HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-07-16, Page 57a
People rented rooms
"During the building of the house,"
Wright recalled, "several parties sent che-
ques and drafts to obtain rooms for the
season. One in particular, known as the
`lumber king' of Saginaw, sent me $100,
but for one reason or another was always
unable to come. I wrote to him that be
could take out the money by proxy. His
reply was short and characteristic of the
American "Too busy to come; as to the
$100, let it rip-"'
Wright called 1877 his banner season,
"with 200 bona fide guests in August,
which meant 600 to 700 meals daily. Let-
ters andtelegraphs brought requests from
50 others, but they could not be received."
From his journal in that year he produc-
ed for. his reminiscences a copy of an in-
vitation sent to a couple who were among
the leaders of Goderich society:
"Mr. and Mrs. Wright to Mr. and Mrs.
Otter, and they request the pleasure of
their company at an evening party, 30th in-
st., as a slight acknowledgment of the
liberal patronage extended to them. Danc-
ing from 8 to 10. Refreshments half -past
ten. Point Farm, 8th August, 1877."
Albert M. Polley, a liveryman who came
to Goderich from New England, opened a
branch at the hotel, and provided a four -
horse coach to meet trains. The Huron
Signal of July 29, 1881, reported as follows:
"The Point Farm coach, swarming with
living freight, attracted considerable at-
tention on Wednesday afternoon as the
four-in-hand dashed around the Square,
the Stars and Stripes being waved by an
enthusiastic passenger. Mr. Wright was on
board, but how he managed to put that,
Pomo 33
fore the iiote1 was _finished
many persons into and upon the ,coach we
cannot understand."
Among distinguished guests Mr. Wright
mentioned General William Tecumseh
Sherman, at the time commander-in-chief
off the United States army; Mrs. Garfield,
wife of the 20th President; Bishop Conroy
of Cork, and J.B. Bengough, noted Cana-
dian cartoonist.
When General Sherman, accompanied
by an aide, arrived from Washington to be
a guest at "my house,=;,' as Wright termed
it, the staff co-operated in giving him a
proper reception.
"I possessed a brass cannon," Wright
recalled, "and borrowed the Stars and
Stripes from the American consul in town.
It and the British ensign were suspended
from the balcony over the main entrance.
On the arrival of Sherman it was found
that quite a number of our children. were
sons and daSighters of old comrades.
Several affecting scenes took place as he
took them in his arms.'
Wright took the general apart in one of
the summer houses to reveal to him the
whole story of an earlier visit to Goderich,
at the time of the Fenian raids in 1866.
Wright seems to have felt that it was too
well known to need retelling for the public,
but the incident has been related by
William Swaffield, a member of the
Goderich garrison under Major Ross.
"A ship came in sight and made for the
harbor," he wrote. "It turned out to be the
revenue cutter Michigan, with Gen. Sher-
man on board. He knew about the excite-
ment and perhaps wanted to see what we
would do, for he got under the guns before
coste,SOT! YOUR SPE C1AL OCCAS j0
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• . • . .
he unfurled his flags. 1 thought our men
should have put a shot across his bows."
Subsequently,. Gen. Sherman was enter-
tained by the officers of the Goderich gar-
rison at a "sarartuous dinner."
At the start of the Point Farm enterprise
and for many years thereafter, Mr. Wright
has recorded, "'a very great advantage ex-
isted, as compared to conditions now. Then
domestic help was good, cheap and plen-
tiful, something that will never occur
again. This proved of great assistance,In
managing such an establishment."
"To give an idea of the amount of
business I did at this time, 1 sent Steven
Andrews a written order to lay aside for
me 100,,pounds of fresh meat. This did not
include hams, bacon or eggs. The, last-
named were required at the rate of 40
dozen a day. As much as 100 loaves of
Bread we got in one day from Belcher's
bakery, and it took the milk of 10 cows to
supply this article of diet.;'
For the entertainment of guests there
were dances, concerts and singsongs. G.R.
Elliott, now a retired petroleum consultant
in Santa Monica, writes that he has "a
very distinct recollection of getting a sum-
mer job at the hotel as porter. "Rothwell
was the manager. The Rothwell family
came up from Detroit for the summer;
there was a boy and a girl about my age.
Ping pong Was popular. As I remember the
hotel, it was pretty old even at that time,
with creaky verandahs."
According to Mr. Wright, "it was a sim-
ple matter to provide spiritual entertain-
ment, for at one time I had six ministers.
There was Sunday school in the morning,
service in the afternoon and sacred song in,
the evening. One enterprising clergyman
discovered that there were quite a number
of members of his faith, and obtained per-
mission to have prayers after breakfast."
Such details being missing from Mr.
Wright's reminiscences, it is necessary to
invoke the law of probability and assume
that there were fireplaces on the main
floor of the hotel. Nobody seems to recall
indoor plumbing, but in the bedrooms were
ewers (pitchers) and basins of a type now
regarded as antiques.
The steam yacht Thomas Wright, built
by Charles Wells (Wright states) was
launched July 20, 1874. "A party of
townsmen numbering about 4Q,was invited
to be. present. As the boat slid into the
water, the proverbial bottle was broken as
cheers went up for the health of Tom
Wright (son of the proprietor. Healths
were drunk and speeches were made by
Matthew Hutchinson (of the 'Big Mill')
and others. Captain Dancey acted. as
engineer and took charge of the boat on the
trial trip as far as Four -Mile Point, but as
there was no landing place we could not
get ashore. However, the staff engaged in
building the house assembled on the bank
and shouted a welcome and fired the brass
cannon which I had picked up from the of-
fice of Black & Young, Detroit. The craft
did well, coming up to all expectations.
Later I built a dock 75 feet long, straight
out into the lake, which gave eight feet of
water at the west end, so that in calm
weather she could land passengers.".
Congratulations
Colborne Township
on your
th Birthday
The Council and Residents of,
West
Wawanosh Township
CONGRATULATIONS
COLBORNE
ON YOUR
SESQUICENTENNIAL
From your neighbours
in Goderich Township
V11
REEVE: Grant Stirling
DEPUTY REEVE: Laurie Cox
COUNCILLORS: Case Brand
John Rodges
Carol Wammes
CLERK: Robin Thompson
TREASURER: Ben Whitely
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