Contents.
| [CHAPTER I] | |
|---|---|
| PAGE | |
| Roger Conant—His position in Massachusetts—Remained in theUnited States two years without being molested—Atrocitiescommitted by “Butler’s Rangers”—Comes to Upper Canada—Receivedby Governor Simcoe—Takes up land at Darlington—Becomesa fur trader—His life as a settler—Othermembers of the Conant family | [13] |
| [CHAPTER II] | |
| Colonel Talbot—His slanderous utterances with regard toCanadians—The beaver—Salmon in Canadian streams—U.E. Loyalists have to take the oath of allegiance—Titlesof land in Canada—Clergy Reserve lands—University ofToronto lands—Canada Company lands | [27] |
| [CHAPTER III] | |
| The War of 1812—Canadian feeling with regard to it—Intoleranceof the Family Compact—Roger Conant arrestedand fined—March of Defenders to York—Roger Conanthides his specie—A song about the war—Indian robbersfoiled—The siege of Detroit—American prisoners sent toQuebec—Feeding them on the way—Attempt on the life ofColonel Scott of the U. S. Army—Funeral of Brock—Americanforces appear off York—Blowing up of the fort—Burningof the Don bridge—Peace at last | [37] |
| [CHAPTER IV] | |
| Wolves in Upper Canada—Adventure of Thomas Conant—Agrabbing land-surveyor—Canadian graveyards beside thelake—Millerism in Upper Canada—Mormonism | [60] |
| [CHAPTER V] | |
| Abolition of slavery in Canada—Log-houses, their fireplaces andcooking apparatus—Difficulty experienced by settlers inobtaining money—Grants to U. E. Loyalists—First gristmill—Indians—Use of whiskey—Belief in witchcraft—Buffaloin Ontario | [72] |
| [CHAPTER VI] | |
| A manufactory of base coin in the Province of Quebec—A cleverpenman—Incident at a trial—The gang of forgers broken up—“Stump-tailmoney”—Calves or land? Ashbridge’shotel, Toronto—Attempted robbery by Indians—Theshooting of an Indian dog and the consequences | [87] |
| [CHAPTER VII] | |
| The Canadian Revolution of 1837-38—Causes that led to it—Searchingof Daniel Conant’s house—Tyrannous misrule ofthe Family Compact—A fugitive farmer—A visitor fromthe United States in danger—Daniel Conant a large vesselowner—Assists seventy patriots to escape—Linus WilsonMiller—His trial and sentence—State prisoners sent to VanDiemen’s Land | [97] |
| [CHAPTER VIII] | |
| Building a dock at Whitby—Daniel Conant becomes security—Watercommunication—Some of the old steamboats—CaptainKerr—His commanding methods—Captain Schofield—Crossingthe Atlantic—Trials of emigrants—Death ofa Scotch emigrant | [114] |
| [CHAPTER IX] | |
| Maple sugar making—The Indian method—“Sugaring-off”—Thetoothsome “wax”—A yearly season of pleasure | [122] |
| [CHAPTER X] | |
| Winter in Ontario—Flax-working in the old time—Socialgatherings—The churches are centres of attraction—Wintermarriages—Common schools—Wintry aspect ofLake Ontario | [129] |
| [CHAPTER XI] | |
| The coming of spring—Fishing by torch-light—Sudden beautyof the springtime—Seeding—Foul weeds—Hospitality ofOntario farmers | [136] |
| [CHAPTER XII] | |
| Ontario in June—Snake fences—Road-work—Alsike cloverfields—A natural grazing country—Barley and marrowfatpeas—Ontario in July—Barley in full head—Ontario is agarden—Lake Ontario surpasses Lake Geneva or LakeLeman—Summer delights—Fair complexions of the people—Approachof the autumnal season—Luxuriant orchards | [145] |
| [CHAPTER XIII] | |
| Some natural history notes—Our feathered pets—“The poorCanada bird”—The Canadian mocking-bird—The blacksquirrel—The red squirrel—The katydid and cricket—Arural graveyard—The whip-poor-will—The golden plover—Thelarge Canada owl—The crows’ congress—The heron—Thewater-hen | [159] |
| [CHAPTER XIV] | |
| Lake Ontario—Weather observations with regard to it—Areaand depth—No underground passage for its waters—Dailyhorizon of the author—A sunrise described—Telegraphpoles an eye-sore—The pleasing exceeds the ugly | [170] |
| [CHAPTER XV] | |
| Getting hold of an Ontario farm—How a man without capitalmay succeed—Superiority of farming to a mechanical trade—Aman with $10,000 can have more enjoyment in Ontariothan anywhere else—Comparison with other countries—Smallamount of waste land in Ontario—The help of thefarmer’s wife—“Where are your peasants?”—Independenceof the Ontario farmer—Complaints of emigrants unfounded—Anexample of success | [180] |
| [CHAPTER XVI] | |
| Unfinished character of many things on this continent—OldCountry roads—Differing aspects of farms—Moving fromthe old log-house to the palatial residence—Landlord andtenant should make their own bargains—Depletion oftimber reserves | [201] |
| [CHAPTER XVII] | |
| Book farmers and their ways—Some Englishmen lack adaptiveness—Doctoringsick sheep by the book—Failures infarming—Young Englishmen sent out to try life in Canada—Thesporting farmer—The hunting farmer—The countryschool-teacher | [208] |
| [CHAPTER XVIII] | |
| Horse-dealing transactions—A typical horse-deal—“Splittingthe difference”—The horse-trading conscience—A gatheringat a funeral—Another type of farmer—The sordid life thatdrives the boys away | [219] |
| [CHAPTER XIX] | |
| City and country life compared—No aristocracy in Canada—Longwinter evenings—Social evenings—The bashful swain—Popularliterature of the day—A comfortable winter dayat home—Young farmers who have inherited property—Difficultyof obtaining female help—Farmers trying townlife—Universality of the love of country life—Bismarck—Theocritus—Cato—Hesiod—Homer—Changesin townvalues—A speculation in lard | [227] |
| [CHAPTER XX] | |
| Instances of success in Ontario—A thrifty wood-chopper turnscattle dealer—Possesses land and money—Two brothersfrom Ireland; their mercantile success—The record ofthirty years—Another instance—A travelling dealer turnsfarmer—Instance of a thriving Scotsman—The way to meettrouble—The fate of Shylocks and their descendants | [244] |
| [CHAPTER XXI] | |
| Manitoba and Ontario compared—Some instances from real life—Ontariocompared with Michigan—With Germany—“Canadaas a winter resort”—Inexpediency of ice-palacesand the like—Untruthful to represent this as a land ofwinter—Grant Allen’s strictures on Canada refuted—Lavishuse of food by Ontario people—The delightful climate ofOntario | [255] |
| [CHAPTER XXII] | |
| Criticisms by foreign authors—How Canada is regarded in othercountries—Passports—“Only a Colonist”—Virchow’s unwelcomeinference—Canadians are too modest—Imperfectguide-books—A reciprocity treaty wanted | [268] |
| [CHAPTER XXIII] | |
| Few positions for young Canadians of ambition—Americanconsulships—Bayard Taylor—S. S. Cox—Canadian HighCommissioner—Desirability of men of elevated life—Necessityfor developing a Canadian national spirit | [277] |
| [CHAPTER XXIV] | |
| A retrospect—Canada’s heroes—The places of their deeds shouldbe marked—Canada a young sleeping giant—Abundance ofour resources—Pulpwood for the world—Nickel—History ofour early days will be valued | [286] |
Illustrations.
LIFE IN CANADA.
CHAPTER I.
Roger Conant—His position in Massachusetts—Remained in the United States two years without being molested—Atrocities committed by “Butler’s Rangers”—Comes to Upper Canada—Received by Governor Simcoe—Takes up land at Darlington—Becomes a fur trader—His life as a settler—Other members of the Conant family.
The author’s great-grandfather, Roger Conant, was born at Bridgewater, Massachusetts, on June 22nd, 1748. He was a direct descendant (sixth generation) from Roger Conant the Pilgrim, and founder of the Conant family in America, who came to Salem, Massachusetts, in the second ship, the Ann—the Mayflower being the first—in 1623, and became the first Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony under the British Crown. He was graduated in Arts and law at Yale University in 1765. At the time of the outbreak of the Revolution in 1776 he was twenty-eight years old. His capacity and business ability may be judged from the facts that he owned no fewer than 13,000 acres of land in New England, and that when he came to Canada he brought with him £5,000 in British gold. He appears to have been a man of keen judgment, of quiet manners, not given to random talking, of great personal strength, and highly acceptable to his neighbors. In after days, when he had to do his share toward subduing the Canadian forest, they tell of him sinking his axe up to the eye at every stroke in the beech or maple. The record is that he could chop, split and pile a full cord of wood in an hour.