100 YEARS AGO Thursday, August 26, 1909

• A bigamy charge before Police Magistrate Patullo has developed some unusual and pathetic features. The accused parties were John Scott, a young Englishman about 22, and Jane Hazen, about 45. Mrs. Hazen, the wife of Christopher Hazen, of Proton Station, left her husband last December and took a house in Orangeville with her two children, aged 13 and five. The five-year-old boy is deaf and cannot talk plainly. Some three weeks after the woman's departure Scott followed, and as she was destitute he boarded with her and has since provided for the family, as he was employed in a local factory. On July 12 last, the pair went to Brampton and were married at St. Paul's parsonage by Rev. Mr. Chantler. Hazen, who gave his evidence last week, swore he was married at Brussels to the former Jane Billings 21 years ago and they had lived happily until Scott appeared on the scene. One of their five children had died. Mrs. Hazen told a different story, saying she had had 10 children, six of whom had died through not being sufficiently nourished and the refusal of her husband to provide medical care. There was no proof that Scott knew of the first marriage, and his action in providing for the woman and her children had some elements of humanity. It was decided to allow Mrs. Hazen out on a suspended sentence, as she appeared to have been more sinned against than sinning in the opinion of the Magistrate. The case against Scott will be dealt with later.

• Two Amaranth farmers, patrons of the Laurel Cheese Factory, have been convicted by Police Magistrate Patullo of violating the Milk, Cheese and Butter Act of 1908. The milk supplied by one farmer was found to contain 18% water. He had five cows which he claimed produced this inferior fluid. The magistrate figured his fine out at $18 for the 18% and a dollar for each cow — $23 in all, plus costs. The other man's milk contained 22% water, while he had eight cows. Figured on the same basis, a fine of $30 and costs was imposed. Half of the fine will go to the factory and half to the informer.

• Shelburne ratepayers will vote this Friday for or against a bylaw providing for extension, improvement and repairs of the village waterworks system to meet present and future needs and raise $6,000 in debentures to meet the costs involved. The sum will provide for a new steel tank and tower, an additional supply of water and putting pumping plants in shape.

• At a meeting of the congregation of Knox Presbyterian Church, Shelburne, held Monday evening, it was decided to sell the manse property to Messrs. Allin & Cameron for another party for the sum of $1,400. Says the Shelburne FREE PRESS: "We think the congregation has made a mistake. They cannot replace the property for $2,500 when the outlay of $400 or $500 would have put the present property into good shape."

• CPR specials from Owen Sound and Teeswater carrying harvesters from these places and intermediate points, with the special from Orangeville, were made up into one train of about 23 coaches conveying nearly 2,000 harvesters. The train left Orangeville for the West at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday last. At the Caledon Horseshoe Curve the last car left the tracks. The train was divided, the first section proceeding to Mono Road and the engine returning for the remaining coaches. The train left several hours later for the west. No one was injured.

75 YEARS AGO Wednesday, August 30, 1934

• Lifeboats were manned and 150 anxious passengers, many of them women and children, and some from Dufferin County, were speedily put ashore four miles from Midland Sunday evening when the excursion steamer Midland City went hard aground on a shoal. Their teeth chattering after a long, cold wait on the beach, returning vacationists from the boat scattered to their homes on buses while the vessel remained stuck on the sandy bottom of Georgian Bay, the stern submerged and it bow well above water. One propeller was reported to have been lost. Water levels so low that former charts are all but useless were blamed for the grounding as the boat returned from Go Home Bay.

50 YEARS AGO Wednesday, August 26, 1959

• A move has been under way for some time to establish a conservation authority for the Nottawasaga River Watershed. The proposed authority would cover an area of about 1,340 square miles and include Shelburne and Amaranth, Melancthon, Mulmur and Mono townships in Dufferin.

25 YEARS AGO Wednesday, August 29, 1984

• An integration program for handicapped children will be going ahead this fall but not as originally proposed. The Town of Orangeville and Dufferin Association for the Mentally Retarded have agreed to a compromise, so that instead of a trailer for the program, room will be made available for one year in the Jean Hamlyn Day Care Centre.