Scum on the Water —- Carleton Place 1958

Sept 1958

With the intense heat and the dirty hot water in the river it is probably a good thing that supervision at the bathing beach ceased some time ago, and that attendance at school will discourage children from swimming in that part of the river. An item in last week’s Carleton Place Canadian stated that there was a scum on the water there which made parents forbid their children to bathe in it. If the water is that way there it will be the same here. While the cause of polio is obscure there is a general belief “which may or may not have any foundation that it dan be induced by dirty water.

There may be nothing in this but certainly it is not healthy to swim in water that is lukewarm and smells of weeds and other vegetable matter. When the river level is high the fact that it is not too deep, at the bathing beach is an advantage but when it drops and there is a heat wave it makes swimming there less desirable. The river above the main bridge looks very dirty at presentwith weeds showing up and little “islands “which are submerged at high water level to be seen.

Most people would not care to eat fish out of the river now that the heat wave has lasted so long. It would be strange if they did not have worms and any who do go for them should skin them and cook them well. Even water in the lakes has become warm and the weeds are showing up everywhere. One thing this has done is make it less difficult for people who like summer resorts to break away from them and return to their homes.

Dan Williams

Seems to me that closing beaches on the Mississippi at times has been a thing as long as I can remember. Especially after a heavy rain. I’m 73 now and I spent every sunny summer day at the beach in CP when I was a kid. Still go for a dip now and again.

1963 Riverside Park — Stills from a 8 MM Movie Camera — Larry Clark

1963 Riverside Park — Stills from a 8 MM Movie Camera — Larry Clark

Riverside Park Comments Larry Clark ‘The Dip’

St. Mary’s and Riverside Park 1969

When Were Some of the Trees Planted in Riverside Park?

The Carleton Place Riverside Park Booth Etc. Etc.

The size of a Minivan Sitting 30 Feet Offshore— The Big Rock of Carleton Place

Let’s Build Cabins at Riverside Park!

When the Circus came to Carleton Place

Tug of War 1970’s Riverside and Centennial Park Carleton Place

Just Beat It! Carnival Riot in Carleton Place at Riverside Park

Before and After at Centennial Park

So What Did You Do in Riverside Park?

It was the Boathouse that Went On and On….

The Carleton Place Riverside Park Booth Etc. Etc.

Before Centennial Park there was.. 1900

Memories and Clippings of the Old Farmer’s Almanac

photo Adin Daigle

“Twenty years ago, it wasn’t the law of the land, so to speak, in farming, but it was used in a big, bigway,” Rice said. “Farmers still scan it, but they don’t completely sink their teeth into that information. There are so many other sources of pretty doggone good factual information that’s on target.” Now, the National Weather Service has become the go-to place for weather forecasts. Because of this, the almanac’s audience has begun to change. Duncan said they are getting more urban people who are just curious about the publication.

CLIPPED FROM
The Lanark Era
Lanark, Ontario, Canada02 Feb 1910, Wed  •  Page 6

It’s the bread and butter of the friendly rivalry between the Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Fanner’s Almanac, which for almost 200 years have been making long-term weather forecasts. And they’re pretty good at it, both claiming about 80 percent accuracy. This spring, for example, both publications predict warmer temperature with around normal rainfall through June.

CLIPPED FROM
The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada03 Jun 1905, Sat  •  Page 11

CLIPPED FROM
The Weekly Advance
Kemptville, Ontario, Canada11 Jan 1917, Thu  •  Page 2

Old Wives Tales of Death — Our Haunted Heritage

A Bird Weighing How Much was Found Near Barry’s Bay?

Importing Vampires into Wilno

Alexander Belleville had Eight Wives……

Jealous Wives and Fake it Until You Make it!

Lightening — You Don’t Mess with Mother Nature — Or So They Told Me

Should I Stay or Should I Go?–A Tall Lanark County Tale about Wives, Cattle and Tomfoolery

The Old House on Munro Line –Yuill Family History

Thanks to Shelly Marriner for all these lovely memories.

We had a wonderful time yesterday with Aunt Dorothy We visited the old house on Munro Line off the Tatlock Rd that was built in 1850. This is where our Great Great Grandfather built their first home on the 100 acres that was granted to them. ( They were the very first people to be granted land in that area).

On the same property, is the newer house that Aunt Dorothy’s Uncle Huey built (Grandpa Munro’s brother). Grandma Yuill moved back with her parents to this house just before her youngest brother Uncle Wilbert was born. Aunt Dorothy was also born in this house and she lived there until she was nine months old.

She then moved to the house on the Darling road with Grandma and Grandpa Yuill. Grandma Yuill had Aunt Eileen,Aunt Alma, and Aunt Blanche (they were all born at home) and they lived there until they moved to the house on Old Perth Road. My mom was the only one born in the hospital in 1945. ( I hope I have gotten this all straight ) Aunt Dorothy said to us while we were there ” This is a nice old place, and I don’t know, if it is because I was born here, but I have an attraction to this place. So happy to have had the opportunity to learn more about our family.

Cora Yuill’s Last Poem –The House That Had its Day

Conversations with Agatha Yuill –The Buchanan Scrapbook

Walter Mather Yuill — Died at age 28
The Robbing of the Honey Pot- Andrew Cochrane Ramsay Yuill
Clippings of Mrs. Joseph Yuill – Margaret Yuill
Ralph and Iris Yuill
The Hart Children of Lanark — Laurie Yuill

Notes on Alexander and Joseph Yuill
Mrs. Joseph Yuill of Ramsay Makes Butter
Middleville Photos — Laurie Yuill

Turning Back to the Clock Agnes “Aggie” Yuill– The Buchanan Scrapbook

Archie Yuill –The Buchanan Scrapbook Clippings

Time for the Harvest Excursion!!!!

Thanks to Stuart McIntosh–Although this pic is from the 1939 grain harvest in Saskatchewan, it includes the 2 gentlemen on the left from the Almonte area: Bill McIntosh and Fred Dunlop.

Bill was working for the Steele family of Ramsay twsp. when he left with Fred on the excursion. One of Bill’s sayings to those he drove for was: “If I’m driving ‘em, I’m feeding ‘em. Apparently he felt some farmers didn’t feed enough oats to a working horse.

A number of our Middleville community left, or are going West to the 1956 harvest fields in the prairie provinces, Manitoba and Alberta, namely: Lyall Mather, Harry and Frank Mitchell, Ian Drew, Charles McKay, David Lawson, Lome Somerville and Alden Affleck. Sept 1958

Howard Stoner of Cayuga, Ont., worked for about $2.50 per day in Manitoba in 1908; Bob Yates was happy at $4, while others claimed it was possible to earn as much as $6 or $7 for a day’s work in the mid-1920s.

A large contingent from this section left on the harvest excursion. While one of the trains was at the station here several of the young men on the train indulged in filthy remarks to the people on the platform and Chief Lowry spoke to one of them about his language. The young man went into the train and just as it was starting secured a dish of water and dashed it in the chief’s face through the car window. The chief boarded the train and securing his man, had the train stopped and took him off. He was brought before the magistrate and soaked $7 for his fun and departed on a late train, a sadder, but wiser man.

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
03 Sep 1906, Mon • Page 10

Harvest Home women.. Black and white postcard of women in field in Elgin, Ontario around 1905.

. Photos from Aggie Yuill’s photo album.. 

For almost 40 years, harvest excursions were organized in Eastern Canada to assist prairie farmers with the grain harvest. Thousands of men and women were recruited, no experience necessary, and transported out west to work in the fields, to ensure that Canada maintained its reputation as the breadbasket of the world. The excursions were a huge undertaking and were absolutely critical for a successful harvest.First conceived by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1890, the annual harvest excursion quickly became a popular tradition, a tradition that contributed in no small way to the significance of the wheat economy to the western prairies and to the country at large. Harvest of the wheat crop was essential to Canada’s food supply, to consumers at home and abroad, and especially to individual farmers and their families.

The harvest excursions were immensely popular, and by any measure, the numbers were impressive. During the 1890s, excursionists rarely exceeded more than a few thousand each year, but after 1900 and through the middle years of World War I, harvesters headed west in the thousands, over 30,000 in 1911 alone. In 1917, with most able-bodied men in uniform or in the munitions industry, the CPR doubled its efforts with an urgent appeal to the patriotic spirit and succeeded in attracting more than 40,000 men and women harvesters.

Postwar excursions were no less popular. From 1920 through 1928, it is estimated that the number of harvesters averaged close to 39,000 per year with peak numbers of 50,450 in 1923 and 52,225 in 1928. In 1929, the wheat market collapsed and with the onset of the economic depression, the harvest excursion had reached the end of the line.

The annual harvest excursion was important to the CPR for two major reasons: One, it was critical for the prairies, the country at large and the company that the grain harvest be completed in a timely fashion. Two, the company held vast tracts of land on the Prairies and the excursions were an excellent means to advertise the West since every excursionist was a potential settler. In addition, since the CPR was the only transcontinental railway in the country until after the turn of the century, it was the only means of transportation for people and products to move from west to east to west.

Jul 28, 1891: the first annual Harvest Excursion train departs Toronto, carrying temporary workers to help western grain farmers. These trains ran for three decades and were a lucrative source of income for farm labourers and students looking for summer employment.

And history hasn’t taken too much notice of them. No records have been kept by either of the big railways and newspaper files yield a prosaic and fragmentary story. When the excursions were running they were too commonplace to be news.

But tens of thousands of men who went on them still have nostalgic memories—jampacked colonist cars filled with farmers, schoolboys, lumberjacks, factory hands, roustabouts, adventurers; the smell of “Catholic hay,” as French-Canadian home-cured tobacco was called and the smell of sweat and socks; the subdued strains of Seeing Nellie Home on a mouth organ from the other end of the car at night; the talk—cheerful, mendacious, foul, enlightening, but seldom boring; the friendships quickly formed and later bonded with the common experience of aching muscles, alkali sickness, violent bunkhouse East vs. West debates, hard work, sound sleep and (generally) good plentiful food.

Comments From the Valley

More on the Secret Life of Ginseng in Lanark County-Everett Milotte

More on the Ginseng Garden Co.in Lanark– Clippings 1905-1914

Memories of Days of Wood Piles Water Plugs and Bushwackers – Carleton Place Railroad

What was a Fowl Supper?

Tea with Linda Seccaspina Carleton Place Election 2022

Tea with Linda- Introduction

Tea with Linda Affordable Housing Part 1

Tea with Linda Affordable Housing Part 2

Tea with Linda Affordable Housing Part 3

Me, Orm Giles and Walmart — In Loving Memory

Photo Sylvia Giles

This is the speech I gave at Orm’s Funeral this week at St. James

I have to be honest here– most of my best conversations with Orm Giles were in Walmart. I never went to Walmart without bumping into Orm Giles. We used to have  our fireside chats on the bench beside the front door where Orm and I would plot to glue coins to the floor and see how many people would try and pick them up. Orm was everything to me. Each time I would bump into him he would haul his flyers out when Walmart used to price match and he would be telling me what I should be buying whether it be in aisle 4 or 5 or maybe even 6. Orm was an iconic retired politician, but he was a master of the grocery flyers–yes he most certainly was.

Orm not only had savings information– he would also give me council advice on that same Walmart bench next to the front door. It was my two for one Roll back special. When I got elected I told Orm I had so many great ideas– so many— and what was the easiest way to get them done. He looked at me and said ,” Well first you have to have 3 other people vote with you”, and I looked at him just like they had slashed everything on aisle 7 and said NOOOOOO. Are you kidding me?

Now when I hear people that are going to enter the world of politics and do this and that and the other– I laugh and say, “No, not unless you have 3 other people vote  with you!” and I know that for a fact because Orm Giles told me so.

I had great respect for Orm as he represented his community in municipal politics for over 30 years. I know how hard it is to represent your community, but we do it because we  love where we live and boy Orm loved Lanark County. He made many many important decisions for our town and one day he jokingly made a decision for Walmart,

 “Hey Linda, what say we tell Walmart to buy 30 new cashes and only open 2 of those cashes?”

Orm had a wicked sense of humour and he once told a story to his son Stephen about the house I was documenting across the street where they lived. They were an odd lot that lived  there — no doubt about it. Apparently they used to come out late at night and dig for worms to go fishing. Orm looked out the window one night and said,

“Would you look at that we have a couple of miners across the street digging for gold!”

Only in Carleton Place.

As far as I can remember Orm was a Councillor, Deputy Reeve and Deputy Mayor of the Town of Carleton Place and Warden of Lanark County. He had a park named after him  and he lobbied the government of Ontario for years for the expansion of Highway 7.

When I posted about the passing of Orm on Facebook I got a great many comments and Id like to read a few :

Orm was a great citizen who lead by example RIP SIR!

Very sorry for your loss – your Dad served the community with honesty and integrity.

He was the Royalty of CP! I was sharing stories about him tonight. So many! Sylvia Giles you Dad (& Mom) was a true gem!!

He sat with my Dad on his last day on earth along with Don Stanley. I will never forget that.

I‘m truly sorry to hear this news, Sylvia. Even when you know it’s inevitable, it still comes as shock. I wish you and Stephen the best as you celebrate this good and decent man. My sincere condolences. My thoughts are with you.

I am so sorry to hear of your father’s passing Sylvia. Your Dad was such a sweet nice man. He was always there to greet us all at church. My condolences to you and your family.

Duncan and I are so very sorry to hear this sad news. Orm was a gentleman who served Carleton Place for many years with grace and style. He will be truly missed. Our condolences to the family. Sending our deepest condolences to Sylvia, Chris and Stephen. Orme will be greatly missed!

So today we mourn the passing of Orm Giles and I am so grateful that he raised two wonderful children named Sylvia and Stephen, who will carry on his legacy and keep me informed of what I should watch out for in town affairs. I am so grateful for that, but I have one thing that I am heartbroken that I never knew.,. I never knew that Orm’s first name was Clarence. To me that was information that should have been spoken about on our Walmart visits. Because Walmart is a place that you can never be ashamed of who you are.

I am going to truly miss the man that was named Clarence Orm Giles. He was one in a million! Love you Orm and Ill keep that bench in Walmart warm for you.

Linda

Here’s to Verna May Wilson Hadlock’s Shoes Linda Knight Seccaspina

I was a child who missed the saddle shoes of the 40s and the 50s by a few years, but my High School friend and neighbour Verna May Wilson Hadlock made up for me. I really don’t wander around beginning conversations about saddle shoes these days, but when the subject comes up I once again express my opinions. It seems the more I age, my bag of opinions overflows solely supported by personal observations of course.

I do remember hearing Verna telling me how her Mother became hysterical at the sight of the new saddle shoes when she returned home after her first day at school. They were scuffed and gave the appearance of having gone through a small war, but that was the “in” way to wear saddle shoes.

Some of you will remember the old days of saddle shoes when you bought them sparkling white and clean, and then you tried your very hardest to get them dirty before the kids at school got the chance to do the job for you. Seems nice white saddle shoes just weren’t the thing in those days, and it was very painful to have your friends trying to take every inch of “bark“ off the uppers of your saddle shoes.

Day after day a bit more wear and tear became noticeable. Just about the time you really got the uppers of your saddle shoes to the point where they were socially acceptable with the “In” crowd the main part of the shoe began to deteriorate– and it was time to get a new pair.

There were all sorts of things Verna Wilson did with saddle shoes. She would change her laces to match an outfit and I swear some neighbours peeked out of their Albert Street Venetian blinds on a daily basis to see what she had done. But, this was a girl that came home at lunchtime to change into another fresh white blouse that she wore with her navy blue school tunic, and she was just so perfect in my eyes.

Verna mentioned there was a professional scuffer at Cowansville High School that would scuff your saddle shoes for a nominal price. I heard that his scuffing business was so popular that you had to wait as long as three or four days to get his attention.

In 1972 the style of saddle shoes came back.There were those of my friends who thought the return of saddle shoes was the best thing since Lucky Charms and Lava Lamps. Then, there were two or three, and myself, who said they didn’t care for the entire situation. As would be expected, there were a few old timers that had to throw in their two cents and tell “us kids” about the “olden days” of shoewear.

My style, once older, never followed Verna, but it did involve my Grandmother’s borrowed pearls, lace up brown orthopaedic shoes with a scent of Evening in Paris. I was also so mesmerised with tap dancing that sometimes I taped nickels on the bottom of my shoes. The coins also  came in handy for a call on an emergency payphone. Can you even imagine– a nickel? But, after months of wearing them my father began calling them “clodhoppers”– as that’s what they used to call big shoes that just didn’t fit well anymore.

In Grade 7 I wandered into Hashim’s Clothing store on South Street and fondled the most god awful shoes you can imagine. They were vinyl lime green elf shoes trimmed with fringe. What I saw in those shoes I have no idea, but I had to have them. My father relented and came to Hashims and spoke with the salesclerk about the possibilities of getting deformed toes from being squeezed into those pointy shoes. She assured him of course with the words of a podiatrist that I should be fine. As I glance at my large claw toes today that look like they grew like wayward tree roots I am reminded that yes, those shoes had something to do with my toes after wearing them in the rain sleet and snow.

Shoes have always been part of everyone’s lives and they can either afford you the adoration of your peers, or jeers from the cool kids table in the lunchroom. Should we get back into the Hush Puppies era, or can we just stop now at Saddle Shoes and Loafers? Did you know that the shoes we wore actually changed the shape of our feet over the course of our lives? As Leonardo DaVinci once said, “The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.”  Maybe so, but after a lifetime of fashionable shoes, my feet are no masterpieces– they in fact looked like very scuffed Saddle shoes that no one would want– and that my friends is going easy on them.

A Few Mementos for the Queen from Readers

Elaine MacLeod

#Queen

Phillip came to me today,

and said it was time to go.

I looked at him and smiled,

as i whispered that “I know”

I then turned and looked behind me,

and seen I was asleep.

All my Family were around me,

and I could hear them weep.

I gently touched each shoulder,

with Phillip by my side.

Then I turned away and walked,

with My Angel guide.

Phillip held my hand,

as he lead the way,

to a world where King’s and Queens,

are Monarch’s every day.

I was given a crown to wear

or a Halo known by some.

The difference is up here,

they are worn by everyone.

I felt a sense of peace,

my reign had seen its end.

70 years I had served my Country,

as the peoples friend.

Thank you for the years,

for all your time and love.

Now I am one of two again,

in our Palace up above.

By Heartfelt

By Anne Blackford

Caroline Anderson
 · 


I am feeling very sad right now. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 1926 -2022.
Kathleen B Anderson 1926 -2022.
My Mom was a few months older than the Queen. I think my had hoped to live longer than the Queen. Instead they died 2 weeks apart.
I have always admired Her Majesty. I was not a Royal follower. Loved her dedication to her horses and her Corgies.
And amazed at how long the Queen reigned.

Kelly Reagan
13m  · 


I remember being around 12-13 years old standing in front of one of the rare television sets in our neighborhood watching Princess Elizabeth being crowned Queen of England. I’ve always admired her courage and grace. She leaves behind a legacy that will be hard to match- Connie Payton

Sharon Sinfield
· 


A beautiful lady inside and out!
And what a legacy she leaves behind.
The world will miss you
#sadday

Robyn Olson-Majuary
Hearing the news of the Queen reminded me of this photo when my Dad met the Queen and King several years ago.
Rest in Peace Queen Elizabeth.

Dennis Charlebois
A sad day in the commonwealth. She was the best example of grace and humility I could ever imagine

Dan McShane
soptodnrSe94aiftmif543gluultfiguta6tl56cgg0m13464cf9im47fmi2  · 


The girls saw children at Buckingham palace placing flowers in honour of the Queen… then they went outside and picked three flowers for us to ‘lay for the Queen’.

Her Majesty the Queen.
May your soul reunite with those you loved most
Today is a very sad day as we see the passing of our Queen Elizabeth II
Over 70 years on the throne, didn’t she do it with style & class

Rideau Lakes and Area History And Genealogy
Sue Warren   
On this sad day here is a picture of the Queen and Prince Philip in Ottawa with lockmaster James Pyne of Davis Lock and other local people including my grandmother Alice Warren

From Joy Baetz-
This was a photo taken in 1953 at a parade in Almonte. Dad (Norm Sadler) built the little house and you can see the Queen’s photo and the sign saying God save the Queen. Bob Sadler in the stroller.

Fleas, Skunks and Other Irritants — Linda Knight Seccaspina

Fleas, Skunks and Other Irritants — Linda Knight Seccaspina

I have encountered my fair share of skunks growing up as a child in the Quebec townships. But, last week my husband Steve got sprayed by a skunk in the yard while the sun was coming up. It seems everyone has come to me throughout the years to remedy an immediate crisis.

Like my sons when they were young, my husband came into the bedroom and almost killed me with the stench. I pretended to still be asleep, but believe you me I knew what was cooking in the bedroom, and it wasn’t love. No matter how many Pepe le Pew jokes you make I wondered if I should wash him in tomatoe juice and baking soda as soon as possible.

 Instantly I sat up and asked a very stupid question.

 “Did you REALLY get sprayed by a skunk?” 

Steve replied with a sad tale about the wee critter lifting his little bottom up in front of him. Now my husband is an American from Berkeley, California and one would think the message about skunks had gotten that far west by now.

What to do? What to do?

It’s not like I can tie him up outside for the day, or get the garden hose out and hose him down. 

It reminded me of the year 2006 when a small flea had been found by my son, and he had told everyone it had not been found on the dog– that they were somewhere in the house. After assuming the necessary precautions, nothing else was found. All of us, with the exception of my oldest son, had green lighted everything. The crisis was over as far as we were concerned. At approximately 2:30 am that night a large flashlight was pointed in my face while I was fast asleep. It was flea fighter son number 1 with a look of terror on his face.

“Mom, I have been in here for 10 minutes shining this flashlight on my white socks and I have found two fleas”.

Apparently the white socks were used as bait and displayed whatever he thought was a flea in fine form on the white colour.

“I can’t sleep upstairs,there are fleas everywhere,” he said.

I strongly and silently disagreed with this as we have gone through this many times with other creatures and insects such as bats and spiders. It never fails that when the oldest is not Kosher with something he comes downstairs to his old room where I sleep so he can sleep in his old bed. 

His former room still holds his childhood Bobbleheads, Beanie Babies, hockey posters, and two small pocket mirrors taped to one of his shelves across from his bed. He constructed those mirrors at age 9 as a plan to see if the boogeyman was coming into his room.

“Mom I don’t think anyone realizes how serious this is as no one will own up to the grave problem we have here,” he continued.

I shot him a look that said everything. How could I take anyone seriously that was going to walk around all day in the summer heat in long jogging pants with white socks pulled up almost to the knees and white shoes. Mind you the white shoes were very soft leather fashionable ones from Aldo. But still–no dice kid!

In the morning he cleaned his room for the upteenth time in 24 hours. He vacuumed, he sprayed, he vacuumed again, and then more spray. To appease my child I vacuumed everywhere also and he followed me and sprayed again. In this house that’s a big job and I was sweating like a dog– the same dog who caused this issue who was now relaxing outside on the veranda not worrying about fleas.

After lunch son number 1 yelled information down the stairs each time he thought he had found new alerts about fleas on the internet. Anyone who has been sick and looked up things on the web knows for a fact that you can scare yourself for life with some of those articles. So far, not one flea had been found, but I began to Google “Symptoms of Toxic Brain Freeze from Aerosols” on the internet.

That night Sky came down the stairs dressed in the same outfit as the night before. White shirt tucked into white printed PJ pants, and white socks pulled up to his ankles. I was exhausted from his shenanigans, and so was the dog who was still crashed out on the veranda. With that he wrapped himself up in two sheets much like a mummy with a giant flashlight in one hand and a cell phone in the other. I shook my head and realized that thoughts like fleas jump from man to man– but they really don’t bite everyone. The dog looked at me and nodded his head in agreement.

Epilogue- 18 years later come Spring, when the spiders begin to venture out I get the occasional text photo from my son about the spiders in his basement– and asking if he should sell his home. 

As for Steve I just called him at work this morning and told him his Warrior’s Tshirt didn’t make it no matter how many times we washed it –but he will be allowed to stay as he has now passed the smell test.

Dead Mules and Donkey Baseball

CLIPPED FROM
Evening Despatch
Birmingham, West Midlands, England11 Oct 1911, Wed  •  Page 3

CLIPPED FROM
The Kingston Whig-Standard
Kingston, Ontario, Canada27 Apr 1916, Thu  •  Page 6

CLIPPED FROM
The Kingston Whig-Standard
Kingston, Ontario, Canada27 Apr 1916, Thu  •  Page 6

CLIPPED FROM
Altoona Times
Altoona, Pennsylvania08 Sep 1916, Fri  •  Page 10

CLIPPED FROM
The Baltimore Sun
Baltimore, Maryland24 Jun 1966, Fri  •  Page 13

Donkey baseball was a ball game played on donkeys. Real live donkeys. Thus the term—Donkey baseball. It was an erroneous term, actually, as it was, literally, donkey softball. A regulation softball was used, regulation bats, regulation gloves, everything. With that one slight revision seven donkeys were in the field and the fielders had to ride them. (For some reason no short fielder was used then in this form of softball. Maybe they only had seven donkeys.)

That was back when you could before they changed the rules on pitchers whip your arm around as many times as you wished before releasing the ball. Anyhow, donkey baseball was greeted with great enthusiasm! Actually, the “visiting team” was in the employ of the promoter. The guy who owned the donkeys. They wore jerseys with the name of any town likely to be hated when it came up against the local teams. Everybody in the field, except the pitcher and catcher, sat more or less alertly at least in the opening innings — aboard their respective asses. The hitter stood on the ground to bat, but when he hit the ball he had to jump up on his donkey and start urging it to-It ward first base. You can imagine how that went!!!

CLIPPED FROM
The Baltimore Sun
Baltimore, Maryland24 Jun 1966, Fri  •  Page 13

Thanks to Sandy FranceHere’s a pic from the early 50’s of a parade before the donkey baseball. Jim Brown of Strathburn Dairy is holding the donkey and Thorpe Kelly of Peterson’s Ice Cream is riding the donkey. The event was sponsored by the Almonte Lions Club.–

CLIPPED FROM
The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada03 Jul 1936, Fri  •  Page 17

CLIPPED FROM
The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada07 Jul 1936, Tue  •  Page 15

House Of David

Ray Paquette— During the 1950s, the ball park was the site of games featuring teams of “barnstorming” American professional baseball players who played local teams. The purpose was to raise money in support of local baseball. One such team, “The House of David” featured two things: all the players sported full beards and the game was played at night under lights atop of standards that were brought to town by the visitors. For baseball fans, playing under the lights was an added draw. It’s hard to believe that night baseball was played in Carleton Place before it was played at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs! It was quite an experience for young boys at the time–Baseball in Carleton Place —- Pollock Cup Winners and The House of David—

Baseball in Carleton Place —- Pollock Cup Winners and The House of David

The Symphony of the Louisville Slugger and Sam Bat

The Glory Days of “Lefty” Hill of Carleton Place

It’s The McNeely’s Baseball Team!

Armchair Tourism in Carleton Place- What are Baseball Bats Used for in Movies?