Oct. 6, 1993

25 Years Ago

Oktoberfest breaks records in the rain: The population of the village of Ladysmith swelled from 125 to over 5,000 this past weekend as people flocked in for the ninth annual Oktoberfest.
CKBY disk jockey Mark Papousek returned to act as master of ceremonies throughout the weekend.
Between showers on Saturday the last pull of the season for the Northern Truck Pullers drew a dedicated crowd of spectators.
The Molly Rod Raiders from Low, Que. brought a dozen “long riders” and two covered wagons to the Oktoberfest parade. The last act by this notorious gang was the holdup of the Wakefield train.
Municipal councillors take guided tour of QPF detachment in Campbell’s Bay: Don’t be alarmed if you saw a local council member in the back of a police car last Wednesday.
Representatives from each municipal council in the Pontiac attended a Mayor’s Day at the Campbell’s Bay detachment of the QPF Sept. 29.
Included in the day-long event was a ride in a patrol car for each of the participants, which would explain the appearance of local councillors in the backseat.
Each year, municipal councils within the Pontiac request a meeting with the police. This year, Sergeant Gaston Paquette invited each council to attend a Mayor’s Day at the station. This year’s event had 42 people touring the station and learning the intricate details of police work.

Oct. 17, 1968

50 Years Ago

Garnet Martineau rebuilding after Oct. 9 fire: A fire was discovered in Garnet Martineau’s barn at noon on Wednesday Oct. 9. Mr. Martineau was away at the time when the fire broke out.
Members of the volunteer fire department who responded tot he call were unable to save the barn but prevented the blaze from spreading to the house located less than 150 ft. from the barn.
Mr. Martineau lost 15 calves, a horse, more than 4,000 bales of hay, a tractor and several pieces of machinery in the blaze.
He has started to build another barn for the cows. With the help of neighbours, the footings for the buildings are already being poured.
Fire Prevention Week features fire drills in Shawville Schools: Fire prevention week was observed throughout most communities the week of Oct. 6 to 12. Shawville joined in this observance in an attempt to make the community safety minded and to eliminate any fire hazards that could lead to trouble later. Groups of school children from kindergarten and Grade one visited the fire hall and talked with Fire Chief Watt Taylor and other firemen.
On Wednesday a number of the firemen visited the three schools in Shawville where they sounded the fire alarms and timed the students to see how quickly they could vacate the schools.

Oct. 14, 1943

75 Years Ago

Local News: Miss Phyllis Little of Clarendon No. 2 School has been awarded a prize of two dollars form the Earl of Bessborough Chapter, I.O.D.E. of Montreal.
Miss Little received the award for leading her classes in the regular June examinations.
Ad: Vitamins – Be prepared for the cold weather. Build yourself up with vitamins. We carry vitamins for all conditions. The Corner Store, Main and Centre Sts., Shawville.
In this terrible conflict in which we are engaged, a heavy burden has fallen upon our farmers, a burden which they have accepted with energy and resourcefulness, for food, which suddenly became a primary munition of war, had to be furnished in ever increasing quantities to meet the needs of a larger and larger proportion of our people withdrawn from ordinary pursuits of peace to fulfill th expanding demands of war.
The long arm of Allied air power strikes inside Hitler’s “fortress”: With the Russians reported across the Dieper in several places, the French practically in control of Corsica, Allied forces seizing the Aegean Islands, Yugoslav guerrillas holding most of the Dalmation coast, and the British American armies pushing up the Italian boot, the walls and roof of Hitler’s “fortress” are bent and breached.
How much the shape of the war has been changed since July is only clear when we look at those encouraging circles and mapmakers draw to show how far Allied planes will go if they fly 300 or 600 miles toward Berlin.

Oct. 10, 1918

100 Years Ago

Local news: At the meetings of both Clarendon and Shawville councils held on Monday, action was taken to close the schools and discontinue all church services or meetings as well as cancel any public gatherings that may have been arranged for in these municipalities. This step has been taken as a precautionary measure to check, as far as possible, the further spread of the influenza epidemic which has reached very alarming proportions in many parts of the country, including sections of this county.
The desire of the authorities is that the people will lend their best assistance and cooperation in combatting the malady which has already claimed many victims.
Spanish influenza seems to be spreading through the country at an alarming rate. A large number of cases have developed at the Quyon mine which has also ceased operations on account of the disease.
“Mothers of France”, a moving picture in which Mme. Sarah Bernhardt, the world-famous actress plays the chief role, was presented at the skating rink in Shawville on Saturday night to a small but appreciative audience. The weather was so wretchedly bad that the usual Saturday night influx of people form the surroundings was not in evidence.
In compliance with the action of council, forbidding public gatherings, the ploughing match has been called off.
The new butter factory at Bristol Corners (a branch of the Arnprior Creamery) is now open for business.

Oct. 12, 1893

125 Years Ago

Local news: A telegraph operator named William Johnston, employed at Maberly, a small station on the C.P.R. a few miles from Perth was killed by a train one night last week.
The Clarendon Roller Mills can now guarantee a steady run for the coming season on account of having made large improvements in the way of controlling the water power and being in the best possible shape in every particular, the proprietor can with confidence promise his patrons better satisfaction than ever.
Quite a number from this village attended the Beachburg Fair on Friday last.
The annual shooting match of the Shawville hunt club takes place on Friday of this week. The meeting to choose sides and decide on where the supper is to be provided will be held on Thursday evening in room over weigh scales.
Mr. John Bryson M.P. and Mr. F.C. Dezouche in the interest of the Pontiac Telephone Co. canvassed this village on Wednesday last week for subscribers to the enterprise. They succeeded in placing eight or nine phones with a prospect of more later on, providing the line works satisfactorily.
The first car-load of this year’s threshing oats left the station for market on Monday morning. The price paid was 28 to 30 cents per bush.
Twenty-two shanty men for Gilmour and Hughson arrived in the village on Friday evening and were driven to Otter Lake by liveryman R. Hobbs on Saturday.
It was certainly a fortunate decision of the directorate this year to fix Thursday for the date of the exhibition instead of Wednesday as formerly. A fine day and 3,000 people attended. All quarters of the district began to pour into the village at an early hour, the number of highways which centre here, momentarily contributing tot he countless number of conveyances of every description which found their way into the village.
By eleven o’clock, all the available stable room and every yard in town was stocked with horses and rigs.
Taken altogether the exhibition was considerably in advance of last year, a fact upon which the directors are to be congratulated.