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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1967-06-29, Page 4THE MASON BLOCK ERECTED 1879 rnifore business on e site since 1895 As the years roll by . . . As one year after another passes under the bridge of time, todays become yesterdays and tomorrows become todays — all history in the making. Since 1935 we have been in business, serving our town in the radio and electrical fields. We're proud of our part of history in the making. CONGRATULATIONS, CANADA CENTENNIAL 1861-1961 PATTISON RADIO AND ELECTRIC DRESSED IN THEIR SUNDAY BEST IN 1880, ONLY A YEAR AFTER WINGHAM WAS IN- CORPORATED AS A TOWN, JOHN HANNA STARTED A GENERAL STORE ON THE PRESENT SITE OF HANNA'S MEN'S WEAR. THE BUSINESS GREW AND PROSPER- ED, MAKING THE NAME FAMOUS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. MR. CLARE CANTELON, FORMERLY EM- PLOYED BY THE LATE MR. JOHN HANNA, M.P.P., AND 4 THE PRESENT PROPRIETOR, HAS CARRIED ON THE FINE HANNA TRADITION IN BRINGING HIS CUSTO- MERS THE FINEST IN MEN'S CLOTHING AND FURN- ISHINGS. HANNA'S MENS' WEAR CLARE CANTELON, Proprietor "HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA -1861-1961" Miss Greta Harris in Novem- ber 1964 purchased the oldest continuously operated business in Wingham, from Jack Mason. The Mason Block stood on the southwest corner of John and Josephine Streets until it was demolished six or seven years ago, It was built by John Ma- son, grandfather of Jack Mason, in 1879, a year after he bought the lot. His son George opened a stationery, wallpaper and fan- cy goods store in the new build- ing. Before there was regular telephone service here George Mason had an inter-communica. tion system set up between his store and his house on the south- east corner of Josephine and Al- fred Streets. His home and place of business were also lighted by an acetylene system before there was electricity in Wingham. Mr. Mason had a F The Cornyn Brothers had an undertaking business and furni- ture store in Wingham for some time, located on the corner of John Street and Diagonal Road. Fire completely demolished the building in January 1894. What could be salvaged was moved to the new Macdonald Block and Thomas became sole owner. The following year John Cornyn of Chicago, presumably a son of one of the Cornyn Bro- thers, took over the business and a few months later sold to George Ireland who conducted the business across the street from the Macdonald Block. This firm soon became known as Ireland & Button when Jesse But- ton went into partnership with Mr. Ireland. In November 1898 Mr. Ire- land sold his interest to Walker Brothers of Brussels and the busi- ness was known as Walker Broth- ers 8r, Button. The name But- ton was dropped from the firm in 1907 and James Walker was the owner. In 1905 his son, Alva J. Walker started in the business and took over when his father died in 1922. In 1948 Mr. Walker sold to S. J. Walker, the present own- er, who had been an employee small printing press at the back of his store and did job printing, Mr, Mason was interested in the work of the Salvation Army and it was chiefly through his efforts that the old citadel on Edward Street was built. Jack Mason bought the busi- ness from his father, January 1, 19'20. Over the years part of the building was rented to var- ious banks. The last tenant, the Dominion Bank, purchased the block and in 1959 decided to demolish the building and replace it with a modern struc- ture. Mr. Mason moved his store to the Queens Hotel loca- tion in 1960 and three years ago sold out to Miss Harris. Miss Harris came to Wing- ham about 18 years ago. She was no stranger to the public when she became owner of the stationery business, having been manager of the Stedman Store for some years. for a couple of years. At that time the funeral parlor was above the store now operated by Carl Bondi. The following summer Mr. Walker purchased his home on the corner of•Pat- rick and Edward Streets and the funeral parlor was moved to the house. In 1963 an addition to the house was built to enlarge the chapel and accommodate the casket showroom and enbalm- ing room. Part of the new double garage was used for the S. J. Walker ambulance until this service was taken over by Wingham and District Hospital earlier this year. Mr. Walker continues the furniture business in the build- ing which has been used as a furniture store since 1895. First Congregational Church, W. 11. Watson, Pastor. Prayer meetings on Wednesday eve- nings. Seats free. Strangers welcome. Wingham Times 1893. Messrs T. A. Mills, Gordon and McIntyre and Geo. E. King have changes of advertisements this week. -- Wingham Times 1893. This is the story Of a brave young mother's struggle to save her children from the clutches of a bear, How she wins and loses. "Why did you let the bear get me?" These were the nev- er-to-be-forgotten words flung accusingly at his poor mother as he was carried away from her into the bush by the bear, Fran- cis was just five years old: So young to philosophize and so young to die!. 0-0-0 The service concluded I shook hands with the people as they filed out of the church. An elderly stranger having the appearance of vigour beyond his years, and a young man, a regular attendant at our Friday evening meetings, lingered af- ter the others had left. They obviously desired an interview with me. "Meet Mr. Smith, who sup- ervises the mission on Dundas Street," said our mutual friend. " I am pleased to meet you, Mr. Smith," and I added, "I was glad to hear your testimony tonight. Did I understand you to say that you once lived at Wingham?" "Yes." was his reply. "Do you know..." The question I had intended to ask was temporarily forgotten by the interruption: "Mr. Smith has something of importance to discuss with you." We talked and later left the church together. It was on the street corner waiting for the Dundas Street car that I final- ly put the questions I had been wanting to ask. "Did you live at Wingham before coming to Toronto?" "Yes, " said Mr. Smith, "And furthermore I was raised on a farm not far from there." "Then you know some of the country people in that vicinity'?" The transition from the be- ginning of the manufacture of horse-drawn carriages to a park- ing lot for the modern automo- bile on the corner of Josephine and Victoria Streets took about 75 years. The building, familiar to us as Holmdale Creamery, was us- ed by William Dore in the 1890s as a carriage works. It was sold to the Mount Forest Carriage Works in 1925 and the follow- ing year was taken over by the Federal Rubber Company which operated there until 1928, and then moved the industry to Stratford. Massey-Harris took over the old carriage works at that time. In 1934 H. T. Thompson bought the building and con- verted it into a creamery. J.H. Sloan and Robert Stewart form- ed a partnership in the cream- ery, 1938 and 1939, then it was purchased by Dr. Walter Davis with his son Miller Davis as manager. The building was sold to the U.D.P.C. in 1962 „yes." "Do you know Jim and Al- bert Symon?" I asked eXpect- antly, "I do," was the reply. "And do you remember their mother, Mrs. Charles Syrnon?" Mr. Smith had been ac- quainted with the whole family. His childhood residence was on a farm just five miles from the Symon homestead. Mrs. Symon, as a bride had accompanied her young ambi- tious husband, Charles, to Can- ada. From Queen. Victoria's Scottish estate, Balmoral, they had come to Ontario to carve out a homestead from virgin timber, Mr. Smith assured me that he would never forget Mrs. Symon. He would always re- member her for the tragedy that came into the life of this brave pioneer mother and plung- ed the whole settlement into mourning. He then proceeded to relate the following story. I listened spell-bound, even though I had heard the story long before. It was in the fall of 1880, at a time when timber still cover- ed a large part of Ontario and the adjoining states, that a big bush fire in Michigan drove many of the wild animals into the waters of the St. Clair riv- er. They swam to the Canad- ian shore and wandered over the province. Before Mr. Symon could af- ford a lumber.house, Mrs. Sy- mon lived simply but comfort- ably with her husband and six children in a log cabin. A short time after the big bush fire, Mrs. Symon accompanied by her five-year-old son Francis, and carrying her baby daughter, Marie, started out to visit a neighbor not far away. She had to proceed to a point in the forest about a quarter of a mile but was not used for production. Earlier this year Harry Merk- ley bought the property, had the building torn down and the lot made into a parking area. This now provides parking space on both the east and west sides of the Red Front Grocery which has been in its present location since October, 1961. Harry Merkley started in business below Gurney's Glove Works in 1946 when he purchas- ed the grocery store from the late Robert Galbraith, which had been established in 1929. Mr. and Mrs. Merkley found themselves with a business that had outgrown their quarters and in 1961 bought the Alex Hack- ett property on Victoria Street. The residence and adjoining barn were demolished and the large modern store with parking facilities was built, ready for occupancy in October with the official opening in December, 1961. The added parking area on the Holmdale Creamery site has been appreciated by people who shop in Wingham. from her log eabin home and then tow across a river which flowed eastward over the north end of the homestead. On a path flanked by trees Mrs, Symon had a horrifying experi- ence, the memory of which never left her. As she walked along the path she was sudden- ly confronted by a bear, The homeless animal, whose pres- ence in the district was not known, came unexpectedly from among the trees and standing on its hind legs in front of that courageous mother attempted to wrest the baby from her arms, The mother clung in desperation to her last- born. Little Francis, terrified by the sight of the big animal towering above him, clung for protection to his mother's cloth- ing, Foiled in its attempt to get the baby, the bear turned its at- tention to the little boy. Pick- ing him up, it quickly disap- peared into the underbrush. The helpless mother could only turn and run for aid with the accusation of her little son ringing in her ears: "Mamma! Mamma! Why did you let the bear get me?" A search party was quickly organized and the whole com- munity of farmers went out to search for Francis Symon. They were equipped with pitchforks, guns and lanterns, As they searched they wondered if they would find little Francis or just a part of a small body. It was a night of mental agony for the distraught mother, who was anxiously awaiting word from the men, yet fearful of what the news might be. All night long the search was carried on for the unfortunate child. Al- though there were many search- ers, it was the father that found his little boy in the morning. He was guided to the spot where he lay by his son's voieP.. Hearing someone ap- proaching Francis cried, "Dad , cly Here I aml" He had not seen anyone coming, but he had been lis- tening and he had heard some- one.. lie had known ever since regaining consciousness that daddy would come and find him. Francis was found lying at the foot of a tree where he had been left by his abductor, He was partly covered with leaves. An examination of his body revealed a slight mark on his forehead and a serious wound in the abdomen. Appar- ently each had been inflicted by a single blow from the bear's paw. Francis was borne gently home by loving hands that would willingly have held him close but were not able. His spirit fled before nightfall. As my acquaintance of but an hour told me the story I be- came oblivious to my surround- ings. For the moment the dis- tracting sounds of the metropo- lis and the engaging conscious- ness of personal problems were all forgotten. I was transport- ed in memory back to the days of my childhood. Once again I sat at my mother's knee and heard the story from her lips as I had heard it for the first time. She was explaining why it would not be proper for me to take my teddy bear when we went for visits to the Symon home, She explained that it would bring back memories which my grandmother wanted only to for- get. My story teller, Mr. Smith, was the same age as Francis Symon at the time of the trag- edy. It had made a deep im- pression on him. He had no doubt told this surprising story many times during the course of over six decades. But now it was his turn to be surprised. 11414.08.finistied the story he Awaited my comment, I said to him; "Francis Symon was my mother's brother. And. Marie, the baby that Mrs, Symon .res, cued from the very claws of the bear, lived, .grew to woman, hood, married and became my mother," Q--0--0 Editors note; The baby in the story was borne May 14., 1.80 and was the mother of ,Clement C, Upshall, who wrote this story .20 years ago while preach- ing for the Apostolic Chtireh of Pentecost in Toronto. She mar,- ripti Bonjamin A. Upshall, a school. teacher, in Walkerton 1906, Clement C. Upshall teaches in Sedgewieh, Alberta, at the present time.. Page Wingham Advance.TiMes, Thursday, June 29, 1907 Stationery business was established 88 years ago C. C. Upshall 'Why did you let the bear get me? Carriage works is now parking lot DIAL 357-2262 WINGHAM Ammon\ MAIN STREET of Wingham about 1905. The two men talking in front of the Brunswick Hotel were Mr. Van- Norman on the left, the policeman at that time arid Mr: Swartz, hotel keeper, who at various times was owner of The Exchange, The Brunswick House and the Queens Hotel. The little boy in shirt and trousers on the side walk before what was then Lennox Grocery was Frank Wiley, now deceased, brother of Miss Hattie Wiley of town. Left foreground is the Beaver Block with the "beaver" above the windows of King's Store, Mclndoo Store in the same block, Greer Shoe Store, Galbraith's, Farquharson Grocery, Miss Reynold's Millinery, Green's Boot and shoe, Mason's and the bank. On the far corner is the Queens Hotel with a verandah on the John Street side, and in the distance, the Macdonald Block. Note the aft lamp in the cehtte with pulley to pole on the right. The lamps were lowered by the pulley when the carbons had to be Changed,