Loading...
The Lucknow Sentinel, 1982-10-13, Page 7letter to the editor linden* "Sentinel, ' Wednesday, Oetpber. 13, 1 82 ---Page 1 McCharles ancestor wrote book about Klondike rush To ,the Editor: Ab Wylds had four excellent par- agraphs in his Ripley News on August 18th. 'Aeneas : McCharles did write a most interesting book, °which should be published again 1 tried to phone Ab as soon as the Donald Jones story appearedin the Saturday Star on August 7 but there is no. Ripley operator available to know where everyone in the township can be reached...I. must get his numberl My father, Alex Nicholson of Kin- loss was given a .cm of the book when it was published for some reason or other'., It was the best book we had at the time, and I regret it is notavailable in more libraries. There is a copy in the Toronto Metro Library, but cannot be borrowed.. His will named his brother John A. McCharles of . Huron Township, and Norman McLeod, of Ripley as execut- ors. If he did not get his "poor autobi- ography published in his lifetime." If no ` publishing house in Canada will. print it on the terms of a fair royalty, 500 copies were to be printed in extra style, to be given as souvenirs to my old friends and others, and a' copy to each of the chief public libraries of Ontario and Nova Scotia;' and the cost of which to be paid for by my said Executors 'out of my estate." Our book came shortly after 1 started school. We were impressed that our father knew someone' so. rich who was able . to makeso many large gifts and send books to friends.. I am unable to 'remember how my father came to know Aeneas McCharles. So many were leaving for Upper Canada when ' his family decided to leave, they had to close their local. school, and let the teacher go. There was.a delay in their boat getting away, so at ten years of age he was asked to be the teacher for three 'weeks. He wrote: "I was only ten years old then, but got along all right, as children then were obedient to their parents, and teachers and would do what they were told." After their boat gotaway, it took two weeks to get to Quebec They took another boat to Montreal and still another to Hamilton, They came to London by train. For $25.00 they were, able to hirea man with a wagon to haul all their possessions, and the family to Goderich. From therethey went to Kincardine by boat. The author's. main purpose was to leave information which no one else might record,. he wrote: 1 often saw the Lewis women in the next settlement to ours, trudging all the way to Kincardine, 10 to 15 miles carrying a two bushel bag of hardwood ashes on her back to sell at the potash works so as to get a little salt at 10 cents a pound to eat with the potatoes at home.. His sister Mary, only 17 was milking the cows one night with a light muslin dress on. He was curious why she was all dressed so nicely...She was leaving after the work was done to walk to Goderich with a neighbour, John Potcher, to ,be married by the nearest clergyman. They would walk along the lake shore and back, 23 miles each way. In additionto the bequests men - timed by Donald Jones, there was an important gift: 1 give devise and bequeath to the Provincial University in Toronto..:, $10,000.00 on the following termsad conditions: namely That the intert therefrom shall be given from time to time, but not necessarily every year, like the Nobel prizes in a small way; (1) To any Canadian from one end of. the country to the other, and whether student or not, who invents or 'discovers any new or unproved pro- cess for the treatment of Canadian ores or minerals of any kind, after such process has been proved to be of . special merit on actical scale; (2) or any other. important discovery, by any Canadian, that will lessen the dangers, and loss of life, in connection with the use of electricity in supplying, light and power; (3) or for any marked public distinction achieved in scientific research in any useful; practical line. So far the • University has not been able to supply me with any, informa- tion as to what has been done with this very. large gift at that time. l will write again . when information comes. Sandy Nicholson. Editor's note: The following article appeared . in the Toronto Star August 18. Aeneas McCharles is an ancestor of the . McCharles family of the Ripley area. He and his young brother came to Huron Township with their parents during the 1850s and they cleared the trees on the 50 acre farm in the first block east' of Olivet on the second concession in Huron Township. McCharles was the first teacher in the early 1860s in the Lewis or Lame Sandy School in front of the ,Lame Sandy MacDonald farm. The farm is presently owned by Jerry Huber. Here. McCharles taught day school and in winter, a couple of nights a 'week, he taught the young people to change from Gaelic to the English language. The article published in the Star is reprinted here for the interest of our readers. By Donal Jones In the winter of 1887, an adventure began a few hundred milesnorth of Toronto that had all the drama of a Klondike gold rush. Gold , had been discovered in the Denison mine and thousands of prospectors from all over the continent raced into Northern `Ontario. I Few of the men from Toronto knew anything about mining and they began making claims on land still covered with four feet of snow. One Ontario lawyer hired an assistant to carry his favorite bathtub into the Algoma hills. What no one knew was that Northern Ontario would prove to be' one of the hardest parts of the world to explore, More menwould lose their lives than find their. fortunes. One of the few to strike it rich was an Ontario schoolteacher and news- paperman named Aeneas • McCharles. With his new wealth he built one of Turn to page 10*. whri#echurch news Enjoy Thanksgiving holiday with fuimtily By Valetta Emerson Mrs. Alfred Wright of Alliston and her grand- daughter, Leslie Wright of Aurora visited recently with Mr.: and Mrs. Russel Chap- man.. Mr. and Mrs. Bili Uuldriks visited Tuesday to Thursday with friends at Leamington. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Tiffin and Gertrude Tiffin of Wing- ham celebrated Thanksgiv- ing on Sunday with Mr, and Mrs. Vic Emerson, Mr. Rod Lamb of Knox College, Toronto spent the weekend at his' home here and attended Teeswater Fair. Quite a number from here attended Teeswater Fair, Gary Rintoul showed his Charolais 'cattle and . Brian Rintoul had his Herefords on exhibition. Carol Rintoul and Kimberley Rintoul of St. Helens had .their 4H calves on exhibit. - Mr. and Mrs. Eldon Em- erson, Darlene, Sharon and Brenda of St. Catharines spent Thanksgiving with Mr. and Mrs, Vic Emerson and on Sunday evening were callers on Mr. and Mrs. Earl Jamieson, West Wawanash. Visitors at the McClenag han ' home were Michael McClenaghan of Kitchener on Tuesday,, . Mrs. Eileen -• Parker of. Exeter on Wednes- day and Thursday and 'Mr. and Mrs. Mack Stewart of II Waterloo on Saturday. Mr, and Mrs. Man Fal- coner, Tony, Timmy and Amy, Mr. and Mrs. Angus Falconer, and Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Falconer, were Sunday evening dinner guests, with Mr. and Mrs. Archie Mont- gomery, Blyth. Mr. and Mrs. Donald Gaunt; Jennifer and Graeme of Chatham and Dr. and Mrs. Ed Carey of Kitchener spent Sunday with Mr, and Mrs. Bill Purdon and on Monday, Mrs. Pardon and Beatrice McQuillin returned home with Mr, and Mrs. Gaunt and family. Mr. and . Mrs. Paul Fal- coner and Erin of Brights Grove and her mother called on Mrs. Cassie Mowbray on the ' weekend on their 'way. home from Collingwood. Thanksgiving guests with Mr. and Mrs. Russel Chap- man were Mr. and Mrs. Gary Chapman, Lisa, Aaron and Sarah of Wingham, Mrs. Shirley Smith, London and Jessica Wackier of Kirton, Thanksgiving guests with • Mr, and Mrs. E. W. Beecroft and Karen were Mr. and. Mrs." Rex Richardson of Livonia, Michigan, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip McMillan, Lucknow, Mr. 'and Mrs. Archie : Hertel, Kitchener, Mr. and Mrs. Stewart For- sythe, Walkerton, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sangamon and family; { Brodhagen, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Chretyk and family, Kincardine and Hugh Sinnamon. Mr. and Mrs. Rex Richard- son are spending the week- end with Hugh Sinnamon. Mrs, A. Cormack of Ot- tawa spent Thanksgiving and a few days with her daugh- ter, Mrs., Rod Lamb and Mr. Lamb. Guests for Thanksgiving with Mr. and Mrs. John A. Currie were Robert and friend, Lise Boissonneaiet, Hamilton, Heather of Tor- onto., Mr, and Mrs. Peter and Leslie. Woodstock, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Courtis, Andrea and Erica, Dorch- ester, Michael Burke, Guelph and . Sandra, George- town. Congratulations to Steven Tiffin who wore a record by calling in to CKNii radio. The record is Hollywood Love by Carol Baker. livildtechureh U.C.W. The October meeting of • the ° Whitechurch U.C.W. was held Wednesday after- noon, October 6 at the home ofMrs. Fred Tin. Mrs. Russel Chapman op- ened the' meeting with a Thanksgiving poem. Mrs.. Fred Tiffin read the medita- tions, and Mrs. Chapman led in prayer. Mrs. Chapman read the sciripture. The offering and, least coin were received and dedicated by Mrs. • Chapman: Five members answered: the roll call .by naming one of Jesus' miracles. Mrs. Agnes Farrier gave a reading: Hands. Mrs. Millan Moore thank- ed the hostess and the trav- elling basket then followed. CLASSIFI ED ADSPRODUCE RESULTS! The family of Gordon and Shirley Brooks would like to invite friends and relatives to help celebrate their parents' 35th wedding anniversary on Friday, October 22, in Lucknow.. Janice and Brian Ruth and Don Don and Janet Kathy • FREE RabiesCiiflic FOR DOGS AND C�qTS In Br�County, 192 Township Hall. I. • Friday, October 15, 9:30 a. m. -12 noon BERVIE 1.0.0.F. Hall 1 1 r l r Town Hall Wednesday, :October 20, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m, DOGS SHOULD BE ON LEASH AND CATS PROPERLY RESTRAINED i .1 RIPLEY 1 C. % 1 1 Monday, October 18, 9:30 a. m. -12 noon �. HOLTROOD • .Township Hall • , Tuesday, October 19, 9:30a.m. -12 noon LUCKNOIIY . ELECTRONIC BINGO Stetting September 30, 1432 the LEGION NALL KINCARDINE 8 Pni: Early Mrd at 7s45 NO ADMBSION CHARGE WINNER TAKEAll1 hdgat$$50. eu63avetMrs, uner.�hq $25 and 1 nwnu.r.M.ldgl GlwMlill $100'• IE6111AR LAMB i SIPEGALS AND MANY EXTRA FOURS .IT'S NEW & EXCITING Come Out & Hare Fun