CHAPTER XVI.

Drinking habits in the early days--Distilleries and mills--Treating prevalent--Drinking carousals--Delirium tremens--“One-Thousand-and-One” Society--Two gallon limit--Bibulous landlords--Whiskey fights--Typical Canadian pioneers--Clearing the farm--Sons and daughters married--Peaceful old age--Asleep in death--Conclusion 228

ILLUSTRATIONS AND PORTRAITS.

PAGE

Roger Conant’s Mill, Devon, England _Frontispiece_

Thomas Conant 6

Mrs. Thomas Conant 7

Map of Upper Canada (Ontario) 9

Roger Conant’s house, Salem, Mass. 18

Roger Conant’s first settlement in Upper Canada 33

Typical Logging Scene 40

Durham boats ascending River St. Lawrence 48

David Annis 52

Indian trading scene 65

Maple sugar making 78

Indian wigwams of birch bark 84

Potash making--the “melting” 97

Hauling cannon in the war of 1812 104

Moode Farewell’s tavern 122

Daniel Conant’s lumber mill 135

Meteoric shower (1833) 144

Daniel Conant 152

Mary Eliza Conant 153

Loading lumber on schooners, Lake Ontario 160

Refugees escaping over the ice at Oswego, N.Y. (1837) 172

Crossing Lake Ontario in a canoe 186

Assassination of Thomas Conant (1838) 193

Camp-meeting scene 209

A Millerite’s attempt to fly 220

Mormon attempt to raise the dead 228

Awkward squad--Fenian raid, 1865 236

PREFATORY NOTE.

In presenting to the public these random sketches I crave the reader’s indulgence. I do not pretend to elegance of style in my writing, and if--as is doubtless the case--the canons of literary form are occasionally offended against in these pages, I ask the kindly consideration of the critics.

If asked my reasons for publishing the volume, I would state: First, the many communications received by me from time to time, from various sources, commenting favorably on my letters to the press, have given me to believe that the Canadian public appreciate and value the relation of old settlers’ stories and the legends and traditions of the past; again, as a son of this noble Province, a descendant of one of its pioneer families, having witnessed much of the marvellous development of the country, I feel constrained to thus preserve records which I believe are historically valuable. I have sought to present glimpses of the rude, free life that obtained in the earlier years of settlement, while at the same time depicting some phases of life in Canada as seen at the present day. Though since Confederation (1867) our Province has been known as Ontario, I have preferred to use the old name of Upper Canada, which seems not improper in view of the fact that much of the matter herein given relates to pre-Confederation times.

It has been my endeavor, in compiling these sketches, to avoid wounding the feelings of others in my references to the living or their friends who have passed away. If, unfortunately, I have done so, I ask the pardon of such persons, and assure them that wherever I have used names or made personal references, I have done so only where I considered it necessary to render the events chronicled historically correct.

For the insertion of some family portraits it is unnecessary to ask the reader’s indulgence, as they are portraits of those who have helped materially in the upbuilding of the Province.

THOMAS CONANT.

OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA,

September 28th, 1898.

UPPER CANADA SKETCHES.