The First Wagon in Prince Edward

(by Bruce E. Johnson of Bounty, Sask.)

I notice by a late issue of the Gazette that you are asking for Historical purposes, who built the first wagon used at Picton. So far as circumstantial evidence will lend the weight of an opinion, it may have been William Pope, who had a reputation for building good wagons and I believe was in the business some years before Hart and Son's Carriage Factory, situated nearly across Main Street. A good picture of this factory may be seen in an Atlas of the County of Prince Edward.

It is my early remembrance of being around the Pope premises, that quite an extensive business was or had been carried on there.

It is in my memory that my father was driving a well designed and somewhat ornamental cutter made by William Pope back in the late 1830's or early '40's. This cutter had two Eagle heads and beaks extending from the runners to the dash-board, which gave it a sporty finish.

I may be able to tell you when what may have been the first lumber wagon appeared in the Picton vicinity.

My grandfather, William Johnson, was the first white child born at Hallowell Bridge, now Picton, after the arrival of the U.E. Loyalists on June 16, 1786 (sic) at Adolphustown. Henry and Andrew Johnson, brothers and their wives came or followed up the Bay in their canoes to the end of navigation, now the Corporation of Picton, where they started pioneer life.

In July 31, 1820, William Johnson married Elizabeth Casey of Adolphustown, widow. In her possession she had a lumber wagon for which they had given 200 acres of Adolphustown land. This wagon arrived at the Johnson Estate in the year 1820 and remained in use there until 1869.

When Jacob H. Johnson, son of Wm. H. Johnson, and grandson of William Johnson, married and settled on Royal Street, Athol, he took this wagon as a make shift, where its usefulness ceased at 60 years service.

It is my early recollection of 75 years ago of seeing the old family oxcart stored away in a shed at the end of the barn. The tongue was built of one piece of timber split at the end and spread to an angle. This was mortised in the axle passing through far enough to hold an inch size wooden pin. Iron bolts were not common in those days. It was the wood age.

Many people kept a saddle horse to make long distances, as for a number of years there were only trails through the thick woods, even after the surveyors had done their work and settled on the road allowances.

The wagon and carriage builders of Prince Edward of the days gone by were William Pope; Samuel Wilson; John Thomas; John Finegan; Fralick Brothers; Hart and Sons; and Ringer of Picton. The latter firms were noted for their fine buggies and cutters. Harris and Sons of Wellington; Sprague Brothers, Roblins Mills; Willet H. Way, Mountain View.

These firms' reputation for neat vehicles and top buggies with Prince Edward's fine driving horses, surpassed any part of the Dominion. Automobile and air craft all have advanced form the old ox cart.

An Interview With Mrs. P. Davis

Why the City Paper is Preferred to a Picton Paper - An Active Lady at 76

By Anne Merrill

An interesting old-timer, whose only use for newspapers seemed to be in protecting a handsome, apple-green table cover on her square living room table from the ravages of dust, is Mrs. Peter Davis, Bridge St., who is living with her son, Elgin. For this purpose she was taking a city, rather than a Picton paper. The former she thought would be better, as "there were more pages in it."

Mrs. Davis explained that on account of one blind eye, like Admiral Nelson, she did not like to put too much work upon the good eye. "And so instead of reading them, I just use the newspapers for spreading on the cupboard shelves and tables", said she, with a twinkle in the 'good eye'.

"They are fine for that!" she added mischievously.

Mrs. Davis, who will be seventy-seven next May, "if she lives" - as she put it - was born in Cherry Valley and has been partially blind since birth. Mary E. Noble was her maiden name. She came into town when she was about fourteen.

"Nobody knows what that 'E' stands for", she stated. "I never liked the name, and never used it. It's just 'E' to the public."

This woman has had - and buried - three husbands. She cannot remember just how old she was when she got married the first time, but a photograph on the wall showed a very pretty girl of twenty-two, and Mrs. Davis thinks that was taken about the time she 'took' her first husband. His name was Charley Truesdell. The second was William Lear, and the third, Peter Davis.

A gramophone and an organ gave character to the living room, and there was a coal-stove for comfort and coal-oil lamps still in use. Mrs. Davis finds the gramophone a great source of entertainment and especially enjoys the humorous records.

Asked for some early recollections, Mrs. Davis said she had always worked hard. That was the way she got her fun. She liked work and was 'hired girl' in several families. Later she did 'papering' for various people and was proud of the fact that she had papered and frescoed, two flats at the Royal Hotel, some years ago.

"But I'm not working now", she said. "I'm getting my pension - twenty dollars a month - and they won't allow me to work". This seemed to be the only thing that could keep her from her favorite occupation.

Asked what church she attended, Mrs. Davis declared with enthusiasm; "My last husband and I were baptised in the Baptist church - and it's as good a church as you can belong to."

When complaining a little of one hand being numb, we timidly suggested a doctor rubbing her arm.

She protested against this form of treatment. Wasn't going to have any man "rubbing around her:.

Asked if she had never had a doctor, she said that when her children came, her mother looked after her. Mrs. Noble had evidently been a skilled midwife.

"My mother doctored hundreds of women when their babies came", she said, proud of the recollection of her mother's skill.

Nine Lighthouses on County Shores

By Philip Dodds

Casting their warning rays to the boats which ply up and down the Lake past the county, and to those which enter the Bay of Quinte, are nine lighthouse on Prince Edward County Shores.

Main Ducks

About fifteen miles off Pt. Traverse in lake Ontario is Main Duck Island and here a revolving light is stationed in an octagonal, reinforced concrete tower, 80 feet high, which was built in 1914.

The 1930 keeper is Wesley E. Thomas.

False Ducks

False Ducks light is on the east point of Swetman Island. The circular stone tower is 62 feet high. The present keeper is K.A. McConnell. The False Ducks Islands are about five miles from the mainland and this section is often called the graveyard of Lake Ontario, scores of great boats having been dashed to pieces on the treacherous shores of the district.

Pt. Traverse

The light on Point Traverse, also known as Prince Edward and Long Point, is a combined dwelling and light, the latter which was built in 1881, being 36 feet high. The red light here does not move and it has been given the nick-name of "the Red Onion." George Bongard, who is living today, drew the gravel for the foundation, John Fagen was contractor and William Smith, the Mason. It is a wooden structure. Daniel McIntosh, was keeper there for thirty years and Sell Vorce also held this post from some years. The 1930 keeper is W.J. Ostrander. There is no fog horn attached to this station as on the Ducks lights.

Point Pleasant

At the entrance of the Bay of Quinte, is the light on Point Pleasant, otherwise known as Cressy and Indian Point. The wooden tower is 52 feet high and it was built in 1866. The present keeper is Sam Carson.

Onderdonk Point

On Onderdonk Point, Wm. Allison tends the light in the twenty foot square, wooden tower. This was built in 1911.

Pt. Petre Light

Point Petre light is known for its great fog horn. The alarm consists of a diaphone driven by compressed air and can be heard for many miles. The circular stone tower is sixty feet high and it was built in 1833. Howard Lowery is the keeper this year.

Three Unwatched lights

In addition to the above there are three unwatched lights, at Telegraph Island, Nigger Shoals and Scotch Bonnet, the latter being exhibited from a circular stone tower, 54 feet high, built in 1856.

The lighthouse at Salomon Point is not now in use.

Quill Pens and Homemade Ink

Sand Was Used for Blotting Ink - How the Pen-knife Got Its Name

by Philip Dodds

Steel pens have been in use about 100 years. Previous to that time, the writing was all done with the quill-pen made from the quills or large feathers taken from the wing of a goose. People usually kept a bundle of these on hand for this purpose. Sometimes they would be taken out when plucking the geese, but usually they were gathered when the geese shed their feathers, the quills being scattered around the yard. By boiling them in water, the oil was removed, and the quills were made hard and pliable.

It was an easy matter to make a quill pen, with the help of a sharp knife, and it was from this that the name pen-knife originated. Quill pens continued in use long after steel pens were introduced.

The ink used by the old folks, was made at home in various ways and proof of its durability may be found by inspecting old documents. A good writing-fluid was often made by boiling the inner bark of the soft maple and adding a little copperas to the solution.

Blotting-paper is so common today that we hardly appreciate it. Before this paper came into use, it was the custom, especially among those who did a good deal of writing, to keep a box of sand (something like a pepper shaker of today) to dust on the paper after it had been written on, so as to dry the ink quickly.

The ink-well always had small holes so that the quill pens could be inserted when not in use.

We still sometimes see quill pens today, but they have steel nibs and the feathers are dyed bright colors. They are really more ornamental than useful. Steel pens and fountain pens are quite recent inventions, but is the general writing of today any better than that of earlier days?

A Rate War in Steamboat Days

Price Became as Low as 25c From Picton to Kingston, Return.

With Dinner at Kingston Thrown In.

"The best steam-boat story I ever heard was told to me by my father," said James H. Porte, recently, when the talk was turned on old days in Picton and vicinity - the preparation of the Centenary edition of the Gazette having stirred people's memories, and brought out many lively reminiscences.

"I remember hearing him tell it often," Mr. Porte said. "The story goes away back to about the time that my father came here, in 1854, and concerned a rate war between a boat called the City of the Bay - I don't remember who put her on the route - and the Bay of Quinte, owned by the Gildersleeves of Kingston. They both used to run between Picton and Kingston.

"They started this rate war, and got on down, till the competition became so keen that one boat offered to take passengers from Picton to Kingston and return, for the sum of 25c each.

"Then the other boat went one better. They advertised that they would take you from Picton to Kingston and return for the same price, and that they would throw in a dinner at Kingston!

"That finished the argument. The rate-war was over, and that finished the City of the Bay, too, while the Bay of Quinte carried on, victorious."

Mr. Porte recalls having years later seen the old Bay of Quinte "Laid up in the bone-yard" at Garden Island, across the bay from Kingston.

Oldest Store in Picton That of C.B. Allison

Founded in 1829 - Late C.B. Allison In Store for 52 Years –

The Early Days of the Business Recalled

The C.B. Allison & Co.'s drug store on Main street is the oldest business establishment in Picton, and lays claim to being older even than the Picton Gazette and that is "going some", as the boys say. It was founded in 1829 by a Dr. Chapman who came here from Rome, N.Y., in that year.

He brought with him a set of apothecary's scales which is at the present time in the possession of Dr. Gerald Allison, and at 100 years of age, just as accurate as when they were made. The store at first was located on the corner now occupied by M. Hoffman, but has been in its present location for over three quarters of a century.

Later Dr. R. J. Chapman joined a partnership with his brother-in-law, the late Gideon Striker, M.P.P., which was known as Chapman and Striker until the year 1873. The original sign Chapman and Striker is still hanging in the drug store.

Dr. Chapman had two children, the late Charles Chapman, who became secretary treasurer of the American Bank Note Engraving Company of Chicago, and a daughter who married the late Walter McKenzie, for many years Registrar of Prince Edward County.

Mr. Striker went to New York to consult a physician about his heart, and was advised to retire from business. He gave his senior clerk, C.B. Allison, an opportunity to buy the store, which he accepted, although a young man then of twenty years of age when the responsibility looked like a big undertaking for him. That was in 1873. A few years later he bought the building also which had been owned by Mr. Striker, which has since been known as the Alison Block.

He owned and operated the business till he died in May 1927. And that's all there was to it. - Yes, my father was fifty-two years in this one store.

The son recalled how familiar the late Mr. Allison had been with the English currency. "Why, he knew pounds, shillings and pence, as well as dollars and cents. When I was a youngster, I used to marvel at him. An Englishman would come in here with some figures, and my father would just shut one eye and work it out in no time."

The present owner of the store, James W. Allison, was twelve years in his father's employ. Then he went to Toronto where he was connected with Henry K. Wampole, pharmaceutical chemists, for fifteen years.

A connecting link with the Gazette's history is the fact that James Allison married Mabel Conger, only daughter of the late Stephen M. Conger, who was editor and proprietor of the Picton Gazette for more than half a century.

The Late C.B. Allison

The late C.B. Allison, or Charley as he was more generally known to his intimates, was born in Allisonville, son of the Rev. Cyrus Allison. When he was nine years old, the family moved into Picton. He attended the Picton Public school and later the Grammar school in the premises now used as a Masonic lodge room.

During the years of C.B. Allison's ownership many young men learned the drug business under his leadership, but none were associated with him longer than the late H.U. Tobey who spent thirty-three years in the Old Drug Store. Others there for shorter terms were Herbert Moxon, Don Macdonald, Walter Macdonald, Bert Welsh and Don Welsh.

The late C.B. Allison held many positions of trust, and honour, in Picton, having been at various times, councillor, deputy reeve, reeve and mayor. He was mayor of Picton for 1911 and again in 1912 and for twenty years was a member of the Collegiate board and one-time chairman. He was a member of the Picton Methodist Church board and for fifteen years, choir leader of the church.

A second son, Dr. Gerald Allison, who served with distinction in the Great War, is now medical health officer of the town.

Mr. Moxon's Recollections

Mr. H. M. Moxon of John Moxon & Son remembers perhaps more than any one else in Picton, the activities in the C.B. Allison and Co's. store from about half a century ago. "Herb" Moxon, as he was familiarly known, went there as a clerk about 1880, at the age of fifteen.

"I began as junior in the drug store", said Mr. Moxon. "Had to wash all the bottles, and carried all the parcels. There was no parcel express in those days. I was there for about seven years. Don Macdonald of Wellington was senior over me the, and later I became senior, with Kenneth Clemenson as junior. The drug store was then known as Allison & Clarke's (the late J.O. Clarke). C.B. Allison and Mr. Clarke had a sort of partnership.

The doctors who used to come into the store for prescriptions Mr. Moxon recalled, were Dr. J.M. Platt, Dr. Evans Senior - or "old Dr. Evans" as he was known - Dr. H.B. Evans, his son; Dr. Bowerman, Dr. Jenner (who was with Dr. Platt) and Dr. Wright. He didn't remember Dr. Nash. He was of an "earlier vintage" thought M. Moxon.

"The doctors carried very little stock in those days", said the man who now owns a thriving hardware business across the street from C.B. Allison's. "They had all their prescriptions made up at the Old Drug Store. That was the name by which the store was generally known.

Rush at Christmas Time

"I've done up as many as fifty and sixty prescriptions in a day:, Mr. Moxon said "And that was just ordinary, too. Many a time I didn't get home to dinner - we were so busy with those prescriptions.

"At Christmas time we were especially busy. During the holiday season the staff would be increased to seven or eight, and I remember Mrs. Allison would send our dinners down to us. There was Otto L. Schmidt, language teacher in the Picton High school; George Hart, son of Lucius and brother of Ada (Mrs. Cartwright of Ottawa) Alfred Platt - all of these besides of course C.B. Allison and J.O. Clarke, and Don Macdonald and myself.

Big Bibles in Demand

There used to be a great demand for those old-fashioned big family Bibles in red morocco - the heavier they were padded - the covers I mean - the faster they would sell. Families liked to have them for their centre table. We'd sell them by the dozen.

Sold Silverware

"And the Old Drug Store sold more silverware than any other place in town - even the jewelers. It was headquarters for the Meriden Britannia Co. (Rogers 1847 cutlery). We sold tons of it. I've seen Mr. Allison give an order for a thousand dollars worth of silver at one time. Of course we sold it through the year, too, for weddings and such like, but the main trade was at Christmas and New Years. We had the silverware trade, all right!"

The former drug-clerk recalled the day's routine of rolling out the wicker-covered demijohns, which used to attract the farmers and which used to sell readily if placed on exhibition outside the store; and then hanging out the feather-dusters and bunches of chamois squares.

Coffins Made to Order and Funerals Attended With Hearse, When Required

That Was Advertised in the Gazette by Gilbert's Seventy Years Ago –

N.D. Gilbert Recalls Early Days of Furniture business

There used to be three furniture stores here in the old days, recalled Mr. N.D. Gilbert, one of the most successful business men in Picton, who still has a stake in the Gilbert Company's establishment of today.

There was Rufus Sawyer who had a store near the old Brick Church and Abram Southard; and James Gillespie, father of the present County Treasurer, who later became Sheriff. All these stores were up around the west end near the station. Then the present Mr. Gilbert's father and grandfather together bought out the Gillespie business and ran it under the joint name of R.S. and J.N. Gilbert.

"R.S. was my grandfather and J.N. was my father," Mr. Gilbert said in an interview, and in looking through the Picton Gazette of seventy years ago, the editor came across their interesting advertisement, dated Picton, October 8, 1861. It made a grand display, with many lines in capitals, and a subtle note was contained in the reference to Coffins, and the statement that funerals would be attended, with hearse, "when required". A hand pointed to this line. Here is the advertisement:

GILBERT'S

CABINET WAREROOMS

SOFAS, COUCHES, DIVANS,

BUREAUS, SIDEBOARDS

SPRING, CANE, RUSH AND WOOD

BOTTOM CHAIRS

KINING, CENTRE AND KITCHEN TABLES

Cottage, high-post, common and

black walnut bed-steads

Wash, light and corner stands.

And many other articles usually

found in a first-class furniture establishment.

All of the above will be sold

LOW FOR CASH OR APPROVED

CREDIT

Old chairs caned, or furniture

repaired to order.

COFFINS MADE TO ORDER AND

FUNERALS ATTENDED WITH

HEARSE WHEN REQUIRED

The public are invited to call and

examine their stock before purchasing

elsewhere. Furniture warerooms in

Gillespie's old stand, Main St. Picton

R.S. and J.N. GILBERT

Picton, Oct. 8, 1861

The Sawyer business went out of existence on the death of its proprietor, Mr. Rufus Sawyer, and also Southard's and "ours was the only one that continued on," said Mr. N.D. Gilbert, who added that shortly after the death of his grandfather, R.S. Gilbert, Mr. Angus Lighthall was taken into partnership by J.N. Gilbert and that partnership existed for "a great many years", the narrator did not pretend to remember times with exactness.

Mr. Lighthall finally retired from the business and Mr. N.D. Gilbert and Mr. John H. Gilbert took hold. John H. later retired from the partnership and the business was reorganized under its present name of Gilbert Company and for five years was conducted by Mr. J. A. Wear and for the past three years by the Palmatier brothers. But Mr. N.D. Gilbert has always continued an active interest in the business right up to the present time.

The building now occupied by the Gilbert Company was erected "in the same year as Sir John A Macdonald died," which was as near as the director could come to the actual date. So much for history.

Made by Hand

"In the early period of the firm's business," Mr. Gilbert recalled that "everything was made by hand by the workmen in their shops - made and finished there - and some very clever workmen grew up in this line, and some very notable pieces of furniture are still in existence that were made by them.

"Yes, some are owned in the county. The woods used? Why, they were chiefly walnut, ash, butternut, cherry - and basswood too. No there was no mahogany here. Lots of cherry-mahogany made" - and this man skilled in the knowledge of woods, smiled at the recollection.

"In later years factory furniture predominated, over the old-fashioned shop variety, until the latter has practically gone out of existence; and it's a pity, too," he said.

Versed in Antiques

Mr. Gilbert has been for many years consultant on antique furniture. Furniture dealers from the cities have got into the habit of coming down here to ask his opinion on antiques. They are often puzzled to know not only what kind of wood is in some pieces, but what its value. They are aware that this Picton expert has had a long and wide experience in old furniture, having handled a great deal of it, and that his integrity and his judgment are reliable.

This man is rather proud of an old sofa that he got from the estate of the late Philip Low, Q.C. Mr. Gilbert waited seven years for that, he said, adding that "all things come to those who know how to wait," and claimed that his was an improvement on the old saying.

An Old Sofa

But he followed this up by admitting that he "let get away" the very choicest piece that had ever gone through his hands - a sofa that was brought to Picton by the first Catholic priest in this district, the Rev. Father Lawler, who had brought it with him from Ireland.

"It was a very rare piece, and it's down in Dr. White's house on the bay shore now. Yes, it was all made by hand, but I couldn't name the period.

In the closing up of estates and the breaking up of a great many homes, Mr. Gilbert has been called in to fix prices for the estate goods. "People themselves, very often don't know the value of their things," he stated. "It's a pretty difficult job. It requires a lot of experience, a lot of study and a lot of thought. There are many private sales where they have no record of the cost of anything."

That Walter S. Love had operated a cabinet factory here for a number of years, and also an undertaking business, was the final item recalled by Mr. Gilbert, when asked for a survey of the furniture business in the old county town.

The Present Managers

Lee and Andrew Palmatier have been associated in the management of the business for the past 3 years. As a young man Lee was a clerk in the Picton post Office, joining his brother in 1920 in the purchase of a furniture and undertaking business in Midland. Both took the training and examination necessary for an Embalmer's license.

The urge of the old home town was strong, and Lee came back to Picton in 1925, and went into the Gilbert Co. Business with J.A. Wear. His brother joined him here two years later after sale of the Midland business, and the two brothers have been making friends ever since.

Early Memories of Picton

(by Bruce E. Johnson of Bounty, Sask.)

I have been requested to write an article on my early memories of Picton and the conditions of farm life in days of yore. As I have one year of grace yet to reach my four-score mark, it is only natural for me to recall much of Picton's activity for more than seventy-five years. While Picton was born about the 16th of June 1784, after the arrival of the U.E. Loyalists at Adolphustown I cannot say that I have ever heard the number of souls that arrived safely there after a fearless journey by boat from New York, stopping at Sorel, Quebec, for the winter where several of the number died of diseases brought on by exposure, living in tents or such shelter as was available.

It was necessary on arrival to locate their future homes, and trusty canoes carried these newcomers along the shores of the Bay of Quinte, to select the best spots on which to settle.

Andrew and Henry Johnson, and their wives and brothers, followed the Bay up to its head, the Picton Bridge, early known as Hallowell Bridge. No doubt the town of Picton itself was known for some years as Hallowell, until, I believe, the Rev. Wm. Macaulay, church of England rector, named the place Picton after a friend of his, General Picton, whose photograph is to be found among Picton's relics, and should be preserved in greater prominence.

These Johnson men were connected with the writer by family ties, Andrew being my great-grandfather. Henry Johnson built his cabin on the bank of the Bay to the East of the town on the land granted later by the Crown, which remained in the family until disposed of by his grandsons, Jacob S. and George Johnson about thirty-five years ago.

The Agricultural park is a part of this property and a portion of this land at the present time is occupied by some of Picton's best buildings. It is probable that Henry Johnson's first cabin was the spot on which now stands your fine hospital.

To the east was the residence of Cory Spencer Sr., and on James Dougall's lot stands Prince Edward's Old People's Home. West of Johnson Street was Simeon Washburn's and next to his, lived Sheriff David Barker's grandfather. The Picton post office is on a portion of Mr. Barker's ground. I am not a present able to name the original owners of the lands to Talbot St.

Then south from Main St. The Rev. Wm. Macauley owned the land up to the Mountain. The old St. Mary Magdalene's church is built on this land - some time in 1850 I believe - and known as Bridge St., and also the county gaol. Gordon Hotel, the Post Hotel (or Van Patten's) Empeys, and Sullivan, have all occupied the same site which was one of the early landmarks among Picton hostleries.

Andrew Johnson had the next lot, known as the Sulphur Spring farm. Mount Olivet cemetery and a part of Glenwood cemetery is on this farm, and he and his three sons evidently built and operated the first saw-mills in Prince Edward, located in the back valley of Glen Wood until it was purchased for cemetery purposes sixty-five years ago.

The Washburns were enterprising people and I believe erected the brick block on the corner of Main and Bridge Streets. Paul Washburn, in my time, had a warehouse at the bridge dock and bought grain. John Vance and Jacob S. Johnston had a lumber-yard in connection with this dock. I think the Rathbuns bought out this plant and repaired the dock and storehouse and W.H. Lake had control of their plant and later became proprietor of the Rathbun business.

Irving and Downs operated a saw and planing mill in connection with a contracting and building business. Old timers many remember a boiler-explosion there, when the mill was wrecked, killing two men and injuring others. This establishment was later purchased by A.W. Hepburn who had a lumber-yard, saw and planing mill, ship-building etc. That part of the property including the store house, shipping docks and coal sheds, was discontinued and the mill turned into a canning factory, now run by Hepburn and Tripp.

The earliest storehouse and wharf was known as Gray's storehouse and where a large part of the shipping of grain was done. Driscoll was the warehouse man. Jacob Cronk and Thomas Gearing were grain buyers. Grain shipping ceased at Picton when the McKinley bill put a duty on barley and peas, which had been the people's main revenue-getter before the canning industry arrived.

The dairy industry was in its infancy in the latter days of the barley industry. Shipping of grain was done from the high banks, from wagons, the grain being poured through stove pipes, into the olds of schooners, at various points around the shores of the county.

Among the business men of these early days might be mentioned Elisha Sills and his son Ephraim, a merchant known as "Old Baldwin" in political matters. The sons later established a large paper-manufacturing business at Frankford. The youngest son, Edwin, became a church of England minister and went to live in the Old Country.

Thomas Donnely was a school superintendent; R.A. Norman Sr., the first police magistrate - the Kadi - in the days when John Gibson was chief of police and John O'Neil, vice. Nelson Babbit succeeded him until his health failed. Mr. Norman was succeeded by George Currie who held the position until advancing age ordered a halt. He was followed by Levi Williams who was followed by R.A. Norman, the present incumbent. These men have been an honor to justice and peace in the town.

The Montreal Bank and the Standard bank were the two earliest established banks in Picton, later came the Royal and Nova Scotia. As for the educational side of the town, around eighty years ago an English gentleman by the name of Ryland built a very elaborate residence on the Glenora road, in later years owned by A.W. Hepburn and named "Rickarton". When the Ryland purse went dry, the building was turned into a place of learning and called Ontario College flourishing as such for a few years.

The Picton High school always had a good reputation and had good teachers; and since it has become a Collegiate institute, its reputation has held good, I understand.

The Old Town Hall

When the town hall was built, the lower part was used as a meat-market, where Frank Taylor and sons James and George; George Jeffry and son Charles; John Stevenson and stepsons James and Robert McLeod and the late centenarian, Edward Printer, drover, Richard Cowan and sons; Edward Thibault and sons and many country meat-vendors have supplied Picton epicures with the best of meats for the past seventy years.

Cabinet Makers

The early cabinet-makers were Abram Southard, Rufus Sawyer and son Sylvester, undertakers, R.S. and J.N. Gilbert's family, with partnerships, have for many years kept an up-to-date furniture and undertaking establishment. Nicolas Gilbert holding the business name, and an active citizen of the town and northern forests. Another furniture and undertaking business was for some years conducted by Andrew Buchanan, Robert Porte, Nicol Goodwin and Cap Dingman, and always well thought of by the public.

Originated Soap

The late John VanHorn should be immortalized with a tablet raised to his honor, for the introduction of VanHorn's Electric Soap, which was later manufactured by Beringer and Owens and afterward by the Dingman and Pugsley Electric Soap Co. at Toronto. This soap, which originated in Picton, has gained a world-wide reputation, and is a particular favorite in the west for use with the alkaline water.

First Garden and Field Seed Store

Around eighty years ago, the first garden and field seed-store was opened by John H. Allen who for many years was prominent in town affairs. The business he founded is being carried on today by his successors, Hogg & Lytle, and has been a boon to the farming community, as well as to hundreds of men and women employed in hand-picking beans and peas, for shipment to foreign markets.

With the great expansion of the canning industry, which was started in Picton sixty years ago, the increase in prices to the growers of produce, which has practically doubled in the past twenty-five years, is making the industry now profitable to the growers as well as the canners, and a source of revenue to seekers of employment.

Market Prices

With good fruit, good prices for bacon hogs that has trebled in the past twenty-five years - dairy butter quoted in your market reports at 40 to 45 cents per lb.; chickens selling per lb. for more than the whole bird used to bring in the Picton market twenty-five years ago; cheese, low at 14 cents a lb. home consumption should be encouraged at this price, though dairy cows averaging $100 does not correspond with the price of cheese. Why should the producers of Prince Edward County complain?

With eggs a good price and so many lines of production, compared with the west where the single line is wheat and where the bottom has fallen out and back to conditions of 25 years ago and financial business forty below zero. Yet we see no one shedding tears with hunger. We are thankful we have no famine. We have millions of bushels of wheat worth forty to fifty cents per bushel; barley worth 8 cents, oats 12 cents, clear Winnipeg Exchange delivery.

Our Own County

And Pictonians have reason to be proud of their county. They have a beautiful town and surrounded by fine drives in every direction, far surpassing, in my opinion, any mountain scenery on this continent.

If tourist will visit Glenora, and see the mystery Lake-on-the-Mountain, cross over to Waupoos, keeping on the high land towards Milford, they will find the sights over Lake Ontario are grand. But grander still to drive up the hill by the Reservoir, by the old Lovers' Walk, and out on the drop of land the view afforded of the farming country around Bloomfield, Wellington and Lake Ontario, the Sand Banks, now lying in plain view, and the East and West Lakes helping out the panorama with Salmon Pt., Pt. Petre and lake Ontario in the distance, provides an unsurpassed spectacle. Occasionally one of the large boats of commerce may be sighted plowing towards the St. Lawrence on its way to the ocean.

Reviewing those scenes, in my mind's eye, I am overcome with happy memories of Prince Edward county, and join in hearty congratulations to the Picton Gazette on reaching its 100th anniversary. May it have another one!