Mar. 17, 1993

25 Years Ago
Killer dairy cow infection: more deaths, more mystery: The death toll in Pontiac County is 14 dairy cows and counting but the bacterial infection that’s causing it is still a deepening mystery.
More than two months since it was first detected at a farm near Campbell’s Bay, the killer infection has spread from its epicentre in the Pontiac to Eastern Ontario and the Beauce region south of Quebec City.
In all, 31 cow deaths have been attributed to what scientists now call ‘the mysterious disease.’
Motorists plow through “storm of the century”: National media called it the storm of the century but in Pontiac it was just another winter squall. In the Breckenridge flats, blowing snow failed to close Highway 148 on Sunday in spite of the fact that this has already happened twice before this winter.

Mar. 21, 1968

50 Years Ago
Pontiac Mill curlers win Belnap trophy: Five rinks from Pontiac Mill took part in the Consolidated Bathurst Bonspiel held in Shawinigan Falls last week.
They were among forty eight rinks, representing twelve divisions. Competing from here were rinks skipped by Andy Michaud, Hugh Dundas, Eric McGillivray, Frank Michaud and Jean Landry. The grand prize of the bonspiel, the Lamont J. Belnap Trophy, was brought back proudly to Pontiac by the team skipped Jean Landry with Harold Hall, Tom Gray and Mervyn McCarthy.

David Mackenzie explains new PCR curriculum at Shawville school open house: Parents in large numbers visited both Shawville schools Tuesday night for the annual open house and then congregated in the high school gym to hear an interesting disclosure of the future of schooling on the high school level.
Mr. Hartwick, Director of Education for the region introduced Mr. David Mackenzie who will be the first principal of the new Pontiac County Regional High School and his vice-principal, Mr. Harland.
Mr. Mackenzie then explained subject promotion and individual time tables stating that these two innovations will not solve all our problems and may in fact create other ones but he felt the step is definitely in the right direction.

Mar. 18, 1943

75 Years Ago
Local News: The regular meeting of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of Pontiac Community Hospital was held at the hospital on Tuesday afternoon with Mrs. R.P. Eades presiding.
Mrs. S.E. McDowell, convenor of committee for Refrigeration Fund, presented a very gratifying report. The generosity of the contributors enabled the committee to pay for the refrigerator and still have cash on hand. It was decided that this balance be reserved for buying operating room equipment as recommended by the doctors and the matron.
Following up the recent statements of both President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill that the United Nations will now carry the war to the enemy, American and British generals and admirals announce that their armies, navies and air force are poised to strike on all fronts, says the New York Times.
The German Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels, has promised that the Wehrmacht will again thrust east this year to seek the final victory which Hitler has said lies there.
Last week Premier Joseph Stalin in an order of the day marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Red army, noted once again that Russia was bearing the main weight of the war and that a second front had not yet been established.
A United States Army plane flew 2,000 miles with no one aboard. She reversed course and flew by herself to crash in Mexico after her crew and passengers bailed out because tail flutter vibrations threatened to tear the ship apart in the air. Two men are missing.
The four-engined plane took off the night of Feb. 9 from Florida on a routine flight to South America. Aboard were the crew of six, two passengers and considerable cargo. The plane was 80 miles out when a bad flutter had developed in the tail. Losing altitude to 5,000 feet while the crew and passengers jettisoned cargo in an attempt to stop the vibration. Instead, the vibrations increased and the pilot turned back to Florida. When the pilot thought he was over the coast, he ordered the others to use their parachutes. He headed the plane out to sea, set the automatic pilot for level flight so the craft would not become a menace and bailed out.
Shortly after noon the next day, Mexican authorities reported a plane had crashed in the mountains of Northern Mexico, a report which gave the Air Transport Command a first-class mystery for several days, because no such plane was supposed to be in that part of the world.
An investigation produced serial numbers which identified it as the abandoned plane off the Florida coast, however its course out to sea had been reversed and it cut across hundreds of miles of ocean with no one aboard, crashing when its gas tanks were empty.

Mar. 21, 1918

100 Years Ago
Local News: Mrs. D. S. Kelley announces to the ladies of Shawville and district that she will hold her Spring Millinery Opening in her new stand (one block south of old stand on Pickanock Street). Having recently returned from Toronto openings with a complete stock, the ladies will have no difficulty in making a selection.
Mr. J.N. McLellan of Wyman has recently received word that his eldest son, J.E. McLellan, who for some time past has been taking a course at Toronto University, has joined the Royal Flying Corps, the headquarters of which are down in Texas.
A snow shoe tramp – although conditions on the evening of the 11th were rather unfavourable for the venture, members of the “Good Cheer Club” were not deterred from carrying out the above feature of the program. The objective of the “tramp” was Mr. Wm. T. McDowell’s on the 7th line, about 2 1/2 miles from town. The main obstacle met with at the outset was that the supply of snow shoes available was inadequate to supply demand. Skis were hunted up and still there were not enough to go around, so those who still remained and were anxious to go, found a less energetic means of transit which driving affords.
That big drive on the Western war front which was to place Paris in the hands of the Huns by April 1 has not yet started and some military experts are now venturing that it may not materialize at all. Meanwhile, allied airmen are pounding into ruins important communication centres behind the enemy lines.

Mar. 23, 1893

125 Years Ago
Local news: Malitz’ shingle mill, Thorne, was destroyed by fire few nights ago. The engine, it seems, exploded.
A team owned by Mr. John Dagg of Yarm hauled on the level track a car loaded with 18 tonnes of wood at Shawville station last week.
There was an immense gathering at the Vinton concert on Friday evening. Hon. M. Adams and Mr. W.J. Poupore were not present as expected and as a consequence a good many who went to hear those gentlemen were disappointed.
We understand Mr. Hugh McCredie has withdrawn from the firm of McCredie and Sons of this village, with the object of turning his attention to farming, for which purpose he has removed to Elmside, Bristol.
A number of men from the Coulonge shanties passed through these parts on their way home.
A Merrickville man who was detected swearing on the streets of Smith’s Falls was fined $14 by the mayor.
W.C. McGuire, veterinary surgeon, graduate of McGill Veterinary College Montreal, will be at the Russell House, Shawville and will remain until mid April. All parties requiring his services please call early.
When matrimony is the objective point, bad roads present a very small obstacle to those who firmly take it into their hands to reach that particular goal. Evidently this was the opinion of a couple who went over to Renfrew this week to have the knot tied.