GRIMSBY PARK NOTES

[Welland Tribune, 30 July 1897]

After this week the Toronto boat will make daily trips.

A large influx of visitors is expected during the first week of August.

This would be a happy land for Clayt. Page. The electric light is extinguished at 10.30 each night.

Rev. James Mooney was succeeded last Sunday by Rev. R.J. Elliot, who delivered two very able sermons.

The park dairyman is well named as a hot-weather dispenser of the lacteal fluid. His cards read, “J. Frost.”

The manager of the merry-go-round will not go the Yukon as long as the picnics last. He’s got a better thing here.

A lad from Beamsville was struck by one of the swings last week and the doctor had to put several stitches in his lip.

The crop of raspberries in this section is enormous, and large, fresh-picked berries are retailed in the park at 5c per box.

Birds, squirrels and chipmunks have freedom of the park at all times, and in the early morning are out in full force.

The portly and genial head of the general store is Mr. Cavers of St. Davids, who comes here yearly owing to “delicate” health.

Mr. Homan, the model caretaker of the grounds, has a kind word and a kind act for everybody. He is one of the park veterans.

Miss Ryckman, Mr. Ryckman (Hamilton) and Mr. Jackson (park) have added much to the pleasure of the week’s services with solos.

A charming solo, “Teach me to Live,” was sung with impressive effect at Sunday night’s services. We did not learn the name of the singer.

Wheels, wheels and wheels! Wheels everywhere. Firstclass wheels can be rented on the grounds at 15c an hour, or lower rates by the day or week.

Joseph Digby, formerly of the Kirby house, Brantford, is the affable and popular manager of the Lakeview this season, and it is unnecessary to say that guests thoroughly enjoy this fine house under his experienced supervision.

It would be a good financial move to reduce the price of row boats-except perhaps on excursion days, when the demand is heavy. From 25 to 35 c an hour is too high for an everyday price.

Rev. B. Fay Mills was on board for a lecture last evening on “The Social Peril.” An intimate friend of the lecturer says, “He couldn’t be commonplace if he tried; He’s a wonder.”

The band of the 13^th battalion will be here again on Tuesday next-Ireland’s day. The Saturday following (Aug. 7) will be Scotland’s day, when the 48^th Highlander regimental band, kilties and all, will have the floor.

On Sundays the Hamilton & Grimsby electric railway carries passengers at half fare, which gives parkites a run to the Ambitious city and back for 35c- a forty mile ride through a beautiful section of the “garden of Canada.”

At the hotel and on the grounds one is constantly greeting old friends. The Methodists of Niagara Falls town and village owned the park on Tuesday. It was a happy gathering such as Niagara Falls puts up every time, but the rain spoiled the afternoon sports.

Mrs. Harrison, formerly of Dunnville, the talented soloist, was in the audience at the Temple on Sunday night. Mrs. Harrison has perfected her musical studies in the old world and returns to us with a gilt-edged voice.

The tariff of admission to the grounds is hardly fair to short-term guests. For instance: Weekly tickets for the last two weeks in July cost 65c and 80c respectively- a total of $1.45-while the season tickets of two months (which include the “big August program”) are only $1.50. The tariff would stand revision in that respect.

The deluge of rain on Monday and Tuesday did incalculable damage to the grain and fruit crops hereabout. The park is almost surrounded with fruit, one shipper having sent 640 crates of raspberries to Montreal in one shipment this week-in a refrigerator car. It was impossible to secure pickers for the enormous crop, and the rains have covered the ground with the dead-ripe fruit.

President Phelps is an expert disciplinarian. It is appositive pleasure to hear him in an occasional ‘scold.” If he gives the adult proportion a “gentle hint” on sanitary or other necessary matters, he generally winds up with proclaiming his subjects the best people he ever met. The children are bribed into extra good behavior with a lavish distribution of popcorn at the president’s cottage.

Few people have an idea what commodious hotels there are within the park. The Lakeview and Park houses contain one hundred and thirty-four rooms, many of which are large double rooms, and the Park house has had as many as one hundred and seventy-five guests at one time. Both houses are thoroughly lighted with electricity, the plant having been placed by the enterprising proprietor, J.D. Strawn, whose lease of these hotels has, we believe, some four years yet to run.

The very old Nick seemed to possess the limelight apparata last week. Both Mr. Reavely and Mr.Yeigh exhibited high-class views of various lands, celebrated buildings and prominent men and women-but Mr. Reavely’s machine kicked vigorously and finally the light went out altogether. Mr. Yeigh’s light was completely extinguished also, but finally came forward and did nobly. Mr. Yeigh declared that fifteen grey hairs had been added to his scalp, and that if the machine “cut up” like that, another night he would flee from the grounds.

Citizens of the park are proud of the squirrels that chatter and play about the grounds, and the little red fellows are very tame. On Sunday morning early two young scamps got into the grounds and with a noiseless Flobert rifle made sad havoc in squirreldom. Just as the early risers in our cottage were astir they say the russet-colored fellow that had played in front of the door all week fell bleeding to the ground, and the young sportsman (?) crushed the squirrel’s life out under his heel. If Constable Tufford had been with in hail, the Sunday morning poacher would have fared badly,

The scene at the Temple on Saturday night was indeed a brilliant one. As the boys of the noble 13^th Batt. band filed through the building a sea of white handkerchiefs waved a cordial welcome, and cheers filled the great auditorium. With the red-coated lads and their shining instruments as a central figure, and the bright costumes of the unbonneted ladies        and their escorts, the electric-lighted amphitheatre presented a sight most inspiring. Every number was a gem, and the applause was uncontrollable. The rendition of the “Maple Leaf,” with variations, was received with a patriotic ovation. We had the pleasure of a word of congratulation with the veteran Bandmaster Robinson at the close. He has been with the 13^th for 27 years, and looks well able in spite of his silvering hair to swing the baton for another quarter of a century. We believe negotiations are in progress for the band to take part in the G.A.R. festivities at Buffalo next month. Another enthusiastic audience will greet the bank at the Temple again to-night (Friday).