Doth debar its southern course,
So a long journey it don't grudge,
But slowly on its way doth force.
And it discharges at its mouth
Into the pure clear lake Simcoe,
It still flows north for to get south,
As onward still its course doth go.
Rejoicing along its way,
Hundreds of miles it doth flow west,
Blended in the Georgian Bay,
For a moment it doth not rest.
Mingling with Huron and St. Clair,
Erie and Niagara river,
Even at the Falls it don't despair,
But it cheerful flows forever.
One thousand miles round an ox bow,
It hath flowed back near its first start,
To waters of Ontario,
Where ridge at first kept it apart.
From south of ridge two rivers flow,
Both the Don and the Humber,
Embracing city of Toronto,
Hath attractions without number.
The fame will spread far and wide,
First of Don and then of Humber,
Improved rivers like to the Clyde,
With wharves for coal, wood, iron and lumber.
ST. CATHARINES.
Lines read at the Welland House, St. Catharines, at a banquet given to
the members in attendance at the Oddfellows' Grand Lodge.
St. Catharines famed for mineral waters
And for the beauty of her daughters,
For some do worship at the shrines
Of the fair St. Catharines.
St. Catharines your greatness you inherit
From the genius of a Merritt,
You still would be a village dreary
But for this canal from lake Erie.
For on its bosom there doth float
Full many a ship and steamboat,
Brings world's commerce to your doors
And many gifts on you it pours.
Among its many great rewards
It gives you dry docks and ship yards,
To drive your mills great water power
It doth give you as a dower.
Since we above lines did compose,
Through new canal vast stream it flows,
The lock gates at the hill at Thorold
Can not be equaled in the world.
BRANTFORD.
In these sketches of towns in Southern Ontario we are not vain enough to
suppose that because we have produced some lines thereon that said
rhymes are poetry. If we furnish an occasional poetic gleam like a
dewdrop sparkling in the sun, it is all we dare hope for.
Brantford as thriving city's famed,
And after Indian Chief is named,
And here the sparkling Grand River
It doth flow a joy forever.
Campbell he sang a dismal tale
Of horrors of Wyoming's vale,
The tale one's mind doth ever haunt,
The cruelties of monster Brant.
But the Chief's son to England went
And Campbell to him did lament,
And all the tale he did recant
About cruel butcheries of Brant.
Now pleasant thoughts it doth awake
When Brantford thinks of her namesake,
She evermore with pride will chant
The bold heroic name of Brant.
We sing of two great Indian names,
Tecumseh on the banks of Thames,
And the Grand River it doth vaunt
O'er the historic name of Brant.
The city's pride it doth find vent
In building him a monument,
And Indians will proudly stalk
Past memorial of great Mohawk.
LINES ON THOROLD.
McCready, the great Irish tragedian, said that the view from Thorold was
the finest in America.
Thorold is famous for its mills,
And the grand view from off its hills,
A view so charming and extended,
Nature's beauties sweetly blended.
Poetic thoughts it doth awake
To view Ontario's broad lake,
And husbandmen have their reward in
Fruits of this Provincial garden.
For from the hill you see below
Gardens where choice fruits do grow,
The landscape all within your reach
Doth both produce the grape and peach.
McCready said in the New World
The finest view was from Thorold,
You see St. Catharines thriving town
And steamers sailing up and down.
And you can see on a clear day
All along Toronto Bay,
And you clearly see the haze
Where Niagara doth amaze.
And glance where Grimsby's gardens yield
Or view Beamsville's fruitful field,
Then this thought you can advance,
This is Canada's sunny France.
You see Niagara's ancient town[D]
Though it has lost us old renown,
And you have a splendid view
Of boats on old canal and new.
[D] Niagara once the capital of Upper Canada and an important fortress
at the mouth of the Niagara River.
ST. THOMAS, 1884.
At time of Oddfellows Grand Lodge meeting.
Oddfellows once they had to trudge
O'er rough stage road to the Grand Lodge,
But now they town of metal seek
And find it on the Kettle Creek.
For industry it here prevails
As it was built by the steel rails,
And here the wide expanded bridges
Do connect the distant ridges.
No more need to stay at home as
There's lots of railroads to St. Thomas,
You pluckily did boldly venture,
Now you are great railroad centre.
Your city now it hath high hopes
From its great railway workshops,
And higher yet it still will rise,
This seat of so much enterprise.
When young man wants a wedded mate
He seeks Alma girl graduate,
And he loves her Alma mater
For the sake of her charming daughter.
GALT AND DUNLOP.
John Galt was the manager of the Canada Company's lands, and he was a
Scottish Novelist. Dunlop was at one time an eminent British Journalist,
but he finally settled near Goderich. The town of Galt is named after
John Galt.
John Galt and Doctor Dunlop witty
They located and planned the city
Of Guelph, and they cut the first tree down,
The stump was the centre of the town.
From thence the streets radiate like fan,
And they projected on this same plan
The towns of Stratford and Goderich,
The last it stands near broad Huron's beach,
Conspicuous on a bluff so grand,
'Neath which doth flow the clear Maitland,
Of glorious view you may partake,
Gazing on Huron's mighty lake.
TILSONBURG.
After him who did the mills own,
This place was called in honor Tilson;
Bright gleaming like to a beaming star,
Is clear waters of the Otter.
And it doth form here a vast pond,
Which extends for miles beyond,
A fortune on town it will shower,
This prodigious water power.
No other spots to youth appear,
Like lovely little lakes round here,
And few small towns have fine roadway
Lined with brick blocks like your broadway.
PORT STANLEY.
In winter time 'tis sad and dreary
For to gaze on stormy Erie,
But here in summer time this port
It is a fashionable resort,
For then it is always cheery
For to gaze upon Lake Erie.
Or on the steamer you can sail
All independent of the gale,
Or here the youth can ply the oar
And view the fast receding shore,
And be happy with his dearie
On the bosom of Lake Erie.
No one here need ever weary
On the borders of Lake Erie,
With quadrille parties at Stanley
And games and sports all so manly,
Or bathe in waves with friends near thee,
You fear no storms of Lake Erie.
PORT BURWELL.
The following lines were given at a concert when Port Burwell was a busy
port and there had been a race on the ice the day before.
In winter time who here resort,
To pay a visit to your busy port,
They must be clad in fur well,
For it blows cold at Burwell;
But when you wish to trot your horse
You make Lake Erie your race course,
And we believe at every heat
All other horses you do beat.
SKETCHES ON THE BANKS OF THE CANADIAN THAMES.
"The muse nae poet ever fand her
Till by himsel' he learned to wander
Adown some trotting burn's meander."
--Burns.
The valley of the Thames, we presume, includes Stratford on the north
and Woodstock and Ingersoll on the south. The Avon, on whose banks
Stratford is located, joins the Thames near St. Marys. The middle branch
flows through Embro and Thamesford. The south and middle branches unite
and flow through Dorchester and Westminster and blend with the northern
branch at London, where it deviates to Elgin in the south.
ENGLISH NAMES ON CANADIAN THAMES.
England has given us the names
To adorn Canadian Thames,
And charms to them she has lent
In Oxford, Middlesex and Kent,
She Essex kisseth in her mouth,
And Scottish names, one north, one south,
And London now it justly claims
'Tis capital of vale of Thames,
And her strong castellated tower
Doth on the river frowning lower,
And Chatham is the river's port,
There slaves for freedom did resort,
And they did industrious toil,
And now many own the soil,
Stratford now shall be our theme,
On Avon tributary stream,
And its clear waters it doth launch
Into the Thames northern branch,
Near that substantial stone town
St. Mary's with mills of renown,
Westward it winds past each town,
Growing broader as it flows down,
Onward it glides never weary,
Meandering so soft and cheery.
The sunbeam on the waters glance,
Skipping about in silvery dance,
From morn till eve the cattle feed
'Neath lofty elms along the mead.
And on its banks in warrior pride
The brave Tecumseh fought and died,
And it has now historic claims
The famous battle of the Thames.
Now soon the waters meet and pair
With the wavelets of St. Clair,
As maids when wed do lose their names,
No longer it is called the Thames.
Rejoicing on its way it smiles,
Kissing the shores of Thousand Isles,
Mingling with St. Lawrance motion,
It soon is blended with the ocean.
LONDON FLOOD, JULY 11th, 1883.
From the long continuous rains
O'erflowing were the swamps and drains,
For each day had its heavy shower,
Torrents fell for many an hour;
At London where two branches join
It seem'd two furies did combine,
For to spread far both death and woe,
With their wild, raging overflow;
E'en houses did on waters float,
As though each had been built for boat,
And where was wealth and joy and bloom,
Soon naught but inmates of the tomb;
Flood o'erflowed both vale and ridges,
And swept railroads, dams and bridges,
A mother climbed in tree to save
Her infant from a watery grave,
But on the house you saw its blood
Where it was crushed 'gainst tree by flood;
Where cottages 'mong gardens stood
'Tis covered o'er with vile drift wood,
O'er flowers and bushes you may travel
For they are buried under gravel,
Or you may walk o'er barren sand,
The crops washed out and fertile land;
Two funerals we at once did see
Of one family who lost three;
No longer river's deep and wide
But gently flows to distant tide.
DISASTER TO STEAMER VICTORIA AT LONDON.
At London Thames is a broad stream,
Which was the scene of a sad theme,
A fragile steamer there did play,
O'ercrowded on a Queen's Birthday,
While all on board was bright and gay,
But soon 'neath the cold waters lay,
Naught but forms of lifeless clay,
Which made, alas! sad month of May.
LINES ON WOODSTOCK.
English Woodstock had a palace
Where the Queen in jealous malice
Slew romance's fairest flower,
Fair Rosamond in secret bower;
Our Woodstock pleasing county town,
This brings it both wealth and renown,
To your strong castle some are sent
To give them leisure to repent.
A charming vista you do view
Gazing on each street and avenue,
Mansions and lawn embowered 'mong trees
Where wealthy owners live at ease,
And through the air there sweetly floats
Harmonious Woodstock organ notes,
And men employment secure
In factory for furniture;
Old Oxford is a seat of knowledge,
Woodstock has a fine new college,
And farm implement work shops,
So farmers easy reap their crops;
The old court house is a disgrace,
Grand structure soon will take its place.
INGERSOLL.
Ex-Mayor Thomas Brown may be considered the father of the town, he
projected the first roads and bridges.
The Thames and tributary rills,
Here they do drive numerous mills,
Enabling millers to compete
To pay high price for oats and wheat.
Here streams do drive many a wheel
For to grind both flour and oatmeal,
And town will extend its boundaries
With its enterprising foundries.
For fine pianos town is famed
And highest rank for them is claimed,
And brighter days for it yet dawns
With its grand mansions and fine lawns,
And it has now the title grand
The capital of dairyland.
EMBRO.
O'er various counties of the north,
When cruel order did go forth,
For to destroy many a home,
So that the wild deer free might roam;
The men of Sutherland and Ross,
The broad Atlantic they did cross,
Each seeking for a fertile farm,
These rolling lands for them had charm;
They ne'er desired again to roam,
Each happy in his woodland home,
Where middle branch of Thames doth flow
They built the village of Embro,
And it the hill tops now doth crown
Like its grand namesake Edina Town,
And good flour mills you here do find
And oats also they here do grind.
BEACHVILLE.
Of Beachville, village of the plain,
We now will sing a short refrain,
For here the Thames doth pleasant flow,
And charm to landscape doth bestow;
Though river here it is not deep,
Yet banks slope graceful up the steep,
And from the summit of the hills
You look down on the famed lime kilns,
And 'tis full worthy poet's rhyme
The whiteness of your pure white lime,
Your glory never shall be gone
While you have quarries of this stone,
In influence you yet will wax
With mills for flour and also flax.
STRATFORD.
Our Canadian county Perth,
Commemorates great bard of earth,
Stratford and Avon both are here,
And they enshrine the name Shakespeare.
For here in Stratford every ward
Is named from dramas of great bard,
Here you may roam o'er Romeo,
Or glance on Juliet bestow.
And it is a railway centre,
Many a train doth here enter,
And railroad shops do men employ,
And gives them work and wealth and joy.
LINES ON THAMESFORD.
The middle branch of Thames doth flow
O'er pebble bed and it doth glow
And sparkle like silver in the sun,
As it through pasture lands doth run.
In dam is ample water stored,
To drive flour mills in Thamesford,
Besides the power of the stream,
Saw mills and flax are drove by steam.
Our mind it doth with pleasure fill,
To see fine brick church on each hill,
And that substantial one of stone
Owned by congregation of St. John.
THE VALE OF THAMES.
In vale of Thames oft' times are seen
The cattle graze 'mong sweetest green,
Or there contented with their fate
The gentle cows do ruminate.
And enjoy a double pleasure
In re-chewing hidden treasure,
The cow is a kindly creature,
Kind and pleasant in each feature.
About her is a homely charm,
And her the dog should not alarm,
But let all safe guard her from harm,
The gentlest creature on the farm.
DAIRY AND CHEESE ODES.
As cheese making first began in this county and it has already become
the chief industry of many counties, it is no insignificant theme. About
the middle of this century Canada was a great importer of cheese, and
now cheese is the principal article of export from the Province of
Ontario, and this Province will soon export no less than ten millions of
dollars worth of cheese per annum. Mr. Ranney was doing a thriving
business in the dairy line, manufacturing cheese after the century was
half gone on the dairy plan from the products of his own cows, and one
decade later Mr. Farrington introduced the factory system. Both of these
gentlemen have departed this life but Canada is enjoying the fruits of
their labors, and about eight hundred cheese factories are in operation
in this Province of Ontario.
RANNEY, 1856, DAIRY SYSTEM.
Ranney began with just two cows,
Which he in winter fed on browse,
And now he hath got mighty herds
Numerous as flock of birds,
May he long live our hearts to cheer
This great and useful pioneer.
FARRINGTON, 1866, FACTORY SYSTEM.
The farmers they now all make rich
Since Farrington went to Norwich,
And the system first there began
Of making cheese on factory plan;
He came from Herkimer county,
To Canada he was a bounty;
Norwich village moved but slow,
Till railways made it quickly grow,
And industries here now take root,
The township's famous for its fruit.
Among the earliest champions of the Factory System of making cheese were
Messrs. Chadwick, Casswell and Ballantyne. The North Oxford Company were
awarded the highest honor at the Centennial Exhibition. Messrs. J. L.
Grant & Co. have a fine large cold storage warehouse on the G.T.R., and
the C.P.R. have erected one on their line, which is leased by Mr. Riley.
Ingersoll being the great dairy centre of Ontario it was deemed
requisite to have those facilities for preserving the cheese in the hot
season. The following is a list of the most prominent cheese factories
in this district and the salesmen thereof:
Dereham and West Oxford--W. Nancekivell.
Harris Street--T. R. Mayberry.
W. Oxford--G. Galloway.
N. Oxford--D. J. Dundass.
Maple Leaf--Thomas Caddy.
W. Zorra--John Blair.
Burnside--H. George.
Gore--H. C. Hopkins.
Salford--Foster & Gregg.
Mt. Elgin--W. Tripp.
Brownsville--Hopkins & Fulton.
Prouse's--T. Prouse.
Kintore--G. Alderson.
Harrietsville--R. Facey.
East Nissouri--W. J. Walker.
Cold Springs--H. Matheson.
Dorchester--L. D. Monk.
Lawson--N. Wilford.
Wilkinson--J. H. Wilkinson.
Dereham and Norwich Union--W. Fewster.
Verschoyle--James Hunter.
Avon and Firby--W. Kirkly.
Thamesford--F. Patterson.
Lyons--James Mitchell.
Lakeside--T. Marshall.
Belmont--John Evans.
Cherry Hill--H. Webster.
FATHER RANNEY, THE CHEESE PIONEER.
This is our earliest cheese ode. The Ingersoll factory has been removed
to Thamesford.
When Father Ranney left the States,
In Canada to try the fates,
He settled down in Dereham,
Then no dairyman lived near him;
He was the first there to squeeze
His cows' milk into good cheese,
And at each Provincial show
His famed cheese was all the go.
Then long life to Father Ranney
May he wealth and honour gain aye.
He always took the first prize
Both for quality and size,
But many of his neighbors
Now profit by his labors,
And the ladies dress in silk
From the proceeds of the milk,
But those who buy their butter,
How dear it is, they mutter.
Then long life to Father Ranney,
May he his health retain aye.
The farmers can not be beat,
They have both cheese and their wheat,
Though now their greatest care is
For to watch o'er their dairies,
They carefully fill their mows
With provender for their cows,
And they thus enrich the soil
With much profit for their toil.
We will sing this refrain aye,
Long life to Father Ranney.
The motto "union is strength"
Is carried out at length,
In the most compact array
At every cheese factory,
You'll see without going far as
There is one kept by Harris,
The factory of Ingersoll,
Just out at the first toll.
May he never suffer pain aye,
The Father of cheesemen Ranney.
Or you may go all the way
To see one kept by Galloway,
And out in the Norwiches
Dairymen are making riches,
And honor has been won
By Harvey Farrington,
The same path is trodden
By folks about Culloden.
May his strength never wane aye,
The great dairyman Ranney.
And of late we saw some
Very good cheese from Lawson,
All around Mt. Elgin
Dairymen have well done,
And out in East Nissouri
They make some scores a day,
From Jarvis and Elliott
Some good cheese are bought.
And we will all remain aye,
Indebted to Father Ranney.
Now we close this glorious theme,
This song of curds and rich cream,
You can buy your hoops and screws,
And all supplies for dairy use,
Milk cans and vats, all things like these,
In Ingersoll great mart for cheese,
Here buyers all do congregate
And pay for cheese the highest rate.
So we call on you again aye,
To honor Father Ranney.
ODE ON THE MAMMOTH CHEESE.
Weight over seven thousand pounds.
We have seen thee, queen of cheese,
Lying quietly at your ease,
Gently fanned by evening breeze,
Thy fair form no flies dare seize.
All gaily dressed soon you'll go
To the great Provincial show,
To be admired by many a beau
In the city of Toronto.
Cows numerous as a swarm of bees,
Or as the leaves upon the trees,
It did require to make thee please,
And stand unrivalled, queen of cheese.
May you not receive a scar as
We have heard that Mr. Harris
Intends to send you off as far as
The great world's show at Paris.
Of the youth beware of these,
For some of them might rudely squeeze
And bite your cheek, then songs or glees
We could not sing, oh! queen of cheese.
We'rt thou suspended from balloon,
You'd cast a shade even at noon,
Folks would think it was the moon
About to fall and crush them soon.
LINES READ AT A DAIRYMEN'S SUPPER.
It almost now seems all in vain
For to expect high price for grain,
Wheat is grown on Egyptian soil
On the banks of mighty Nile.
And where the Ganges it doth flow,
In India fine wheat doth grow,
And price of labor is so cheap
That it they can successful reap.
Then let the farmers justly prize
The cows for land they fertilize,
And let us all with songs and glees
Invoke success into the cheese.
HINTS TO CHEESE MAKERS.
All those who quality do prize
Must study color, taste and size,
And keep their dishes clean and sweet,
And all things round their factories neat,
For dairymen insist that these
Are all important points in cheese.
Grant has here a famous work
Devoted to the cure of pork,
For dairymen find it doth pay
To fatten pigs upon the whey,
For there is money raising grease
As well as in the making cheese.
ENSILAGE.
The farmers now should all adorn
A few fields with sweet southern corn,
It is luscious, thick and tall,
The beauty of the fields in fall.
For it doth make best ensilage,
For those in dairying engage,
It makes the milk in streams to flow,
Where dairymen have a good silo.
The cow is a happy rover
O'er the fields of blooming clover,
Of it she is a fond lover,
And it makes milk pails run over.
FERTILE LANDS AND MAMMOTH CHEESE.
In barren district you may meet
Small fertile spot doth grow fine wheat,
There you may find the choicest fruits,
And great, round, smooth and solid roots.
But in conditions such as these
You cannot make a mammoth cheese,
Which will weigh eight thousand pounds,
But where large fertile farms abounds.
Big cheese is synonymous name,
With fertile district of the Thame,
Here dairy system's understood,
And they are made both large and good.
LINES READ AT A DAIRYMAIDS' SOCIAL, 1887.
Where the young lady waiters were dressed as dairymaids.
Throughout the world they do extol
The fame of our town Ingersoll,
The capital of dairyland,
To-night it seems like fairy land,
The youth and beauty here arrayed,
So sweet and neat each dairymaid.
And worthy of a poet's theme,
Sweet and smooth flows milk and cream,
For song or glee what is fitter
In this land of cheese and butter,
But no young man should be afraid
To court a pretty dairymaid.
And far abroad he should not roam
But find a charmer here at home,
Find some one now your heart to cheer,
Thus celebrate the jubilee year,
Remember long this ladies' aid
And each bewitching dairymaid.
Lines Read at a Parsonage Opening at the Village where Ranney had once
flourished, 1883.
Some do boast of their pedigrees,
But Salford's parent of the cheese,
Ranney, industrious and wise,
Here started this great enterprise.
He did work on the dairy plan,
While Farrington was factoryman,
Both of these men it well did please
To hear of progress making cheese.
The farmers are in cheerful mood,
For harvest all it has been good,
And all the grain was sown this spring
An abundant yield will bring.
And you can scarcely stow away
The yield of barley, oats and hay,
Such pasture it is seldom seen,
E'en now it is so fresh and green.
This beauteous colour nature decks,
While it insures you large milk cheques,
And certes you've much cause to praise,
For hogs and cattle that you raise.
OXFORD CHEESE ODE.
The ancient poets ne'er did dream
That Canada was land of cream,
They ne'er imagined it could flow
In this cold land of ice and snow,
Where everything did solid freeze,
They ne'er hoped or looked for cheese.
A few years since our Oxford farms
Were nearly robbed of all their charms,
O'er cropped the weary land grew poor
And nearly barren as a moor,
But now their owners live at ease
Rejoicing in their crop of cheese.
And since they justly treat the soil,
Are well rewarded for their toil,
The land enriched by goodly cows
Yields plenty now to fill their mows,
Both wheat and barley, oats and peas,
But still their greatest boast is cheese.
And you must careful fill your mows
With good provender for your cows,
And in the winter keep them warm,
Protect them safe all time from harm,
For cows do dearly love their ease,
Which doth insure best grade of cheese.
To us it is a glorious theme
To sing of milk and curds and cream,
Were it collected it could float
On its bosom, small steam boat,
Cows numerous as swarm of bees
Are milked in Oxford to make cheese.
To prove the wealth that here abounds,
One cheese weighed eight thousand pounds,
Had it been hung in air at noon
Folks would have thought it was the moon,
It sailed with triumph o'er the seas,
'Twas hailed with welcome, queen of cheese.
WINDMILLS AND STONE STABLES.
Cows suffered in the days of old
For want of water and from cold,
Now of good water they have fill
For it is pumped by the windmill.