—A Brief Sketch of Its Early History
[See related TALE: CAPTAIN ARTHUR BEAMER McCORMICK]
The city of Welland-July 1st, 1917. Welland’s growth from the small town stage to the status of a city has been so remarkable that it has attracted the attention of all Canada and has received much notice, too, across the border.
This phenomenal growth has taken place in the past decade, or to be more correct, the past eleven or twelve years. The first of Welland’s new industries was the Plymouth Cordage Co., which came here twelve years ago. At that time the population was 1797. The spell which had held Welland dormant for so many years was broken. The slogan “a new Industry every Thirty Days” was made a reality.
While the Cordage Company was the first of the city’s new industries, and since then we have secured large cotton mills, knitting and clothing factories, etc., the industrial field in which Welland is supreme is the iron and steel trades, one of the most important being the splendid new plant of M. Beatty & Sons, the city’s pioneer industry founded in 1860 by Matthew Beatty under the name of the Welland iron works.
Col. McCormick’s genius and enterprise as Industrial Commissioner for a period of ten years contributed largely to the growth of Welland from a town to a city.
Our Industries
The leading industries of Welland today are:-
| Canadian Billings & Spencer |
Electro Zinc Co. |
| Supreme Heating Co. |
Chipman Holton Co. |
| H.S. Peters |
Volta Mfg. Co. |
| Empire Cotton Mills |
Canada Forge Co. |
| Welland Machine & Foundries |
M. Beatty & Sons |
| Plymouth Cordage Co. |
Canadian Steel Foundries |
| Page Hersey Tube Works |
Union Carbide |
| Electro Metals |
Dain Mfg. Co. |
| Electric Steel & Metals |
Metals Chemicals |
| Goodwillie & Sons |
Maple Leaf Milling Co. |
| Standard Steel Construction Co. |
Jeffries Furniture Co. |
| Imperial Mfg. Co. |
Welland Motor & Machine Co |
| Royal Ice Cream Co. |
A. Valencourt, Boiler Works |
| Rail Joint Co. |
Vaughan Seed Co. |
| Welland Planing Mills |
Electric Planing Mills, S.L Lambert |
| O’Connors Brick Works |
|
Industrial Statistics
The story of Welland’s expansion, its paved streets and street car system, fine public buildings, schools and churches, its numerous residential streets is told in the industrial statistics of the city. A comparative table showing the growth for the past eleven years is as follows:-
|
Total Value Manufactured Product |
Total Pay Roll |
Number of Wage Earners |
| 1906 |
$150,000 |
$50,000 |
100 |
| 1912 |
6,500,000 |
1.300,000 |
3,000 |
| 1915 |
13,285,495 |
2,117,618 |
3,875 |
| 1916 |
19,375,115 |
3,610,336 |
4,890 |
As this very plainly shows, the year 1916 was by a big margin the most prosperous in Welland’s history.
Of the total value of manufactured products for 1916 the proportion represented by munitions is about 25 per cent, the value being five and a half million.
Last year Welland’s manufactures spent in new buildings $361,808 and in new machinery, appliances and equipment $1,125,734.
Welland Fortified For Reconstruction Period
From the report of the industrial commissioner for 1916 we quote the following:-
“After the war-what? The Department of Trade and Commerce has been urging that the people take steps now to meet the situation of the day. While Welland has made a tremendous contribution toward allied success in the war by supplying munitions, it is some insurance for the future to know what we are turning out outside war products, manufactures unrelated to the war or but indirectly related to it in such volume as to mean a continuation of a large and substantial portion of our business after the war is over. It is obvious that the more provision that can be made for normal activities after the war, the better it will be for our community, and the country. That we are well fortified for the inevitable dislocation that must follow peace is evident. Our industries are in strong positions financially. The people generally are in a better position than ever before.”
Supremacy of Industrial Facilities
Welland’s growth has not been the result of chance but because of the supremacy of its industrial facilities, the chief of which are rail and water transportation supplied by six steam railroads, two electric railroads and the Welland canal, competing power companies giving the cheapest electric power and lighting rates in Canada, ideal sites for factories, natural gas, water and drainage. Production costs in Welland are found to be much less than in any other industrial city in Ontario.
The construction of the Chippawa-Queenston power plant with an ultimate capacity of 900,000 h.p., ensuring unlimited power supply for the future, means that Welland is even now only at the beginning of an enormous development which will cause the progress of the past decade to be surpassed in the years to come.
Historical Sketch
The name of Welland, like many of the proper names in this district, comes from England. It is the name of a river that starts near the geographical centre of England and runs in a Northeasterly direction about seventy miles, emptying into the Wash, an arm or inlet of the North Sea.
Welland is the third name by which our city has been known. The land hereabouts was first settled about the year 1788. The building of the Welland Canal in 1829 necessitated an aqueduct to convey its water over the Welland River at this point. The first aqueduct was of wood, and on its construction the nucleus of a village sprung up and was known as “The Aqueduct.” In 1842, when the first enlargement of the canal was made the old aqueduct was replaced by a stone structure which still stands intact east of and alongside the aqueduct in use. The name of the place was then changed to Merrittsville in honor of the late William Hamilton Merritt who first proposed the Welland canal and whose perseverance and energy finally made the great work an established fact.
Welland’s first expansion beyond the usual cross-roads store and blacksmith shop was the lumber industry, started by settlers from Niagara county, New York. The principal of these was a Mr. Seeley who came here about the year 1850 and started a sawmill. His three sons-in-law, Messrs. Joiner, Mosenbark and Moses Betts, and the late O.H. Rounds located here soon after. The late Mr. Hooker came here in 1855 and started the brickyard.
The progress of Merrittsville was comparatively slow until the separation of the united counties of Lincoln and Welland, and the village, after a hard struggle with rival places, became the county seat, which assured a future. The county buildings were erected in 1856-1858.
A Village in 1858
By an act of parliament, assented to July 24, 1858, the village was incorporated and the name changed from Merrittsville to Welland. The lands comprised in the new municipality were taken partly from Crowland and partly from Thorold townships, the river being the boundary between the two townships. On the 17th of August of the same year a commission was issued instructing L.D. Raymond to act as returning officer at the first municipal election for the village, which was held on Sept. 16 following. The election resulted in the return of the following gentlemen as the first council of the village:-Daniel McCaw, Moses Betts, Chester Demare, Wm. A. Bald and Nathan F. Fitch. At that time the reeve was not elected directly by the people but chosen by the councillors, and D. McCaw was accorded the honor of being Welland’s first reeve. He was the founder of the boot and shoe trade here, still carried on by his son, John McCaw, under the name of D. McCaw & Son.
Became a Town in 1878
Incorporation as a town was made in 1878, when A. Hendershot was elected the first mayor. He is now a resident of Dunnville. The balance of those elected was:-reeve, A. Williams; councillors, G.H. Burgar, S. Hampton, D. McConachie, A. Asher, J.V. Strawn, G. Cronmiller, W.D. Jeffrey, J. Tuckey, G. Stalker, W.L. Beatty, D.A. Johnson and Wm. Page.
Welland’s next step forward was when the Canada Southern Railway (now the M.C.R.R.) was being built and the next boom period was during the enlargement of the Welland canal, the principal local feature of which was the construction of the aqueduct at present in use. This is one of the finest and most extensive pieces of masonry work in America but it is to disappear with the building of the new Welland ship canal, work on which had been discontinued until the end of the war. Ten years elapsed between the first letting of the contract and the completion of the aqueduct about the year 1888. From that time until the beginning of the industrial era referred to at the head of this article the population declined.
[Welland Tribune, 28 June 1917]
Notable Events in its Forty-One Years of Existence
A short sketch of the history of the Welland Fire Co. will no doubt be of interest to the present Citizens of our coming City.
The first agitation for an improved fire fighting machine to take the place of the “bucket brigade” appears from local documents to have been in 1872.
The Tremont House, situated between the new and old canal owned by Henry Minnis and conducted as a hotel by H. Wilkinson was burned on December 17, 1872. This was a big fire for the village at that date as the “Tremont” was considered quite a select hostelry then. The local papers in their columns advocated better fire protection, and every fire thereafter brought up new discussions as how to fight the fire fiend-but soon the minds of the people would become dominate as the fire bug ceased to exist among them.
The burning of the “Tremont” was my first experience as a firefighter, as I was pressed into the “bucket brigade.” It was a case of conscription in those days-you had to “fight the fire.”
The question of better fire fighting appliances laid dormant till 1876, when the question was again brought up to the minds of the people of the village. A public meeting was held, and the Council was asked to submit a by-law to the ratepayers for the purchase of a fire steamer.
In September 1876, a by-law was submitted to the ratepayers, and on the 16th of Sept. was carried by a majority of 97 votes-and only 15 of the ratepayers voting against them.
On the 19th of Sept. the by-law was approved by the Council, on the motion of James Griffith and Wm. Hill.
On November 9th a heated discussion took place in the council chamber as to where the hall should be built for the engine and firemen. The two members on the west side of the canal (Messrs. Jeffrey and Hill) wanted it placed on Frazer street, and the two members on the east side (Messrs. Griffith and Lamont) wanted it placed on Cross Street (where it now stands) and they won out by the casting vote of the reeve (Mr. Hendershot).
On December 8, Council passed resolution purchasing fire engine on motion of Griffith and Jeffrey, Mr. Lamont voting nay.
On motion of Griffith and Jeffrey, the reeve was authorized to issue his cheque in favor of J.O. Ronald for the sum of $3,150 in full of purchase money for fire engine and hose carts.
On motion of Griffith and Jeffrey, the fire engine was placed in charge of A.O. Beatty until a hall could be procured.
The fire engine arrived on December 8 and A.O. Beatty and Jno. VanWyck were appointed a committee to make a test, which they did to the satisfaction of all present, even to the few who were in opposition to the purchase.
NEW FIRE HALL
The first fire hall was built in its present location.
The tender for its construction was let to Freeman Hodgson on Nov. 9 at a meeting of the Council on motion of James Griffith and O. Jeffrey.
The hall has since been practically destroyed by fire on two occasions.
FIRE COMPANY MEETING
In pursuance of a notice issued by the reeve, a public meeting was held in the council room on Dec. 5, 1876 for the purpose of the formation of a fire and hose company.
The meeting was organized at 8 o’clock by the reeve (A. Hendershot) taking the chair, and E.R. Hellems as secretary.
Moved by S. Lamont, seconded by T.W. Hooker, that a list be now open and all wishing to join the fire company be allowed to do so at once.
The motion carried, when 31 names were enrolled, embracing those of many of most respectable citizens of the town. The following were elected offices for the current term:-
Capt.-T.R. Secord
Ist Lieutenant- N.B. Colcock
2nd Lieutenant- J.V. Strawn
Secretary- J.J. Sidey
Treasurer- E.R. Hellems
Branchmen- Geo. Cronmiller, O.H. Rounds, Jas. Gatfield, Jas. Blackwell.
Hose Captain-Adam Young
1st Assistant- Thomas Blackburn
2nd Assistant- A. Clark
On motion, E.R. Hellems was recommended to the council as Chief of the Fire Brigade.
Naming the Fire Company
Our new volunteer fire company very creditably for themselves, have paid the best possible tribute in their power to the memory of the late Hon. W.H. Merritt, the father of the Welland Canal by adopting as their distinctive synonym that of “Merritt Fire Co. of Welland.”
Notable Events in the History of the Fire Company
Welland never had the proud distinction of being the owner of a hand fire engine. One of the citizens, Mr. McConachie, had a hand engine which he used to loan the town on parade occasions.
The fire chiefs-E.R. Hellems, Alex. Robertson, A.O. Beatty, W.E. Anger and Chas. Stapf.
1877, Tuesday, April 12- “Our Steamer earns her laurels.” S.E. Hopkins’ store and residence gutted with fire. The alarm was given by Thos. Main the night watchman.
Capt. T.R. Secord was in command of the new brigade, who did excellent work, this being their first turnout to a fire. The engine was in charge of John VanWyck as engineer.
All opponents to the purchase of the fire steamer were well pleased with the work that was done.
1877, Tuesday, Jan. 30, the fire company met in the new hall for the first time.
Friday evening, February 9, the firemen held their first ball in their new hall.
Wednesday, March 7, a new fire alarm bell was purchased to warn the natives that the “fire bug” was in the town.
1881, March- Welland Fire Company was called to Port Colborne by telegraph to assist in fighting a big fire. The steamer and firemen went by special train. A member of the Welland Brigade was killed by the falling of a chimney. His name was Burton, a shoemaker.
1884, Thursday, Sept. 19- The Frazer House (now the Arlington) barn and engine house adjoining were burned. The body of a human being was found in the ruins-it was supposed to be that of a tramp.
The bell was also destroyed.
A new hall was built on the old site, where it still remains.
1884, on Saturday, Feb. 16, a farewell and presentation tendered Ex. Capt. James Bridges, who was leaving town to take up his residence in California. He was presented with a gold-headed cane by the firemen, bearing the following inscription: “Presented to James Bridges, by Merritt Fire Co. No 2, Welland, Ont. Feb 16, 1884.” D. Ross was toastmaster for the occasion and Jno. McCaw was secretary of the fire company.
Mr. Bridges has since passed away and gone to his reward.
1886- On the evening of Feb. 4, the members of Protection Hose Co., Thorold, paid a fraternal visit to Merritt Fire Co., and were heartily received and tendered a great reception by the home fire “laddies.” Capt. Geo. Turner was in command of the visiting comrades.
D. Ross was toastmaster for the occasion. G.B. Swayze was secretary of the fire brigade.
Ex.-Capt. W.E. Anger was presented with a gift for his many years as a faithful worker with the fire company; but for which we have no memorandum.
Records show that Mr. Anger was Captain of the Fire Company in 1889.
Hook and Ladder
July 29, 1879 an Independent Hook and Ladder Company was formed with the following officers:-
Captain-T.F. Brown
1st Lieutenant-C.D. Burgar
2nd Lieutenant- R. Best
3rd Lieutenant- D. Kennedy
Secretary- S.J. Sidey
Treasurer- Jno. McEwing
(Of the above officers Messrs. Brown, Burgar, Kennedy and Sidey have passed away).
The hook and ladder truck was a second hand one purchased in Toronto with funds procured by private subscriptions from the citizens.
The hook and ladder company remained in existence until April 1883 when it disbanded for want of financial support and the truck was sold to the town.
1888, Wednesday, January 28-Queen’s Hotel burned, Wm. Earley proprietor.
1889, Feb. 13-A farewell was tendered E.A. sauter, by his comrades in the form of a presentation of a silver tilting water pitcher with the following inscription:-Presented to E.A. Sauter by Merritt Fire Co., No. 2, Welland, Feb. 13, 1889.
1889, Saturday morning, July 18-Earley’s big barn, at the back of the Frazer house, goeth up in smoke, and the town hall adjoining is badly damaged.
Mr. Earley’s big hog, which weighs about 900 lbs, was in a pen under the barn, and had its back blistered before it could be got out, and when it got out rolled into the river and lay on the bank until next day when it was hoisted up to the top of the bank with a windlass.
1889, October-Merritt Fire Co. organized a brass band with W.A. Phillip as leader.
1892, February 6-McMurrays’s store burned. “During the progress of the fire, fireman Geo. Wells came near losing his life while at work on the roof of the butcher shop he slipped on the icy shingles and shot down the icy decline toward the burning pile lodging between the two buildings. Almost suffocated by smoke he called lustily for help whenever he could get breath, and finally Al. Douglass and Wm. Hawkins succeeded in throwing him a small lawn hose and pulling him out of his frightful position. It was a close call.”
1898, June 22, Orient Hall was badly damaged by fire.
1907, June 15-Methodist Church was damaged by fire.
1907, Aug. 6, the Methodist Church was almost totally destroyed by fire. The steam roller having broken a gas main, in front of the church, and which took fire from the boiler in the steam road roller and from which it was supposed set fire to the church. The courts held the town responsible.
1910-Welland firemen gave the largest and best demonstration in the history of the Provincial Firemen’s Association.
The annual excursions of the fire company were a pleasant event for many years, and were only discontinued because a good boat could not be procured.
Welland Fire Company, No 1
In 1901 the Welland Fire Company department was reorganized and the name changed from Merritt Fire Company, No. 2 to Welland Fire Co. No. 1 with J.C. McMillan, captain.
Cutler’s planing mills, Lambert’s planing mills and rink and Stewart’s block of buildings in the last two years have been the worst fires.
We are only mentioning the fires of large proportions, for there have been many small fires in the years since Welland boasted of a fire company, but in summing it up you will find that Welland volunteer fire company since its organization has done good service for the town.
38 Years a Fireman
Geo. Wells joined the Independent Hook and Ladder Co. in 1879, continued a member of that organization until it disbanded, when he joined Merritt Fire Co. and in December 6, 1889, was elected Secretary, which office he held continuously until Dec. 1916 when he resigned, and was presented with a purse of gold by the firemen.
Captains of Fire Company
Dating from January 1st, 1889 the previous records of the Company having been destroyed by fire when the hall was burned in that year:-
1889, W.E. Anger; 1890, Chas. Stapf; 1891, J.R. Dowd; 1892, Geo. Bowman; 1893, Thos. Hicks; 1894, W. Swartz; 1895, W. Swartz; 1896, O. Carey, (deceased); 1897, A.E. Garden; 1898, A.E. Garden; 1899, A.E. Garden; 1900, A.E. Garden; 1901, J.C. McMillan; 1902, A.E. Garden; 1903, Roy White; 1904, Percy Whalley; 1905, H.E. Dawdy; 1906, J.C. McMillan; 1907, W.D. Ross; 1908, R.M. Beatty; 1909, R.M. Beatty; 1910, R.M. Beatty, 1911, H.W. Moore; 1912, H.W. Moore; 1913, Ed Hooker; 1914, W. Cutler; 1915, W.D. Stapf (January to July); J.W. Hagar; (July to December); 1916, C.E. Hickey; 1917, C.E. Hickey.
Officers for 1917
C.E. Hickey, Captain
O. Williams, Lieutenant
H.R. Waldon, Secretary
C.C. Warner, Treasurer
Honor Roll
The following members are fighting for the Empire:
Wm. Earley (returned wounded)
Ed. Hooker
Geo. Bell
Water Works
A system of waterworks was proposed by a large number of the ratepayers in 1887, and the council was asked to submit a by-law to the people for that purpose.
The by-law was voted on by the ratepayers on Oct. 13, 1887, and was carried by a majority of 155, only 45 voting against.
The system was to cost $32,000.
The by-law was approved by the Council.
On Aug. 30, 1888, an additional $16,000 by-law was passed to raise monies for the completion of the water works system.
The system was completed in Nov. 1888, and tested on Friday, Nov. 16 and accepted from the contractors to the satisfaction of the ratepayers.
Mr. D. Ross was Mayor of the town and chairman of the water works committee from the commencement to the completion of the whole system.
Mr. J.F. Gross was appointed superintendent of the new system.
Since then the system has been largely increased by a new pump house and pumps with auxiliary power-both water and electricity and many miles of water mains and sewers-equal to any city in Canada with its population.
WELLAND HAS A MARINE HISTORY—IT IS TOLD HERE
We are indebted to Mr. Jas. Bampton for some of these interesting marine notes of the earlier days of navigation on the Chippawa Creek and Welland Canal. Mr. Bampton’s father was a partner in the first tug that was piloted on the Chippawa Creek.
Tug “Defiance”
There are no records obtainable as the exact date when the tug was built, but is was in the early fifties, (Mr. Bampton thinks about 1852). The late Capt. James Bampton built the hull in Welland, and his partner (Mr. Simpson) built the engine and boiler in Chippawa. The tug was of small dimensions and had an upright boiler. She was built for towing scows up and down the Chippawa Creek, the principal freight being cordwood, stave bolts and shingles, which were shipped to Tonawanda and Buffalo. The scows navigated those days as far as Port Davidson, some miles above Wellandport. Previous to that date the scows were poled by hand up and down the creek a distance of some thirty miles. The tug proved a great boon to the scowmen over the very slow process of poling the boats by man power.
The tug was well named as she defied the turbulent waters of the Chippawa Creek on many a “boisterous” trip.
The tug was in charge of Capt. James Bampton.
The Tug “Whip”
The next tug Capt. Bampton brought out was the Tug “The Whip.” The following is her certificate of registration.
“I, Samuel Risely, inspector of steam vessels, their hull boilers and machinery at the Port of Chippawa, and other ports, do hereby certify that I have inspected the steam vessel called and known as “The Tug Whip” and usually plying between Buffalo and Chippawa, and that I found the vessel to be one year old, that she was originally built in 1860 at Chippawa, and that she has been running one year.”
The hull was built by Barney Crane of Chippawa who ran a saw mill at that place.
Capt. Bampton was master in charge and Geo. Poor, engineer.
“The Whip” blew up a year later at Candasville while tied up at McDonald’s saw mill (between Welland and Wellandport). Geo. Poor, the engineer, was injured and the fireman killed. The fireman was Chas..Gillam.
The engine was recovered from the wreck and used in Brown’s saw mill.
The Tug “L.A. Verner”
Capt. Bampton’s next venture was the tug “L.A. Verner.” She was bought in Buffalo (shortly after the wreck of the “Whip”) but was sunk outside of Buffalo at Horseshoe Reef. Her boiler and engine were fished out and brought to Canada.
Tug “L.N.G.”
Was originally built in Buffalo in 1862 and was inspected at the Port of St. Catharines in June 25, 1865. The boiler and engine of the “Verner” were placed in the “L.N.G.” She then plyed between Port Robinson and Chippawa. Capt. Bampton was master. In 1868 Benj. Diffin of Welland bought a half interest in the tug. She was then registered at Montreal, 11th Aug. 1864.
Tug “Minerva”
Was built at Port Robinson and owned by M. Beatty, J. Bampton, B. Crane, Mr. Simpson and Wm. Ross. She was the first tug to ply on the canal in opposition to Chas. Carter’s tugs.
Tug “J.H. Doyle”
The “Doyle” was the tug that towed the scows, loaded with Fenians, across the Niagara River at Fort Erie, on the memorable morning of June 1st, 1866. In 1876 she was bought by Capt. Bampton and brought to the Welland Canal where she did service for some years. Her bones now rest somewhere near or at Port Robinson There are no records to show that she was named the “Doyle” at the time of the Fenian Raid. She may possibly have been known by another name at that time.
Tug “A.B. Cook”
Capt. Bampton then built the tug “A. B. Cook” in 1885 (using the engine of the “Doyle”). The tug “Cook” went to lower canals.
The engine of the “Minerva” is still in service, being in the tug “Brant” now owned by Wm. Phin of Hamilton.
NAMES OF SCOWS
There was a large traffic on Chippawa Creek by scows and rafting of timber as far back as 1860.
The following are the names of many of the scows:-Iron Duke, Jane, Native, Mackindor, Brown, Reeve, Murray, Express, John Beatty, Reindeer, Sweet Home, Woodruff, Mastadon, Collier, London, Welland, Two Brothers Enterprise, Seven Brothers, Eclipse, Culver, Warren, Skylark, Sawsberry, Hope, Phoenix, A.P. Wait, Albert, Cavers, Navada City, Stromness, Wellandport, Sarah Jane, Victoria, Temperance, Red Bird, Royal Oak, Minnie Rice, Ottimer, President, Seneca, Centennial, Biggars.
Vessels built and owned here in the “70’s”- R. Morwood, Isaac May, Severn, Wahwanosh, Waucousta and Lady Dufferin. The Isaac May was a steam barge and the others sailing vessels.
The first boats to pass through the canal on its completion were the Schooners “Annie” and “Jane” of Toronto, and the “R.H. Broughton” of Youngstown, N.Y. The canal was then only completed to Port Robinson where the boats locked through into the Chippawa Creek and proceeded to Buffalo by way of Niagara River. They passed through Port Robinson on Nov. 30, 1829.
JULY 1, 1917, A SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF CONFEDERATION-SPECIAL EDITION
THE VILLAGE DAYS
REMINISCENCES OF BOYHOOD DAYS
ROMANCE, COMEDY AND TRAGEDY OF WELLAND’S PAST RECALLED
By George Wells
They tell me that I first saw the light of day in a building called “The Ark,” located near the historic spot called “White Pigeon” on the banks of Lyons Creek in the Township of Willoughby. I have found nothing in Scripture that has led me to believe that Noah’s Ark was ever stranded on Lyons Creek, although the Ark I was born in must have been very ancient. Lyons Creek they told me was named after William Lyons McKenzie, the leader of the rebellion in 1837.
The legend as to the “White Pigeon” as was told me, “A man by the name of Pigeon kept a hotel there and he had a daughter, who was always dressed in white, and it being a lumbering district in those days, the lumber Jacks dubbed it the “White Pigeon.”
I received my first education in Willoughby, graduating at No. 6 school. At an early age I was apprenticed out to learn the “Printers Act,” and become a great journalist. Father must have been a reader of the New York Tribune, for it was his intention to make me as famous as Horace Greely, the Editor of that paper.
In 1868 I was apprenticed out to the Welland Tribune (owned by the late J.J. Sidey), for four years at the munificent sum of 50 cents a week and “found.”
My duties, besides learning the “Art,” were to rise at five in the morning, build the fires and sweep out and after breakfast “buck” the wood for the days supply.
I always think father’s intentions were good when he sent me out in the cold world to be a journalist; Father, no doubt was all right as to the studies of the good producing qualities of bumps of clay for the growing of turnips and cabbage heads but he “fell off” on my bumps as a journalist when he put me in the category with “Horace,” who always advised the young men to go west and grow up with the country. I guess I should have went west.
Everybody used wood as fuel those days as there was no coal and natural gas was not thought of to my knowledge. There were several men of the town who made a business of “buckin” wood for those who could afford to pay for it. Tom Lawson and Mr. Downage “Nosie” were the main guys in the profession, and there was quite a rivalry between them as to who could “buck” the most wood, so they used to have many contests.
One instance I always remember Mr. Downage was possessed of a very large nose which caused him to go by the non-de-plume of “Nosie.” On one occasion during a rush of work in the office, and they couldn’t afford to spare my time for sawing wood, they sent me to get “Mr. Nosie.” I had never heard him called anything else but “Nosie” and supposed his name was “Nosie” (which I learned shortly after was wrong.) He lived in a shack on the banks of McCarthy pond, just opposite where the Methodist church now stands. Fortunately for me the shack had double doors-one swung from the top and other from the bottom and which no doubt saved my life. I rapped on the door, and in my innocence asked for “Mr. Nosie.” I never had time to finish the sentence. “Yes” he says, “I’m Mr. Nosie, and you’re Mr. Sidey’s brat of an Imp, you devil. I’ll lick you within an inch of your life.” Well before he could open the bottom door I had a good lead, and it was nip and tuck till I got to office and hid down cellar. We never became friends and he always called me “Sidey’s imp.”It was a sorry day for me as I had to cut most of the wood after that. It was a lucky thing for me that I had been used to herding wild steers at home or I guess “Nosie” would have caught me.
Speaking of McCarthy’s pond that is where Merritt Park now looms up. Many’s a game of “Shinney” we kids had on the old pond.
Charlie Page and Herb Pew, clerks for R. Morwood, always called me “Sidey’s devil,” and “I never had no use for them.”
Saturday nights in winter after I was through with the “devils” work, I had to cut wood to last over Sabbath and then walk home nine miles for an appetite for breakfast on Sunday morning.
The Arrest-Another sad story. The print shop was upstairs over where Douglass drug store now is. Mr. Cummins had a drug store where Mr. Brown’s Jewelery store now is, and a sleeping room upstairs. It was a cold stormy night on Sunday in winter and I was living with Mr. Sidey and fortunately never left the house that night. While Mr. Cummins was at church that night he had some $30 stolen from his room. Next morning two stalwart constables walked upstairs in the print shop and arrested me for the robbery. The Constables were Nelson Patterson and Wm. Campbell. They took me in charge between them and were marching me down to the coop when Mr. Sidey came to my rescue and told them I was home all evening with him. So they set me free, but it was a long time before I got over the scare.
Spent many days in jail-but it was Billy Wilson got me in jail. Billy and I were great chums those days. They say Billy was born in jail. Billy’s mother was matron, and I used to like to go to jail for she always had lots of good things to eat. Those were happy days in jail then.
We used to hold shows in the basement of the Court House. I remember when they played “Pinafore” and the girls took all the parts. There were Minnie Girven, Flo Ellsworth, Emma and Ella Strawn, Minnie and Etta Griffiths, and I can’t remember the other girls names. Minnie Girven made a great hit as “Dick Deadeye,” I think it was. It was a great success so the girls said.
That reminds me I started to be an actor once. The play was “Betsy Baker,” there was one thing I remember about it. I didn’t make a hit in my part, but someone in the audience did-I think it was an overripe tomato. I quit the show business.
We had moving pictures in those days. They called them panoramas. I remember they were a large painted canvas and were turned by hand. The first I ever saw was in the old City Hotel Hall. I thought it was the finest thing I ever saw.
This happened before my time-it must have been in the 50’s. The village was divided in two sections. A number of people came from the States and settled across the Creek on the North side and started in business. There were Moses Betts, A. Cosby, Seeley, Rounds and others. They had planing mills and saw mills. It was on the 4th of July that they started to celebrate. They had a small cannon which they had placed on the Aqueduct and were firing salutes, in honor of Uncle Sam. A crowd of Canadians was mustered on the East and West side of the canal and creek and went to put a stop to the celebration and in the melee the cannon was thrown in the Creek and the crowds dispersed without any serious bloodshed. I was told the cannon was never found after.
The old swimming pool-a part which remains to this day, it was opposite Hooker’s brickyard. Every night, we lads would be there swimming and while in the water the big boys would come along and tie our clothes in knots, and when we would go to dress would tell us to “chaw beef,” and it was some “chawing” before we could get into our clothes.
Snake Eaters- They said there were people who lived in the marsh that used to eat snakes. I never believed that until I saw a man acting queer on the street and on making enquiries I was told he had the “snakes,”- I guess the story was true.
The Enormous 63 of Pelham-It was about the year 1867 that the Tories had a picnic here and they had a flag floating with the words: “The Enormous 63 of Pelham.” It seems the Tory candidate had polled 63 votes in the township of Pelham at this election.
Commercial Hotel
Thirty Years Ago “1887”-The Commerical Hotel, corner of South Main and Division Streets. The view was taken from this corner looking north.
The Commercial Hotel was the leading hotel in those days. It was conducted by Mr. Vanderlip. The hotel was built by Mr. Chambers, who was drowned on the “Golden Gate” as he was returning home from the gold mines in California.
The old City Hotel Hall was where all our theatrical entertainments were held, J.H. Young, S.J. Sidey and M. Collins being in charge. Mr. Young, manager; Mr. Sidey, treasurer and Mr. Collins, scenic artist. The seats provided for the audience were planks borrowed from the saw mill placed on goods boxes borrowed from the merchants.
Three familiar characters around town those days were: Paddy Connolly, Geo. Offspring and Jno. Ferguson. Paddy was noted for his wit and the other two for their strength. They called Offspring the iron man and it was said that he once took a bull by the horns and threw it.
Ferguson had a fight with a bull at Cooks Mills. They say he “threw” the bull, but never fully recovered himself from the effects of the tussel, and was badly bent for years afterwards.
They have all passed in their checks but the bull still flourishes.
The first race course was located between what is now Division Street and Welland Street. Divison Street being the home stretch, and the finish about where Hellems avenue crosses Division. The first race I remember seeing must have been in 1869 between Bett’s St. Lawrence and a horse from St. Catharines. Bett’s horse won the race. St. Lawrence was said to be the fastest horse in Canada at that time.
There was quite a little excitement when Harvey Beatty bought a velocipede and gave an exhibition of its merits. Its merits as a speed getter did not amount to much.
The Dick Turpin of the town-His name was Lon McDuff but we called him “Duff” for short. He was the leader of the gang, with headquarters under Sherwood’s warehouse, located between the old and new canals. I never belonged to the gang because Duff said I was too pious, old rope and copper boilers were their main line. They sold them to the tinsmiths. The worst crime they committed was stealing the proceeds of a Sunday school collection at the Methodist Episcopal Church, which amounted to between 10 or 15 cents. In dividing up the spoils they quarrelled over a 5 cent piece and gave themselves away. Duff disappeared and was never heard from afterwards. The wise ones used to say that Duff was a clever boy, that he might become a preacher or get hung. I guess he got hung for we never heard of him afterwards.
The rag business was quite an industry in those days. Clayton and Hopkins, Salem Girven and David Pilbeam, tinsmiths, were all in the business. Each had several rigs on the road. Exchanging tinware for rags. They would start out in the morning with a load of tinware and return with a load of rags in its place.
That reminds me that when I was working for 50 cents per week, I held the corner on the rag market for some time, but finally went out of the business when I was raised to $1.00 per week.
When I went at journalistic business money wasn’t very plentiful. The boss had to take in pay for the paper from farmers, potatoes, wood, cabbage, turnips, apples, or anything in the vegetable line. I’ve seen the time you didn’t know whether it was a vegetable store or a print shop. The boss generally sold most of it for cash as we couldn’t eat it up, and then I got my pay. He had several subscribers who paid cash, and they were also his correspondents. A lot of readers kicked on the news sent in by these correspondents but the boss couldn’t turn them down as he needed the money to run the business.
More Trouble-It was on the day of the picnic and were all going to the picnic. That is the whole staff, the boss, the foreman and the prentice (the imp). There were some bills to press (that was all we had at the time) and in my excitement to get away to the picnic I unfortunately let the inked roller butt into the foreman’s starched shirt. There was the “devil” to pay then, and it was some days before I sat down with comfort. However, it was fortunate in a way for the foreman luckily had a change of shirt and I didn’t.
Another time I was sent to the Telegraph on some foolish errand when I was taken and my head put in an ink barrel and then plunged in a tank of water and then sent back, shedding tears and vowing that I would quit the business and go back to the farm. They tried to fix me up by washing my head and face and hands with lye, which they used to wash the ink off the rollers. It was all fixed up with me and I stayed on.
I wish I had known Oliver Twist at that time, then I would have had someone to sympathize with me. After I read Oliver Twist I always thought of Lon McDuff as the “Artful Dodger.”
The first I remember of hearing about Natural gas must have been in the early sixties. They were drilling for oil on the Lemon Dell farm in the township of Crowland (near my uncle’s farm) it being at the time of the big oil excitement in Pennsylvania. Nobody thought of natural gas in the bowel of the earth at that time. The well had been drilled down several hundred feet when the driller was working away one night with a lighted lantern when a vein of gas was struck which rushed to top and became ignited from the lighted lantern and burned up the derrick and machinery and the well was abandoned, many of the population thinking that they had found the eternal region. Gas has flowed from the well for many years.
The bookstore-there was a bookstore in connection with the Tribune office and it was my duty after supper to look after the store. The bulk of the sales was 10 cent dime novels, in which we done quite a trade. We also handled the Police Gazette. I used to keep the cash in a tin box and it was my duty to safeguard that box, every night and carry it home. I would probably have from 25c to a $1.00 in the box, but I never stopped on the road till I landed the proceeds in the house. There were no lights on the streets in those days.
1889-Earley’s Big Hog-Wm. Earley proprietor of the Frazer House was supposed to have the biggest pig in Canada. It’s weight was 1200 pounds, height 5 feet and length 10 feet. He sold it to New York people for the museum. It swallowed a sponge and died.
Earley’s Dog “Turk”-We remember “Turk”, the good old dog, a friend to all the kids and all the older ones. “Turk” was a big Newfoundland with beautiful curly hair. It was a common thing to see “Turk” with three or four youngsters on his back carrying them around. “Turk” was entitled to a humane medal for saving the life of a child from being drowned in the canal, and he recovered from the canal many a hat blown from the heads of pedestrians as they struck the breezy corner at the canal bridge. “Turk” was poisoned by some inhuman being.
Another stunt was the taking down of the shutters in the morning at 6 o’clock and putting them up at night, anywhere between 10 and 12 o’clock at night. They were made in sections so it depended on the size of the window as to how big your job was. I had two windows of 4 slabs each of 18 inches wide and 10 feet long. We piled them up at the foot of the window as they made a nice seat for the loungers who used to hang around and tell stories, but mostly spit tobacco juice all over the stoop for me to clean up.
The Bear Scare-This was my first real excitement on arriving in the burgh. It was on a Sunday, Sept. 13, 1868, a rumor got around the natives that a bear had been seen down in the marsh of the Creek just below the Aqueduct. A crowd was soon got together to hunt the bear. It was a motley crowd with all kinds of weapons –shot guns, hoes, forks, picks, and other implements to hunt the bear. The crowd was in charge of Wm. McGuire, J.P. Evans, Herb Pew and Geo. Lampman. We lads ran down the opposite side of the creek to keep away from the bear. We all climbed up trees to keep away from the bear. We didn’t know at that time that bears went up trees. After an hour’s chase through the marsh and mud and water the bear was treed and the excitement was awful. The chiefs with their guns primed for action crawled through the grass and mud till they got within range of the furocious beast when the leader gave command to fire. The volley did the work, the animal dropped to the ground-dead-but only to be an innocent “coon.” The following day the leaders were all marched before Squire Burgar, the village Magistrate, and soaked a dollar a piece for killing the “coon” on Sunday. He said if it had been a bear, it would have been different, but a “coon” had as much right to be out as they had.
A real bear story-This happened before I started out to be a “Horace Greely,” it was about 1860, they said. A bear was seen in the woods at what is now Welland Junction. It was the kind of game our hunters wanted. Thaddeus Hooker, Frank Ott, Bob McClelland, James Anderson and Beam Noble were the leaders in the hunts those days. After a few hours skirmish “Mr. Bruin” was discovered, whether they all had a hand in the assassination of poor “Bruin” I never learned. But he was not instantly killed as Mr. McClelland will tell you. He was the hunter sent to interview ‘Bruin” and as a parting farewell the dying “Bruin” bit off a finger or two, perhaps a thumb. Mr. McClelland still lives at the Junction and will tell you about the bear-the last they say, that was ever seen in this section.
I remember hearing the wiseheads say that Alex McKenzie worked on the Aqueduct as a stone Mason and quit the job to be boss of the Government. I don’t know if that is right or not but I do know that Alex Brown worked on the Aqueduct, and that’s why they call him “logs” now.
I have seen McCarthy’s pond grow from the home of watery reptiles to a beautiful park; have seen the village grow from a selvage of outskirts to a mass of streets, and from a village to a city.
Soldiers Aid Commission
Chairman-John Goodwin
Members-J.F. Gross and J.D. Payne
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