1876 - Dundas True Banner

It was a small town weekly newspaper in Dundas Ontario but the editor was always fully capable of filling it with all sorts of items. The editor had to find enough items of interest, both large and small, to fill the paper and keep the readers’ interest.

From the April 6, 1876 edition of the Dundas True Banner and Wentworth Chronicle, a number of newsworthy things were published.

The Dundas Town Hall was a favourite location for residents to witness the discussions of the Town Council but there nothing to report at the last meeting to be scheduled before that April 6^th edition:

 “The Town Council did not meet on Monday evening for want of a quorum – so that the ‘great unwashed’ were defrauded out of their usual monthly entertainment.”

There was another entertainment upcoming at the Town Hall and residents were reminded to take note:

“We need scarcely remind our readers that Mr. Kennedy, the talented and well-known Scottish vocalist and his accomplished family, will give an entertainment at the Town Hall here tomorrow (Friday) evening. Mr. Kennedy ought to be greeted with a full house. Dundas is seldom favored with first-class entertainments, and when our citizens have an opportunity to see one, they should turn out en masse. Remember tomorrow night.”

The death of a well-known resident, who had an interesting history appeared in the issue:

“Mr. James McDavid, aged 79 years, died at the residence of Mr. David Bates, his son-in-law, in Hamilton on Friday last. The deceased was born at Stoney Creek and took part in the War of 1814-1815, he being employed as a dispatch bearer from one post of the British army to the other. He was mounted on a Dragoon horse, and knew well the paths traveled by the Indians, but was exposed to great dangers, being liable at any moment to being intercepted by the enemy. As each year came round, he always noted particularly the day on which he carried the dispatch which announced to the commander the tidings of peace. He was well-known in Dundas, where he spent most of his time for some years past with Mrs. Russell, his eldest daughter, and where his cheerful and intelligent countenance will long be remembered by many friends. His remains were interred at Stoney Creek on the 3^rd inst.”

Dundas was still considered the head of navigation for vessels coming from Lake Ontario so news about the two main canals affecting ship from the Lake Ontario were of keen interest:

“Considerable discussion for and against the Bridging of the Burlington Canal in connection with the Hamilton and Northwestern Railway is going on in Hamilton. It has now been suggested that the railway should pass under the canal, which would, of course, remove the opposition of the mariners.”

As for the Desjardins Canal leading from Hamilton Bay through Coote’s Paradise, news regarding that canal was always noted carefully, especially as the canal was about to be owned by Dundas:

“On Tuesday Mr. Blake introduced a bill to amend the act respecting the Desjardins Canal, so that the Government will have power when the Canal becomes  their property at the end of the present session to transfer to the Town of Dundas.”

The editor of the Dundas True Banner was an avid reader, and frequent critic, of the newspapers published in Hamilton:

 “The editor of the Spec. says: ‘The editor of the Dundas Banner does not believe there is a pit which burns.’ It is fortunate that the editor of the Banner is responsible for his own belief, but we can assure the Spec man that if the pit itself don’t burn, its contents, in our opinion, will be thoroughly scorched, and we would advise him to mend his ways if in the end he wants to escape adding fuel to the flame of the wrath that is to come.”

“The Hamilton papers are just now in ecstasies. It appears that Joseph Light & Co. have published a fly sheet which is profusely illustrated and contains all the horrid details of the murder of the Late Mr. Mills, the trial of his murderer and the scenes at his execution. Then again, a man named James, who keeps a saloon on Hughson street, has on exhibition the club which was used by Young in murdering Able Macdonald, near Caledonia. Surely our city contemporaries should be above pandering to such base and groveling curiosity. As public educators, it is not their mission to teach people to gloat over crimes, the enormity of which makes men shudder.

 “We are greatly pleased to know the fact that the citizens of Hamilton are fast regaining their respectability, as we see by the Times that no less than twenty-two of the inhabitants of that city took baths the other day and were clean washed. The Times don’t say whether or not they put on clean shirts, but we hope they did, as it would be a sheer waste of money for them to get scrubbed, and then put on the same dirty old duds. Perhaps the Times will be kind enough to tell us how many of the great ‘unwashed’ in the city have cut their toenails within the past month. Such items of news show a degree of enterprise on the part of the newspaper locals which is rarely exhibited, and which deserves special commendation.”

Finally, there was always a little space left for short items of just a few sentences:

“Diphtheria seems to be epidemic in Hamilton just now. One man named Hooker has lost five children within a short time, and the last one in his family now lies at the point of death.

“At the Interim Sessions held yesterday, John McGorman pleaded guilty to breaking the window at McPherson’s Shoe Store, Dundas and stealing boots, and got off with three months in gaol.”

“And now we have another innovation in the ‘social’ line, for we see that at Brantford, the M.E. church people had a ‘hot maple sugar social.’ How would it do to try this in Dundas! Just think of all the young folks , and the old folks too, supping hot maple sugar with horn spoons, and trying to keep their ‘chops’ clean at the same time. Wouldn’t it be jolly !?”