Thanks to Doris Blackburn school handouts/ Karen Blackburn Chenier
The Harold Kettles Series – Blowing up Beaver Dams in Beckwith
Jim Amy Kirkpatrick and Rick Rayner Karen Peckover has posted these pictures on the Carleton Place Social Scene of a beaver trying to get into the town council meeting last night.
Ostler’s Store Plevna
The store did not sell fresh goods, fruits and vegetables or meat as these were produced locally. Dawson and Ostler also provided a market for customer’s goods including butter, eggs and fur (muskrat pelts earned $1.00 in the 20’s and mink $15.00). At Ostler’s you could buy licences, hunting for $1.00 and trapping for $5.00. Ostler’s later sold gas across the street, initially in gallon bottles then in tanks with glass tops.
Perth Courier, Feb. 19, 1897
John F. Cram and Sons bought over eight thousand muskrat pelts in one week from district trappers and collectors and sold them at their Mill Street tannery. To make way for the building of a new flour mill the John F. Cram tannery and wool plant was removed to Campbell Street at the corner of Lisgar ( which later became Hastie’s) after fourteen years of operation on Mill Street.
Game Law Enforcement-1884
Two unfortunate Indians were among those who felt the first punitive effects of the new society’s protective activity. This local story was published in October of 1884:
“Last Wednesday two Indians from St. Regis were about to pack up and leave their camp between Appleton and Almonte, on the Mississippi River, when a representative of the Carleton Place Game, Fish and Insectivorous Birds Protective Society appeared on the spot and confiscated a number of muskrat skins.
The fellows had been warned by the Society to desist trapping the animals until November. The two offenders were brought to Carleton Place. They had in their possession 126 muskrat skins, one mink skin and one raccoon skin. The taking of the latter is not an offence. The poor fellows were in most destitute circumstances.
The magistrate inflicted a fine of $10 and costs and the skins were confiscated. They doubtless intended to do the river above Carleton Place at once, as has been their annual custom. The Protective Society is extending its influence very rapidly in all directions from Carleton Place, having a good representative membership in many points at a distance.”
Ferguson Falls boasts a fine cement county bridge. The marshy portion of the river just above the Falls has always produced a large crop of muskrats. They are still plentiful.
Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place and The Tales of Almonte
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Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun Screamin’ Mamas (USA) and The Sherbrooke Record
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