Trafalgar Castle School - Yearbook (Whitby, Ontario Canada)

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College with new trees along driveway, C. 1880. Chapter Nine The 1880s -- Prosperity in Hard Times The 1880s, a prosperous period for the Ontario Ladies ' College in spite of hard times, began with an announcement by the Governor- General of a silver medal to be awarded at the next commencement. The Sunbeam was re- ceiving scores of letters in praise of its contents, and many noted lecturers and artists continued to provide entertainments at the college. The college literary society partici- pated in these entertainments, which were open to the citizens of Whitby. Tickets for the year ' s seven entertainments were 75 cents or 20 cents for a single admission. The enter- tainments were highly successful, the only drawbacks being the offensive gasses pro- duced by the colored lights. Topics of lectures included The History of the Earth, illustrated by stereoptican views by Prof. Thomas Kirkland, and a reading of Dickens ' Christmas Carol. Winter brought complaints that the snow on the sidewalks to the college was not shovelled, it is pitiable to have the young ladies of the college walking through deep snow and slush in such a leading thoroughfare of the town, commented the Whitby Chronicle. Goldwin Smith made his second appear- ance at the college to address the students on commencement day, 1880, speaking on com- mencement days at Eton and Oxford. On the same occasion, the first alumnae society at the Ontario Ladies ' College was formed and a constitution adopted. The officers were Miss Herriman, president; Miss Phillips, vice-president; Miss L. Wilson, secretary- treasurer; and Misses Jarvis, Vair and Sherin, committee of management. In 1881 the lecture series continued with such eminent personalities as Dr. Nelles, president of Victoria University, speaking on mistakes in education; Prof. Macoun, of Albert University, on the North West; Dr. Haenel on music, and Professor Bell, the leading elocutionist in Canada, presenting a series of readings. French and German conversation were stressed in the 1880s with a view toward travelling on the Continent. The main courses led to university examina- tions for women, a new concept in education, and many optional courses were offered. Professor Edward Fisher, a noted Toronto musician, succeeded Mr. Torrington as musi- cal director in 1881. The same year James Holden, the first president of the college ' s Board of Directors, died and was succeeded by G. Y. Smith, a Whitby lawyer. Miss M. E. Adams, of Brookhurst School in Cobourg, was engaged as Lady Principal at this time, to supervise the pupils in relation to manners and social culture. Previously this position had been occupied by Mrs. Hare, the principal ' s wife. The following are excerpts from letters by a student at the college in 1882, outlining day- to-day happenings in the life of the pupils: Sept. 29, 1882 -- We had a splendid time on Thursday afternoon. One of the girls brought a spirit lamp to our room and we made tomato sauce we had biscuits cakes apples. I can tell you it was a treat for we poor starved girls. I wish you would bring me some cakes when you come to Toronto. Oct. 14, 1882 -- I get up at half past five and practise from six to seven, then study from seven to eight- -then breakfast school till half past one. I generally paint or draw in the afternoon then study practise again in the evening. Next week I am going to have an early breakfast and then practise from eight to nine. I think it will be better than from six to seven in the winter. I like Miss Wilson the music teacher so much. She is a splendid teacher so kind and nice. She wants me to take lessons on the violin. They are going to start a class and have a teacher from Toronto. I would not have to buy a violin until 1 learnt. They will provide one if you wish it. Miss Windeal left last Thursday. She has a position in the Art School in Toronto. I am sorry. I liked her so much. I hope they will get another teacher right away or it will put us all back in our work. They gave Miss Windeal a present worth $18. It was a hanging lamp, three volumes of poems and an album. They were all nicely bound and she was very pleased with them. I suppose you have not sent my box yet. Be sure to send me work when you do, for one of the girls here got one the other day. There were apples pears in it it had been left out at the station a week the apples were rotten and had spoilt. I hope you will send me as many of the things as you can get in the box for I am hungry nearly all the time. I sup- pose the board is as good as at other schools but it is really not good. The other day the meat was so rare tough that the teacher had to send for a servant to cut it. I could not touch it we never have butter for dinner so I had to

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opening. The Marquis of Lorne, and his wife Princess Louise, a daughter of Queen Victoria, arrived at the uptown station near the college after first being greeted at the Grand Trunk station near Port Whitby. Mr. Hare, repre- senting the college, was among the distinguished guests to board the Vice-Regal train to be pre- sented to the Governor-General. As the train approached the uptown station, a royal salute was fired from detonators on the railway track. A platform with mottos, evergreens and decor- ations was erected at the station beside which were platforms of ascending seats occupied by local high school pupils and students of the college. As the visitors proceeded along a carpeted passage the students sang The Campbells are Comin ' in honor of the Governor-General, whose name was John Douglas Sutherland Campbell. Following the town and county addresses and presentation of local dignitaries, four students of the college presented the princess with bouquets of flowers. This was to be followed by an ode of welcome sung by the young ladies of the college, but since time was running out, the students did not have an opportunity to sing their ode. They had to be content with presenting the Vice- Regal party with two copies printed on white satin. Princess Louise described the occasion as one of the prettiest receptions I have ever had, and the Governor-General was full of questions about the Ontario Ladies ' College However, unlike Lord Dufferin, he did not have time to visit the premises. The following is the ode offered to the Governor-General by the students of OLC: An Ode of Welcome We come, a youthful band To welcome to this land loyal and free A son of Argyle ' s line Where many virtues shine And truth and right combine In rare degree. From every heart there goes Welcome to England ' s Rose! Whom here we greet May God protect from ill. Enrich with blessing still. And all life ' s moments fill With bliss complete. Though far from Britain ' s shore We only love the more Our Sovereign here. No power this love can break. And for Victoria ' s sake. Right to our hearts we take Her children dear. Tobogganing was a popular sport in the fields south of the college.

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eat dry bread potatoes a little bit of rice pudding without sugar or milk, but never mind: I will be home two weeks from today. We have to go down to the drawing room this afternoon. We have to every Saturday from three to four and Miss Adams reads to us while we do fancy work. Miss Adams has a reception every other Friday. They are very nice. I did not go down last night be- cause Maude Haken, my roommate was sick and I wanted to stay with her of course. I had to send my regrets and this morning Miss Adams asked if I were better. I hardly knew for a minute what she meant, but remembered in time. In 1882 the Ontario Ladies ' College had six teachers in the literary department, four in the musical department, two in fine arts and one in calisthenics. Some of these teachers were former pupils of the college. New fea- tures introduced at the 1882 commencement exercises were an alumnae supper with toasts and speeches and separate diplomas for the music department. By commencement day 1884 the college recorded its largest attend- ance since opening 10 years previously, with 150 names being on the roll. The following year the Ontario Ladies ' College began to de- velop a reputation for turning out excellent candidates for university. The class of ' 85 took honors in three groups and headed the list in two in the junior matriculation exams for the University of Toronto, and one student won the bronze medal awarded by the Ontario Department of Education for highest standing in the Grade B art course. The following year the students of the art department won the first prize of $25 for drawing and painting from natural objects at the Toronto Industrial Ex- hibition. In 1886 the students of OLC began providing concerts for charity in Toronto, which were highly successful. One of the first was in the Pavilion Music Hall in aid of the Ladies ' Relief Society. Other concerts were on behalf of the Toronto Newsboys ' Home. New and highly qualified teachers were added to the staff in the same year, including L. R. O ' Brien, President of the Royal Academy of Artists as art director, and a gold medalist from the Philadelphia School of Oratory to take charge of the elocution department. A report to the Ontario Department of Edu- cation about 1886 listed the following assets of the Ontario Ladies ' College: 15 professors and one lecturer or tutor, 135 to 150 students, 40 graduates (29 in arts and 11 in music), chemi- cal and physical laboratories, library of 300 volumes, collections of stuffed birds and mammals, fossils, rocks and minerals, and a six-inch refracting telescope and compound microscope. Early in 1887 Mr. Hare, the principal, re- ceived the degree of Ph. D. from the University of Bloomington, Illinois. This was a high honor not only for the principal but for the college also, and added much to the stature of the institution. The year 1887 also saw the introduction of a special elocution course under Mrs. Taverner Graham, similar to the courses offered at the Boston and Philadelphia Schools of Oratory. Before long she was directing public entertainments which received high praise in the press. Diplomas in elocution and fine arts were issued for the first time in 1887, followed in 1888 by diplomas in commercial art. Also in 1887, a passage was constructed between the main building and Dr. Hare ' s re- sidence, the Cottage. During the winter of 1888-89 the college erected a large frame gymnasium behind the main building to add to the toboggan slide and skating rink already in use. It was finished early in the new year and served as a concert hall for the commencement exercises from 1889 to 1895. The raftered roof was hung with bunting for the occasion and evergreens decorated the walls. The gymnasium was so crowded for the commencement of 1889 that crowds sat on the window ledges and standing room was unobtainable. The gymnasium, complete with the most modern of equipment, served until the present gym was erected in 1911. In July 1889, the Toronto Conference of the Methodist Church and a large number of city residents toured the college and were treated to a concert in the new gymnasium. Refresh- ments were served on the lawn following the tour. During the 1880s a new kind of entertain- ment known as a Conversazione was introduced at OLC. This consisted of promenading up and down the halls to music from a Toronto orches- tra (no dancing was allowed) and the serving of refreshments. Special trains from Toronto brought out male guests for the evening. The Juniors and Seniors set up retreats where they gathered in a corner, surrounded by decorations, between the promenades. This popular form of entertainment continued until the end of the First World War. A graduate ' s diploma in Liberal Arts, 1881.