125 YEARS AGO Thursday, September 3, 1885

• A lacrosse match was played in Shelburne yesterday afternoon between the home club and the Shamrocks of Erin, resulting in three games for Shelburne to the Shamrocks’ one. The first game was won by the visitors in 25 minutes, the second and third games by Shelburne in 47 and 18 minutes respectively. The fourth game was not completed, but the “professional” men on the Erin team refused to play any longer, saying there would be no time to dress before the rain left and the visitors accordingly threw up the sponge. The match was characterized by some as very good playing on both sides, but before the second game was completed it became apparent to the onlookers that Shelburne had the better team.

• Mr. Jams Webster, of Cleveland, Ohio, passed through Shelburne Friday evening last on his way to visit friends in the neighbourhood of Coleridge. He and Mrs. Webster are at present visiting friends at Owen Sound. Mr. Webster was for a time on the T. G. & B railway, but at the present time he holds an important office on the famous Nickel Plate line.

• The Alliston HERALD reports that a highway robbery was committed there last week, “by some parties yet unpunished. A stranger came to town, got under the influence of Jersey lightning, strayed into a shed and was relieved of a gold watch and chain and about $75 in cash. Three boys (or rather two of them are young men) were accused of the crime. One of them was arrested, tried and committed to Barrie on the evidence of witnesses, but the chief actor is at large. The case is not yet out of the hands of the magistrates; consequently, the Herald is not at liberty to give the particulars.”

100 YEARS AGO Thursday, September 1, 1910

• The proposed union of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches moves steadily forward. In June last the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church took a decisive step involving approval of the principle of union and submitting the basis for the judgment of the church. On Friday last the General Conference at Victoria took similar official action for the Methodist Church. The Congregational Churches, being more independent in their polity, are expressing themselves similarly in their own way.

• CPR Engine 1760, attached to a heavy southbound freight, ran into a northbound freight drawn by Engine 1755 in the north end of the Orangeville station yard about 4 o’clock yesterday morning. The engineers and firemen on the two trains jumped just before the crash and had the good fortune to escape unhurt. The southbound train was badly smashed, her tender being turned crossways on the track and torn from its trucks, while the first car behind was completely telescoped. The down train had either got out of control or else the accident was due to gross carelessness. The train had been broken into two sections at Fraxa Junction.

• The Dufferin Light & Power Company have this week a large force of electrical experts and linemen employed erected new poles and stringing wires in preparation for street lighting in Shelburne, which contract was awarded to that company some two months ago.

• Horning’s Mills: As for our Trustees, we do not see that they are doing much. We heard that they are going to put down cement sidewalks, but we see no sign of it yet, only the hill opposite the post office being cut down a little. Wake up, gentlemen, and get busy, the winter is coming on apace.

75 YEARS AGO Wednesday, September 5, 1935

• Editor T.F.E. Claridge of The Free Press and Economist and his wife Victoria have returned from a two-week, 2,296-mile motor jaunt through the eastern United States, accompanied by Miss Annie White and Mr. Harry Jelly. In an article describing the marathon journey, T.F.E. said the holiday tour wasn’t “the formidable and more or less uncomfortable undertaking that it was not so very many years ago, thanks to the thousands of miles of paved and well-marked highways on this continent.” They found tenting cost from 25¢ a night up, cabins 50¢ to $1 per person and tourist homes 75¢ to $1 per person. Gasoline prices were lower in the U.S., the total bill for the 2,296 miles being $23.80.

50 YEARS AGO Wednesday, August 31, 1960

• Speed limits on several district highways have been raised to 60 m.p.h. in recent weeks, but while Highway10 is now posted at 60, Highways 24 and 89 still have 50 m.p.h. limits.

25 YEARS AGO Wednesday, September 4, 1985

• Dufferin County’s secondary schools are having to adjust to a new semester system under which students will split their academic year, studying only half of their courses in each of the fall and spring semesters.