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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 -J llcpwoi' Wi^ iJv s^T^^^""^^ CollmgwoQd Walkcrton "" Orillia vBan 'ii; ou; vvai Helton ''ingham' I Cliffordl tsion Irusscts^ ) {Palmerstort' lisrhyvEL Urittoii 2»ft >] MiJvei'tOD o CrossY^ilt Bfunncr jietlin 8TRATFOR St. Marys _ ^TavistoeR Greenwood "VJi A' Strathallen '^ *^ JDeachvilte TKliNK '(^n- ING GldQcMtQ JBeeto} brangevllle #1 Cheltcniiam }Fergu$ Georgetown oV ^ Mlltor f^wrora CoT)OCouTc Uxbridge \3far17iam ^<V' .Uas UlgCS8Villc^< X^on NORWICH^rj!5^ Hamsburg . *^^^>' 7^r*if "^^ Brant ford /^ ^^ ^ i^ J ^^t] Itujfn, N ^-^ — ^ — -^-^^-^yi: > y< as— >5— m -as *■ ■* Court House and County Buildings. »• « -* ^.^• :mi TO MANUFACTURERS IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 'HE Corporation of the Town of Stratford have great pleas- ure in directing the earnest attention of the manufactur- ing public in Great Britain and Ireland to the important fact that the facilities possessed by Stratford for manufactur- ing industries are unsurpassed in the Dominion of Canada, and our town is destined at no distant day to take its stand with Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton and other cities of the Dominion as an important manufacturing centre. Situated as it is, on the main line of the Grand Trunk Railway, the highway to the great North- West, Stratford occupies about the most westerly position of the large towns of Ontario, and therefore admirably adapted for manufacturing, on a scale of great magnitude, such articles as will suit the multifarious requirements of the millions who are pouring into our prairie empire from all parts of the globe. The Corporation of Stratford have, therefore, determined to spare neither expense nor pains to draw the attention of manufacturers in the Old World to the great and unprecedented inducements offered to manufacturers to establish branches of their business in this part of the Dominion of Canada, viz. , free gifts of building sites of great value, and complete exemption from all municipal taxation on buildings and machinery employed. For the more effectual carrying out of this enterprise the Corporation have delegated authority to a special committee of public-spirited citizens who are authorized to take such steps as in their wisdom 6 MANUfc^ACTURERS IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. they may deem necessary to lay before the manufacturers of Great Britain and Ireland such facts and figures as will readily convince the unprejudiced that a field is now opened for foster- ing manufacturing industries, which has few equals at the present moment in any other part of the New World. Stratford Post Office. The population of the Dominion is now about 5,000,000, of which 2,000,000 are in Ontario, one of the most densely populated parts being in and around this town, as will readily be believed 1 ►. MANUFACTURERS IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 7 ;of iily ,er- dnt ^S ) of ted by reference to the map of Ontario which accompanies this pam- phlet, and which shows a net-work of railways equalled only in the most densely populated parts of the Old World. There is no doubt in the minds of any one in this part of Ontario that we have entered upon an era of unprecedented prosperity, which many think may last for the next twenty years owing to the immense influx of population into our great North- West ter- ritory. The various classes of industries which the Corporation believe will thrive best in our town are such aa the folic .ing : Agricul- tural Implements, Alpacas, Broadcloths, Buttr'U.), Brushes and Combs, Boots and Shoes, Cars and LocomM ves, Oarpp'a, Cot- tons, Engines and Boilers, Envelopes, Felt Goods, Flannels, Gloves, ijriue, Glass, Knitting Goods, Lace, Iiinen Goods, Oil CI hs, Paper, Pianos and Organs, Pails and Tubs, Potteries, Hope, Cordage and Twines, Rubber Goods, Starch, Silks, Suwing Machines, Shirts, Tobaccoes, Tweeds, Type, Vinegar, Watches and Clocks, Woollens, etc., etc. On these goods our Government have placed very hiijh protec- tive duties, so that competition from outside manufacturers is practically next to impossible, and thus the Canadian manufac- turer, whilst he has the monopoly of the home field, has the markets of free trading co iintries besides. We, therefore, respect- fully invite men of skill and capital in the Old World to cast in their lot with us, share with us in our prosperity and grow up with us a powerful and rich country, and make Canada the brightest and fairest jewel in the crown of Great Britain. All communications may be addressed to Wm. Mowat, the Secretary of the Committee of Industries. S. S. FULLER, D. SCRIMGEOUR, Chairman. Mayor. mmm ■i THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. [HE geographical position of Stratford, the county seat and chief centre of population of the County of Perth, would seem to have insured for it from the first a local ascen- dency. A glance at the map will show it as the point on which i Stratford High School Buildings, St. Andrew's Street. i THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 9 converge a large number of the chief lines of travel, both highways and railways, from all points of the compass. The idea of making this a place of chief importance possessed the minds of the magnates of the Canada Company — at least the managers of their affairs in Canada — before ever any inroad was effected into the old " Huron Tract," — which was then a dense forest — except for the most casual purposes of exploration. In fact the place was already a town, name and all, on paper, before a white man scarce ever put foot within its limits. For many years after the opening up of the ** Huron Tract," it seemed as if the anticipation of those who made the paper town, were never likely to be fulfilled ; but in later years the wisdom of the loca- tion has been demonstrated, and Stratford is to-day one of the most populous and important inland towns in Canada, as well as one of the greatest railroad and commercial centres. Doctor Dunlop and Mr. John Gait,* the Commissioners, gave instructions to make Stratford the "half-way house " between the settlements and the extreme frontier. The town continued to develop, and being fostered by superior natural advantages of position, has, within a generation of the time in which we write* been transformed from a wild waste of trackless forest, to a city in everything but in^name. On the first formation of the Huron District, in 1841, Dr* Dunlop was appointed Warden by the Government, which posi- tion he retained until ) 847, when a change in the law made the office elective. He vras a firm friend, a " character " in his way, and enjoyed probably the largest circle of acquaintance, the widest reputation among strangers, and the highest personal popularity with all, oi any man of equal " calibre " (and he was no light " weight ") in the history of the Province. Neither •The father of Sir A. T. Gait, G. C. M. G., High Commissioner for the Dominion of Canada, at London, England. ■* 10 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. facetiousness nor eccentricity were wanting in his attributes ; and his last will and testament, which reflects an unusual share of each of these qualities, is extensively quoted throughout the old Huron Tract, to s^ow the apparent levity with which he regarded his approaching dissolution. He says : " I leave all The Merchants' Bank, Albert Street. the landed property I may die possessed of to my sisters, Helen Boylo Story and Elizabeth Boyle Dunlop ; the former, because she is married to a minister, whom (God help him !) she hen- THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 11 pecks ; the latter, because she is married to nobody — nor is she likely to be, for she is an old maid and not market-ripe. . . . I leave my silver tankard to the eldest son of old John. . . . I would leave it to old John himself, but he would melt it into temperance medals, and that would be sacrilege ; however, I The Works op The Stratford Gas Co. i lelen pause hen- leave my big horn snuflF-box to him ; he can only make temper- ance horn spoons of that. ... I leave my brother Allen my big silver snuff-box, as I am informed that he is rather a decent Christian, with a swag belly and a jolly face. ... I leave John Cuddle a silver tea-pot, to the end that he may drink tea therefrom, to comfort him from the afflictions of a slatternly •>■ ^ * 12 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. wife." . . . Honourable and generous, brave but impulsive, a bitter enemy yet a devoted friend. During the winter of 1831-32, one Wm. Sargint got out tim- ber for a frame building in the town, and next spring he erected g' n C 11. C. Sepauate School, Guange Street. it on the present site of Messrs. Workman's hardware store. This was the first frame building in the County of Perth, and Sar- g< tl C fa gi ^iannavBi •+•- Isive, tim- ected THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 13 gint called it the " Shakespeare Hotel," to correspond with the name of the river and the " town," as laid out on the Canada Company's plans. This Sar- Central Methodist Church, Erie Street. When Sargint had completed his hotel, he got in a stock of goods and opened the first store in Stratford. This was during the summer or fall of 1832. About the same time the Canada Company commenced to build a saw-mill, finishing it late in the fall, and during the winter of 1832-3, they got out timber for a grist-mill, also logs, which they sawed into lumber in their new •* 14 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. saw-mill, and in the spring of 1833, commenced the erection of the grist-mill, completing it in the same summer. In the summer or fall of 1833, J. C. W. Daly came to the place and located temporarily in one of the Canada Company's shan- ties. He came as the resident agent of the Company, and, very soon after his arrival, built the frame house still standing, facing the foot of Ontario street, which for many years was his office and residence. This is said to have been the second frame building in the County, and is of course the oldest at present in existence. Soon after Mr. Daly's arrival, Wm. Way came in and started a cabinet shop. There were also two or three itinerant shoe- makers who settled temporarily, leaving again after doing all the "cobbling" the few inhabitants needed attending to. The first actual purchaser of land from the Canada Company within the town plot, was John Sharman, a native of Bedford- shire, Engl.:nd, still residing here, and now the oldest living resident. He started a blacksmith shop, and was the first black- smith in the County of Perth. Mr. Sharman's son Henry was the first white child born in the present limits of Stratford, and the first death in the settlement, was that of Mrs. Sharman. Previous to his arrival, which was on July 10, 1834, most of the population was comprised of the officers and retainers of the Canada Company, and of Sargint, who in the early days, was a man of means and no little prominence. Very soon after this, however, quite a number of settlers came in and located along the Huron Road, in the townships cornering at Stratford. As to Stratford itself, the improvement was far from rapid during the first few years of its existence. The townships adjoining became pretty well settled before it as- sumed pretensions to anything of more importance than a strag- gling village. Still, though slow, there were no periods of retro- gression ; its development was L.:re. In 1852, a descriptive THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 15 ection of the place 7'a shan- nd, very fcanding, was his id frame esent in started it shoe- l all the )mpany edford- living black- rj was d, and irman. of the of the was a 3ttlers tiships ament bence. it as- strag- retro- ptive writer says of it : " The Village of Stratford, now the county town of the County of Perth, ... is pleasantly and well situated, but has not made the progress it should have done, considering its natural advantages. It has increased considera- bly in size since we last visited it, seven years ago. . . . The population I3 said to be about 900. There is a grist-mill con- taining two run of stones, with a distillery and saw-mill attached, and a larger grist-mill in course of erection : an oatmeal and The Old Albion Block, A. Caven, Proprietor. barley mill, a foundry, a steam saw-mill, with carding and full- ing mill attached, two tanneries, a brewery, two asheries — one on a large scale — a post office and six churches." A quarter of a century has brought great changes. The busi- ness streets are lined with numerous fine stores and commercial mmtmtm 16 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. blocks, while numbers of elegant mansions and costly residences adorn the suburban portions. The place contains as large a num- ber of first-class buildings, both public and private, as any town of similar size in the Province ; at the same time the business activity is on a par with any place of similar dimensions, as it naturally must be from the exceptionally favourable location which it possesses, both as a depot and as an entrepot for pro- vincial and even continental trade, and as a local distributing centre. Windsor Hotel, Cor. Albert & Market Streets ; W. Gordon, Proprietor ; J. E. Shipman, Tenant. The present state of development is the result of no mush- room growth, but the steady march of progress towards the " manifest destiny " awaiting the possessor of advantages which, in the natural order of things, must make Stratford at one day an important city. Though legitimate causes have at intervals transpired to make this growth at some periods more than at others, all the same it has been "onward, still onward," as the following official figures, covering a period of the past decade will demonstrate : — -* THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 17 Assessment. $801,605.. 848,800.. 920,110.. 1,069,555.. Year. 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1,222,905 1875 1,628,300 1876 1,797,650 1877 2,252,310, 1878 2.341,870 1879 2,419,422 1880 2,422,565 Population. 3,941 4,057 4,202 5,223 6,101 6,594 7,301 7,777 8,442 8,645 8,888 i Thus showing that within ten years the increase in popula- tion has been nearly, and the increase in value of property, con- siderably over, 300 per cent., and that the increase in both have been material in each and every year. As to the number of the various lines of mercantile and industrial establishments, it would require a regularly organized census to determine them. The public improvements of Stratford, comprise many miles of graded streets, the chief of which are macadamized, and all within the more thickly populated sections supplied with good plank walks ; a sewerage system, gas supply, fire protection, and public cemetery. Many of the streets are lined on either side with shade trees, adding materially to the appearance of the town, and giving a pleasing air of comfort incident to scenes where rural and metropolitan attributes are so closely mingled. The main business thoroughfare, Ontario street, is that portion of the old Huron Road east of the River Avon. It is 100 feet wide, and upon it are situated some of the finest business blocks in any town of equal size in the Province. Many of the princi- pal blocks have been compairatively recently erected, thus com- bining modern style with modern interior improvements. The Albion, DufFerin, Easson, Odd Fellows, Phoenix, Rankin, and Waverley blocks, are such as would do credit to any city. The m 18 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. public buildings include the Court House and Jail, Market Building and Town Hall, Young Men*s Liberal Club Building, the High and Public Schools, Roman Catholic Separate Schools St. Joseph's R. C. Church. and Convent, and twelve churches. Some of the latter are ex- ceptionally fine, both in architectural design, mechanical execu- tion, and internal decoration. Knox Church (Presbyterian) is THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 19 one of the finest specimens of architectural models we have ever seen, its graceful and beautifully blended lines, forming a picture St. James' Church. which it is a pleasure for the eye to rest upon. The Catholic Church is a very large and handsome edifice, costing over $30,000, and for interior decorations is said to be ahead of anything outside B 20 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. the large cities. The Episcopal Church will, when completed, cost about $26,000, and there are others again which nearly ap- proach it in extent and elegance. Nor is the educational ele- ment behind the religious— the school facilities and school edifices of Stratford being ever on the increase. The Pi;blic Schools consist of a High School, and one Central and four Ward Schools, mostly exceptionally fine buildings, and all thoroughly officered with an efficient corps of teachers, and liberally patronised. There are two Roman Catholic Separate Schools, in which the combined attendance is about 200, one a very large and hand- some brick building, and the Convent of the Ladies of Loretto, organised over three years ago. There are twelve of the Sisters in charge, some of whom are teachers in the Separate Schools. The High School has been organised since 1853. The building is a handsome white brick, with red trimmings, of the modern style of architecture, with gables, turrets, and one main tower with truncated slate-covered roof, surmounted by wrought iron cresting. This beautiful building, the location of which adds to the general effect, has cost over $30,000, and the appliances, conveniences and accommodation of all descriptions correspond with its general imposing appearance. It was erected in 1880-1. The County Court House and Jail are delightfully situated on a rising piece of ground on the north bank of the Avon. The location was a present to the county by the late W. F. Mc- Culloch, and the building was erected by one William Day, being completed in 1852. The Market Building is a commodious and handsome structure of white brick, centrally located on the pub- ic square. It is surmounted by a dome (inclosing a public bell) and contains the Town Hall, Police Court, Fire Hall, and vari- ous offices connected with the town government, besides several stores. There are over twenty hotels in Stratford. The leading houses are the Windsor, Royal Exchange, Albion, Mansion, Commer- THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 21 i cial, Queen's Arms, American, Shore's and others, all very good ones. There are a very lar^e number of manufacturing industries, some of them of much magnitude, and one at locist, which hns Knox Church, Ontario Street. *' 22 THE TOWN OF STRATFOKD. attained a more than even provincial or national reputation, — its products being of late years extensively shipped to countries beyond the seas, including the Antipodes. We refer to the Thomson & Williams Manufacturing Company, one of the most extensive and complete establishments of the kind in the Dominion — their specialties being the Brown Automatic Cut-oft Engine, and the Johnston wrought iron Reapers and Mowers. They have lately shipped several car loads of machinery to Brit- The Works of the Thomson & Williams Manufacturing Co. ish Columbia, and car lots to Manitoba and the North- West are of frequent occurrence. They have also shipped to Great Bri- tain, France, Germany, Russia, and Australia, and their oflSce is ornamented with medals and diplomas from the Centennial, the World's Fair at Sydney, in 1877, and the Paris Exhibition of 1878. Their immense works comprise a main building of brick, two stories high, 160x60 feet, with wing the same height, 300x50 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD, 23 14 feet, besides paint shop 100x40 feet, and store houses for raw material and finished work. These shops are replete with all the most improved mechanical appliances, including seven forges, blast furnaces, steam hammers, steam cutting, punching and " threading " machines, etc. , etc. They have a *' ladle " of suffi- cient capacity to hold five tons of molten iron, attached to a steam crane, which is used in casting the " beds " of their larger class of steam engines — several of which they have already fur- nished, exceeding the capacity of 500 horse power. All their machinery, including their own engine, was manufactured by themselves. They employ upwards of 150 men in the shops, be- sides many in other departments of their business. The loca- tion and surroundings are most conducive to cheap and rapid transport as well as execution, a switch of the Grand Trunk Rail- way running into their shops, while the establishment is heated with steam and lighted by gas throughout. The benefits accru- ing to the town from such an establishment in its midst are of the most desirable and substantial character. The next in order of importance of the iron-working establish- ments (private enterprises) are the "Macdonald-Macpherson Manufacturing Company," and the " Stratford Agricultural Works." The former make a specialty of separators for threshing and cleaning grain, and employ upwards of 70 hands ; the latter carry on a general foundry business, though they make a speci- alty of the " Little Giant " separator, employing constantly some thirty-five hands, and shipping largely to the North- West. There are three tanneries, two of which turn out 3,000 sides each of leather ; and one extensive morocco and sheep-skin tan- nery ; also the " Stratford Spring Brewery," vith a capacity of 150 barrels per week ; Lewis Hembly's steam flour and oatmeal mill ; Weir and Son's extensive fanning mill factory ; and a very large number of miscellaneous industries, including asheries, a bookbindery, brickyards, carriage works, cabinet factories. •* 24 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. cooperages, flax-mills, forges, marble works, plough factories, planing mills (some very extensive), pump factories, potteries, shirt factories, soda-water factories, shoe-shops, tailor-shops, woollen mills, etc. , etc. But chief of all the industrial establishments of Stratford are the Grand Trunk Works. These were first removed here from the City of Toronto in 1871, on account of the greater facilities oflfered by the central location with other advantages of equal J. Weir & Son's Fanning Mill Factory, Erie Street. character. They do everything appertaining to the repairs of locomotive engines, and have appliances for building engines entire, but their capacity is fully employed by repairs. In the mechanical department alone, 250 men are employed, Mr. J. D. Barnet is assistant superintendent, and Mr. T. Patterson, fore- man of the mechanical department. The buildings are of brick, iron and glass, and their extent as well as fine appearance add materially to the aspect of the quarter in which they are situated THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 25 — convenient to the passenger depot. Of the three main build- ings, No. 1 contains the erecting shop, machine shop, boiler shop, and brass and coppersmiths' shop ; No. 2, the paint shop, pat- tern shop, tender's shop, and wheel shop ; No. 3, the stores and brass foundry. In addition to these is a neat building, contain- ing offices of the Assiatant Superintendent and staff, lunch-room, J ibrary and reading-room for the use of the employees. Besides GuAND Trunk Railway Passenger Station and Mechanical Engineer's and Train Despatcher's Offices. + those employed in the shops above, 200 men are in constant em- ployment in the round-house, in the avocation of enginemen, firemen, wipers, etc. The round-house contains twenty-seven locomotives at a time — the number being employed on this divi- sion being as high as eighty-five. There are also something over 200 men employed in the engineering staff and traffic depart- ments, making a total of about 700 hands. This being the head i w tf ^ THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 27 (luarteis for the Western Division for Ontario, a large staff of otticials resides here, viz.: Superintendents of the traffic, mecha- nical and engineering departments. The amount of money paid out at this station in monthly wages, averages $1,000 per day. In this connection, it may be observed that to the Grand Trunk generally, Stratford owes a very large share of its increase and material prosperity. The Str/VTFord Flax Mills, Water Strert ; S. S. Fuller, Pro- prietor; J. & T. Livingston, Tenants. We desire to add that the general character of its national, fraternal, literary, financial, military, protective and benevolent societies, are of a type to compare favourably, both in extent and character, with its religious and educational institutions (already briefly referred to), as well as with similar institutions in any other town or city of equal population. These are the "St. George's," " St. Andrew's," "St. Vincent de Paul," and "Ein- 28 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. tracht " societies ;— the "Tecumseth " Chapter, No. 23, the Te- cumseth Lodge, No. 144, and Stratford Lodge, No. 332, of the t 'i :^>rAL Exchange Hotel, Wellington Street; Payne & Boag, Proprietors. Masonic fraternity, — the " Charit)^ " Encampment, " Avon," " Romeo." and " Three Grand Principles," Lodges of Oddfel- Te- the ^ ^ + VG, on, ifel }> THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 29 lows; — a ** Sanctuary" and two " Courts " of Foresters ; — two Lodges, one Preceptory, one O. Y. B. Lodge, and P. B. Lodge of the Orange Body ; Lodges of Good Templars, Sons of Temper- ance ; a Father Matthew Society, jGrand Trunk Railway Temper- ance and Benevolent Society, Grand Trunk Railway Friendly Society, and amalgamated society of Engineers, Grand Trunk Railway Library and Reading Room, Young Men's Christian Association, Young Men's Liberal Club, and Mechanics' Insti- tute. This latter is now in a very flourishing state, embracing over 1 00 members, and possessing a library of over 2,500 volumes. It was organised in 1846, and incorporated in 1853. The Young Men's Liberal Club, a white brick two-story building on Erie street, erected recently at a cost (including furniture and fix- tures) of some $15,000, contains reception-rooms, reading-rooms, large and beautiful public hall, billiard-rooms, bowling-alley, etc., etc., and the whole is furnished with all modern appliances as to steam-heating, gas-light, etc. The fire department of the town consists of the "Avon" Steam Engine and Hose Company, the ^^tna Hook and Ladder Com- pany, and the Stratford Protective Company. The former posses- ses a first-class Silsby fire steamer. The department is part paid and part volunteer ; it is said to be in an exceptionally efficient condition. Stratford is the headquarters of the 28th Regiment of Volun- teers — Lt.-Col. Wm. Smith commanding — two companies of which (A. «& B.) belong to the town. The head oflices of the British Mortgage Loan Company, and the Perth Mu- tual Fire Insurance Company are here located. There are also local horticultural and agricultural societies in a flourish- ing condition, and the North Perth Agricultural Society, organ- ised over thirty years ago, have fair grounds within the corpor- ation inclosing twenty acres of land finely situated, on which are appropriate buildings, including a ** palace " (consisting of a 30 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. The British Mortgage Loan Co.'s Office. I. 0. O. F. Hall and Bank of Montreal. •+«■ THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 31 rectangle surmounted by a tower and four wings) erected two years ago at a cost of $3,000. The whole property is valued at over $7,000. Connechd with Stratford there are very many other points of interest which would well bear reference should space permit ; but there is one subject yet unmentioned without which a sketch of the place, however brief, would be altogether incomplete. We refer to the press, than which no town in Canada possesses more or abler representatives. Taken in order of age the Beacon comes first. It was estab- lished December 29th, 1854, by Peter Eby (now an extensive publisher in Buffalo), but soon passed into the hands of Wm. Mowat, the banker. Wm. Buckingham, late Private Secretary to the Hon. Mr. Mackenzie, purchased it from Mr. Mowat in 1863 and controlled it for some years. The present proprietor and chief editor is Mr. A. Matheson, late president of the Press Association of Ontario. He has been sole proprietor since 1873. In politics the Beacon is Reform, and is looked upon as one of the ablest exponents of the principles of its party. Subsequently Mr. T. M. Daly, ex-M. P., started the Examiner. Still later Mr. S. L.Roberts, previous editor of the Examiner, became its proprietor and published it for some years, but it became defunct about 1863. The Herald was established June 2nd, 1863 ; the proprietors were Vivian & Co. It has passed through quite a number of hands, always retaining its character as a strong Conservative journal, and its reputation as a good newspaper. It is now owned and edited by Mr. J. M. Moran. The Colonist, a German paper of Reform politics, which was established by Jacob Teuscher, since deceased, is now owned and edited by Mr. J. H. Schmidt, and is a very able paper, circulating chiefly among the German population of the County of Perth. The Times, a Conservative journal of good ability and gradu- 32 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. ally extending circulation and influence, was first printed in January 1876, by H. T. Butler, the present editor and proprietor, Mr. Butler had been editor of the Herald some fonr years pre- viously, and for the last fifteen years had been connected with The Bank of Commerce. | Cabinet Hotel ; John Gray, Proprietor. | the newspaper press of Stratford, having an experience in his business which must ensure success for his enterprise. The latest addition to the press of the town is the Advertiser V •< ^M > ited in Drietor, irs pre- jd with 6 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 33 =^iir=^— r -■~j^:'_.^ :?=r"-i- :—-^— -..-__- - r-'-- ~z-^.-i^~ ^ll* :I^V^"tJM>- i^ -=^!.-iii^ which has now been in existence about a year, and has already attained a good circulation. — Pratt & Tracy publishers. Although the success of the press of the county town appears at first extraordinary for a place of its size, it is, nevertheless, not to be wondered at when we consider the intelligence of the r^- - '*? M'/lfii iiiiiti M PRIETOR. B in his ivertiser Hesidence of J, P. Woods, John Street. community who comprise the patrons, coupled with the ability and energy always displayed by the newspapermen of Stratford, who as a body are acknowledged to stand within the leading ranks of the fourth estate. And finally, taking Stratford as a whole, if present indications may be taken as tokens of future results we shall see it before *' .* 34 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. many years one of the leading cities of Ontario in everything pertaining to those stages of development, success, and prosper- ity which form the attributes of a highly enlightened community in a highly enlightened age. The LiKfSiDExcE of James Corcoran, Church Street. Free Sites and Freedom from Taxation, &c. The free sites, which will be available for manufacturers desir- ous of coming to Stratford, are very valuable, and the freedom from taxation which the corporation of the town has promised, will extend not only to the land, the buildings, and machinery but the stock and the income derived from the business itself — an offer, which for liberality, is, we venture to say, unprecedented in the annals of trade in any community jn the world ; and this *• THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 35 exemption from taxation will be for a period of at least Uin years, and to date from the commencement of operations. Important to Manufacturers.-Protective Duties- In order to oncourajjfe all classes of manufacturing industries in Canada, the Government have imposed heavy duties ranging from fifteen to forty per cent, on the classes of goods enumerated by L's, BO as to expressly provide ample protection to all home industries being established in this Dominion. Canada has hitherto been distinguished chiefly as an agricultural country, but the people have determined that she shall become a manu- fucturing country as ivell, so that the large amount of money received for the produce of her rich soil shall not all be swallowed up in paying for goods manufactured abroad. The field which is thus being opened up to manufacturers is one which is destined to be exceedingly profitable to those who come over without delay. Everything points directly and indirectly to the fact that in no period of our country's history has the outlook been so pron»'sing for the successful introduction of manufacturing in- dustries of all descriptions as at the present moment. Our great North -Western prairies are filling up with a rapidity entirely unprecedented in the history of colonization, and the opinion is freely expressed by men of large experience and keen observa- tion that unless the industrial establishments of Canada are very largely augmented and their productive powers greatly increased, they will be entirely inadequate to meet the immediate and ever growing wants of the settlers, — and such lack of productive power, it is feared, may seriously retard the settlement of our great North- West. It is the duty, therefore, of the people of the older settled parts of Canada to be " up and doing " their C >+<« 80 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. utmost to push forward the '' tide of progress" that has com- menced to Anw, and will in all human probability continue to J. Corcoran, Wholesale and Retail Grocer. \ do 80 for the next twenty years. Believing, therefore, that it is I our duty to render what assistance lies in' our power, the people THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 87 of Stratford hereby extend a kindly welcome to such manufac- turers and capitalists in Great Britain and Ireland as may deem it desirable *' to come over and help us " to meet a great want. llE.slDE^cE OF D. ScuiMGEOi'fi, Mayor, Norman Street. *■ Prices of Building Material. The prices '^* building material arc very cheap : Excellent hard brick can ue had for £1 5s. stg. per thoupind, whilst l)uild- ing stone can be had for £1 lOs. stg. per cord of 128 cubic feet. Lumber can be had for from £2 to £4 stg., per 1,0'. J ;oet ^^inch board measure) according to quality. 38 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. Dwellings for Manufacturers, etc. A LIMITED number of brick dwelling-houses of ten to twelve rooms with stable and coach-house can bo rented for from £30 to £60 stg. per year. Such houses can be built for from £500 to £600 stg. , and building sites can bo got in fashionable quar- ters for £100 stg. for half an acre. For say £1,000 a mansion can bo built fit for a prince to live in. Yet there are some dwellings in the town which have cost as much as £2,000 to build. A pair of good and stylish carriage horses can be purchased for £50 stg. which would be worth double the money in England. A stylifih carriage can be got for from £30 stg. to £50. There are no taxes on horses and carriages in Canada as exist in Eng- land. Cotton— Orders on Hand! Whilst the cotton manufacturers of Manchester, Oldham and other places in England are at present arranging to run on short hours owing to the accumulation of stocks on hand, the cotton factories of the Dominion are running night and day, and are yet behind several months with their orders, and the shares of our cotton factories actually command in some cases a premium of 87 per cent ! Nor is this at all surprising for it is well known that their net earnings are over twenty per cent. Will the cot- ton lords of Manchester make a note of these facts, and perhaps they may be induced to remove some of their idle machinery to Stratford. If so we venture to say without fear of contradiction that the present generation will not see any necessity for a re- sort to the short hour movement. * i THE TOWN OF STRATFOKD. 39 I The Monetary Times of Toronto, of a recent date, says : — '■' Some one hundred and fifteen shares of Montreal Cotton Com- pany's stock were put up for sale at auction in Montreal last week ; fifty shares being the balance of the Company's stock which has not been allotted. The excellent prices realized show the value in which this stock is held. The highest price paid was $187 each for three shares, par value $100 ; the lowest $171.50 for five shares. Forty-four shares were sold at $175, and the average price was paid close to $174 per share." In the Toronto Globe appeared the following letter : — "consumption of cottons in CANADA. " (To the Editor of The Globe.) " Sir, — As a great deal of ignorance exists in coinection with the cotton industry of this country, a few remarks from a per- son of considerf».ble experience in manufacturing, and an expe- rience of twenty-seven years in the wholesale dry-goods trade of the Dominion, may throw more light on the subject. " There seems to be a feeling among the public that the cot- ton trade is or will be overdone. A few statistics may be of use to enlighten thoso who take an interest in the industry. " At the clc :^)e >f '78 about 150,000 spindles were in operation in Canada : '<p to die present time, July, 1882, the total num- ber of spin Uo-; iu operation, building and projected, is about 385,000 -(iay in rourd numbers 400,000. The total number in Great Britain is about 55,000,000. The total number in the United States, according to the jensu^ of 1870, was 17,000,0()0. From reliable authority, I am informed there has been an in- crease of about 5,000,000— making in all about 22,000,000. "As O at Britain is a very large exporter of cottons, and imports r. v a few French cambrics, a comparison with tliat country ia u ;ie8S. "The United States, with 22,000,000 of spindles, and 40 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 52,000,000 inhabitants, has one spindle to 2 4-10 of her popula- tion. Canada, with 400,000 spindles, and 4,500,000 of inhabi- tants, has one spindle to 11 2-10 of her population. " The United States export some staple lines of cottons, but they also import to a much larger amount than they export. If tlie United States require 22,000,000 of spindles to supply or VicTouiA House, Downie Koad ; John O'Donoghue, Puoprieror. partly supply her home consumption, Canada must require an e(iual proportion, or nearly 2,000,000 of spindles, instead of the 400,000 we now have. " Suppose 2,000,000 spindles will supply the demand for home consumption, the increase of population will require an increase THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 41 of about 45,000 spindles each year, or an addition of one large mill. " The importation of cotton goods for 1878 was $7,500,000, the importation for 1881 $10,500,000, the importation for eight months of 1882 $7,200,000, in addition to the large increase in the output of our mills, which may be put down at about 250 per cent. -.^ Xo w flirro Rksidence of Joux Courib, Monnington Street. *' If the above proves anything, it clearly proves, first, that the supply is altogether out of proportion to the demand ; second, that there is not, and cannot be, any competition for some years 42 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. to come between our mills, or until such time as our mills in- crease, and their productions are nearly equal to the demand. There is, or no doubt will be, a cry got up by the present monopolists of cotton stocks of over-production ; their exorbi- tant profits and watered stocks they don't want interfered with if they can help it ; but there is no denying the fact that more mills must be built if we are to reap the intended benefit of the N.P. by home competition keeping down the excessive profits of the present cotton mills. Cts. A pound of wool costs 12;J: Shrinkage 1 Cost to manufacture 5 Total cost of a poand of cloth, 18i Hh- " The present mills are netting for this 28 to 30 cents, and this f)n a weekly turn-over. In the United States it costs about one cent more per pound, or say ]0[ cents. The average price netted by the mills there is 22 to 24 cents, still those mills pay their stockholders handsome dividends. Canada not only can manufacture cheaper, but can build mills at from $2 to $4 per spindle less than the United States, and mills building now must have a groat advantage over most of our older mills, that cost, some of them, as high as ^25 per spindle, or more than double what thoy can now be built for. "In the event of competition, either home or foreign, it would not require a prophet to tell which mills will be the suc- cessful ones. Mills costing i?20 and over per spindle cannot hold their own against mills costing $10 to ,$12. " There are no cotton goods made in the United States that cannot be made in Canada, and there are very few lines of cot- ton goods that can be made here that the demand is not equal to at least the production of one or more mills. that THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 43 " When in Manchester last spring a firm of calico printers authorized me to say if they could make a contract with one or more mills for the supply of print cloths for a number of years at a reasonable price per lb. they would erect print works in I Kesidence of S. S. Fulleu, Norman Stkeet. Canada, and print annually the production of not less than about 100,000 spindles. From my knowledge of the cotton industry and the trade of the Dominion, I give it as an impartial opinion that Canada ought within the next five years to build mills 44 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. enough to supply her home trade. Jf we can do that at the present prices of macbinery, and get a good start under our pre- sent protective policy, Canada will be an immense gainer ; and in the event of the duties being reduced, we will be in a posi- tion to bid defiance to foreign competition. Manufacturek. "Toronto, July 17." Fifty Million People ! It is not by any means an ^exaggerated statement to say that the Dominion of Canada including her boundless prairies, have the capacity of sustaining a population of at least fifty millions ! And she has within heiself the undeveloped resources to sua- The Stkatfokd Woollen Mills, Dufton & Myers, Proprietors. tain this vast populatioi. Indeed it is confidently be- lieved that in a couple of generations the population in British America may not be far short of this number. When it is re- membered that the population of the United States developed h "»+• THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 4^ 45 from less than three millions to over fifty millions in a hundred years, it is we think, not too much to expect that, with the aid of steamships and railways, the rapid movements of settlers from the old to the new world will be on a scale unapproached in the past experience of emigration. The London Morning Post, the rec- ognised organ of the Conservative party in England, in a recent issue said ; — " We are bound to believe anything which either Lord Dufferin or Lord Lome may say on their own personal re- sponsibility. There are three aspects in whicli the success of this new country and the truth regarding it are of interest to us THE BANKING HOUSE OF W. MoWAT & SON. I*]nglishraen. First, from an Imperial point of view, it is of great importance that the political future of British North America shall be assured, and there is no more certain method of effecting this than by settling the immense tract of country between Fort Garry and the Rocky Mountains, and building a trans-continental highway through British soil. The next phase of the matter presented to us is the Great North- West, appear- ing as an inexhaustible wheat granary for our own hungry con- sumers on this side of the Atlantic. The last, but not the least, ground for congratulation, if all that is said of it be true is the ■»+« 46 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. conviction that within little more than a fortnight of London there isjan unlimited field for the profitable employment of Taylor & Barnsdale, Wholesale and Retail Grocers, Wellington Street. British capital and of British thews and sinews. The Monroe doctrine fades into mist before the fact that the acreage of 4- 4— THE TOWN OF STIUTFORD. 47 British America is greater than the area of the United States. Even the mist vanishes as the boundless undulating prairies of the North- West, embracing between two and three millions of square miles, furnish employment to countless ploughs and reap- ing machines, or become the homo of vast herds of cattle claim- ing for their progenitors high-spirited cows from Hereford or Kirklevington." 'n I Farms and Market Gardens in our Vicinity. It may not be amiss to state that improved farms — that is farms with all necessary buildings, fences, &c. , and in a high state of cultivation — can be purchased for from £10 to £15 stg. per acre. Such farms contain usually from 50 to 200 acres each. Ten and twenty acre plots suitable for market-gardening and within a mile or so of the boundary of Stratford can be procured for from £15 to £20 stg. per acre and with the rapid develop- ment of our town this is becoming a very important as well aa very lucrative business. A man with say from £100 to £200 could make a very good start on one of these market gardens. Any quantity of manure can be procured from the livery and hotel stables for a shilling per load. It may be here stated on the authority of a gentleman who knows, that in the United States the most desirable lands available for homesteads are al- ready taken up and hence many people even from the Ujdtid States are settling in our North- West. The Old Flag- It ought to be kept steadily in view that, in settling down 48 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. amongst us, there is no change of the allegiance you owe to your Queen and country, for " The flag that's braved a thousaMd years, The Ijattle and the breeze" i.s the only flag that is recognised in our Dominion. In Canada loyalty to our good Queen and the old flag is something more Sj^^Si' ■i^:-jiL. "^' ngiiiwiaftiif^r<KRiiiiii!iisi!iiiii9iiiiiiiii'LocKniigi|[|f,i|ii The Dry Goods Stores of J. R. Williamson, Ontario Street. than mere sentiment, it is a principle, and Canadians have long been noted for their adherence to everything British. How dif- ferent is it the case if you desire to settle amongst our neigh- •►H e to lada nore ET. long rdif- 3igh- THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 49 bours, for there you will have to take the following oath of al- legiance to the government of the United States. District Court n Judicial District > State of County of / I do swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States (»f America, and that I do ahsolutoly and en- tirely renounce and adjure forever all allegiance and lidelity to every foreign power, prince, potentate, State or Sovereignty wliatever, and particularly to QuER^ Victoria, of Orkat Ijritain and Ireland, whose subject I was. And furtluir tliat I never have borne any hereditary title or been of any of tlie degrees of nobility of the country whereof I have been a subject, and that I have resided within the United States for five years last past, and in this State for one year last past. Subscribed and sworn to in open Court this day of 18 . . Clerk. Artisans' Dwellings- One great advantage which Aviil accrue to the employers of labour on a large scale is the fact that artisans can procure dwelling-houses at a very cheap rate. The average rental of cottages is about 5 shillings per room per month — that is, a cot- tage of say four rooms rents for 10 shillings per month, one of six rooms for £1 10s. stg. per month, and so on. And if artisans are industrious and saving they can become the owners of such houses after a few years. A cottage of about four rooms with a lot say one sixth to one fifth of an acre in size can be pur- chased for say £80, and one of, say, six rooms for, say, £100. The II I if! m P i n M ►+<• * 50 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. great desire of the artisan classes in the New World is to be the owners of their own dwellings and hence the principles of thrift become largely developed, and strikes for higher wages are very uncommon. When men become the owners of their own dwell- ings they make a better class of citizens, are more reliable work- men, and the interests of employer and employed become more The Mansion House, J. Merner, Tikji-rietor. nearly allied. Accordingly " Trades-unionism " is a plant which does not take kindly to our Dominion soil, and the spirit of antagonism between master and servant, which exists so largely in England and in sumo parts of the United States, is scarcely known in Canada. Fuel. It is important for manufacturers to know that good furnace coal can be laid down in Stratford for 18/5d. per ton, and cord- wood from 6/ to 8/ per 128 cubic feet. I THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 51 Financial- The banking facilities possessed by our town are such that manufacturers xieetl have no fear of being in any way hampered W. Pethiok's Hotel, at G. T. K. Depot. in pushing their business to its utmost legitimate limits. First, we have a branch of the Bank of Montreal, with a paid-up capital of £2,400,000 stg. ; Mr. Jas. Hogg, Manager. The Canadian Bank D Hh I X4> 'J t^ THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. of Commerce, with a paid up capital of £1,200,000, has also a brancli here, under the manaf,'ement of Mr, W. Gray. The Mer- chants' Bank, which has also a capital of £1,200,000, has a branch under the managemeiit of Mr. E. F. Hebden ; and, if these institutions prove insufficient to meet the financial re- W(»u'iH"s Motel, W'^r. Wouth, Puopkietok. quircments of the manufacturing industries of our town, we have the British Mortgage Loan Co., with a paid up capital of £50,000, under the able management of Mr. A. Monteith. Be- sides these, we have two private banking firms of note, viz. , Jas. THE TOWN OF STRATFORD, * 53 Trow & Sons and W. Mowat & Son. Nearly all the Loan and Mortgage companies, in the Province of Ontario, are also repre- sented by resident agents, and the consequence is that capital to any extent can be borrowed on the^ lowest current rates on ample security. Avondale Cemetery.— "The City of the Dead." The Corporation of our town, some years ago, laid out a public Cemetery, comprising about twenty-five acres,iua style worthy of a place of much greater pretensions. It is to a great extent used by all denominations, and is named Avondale Cemetery. Already a large number of handsome monuments — works of art — have been erected to commemorate the names of many of Stratford's illus- trious dead. At the principal entrance to the Cemetery is the spacious lodge and office of the Superintendent, and in the summer months the grounds present as pleasing a picture as floral decoration can contribute to make it. I Avondale Park. Across the river from Avondale Cemetery is our public park, in the west end of which stands a grove of the original forest trees. They are of large size, and the entire grounds embrace about twenty-five acres, forming a pleasant resort for our citizens, especially on holidays during the summer months. Here, on the Queen's Birthday, Dominion Day and on other public holi- days, Stratford and " his wife and family " disport themselves to their heart's content in innocent games and amusements, while our town bands discourse sweet music. si! ■I h i f:: ¥ I 54 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. Climate- The prevailing idea in England is that Canada is a very cold ccnmtry — that for nearly half of the year the country is a howl- ing wilderness of frost and snow, and little better than Siberia. It is true that in the extreme North-West the winters are severe, 'tggjpt^^V JjJkti'! i_ Residence of Henuy McFarlane, Avon Street. i THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 55 but Southern Ontario does not by any means bear out such a character. The fault found with the climate of this part of On- tario, especially during the winter of 1881-2, is that the winter The City Hotel, Wellington Street ; Robert Shore, Proi'Rietok, M. Breen, Tenant. wheat has somewhat suflfered for lack of sn»w ! The magnificent fruit raised in Ontario, and which is largely exported to England, 56 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. should certainly furnish the most convincing proof that its cha- racter has in the past been misunderstood by our friends in England. Apples, peaches, plums, pears, ctierries, grapes, strawberries, currants, &c. , of every variety grow in abundance, and develop to great maturity in this neighbourhood. The fol- lowing table shows the temperature and rain fall for the past twenty years : — Temperature and Precipitation 1861-1881 Indicated a^ Stratford, Ont. Lat. 43'' 25^ N. Long. 80" 58^ W. Height above sea, 1,198 feet. Year. TEMPERATURE. Rain (inches). Snow (inches). l^ain and melted Highest. [Lowest. 1 Mean, j Snow. 18G1 90'^4 -20.4 43^53 31.8135 80.4 39.8535 2 86.0 -17.7 43.37 31.9802 80.8 40.0602 3 85.4 -14.0 43.79 29.2759 74.4 36.7159 4 91.2 -13.4 41.03 25.4203 128.2 38.2403 5 88.2 -19.4 44.31 23.5760 68.9 30.4660 6 89.2 -19.6 42.32 32.6960 120.8 44.7760 7 87.6 -10.4 42.85 25.2335 118.9 37.12o5 8 93.5 —20.0 42.32 28.4798 115.9 40,0698 9 85.0 —12.2 41.95 34.3021 132.2 47.5221 1870 88.7 — 8.6 44.95 34.1598 142.6 48.4198 1 86.6 —16.4 42.95 19.6461 111.4 30.7861 2 88.8 -17.0 41.71 22.9466 92.0 32.1466 3 86,5 -19.3 42.15 28.3897 106.7 39.0597 4 87.5 - 2.8 43.28 21.9155 111.0 33.0155 5 83.8 -23.0 39.75 24.2820 136.2 37.9021 6 9L7 —16.0 42.56 30.5721 115.8 42.1521 7 92.3 —16.0 44.43 23.9474 70.2 30.9674 8 94.5 - 7.0 45.48 38.1036 80.2 46.1236 9 96.0 -22.3 40.78 22.3238 99.7 32.2938 1880 88.3 —14.9 44.15 37.2148 83.4 4.5.5548 1 98.5 -30.0 44.68 23.6094 75.6 31.16y4 Stratford Met. Station, March 25th, 1882. C. J. MACGREGOR, Observer. THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 57 Water Power. The River Avon, which runs through the centre of the town, forms a Good Water Power, and excellent sites can be obtained along the river for any branch of industry. Railway Switches. Those manufacturers preferring to be near the railway, will be given free sites close to the railway, where switches can be run into the works if of such magnitude as to warrant the ex- pense. The Commercial Hotel, Downie Road ; T. Hagauty, Proprietor. Stratford's Geographical Position. A GLANCE at the Maps attached to this pamphlet shows Strat- ford as a Great RAILWAY CENTRE, lines diverging in every direction — North, South, East, and West— being in a central 58 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. position between the great Lakes Ontfirio and Huron — having Lake Erie to the South and the Georgian Bay to the North. Distance by Grand Trunk Railway from Stratford to the City of Toronto, 88 miles ; to the City of London, 32 miles ; to Goderich, 40 miles ; to the City of Buflalo, New York State, IvKHIDKNC'E OV W, MoWAT, NOUMAN StKEET. 115 miles ; to Port Dover, on Lake Erie, by Georgian Bay Di- vision of Grand Trunk Kailway, G3 miles ; to Wiarton, on the Georgian Bay, 105 miles, all of which railway lines pass through the best agricultural country in Canada, and numerous thriving and populous towns and villages. 4- THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 59 Flax GrowinfiT. Flax growing and dressing are becoming very important indus- tries in Ontario. The first attempts wore made about twenty a c H t-l o a o o w o »-* H O w > 5 W tri t» M W ►H- -* 60 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. years since, and to-day there are no less than forty scutching mills in Ontario. In 1877, the area of flax grown amounted to from 12,000 to 15,000 acres, the product of which amounted to something like 130,000 to 140,000 bushels of seed, and some- where about 1,200 to 1,500 tons of flax, representing, when sold, a return of nearly half a million of dollars. There are large sec- tions of country in Ontario admirably adapted for flax growing, and which are not so well suited for other crops. For the past two years the flax trade has been dull, in common with many other industries, but there is now quite a revival, and prices, as well as the demand, are improving. The existing machinery for seed crushing is double the present requirements, and the home market would consume a large additional quantity of produce. The flax has usually found a market in the United States, but the demand for home consumption is increasing. The flax trade in its various branches is one of great promise in the Province of Ontario. At present there is no flax spinning mill in Canada working — exclusively flax. There is an excellent opening for this branch of industry in Stratford, as all or nearly all the flax mills in Ontario surround Stratford, and are at an average distance from Stratford, of about twenty miles, all of which can be reached by the Grand Trunk Railway and its branches, radiating from Stratford. Insurance- The principal Insurance Companies doing business in Canada are represented in our town, and accordingly no fear need be entertained but that the lowest current rates will obtained on first class risks. The following is a list of the Companies repre- sented : ► -* r THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 61 NAME OF COMPANY. JSAME OF AGKNT. Lancashire Fire In. Co Chos. Miller. Royal F. L Co Sovereign F. I. Co Commercial Union F. I. Co Canada Fire & Marine I. Co Scottish Imperial F. I. Co riioenix F. I. Co W. Gordon. Tohn Brown. D. T. Bailey. W. Gordon. G. W. Lawrence. D. T. Bailey, do. British America F. I. Co Queen's F. I. Co G. Horne. Western F. A. Co W. Mowat. Northern F. I. Co T. Miller. Hartford F. I. Co J. Browne. ^tna F. L Co Guardian F. I. Co Mercantile F. I. Co do. W. Davidson. C. Packert. Roval Canadian F. I. Co J. Brown. North British F. I. Co W. H. Burnham. Quebec F. I. Co G. Home. Besides these, we have a local Company, the County of Perth Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which carries risks chiefly on farms and isolated properties to the amount of over £500,000 sterling. Mr. C. Packert is the Secretary. Arriving in Stratford, If parties from England, Ireland or Scotland, who may be attracted to our town, whether with a view to settling among us or not, will send a communication (letter or telegram) addressed either to the Mayor, Chairman of the Committee or the Secretary, they will be met at the railway station and will be escorted to one of the best hotels and afterwards shown over the whole town. ©- 62 THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. •© The Census of the Dominion. The increase of population during the decade, according to the returns, was Gr)4,337, or 18.02 per cent. This is about the percentage of increase in the Province of Ontario, which was Th'^ Hesioence of W. Buckingham. J8.05, that in Quebec having been 14.01, in New Brunswick 12.44, in Nova Scotia 13.61, and in Prince Edward Island 14.63. The small increase in New Brunswick may be attributed in great «. •m ■* ^' '^ THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. G3 ing to ut the cli was i.> ^i*^' iswick 14.63. great .© part to the diaastroiis fire in the City of St. John, which alone of the large cities has decreased in population. The largest numerical increase was in the City of Montreal, which had a population greater by 33,457 than in 1871, or 31 per cent. In Toronto the percentage of increase v/as much greater, 55| per Residence of Malcolm McFarlane, William Stueet. cent., and the numerical increase nearly ai groat, vi;i. , 30,353. Montreal has now a population of 140,682, ami Toronto 86,445, Hamil m 35,965, Ottawa 27,417, London 19,763. Quebec has 62,447, or 4^ per cent, more than in 1871 ; Halifax 36,102, or an increase of 22 per cent. ; while St. John has 26,128, being a *• '* « o H H i-i « o O da Q < K IX m c o H <! « 02 w Eh THE TOWN OF STRATFORD. 65 CO o H » K O o O Q < K » pq c o El, E-i « decrease of 9 per cent. On the vhole, the returns cannot be deemed unsatisfactory. It is true that 18 per cent, is a small increase as compared with the United States, 30 per cent. ; but there are a variety of circumstances to be taken into considera- tion which are uncontrollable. 1st. Our North- Western terri- tories can hardly be said to have been open to settlement until the present year, while the great increase of population in the United States has been in tlic New Western States and terri- tories. 2nd. It is notorious that the tide of immigration from Germany and other European countries, as well as from Ireland, flows to the United States, and not to Canada. There is not likely to be any change in this respect. During the next decade our North-Weatern territories will be a large field for immigra- tion, and will attract not only our own people in the East, but even our neighbours in the Eastern States. Although, as com- pared with the whole United States, our percentage of increase is small, it does not compare unfavourably with the New Eng- land States, which only increased 14.55 per cent,, or 3 per cent, less than Ontario, and about equal to the old Provinces. ReferenceSr References, by permission, to Sir A. T. Gait, G.C.M.G., &c., High Commissioner for the Dominion of Canada, No. 10 Vic- toria Chambers, London, S. W. ; Mr. John Dike, 15 Water Street, and Mr. P. Byrne, 6 South Castle Street, Liverpool ; Mr. Thomas Grahame, 40 St. Enoch Square, Glasgow ; Mr. Charles Foy, 29 Victoria Place, Belfast ; and Mr. Thomas Connolly, Northumberland House, Dublin, from either of whom pamphlets, containing full particulars, may be obtained, free of cost. 4' y. I'll'; ii 'iH rVi, D w r mm, n \ X \ %■, ■■ ^^u\y "r -^ ^•^ PARrOFTHE'JNITEDSTATl Compiled IVom iho Inh'"" Aulliorilies .; ,». References. • ■ ■ Kaifwai^i: iii'i n tiiiii M i UM iiii MM ii *" Boundarirt oj Vtmudn' _. ™ ■■■'.,, afthePiwimes: ll'li Steamboat LinfS. _-_-.««._ ._«_ 1880. SCALE OF MILES M IDO liu ""' TheBiiri«ndUtH(iJtapiKC CaKonlr **^ i "' t