HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-05-10, Page 10HE WI
X
Serendi•
by Alice ;Gibb:.
AY '1lk 1.0�,
,Recently someone : iuggeSted that what my column
needed' WAS- a`t' little spicing op - will. some sc`•s and
scandal. for example. SinceI haven't Male across, either in
the historical annals of the area, and Since r not sure the
edittir would allow me to publish tho tale's •,eve:o: if l did:,
thought 1'd settle for a Vomancen instead.
Now unfortunately this roma,ttO.doeSrr t take plate its
the area- in fact, it involves, a matt and 4.wwtinian MU) iltw e w
its the town of Chatham well. ow;er a re-ntury ago
The hero of the tale is George Puck. Jr„ who. t;anir"" to
Canada or tipper Canada in 1.821 to be enact with his
Englishparents and brothers and sisters.
The Ducks started taut aS. pioneer farmers but when.
youngGeorge reached the age When tt wra' time to go -Out;
and •seek his fortune, he decided he preferred: urban to
aural life. George Jr. settled in Chatham, -where he clerked
its a, stare for a time before taking up the study of law and
becoming, one of the town's leading Attorneys..
George has achieved some fame of sorts however
because of his writing; habits rather than his profession.
George was the historian's dream. a man .who, kept an
informative andcolourful diary for the years 18:*4« IbS"'
and. part of 1$59. ',Until his death at the age of 38 years.'
General :historians, value; the manttSeripts for their
discussion of legal cases, mention Of the political leadcr5 cif
the timeand a d the descripptions of bowearly Canadians
managed to'travel the distances ,franii oni town to the nest:
But we're rot interested in these drier facts. The story
related here, primarily by: Mr. Duck himself. is the tale of
the lawyer's honeymoon` when the- younger widower
married for the second time. It. may not be" scandalous"
but.hopefully my unhappy reader can find a little romance,
in the :tale.
September 4 (Monday) This day One of the happy days
and one of thehottest days of the summer: tNote how Mr,
Duck is always careful to record the daily; weather
conditions. even on his wedding day!), Went to the lake to
`bathe at.,b a.m, and at 11 a.m.:went to Willow Grove and
was Married by the: Rev. Mrt
Holland to Enima.
Breakfasted and started at 1 pan. for the Chatham station.
Groat Western Railway. Arrived at Shaving nearly -killed
one of the horses by the intense heat. Arrived in Detroit at.
8 and took up our quarters at the Biddle House which we
found a'..very comfortable hotel and having twco rootns" -
parlor and bed room; found the charges moderate,'".'
MISSED DETAILS
•Noww, obviously Mr. Duck has missed a feiw .details here .
a description -Of- his bride's dress might have been
appropriate, whether or not th.e couple cw.erostaying in -the
Biddle House bridal suite and, even a brief -notation 'about
whether or` not there were guests at the happY occasion,
After all, surely Mr. Duck's wedding deserves a little mord
attention than his overheated. horse''
September $ (Tuesday) "''Walked: about Detroit 'this:
morning with nty wifealthough the dais still continued so
intensely hot that excetcse is out of the question" and after
Iittte
Passins the day in reading. sleeping and OecasiPnally
taltinit sneaks -without enjoying onemoment of coolness, M
• p.m. at'!c took. the .steam Western World for Buffalo.
September b tWednesday)' "We had a very warm time
on board the Western. World: The wind was aft and just
about 'kept: up with 'the pace ,of' the boat. We were,
however. only 'lbhours:fromDetroit=to Buffalo and arrived:.
*the Clarendon about ;`w p.m. In the evening we went to
the Metrophtian Theatre. saw twwo good ballets, and, the
Bawd :Fatally. and as this was the first theatre Emma•, bad
over attended. she was much anu sed•".
Surprisingly, Mr, Duck has rememberedhet"s not alone
on hishoneymoon and even More surprisingly, when
compared with later entries, in his diary, he hasn't noted
the price of the theatre': tickets.
September ' tThursday) "Breakfast at the Clarendon.
about' 9. After breakfast we took a walk to the railway
depot. Dined at Clarendon about 2 and afterwards -wrote:
some letters to. Willow Grove and Morpeth. Let at 5 p.m.
by New York Central Railroad for Albany. Arrived at:
Rochester about $ and stopped all night in consequence of
A fire .having destroyed the track and delaying the cars.
While it was being repaired, we went to a place called
Congress Hall, , here the ac om dation was indifferent.'
September 8•4F'rida'l "'After walking about Rochester
p ? g
for a short time this morning, we left at 11 .a.m. by New
York Central; Railroad express train for Alban -Fare from.
F Albany
.,Fare
56, each. Passed through several remembered
places on the canal. Dined at Syracuse badly for 50 cents
each. The road in fine order and after travelling 300 miles
arrived in Albany at ''. We put up at the Stanwwix Hall.:A
place wvhich seems to be tolerably„good',”
Saturday Merited mention only, for the weather
conditions, and the Ducks discovered Sunday wasn't much
_
better �. "Ren•iained at home nearly a It day, y � Whe n 1say
.
home l' n the Stains -1x Hall. The day was cold and
o
stormy and not at all tempting, to go forth. In the afternoon
took a,long walk alongatond rful part of the city of
Albany tailed Broadway. Dined. at 1 and after dinner wrote
letters hone. Did nor feel very well today. The change of
weather made us feet: aguish."' tagoislr means chilled,
feverish'.
On Monday, a minor tragedy further disrupted the
Duck's romantic holiday, "'Intended to start; at::t a.m. :' b
ma yy
steamer for New York via Hudson River. Our clothes which
had been set out to dash on Sunday morning last did not.
arrive until too:1ate." But all wasn't 'lost -. and : the. couple'
eaught'•a later, steamer, which took them up the Hudson to
the most exciting .city of the day. - New York,
September 12 (Tuesday) "Today up at 9. Breakfast very
comfortable in New York, Afterwards took a walk 'down
Broadway, then up Broadway in an .omnibus, 614 cents
each to the Crustal. Palace, in which Nye spent three hours
very much pleased: Home to Prescott House and dined'
very well at p.m. In the evening to Wallack's Theatre and
saw "School for Scandal.'' wellacted and dramatized.':
September 13 tiYednes!dayl "Thismorning walked
,tboe• New+ York a good deal is search of a dt'essmaker and
at I, ng,h went to a tip top establishment 581 Broadway
kept by a farm called L.M. Killen, Afterwards went
through a shopping ordeal fah, a glimmer of a sense of
humour/ to buy a dress, Afterwards .went to call upon our
New' orkclients and wwas, generally wvell.received,.
September 14 t'l'hursday) "'This dao' looked rather dark
and lowwering, but as w« had made up our minds to go to
Brooklyn. we took a his about 1 p.m. to South Ferry and
grossed over south .of the Battery to Hamilton Ferry,
thence went'southerly to another ferry. Came back to the
Prescott House and dined At .5. There was .a dinner at the
Prescott House this evening' to Commemorate the entry of
the American, troops Into the city of 'Mexico.";
September l' *t rrdayl ""L.eft the Prescott, House at 2
p.m. today, Did not find the price as high as 1 expected and
rather moderate considering; the style. Took cars by N.Y.
and Harlem RR for Albany where we arrived safety at .10
p.m. Fare almost 52.50 each."
George Duck obw iottsly has an eye for a bargain..as. Well
g 'n rtunately. he seems. to have been: '.
as for the weather, l fo
ed with his • its his purse. For
as egonom}. mind t proseP
v' ''a td•his wife were back in Albany on
eNcampte" w..
in he an
d•
return trip • to Chatham he notes, "In the evening.
John H. Nichols called and introduced me to Colonel Wood:
%who is the proprietor of the bearded lady."' Either the
bearded ladywas slang . for •sontethin g Mr. Duck doesn't
rr lz g
intend the inyuisittwe,reader•to know about or else Mr Duck
display's a Startling lack of curiosity,
But in case readers are-disparing that the romance
a never does surface in this tale, rest assured that Mr. Duck
and Emma, on
like many honeymooners, spent their last few
days staring at the beauties :pfNiagara Falls, Or as George
related, " About' 1 I w+alkedfroin Clifton` House to the Great
horseshoe or' Canadian Falls and stood on the Table Rock.
n
From Table Rock tooka carriage and went up the river to'
the Burning .Spring which we saw lightd.altough from.
the
ualo I --mess the -tater it was not so inflammable as
pf
,,.
The last two entries; record the .couple's tripfrom
London to Chatham, and then the ever -efficient George
writes in a brief entry to Thursdayy . "This morning I went
to the office and retrained there very busily working all
day'with-only a- little cessation• for lunch."
You see,'.:even 'in the tale. of a wedding trip, it's darn
•.hard, to find any romance. let ',alone' any .stories of
scandalous behavior encountered on the trip, even by the
bearded lady.
If anyone 'has any stories they'd' like to suggest for the
column. I'd welcome the, ideas. But as you •can see,
sometimes the people involved in' a Story don't oblige -us
with the most interesting details that is, .unless they're
politician's wives'.'
Something,' New
"PARENTS & CHILDREN
ROLLER SKATINQ"
Fat all -Parents & Children,9 &: under.
Friday evenings. 6:15 4$ p',m•
Special AdmiSsion 50ei skater
• Skate rental 25e
-'LAST NIGHT
THURS. MAT 10
"jarl1> ;ntri ,
'Next (liar''
Warning:
Some language :is offensive
Theatres Or. Ont.
Recommended as
ADULT IENTERTAINMENT
FRI. MAY 11th -17th
FRI, & SAT. 7 00 & 9;00'
SUN,•THURS.'1 P.M. ONLY
A alstirigulstied cosi brings
you Inc most Incredible
case of Sherlock Mimes'
Gareer.
tlFrtslopter James
Plummer Mason
•
Chicken EIr Pizza .
m
Chicken 9 pieces
15 pieces.
20 pieces
Pizza Meld..
Large
18"
3.75.
8.00
8.00
$1';00 off
Happy A. c thE,r-rs Day
Bev 8 Lloyd` Eisler•27-04
;eaforth
Dav1I
HemmtW1S
Susan
Clark
Anlhony
l)uayle
Joon
WOO
F rank
Finlay
Donald
Sul nel%awl
FESTIVA
Mardigras
Sat., May 2
Genevieve
Dulolai
7#toeseii fin In bucket Wlntetirio tkkrt
to bo sllgible 1of Itaikefel,
THEATRE
31• MIME $QUARE ti00ERICW. $24'flli
s►r'ogr int+,i sutrj.ct 'to ,
wUhosit tt tike•.
featUr ng
"Linda Lee Brown''' and the
Golden -Aires
"From Fran ininuth"
"Lincoln Green."` yout•'oid favorite
CampbeII- Cardiff
'Pork. Beef Sauerkraut etc.
Tickets at
.The Forg+e4
Seaforth Nrtsi�f "a 1 +e
or merribers
Schuessler
on Gypsies Sunday
Expositor columnist and
award 'winning broadcaster
Karl Schuessler of
Brodhagen has a . radio
documentary on CBC AM
740 on Sunday afternoon
called: The Outsiders.., .the
story •of' the gypsies in;.
Canada.
The one hour -show starts
at 3 p.m. on the program
Identities.. ..
Mr: Schuessler
says the inspiration for the
show was the movie and book
King of:theGypsies and .its
author Peter Maas :is inter.
viewed in the documentary...
FR1.-SAT.+SUN.
MAY 11-12.13
lox officio Opens i:00 SHOWTIME
110 kyr 4 64DER;CO AT
13NCISSIGN RD d •
244041 5749981
(,chorea.;
THE 500 -MILE DUO -Carol Brown Carter and Nancy Berger Jackman
upand Jeremusic together in Seaforth, and though Mrs.
grew (.a_ n d 9
Jackman ow teaches n Montreal and the two live 500 miles, apart; they •
n h i
TWO concerts were given in Montreal on April; :25
still perform together. T o, on ...s .....
a 6 and one in assau:on April 28. A similar concert will be given at
nd. � R iii p
the Seaforth Public School on Saturday, May 12 at 8:00 p.m. The program
h p
will include works by -Haydn, Chopin, Strauss, Moskowski, Von Weber
Works. ..ati n s available. b ;'
and Mozart: as well. as contemporary work lnfcrrrl..,Q i y
(Ph to byPhilli s
icaliinq 527-1743.
concert.Sat.
Pianistsgive
Carol Brown Carter, arid
Nancy Berger Jackman, the
two talented pianists who afire.
• „giving a concert at Seaftith
Public School Saturday
night, have just completed'
concerts in Nassau, The
Bahamas, and in Montreal.
The two are both Music
teachers and mothers. Carol.
and her husband, Don have
four children and Nancy and
her husband hu ba d have three.
Carol just returned from.
week where the
Nassau last,
pairgave ave a concert under the
patrona&e of the widow of
the former 'Go ernor of the
islands, Lady Caroline Butler
Nancy and Carol played at.
the Nassau Civic Ballet Cen
ire; on a covered stage, while
a
their audience sat out : of
doors amongbeautiful flow
ers and shrubs.
Nancy a graduate c is : of
"
Seaforth District High, School
and her mother, Mrs, Milton
berger, is a Seaforth resident
Carol is .a graduate, .of South
Huron District High school in
Exeter and her parents are
Mr. and Mrs: William' Brown
of Jarvis St., Seaforth.
SEAFQRTH
22 Goderich St,
527-0180
CLINTON
8 Huron Street;.
482-3924
DON'T MESS' THIS BIG ONE"`
Centennial
Continuous Live Music
Two Great Bands
hrs Black's
"Swinging B��s�
and Drumlin'"
Friday,May 7nth
9 to..1 a.m.
WINGHAM ARENA
'10.00 Couple *5.00 Single
Adm Ss On 19 years and over
• SFdnbotyfdbywihOhe cehtentittirt:ot'nit. tee'