Please note sometimes he was known as John and sometimes Robert Shaw
Perth Courier, October 9, 1896
The week before last a half witted resident of Carleton Place named Robert Shaw, known as “Christmas” was brought in on a charge of kissing the young ladies of that town and the judges gave him three months in the Perth gaol. Shaw was a resident of Perth at one time, but now devotes his time to Carleton Place.
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Feb 20th 1914– Almonte Gazette
It has been reported that our erstwhile citizen of Carleton Place- Robert Shaw, alias “Christmas”, has passed to the great beyond having been frozen to death somewhere up north. The unfortunate man had taken shelter in a large packing box in which his body was found. It is a tragic ending to a remarkable life. No doubt his demeanor could have possibly aroused the bad weather.
After reading the half witted resident of Carleton Place comment– I wondered why they spoke of his remarkable life. The Victorian Era may not have had its own version of the Darwin Awards, but thanks to the miracle of newspaper records, we can reflect on the bizarre deaths and disasters of yore. True or untrue.
February 27 1914– Almonte Gazette
The report in circulation last week that Robert Shaw of Carleton Place had perished with the cold is not correct. The Carleton Place Hearld has since received information from a gentlemen who saw Mr. Shaw on Friday last. He is in excellent health and working steadily on the construction of the CNR, being with Angus Sinclair contractor on the Pettawawa River. We are sure that Robert’s many acquaintances will be please to learn that no such fate as that was written fell to his lot.
- In reality Robert Shaw died at the age of 68 in 1929
Historical fact
People believed the weather was not merely a natural occurrence. Bad weather could be caused by the behaviour of wicked people, like murder, sin, incest, or family quarrels. Going way back it could also be linked to witches and sorcerers, who were thought to control the weather and destroy crops. They could, according to one infamous treatise on witches – the Malleus Maleficarum, published in 1486 – fly in the air and conjure storms (including hailstorms and tempests), raise winds and cause lightning that could kill people and animals. and animals.
Read the Almonte Gazette here
Read the Perth Courier at Archives Lanark
Practical Tip
Just in case you need shelter–Practical Tip for Urban Shelter from Practical Survivor.co
Materials:
* Refrigerator cardboard box
* Styrofoam found within the same box and dumpster.
* Duct tape
* Box cutter
* Tape measure
* Marker
If the circumstances force us to build the shelter outside, we should protect the shelter from moisture. We could use multiple layers of trash or any available plastic. (trash bag, tarp, poncho, carpet, sheet metal, wood, rugs) The refrigerator box can be replaced with boxes from big screen TVs or whatever is available. Most families have boxes in their attic. Local furniture stores are usually happy to let people take away their trash. Call and ask for permission. A lot of furniture and hardware stores will give you cardboard.
We built the shelter as a triangle, in order to minimize the walls we would have to insulate. Lets not forget, a smaller shelter is easier to warm up with body heat. If we wanted to squeeze two people in the shelter, we could choose a rectangular configuration. I guess we can call our shelter, an urban emergency survival A-frame or urban A-frame shelter.
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