HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1947-01-08, Page 7R
Wednead'ayl January 8thf, ,1047
SHL •
' ,'UCKNOW SENTINEL,. 't7`CK$(JW, ,,oNTAr o
In'the ITIOnth of •May. 18441% a
few. score emigrants frrnxi'the
P
seen, more`precious treasures; 'the-
essentials,
the
essentials, ofr material and spirit-
' ual 'stability.;arid success nava � l
sound bodies,. :well stored
minds. unbending wills;.: •faith in
Ithe. .
the future�. f the aa d �.of •
•o n their
adoption,:.and love for .'the= house.
of : God...':The also carried• a :few.
treasured -books standard au
"'hors no' . fiction),.. :With •'such
physical; :spiritual and 'mental-
Y p ,
equiprtrent, they''were:.:nready: to;
brave 'I the ' unknown forests." of
Cana•da ` ••
"
Fr :
Amin such,.: material.we will
Highlands of Scotland, boarded
the' sailing Vessel B itania ..of
Newcastle, at Greenock, bound
for Canada. They were going out'
;Into .an unknown world, many of
!them • leaving' comfortable homes
• and occupations in their beloved
native land, -knowing thy were
. bidding it all' `a' last 'farewell, yet
they were '.cheered and.: buoyed
up by the hopes before : them,, by
ties ' of, affection binding.. them...to
the friends left behind, by bless-
ed memories of happy homes,,.and.
the, knowledge they would not be
`forgott in the,pra ersdaily•and
nightly. ascending to heaven on•
their behalf.:Most of therh were
'•ejected 'by. heartless landlords
'who •rwished, to enlarge.. their
Isporting grounds and game. pre-
serves,: vihich the crofters, as
tenants ; occupied.: They ' • came,
bringing with thern' only' the bare
essentials of.;trans ortation in
rude' chests. and :boxes; +but:•with.
the necessaries for .bringing new
life to -Canada, they°,carried'. un-
plenty may 'te *strange reading'
,-to the '14N -fellers this. day 'of
_steamships,, . railroas; palace cars,
and airplanes,' Che :vessel 'was
filthy,, • . unsanitary .and disease
laden... The rnind of . the traveller
changed to, the bleak •of infinite
weariness,: and the monotony be=
came oppressive,-izym.bed by ,the
continuous 'swaying. and:'rolling,•
hour after hour,' and one persist-
ent,'saineness, waves, . storm : and
More waves, ;and all this,. iniigled
with .anxiety`and ; dread of; -the
than-.• ::different "diseased ' among
there,. John. ', and' '•Mary, e. v e`r
-watchful
for the children, ;that
they Wou•ld •not get into -•danger
Mit they could not' tope with. ' th
exuberance of children.. They.
were ever on the .:go,, heedless: of
warning. Mary,:;being kind,.' prac-
tieal':nurse, went: atnbng'.:the sick
and suffering, . relieving • ••a n d-
soothin , wherever she.: could,, ,es-
ecia
1 anion '
l the s
all x
p � o t
, $ . ria P, •P�,.,
tents, speaking words of •comfort
and Cheer tb':the .dying.,:
.With what 'delight land was 'at*
.41:ast :, • si hted .'r „
v r"
g + an, verk.'• w b
inia in'ed, ; altho
g , ug'h; their trials
.were by no..means''over,. Several
of the.: sick ' were : taken to : ; the
:isolation hospital, •:.among .thein
- • „v- . . � v a +r t
'Sunny face It was: noticed he *as
Stricken ' with blac "me ,sles.
shortly before. l'a;ding.
•
• grandma was allowed .to`.go' with
'him, .as •',`she • was too 610,1a, con-
tract ':;the disease' ' The family
co;uld,, do'
'. 'ai
u o nothng•'butawait their.;
r•e he•—sic•
b'
, ack 'to' 'coritnue' he' our'
.. �r � : ney'+.
:but randm . `
a came back. alone.
g�
Little 'K-enneth's :graver is. �. un
known and i Unmarked, but' a
wei • ht.:like,
. g .. a cold': marbled slab,•
lies on'their hearts, as they wend
their :way . weetward
.y Mary -.ever
.a a•intainpri"• her •faith 1r' 'GOA, 'a rl
strove to corn
fol t John��'`and ,the
`children, when ,they Seemed'•. n;
consolable. She would say, ",We
do:. not' 'grieve alone ' 'em:e nber
'grieve : r
loct heir ' -.. •_
too. We -;%;=3.4.4_L•
' n
ew.not` of
k the grief' of
others ritil
u now The L;'ord gave,.
' and the Lord has taken away,
Blessed''.bc the name of: the Lord.•.
Kennethwas spared ` the hair
ships of life, arid". we have' the.
memory"
'Aft r t:.-
• e landing at. Queb c, they:,
` ce `de' ori to: i ton
' r e d b:' �:wa H� I
o m
P g +
Y,•
no o e e. i` ° ds ut ro h
t v r pay d oa b ug
corduroy roads •'.sometimes:`' by;
Y ►,
boat. too; .yet thankful ••they were.
:s aredk o Colne thus 'fa'r on their
ouvn• t itvra't
y•
wagon '' to convey. • them • • from'
Hamilton to their destination . on
.
the. Chord:Of „Lake -Huron,:.but 'the
rime s
driver, evidently' fiord. ,wen es
of,`hirnself and :horses, aver rough
'roads,: left thein about 'half 'way..
'to. shift•, for' themselves. 'Happily,
the were 'dumped out ,near a to
Y pg
church,'and:stable, at dusk With
• the. box' of -blankets and';clothing
the brought with: •-thm, ;, theyy
r y , . w
made themselves `quite: ' Comfort .
ab'l'e for afhe night` in 'the stable.
Next •ri orfiing the, man of the,
manor (who- happened, to:' be `'the
Rev. Donald• '`MacKenzie: of; the
` of Zor'ra) , took: the
:township.+
Weary. travellers into' :his ' house,
where•- they, partook of his kind'
hospitality. Meanwhile ,he gath-
ered men •who' built a cabin 'azd
equipped it with • a fireplace and
other necessaries. Here they stay-
ed :`for the next; two' .years, John
helping with the • clearing of • •the
land.. Mary ' scat up• 'the weaving
:loom,` and was 'soon veryobusy,.. as
hotrmespuns and hoi'ne: manufact;
ureal bl•utnkets,,and'plaids were al
nio:st the only cloth of that day.
Many of the :women .of these days
i~ould• shear sheet,. 'and put the
"wool, through, ;all the processes
until 'it' appeared 'in fine broad
Cloth suits on the wearer's back:
The ' log church of Zorra is of
1114 ,1)r�1Cxc'tl . Earn ''
' single out" one:: family:;._asp. a fa`
efr'. i
sample •' of . t c rrrti on '
h o pan s One
can see•at a lance .t a ha
_g. h y
• traits of a,_ Pine hopeSt character:
written n" their l':stron kindly
On ter g k dly
laces. `1'
a s .Da nt es . c u'a•e: i'
�ce. u s . o r shines
•thei l . •••' eyes, ;through.>w , clear eyes,' as
i,
they'were peer,ng:into the future
`,•
and ',seeing great thin s �'�a coni
, c g g c,•
• lished 'there... John :MacLean :
aged :forty -el _ ht;, 'his' wife` Mary;'
Some: years 'younger, :.with their
three children`, Sara :aged `' 'eleven,
.strong - and : capable.,. Alex nine
ears robust and' acti.ve`: and .igen
n
et • ri ' a riou blue
.e.
h,. leve .ye , rs `of se s b ue
es l• . 1
eyes and..; a. halo of ye low. curls,.
:ever . x
wondering' anti. a ploring,
as•.•is the ` wa of ''children when
..Y
• on •new•4andi', unfamiliar ;ground.
There .; riy
was. also Ma'r . mottle`'
Y r•
S,
seventy five' or more years John
was no£ familiar•;w:rn hard work
or 'hardships, being" a steward in
. a Scotch:. _'entleman'.s: horrie 'for.
a number •of `years. When ..the
`: gentieitian died :the estate was
a.
:'divided'ainon' the' John
g d .
was: adrift with 'other unemplo -
+ P Y
ed `but with memories. of :a: kind
and, just`ieiriployer and; friend. We
wonder how 'he Will ',fare as a
o i. •
pioneer: in the forests of Canad
A • short• time. of r
.before leaving
cotland,'•. a lad ,;. passing their
, Y P g
home ni -ht ;and
o •eitaken, •by � g
darkness• asked •i theycould a.c=•
f
comod t - i r:sta`
a her ::b �.• letting her Y
until morning and being .;hos i -
P..
stable, the- made'her welcome: A
Y
few,. days later, all five were 'laid:
low with, :small ox, • but in'` due
.p .
tine • recovered' without a' mark
of `the: dread disease, and were
now anti/lune from it;:which.•'prov-•
d to be••fortunate later on
'The+essel • starts .with, its cargo
ofh'
t'imanity and'.:good's,'`' but all
who started ,did not 'reach. 'Can-
ada. Some .were 'buried at .sea,.
others: died . on reaching land.
Very manysuffered from.loath
4 •
some .diseases peculiar,•.to emi-F
grants -,in those early days;,, They,
landed iris Quebec in fifty-eight
days, .and . all that time enduring
the' discomforts and: necessaril.
_, Y
courses, fare of ,the now, forgotten
steerage passage of three or four
core years ago..,
1`Iow.,these early cora"rY
d, tl)e new land
placed by a stone -cairn in mem-
ory of ' the' contribution it has
made 'in sending forth eminent.
men to the` ministry, missions' and
legislature.?
The` next'_move of the' .Mac -
Leans .was to take up Mand ..they
could calltheir own, so westifarrd
'they came tO the shore of Lake
Huron, where a few `'had. taken
land in order to be near' fishing
as fish vasa necessary part of.
'the, staff, of life. Here they -were'
• made welcome until they, could
hew a ;,home for themselves on
their, own- land, .John, ,a
•
c
o
•
aoand.Young Alexeachea
ried naxe,weast six"
•
or
seven. iles oft. the journey. ,The
look » the ;land' pleased. :then • so,'
w
y decided to locate thee.
Its was truly the land for youth,
Where the pathless -forest, was
astir with. growing„things, things, inno -
cent of, roads or t ie w • ys: of man;
rs • foliage • flowerand : li g
:. o .age of • alb:
kinds abound ed among. the'state- •
.ly 'rnaple, .. beech., ani hemlock'
"trees 'There were also :living.
things. Birds of 'man, kinds made,
the woods rind with 'their -warbi-
h
•ing ; melody Furry animals,. bold
aid timid .:all enj�ying life to the
full.
They :also met a ,:black bear,
fo f he •made' a. hasty retreat„ ,
e 1l of ::the 'O of living
in s 'ch a • 0 1
u w r d ,Sv�iun his ,axe
•
4a, g
and felled the e f i�st 'tre•°' of`''the
•
.dense •forest which was: ' .'thou{`,
a't r'eak••for'man �•:m A`•cl;ear
Y'
in was soon made •a sliant .'built.
made: of stones ''said ; clay, and in
• due time, 'a s, able, ::Th'e' famil
.. n+ nd e • g+
y
registered i a Land office :and
their deed:-forthcomin on:" the,
payment f t:wo'^.dollars. ' r acne.
•Pe
We cannot say .with what -pride.
the viewed their'hanwork_:and.
'their s•trroundings and': inaudibly
:whispered, It is our ver :ow
and „we may yet see, our. neigh-..
g
bor's chirnrey smoke even` b
the treeto:: s": Thus lie :s• •• i j
eter a'1.
n on "triumpYiantw;ng John
lays .his, nn
., y h bo et •aside,' :after his`
.hard days ,work and a simple
fare "Let us . worship;G "
od,:he.
with sole
y ,mn air, �; before
the': retired:to rs
Y e t..• On :arising'
helnornir g though:`'busy no
. gy,
,;work ,was begun until of fain-'
rl w" rs
o hr'Thus . oil
• p . •. r pioneers,:
' a new
life a e
1
'began,n w abor,
with renewed hope, although 'the
;solid • fores.t challenged the 'Metal:
of which they were made
4•
years,_`'the: Settlement :'was au -
s g
• Mented : b cthert'fam 1''
. . y. i res, chiefly.,
fromthe e Highlands •of' Scot- and
drawn to .eth r
g e on the 'piincpIe:
that big
dsof'a
feather: flock' to-
gether, :b
Y ;thesame law.
.which,
w
du�co
vered;con-
trolled.. the fall• .f, the
appies� to
'the earth....They. "all' s oke the
same` language . '.which .� he i t
'.the
h gh
lander claims was. fir ''
er first
en •iri.
the �,Ga'rderi
'!of ;Eden.•'Some; v'f.
their' descend nts are yet to' ke
foUriclt.on"ithe' same land, •but -•the.
.language is: almost forgotten: All'
the land was' soon ;ta'ken, upland
•shanties :erected ori every
t
dred acres, The-'oods became
•
vibrant with lite'. and sound,• by
the zip of the axe and.;••the zoom
of fallentines The :handling • of
the axe►°the Pioneers.,n1] iplc-
merit 'toy..^clear the land had'' to.
be labogiotisly learned but 'they
'had the consciousness Of. the 'fact
�tlat • every tree felled improved
the • hope of 'a ' cleared •.farin in
then*• proinised:• land. How those,
hardy, sons•. were 'welcomed;. by •
,the earlier
pioneers, fami
ly
•
a'fter. , familytramped through
woods and.
swamp, clirribin'g.over
fallen tree buti.
f t•rding at last,.
a havrn of rest for their
k7tidi'e. ' 'rhe ;lrytt. cairn- May'
W. 'Y
.q'
PAGE: SEVEN ..._,.,•
4
•
A,4
,Luctnow,• Ontai
•
FireCaSual.t..
f A to ob` le
able for the wayfarer andtheir' miles f distant ''and i -..the receiv-
> Y
ioneering • corn anion : The
p iP � Y
soon.v;learned• `with :the skill :of.
;experience, to ' cut deep *notches
in rows of trees, then to•i •fell the
first trees in the row 'which
►o
Would bring the -others down like
ten pins
Social life ' and activities began
with the making of maple, °sugar,.
syrup', and• sugaring off.`. Quant
ities,of sugar were:made'and car-
ried on their ;'backs to the 'nearest;:
Market,:' which ' was over twen '
miles distant pan}. Xc ' , nforY
r-ocerie
s and g got ' e. -�nec ' caries .. .. h,. x es
There was always "'danger - of.
the children ' losing • •their Way in.
the trackless forest,,. and set upon;
b *wi4ld'erriirna . as o zxae.wer_e
but as''ollificatio ���ns' of the' young
'.
•
t
people :were mingled. with. their
hard work. and 'activities,:,'as .the
skirl of the bagpi es:; echoed . and
p. .:
;re-echoed through : the .':;:forest,
which; made sweet Melody.: to ;the
soul ',Of
.'„the. e .highlander,: . •
... h... it was
noticed the wild animals in that
art' of:'the•. townshi ' ' disa ' e• red
•'P p , t pp a
entirely "
ti io in•eC
'`.
:4and��'' ekes
and to ` in chaff' s brawn 'and
gg g n +•:..
mu'scle and • the; help. of •the'
,Pat-
ient: o
.ren',. Were 'the order of the
•d
ay; and'.the inevitable• in ��
g
sin ing acl bol;•• ' uiltin bee'' arid
g,.g :4 g
other'- :forms of :;
sort broke the
mono t
oton .:fl
f hard work. B
i
Y . , . , -push
fres. -and.. •
marting .:� Byes; .from
smoke • h '•n
a ds '•black -,and rough
b the:' land ` clearing: rocess:
es were.
forgotten e f • gotterf. as they.
tripped
the
pp light .fantastic fill;•
strong,'leathers. arid• homespun
wn
o. s. •There'w s •n
gowns.. _a o :jealousy,
a on • the . irls: if .their':gowns'
n}., g g _, g..
were' not as .elaborate 'as their cis=
ter s' 'a 1
l wore their bright' eyes
and 'rosy: `cheeks .to` the Iles ad=:
t
Vantage, testif in - - t `.the` health•
�, xrg�
of 'the great.' outdoor`. life. in the
woods, conscious that pleasure
:Cort;ies by :: toil •`and ,not
... Y.
e a letter
fro the ho • e • folk,
'
d
t
went -five e
is 1 .• '
be du
t n e .:;
y d_
:for postage. ' It ;vas: also many
years. before the:weekly- Globe;.''•'
be a to. collie .
n to.then, and' it
g.
was' • very little of 'the. 'outside
world these pioneers. knew, :
Within° ten °or twelve' "earn
y.
John' exchanged art of his land
for • a team: 'of, horses; •. harness and
was on • .and ,sleigh. Ile„;.and Alex
g g
'did most of the teamiri of rain
and other ' r •.duce, to the ne re
market 'place, ttwenty' miles:
t nt n m, P -
a ge erally.-over;y deep ' snoiw -,
as. the. winters Were severe.
At the beginning. of- .the. settle,
ment, the pioneers determined to .: -
build:An.. altar ; oto, Goll, ,wllo had
•
• roug t them sa e y ;' rou'g
erils to the lard: of 'their a 'do
tin :
o e :confident � con en they
.They wxe fd t y
, were guided,sustained, and led `
thus' far' and -that" they would: b'e •
'established in the 'things' for' the
g
highest good ..;., • . 4.
By thee :same token •they
leve. •• err m ssion, use: ar was
riot far -Mere: Material ::accumula
tion• but true�'to the .best of their
,
beingsiri'tiia i reals were ever.
+, P
before their : vision: With :this
rrmind, `the resolved to' lay' -the
Y
foundation thaf'would `sustain ;t'•e:'
'• character'.'of the race, from which:
' the-y-h-ad-'sp-ru ng:
Theyseemed to •hay a .cdr `'on
::.
'delight; for •.` public ,worshi and
would 'gather • together, ::.reading'
and.;' singingso salms in the cabins, •
• ,
the
year'•:
1$50,+ the
ary:, arrived.' After 'S..treritiOuS
..:
years of building rt.
.• l? ding roads arid'.clear.. .•
in ': land ` fighting bush fires ' and;d
g n
providing;
the.necessaries of life
for; •their .families 'they built. a :
church ,'''• called: a minister :and .e1
ected •' elders and' officers;.,b e
. aeing?
happy in, establishing a 'place, of"
wogp.
shi This was .a .,
1857. s bout:`': • ;.
Thep .pioneer women
.
were
ere ver
y
cenresourceful' in -thesedaYs1. They
They knew ..nathin _ ;of tem
e ' al peop1e<.irj allose days, as
•
they •''were:`;, too `.busy •• with;` the
everyday life of: hard- work and
good cheer, and never heard • of.'
:divorce except
'to ,rend' of it - in
,the:/3.2,b10.1/1 due time: other f'rn
ilies:'anre,,among -them, Inot, of
,the hi ghland ':
g ., . , , race, • so 'could ,not;.
speak•'•,Gael bu 'who:, cast
their • lot ..with ' 'a:• people with
Whom, they'.labored ,and bou•ug ht
alnd•sold, and. learne` .'to `love arid
trust.
Schools were -organized.
and
'luhlt and.' some children; now,
grown tornandhood;, learned the
three"R's''''more through
`rule.. of thehickory stick ,than
through' system, hoWever, :.ahe
were -glad pf ,, the opportunity, in
any, 'shape:
The , was.very t
d fertile and,
onl ' the ' n ' l
y • •iip ,ement fill.. planting'
and . sowing was the hoe, .at long`
the•''tree,,roots.• The ,roots had to
-be pitied .out ' by handspikes, :lie-
fore. the oxen 'could -draw a plow
through each .little• patch: of Land,.
T13only 'reaper . was sickle:
The :only •,thteshc-`r; ;for. ' Man'
The
' was,. the ,,..1 .•. Y
•As ';,Progress, advancod . mills
were set up, • and t'nany fine tree.
Were awn into lumber for build'
',rag Then grist mills, grocery
-tereq;,blabksmith shops are,, i
•.'14 tinu es For nm' ;
e;ary,
aVe
would• take a Sick'l' - and .• cut:.a
through a process. that sepal ated
the .` hull • and ,-straw ` fro*
. �. •... , the
•rain This• th' rs °would':' 'rind
a. mortarand ; 'iriake. :elici
ous
011 .:w �,
f this While'. a
w`o:uld
be. :.und'er ; ' 'P're arat:.
A ,o.ri: )
kEnvietr:Y ourg;... spin, and •.
One young lady (Aunt Sara
Maclntyre) ' undertook to walk`
alone;
• to town;'twenty miles dis-
tant, for. Medicine
'As:" .she did not have the
of a ,bed • •in =; town,. ' she ,'walked
back;; leaving:'at dusk A •,bright. ,
•
night was in 'her 'favor, :so ,that..:
she could follow'the blazed'trails, •
ford three rivers ,and, climb over
'fallen trees, When a• .mile out o.f
town she met• a bear,. "4As'•.a 'proof.•
that She „:%'ass not. eaten tp, 'she
lived to the age'of 92Y ears,'and,''.
could count: • her money in" six
'fi ures •
g in her' lifetime _ ': • . • .
A •
(Continued 'Nett Week) ''
•
r• HEALTH .GA,ME'
A, game entitled , Eat:.:Right
Score'. High" is ava'•lab•le for
health edueatio'n Can
• pare. .
:ticiularly for schools, It is based
'•on:Can ,, . ....a
ads s Food Ru1e,s ;and'1rra,
lidos am:usernent as Well; as z'n
tt ii''tion,
`rhe gaiiiesh, ,are 'obtainable
,h •Provincial' .Healthde=
• L Iticalth.:-Units.-'.,
.,