The Old House on the Hill--A Wily Commissary--The Bags of
Gold--What was done at Midnight--The Dead of Night Deposit--The
Old Vault--A Timid Money-Lender--Mr. Peter Johnson--The Board of
Commissioners--The Old Gentleman's Little Joke--The Inspection--
How it was Discovered--The Fight with the Flames--"How much will
I Get?"--What he Got--The Oil Barrels--Dashing the Water on the
Kerosene--A Lively time on Reed's Point Wharf--The Bridge of
Fire--On the Ferry-Boat--The Western Union Telegraph Office--The
First Dispatch.
The fire in that portion of Princess Street, from Prince William street
to Charlotte Street, was a great leveller, and destroyed a number of
useful buildings as well as a few very excellent ones. The Wiggin's
building on Rocky Hill, north side, which was erected about twenty years
ago found a fate which was common enough that day. The destruction of
Ritchie's building, though not expected by some, followed soon after. It
was admirably built, and the large number of division walls which it
had, rendered it almost invincible against any element however strong.
Look at it to-day after the fire has done its worst, and there is much
of it standing that can be utilized again. Its splendid supports are
ready for duty, and though the structure was on fire for seven hours and
subjected to great heat, the walls show that they could stand a good
deal of such endurance yet, and not crumble. The site on which this
edifice was erected, has in common with some others which have been
mentioned in the course of our story, a history of its own. A frame
building many years ago, before Rocky Hill was cut down, was built here
by Dr. Thomas Paddock, who afterwards disposed of it to Price, the
Commissary, who subsequently sold it to the Government. The house was
used as the Commissariat for a number of years. About 1823 or 1824 a
good deal of excitement was created by the arrest of Mr. Price who was
charged with defalcation in his accounts. He was closely guarded, and
after a court of enquiry was held, he was confined for a time and
finally allowed to depart. The story goes, and there are many who
remember it perfectly, that a wealthy gentleman knowing that Price lived
too fast, and had become involved, had offered to lend him the bags of
money which would make good his position when the commissioners came to
examine his accounts. It was proposed that they be sent over and
deposited in the house, and after the examiners were satisfied and had
left the city, the bags of coin would be conveyed back again to the
owner. This was satisfactory, and Price thanked his good friend. In
those days commissioners did not move as rapidly as they do now, and the
board did not arrive for a few days. In the meantime, the money was in
Price's possession, and he slept at night the peaceful sleep of the
innocent and just. But delays are ever dangerous, and Mr. Price's friend
was the timidest of the most timid men. He had no sooner sent his bags
of gold out, when he began to ruminate. What if the commissioners
decided to take the money with them and deposit it somewhere else? What
if the thing leaked out and his friend Price got dismissed, and he lost
his money? It worried him, and though Price slept, the money-lender did
not. He began to grow more and more anxious. Every day he grew worse,
until at last just as the commissioners had arrived and Mr. Price was
getting ready to show them around in the morning, and give them his
papers to examine, and show them the money, the friend acted on the
thought which was burning his heart out, and he sent for Peter Johnson.
Now Mr. Johnson, who figures in our narrative, for the first time was a
negro, and he it was, who, in the dead of night when all was still,
wheeled the mysterious bags of bullion to and from the old vaults in the
Commissariat. The money-lender sent for Peter Johnson and told him that
he had altered his mind, and that the bags and their contents must be
home again that very night. Peter proceeded at once, and stealthily
approaching the vaults, opened the heavy doors with his key, got out the
money, and wheeled it home again, and Mr. Commissary Price slept on in
babe-like innocence. And so did his friend. And so did Mr. Peter
Johnson. And so did the Board of Commissioners. In the morning, Mr.
Price rubbed his hands and dressed himself with scrupulous propriety,
that he might meet his masters in a becoming manner. And the Board of
Commissioners got ready too, and they drove round to Mr. Price's in a
body, and before entering on their duties there was much merriment among
them, and one facetious old gentleman who was always joking and saying
good things, you know, remarked to the others in his delicious way, that
almost every man had a price, but none had a Price like their's, and
then he chuckled and slapped Price on the back, and Price chuckled, and
the Board chuckled, and I have no doubt whatever but that Mr. Peter
Johnson and his master would have chuckled too had they heard it. And
then the party went down to the office and began to overhaul things, and
everything was all right, and the books were found correct. And then a
stupid old member of the Board asked to have the money brought in to be
counted, just to comply with the regulation, not that they doubted
friend Price. "O, no, but an absurd form demanded it," &c., &c. And Mr.
Price was affable and kindly, and said, "O yes, gentlemen, I shall be
quite happy to show you the funds which are all safe in the vault, I
assure you. Saw them myself no later than the other day," &c., &c. And
everyone said that was all right, and the iron doors were unlocked and
swung back! But where was the money? Mr. Price was as pale as death, and
turned to the astonished commission, when he said, "Come, gentlemen, now
a joke is a joke, what have you done with the money?" But Mr. Price
discovered before long that the world was not quite a smile, and he was
marched off to prison, and the facetious old gentleman said to the
gentleman who only wanted the money produced to gratify an absurd whim
of the Government, "Who would have believed it?" And so the Inspectors
walked out, behind Mr. Price, who was placed in durance vile and
suffered as we have seen.
In 1843 Mr. Oliver Goldsmith, a descendant of the family of the poet,
and a gentleman who wrote poetry too, occasionally, and whose "Rising
Village," a companion piece to "The Deserted Village," was not without
some slight merit, called on Judge Ritchie and told him that he had
received orders from the Government asking for tenders for the old
building on Rocky Hill, and he suggested that he had better tender for
it. The judge did so, and to his great astonishment, his was the only
tender sent, and he got the whole of the property, including the house
and a stone barn which were on it, for L500 sterling, three months after
his tender was accepted. He immediately rented it to Dr. Simon Fitch,
who was beginning practice and who occupied it for a number of years. It
was idle for a while after Dr. Fitch left it, and then Judge Ritchie had
it altered and modernized, and he and Mr. L. J. Almon lived in it. It
was still located high up on the rock. The judge, whose taste for
architecture is well known, often planned the style of building he would
like to put up. In the evenings after reading a while it was no uncommon
thing for him to draw near to a table, and with pencil and paper plan
buildings of infinite variety. It was good employment for the mind, and
less expensive than actual building, and the paper houses could be
altered and improved and altered again at very little cost. One day the
judge planned in earnest, and his ideas took practical shape. He pulled
down the high house, excavated the rock and proceeded to build. In 1853
he began work and by the month of February, 1854, his building was
pretty well up. He had expended some five thousand pounds on it, and was
about leaving for Fredericton when Mr. L. J. Almon came in and remarked
to him that after he was in Fredericton a week or so he would feel
rather foolish to get word that his building was burned down, and that
there was no insurance on it. This troubled the judge, and he began to
feel quite uncomfortable. He told Mr. Almon to lose no time but go at
once and effect insurance. Mr. Almon put L5,000 on the unfinished
edifice. The judge went to the capital, sat in the Assembly, and in a
few days received intelligence that his building had been burned to the
ground. He returned to St. John at once and began to rebuild. This time
he proceeded with great care, and the chaste and handsome building
destroyed the other day was the result. The first occupants of the
offices were W. H. Tuck, Duff & Almon, Chas. Watters, Geo. Blatch,
Wetmore & Peters, E. B. Peters, St. John Insurance Co., the Electric
Telegraph Co., D. S. Kerr, Chamber of Commerce, Thos. T. Hanford, the
Masonic body and some others. The stores below were not rented for some
time after the building was ready.
The Society of Free and Accepted Masons, after leaving the Old St. John
Hotel, met for some years in the upper story of the residence of the
late Mr. Marshall, father of Mr. John R. Marshall, Chief of Police. This
house was on the corner of Princess and Sydney Streets. When Judge
Ritchie's building was finished, the Masons rented about half of the top
story, and had it finished and furnished for masonic purposes. They have
occupied these apartments ever since. Up to January, 1868, the various
lodges in the city held their warrants from either of the Grand Lodges
of England, Scotland, or Ireland. In the Province there were twenty-six
lodges, viz: twenty English, three Irish, and three Scotch. When
Confederation came to pass, it was deemed imperative by the leading
masons of the Province to separate from their respective parent Grand
Lodges in the mother country, and form a new Grand Lodge of their own
for New Brunswick. This conclusion was reached only after mature
reflection, and when it was found that the great political changes which
had taken place in the country rendered it necessary. Three Grand Lodges
were already represented in the Province. The Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia
was working, and the Grand Lodge of Canada would be formed soon. Unless
the craft established a Grand Lodge in and for the Province of New
Brunswick, the exercise of masonic jurisdiction by so many governing
authorities would only tend to hopeless confusion and detriment to the
Order. It was a thing which could not be helped. Either an Independent
Grand Lodge of New Brunswick must be formed, or a general Grand Lodge of
Canada would be created, which would have entire jurisdiction all over
Canada. At a preliminary convention of masters, past-masters and
wardens, the subject was fully ventilated, and the motion to form a
Grand Lodge of New Brunswick was carried by a large majority. The office
of Grand Master of the new Grand Lodge, was first offered to R. T.
Clinch, Esq., who was then District Grand Master, under the Grand Master
of the Grand Lodge of England, but he declined the honour on account of
the position which he held. Benjamin Lester Peters, Esq., was then
elected Grand Master by acclamation; William Wedderburn, Esq., Deputy
Grand Master; Hon. W. P. Flewelling, Senior Grand Warden; David Brown,
Junior Grand Warden; Rev. W. Donald, D.D., Grand Chaplain, and Wm. H. A.
Keans, Esq., Grand Treasurer; Mr. W. F. Bunting was made Grand Secretary
at the meeting in January, 1868, and the following officers were
appointed: John Richards, Senior Grand Deacon; Benjamin R. Stevenson,
Junior Grand Deacon; John V. Ellis, Grand Director of Ceremonies; Robert
Marshall, Assistant ditto; Jas. McDougall, Grand Sword Bearer; John
Mullin, Grand Standard Bearer; Henry Card, Grand Organist; James Mullin,
Grand Pursuivant; Edward Willis, S. S. Littlehale, Robt. R. Call, Hugh
A. Mackenzie, Thos. F. Gillespie, John Wallace, Grand Stewards, and John
Boyer, Grand Tyler. Grand Lodge was instituted in January, in the year
of masonry, 5868. The craft has made great progress, and preparations
before the fire were on foot for the erection of a fine new hall in
Germain Street. The greater portion of the stock was subscribed, and
operations were to be begun at an early day. The brethren lost heavily
by the recent fire. All the warrants were destroyed, but these can be
replaced. The private lodges met in several instances with irreparable
losses, and the full set of jewels, which Bro. Oliver Goldsmith several
years ago presented to Albion Lodge, No. 1, was not the least of these.
In the summer of 1863, the St. John Gymnasium (joint stock) Company
began building the Gymnasium, which was located opposite St. John's
Presbyterian Church, King Street East. Its dimensions were 40 x 100,
three stories front, and the Gymnasium proper was 40 x 80. The cost was
a little over $5,000. The building was heated by steam, well lighted
with gas, and neatly and tastily arranged, containing bath-rooms,
parlours, drawing-rooms, &c. The first president was John W. Cudlip,
Esq. Mr. J. S. Knowles was secretary, and Fred. A. Jones, the lessee and
manager. Mr. M. W. Maher was the builder. A few years ago, the building
was sold to Carson Flood, Esq., dealer in piano-fortes, and was by him
converted into a commodious hall, suitable for dancing parties,
tea-meetings, &c. The Gymnasium caught from the rear of the water-works,
and was soon a heap of ashes. The _Globe_ office in the Globe Building,
Prince William Street, was burning about the same time as the Bank of
New Brunswick, and the proprietors did not save even their fyles.
The fight with the flames on Reed's Point Wharf, which lasted from three
o'clock in the afternoon until late the next morning, was one of the
most dreadful encounters of the day. A prominent medical man of the
city, who lost the house which he had considered fireproof, was hurrying
away, when he found his services no longer needful, to a place of
safety. All means of exit from the fire were cut off, except one--the
route towards Reed's Point. He hastened in that direction, for he saw in
a moment that soon that avenue would be closed against him. He fled down
Germain Street to St. James's Street, thence along the latter till he
reached the wharf. There he saw an immense crowd of refugees from the
district round about, numbering fully fifteen hundred persons. The men
were very disorderly, and the liquor they had taken was showing its
effect. There was fighting, and quarrelling and swearing. The roughest
element of the city was here. A long row of barrels containing kerosene
oil or petroleum lay upon the wharf, and the sparks from burning
buildings near by came whirling along in dangerous proximity to the
barrels. The danger was growing more and more near. Should these barrels
ignite and explode, a hundred lives at least must perish. No time must
be lost. Water must be carried up to the barrels and the fire kept off.
An attempt was made to roll some of them over the wharf into the
harbour, but they were too heavy, and the fire was leaping in great
strides towards them. The doctor shouted himself hoarse trying to induce
the crowd to help him, but he was answered with either a be-sotted stare
or a vulgar oath. He kept on running to the water, filling his pail, and
dashing it on the barrels till his arms ached. Once he got a response
from some rough men on the wharf, and a bargain was made with three of
them. He offered them all the money he had--three dollars,--if they
would come and help keep the fire away from the deadly oil. But the
assistance was of short duration, and after working for about twenty
minutes the fellows gave up, and would work no more. Still, nothing
daunted, the doctor toiled on. He had all the women put on board the
International Line steamer, through the kindness of Captain Chisholm,
who was busily employed on the other end of the wharf in beating back
the flames which were massing there, and then with a will he continued
his self-imposed labour. None but he seemed to realize their danger.
Maddened by drink and worry, and perhaps driven to desperation by the
havoc the fire was making, they did not appear to take in the deadly
peril in which every one on that wharf stood. The crowd stood about
idling away, smoking, drinking, talking, jeering, and quarrelling. A
lithe young fellow of twenty sat dangling his legs over the wharf and
smoking a cigar, when the doctor called on him to come down and give him
a hand. He returned a careless reply, and in a sneering tone asked how
much he would get if he gave his help. The doctor grew maddened at this,
and turning on him in a moment, cried out, "I am an old man; I have lost
all that I was worth, and have nothing left. I have been watching you
for an hour, doing nothing while I was working; and as you won't come
for asking, I'll make you come down here and carry water if I have to
drag you to the very water's edge." So, saying he pulled the young man
down, grasped him by the neck, ran him to the water, and giving him a
pail set him to work filling it while he carried it to the barrels
himself. The lesson was a salutary one, and the unwilling assistant will
probably never forget it. He had some manhood left in him after all
though, for he worked well and hard, and after a time he apologized to
the doctor and said he was sorry for having spoken as he did. It was
some hours after this episode, that the doctor hailed a passing
tug-boat, and the captain learning what was wanted, ran his little
steamer alongside the wharf and got ready his hose. In a few minutes the
wharf was deluged with water and the great danger was averted. It was
this hose and the well directed efforts of the doctor which saved the
wharf and the lives of many people. It is a matter of regret that the
name of the captain of the tug could not be got as he deserves well of
the country, and should make himself known that he may receive something
more tangible than thanks. Hemmed in by the streets of flame to the
right and left of them and directly in their front, from fifteen hundred
to two thousand persons were imprisoned on the wharf from three o'clock
in the afternoon till four the next morning, when the fire had gone
down, and one of the loveliest mornings of the year dawned on the
stricken city.
One of the prettiest sights was to be seen from the head of King Street,
looking down in the direction of the market slip. When the schooners
therein had caught, the flames mounted the masts and communicating with
one another formed a complete bridge of fire from the north wharf to the
south. It was like a gala-day celebration of fire-works on a large
scale.
LIST OF VESSELS TOTALLY BURNED.
SCHOONERS.
1. Schooner "Angie Russell"; 25 tons; Boylan; Canning, N.S., was
discharging cargo of fish; owned by Captain.
2. Schooner "Brill"; 74 tons; St. John, N.B., had discharged part
of cargo and was going to Fredericton with balance; owned by
McSherry's Insolvent Estate.
3. Schooner "Brilliant"; 18 tons; Patch; Campobello; light cargo.
4. Schooner "Bear River"; 37 tons; Winchester; Bear River, N.S.,
outward bound with cargo; owned by Captain.
5. Schooner "Ella P."; 23 tons; Thurber; Barrington, N.S., fish.
6. Schooner "Eliza Jane"; 27 tons; Bent; Bayshore, N.S.; salt.
7. Schooner "L. L. Wadsworth"; 12 tons; Brown; Westport, N.S.;
owned by Captain; fish.
8. Schooner "Lily"; 8 tons; Israel; Weymouth, N.S.; outward bound;
owned by Captain.
9. Schooner "Martha Rowan"; 25 tons; Peters; Westport, N.S.; fish.
10. Schooner "Parrot"; 27 tons; Hutton; St. George, N.B.; owned by
Captain.
11. Schooner "Star"; 13 tons; Benson; Westport; fish.
WOOD-BOATS.
"Burnett," 46 tons, Captain Reed; "Linda," 26 tons; "President," 46
tons, Captain Orchard; and "Messenger," 33 tons.
Four lime scows laden with lime, two owned by Mr. Raynes, of
Fairville; two owned by Mr. Joseph Armstrong, of Greenhead.
CASUALTIES.
Schooner "Justice," Westport, hauled out of slip badly burned.
Schooner "George Calhoun," lying in Walker's slip, mainmast burned,
hauled out without further damage.
On board the ferry-boat between three and four o'clock in the afternoon,
the appearance of the city burning in four places at once, was a grand
as well as an awful sight. The passengers gathered together and wore
very anxious looks, when it seemed for a time to be the intention of
the captain not to land. The houses and stores of many who were on board
were in danger, and all wanted to be at the fire. From the water it
appeared to be levelling houses to the ground at the rate of one a
minute, and the frightful ratio seemed never to slacken its speed. The
ships lying near the wharves moved out into the harbour, and some sailed
far down the bay. The path of the ferry-boat was crossed more than once
by vessels which had succeeded in getting away in safety, and collisions
now and then were threatened; but fortunately none occurred. At length,
to the relief of all on board, the boat succeeded in getting safely to
her landing-place, and a grand rush was made up the floats for the head
of Princess Street.
Perhaps one of the best and first specimens of enterprise which occurred
on the night of the fire was that which was displayed by the chief
officers of the Western Union Telegraph Company. The office was burned
down, and only the books and some of the instruments were saved. The
Fairville wire would not work, and no means of sending abroad
intelligence of the ruin of the doomed city remained. It was fully
eleven o'clock when R. T. Clinch, Esq., the superintendent of the
company, Mr. Thos. Robinson, the manager, Mr. Dawson, Mr. Black and
other gentlemen connected with the company, met the writer of these
pages on Germain Street. The fire was still raging, though not at all
fiercely in the lower part of the city. The party went down to the
railway station, and we give an illustration of the building so that
the reader may see the temporary Western Union Telegraph Office during
the first few days of the fire, and after a little while a wire was put
in working order. The first and only dispatch which left the city that
night, and which on Thursday morning was read all over Canada, and in
the United States, was sent forward, and each page was telegraphed as
rapidly as it was written. In the morning the office was ready to
receive and deliver messages, and those who stood by the counter, and
every day watched the enormous crowd of people all anxious to be served
first, can realize how hard the operators had to work in order to meet
the requirements of the citizens. At one time there were between five
and six hundred messages on the operator's table, and the sender might
consider himself fortunate if his telegram got off three hours after it
was written. Some miscreants in some instances cut the wires a few days
after the fire, and the company had to send out twenty-five or thirty
patrol men to look after them. Mr. Clinch lost no time in getting
suitable quarters for the patrons of the company, and in a week he had a
comfortable office, working finely, in the Market House. He began work
at once on the new building which the company intend putting up, and in
six months the new telegraph office will be ready for occupancy on its
old site at the foot of King Street.
[Illustration: THE TEMPORARY W. U. TEL. OFFICE.]