Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

Page 31 text:

The Branksome Slogan 27 schools, for public buildings and for homes. We do right to be proud of him ! March 6th, 1834 This has been a most exciting day. It all began when word was heard that the town of York is to be no longer, and the City of Toronto has been born in its place. Everyone is so enthusiastic over the little expected honour that there have been revelry and celebrations all the day. To begin with, there was a fitting ceremony at the lovely new Par- liament buildings, when our town was officially made a city, I wondered at the time if it were possible that Colonel John Graves Simcoe, founder of Toronto, and his family, felt such a thrill of pride as I experienced when they entered the famous canvas house that was the first Government House of Upper Canada. The house had belonged to Captain Cook, and had been given by him to Colonel Simcoe ' s father. At that time, this fair city was called Toronto, and, though the meaning of the word is unknown, it, in itself, has been chosen for the name of the seat of the Government House of Ontario. With the completion of the ceremony a large number came to our home for tea. Among our guests were Chief Justice and Mrs. Osgoode, Mr. William Warren Baldwin, our noted citizen. Dr. Strachan and Mrs. Jamieson. The latter invited those present to a dance in the evening. The dance was large and the entertainment very elegant. Some of those in attendance came as far as fifty miles just for the enjoyment of one evening. Our hostess is noted for many miles around for her lovely parties and they are always well attended. The mayor, Sir William Lyon Mackenzie, was present, and also a number of the military set, and the evening was well spent in whist, dancing, chess and conversation. My brother and I left reasonably early, being the youngest present, but, as it is the general rule to dance till daylight at Mrs. Jamieson ' s, I suppose the party is continuing still. I wore a blue silk gown, with a bunch of flowers at the neck, and a bustle of blue and yellow. The bodice, of course, was tight, as all are.

Page 30 text:

26 The Branksome Slogan on one s nerves. I often wonder if the wagon is to be the only means of conveyance over our Canadian roads. Father tells me that our town is slower in progress than our southern neighbours because the trade and wealth follow the south shore of the lake and, continuing ever in a westerly direction, do not touch even upon our surrounding tracts of unbroken forest. But York, in spite of that, doesn ' t lack distinction, except in having .a very common name, for here we glorify the family life, and traditions are held high with the strictest rigidity, while I am certain that we treat class distinction with all due concern. How foolish I am, to become troubled over such matters ! Goodnight, Diary. March 5th, 1834 After a day spent in the kitchen, helping with the baking, I am con- sidering, deepl} and sincerely, masquerading as a boy and attending school. Fm sure girls need to go to school as much as boys, and it would certainly be a great deal more pleasant than baking and sewing. Father was very angry today. A number of sheep came straying into our property and were quite destructive. Besides this being quite unlaw- ful, father, one of our few doctors, says it is very unhealthy. He insists this is one of the causes for the hideous cholera epidemic two years ago, when one out of ten died, and one out of every four persons was attacked by it. It seems plausible, for, after the city was somewhat cleaned and the epidemic returned the next summer, only half the number was affected. Something may be done to remove the animals from the streets, but it would seem strange if this w ere the case, for somehow they seem to lend a picturesque air to our town. Considering the condition of York, however, in due fairness to the critics, such as Mrs. Tamieson, I honestly admit something should be done to better the state of affairs here. It is annoying to have visitors speak with disdain about muddy York. Father says the ground here was formerly lake bottom, and it is owing to this that it is never properly drained and dry. Surely there is a remedy for this and I secretly hope for a day when muddy York will be no longer and in its stead will be a well built and prosperous city. Why, it is quite a dangerous undertaking just to walk along King Street, particularly in the spring, for, save for a narrow footpath, a few stepping stones, and some logs, there is nothing to offer protection from the mud. And, in addition to that, one is often obliged to quit the path for the mud when desirous of passing another. There is only one truly safe place in which one might walk and that is the land around the tannery of Mr. Ketchum. The tan bark he has spread on the ground has done wonders in making the land neat and dry. What a wonderful citizen he is ! There seems no end to the proof of this, especially considering the large sites he has given for churches and for

Page 32 text:

28 The Branksome Slogan today, and the skirt was very full. Mama ' s gown was very elegant, for it was of brocaded silk, and there were few gowns at the party that rivalled it. The first dance of the evening was extremely pleasant, and, even though our music is not of the best, I ' m sure one of the most enjoyable in which I have ever joined. The square dances were the most popular. After dancing merrily for some time, my brother and I returned home. The snow was too deep for our carriage though, so we came home in our sleigh and pair. Why! I never realized I was writing for so long a time. It is dawn already. Dawn ! The very word contains so much, so very much, for, with this day, a new era dawns for us, and my dream of a wonderful city begins to be fulfilled. With the enthusiasm that prevails among the people the advance of Toronto will be boundless ! Trinidad Trinidad, the land of sunshine, is just off the north coast of Venezuela. The natives gave this beautiful island the name of lere, or Land of the Humming Bird , because of the large number of humming birds that inhabit it. A trip across the northern part is most interesting. Starting at Port of Spain, the capital, you can drive through the Maraval Valley by the Saddel Road where most of the time you are under an arch of bamboo trees. It is a sight no one should miss. This road leads you through the Santa Cruz Valley where on both sides you are surrounded by cocoa trees. At last you arrive at the village of San Juan, named by the Spaniards when they were in possession of the island. Now you are travelling on the Eastern Main Road with the mountains on one side and the far off plains of Caroni on the other. Three miles from San Juan is St. Joseph, best known because it was here that Sir Walter Raleigh captured and burned the town from the Spaniards. Two miles farther, St. Augustine, with its College of Tropical Agriculture, is seen, and on the distant hills, the Monastery of the St. Benedict Monks. Tunapuna is the next village and then Tacarigua with its vast sugar estates. The scenery in this region is very beautiful ; the poui blossoms are out and the hills are a mass of orange and yellow speckled with green leaves. We now pass Arima, which is the centre of the Caribs, the original natives of Trinidad. A long stretch of uninhabited country, mostly forests, lies in front of us before we arrive at Sangre Grands, the centre for the cocoa and cocoa-nut planters. We are off again and soon are passing through the famous Moira forests with its huge trees, often over a hundred feet high. The sea is in the air and we are not surprised to see huge white