The Month That Was – September 1864

All articles originally appeared in the Oshawa Vindicator

September 7, 1864
Page 2

Library, or Reading Room
As will be seen from a sketch of the proceedings at the several meetings held, a Mechanics’ Institute and Library Association has been organized for a second time in Oshawa.  It is to be hoped that the institution will be more successful this time than it was the first, and there is no reason why it should not.  The first one was a miserable affair and a large amount of property was sunk in it, in one way and another, but not by anybody looking after its affairs very closely or endeavouring to keep the institution up.  Nobody seemed to take any ordinary degree of interest in it, even as a library association, and it never was anything more.  Few meetings were held in connection with it, and in the course of time its library was neglected, suffered to go to ruin by want of usage as well as bad usage, and eventually sold for ‘a raere song.’ With this experience before then, no doubt the Directors of the newly organized association will pursue a very different course from that which resulted so disastrously to its predecessor.  Our village is tolerably well supplied with library works thro’ our Common School library that was, and which now is our ‘United Grammar and Common School’ library.  If there is any deficiency of reading matter in that library, it can be supplied by the United Board of Grammar and Common School Trustees in such a way as to give us one complete village library, all under one management. And now that the Grammar School has an interest in the School Library, there ought to be an additional sum of money voted towards procuring new and interesting works for the replenishment of its shelves every year. By doing this, there will be no need of the funds of the Mechanics’ Institute being used up, as those of the former one were, in purchasing a library, leaving an insufficient sum for other purposes of more importance. Let the whole of the funds be devoted to procuring a superior course of lectures, and other entertainments for the winter evenings, and providing a Reading Room containing a number of the leaving English, American, and Canadian papers, and the institution cannot fail to prosper.  But let its funds be used up in purchasing needless and expensive books, and it can hardly avoid, except by taxing somebody’s time and labor quite too severely, meeting with the fate of its predecessor.

Steam up – On Monday last steam was introduced for the first time into the new engine at E. Miall and Co’s cabinet factory, and the boiler and engine, etc. tested. The shafting is not yet all in position and consequently the machinery was not moved.  The engine is a fine piece of mechanism, for a first attempt, and is a good illustration of the capacity of Joseph Hall’s Mill and Job department.

September 7, 1864, page 1

Raft Ashore – On Monday morning last a large raft of square timber towed by the Steamer Hercules, went ashore and broke up near Port Oshawa.  The wind blowing from the lake at the time, the greater part of the timber was washed ashore.

September 7, 1864, page 3; for more on Mrs. PA Henry, read HERE

September 21, 1864
Page 2

The School House
The work of making the addition of 40 feet to the west end of the Union School House is rapidly approaching completion.  The mason work was completed some two weeks ago, and the roof has been put on and the floors laid.  Two small gables have been erected over each doorway in addition to the original plan as given out to contract, which will add considerably to the appearance of the structure, which otherwise would have had an exceedingly unpleasant look in an architectural point of view.  The new rooms will be very airy ones, the floor of the under story being two feet lower than that of the old portion, and the ceiling of the upper room being attached to the roof, giving it somewhat the appearance, overhead, of the Presbyterian Church.

Conviction Quashed – We find the following in the Chronicle’s report of the last Quarter Sessions: – “Conviction of John Stokes for selling liquor on Sunday. – In this case Mr. J. Stokes, hotel keeper, of Oshawa, appealed against the conviction of G.H. Grierson, the convicting magistrate, by which a fine of $20 was imposed for selling liquor on Sunday. There was no respondent’s name in the papers. Conviction quashed. Mr. Lyman English appeared for the appellant.”

Where was our Reeve when the case was called?

A New Grocery Store – A new grocery, provision and crockery store is to be opened out in a few days, in the store in Gibbs’ block, formerly occupied by L. Vancamp, and lately by Gibbs & Bro. The Proprietors are Messrs. Bremner & Urquhart.  Their advertisement will appear next week.

September 21, 1864, page 3

September 28, 1864
Page 2

Excelsior Machines – Two splendid pieces of mechanism left Joseph Hall’s establishment on Monday last for Hamilton. One was the Reaper and Mower to be awarded at the Provincial Plowing Match to the best plowman, as mentioned in our last, and the other a Thresher and Horse Power for competition at the Provincial Exhibition. – They are, doubtless, the two best machines of the kind ever manufactured in any part of the world.

Birth – At Whitby, on the 19^th inst., the wife of William Laing Esq., Mayor of Whitby, of twin sons.

Died – At Whitby, on the morning of the 19^th inst., deeply and deservedly regretted, Louisa Amelia, the beloved wife of William Laing Esq., Mayor of the Town of Whitby, aged 40 years and six months.

September 28, 1864, page 3