west of Fort William and 60 miles north of Fort Francis; this is a small place, as are all the places from Fort William to Rat Portage, but it is a very busy place as regards railroad work. Engines take water and coal here, and trains are made up here for both east and west. There is a staff here night and day. The scenery here is fine. A picturesque river runs 500 yards from the station, with a falls and rapids in it close by. There are lots of fish, and other game is plentiful and Indians galore. One of them brought in a bear yesterday. Blueberries are selling here 12 quarts for 25 cents and very plentiful. There is no farming land here, the soil is white clay and half stone. I think in time it will all turn into stone. Land can be had here from Government for 50 cents per acre; it is covered with a thick growth of small spruce, hemlock and poplar. It is the same kind of land nearly all the way along the C.P.R., from Fort William to Rat Portage, except Wabigoon and Dryden. The climate is very peculiar; in day time it is very hot, last Sunday 103 in the shade, while at night an overcoat is comfortable. Last night we had a white frost that touched tomatoes, beans and other tender plants.
Altogether it is a romantic, healthy place. Lots of work for laborers at good wages and plenty of land for the asking. I will close for this time, if I have not already taken up too much space.
Yours truly.
C.T. Krafft
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
[The Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune, 10 October 1931]
In any proposed plan for providing for the unemployed in Welland this winter, construction for a new bridge over the river at North Main street has been given an important place. At the special meeting of the council on Thursday night the bridge was included in a list of public works to be submitted to the unemployement officials in Toronto for approval.
It is pointed out to those who favor the proposal that the present bridge has outlived its usefulness and must, in any event, be replaced within a couple of years. The road allowance is only just wide enough for two cars to pass and there is always danger when a bus or wide truck is using the structure . Loads are restricted to ten tons.
It so happens that the bridge is on a road that is part of an important provincial highway and, as a result, must carry a very large amount of traffic. Under present condtions the bridge constitutes more or less of a danger spot, and this fact is not without its interest for the municipality.
The city engineer’s estimate is that a new bridge would cost $84,960, $50, 976 of which would be expended for labor and $33, 984 for material. If the structure is built as a means to relieve unemployment, the Federal and Provincial government will contribute 50 per cent of the cost.
All things considered, it looks as if the municipality would benefit in several ways, if the council decided to go ahead with the work.
Other public works have also been chosen as a means of making jobs for the unemployed. Provided expenditures are kept within a reasonable sum, thereby not causing too great an incerease in the tax rate, it is better for the city to secure needed public improvements-with the government paying half the cost-and receive something in return for the money it spends, rather than dissipate a large sum in direct relief and have nothing to show for the expenditure.
[Welland Tribune, 21 September 1900]
The following chatty letter from an ex-Wellander lady, for some years past a resident of California, will be of interest to many readers of the Tribune:-
Whittier, Calif.
Sept. 12, 1900
Editor, Welland Tribune, Welland, Ontario:
Dear Sir,-The label on my paper informs me that my subscription is nearly due, so, once more, I take pleasure in forwording a P.O. money order for one dollar for renewal of the ever welaome paper, “The Welland Tribune.”
I have just returned home from a two weeks vacation at Long Beach, down by the “Big Pond,” where the breeze is very refreshing and invigorating. Everything up here by the hills seem dryer and browner than ever. In fact it is too dry to write much. It requires some imagination to paint a glowing picture of this section at this time of the year, i.e., take the country in general. To be sure we have our pleasant little home places, where water is abundant, and some places are very barren. However, we hope for the laying of the dust and the hills and fields to look green when our winter rains come. The development of “oil wells,” is making Southern California boom at present. I sincerely hope no one will get left (to use a slang phraise). Fruit is high; so are vegetables. I must close with kind regards to all.
Yours sincerely,****
As the letter was not statedly for publication we withold the name, and would add that the Tribune fully appreciates and feels grateful for the kind words, and hopes ever to deserve them. And if our correspondent is tempted to woo the slippery goddess of Fortune on the field of speculation we sincerely hope she many “strike ile.”
[Welland Tribune, 4 March 1898]
(Letter from Miss Stone)
LOS ANGELES, Cal., Feb 14, 1898.
EDITOR TRIBUNE :
DEAR SIR, — In response to requests from home friends to send another letter for publication, I shall jot down a few facts gleaned concerning this wonderful country. I have been enjoying a pleasant visit with friends at Perris, a town of about 500 inhabitants, situated in San Jacinto Valley, 50 miles inland from the coast. The visitor is amazed when told that this town has sprung up within the last five years, that being the date that water was piped in from Bear Valley in San Bernardino Mountains, 40 miles to the north. The old saying, “as free as water,” means little to the people of this valley, as their water rates are very high, and the insufficiency of water has greatly retarded the growth of this section. The climate is all that could be desired, as it escapes the ocean fogs by its distance from the coast, while its elevation of 1,400 feet renders it specially favorable for those who are affected with the throat and lung troubles. It was my privilege to attend a convention of Christian workers at Redlands, in a town 26 miles to the north. The gathering was one of great spiritual life and power, but the visitor was struck with the number of invalids among the speakers and others taking part in the services. On enquiry we learned that it was comprised largely of many of the most brilliant and cultured minds the eastern and middle states produce, but failing health had made it necessary for them to seek a warmer and more congenial clime in which to recuperate. All these requisites are found herein these valleys. It is like a great sanitarium provided by the loving mother heart of nature for her afflicted children, this beautiful valley, nestled in here among the foothills, while the majestic mountains with their snow-clapped summits, stand like giant sentinels on duty, warding off attacks from every point of danger.
When you visit Southern California, do not fail to visit Redlands, and do not fail to take a drive to “Smiley Heights,” which has been so enthusiastically called “The Italy of America” this charming spot is owned by two brothers, who left their New England home 25 years ago to make a home for themselves in the barren waste where the picturesque town of Redlands now stands. They selected the highest point. The writer was privileged to enjoy a drive through the parks surrounding their homes. We pass along terraced driveways, on every side a profusion of flowers and rare shrubbery, onward and upward a gradual ascent. Now we come to an acute angle in the road, revealing new beauties to the scene. There are miles of solid masonry on either side, as a protection from the freshets caused by snow melting on the mountains. At length the “Enchanted Palaces” are reached. Just stop and feast your eyes on the surroundings. Flowers, flowers, everywhere. This is the winter home of the Smiley brothers. During the summer months they superintend a large hotel in the Adirondacks. They are Quakers, with decided temperance principles. Recently some of their boarders called for a choice brand of liquors, but were informed that no intoxicants should be used at the house, upon which guests said that if their requests were not granted they would use all possible means to make the hotel unpopular. Result – the Smiley house lost none of its patronage, but was kept open after all others had been closed for the season. In your visit to this state do not miss a visit to “Smiley Heights,” and you will be convinced that these are veritable smiling heights, and show what generous, public-spirited citizens, with money, by applying art and science, work and water, can make out of these apparently arid foot hills.
Just now I am down near the grand old ocean. Will you stroll with me along the beach, gather shells and mosses, or clamber over the rocks. Sit here and watch the long lazy roll of the water, as one after another the swells follow each other and break in white ruffles along the clean sand, graciously submitting to that old, old edict : “Hitherto shalt thou come but no further.” How puny and insignificant seems all human strength in the face of 8000 miles of fathomless water! Someone asks: “Are you not homesick to see the “beautiful” falling in feathery wreaths and mantling mother earth in her snow white garb.” In fancy I can hear the wind whistling, snow storms raging, fell my ears tingling with cold, frost-bitten feet and other comforts (?) of Welland county in winter. I much prefer these beautiful marechal neil roses for snowballs, or if you wish something more substantial, just reach your hand out of the open window where I am sitting (mercury at 70aaa) and help yourself to the ripe golden oranges—preferable to some of us.
M. E. STONE.
//aj
[Welland Tribune, 28 February 1898]
The following from the Oceana, Mich,. Herald, will be read with pleasure by many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Walton among the TRIBUNE’S readers:-
Robert Walton and family have moved into their new house on Bennett st., which is nearly finished inside. Mr. Walton’s new house is one of the finest in Oceana, and about the most conveniently arranged house in the city. Located as it is on the side hill, it commands a view of the entire village and many miles of the surrounding country. The house is finely finished in butternut, oak, birch and birdseye maple.
The architect who made the plan for the house was Mr. Jonathan Augustine of Ypsilanti, Mrs. Walton’s brother, who certainly had in view a house that would be a pretty, comforatble and convenient home. The house was built by Mr. Samuel Augustine, another brother of Mrs. Walton, and the carpenter work on the house shows Mr. Augustine to be a fine workman.
Mr. and Mrs. Walton may well feel proud of their and beautiful home on the hill, and we hope they will remain with us to enjoy it for many years to come.
NORAH, Louisiana, Feb. 14, 1898
[Welland Tribune, 25 February 1898]
Editor: Welland Tribune:-
DEAR SIR- As I received my TRIBUNE this afternoon with great pleasure, and looking for some home news at a glance, I saw Air Line, which at one time was my old stomping ground, and I see that C.W. Nugent, Chet. Shultis and Wils Leitch are still debating the subject of married, or single life. I think they should have that subject pretty well decided by this time. I hope that C.W. Nugent hasn’t been breaking any more buggy springs. I was on the platform with C.W. Nugnet on that same subject about four years ago, and he said he would get married and would tell us all about it. I would like to hear from him next. I hope in some future time I will meet all my old friends at the old Air Line school house. I am now in the sunny south where the cotton and the cane grows. I remain yours truly, T.J. ROACH
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