The Citizen Article: Jan 14, 1928 by line by George Wilson

Note To give a sense of the writing style in use during the 1928 period, I have carefully copied every comma and word as it appeared in this  article and entered no corrections Enjoy!!!!

 

Title: Old Time Stuff Reminiscences of the Ottawa of earlier days; Personages, Scenes and Incidents recalled for Evening readers

 

Ø      Memories of Green’s Creek as it was in its Palmy days; Bright Tales By Martin Hart

Waterway in the early days noted for the quality of square timber

Mill pond at the head of the creek often used by deer to escape pursuit by dogs. Residents of district walked to Bytown to church. Ancient fish fossils were once numerous on the banks of the creek. Great place to fish.

 

Mr. Martin Hart for 80 years of the Green’s Creek District and now a resident of Ottawa is one of the veterans of Gloucester Township. Mr. Martin Hart of 163 Florence street is a son and Mrs. Michael McEvoy of 232 Stewart street is a daughter. At present Mr. Hart is staying with the McEvoys. Peter Hart, Father of Martin Hart came to this country considerably prior to the start of the Rideau canal in 1826, worked for a time for Philemon Wright and Nicholas Sparks, The founders of Hull and Ottawa and also for a year or two in the Rideau Canal Construction.

 

In 1844 Peter Hart bought Lot 12 on the second concession of Gloucester, Near Greens Creek, and started to hew a home out of the bush. It was on this bush farm where martin Hart, who tells these stories, was born in 1846.

 

Was Lumbering Center

 

When Peter Hart came to green’s creek district, Green’s Creek was a great lumbering center. The country south of the Montreal road and for miles along the banks of the creek were was full of splendid pine. Between the forties and the sixties the pine of the district was cut by a series of lumbermen. Among those of whom Mr. Hart has heard or known were James Mann, O’Toole and Burns, Simon Armstrong, William Cosgrove, McHarry and Mosgrove. The latter firm operated in the sixties and early seventies. The junior member of this firm was William Mosgrove, who later became a lawyer and finally was county court judge of Carleton. McGarry and Mosgrove had a small sawmill at the mouth of the creek.

 

A Wonderful Section

 

Mr. Hart says it has frequently been stated that in no section of Canada, in proportion to the size of area, has more timber or better timber been cut down Green’s creek between the forties and the seventies. It was common thing to see sticks of pine sixty feet long and 18 inches in diameter floating down the creek. All the timber was squared at its cutting point on the creek floated and cribbed and rafted at its mouth. Very few people will attempt to tell just how long Green’s creek is, as its more crooked than a ram’s horn, but say that if it were straightened it would measure about five miles long. Mr. Hart says that when he was a small boy in the fifties he saw a small steamboat work its way to fully two miles above the Montreal road bridge.

 

Refuge For The Deer

 

In the sixties one Proper Olivier operated a small mill on the upper end of the creek and built a dam from which he generated waterpower. This mill dam was a lifesaver for the deer that prevailed plentifully in the country then. These deer had their chief run in the Mer Bleu country to the south and when they were chased by hunting dogs they used to make for Olivier’s mill pond for safety. They would enter the pond even when the men were at the mill. They seemed to trust more to the mercies of the humans than to the dogs. Sometimes if pressed to hard they would swim the pond and continue their flight across the country.

 

Wonderful fish fossils were found

 

Another recollection of green’s creek is of the wonderful fish fossils, which used to be found there in the early days. There are no fossils there now as Dominion government scientists and amateur experts on fossil picked the banks clean years ago. Most of the fossils found at Green’s creek were of a very remote date and very valuable

 

Great for Fish

 

In the fifties and sixties the creek was said to a great place for fish – pike, pickerel and suckers some of the pickerel caught there at the period weighed eight and nine pounds. The fish were not long or big but numerous. Mr. Hart tells of how his brother Peter Hart and John Cosgrove fished the creek one evening and night with a square net and caught so many fish that they had to go home and get a horse and cart to bring them home. That was in the spring of the year in the sixties when the creek was high and the fish were working up from the Ottawa River. John Cosgrove afterward went out to Seattle.

 

Bytown to Church

 

It is told by Mr. Hart that in the forties his father and mother often made it a practice to walk to Bytown to attend church. There was no church then in St Joseph’s village (Orleans) and if the people of green’s creek district wanted to attend church they had to either ride or walk, and as the Montreal road was in such bad shape, they often preferred to walk than to tire their hard worked horse on the bad roads.

 

Rode Horseback

 

Mr. Hart tells how his father used to compromise between walking and driving by having his young wife and himself take one horse out and ride on it, the young wife sitting on the front of the saddle, which was of course quite a nice thing for a young married couple, especially as the young husband had to hold his bride tightly to prevent her from being thrown off when the horse lurched on the bad roads. Frequently the young couple walked and if the weather was nice the seven miles in and seven miles out was pleasant on the roadside path.

 

Children With the Neighbors

 

These excursions to church did not take place every Sunday, as when later the children came, they had to be left with the neighbors. So the Harts and their neighbors swapped Sundays and took care of the children alternately

 

Built a Church

 

In due time the neighbors (mostly roman Catholics and Irish) clubbed together and built a mission church at St Joseph’s village. Mr. Hart cannot remember just when this mission was built but knows that the building was frame. The old church is still in existence but is now used as a hall in connection with the new church.

 

Stovepipe village

 

Mr. Hart says that in the early period of St Joseph’s village the place was generally called stovepipe village because not a house in the place could boast of a brick chimney. Stovepipes protruded from the top of every roof. Despite this fact the village was strangely free from fires.

 

Story of a Strong man of the Sixties

 

This is a little story of a strong man. Unfortunately, the name of the man has been forgotten by the narrator Mr. Martin Hart. Mr. Hart tells us, however, that the feat of strength referred to occurred in one of Eddy’s shanties on the Des Joachim in the sixties. Hay is not very heavy but when it is pressed and the bundle is big enough and weighs five hundred pounds it is different. In the shanties in the sixties pressed hay came in big bundles which averaged 500 pounds. In the present day bundles of pressed hay averaged 140 pounds in weight. The shanty hay of the sixties was pressed in big hand pressers and was not as nicely pressed as the hay of the present  that is pressed in power presses. Consequently a 500 pound bundle of pressed hay bulked large.

 

The Old Query

 

Readers will remember the old question “Which would you rather have fall on you, 100 pounds of feathers or 100 pounds of lead?” Of Course, most people said 100 pounds of feathers. But a pound is a pound. Now for the story- the strong man in this case was a Frenchman of only medium size, but very muscular. This man was frequently put to tests by his companions

 

A Challenge

 

One day one of his fellows offered to bet him a new made flannel shirt against a pound of tobacco that he couldn’t lift 500 lbs and carry it for a hundred yards. The strong man accepted the bet. A bale of pressed hay of 500 pounds known weight was chosen for the test. The Frenchman stipulated that the hay be lifted off the top of two pork barrels and that he be allowed to use a tamp line. Not thinking that the strong man could handle 500 pounds under any conditions the challenger agreed.

 

Staggered a Bit

 

At the start the strong man staggered for a few seconds as he lifted the bundle off its supporting base. He soon rallied, however, and carried the big bundle farther than the 100 yards, replacing it on top of the barrels. Mr. Hart, who was a teamster, saw the hay carried.

 

Pork Came Easy

 

There was another man whom Mr. Hart knew who could stand with one foot in a rivermans boat and the other on shore and thus placed with legs straddled, could lift 300 pound barrel of pork from shore or from shore into the boat, and did it quite handily. There were giants in strength in those days

 

Log Rider

 

While talking about expert log riders. Mr. Hart told of about a Greens Creek man named Bob Murphy (married to Louisa Kenny) who when short of a boat to cross the river opposite Greens Creek never hesitated to jump on a log and pole himself across the Ottawa. It was impossible to dislodge Murphy from a log.

 

Ø      Youth Planned Thrill At A Wake but received surprise of life

Attending Bride Was to Have Been Pinched from the Vantage Point of Dark Room Through Stove Hole, But Goose in crate Bit his Finger and Caused Yell Which Surprised All the Wakers

In the old days a “wake” among the Irish was a “Function”. A “wake” might result in anything from giving the deceased a post-mortem character of quality, which he did not have in life, to a free fight or the upsetting of the box stove and possibly the burning of the house. Such things have happened.

People use to go “wakes” not only to pat their respects to the dead but to enjoy any possible kick or thrill, which might eventuate. Some went to hear the “keeners” both professional and amateur, because it was worth miles of walking to hear the “cries “ of a good “keener”.

 

Gave a Character

 

It was the duty of  the “keener” ordinarily always an old or elderly woman to send the deceased off with a good character. To be a good “keener “ required dramatic ability and an attitude of not being too excessive and always telling the exact myth. People who could afford to hear professional “keeners “ would travel for miles to get there

 

Mourners Surprised

 

Mr. Hart tells of one humorous incident in which he figured as the principal when he was about in the late fifties. A lady had died in the Green’s creek district and the neighbors had gathered from miles around. Among those who had gathered was a newly married couple. Some of the boys at the wake thought it would be good fun to give the bride a ”thrill”. The proposed thrill was to scare the bride by pinching her from another room, which had communication with the living room by means of the old-fashioned stove hole. The bride sat near the hole

 

Into Dark Room

 

Into the dark room the young conspirators went. Young Martin Hart was to do the pinching. But unbeknown to Hart the farmer had placed a large goose in a crate in the dark room for some reason or other. While stooping down to pinch the young bride young Hart placed his hand on the crate to steady himself. His fingers went into the crate. The goose gave the fingers a hard pinch. The youth let out a yell and the conspirators made for the outside through the open window. The bride did not get pinched, but she got a thrill just the same. So did all the mourners.

 

Ø      Piece of Upper Town for a Years Work

Nicholas Sparks is said to have made this offer

From time to time there come to hand stories about people to whom the pioneer Nicholas Sparks Offered pieces of Upper Town in the twenties of the last century in return for various services rendered or proposed to be rendered. In this connection it must be remembered that at that period ready money was really scarce, though a lot of people had plenty of land. It can be readily understood that in those early days Mr.Sparks  in trying to carry out his various enterprises – his farm work , his lumbering, his teaming, his mill work etc. would often have financial difficulties and might be quite ready to barter part of his land for work which he wanted done.

 

Offer declined

 

In this connection it is told by Mr. Hart that some time between 1820-26 Mr. Sparks wanted to hire his father, Peter Hart, for the period of a year to work on his farm and offered to give him in payment therfor a chunk of land (Mr. Hart does not know how much or just where located) in Upper Town. Mr. Hart did not want land just then; not being married at the time and so declined the offer. His forebears are sorry he did not take the land. Perhaps, however, it wouldn’t have made much difference, as he would have turned it over at the first opportunity.

 

Ø      Lively Episode Shiner Days At Head of the Long Sault

Two Irish Raftsmen Attacked By a Crowd of French Strangers

Were supposed to be Shiners but were not . A lively Fight. An Axe Finally Brought Victory to The Minority Forces. Father of Ottawa Man one of the Men Attacked

 

From time to time Old Times Staff has told little stories about the days of the “Shiners” (origin- Philemon Wright had let to the Peter Aylen’s of Aylmer Irish Lumber Crews the right to harvest a section of Oak (du Chene) around the present day Masson/Buckingham area. The French referred to this group as Des Cheneurs - oak cutters- anglized later to Shiners). In the thirties and the forties and of various wild acts of which the Shiners were accused and also the many lively scraps that took place between the Shiners and the French rivermen. It will be remembered that the Shiners were practically all Irish rivermen and there was a standing war between them and the French rivermen. The Shiners were a rough hardy lot who were credited with a desire to drive the French off the river.

 

Fighting Came Easy

 

The Shiners got so used to fighting that they got into the habit of committing overt acts against English speaking people as well as French and made themselves obnoxious to villagers of all nationalities. They were the terror of Bytown in the thirties. Citizens were afraid to be on the streets at night unless they were in numbers. All women stayed discreetly in their homes once dark came. The feud grew in scale that the French rivermen got to marking every Irish face as that of a Shiner and it often happened that Irish rivermen had no sympathy with their belligerent brothers and even Irishmen who were not rivermen at all were attacked by the French whenever opportunity offered.

 

Exciting Episode

 

Mr. Martin Hart tells how his father, Peter Hart, when a riverman in his thirties had to fight for his life against an attack in force of Frenchmen at the head of the Long Sault Rapids on the Ottawa. The raft on which Peter Hart had been traveling (from the Chats to Quebec) had been snagged at the head of the rapids and all the raft except for himself and another Irishman had gone ashore.

 

Started an Attack

 

After the crew had gone a unruly crowd of Frenchmen who seemed to be farmers rather than rivermen came on the raft and started to beat up Peter Hart and his Irish companion. Both Hart and his companion put up a lively fight but were badly outnumbered. The crowd threw Hart’s companion into the water. This chap was a poor swimmer and had to cling to the raft while hart fought the crowd.

 

Ran for a weapon

 

Finding himself about to be overpowered, Hart ran to a part of the raft where tools were kept and picked up an axe. Half a dozen of the strangers were on his heels but hey turned when they saw hart with the axe. Hart muttering wild yells and threats charged the crowd with the axe swinging it wildly

 

One Carried Off

 

The strangers retreated for awhile but finally tried to surround Hart and take the ace away. But Hart was so active that he actually forced them to leave the raft. But before they did so one of their number fell from a blow on the shoulder from Hart’s axe. This man was carried off. A little later the rafts crew returned and then all was well. Peter Hart never found out whether he had killed the man.

 

Ø      Shantymen of the Sixties Didn’t Fare Well

  Chicago Pork, Bread, Beans were Staples of Food

According to Mr. Hart the lumbermen of the sixties didn’t feed their shantymen very well. At that period the staples of food were bread, pork and beans (Chicago pork at that). Butter or syrup was unknown. There were no regular eating houses and no tables. The men sat around the caboose wherever they could, dished beans out of the pot and cut their own bread. There was no such thing as getting fried bacon on Sunday morning. In some camps occasionally beef was provided, but not in many. The American firms shantying in Canada were the first to provide a wider menu. Mr. Hart had to do with the shantying for 22 years in all, acting as a teamster. He teamed for the Gilmours on the Kazabazua plains as far back as Otter Lake; teamed for the Eddy Company up at fort Eddy and for firms operating around Sault St Marie

 

Ø       Lost in Letter “O”

 

It is told by Mr. martin Hart that somewhere about the year 1846 his respected father had the peculiar experience of getting lost in the “letter O “ in Lowertown. At the time Hart was living at Green’s Creek and had come into town to buy some groceries. At the store the man told him that some fine ironwood trees grew on Letter O at the foot of Sussex street and that if he wanted material for axe handles (people made their own back then) he could get it there. Mr. Hart borrowed an axe and started for the Letter O. At that time much of lowertown was a cedar swamp. In Hunting for ironwood trees Peter Hart wandered into the swamp and got lost. It was several hours before he found his way out as he had walked in circles.

 

Ø      Walking Feat of the Forties Gloucester Man

Simon Armstrong went to Prescott and Back 134 Miles Between Dark and Dark, Was a Remarkable Exploit

Much of the trip was made after night, A certified story of Man who made trip is still alive. Armstrong was strong walker and loved exercise

This story can be believed or not as one chances but it is certified by Mr. Martin Hart whose father knew the man who performed the feat and if that is not enough there is a son and grandson of the man living in Ottawa and on the old homestead in Gloucester who will also certify to the facts. Mr Sam Armstrong late of Green’s Creek and now residing in Ottawa is the son referred to. The hero of the story was Simon Armstrong, a pioneer of green’s Creek and the feat is stated to have taken place away back in the forties of the last century when Gloucester was pretty nearly all wilds.

The Feat?

 

The feat is a walking feat. Simon Armstrong, then a young married man he stated to have walked from Gloucester(via Bytown) to Prescott and back between the night of one day and the night of the next day. It was in the fall of the year. Armstrong is alleged to have left Green’s Creek after work and returned home before midnight the next day. If the passing years have not curtailed the time this was some feat. From green’s Creek to Prescott and return (via Bytown) would be counted as 134 miles long and hard miles as the road then was a mere trail through the woods. Simon Armstrong walked to Prescott chiefly because he did not own a horse in those very early days , but also largely because he loved to walk and was a strong walker. He had to go to Prescott on business in connection with the deed to his farm. What it was does not concern this story. The main point is that he came and went, as stated , between dark and dark, which means that the larger part of the trip was made at night. The interesting part of this story is that Simon himself did not think he had done anything unusual. He made the forced walk because he did not want to leave his family alone too long in their little bush home. So chalk this story down as another feat of endurance to be credited to the pioneers.