[Welland Telegraph, 9 January 1912]
The new ice rink on Maple Avenue of which Mason & Murdoch are managers, opened on Friday night for the season. The severe cold snap had the effect of putting the sheet of ice in fine condition for skating and after an hour’s hockey practice the rink was opened to skaters for the remainder of the evening. About one hundred and fifty were present. The rink is large, having a regulation size ice space. There are three dressing rooms and the office is equipped with a phone. A number of improvements are still to be made before the rink is complete, however.
OPENING NEW DRUG STORE
W.G. Smith of Hamilton on Monday morning opened his new drug store in the block formerly occupied by the Hennessey Drug Co., on East Main Street. Mr. Smith has leased the block and put in an entirely new stock of drugs of every kind as well as cigars, tobaccos, stationery and chocolates. The store will be run on a first-class basis. Mr. Smith, who is an honor graduate of the Ontario College of Pharmacy, will conduct the store along the most modern lines. In the summer the fashionable ice cream parlor in the rear of the drug department will be placed in charge of an expert manager.
Young Lady and Brother of Doctor Streight Lose their Lives
[Welland Telegraph, 5 January 1912]
Many friends in Welland will regret to learn of the sad bereavement that befel Doctor Streight on Saturday when his brother, aged nineteen years, was drowned at Kemptville.
Doctor Streight, who had just finished his course at the Royal Victoria Hospital at Montreal, went to Kemptville to spend the weekend at his home prior to coming to Welland this week to join Doctor Colbeck with whom he has entered into partnership.
His brother was skating on the river with a young lady and both were drowned.
[Welland Telegraph, 23 April 1912]
Donald McIlvride, janitor of the postoffice, was locked in the vault of the office for over an hour on Friday morning as a result of an oversight of one of the clerks who locked the door, thinking there was no one in it. Fortunately it was necessary to open the safe about an hour later and Mr. McIlvride was discovered.
[People’s Press, 24 September 1912]
A pleasant affair, mingled with regrets, was held at the New Dexter Hotel on Saturday afternoon last, when the employees of the moulding department of the Canadian Steel Foundries, and a few friends, presented Mr. M.J. O’Brien,-the department foreman, with a beautiful engraved gold watch, fob and chain, showing the high esteem in which he was held by every man in his department. Mr. O’Brien made a fitting reply, and thanked them for the beautiful gift, and said that he would always wear it with fond recollections of the days spent with his associates at the Canadian Steel Foundries in Welland. He said he would always have a warm spot in his heart for his friends in Welland, but that is our duty to ourselves and families to always try and better our conditions in this life, and this was why he was leaving Welland.
Mr. O’Brien has been in the employ of the Canadian Steel Foundries for four years. He goes to East St. Louis in the employ of the American Steel Foundries.
The boys were all sorry to lose “Mart,” but wished him success in his new field of labor.
Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien and family left for their new home on Sunday; they will be missed by their many friends.
Opera Chairs and Picture Machine Have Been Purchased-First Class Plays to be Shown Here.
[Welland Telegraph, 5 January 1912]
J.O. Green of Galt, who will manage the new theatre, which is to be remodelled in the Opera House block, stated on Wednesday that work would be started at once in the remodelling of the hall. It is expected that it will be completed by the first of February.
A slanting floor will be put in from the entrance back so that the rear will be level with the bottom of the windows. The present gallery entrance will be closed and a new winding stairway put in.
The major portion of the theatre will be fitted with cushioned and leather covered opera chairs such as are used in Shea’s and the Royal Alexandra in Toronto. The balance will be of the latest style chairs. The contract for these has been left to the Preston Furniture Co.
A new feature will be added to the equipment and that will be that the theatre will be well lighted while the pictures are in motion. It is planned to have the theatre so well lighted during the exhibition of pictures that a newspaper can be read at any time.
It is proposed to show moving pictures with an occasional play. However, no companies will be allowed to put on a performance unless they are of the very best class. “We intend to put on good plays with small casts, as the stage is not large enough to accommodate big companies,” stated Mr. Green on Wednesday. The stage will be refitted and improved.
The entrance from the street will be changed and brass and plate glass windows substituted for the present ones. There will be a lobby below.
The interior will be re-decorated and repainted as well as rewired. All electrical wiring will be concealed, aisles will be carpeted.
The moving picture machine has been purchased. It will be located outside of the building so as to in no way interfere with the seating accommodation. A large alternating twenty-five foot electrical sign will be put up. A number of the contracts have been let and others will be let at once. Contracts for picture films are being made.
Mr. Green has had a great deal of experience as a theatre manager, having had charge of theatres in Ottawa, Guelph, Galt, Port Hope, Mich., and Bay City, Mich.
LOSS WILL BE BETWEEN $8,000 AND $10,000
Blaze Believed to have been Caused by Short Circuit-Interior Almost Completely Destroyed
[Welland Telegraph, 5 January 1912]
The transformer house of the M.C.R., just east of the new canal bridge, used for the purpose of generating power to swing the structure, was badly damaged by fire at noon on Tuesday.
The loss is estimated by J.D. Payne, local agent, to be between eight and ten thousand dollars. Fortunately the power house is not needed at this time of the year as navigation is closed.
It was in the interior that the fire did most of the damage. A quantity of valuable machinery and nearly all of the costly electrical equipment was ruined by fire and water. The cause of the fire is believed to be a short circuit in the wires.
The blaze was first noticed by several switchmen who gave the alarm. The firemen were summoned and did good work, although the building is really in Crowland township. The roof was burned and the walls damaged.
[Welland Telegraph, 19 January 1912]
Those who are so unfortunate as to have time the length of their slumbers by the ringing of the six o’clock bell every morning had a full hour cruelly loped off that period on Friday morning and those who did not notice the mistake until after they had arrived at their respective occupations, either gave the boss an extra hour or stood in the cold voicing their wrath on the man who made the mistake of ringing the city bell just one hour before the proper time. One of the police officers made a mistake of an hour on this particular morning when he looked at his watch and the big “alarm clock” was just sixty minutes ahead of time in performing its duty.
Awoke, Suffocating from Smoke which Filled Room in Which he Slept.
[Welland Telegraph, 12 January 1912]
James Nixon had a narrow escape from death from suffocation early Wednesday morning.
Mr. Nixon left a small oilstove burning in his sleeping apartments when he retired. About three o’clock next morning he awakened strangling with a dense smoke which filled the room. Although almost overcome he managed to pick up the stove and throw it from the room.
The smoke was evidently due to the blocking of the flues with soot.
[Welland Telegraph, 12 January 1912]
Welland now has nine churches. The ninth is the Church of God which is opening in the Willson block on Division Street. Rev. Mr. Williams is the pastor. The first services will be held on Sunday evening at 7.30. The churches which are here now are-Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Lutheran, Baptist, Catholic, Free Methodist, Salvation Army and Church of God.
Fire does Damage to extent of $4500 In Baker Clothing Store
[Welland Telegraph, 23 January 1912]
Fire broke out mysteriously in the store of C.A. Baker in the Rose block, corner North and West Main Streets, on Thursday night about nine o’clock, partially ruined almost the entire stock. The loss will be about $4500 and the insurance will hardly cover more than one-fourth of the loss.
Arthur Horwitz, a clerk, locked the store at about a quarter to nine and at that time, he states, there was no indication of a blaze. The gas stove was left burning but the fire did not start from that source. There was no electrical wiring in the building so that it did not start from defective wiring. The fire apparently started back of the counter about five feet from the stove.
At ten minutes past nine Victor Blake, when walking past the store, heard the crackling of the fire inside and an alarm was at once sent in. When the firemen arrived the interior was found to be burning fiercely and the room was filled with smoke. A stream was soon being played upon the flames and after about twenty minutes work, the blaze was under control, although at one time it threatened to burn through the ceiling to the second floor.
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