CONTENTS—Sweat of the Brow—No Beast of Burden—No Stock—Except by a
Few—Horses and Oxen—From Lower Canada—York State—Later comers,
brought some—No Fodder—First Stock in Adolphustown—Incidents—Cock
and Hen—“Tipler”—Cattle Driving—First Cow in Thurlow—First House
in Marysburgh—The First Oxen—No Market for Butter and Cheese—
Sheep—Rev. Mr. Stuart, as an Agriculturist—Horses at Napanee—An
offer for a Yoke of Steers.
INTRODUCTION OF STOCK AND BEASTS OF BURDEN.
We have seen that the refugees and disbanded soldiers who entered
Canada, brought but a limited number of implements, and those of an
imperfect nature. The most of them had no means of lessening labor, no
beasts of burden. All the work had to be done by the sturdy arm, and by
the sweat of the brow. For years, mostly all alike thus labored, and for
many years the increasing number continued to toil, being unable to
procure beasts of burden, or any stock. The distance to go for them was
too far, and the way too difficult to be undertaken easily. But, a
greater difficulty, an insurmountable reason was that they had not the
means to purchase, until years of struggling had extracted from the
ground, covered with stumps, produce to exchange for the much required
help, in the form of beasts of burden. Some of the half-pay officers,
and other persons, favored by those holding some situations in the
government, were enabled to get beasts of burden at first, or within a
year or two. There were a few old soldiers who had a little money,
received at being discharged; and again, some sold their location
tickets of a portion of their land, and thereby were enabled to make
purchase of cows or oxen.
For beasts of burden, they, as a general thing, preferred oxen in
preference to horses, to work among the stumps with. Both oxen and
horses were brought from Lower Canada and York State. The later comers,
especially, fetched with them horses, oxen and cows from the latter
place.
A few of the very first settlers, perhaps, brought one or more cows. We
find it stated that the disbanded soldiers had a cow allotted to every
two families; these must have been procured at Lower Canada, perhaps a
few by way of Oswego, where were stationed some troops. Sheriff Ruttan,
speaking of the famine, says: “We had the luxury of a cow which the
family brought with them.” Thomas Goldsmith came in 1786, and drove a
lot of cattle to the Bay: but he could not get enough for them to eat
and they, starved to death, excepting one heifer and a yoke of oxen. The
Petersons, who settled in the Fourth Town in 1785, and cleared a small
lot of land, went “the following year to Montreal and brought up some
horses and three cows, which comprised the principal stock then in the
Township.”
After a few years, when the settlers had become somewhat established,
steps were taken more generally, to procure stock, so necessary to give
ordinary comfort to their families; while those who now entered the
country brought cows with them. Although the cows and oxen were procured
occasionally from Lower Canada; the most of them were obtained from the
States; but the horses were in the main at first, brought from Lower
Canada. Many incidents attending the long and devious journey through
the wilderness, are still told. Thomas Goldsmith, before mentioned, who
settled in Prince Edward, came into Canada by way of the Mohawk, Wood
Creek, Oneida Lake, and Oswego river, thence to Cataraqui. He undertook
to drive some cattle through the woods to Cape Vincent, piloted by a
friendly Indian, to swim them across the St. Lawrence. In this journey
he suffered almost every privation—hunger, fatigue, exposure. Resting
one night in the ordinary manner, with his head slightly raised, upon
the root of a tree, with no other covering than the tree’s branches, and
sleeping very soundly, after a day’s walking, he became benumbed from
exposure, and knew not of the rapidly descending rain, which had
actually covered his body when he awoke. Yet this man lived to be ninety
years old. Driving cattle through the woods was no easy matter, and dogs
were often employed for that purpose. Ex-Sheriff Sherwood, in his
valuable memorandum, relates an incident which throws light upon those
primitive days. After remarking how well he recollects the pleasure, he
and an elder brother experienced from a present made them of a cock and
hen, no common luxuries then, and with what care they watched over them,
he says: “let me tell you the tragic story of our little ‘Tipler,’ she
had become famed for driving cattle, and we thought much of her. Two
persons, one named Urehart, from the Bay Quinté, and the other Booth,
started to go through the woods to Fort Stanwix for cattle, and
prevailed upon my father to let them take poor little ‘Tipler.’ We saw
them safe across the river; but, sad to say, neither the men nor Tipler
were ever heard of after.”
John Ferguson, writing from Sidney, in July 1791, says that he cannot
get horses for the farm until winter.
In the summer of 1787, Elisha Miller and Col. Richey brought from
Saratoga County several cattle and horses. They were driven by way of
Black River, and swam the St. Lawrence at Gananoque.
The Reeds, who settled in Thurlow, in 1789, had a cow, which afforded
the principal means of sustenance. This, with basswood leaves and other
greens, constituted their food for many a day.
Mr. Harrison, now living in Marysburgh, tells of the first horse “below
the rock.” It was brought, and owned by Colonel McDonald. This, and
another were the only ones for many years. Afterward, oxen were brought
in, as well as cows, by drovers from Lower Canada.
Rochfoucault says, 1795: “The cattle are not subject to contagious
distempers; they are numerous, without being remarkably fine. The finest
oxen are procured from Connecticut, at the price of seventy or eighty
dollars a yoke. Cows are brought, either from the State of New York, and
these are the finest; or from Lower Canada; the former costs twenty, and
the latter fifteen dollars. These are small in size, but, in the opinion
of the farmers, better milch cows, and are, for this reason, preferred.
There are no fine bulls in the country; and the generality of farmers
are not sensible of the advantages to be derived from cattle of a fine
breed. In the summer, the cattle are turned into the woods; in winter,
that is, six months together, they are fed on dry fodder. There is no
ready market at which a farmer can sell that part of his cheese and
butter which is not wanted for the use of the family. Of cheese and
butter, therefore, no more is made than the family need for their own
consumption.” “Sheep are more numerous here than in any part of the
United States, which we have hitherto traversed. They are either
procured from Lower Canada or the State of New York, and cost three
dollars a head. They thrive in this country, but are high-legged, and of
a very indifferent shape. Coarse wool, when cleaned, costs two shillings
a pound.”
The above information was derived, the writer says, from Mr. Stuart, the
Curate of Kingston, “who cultivates, himself, seventy acres of land, a
part of 2,000 acres which had been granted him as a Loyalist. Without
being a very skilful farmer, he is perfectly acquainted with the details
of agriculture.” These statements refer no doubt, to the settlements of
the Bay. There is reference to horses, by Col. Clarke, whose father,
living at the Napanee Mills in 1788, had two favorite horses, Jolly and
Bonny.
In an old account book, now before us, for which we are indebted to Mr.
P. C. Clarke, of Collinsby, and which belonged to his grandfather,
Robert Clarke, who built the Napanee Mills, we find the following entry.
“Appenea Falls, 23rd November, 1785.
“Acct. of work for Adam Bower with his horses. Dec. 3, To day’s
work, do., &c. He continued to work for sixty-two days with his
horses.”
The following supplies valuable information:
“Appanne Mills, 3rd Aug. 1788.
“Messrs. Collins and Frobisher, Dr.” &c. (They must have been agents
for the Government).
“Aug. 21st. To David Bradshaw, one day with his oxen, 6s. June 11.
To Samuel Browson, Jun’r., 2 days work with two yoke of oxen, at
10s. March 28th. To 11½ days, Adam Arehart, with a span of horses,
at 6s.
“1789. Oct. 1. To Asa Richard; 9 days work with a pair of horses and
a woman, at 9s.”
There is a memorandum in Robert Clarke’s book, as follows: “Mr. Joseph
Crane got at Canada” (it will be remembered that the first settlers
spoke of the Lower Province as Canada) “a bay horse six years old. A
brown mare four years old. Second Township, 13th March, 1787.”
The Dempsey’s drove in, 100 miles, some cattle in 1789 to Ameliasburgh.
He was offered 200 acres of land for a yoke of four-year-old steers,
which offer he refused. At another time he was offered 100 acres for a
cow.