HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1983-06-29, Page 74or
Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 29, 1983—Page 22b
A poem, Lucknow's History by Robert Graham...
•from page 21b
And if man's sin is there forgot,
It cannot be the parson's fault.
In the town hall upon the hill,
With shelves of books the mind to fill.
The ancient and the modern style
Of stock therein would reach a mile,
To suit the taste of those that read,
And knowledge wish to fill the head.
The lawns and gardens spread around,
A multitude that now abound,
Of flowers bright, a rich array,
That pleasure give by night and day.
The bulbous kind in fall are set,
Of sweet aroma daily met,
The annuals and by -blooms too,
Give all delight for to review,
With lilies rich of every shade,
Conspicuous raise their showy head.
The violet sweet and daisy see
That still delight the lover's eye.
The rosebud too of massive bloom.
To cheer the heart of all the gloom.
Clematis and the jessamine,
That in the sun forever shine,
And all of them for to admire,
That fill the heart to love's desire.
Here still proceed and onward go,
To shade trees stand in a row,
With foliage dense in summer's day,
Where warblers sing and love to stay,
That cheer the hours of gloomy time,
Each year that come from sunny clime,
In gaudy plumage that delight
The eye and heart when come in sight.
Their tuneful voice delight to hear
When on the bush that they appear,
And offspring there that hatch and raise,
All through the long, bright summer days,
Of which then leave in early fall,
And all their flock diligent call,
Then fly away to southern home,
From where that they in spring had come,
With grief each year that with them part,
While song is cherished in the heart.
Of the short history that 1 wrote,
Some may amuse of facts to quote,
In year eighteen and fifty-five,
That in the woods we did arrive.
With ups and down of early life,
Had met on paths the joy and strife,
Then in the forest thick and dense,
All gloomy shaded and immense.
No house or friend then near at hand,
For miles around throughout the land.
While Indian roamed then at his will,
The forest game to eat and kill,
And language could not understand,
While dreading vengence from his hand,
All vanished now, while here we live,
Of the account to others give.
O'er fifty years residing here,
And yet the place to us is dear,
While that we sigh for those now gone,
Still thankful feel not here alone,
Kind friends we have and neighbours too,
And hope will last till life is through,
No foe we know, and none we find,
A dread disease in human kind,
All cheerful, happy seem to be,
That on the face each day we see,
The running rill, here our delight,
That yet admire by day and night.
While years rolled on, had smaller grown,
And we by age that truth we own.
Year eighteen and seventy-three,
The Lucknow people did agree,
And then and there emphatic state,
The village would incorporate.
Of eighteen hundred names had told,
A village site for to uphold,
When Campbell then and Sommerville,
Both leaders of determined will,
Request that people all unite,
Incorporate the village site.
Petition that to county sent,
To show the way that people went,
Bruce and Huron at the request,
Left to a vote which liked best;
A warm dispute just then arose,
To which of counties they would choose,
Then some of Bruce, some Huron went,
And names had sent to Parliament,
There placed on file, set on the shelves,
CONGRATULATIONS
TO
LUCKNOW
ON YOUR
125 BIRTIIDAY
Wayne Peachman
Chevrolet -Oldsmobile Ltd.
708 Queen St., Kincardine
396-3367
That left decision to themselves.
While Campbell and MacCrimmon's claim,
That Bruce should have the honoured name,
With Graham still ever on their side.
The voters sought through village wide,
And the request, sent Government,
To show the way that people went,
Then Somerville for Huron stood,
T. Lawrence, Mooney, William Hood,
And then the ruction did begin,
While that each side was bound to win.
By many rows and bitter hate,
The Huron side had met defeat,
\And not forgot till called by death,
To cover up in mother earth,
Of Council first M. Campbell Reeve,
With Maclntyre the second chief,
Treleaven, Lawrence, Mooney, too,
Establish law the village through,
The clerk then Graham and that pro tem,
That through the wars had frequent been,
For some dislike - -not wise to tell,
G. Burgess did position fill,
In later days, then ran away
With village cash, had took for pay.
The Council was a jolly lot,
Supposed to be without a blot,
Of work and jokes did not relax,
On Mooney's chair had spread the wax,
And when he rose to order call,
The chair stuck to him through the hall,
Of trick well done so slick and neat,
That up or down he had his seat,
The Reeve and Council they would smile,
At way of Mooney's civic style,
And ever after waxy call,
When on his seat or in the hall.
No more we see the sights of old,
Of which to others now is told,
Enchanting scenes of bygone days,
When Nature ruled by fairy ways,
And of those days now see no more,
Bright Nature's garb that still adore;
The recollections bosom thrill,
And there abide for ever will.
The streets of Lucknow all admire,
And churches with their towering spire,
Of lawns and garden, a delight
As they appear before the sight,
And show ,to all the art of man,
The skill and science of his hand,
Of scenes on earth that can remove,
Make fertile fields from forest grove.
The massive structures that now see,
Erected where that grew the tree,
Where people go now to and fro,
On roads as smooth as prairie snow,
Of homes thereon with carpet spread,
Where people can in pleasure tread,
With furniture of late design,
And silverware that ever shine.
,Rich pictures hand around the wall,
'Delight the sight and heart of all,
Pianos of mahogany,
The boys and girls that daily play,
Gold lace on windows for a screen,
Where none before had ever been,
With checkers, cards and of pearl dice,
Accomplishments that's deemed nice,
And wonder oft how money come,
To deck the house of rural home. °
Of modern day it is the style,
To brighten up and ever smile,
While on life's path we onward stray,
Ambition has the ruling sway;
Yet some are plodding day and night,
For cash, to find another bite.
There's something wrong we would sup-
pose,
Of brain, the muscle or the clothes,
While earth supply each one the need,
Of beast and bird, to get their feed.
Now Lucknow's history 1 have told,
The time and date that lots were sold,
Of progress made still onward since,
From the dark forest thick and dense,
But few alive to verify,
The facts of history that I try,
As one by one through time has gone,
Which ran in life the race we run.
By accident some lost their life,
And some by toil and worldly strife,
A few by seas' tempestuous wave,
Turn to page 23b0
BEST WISHES,
LUCKNOW
ON YOUR
125TH ANNIVERSARY
Lucknow
Les Petter Shoes
528-2011
BEST WISHES
TO
LUCKNOW
Wm. A. "Bud"
Hamilton & Sons
PETROCANADA East End of Lucknow on Highway #86
LUCKNOW 528-3006 or 528-3616