Ontario -- Description and travel; Ontario -- History
Called to a knowledge of the breach of national law in allowing the
arming of a hostile force within her territory, the United States
Government gave the necessary orders to her officials. This, following
the ill-success of the raid, put a stop to active Fenianism on our
western boundary line for the time.
A second somewhat similar attempt was even more quickly repulsed at
Eccles’ Hill, in the Eastern Townships, Quebec, in 1870.
Among the prisoners taken at Ridgeway was a young Catholic priest. He
was lodged in the Penitentiary at Kingston for being caught in such bad
company. At first it was thought we would keep him there, but as time
passed and the excitement against those who had caused the loss of our
men cooled, sorrow for the unfortunate misguided young father softened
our hearts. The prison doors were opened, he was bidden depart and be
seen no more in our land. He said he would not, and I believe he has
kept his word faithfully.
* * * * *
“Born with a silver spoon in his mouth” is a very laconic way Canadians
have of expressing the case of a child born of rich parents. The young
man of the following sketch was the only son and probable heir to
riches, both on the father’s and mother’s side. He had a sister, it is
true, who would likely inherit a proportion of the family wealth. In
that respect Canadians are like the people of the British Isles, who do
not intend the daughters to share equally with the sons. Among our
American cousins they have broken off from the old traditions, and the
girls inherit equally with the boys.
Unfortunately for this youth he did not get on well with his father, nor
did he shine very brilliantly at school, but through all he was ever the
mother’s favorite.
After the completion of the Canadian Pacific Rail-wax-many of the young
men of the older Provinces were disposed to try their luck in British
Columbia. Among such adventurers were two lads of the same town, and
schoolmates of this young man. This fact probably fired his ambition,
for in midwinter these two boys were joined by the young heir. Together
they ran away, going direct to Golden, a point on the new line of
railway in British Columbia. His mother had provided him with some
funds, else they had found it difficult to survive through the
approaching winter. Arrived at Golden, they secured a tent and lived in
it when the mercury registered 20° (Fah.) below zero. It is very
evident the lad had good “grit,” as is said in America, to thus come
straight from luxury to live and lodge with nothing between him and that
awful cold but a little cotton web.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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