Travels in America : With special reference to the province of Ontario as a home for working men

Chapter I., 9

Voyage — Arrival — Portland — Bells— Neal Do w — Prohibition— Rings.

Massachusetts — Temperance — Prohibition — Report of Commissioner Wells — An Editor's Opinion — Breakers ahead — Warning.

Massachusetts — Prohibition Regained — Temperance- Church Influence— The Reason Why — Meetings Held — Sons of Temperance — Maiden— Assabat — Salem — Lynn.

CHAPTER IV., - 36

New Boston— Perseverance of the Saints — Spiritualists— Adventists — Boston Horse Railway.

Professor Gardiner — Edward Uniac — John B. Grough.

Railway Travelling — Railways — Cars — Railway Bells — Railway Whistle — Sleeping Cars — Dra wing-Room Cars, &c iv.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII., - - - - ' . . *%r

Ontario : Its Geographical Position— Area— Population- Climate— Winter— Spring— Summer— Autumn.

CHAPTER VIII., 77

Progress — Quality of Wheat— Soil— Orchards— Vines- Landed Proprietors— Value of Farm Produce— Implements—Money— Labour.

CHAPTER IX., - 87

Price of Land — Free Grant Lands— Conditions— Plan of Working— Price of Cleared Land— Price of Bush Land— Suitable Emigrants.

CHAPTER X., - - 96

Advice to Emigrants — Illustrations of Success— Swamps — Mosquitoes.

CHAPTER XL, - - 105

Appearance of Ontario — Its Fences — Roads — Railways— Press— Postal Arrangements— Education— Religious Privileges — Government— Water— Cost of Living — Crows, Birds, Frogs.

CHAPTER XII., 113

From Boston to Montreal — Winter Work — Games- Montreal— Labours in Canada East— Work in Montreal and Provinces.

CHAPTER XIII., 127

Departure from Montreal— Journey— Stumps— Arrival at Toronto — A Sabbath in Toronto — Ayr— Guelph— Meetings in Toronto— Gait— Paris.

CHAPTER XIV., ------ 13G

Eglinton— Uxbridge — Leaskdale — Port Perry — Whitby— Oshawa — Bowmanvillie— Napanee— Hamilton— Trip to the West— Jamie Henderson.

CONTENTS. V.

Page

Falls of Niagara.

CHAPTER XVI., - 154

Final Visits — Starting for Scotland — In Montreal — Journey Home — Meeting with League Directors.

CHAPTER XVIL, - 161

Condition of Temperance — Dunkin Bill — Good Templars — Sons of Temperance— Dr Lees Quoted— Concluding Beflections.

APPENDIX, - - 167

Drinking Habits.

Liquor Laws.

Introduction

During the last thirty years, it has been my lot to be introduced by hundreds of chairmen to as many congregations of my countrymen, varying in numbers from twenty up to as many hundreds. On the present occasion,. I purpose introducing myself, believing that there will be very few among my readers who will not be, less or more, acquainted with my history.

Friends and fellow-countrymen, — The reasons of my intrusion upon you at this time, and through the medium of this little book, may be very briefly stated. For several years previous to 1868, Mrs Easton and myself had made up our minds to visit America, for the purpose, principally, of seeing how it fared with our two sons — Douglas and Fergus— who for fourteen and sixteen years respectively had been resident in that part of the world, and whom during all that time we had never seen. Leaving us as they did, when they were mere boys in their teens, we were anxious to see them, and hear their voices once more before we were called hence to be here no more. Accordingly, in the month of May, 1868, immediately after the Annual Meetings of the Scottish Temperance League, Mrs Easton,

INTRODUCTION.

accompanied by our youngest daughter— Isabella — sailed from Glasgow in the s.s. Hibernia, and seventeen days afterwards reached New York. Our arrangements were that I should follow them in October, but, alas ! we little know what a day may bring forth. By a sad family bereavement our plans were so far thwarted, that instead of leaving in October I did not get away until the middle of December.

After my return from America, in September, 1869, I found that a great number of my working brethren at home were anxious to learn all they could about Upper Canada, or as it is now called, " The Province of Ontario." Having spent nearly six months travelling up and down that "Province," and having picked up a considerable amount of information which might be useful for those intending to adopt it as their future home, I resolved to publish a brief account of my visit to America, with special reference to the " Province of Ontario." That is the reason why once more, through the medium of the Press, I present myself before my many friends, trusting they will overlook iny literary failings, and give me credit at least for the sincere desire to do them good

TRAVELS IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER I.

VOYAGE — ARRIVAL — PORTLAND — BELLS — NEAL DOW — PROHIBITION — RINGS.

I SAILED from Liverpool in the s.s. Austrian, on the 17th December, 1868. We had a good ship, an excellent captain, and, considering the season of the year, we had upon the whole a very fair passage. I was not troubled with sea- sickness. Under the circumstances being entirely idle, I thought it the best policy not to give my digestive organs much to do, and was rewarded by not being annoyed with having to attend to stomach complaints. It was to me both surprising and amusing to see how very little mercy some of my fellow-passengers had upon their stomachs ; no wonder that in some instances that organ rebelled against its owner, and the doctor had to be called in to suppress the rebellion. It did appear to me as if some of the passengers were afraid that they would not get enough ifor their money. It might have been well for their

TRAVELS IN AMERICA.

own digestive organs, and certainly more profitable for the company, if all such parties had been put under a " limited liability bill-of-fare."

After we had been pitched and rolled about on the bosom of the Atlantic for nearly twelve days, I awoke from a sound sleep on the morning of the 29th December about six o'clock, and felt that we had either arrived at our destination or had cast anchor in very calm water, I sprang from my " berth " as if instead of threescore I had been only thirty years of age, and I can assure the reader there was very little time spent by me that morning at the toilet table, a practice of which I was never guilty ; indeed, for the most part of my life I had not, properly speaking, a thing of the kind at which to kill time. On the morning referred to, I donned my habiliments with more than ordinary despatch, so that a few minutes after I awoke I was standing on deck, thankful to find we had arrived at our destination in safety. The city of Portland lay right before us, and while looking around upon its land-locked bay, I was reminded of Lerwick in the Shetland Islands.

Portland is the capital of the State of Maine, and the home of Neal Dow, who, as most of my readers are aware, is the author of the " Maine Liquor Law." On the evening previous to our arrival he had been addressing a meeting in the city upon that subject, and had time permitted, I certainly would have taken the liberty of calling upon him during my stay.

I cannot describe what strange feelings I had when, for the first time in my life, I opened my eyes

FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

upon a piece of old mother earth, over which our most gracious Qneen Victoria did not rule. I almost expected to fiud the trees growing with the wrong end uppermost — and every thing in a topsy turvy condition. However, after I had been on shore for a short time and mingled with our cousins, I found out, what I should have known before leaving home, that humanity is very much the same on the other, as it is on this side of the Atlantic, with the exception of a few surface differences that are very noticeable, such as "guessing, calculating, and fixing." It is true, they have not a king or queen to rule over them ; but they have a personage who serves the same purpose, though called by a different name — President. During the short time I was amongst them, the idea was forced upon my mind that it would be greatly to their benefit, if instead of changing their king or president,, as frequently as many a working man can afford to get a new coat, they were to retain him much longer in office. It may be all very well to elect a Chief Magistrate for a town or city for three or four yearsr and then set him aside for another; but it is a very different thing — as it appears to me — in reference to> the head of a great nation like America. Before a President is well installed into office, and has done little more than get things into working order, hemust, unless re-elected, abdicate in favour of another ; and when he abdicates, all government officials, from himself down to the country post-master, must do the same thing. Such policy appears to me to be as bad as if a farmer were to lay it down as a rule to dismiss

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his steward every four years, and along with him all his subordinate servants. However, our cousins know best what suits them, and for me to find fault with their proceedings, or venture to suggest an improvement, is nothing short of presumption.

On my arrival at Portland I was anxious to learn if the Liquor Law was respected in the city, or if it was a difficult matter for a stranger like myself to obtain intoxicating drink. Don't let the reader imagine that I had any thought of buying — far less of drinking — any of the deceptive drug ; but so many conflicting reports, every now and again, had come across the Atlantic, that one did not know very w^ell what to think. I was anxious, therefore, to see for myself how matters stood, and expressed my anxiety to Captain Wyllie, knowing that he had frequent opportunities, when residing in the city, of knowing all about the matter.

Well/' said the captain, "the time was when it would have been difficult for you or any stranger to have obtained such drink in Portland, although it •could always have been had by those who knew the way how ; but for some time past the law has not been so strictly enforced, so that at present you can have as much drink at the bar of any of the hotels as you choose to pay for. After breakfast," he added, UI will go ashore with you and introduce you to parties who will tell you the same thing ; and — what is more — you will see for yourself that to obtain intoxicating drink is a very easy matter."

At the time we arrived in Portland bay, old mother «arth was covered with a carpet of white, and when-

THE CUSTOM-HOUSE.

ever that occurs on the other side of the Atlantic, all vehicles that at other seasons run up and down upon wheels — with the exception of railway cars — doff them, and are there and then transmogrified into what our cousins call 64 slades and sleighs." Accordingly, when we arrived, Portland may be said to have been off its wheels. After breakfast, the captain and I went ashore, and the first person who paid any attention to me was the custom-house officer, who informed me, in a very courteous manner, that he would require to see into my portmanteau. I said, "You are most heartily welcome to do so. It is choke full of the best of temperance teaching, by Joseph Livesey, of Preston, who gave me a present of a few hundreds of his 4 Staunch Teetotaler ' upon condition that I would make the best use I could of them, and upon condition that you will do the same thing, I will make you a present of a few dozen copies." 64 1 guess I shall do that, sir ; I am an abstainer myself, and have often heard of Joseph Livesey." I presented him with two or three dozen copies to distribute among the men about the docks, and he and I were at once very familiar friends. He did not bother me by asking to see into any other box or bag* When I went ashore it was not with me as it was with the gallant 44 six hundred" at Balaclava. Our poet describes them as having 44 cannon to right of them, cannon to left of them, cannon in front of them,'* and before all was done, 44 cannon behind them." It was very different with me when I arrived in America. All such instruments of death had ceased to send forth

TRAVELS IN AMERICA.

their deadly missiles, and had retired to the various pleasure grounds of the towns and cities throughout the country, and were there resting in peace and quietness. May the time never come again when there shall be any cause for their terrific voice being heard anywhere in the " great republic." But when I went ashore, there were bells to the right of me, bells to the left of me, bells in front of me, and bells behind me. It was to me a confusion of bells; almost every horse had one or two hung to its neck, and if not, it was sure to have from ten to twenty small ones hung over its back, all for the merciful purpose of giving* poor wanderers like myself, who have, not unfrequently very much against their will, to drive " two-in-hand," timeous warning to get out of the way, and not be trampled down. The idea was suggested to my mind that all the bells that had ever done duty at either tavern, tap, or bar-room, had been, under the pressure of the " Maine Law," transferred from their original destination and hung to the necks of the horses, and were now being used as a means of preserving life, and not, as previously, of destroying it. After Captain Wyllie had introduced me to various parties, all of them confirming what he had told me — that drink could be had at the bar of any of the hotels — we went and spent some time in looking through the city. I was not so much surprised at what I did see as at what I did not. Among all the signboards — and there were thousands — I did not notice one announcing wThere " a thirsty soul " could be supplied with intoxicating drink, and that to me, direct from

PLYMOUTH HOTEL.

Scotland, was not more gratifying than strange. Were Glasgow to awake some morning and find herself in a similar condition, she would no doubt feel rather queer, and I trust would be disposed, after repeating her motto, "Let Glasgow flourish by the preachiug of the Word," to send for her superintendent of police and order him there and then to dismiss, at least, three-fourths of her police force, and at once advertise three-fourths of her prison accommodation to be let for warehouses. From the absence of such signboards as those referred to, I concluded that temperance sentiment must stand pretty high in Portland, and no doubt it does. The great difficulty, however, in the way of carrying out a prohibitory law in all such places, is the great influx of strangers having no sympathy whatever with our movement ; but who, on the contrary, believe "drink" to be a good thing, and being both able and willing to pay for it, will have it in defiance of any law.. Until men are convinced that alcoholic drink is a bad thing as an article of diet or common beverage, and in degree sustains the same relation to the healthy organism of man as does the poison of dragons and venom of asps, it will not be an easy matter to persuade them of the justness of a law which comes in any way between them and that drink.

After we had satisfied ourselves in surveying the external " lions " of the city, we went to the " Plymouth Hotel," and had an opportunity of looking through its many extensive and well-furnished apartments, and were ultimately shown into its " billiardroom," where there were at least from twenty to thirty

TRAVELS IN AMERICA.

billiard tables. At one end of this magnificent roomr there was a 64 bar " twenty feet long, behind which there stood a man selling drink to all who were willing to pay down any part of the " almighty dollar." I asked the gentleman who had accompanied us, if they were not afraid that at any moment they might be pounced upon for such an open violation of the law ? He replied, " Why, I guess they are pounced upon, now and again. The proprietor of this hotel was cleared out a few days ago ; but then, you know, they don't keep a large stock on hand, and as the loss is not great, they just go on selling as if nothing had occurred."

I have heard it said that the safest time to travel by railway is for a few months after there has been, what our cousins call, a " tarnal smash." Even so, the rum-sellers in Portland probably considered the safest time to sell drink was a few months after having been 4< cleared out" presuming that the myrmidons of the law would not trouble them again for sometime. " Well," I said to myself, " if this is not altogether what it should be, and far from what I had been led to expect, it is as well that the officers of law should now and again exercise their power in clearing the 4 bar ' of the drunkard's drink, as in clearing the high places of Bacchus every night, at a given hour, of drunkards, while they leave unmolested the deceptive decoctions of that jolly god."

The reason, however, as I afterwards learned, why drink could be so easily obtained in the year 1868, notwithstanding a prohibitory law on the statute book,

RINGS AND BARS.

was, that in the beginning of that year, by some kind of political dodging — I apprehend that there is more of that kind of work among them than even with ns — the rum ring, for political parties are called rings with them, succeeded in the spring of 1868 in depriving Maine of her " state constabulary " — that is, men appointed by the state, whose duty it is to enforce the prohibitory law. To speak figuratively, — the State of Maine, when I first stepped on her soil, had an excellent engine, and plenty of water and fuel, but she had dismissed her driver and her fireman — hence, however perfect the engine, there was no person whose special duty it was to get up the steam, and therefore, practically, it was of no great value.

In the beginning of 1869, however, the " prohibitory ring" succeeded in getting back the "state constabulary," and long before I left the country, the "bars" in Portland and throughout the whole State were again closed, and although, no doubt, drink might still be obtained, it was only by those who knew the way how.

During my stay in America, there was a temperance convention held in Chicago. At the convention there was a number of very sanguine temperance reformers, who seemed to have arrived at the conclusion that they had only to say, " let this or that be," and immediately it would stand fast. This party would have "a ring" formed, consisting of men pledged to sink all other political considerations, and to give their vote only to the man sound on prohibition, no matter what might be his political creed

B

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otherwise. From a paper sent me very shortly after my return home, I noticed that the State of Maine had to elect a governor, and that the " ring " referred to, put forth a candidate for that office ;" called upon all temperance reformers to throw behind their back, for the time being, all other political considerations, and vote for their candidate, on the ground that he was a sound prohibitionist. The result was, that out of 80,000 votes, their candidate obtained only 4200 ; and, as I think, served them right. I say so, not from any want of sympathy with prohibition, but because of a deep-rooted belief that, as temperance reformers, we could not more effectively damage our cause, and prejudice parties against us, whose support we must obtain before we can be triumphant, than by adopting such a line of policy. Other things being equal, I would certainly give my vote to the man who would go for the destruction of the traffic by every legitimate means ; but most assuredly I would never pledge myself to sink all other political considerations, and give my vote to any political ignoramus like myself, who might be able to do little more than cry " PROHIBITION — PROHIBITION," in preference to a man like Duncan M'Laren, though not a prohibitionist.

LEGAL SUASION.

Chapter II

MASSACHUSETTS — TEMPERANCE — PROHIBITION — REPORT OF COMMISSIONER WELLS — AN EDITOR'S OPINION — BREAKERS AHEAD — WARNING.

When I arrived in Massachusetts and had got a little time to look about me, I found that in reference to " prohibition " that State was somewhat different from Maine. Massachusetts in 1868 lost her prohibitory law, but had retained her " state constabulary," and was under a licence law. When the prohibitory law was repealed in favour of licence, it was enacted that any township might refuse to accept the licence law and hold fast by prohibition ; only in that case commissioners were bound to licence so many places in each township, so that drink might be had for necessary purposes. Of course, there are men who consider that there is positively no necessity for such drinks, unless it be for preserving objects of natural history ; but thousands in America, as well as at home, hold a very different opinion. Conversing one day with Mr Haven, editor of " Zion's Herald," he said, uIn the township of Maiden, where I reside, we refused to accept the licence law, or, in other words, we voted 4 No Licence.' But what about that ? We have fourteen places where drink is sold. We know of no middle course here between prohibition

TRAVELS IN AMERICA.

and free trade in drink, because we find that if A. obtains a licence, we cannot by all our logic convince B that he should not have one as well ; and if he does not obtain one, he just goes to work and sells right and left and takes the consequences. There, for instance, is one of the wealthiest men in Boston, who used all his influence to obtain a licence law, and when obtained, he, instead of taking out a licence to sell drink, opened three of the lowest grog-shops we have in Boston, and sells right on, and we are powerless. We cannot now imprison a man for such conduct. All that we can do is to fine him, but he pays the fine and goes on with his diabolical work ; hence our determination to have back our old prohibitory law, under which we were much more able to restrict the drink traffic' '

If statistics prove anything, it is not surprising that our friends in America go in for what they call a prohibitory law, because their statistics, as I read them, do most conclusively prove that such a law is better adapted, in their hands, for restricting the traffic than any other legal instrument they ever tried. Let me invite the reader's careful attention to the following statements : — In the " Annual Report of the Constable of the Commonwealth," for the year ending December 25, 1868, the Reports of the Chief of the Police, Boston, are referred to as furnishing means for comparing the six months from April to October, 1867, when the prohibitory law was in force, with the corresponding six months of 1868, which include the first four months under the licence law. The result is as follows : — From the 1st of April to the 1st of

PROHIBITION V. LICENCE.

October, 1867, the number of arrests for drunkenness was 6690 ; while for the corresponding six months of 1868 — including only four months under the licence system — the number of arrests was 8053, showing an increase of 1363. We may thus summarise the general results, as gathered from the above and other official reports : — Increase of drunkenness for six months of 1868, over the corresponding six months of 1867, 1363 ; increase of criminal arrests, 248 ; increase of station-house lodgers, who are generally partially intoxicated, 3838 ; total increase, 5449.

The above is certainly very damaging to a licence law, when compared with a prohibitory one, and equally so is the following extract from the report of the Massachusetts Temperance Prohibitory Alliance for 1868.

The Committee in their report say, " From the Report of Commissioner Wells laid before Congress last January by Secretary M'Culloch, we gather statistics which confirm the foregoing. Mr Wells furnishes an official statement of the retail liquor trade in the different Cities and States of the country. This Eeport embraces other articles than liquors, which licensed rum-sellers may have sold. But as this applies equally to all the Cities and States, it will not interfere with the comparison which we purpose to institute.

"In Massachusetts, the sale of the retail liquor dealers, during the year ending June 30, 1867, amounted to 27,979,575 dollars, or very close upon twenty-eight million of dollars, which is about 23

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dollars per head, calling the population in round numbers 1,250,000 — one million two hundred and fifty thousand. During the period in question, the Prohibitory Law was in operation, and quite well enforced in most of the towns in the State.

" In the same year, the State of Rhode Island sold at its 'bars' to the amount of 10,234,249 — ten million two hundred and thirty-four thousand two hundred and forty-nine dollars, which is about 45 dollars per head, calling the population 225,000. Rhode Island has what is called a 6 stringent licence law,' and she sold nearly twice as much liquor per head under it as Massachusetts did under Prohibition.

" Compare California with Massachusetts. Commissioner Wells, in his Report, states that in 1867 California retailed liquors to the amount of 59,924,090 — fifty-nine million nine hundred and twenty-four thousand and ninety dollars, which is about 157 dollars per head, counting the population at 380,000, or more than six times as much as Massachusetts sold per head under Prohibition.

" As Maine — the first Prohibitory Law State— has enforced her statute better than any other State, the comparison with her is still more damaging to the licence system. The sales of Maine amounted to 8,257,015 — eight millions two hundred and fifty-seven thousand and fifteen dollars, which is scarcely 1& dollars per head, calling the population 650,000. So that California, under a licence law, sold more than thirteen times as much as Maine per head.

" It is the same with all the States. The report of

COMMISSIONER WELLS.

Mr Wells shows unmistakably that much larger quantities of liquor are sold in the licence law States than are sold in those where Prohibition is adopted.

" Without pursuing details, we may state that the retail sales per head are as follows in the several licence States mentioned : — Missouri, 46 dollars ; Maryland, 59; Wisconsin, 56; Pennsylvania, 50; New Jersey, 63 ; New York, 62. None of these States sold less than twice as much per head as did Massachusetts.

" Compare the three following Prohibitory States with four licence States possessing, in the aggregate, about the same population.

" Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont, all Prohibitory States, with an aggregate population of 2,250,000, in 1867 sold liquor in retail to the amount of 42,022,655 — forty-two million twenty-two thousand six hundred and fifty-five dollars.

" New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland and Wisconsin, all States under a licence law, with an aggregate population of 2,225,000, sold liquor in the same year to the amount of 137,084,457 — one hundred and thirty-seven million eighty-four thousand four hundred and fifty-seven dollars. More than three times as much sold under licence as under Prohibition.

" Thus the facts from other licence law States confirm the experience of Massachusetts, the past year, as we have endeavoured to show by reliable testimony. We venture the assertion, that the difference between

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our Prohibitory and the Licence States named, is but a fair illustration of the actual working of Prohibition and Licence, as far as tested all over the world."

The reader will notice that in the above extract, by comparing themselves with themselves, our friends make out a very clear case in favour of a Prohibitory Law ; but, really, it does not appear from the statistics given that Prohibition is much better in America than Licence is in Scotland. Let us compare Massachusetts with Scotland. In 1847 Massachusetts sold liquor in retail, to the amount of 23 dollars per head of her population. But there were other things included in the returns of Commissioner "Wells than drink, such as cigars and tobacco of every description; these then must be subtracted from the whole amount, in order to see what they spent on drink. The Pev. Mr Thayers, Secretary to the Massachusetts Prohibitory Alliance, said — That if three-sevenths were taken from the total amount, the remainder would be pretty near the value of drink sold, only, he said, it was very difficult to get at the exact amount, inasmuch as the person licensed had to pay fifty dollars, if he sold so many gallons, and a hundred dollars, if he sold so many more, so that it was more than probable that the returns would be below, rather than above the mark, if we subtract three -sevenths from 23 there will remain 13. Thirteen dollars in 1867 were worth £2 of our money. According to Commissioner Wells, then, in the State of Massachusetts, under a Prohibitory Law, and that law quite well enforced in most of the towns, there was liquor sold in retail to the amount of