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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1973-12-13, Page 228A—• A gentleman from -Baltimore When Attrill came 10 the Ridge by W.E. Elliott "A Baltimore gentleman who has been on a visit to our;town is so pleased with it that he is desirous of purchasing a , property. He made an offer of $4,500 cash for The Ridge, which was declined, it being held for $5,000." This item of local news in the Huron Signal of August 6, 1873, held promise of what, in the time of Editor J.J. Bell, would have been a big story. The allusion to "$500 cash" ought to have tipped him off, and nearly everyone in town would likely have known the name of a man who with his family had spent the surnnier in ,,Goderich. On Sept. 27, the Baltimore gentleman acquired The Ridge for $5,00.0 and became owner of the log -and -stucco cottage built in the 1830s for the Dutch Baron vary.-Tuy11, on the north side of the river. The land com- prised 31 7'10 ares. The Signal evidently got- to know about this by Oct. 22, and was able to name the purchaser as Henry T. Attrill. It was understood that he intended to use the cot- tage as a summer residence. It turned out that purebred cattle, witb carriage horses, sheep, hogs and poultry, were soon to be seen on 500 acres, with a farmer in charge, a. great new house , for the Attrills and a park of oak and pine to. the north. Livestock means a year- round-operatitin, and the far- mer had a cottage (still there): -44 but the Attrills did winter elsewhere. In California, the late George Sillib said. He related that 'as a boy he kept the place waren in the cold months by .means of v. ood stoves. Attrill's farm buildings were to the north on land now oc- cupied by the airport, and they .are long gone, but the stables near the house remain, conver- ted to the Motor Age. EDGE OF AN ERA It was the beginning of an era, with Elizabeth Attrill driving' her high-stepping pair along Hamilton Street and the Square, a coachman beside her, and stopping at stores from which the proprietor, no less, would emerge to take her or- ders. Sundays, the carriage came to St. -George's, wherein - Henry rented a pew up near the - front. Upon it now falls the light from stained-glass win- dows in memory of a vanished family.' It is recalled that the carriage also brought one of the "sisters to school in the town. The Signal could not, of course, have foreseen the sinking of a 12 -foot -wide shaft below the Ridge to rock salt at 1200 feet, with experts from Germany and elsewhere. trying to find a way to shut off the flow from a mineral spring. Failure to' do so at the time made the difference between an $80,000 hole.in the ground and the multi-million rock salt mine now operated just across the river -mouth from the filled- in Attrill shaft.. Attrill when he came to Goderich was 55, vice-president of the People's Gas Company in Baltimore, and owned property in several states. He was ac- customed to daily papers and enquiring reporters, and would have told The Signal of his plans. But Mr. Bell lived in a time when fires were fought with a hand -pump, when Grand Trunk locomotives bur- ned cordwood,. and most stores wore wooden verandahs. • He dick not have a telephone, nor a reporter. It may be that he did not have a nose for news. Attrill made no secret of his plans to- „develop a new enter- prise" by digging out salt in- stead of pumping brine. Should the salt be found sufficiently pure, it would open up a new source of wealth, _ he "said, as there was an unlimited market for rock salt for packing. pur- poses. The Ridge, at the time Attrill • bought 'it, had been up for sale seven years, ever since the sud- den death of Registrar John Galt. It was 'advertised in 1866 as having "stables, large gar- den, vinery and orchard; woodland consisting principally of oak, flowering linden, cherry, maple, etc.... The grounds are in very good order and there is a never -failing spring of pure water. The situation for a private residence cannot be sur- passed in the Province." For terms, application was to be made to Thomas Galt, Esq., barrister, Toronto, or p. Shade Gooding, barrister, Goderich. In August, 1873, The Signal had reported a movement to obtain The Ridge for the town as a public park and pleasure ground. The town fathers, evidently had not got around to considering this idea when the opportunity passed. The deed of Galt's 31 .7/10 acres was signed in Montreal 'by Sir Alexander Tilloc•h Galt, no longer of Toronto, who by this titre held title to the property,, and by Lady . Amy Go5don Galt, his second wife, rthe party of the third part being, "Henry Yarwooci Attrill, of the City of Baltimore in the State of Maryland, Esquire." Curtsey DeI$yed Sal tricko sick and 1 star alas of th assoc in Gc Ove thrilh Clowi Mr. tragic tivate The' Registrar Galt's brother Alexander had been ,a member of the Legislative-Assemb.ly in 1849, a 'Father of Con- federation and the first Finance Minister of the Dominion. He was knighted in 1869. When he quitted the Macdonald govern- ment and becafirst High y� Commissioner Ior Canada in London, it was learned that Lady Amy could not be presen- ted at Court because she was Galt's deceased wife's sister, a no -no in Church of. England marriage law. Eventually, (Donald Creighton writes) Queen Victoria took into con- sideration that the second (continued on page 10A) "A NEW SHIPMENT HAS JUST ARRIVED" STOCK PANELING -- FROM 111 - After Henry Attrill of Baltimore bought in 1873 the log cot- tage at The Ridge, he built this two-storey-and=a-half house adjoining it on the north. It was the family home, at least in Hospital Auxiliary gives scissors summer, until the death of Mrs. Attrill in 1900. (photo by W.E. Elliott) President Mrs. J. Berry, presided at the November meeting of the Women's Auxiliary of the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital. A large number of people of Goderich and area viewed the paintings by. J.W. McLaren in the "One Man: Exhibit" spon- sored by the Auxiliary. A sub- stantial donation was given to the Auxiliary and this will he used to buy needed equipment for the hospital. Tim Elliott, administrator, has suggested that two specially eeuipped wheelchairs are needed in the hospital. The auxiliary will purchase these. Reference books will be added to the medical library. This is an annual' project of the Auxiliary in order to keep the library up to date. Engraved surgical scissors were given to Judy McConnell and Lynda Cook, former Can- dystripers who chose nursing as a career. The Auxiliary will assist the Candystripers in the purchase of new uniforms. A bursary is offered for a student of Goderich arid area who is registered in a school of nur- sing. Many new items of children's clothing and hand-ifnitted ar- ticles have been added to the Gift Shop which is just inside of the main door of the hospital. As a result of a visit from Mrs. Betty Cardno, of the County . Health Unit, interest was shown in "Meals on Wheels". Voluntary help will be'' available from the Auxiliary. Bob Henry showed excellent slides featuring flower*, scenery and events of local interest which were appreciated by the members. The way to a man's image is in e these smash fashions! 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