MILLINERY OPENINGS

[Welland Telegraph, Thursday, October 1^st, 1903]

Very fine displays of the Fashionable Headgear in the Parlors of the County Town Milliners.

Last Thursday and Friday were ladies’ days in Welland. Both Mrs. Cooper and Mrs A.E. White had spent considerable time and money to make the event this year eclipse anything of the kind seen in Welland before. The stores were tastily decorated, and the goods artistically arranged, making the scene a very pretty one.

A noticeable feature of this year’s styles is the attractive combination of color and the prettiness of the shapes. It has not been so gay a season for fall millinery for a long time. The hats this year, while not too light for winter wear, are bright and gay. While last year’s style came low down over the forehead, it is replaced this year by more sensible shapes, which do not cover the ladies’ beauty from admiring eyes. There are many quaint and pretty designs in toque effects. Some of the popular shapes are Shamrock, boat and torpedo. Turbans are also numerous. The prevailing colors are rich reds, greens, wood browns, champagne and nasturtium reds. In fact the color scheme comprises everything in bright and strikingly beautiful effects. The predominant materials for trimming are fur, velvets, cluny laces, feathers, bird of Paradise sprays, wide and narrow chenille, maline, wings, birds, marabeau, plushes, etc. Buckles are used to some extent and are large. All kinds of rosettes are being used, among the newer ones being the bird’s nest and the cart wheel.

At Mrs A. E. White’s

Mrs White’s show rooms were extremely pretty and attractive this season, with decorations consisting of ivy, hydranges, palms, ferns and cut flowers.

Very many pretty ready-to-wears were shown. Among them was a smart turban of white felt, with straps of ribbon and a large bird; another decidedly new shape was the Ivanhoe, which will be used very much this season,–a pretty white hat appropriate for street wear, flared a little at the sides, trimmed with green ribbon and shirring of green. A very conspicuous little shape was a grey Cyrene with a pair of green wings under rim, and steel buckles. A medium high crowned hat, which shows the combination of velvet and lace, is also most striking. The broad brim, slightly flared at each side is decidedly new for this season, and is one of the leading shapes. Lace plays an important part in the autumn and winter millinery and makes a very rich trimming, being greatly appreciated. Bonnets will by no means be worn exclusively by elderly women.

A conspicuous fancy of this season is the shaded pink hat with delicate tints of white. A hat worthy of description was a large black velvet one, the shape being square, with chenille medallions set in brim, with a single decoration of plumes. A plateau of rich brown mirror velvet hat, for the trimmings, wings and shaded ribbon; this ideal was carried out in old gold and shaded ribbon from brown to old gold.

One of the most attractive hats Mrs White had on show, for autumn was a green velvet shirred with green trimmings and buckles; this was decidedly unique. Another extremely pretty hat was of Burgandy plush with grey squirrel facing, and a single sea gull.

Besides the display of hats, Mrs White had also an extensive showing of furs. The fine collection was composed of coats, muffs, collarets etc. and certainly presented something in this line.

The opening days were a grand success, for not only were the visitors numerous, but a large number of sales were made, and Mrs White, and her assistants will be busy for some time to come filling the numerous orders received.

At Mrs Cooper’s

The windows were nicely draped with cardinal and resede green, two very fashionable colors, relieved with bunches of mountain ash berries. Two beautiful plants, one a palm and the other an asparagus fern were placed at the centre of the windows, thus making, although plain, a very finished and artistic effect. Inside everything was an evidence of good combination of taste and skill, beautiful vines were tastily entwined the rare plants and ferns of which the store had an abundance, together with harmonizing bouquets of flowers displayed to greater advantage, the rich stylish millinery, which was artistically arranged throughout the show room.  Then too, the courteous treatment received from Mrs Cooper and her assistants could not fail but to make a visit to this fashionable establishment one of pleasure as well as profitable. The sales are so numerous, the items so beautiful that it would be impossible to mention but a few of them. Suffice it to say that any lady so contemplates a new fall or winter hat, should not make a choice until having seen the display at this popular store. A Paris “Chapeau” made of white fur, in a plaque shape proved very interesting to many of the ladies. The rim was draped on the under side with cream lace, with a flat rosette of burnt orange caught in the centre with a steel ornament. Flat on the crown was a large white bird, with a knot of burnt orange velvet. A hat which proved a favorite with many was of the Gainsboro shape, made of black beaver, over the high side of which gracefully hung a long black plume and two steel darts. The boat shaped turban commanded much attention, it being one of the very latest shapes. The hat of black sequin was caught at the side with a handsome sequin mount and white osprey, while from the rim was artistically draped showered sequin. Another handsome model was a turban of blue mirror velvet with a draped rim, relieved with a fold of cardinal satin ribbon and finished with a handsome crown of white chiffon with duchess lace, while the left side hung a bunch of mountainash berries. Mrs Cooper has without doubt eclipsed her showing of all previous years, and has now a stock from which the most particular may select with ease.

TOWN NEWS

[Welland Telegraph, 10 July 1903]

If Port Robinson can arrange to take five telephones on a single line at $15 per annum each, the telephone Co. offers to give a free connection with Welland.

The noxious weed inspector  is out after the tall thistles, sweet clover, burdocks and marguerites this week with a mowing machine and a scythe. Only one man could be found to work the scythe.

A burst in the water pipe on East Main street, opposite the old lock-up, undermined the stone road last week, and a horse went through and injured its leg. The break was repaired Monday.

The quarterly meeting of the Board of Trade could not entice a quorum on Wednesday evening. Ice cream and swimming were the counter attractions.

Phin’s New Dredge, “The Chief.”

Phin’s New Dredge, “The Chief.”

[Telegraph, 10 July 1903]

The big new dredge, “The Chief” which is being built for Messrs. Phin & Co., in the lock-pit here, will be finished and ready for work next week. The carpentry work which has been going on simultaneously with the placing of the machinery is about finished as is also the decorating. The hull of “the Chief” was built of heavy oak timbers at Port Robinson and the machinery by Messrs. Beatty at their iron works here. It is a fine big wooden dredge and it is most complete in its equipment. It has a large steel crane, a three yard dipper, a powerful operating engine and an extra large boiler made at Polson iron works. Every modern attachment about the dredge is strong and calculated to give the most economical results. It is expected that the machine will do excellent work and break some records for its kind. The dredge is in charge of Mr. Arthur Forster a skilled dredgeman. He has superintended the placing of the machinery and will have charge of her when she goes to work in the canal on Messrs. Phin & Co’s contract. Mr. Perry superintended the construction of the hull. Besides the mechanical part of this machine there is the living department and this is one of the good points about “The Chief.” On the lower deck there is a kitchen, pantry, dining room, sleeping apartments for the cook, and double lavatory and wash room. These are all moderately and most conveniently equipped. Every foot of space is used advantageously and there is hot and cold water service all through. On the upper deck there are the rooms, eight bed rooms, the captain’s office and a sitting room. The rooms are all well lighted with cased in drop windows. Altogether it is a fine dredge and it will doubtless be a pride to the builders and to Mr. Forster and his crew.

LAW FIRM

[Welland Telegraph, 10 July 1903]

Mr. D.B. White, who has for past two years been in Welland with the law firm of Gross & White, is expected to locate an office in Niagara Falls, Ont. That little town is to be amalgamated with the larger town, and the two made a city in January next. Mr. White will have a good field for his abilities, and as he is a clever and popular young man, he should succeed in Niagara Falls South as he has succeeded here. The larger town will give him greater scope, and his Welland friends wish him prosperity.

Another G.T.R. Collision

[Waterford Star, January 15, 1903]

Welland Jan. 10.—A disastrous head-on collision occurred on the G.T.R. between 6 and 7 o’clock this morning a few yards south of where the track crosses the Welland River at Port Robinson, between a Wabash freight drawn by engine No. 1,845 and a Grand Trunk freight, double-header, drawn by freight engines Nos. 760 and 724, eastbound. A fireman, a young man named Robert McHarg, whose father is station agent at London, was instantly killed. He had apparently seen the danger and jumped, his body being terribly mutilated under a wrecked car. The line is double tracked north and south, there being single track for crossing Welland River. The wreck took place just at the junction of the double and single tracks on the south side of the river. The Wabash engine and the head engine of the G.T.R. went down an embankment, and were completely wrecked. The other engine was badly damaged, but remained on the track. Seven freight cars are entirely demolished, two of them buckling in the middle of the train and falling into the river.

FIRE

[People’s Press, 1 December 1903]

              A fire occurred in the north ward last evening, a house owned by Peter McKinley on North Main street being pretty badly damaged. The house was occupied by Elmer Crosby, whose furniture was nearly all saved. There was no insurance on house contents, and Mr. McKinley’s loss on the latter will be about $200. He recently let the insurance policy on it run out and had neglected renewing it.

             The fire was noticed in the roof by Wm. Kelsey, shortly after 7 o’clock, who was passing, and he hurriedly warned the occupants and climbing up on a roof, formed a bucket brigade. The water had to be taken from a lawn tap and the process was so slow that the fire kept gaining headway. The box alarm at Milne’s corner was set off but did not work and an alarm was sent in by phone. It was quite a while before the firemen arrived and then the hydrant was found to be frozen up causing several minutes more delay. A half hour elapsed from the time it was first noticed until water was put on it. The roof was burned, upper storey gutted and back kitchen burned, and the whole damaged by water. Two streams of water soon conquered the blaze, which was a bright one for a while but did not burn very rapidly.

             The fire is supposed to have originated in the roof from a defective chimney, wood being burned in the stove.