Dipping Into the Past

100 YEARS AGO Thursday, April 8, 1909

• High Constable Hughes arrived in Grand Valley Monday to take Adam Harper to Orangeville for examination as to his sanity, on information supplied by different parties. Harper had written several letters to people on the girl question, and in one stated he would have shot Densmore had he been there. In view of the recent Melancthon tragedy, Mr. James Densmore found it time to intervene. Harper appeared before the authorities in Orangeville, who judged him sane and responsible, but amended the charge to that of threatening to do bodily to James Densmore, and bound him over on his own bond of $400 and his brother John's of $200 to keep the peace for a year. Harper is entirely rational on every subject but this one, and no doubt will recover from this attack as he did from a previous one a few years ago, and it is hoped it will end the letterwriting, even it does not give the interested ones the protection they deemed necessary.

• T. G. Raymore, representing the Dominion Department of Agriculture as seed inspector, had a case against N. E. McCutcheon last week before Police Magistrate George Rutherford, for offering for sale alsike clover seed containing noxious weeds. The seed sample on which the prosecution was based was secured on February 27th. Mr. McCutcheon pleaded guilty, laying the blame on the Wm. Rennie Seed Co., who he had depended on furnishing him with seed that would pass the government test. A small fine was imposed. The department is inaugurating these prosecutions to show that they intend to strictly enforce the Seed Control Act, and is striving to impress on the farmers the advisability of looking carefully to the seed they buy to see that it is free from injurious weeds.

• There was very nearly a dangerous collision on the CPR on Monday between Holland Centre and Chatsworth at a point where there is a sharp curve. The noon passenger train from Toronto was just rounding the curve when the engineer saw another engine flying toward his. He whistled and threw on the emergency brake, but the intervening distance was so slight and the speed so great that the two engines crashed together. The engine of the passenger train escaped with slight damage to the cow-catcher. The other engine had its pilot badly smashed and the trucks thrown off the track. The light engine came from a southbound freight train which had become stalled a short distance south of Chatsworth. Instead of sending out flagmen, the engine was sent to stop the passenger train.

• The Bell Telephone Co. is extending its line from The Maples to Marsville. The contract has been let for the poles and the line will be built as soon as the spring opens.

• Simon Jelly of Shelburne has sold his farm, east half of lot 2, con. 3, Melancthon, to John Crombie, of Amaranth, for $4,000. This farm, is one of the old landmarks of Shelburne, the house having been erected about 45 years ago by James Campbell, the then owner of the property. He was better known as Black Jim Campbell, and at the time the house was built what is now the business portion of Shelburne was a dense forest and there were no roads in the locality.

75 YEARS AGO Wednesday, April 11, 1934

• Recent meetings to explain the life history and demonstrate the treatment for the warble or heel fly control, arranged by R. C. Banbury, Dufferin's Agricultural Representative, were well attended. Judging from the interest, the war on warbles is under way in earnest and thousands of the warbles, which would make the cattle run next summer, will be exterminated by washing the animal's back.

• Traffic by automobile in these parts at present is driving, we might say, with bated breath. The gravel roads are passable, but in a large number of cases, just passable, and heavy rain will bring frost to the surface and mud will reign supreme.

50 YEARS AGO Wednesday, April 8, 1959

• Warm weather on Sunday led to flooding in Grand Valley, an ice jam causing the water to inundate much of the community's south ward, with up to three feet of water covering Highway 104. There was also flooding on Highway 9 at the "sink hole" west of Orangeville.

• Dufferin County's fine new snow plow had its first tryout Sunday when it was used on some of Shelburne's side streets.

25 YEARS AGO Wednesday, April 11, 1984

• Wellington-Dufferin-Simcoe MP Perrin Beatty is heading a task force that has recommended a taxpayers' Bill of Rights. The task force has just completed a month-long tour of hearings across Canada.

• The eighth annual maple syrup festival at the Orangeville Reservoir Conservation Area drew a record of crowd of about 4,500 over the last three weekends.

• Representatives of Shelburne OPP have suggested that Mono Township enact a noise bylaw.