HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-10-16, Page 77'
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QQ'clerich, Ont. 147A 2G4
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Two-way traffic .was permissible on The Square wheA this picture
of the Albion Block was made. Some of the traffic is pictured for
PoRerity. Vehicles got close to the stores; the. sidewalks were
narrow. The dimly visible letters FEAltabove the Kingston Street
corner indicate George A. Fear's drugstore. W.C. Goode, a better -
remembered pharmacist, was in business at the same time as
Fear, evidently at some other location. In the Signal's report of the
Albion Block fire in 1895, Goode is located at the corner. This pic-
ture shows an opening in the Crabb Block, between the corner
building and the old opera house — an entry to rear of the stores
still found in most blocks on The Square. lillis,entrywoy„was, long
ago built over, and only the windows advertise the cliAnge. A
mysterious feature of this picture' is a four -storey building at the
drugstore corner. In a similar picture published in the Signal -Star
on September 18, that corner is only two storeys in height. '
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1.4w440,'
THURSDAY,OCTOBER 1 6, 1 975
"Sahara" at lakeside
SECOND SECTION
Signal screamed
for waterworks
BY W,E. ELLIOTT
"The waterworks system is a
demonstrated failure, as far as a,
big fire k concerned. We might
as well be in the Sahara as on the
banks of Lake Huron. The
dribbling pocket wells did not
give it -an up-to-date supply."
Using its news columns for
editorial comment, the Goderich
Signal on October 24, 1895, con-
demned the primitive firefighting
system which depended upon
wells or tanks distributed about
the centre of the town. Not long
afterward, a, network of -water
mains wTai'd, and a pum pho use
at the -harbor supplied pressure
as,required.
- • • at • • • „
Miegglitir
•
HOW TO SAVE MONEil AND
CANADA'S ENERGY RESOURCES By
DROPER FURNACE SERVICING
. ..
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Use thiv co/cif/a/or to measure the efficiency of. vow: oil or gas furnace. The hiA)k explains everything that .
. .
you and your .verviceman should (lo to Aare J/id and /)/0//ey. BOth bet'. It'he/1 .1'0// Send it/ the (0111)(111 /)/O11.
How much much of your heating dollar
is going up in smoke?
Get your furnace in shape for winter—
so you can be both warm and a little
richer. You'll cut your -fuel bill by as much
as 25%, and help to conserve Canada's
fast -dwindling energy reserves:
As ,A NATION -We ii:aste more energy than
..sonie countries consurne in total: Were on
an energy ,binge. that we canno longer afford.
.cut-backs now will he easier toface
than shortages and even higher prices in a few
years time.
For every $ I-00 you spend on energy at home,,
more than /10' of it go6-into heating. So your
furnace is a great place to start saving.
1
Check the efficiency •
of your oil furnace.
k your oil furnace working at top efficiency?
Find out: •
Look for a dirty flame. Lisft the flap that covers
the s,mall holcon the front of your furnace. If
‘.ou'see'hlack smoke coming from the tip of the
burner needs adjustment. Call the
se ry ice Man.
Inspect for soot. Shut the furnace off and poke
a flashlight inside the box. An accumulation of
soot Means it time for a service call,
." Check the barometric damper. '1'his valve
between the furnace and chimney bumps open
and shut as the wind blows and as the furnace,
cuts in and out. If it sticks in any position, you're
wasting energy.
2
Putyont serviceman
to Work twice a year.
A thorough oil furnace check-up in summer and
mid -winter can cut as much as 25% frQm your
fuel hill. (If you have a gas furnace it should be
checked once a year.)
Remember, it will takeyour serviceman about
two hours to do a. good job on an oil furnace
(somewhat less on gas).
He should remove soot from the firepot, heat
exchanger and pipes: check the stack temper-
ature: perhaps try an oil ,nozzle -10% to 20%
smaller (or the rawest tiring rate recommended
for your furnace).
'If you're paying for a complete check of the
furnace and heating .systcm,,make sure you get
it. Start by readOg The Bil1payer's Guide to
Furnace Servicing.
free hook,explains everything that you
and your serviceman should do to.save fuel and
money. (See coupon' below.)1t has a complete
oil and gas furnace chealist,..and' a calculator'
for determining overall furnace efficiency.
3
^' • •
Lower your. thermostat.
Dropping your setting from 72 to 6'8°F will save
about 1 0. If each 'of us saves 10%, Canada
will conserve 8 million barrels, of oil and 24
million cubic feet,of natural gas each year.
It's time to pay the piper. •
We can't live in the future as we do now. The
Please send me
a free copy of:
the Billpayer's
Guide to
Furnace Servicing
Name
Address
City
Province Postal Code
t — -
the
billoaver's
guide -to
servicing
I • -
Mail coupon to: Furnace Book, Box 201,9,
Weston, Ontario M9N 3R4
•'•
resources simply won't be ravilable. Here are
two facts to ponder: .
• If we continue to consume at our present rate
of increase, Canada will need twice, as much
energy in 12 years.
• The capital costs 'of developing new sources
oT energy 411 Soarto.$110 billion over the next -
10 years — an investment of about $20,000 for
each Canadian family.
It's no longer a matter of choice, We nuot
save energy lo save ourselves.
Free information
to help us. all.
TWO FREE HOOKS; The 13illpayer's Guide to
Furnace Servicing shows you how to sive fuel
by t proper furnace servicing. It explains 'Whitt
youcan do. and what your serviceman .0(add
do. Free when you send in the coupon.
100 Was to Save Energy and Money, in the
Home has 160 pages -89 of them to ,help you
get the most heatingefficiency at the lowest cost.
MORN=
✓ amormo •■■•••• Emmons omen6a roam=
Piease.s'end me
a free copy of:
100 Was to Save
Energy and Money
in the Home
Name
Address
City
Province
Energy, Mines and
_Postal Code
Mail coupon to: 100 Ways, Box 3500, Station C,
Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4G1 ^
Energie, Mines et
Resources Canada Ressources Canada
Office of Energy Conservation
Hon. Alastair Gilleeple
Minister
Bureau de la conservation de l'energie
L'HOn. Alastair Gillespie
Ministre
The , occasion of the
newspaper's outburst wag' "the
most destructive fire Goderich
has had in years.", In two hours,
on -Saturday, October 19, flames
"left the large and handsome
Albion Block completely in
ruins." It was said a lamp in the
upper flat exploded, but no
conclusion was reached, and in
those days there was no Ontario
fire marshal to investigate.
When the flames reached the
liquor stores and the winter's
fuel, "the heat was intense...A
bucket brigade was able to save
A.M. Polley's stables...W.C.
Goode and W.T. Murney (but-
cher) undertob'k to have their
goods removed, bue„ Snell & Co.
kept closed doOrs and none of
their goods were destroyed in
handling or stolen, as was the
case with GoOde and Murney.
One woman delibtrately walked
into Murney's shop. and took
'awaY a ham, Dr. Whitely's ef-
,fects were removed 'from, his
office in rear of Goode's."
Not chronicled by the Signal, a
young man, visited Goode's
drugstore a number of times,.
perhaps, for he distributed
bottles of perfume to girls in the
watching crowd. He acquired
that . night the nickname "Per-
fume",
LOSS SAID $45,000
The newspaper reported total
loss in the fire as $45,000, with
insurance of $13,000. It did not say
when the Albion was built, nor did
it vouchsafe the name of the
owner, though it announced that
the hotel would be rebuilt. In the
October 31 ssue it named
Buchanan & Rhynas and Harper
& Lee as re -roofing the gound-
Q• floor stores.
Search of available documents
has failed to produce material for
an adequate narrative of the
Bedford family's connection with
the hotel, or a proper story of the
long tenure of Jevie Mcrean
Bedford, who died in San Diego,
CalifOrnia, April 12, 1923, That„
year is one for which the Signal,
file is missing, and that of the
Star is fragmentary. The April
issue of the Star in which a useful
obituary article might be ex-
pected to appear, is missing, as
well as subsequent issues up to
'June.
Such as it is, the narrative
may as well start with the early
history of the hotel site.
Blocks fronting on The Square
were divided into two lots,. The
One between South and Kingston
street § comprised lots 122 and
123, • and their history 'is largely
identical.
In 1841, being vacant or
perhaps with temporary
buildings, these lots were sold by
Dennis O'Brien to Henry Ran-
sford, who had just moved infrom
his Tuckersmith estate 'to be
nearer -Goderich society, and,
built a house in the Maitland
• Concession where Piper's mill
later flourished. His purchase on -
the market square may have
been by way of an investment; he
sold after seven years to John
Bedford.
It is regrettable that so little
0' can be learned about this John
Bedford, a well-to-do Entlish-
man, who lived only nine years
after buying these lots on The
Square. When or why he came to
the Goderich settlement we may
never know. His,name is not in
the 1857 poll book, so it is not
known where he lived.
He bequeathed "all mydfamily
plate and pictures" to three '
unmarried sisters in England. He
appointed as executors Benjamin
Parsons and Thomas B, Woodliff,„
merchants, and left them 20 ,
pounds each, directing them. to
dispose of his property 'lin sound,
safe and secure investinents for
the maintenance of My natural
,on John 'Bedford until he is 21."
The date of Bedford's death is
,0,,,iimed as 1857 because in that
year the e,xecutors sold the lotspn
The Square to John McDonald.
"Carpenter," (Evidently not-.
.John McDonald, sheriff of Huron,
Bruce and Perth.) The carpenter
paid 450 pounds, or about $1,250,
for property described as "Lot 1,
east side of South greet, 'and -Lot
1. south side of Southeaststreet."
Goderich streets had not then
been named, except North,
South, East, West and
Lighthouse. Southeast street
became Kingston. When this deed
was .registered, the 'further
description of ."Lots 122 and 123"
was penned on the front. ,
8E1\4 PARSONS HAD IT
MacDonald sdld the property at
once to Benjamfn Parsons, first
• mayor Godetich. Ten • years
later. George H. Parsons sold it
to John Bedford, aged 19. No
mention of a hotel is "found at this
point, and Bedford died January
11; 1872. The Semi -Weekly Huron
Signal of January 16 reports, a
-runaway on "Dunlop's Hill," but
provides -no obituary. of Bedford
— only a death notice of "John
Bedford Esq., in his 25th year."
There- is some indication that
Bedford's will was made off the
day he died, indicating an ac-
cident or sudden illness. Though
only•24 years Orage, he had a wife
and three children. He left his
wife, Jessie McLean, an annuity
of $500 and a bequest of $2,000
each to his daughters, Mdrgaret
Ann and Elizabeth, "If and when
they attain the Age of 21." The
executors were, A.M. Shephard,
master mariner, And Duncan
Shade Gooding,' lawyer.
(Skephard is spelled thus in the
records.)
The son, John Stephen Bedford,
is not mentioned in the will. He
became of age in 1889, in which
year Shephard as executor gave
a lease of the Albion Hotel to •
Jonathan Miller, who at the time
had more than 20 years of
hotelkeeping ahead of him, in-.
cluding some years •at Hotel
Bedford. This transaction ap-
pears to indicate that the sur-
viving executor, Shephard not
only managed the Bedford estate
but built the Albion. If so, it was
by arrangement with the Bed -
fords.
When a lease of the Albion was
given John W. Marsden in
January of 1895, the year of the'
fire, it was signed .by Jessie
'Bedford, widow of John. When
her daughter Elizabeth died in
1894 she left to her mother all her
real and personal property,
"including my interest or share
in Lots 122 and 123 on The Square,
known as the Albion Block, and
also my horse Dick."
When Mrs. Bedford died in
1923, 51 years after her husband,
two of their three children were
liVing. The estate was passed on
to .1ohn Stephen Bedford and
Margaret Ann (Mrs. William.
;Preen) "share and share alike".
Other bequests give•usthe names
of two grandchildren, Beatrice
Elizabeth Green and Bedford
Stephen Green. Administrator of
the estate was "John S. Bedford,
hotelkeeper." •
John Stephen Bedford sailed
the Great Lakes for a number of.
years before settling down in
Goderich. It was 1914 (and he,
would be 46) when - Capt.
Shephard as 'executor conveyed
the hotel property to him for the
custOrnary $1.' At that time, the
Bedford was conducted by Fred
Davis, who went West in 1915, and
two years later was elected to the
Alberta Legislature as 'member
for Calgary North.
Particulars of subsequent
lessees and owners were given in
Signal -Star articles on July 6,
1972 and July 11, 1974.
John S. Bedford owned the
hotel at the time of his .death in
1832, aged 64, but he had retired
from its management. From 1927
he owned and occupied 181 West
Street. His wife, Catharine
McLean, died three years before
him, and he had a housekeeper,
Mrs. Bowler. The Bedfords‘ had
three children: John, Kenneth
.1
r
Verdun, ,and‘ Gladys Elizabeth :•
(Mrs. H.G. Allard.) John Bedford
and Mrs. Allard lived in Los
Angeles.
ALBION FOUNDATIONS
The Bedford Hotel was erected
in 1896 on the foundations of the
Albion, burned 'in the .,,previouS
year. The architects, Eden Smith
and E,ustace Bird,„of Toronto and
Barrie, provided in the
specifications that the contractor
"is to patch and make good the
foundations where necessary,
and is also to the openings
in rear wall now standing, with
similar stone work .20 inches
wide. The rear, wall now standing
is two storeys high; the con-
tractor is to take tO top storey
and may use the material,"
The main entrance, hall and
reading room were to have a
layer of four inches of "coke
breeze concrete, leveled on top
with cement and sand, and
prepared •fpr tiling:" All lumber
was to be of the' bet
square sawn and "well seasoned,
all timber not exposed to be pine
or hemlock, exposed timber to be
second -quality pine. Joints were
to be 12 by 2, plates 9.x 3 studs 6x
2,'beams 12 x 8 ceiling joists 12 x
2.
The specifications called for a
"beer slide". to be made of '6 x 2
oak rebatted and champered
' jambs with proper ,,steps and
rails, covered with doors made of
11/2 tongue and grooved boarding .
properly ledged with 6 x 4 oak
meeting bar..
The dome, still a prominent
feature, was to be formed as
Shown in the drawings. Floors, to
all rooms except on the ground
floor, main entrance and corner
reading -room l , were to. be laid
with 3 -inch wide and,1 inch thick
clean wrot-tongue and grooved
birch and maple alternate on one -
inch thickness under floor, laid .
diagonally.
DINING-Ea/OM STALK
The stair leading to the dining -
room from thepllety, as well as
the main stairs, were to have
two-inch closed moulded string
11/2 inch treads with cove under
one inch risers well blocked and
glued and with allr, proper.
carriages, all of maple and to
have 8 x 8 built-bottpn) newel
posts and 6 x 6 upper ,posts,
turned bannisters out of 21/2 x 2'/2
.set On top of strings 31/2 x 5
handrails, with necessary ramps
and casements, all to detail.
Iron balconig were to be put on
"as shown in plan.;' The bar,
office and main.hall,doimstairs
were to be sided above the
wainscotting with metallic
ceilings.
Mantels and grates were to be
counted at $50 for each.fireplace,
to be chosen bythe estate, "and if
prices lower, to be allowed to the
estate. Plate glass in the barber
shop was to be in one light, not
two
The building on the old foun-
dation was required to be com-
pleted for occupation by June
20th. The part of the building on
new foundation was to be com-
pleted July 20, 1896,
Huron F of A
discusses dead
stock concern
Work stoppages and dead
stock removal were the two
major topics for discussion at
the October meeting 'of the
Huron County Federation. of
Agriculture heat] in Etelgrave.
The problem of dead stock
and its ramifications are'not
new to the member's of the
federation. Discussions at
earlier meetings this year had
evoked concern among some
farmers that. diseased dead
stock was put to use in pet food.
'Thursday night's discussion,
however, fOcused on an aspect
of dead stock closer to home:
its removal and the costs in-
volved.'
Up toSeptember 4, dead
stock removal companies ij
Huron County chard
anywhere from $5 to $15 for the
removal of dead stock from
farms: -The farmers, therefore,
not only suffered the loss of the
animals but also found they had
to pay to have the dead animals
removed. Some farmers,
frustrated by the entire
situation, tried to find other
ways to solve the 'problem,
including leaving the carcasses
to rot along roadsides and in
open fields,
This information was con-
tained in a report presented at
the meeting by 'a committee
established by the ,Huron
County Federation N to in-
vestigate the :matter. The
committee,''composed of Mason.
Bailey, Jack Van Wonderen
and Adrian Keet reported that
an average of 45 carcasses over
500 pounds were collekted daily
in 1-luron CoUnty. At a rate of.
0 per collection, the total
comes to $450 per day or over
$160,000 on an annual basis.
Charges for dead calves and
pigs would more than double
this amount.
The committee came to the
conclusion that dead stock
(continued on page 10A)