Local author Dennis Stein releases second work - Lifestyle - By Conan De Vries St. Lawrence Local Community News

Local author Dennis Stein releases second work - Lifestyle - By Conan De Vries St. Lawrence Local Community News

The Summer Of Hunger

By : Dennis Stein

  Many of us today have not gone hungry for any long period of time. Imagine what it would be like to wake up every day, and not have anything, or very little to eat. Combine that with quickly constructed homes, and a rugged wilderness that was only just beginning to be shaped into land suitable for farming, and you might imagine what the United Empire Loyalists had to contend with in the newly settled Royal Townships in the summer of 1788.
  It was only four years since the Loyalists had arrived to settle this part of Ontario, clearing land slowly, and sharing tools to build homes. There were less than twenty cows available the first year or so, and the governor from Quebec sought to secure provisions of livestock and seed for crops from across the border to the south. Tragedy struck in 1788, however, as the fledgling crop that were available failed. Already hard conditions quickly became worse. New settlers coming in to the townships were being given no provisions at all by the government, and were totally unable to provide for themselves. Families were sustained on mostly a porridge of oats, sometimes for long periods. Fish and game when caught were usually cooked and eaten in the woods, and eaten plain. Children would beg from passersby on boats, and people gave up their entire properties in exchange for a few bags of flour. It is recorded that five people starved to death.
  One of the more interesting accounts of the famine was the story of a Deacon in Augusta township, who left his wife and children to travel to the western part of the province where he had friends, to secure food and provisions. He left them with a supply that would last them two weeks, if it was rationed. His travels, and the complications thereof delayed him by a further nine days, and his wife, who had rationed their food carefully, saw that she and her children faced certain  starvation. She had nothing to do but retire to bed for the night, sure that the next day they would have nothing to eat. In the morning, to her great surprise, the cat had caught a rabbit, which she cleaned and cooked. Each of the next eight days, until the Deacon returned, the cat brought a rabbit for the wife and children to eat. Once her husband had returned with some food and provisions, the cat never caught another rabbit...
  Starvation is something that most people don't have to worry about here today, but one can imagine the desperate feeling of hunger from the early settlers of this province, and this country, in a rugged wilderness where the land had to be cultivated before being able to provide much. For more historical articles, visit thefineprints.blogspot.ca. 

The Capture Of Brockville

By : Dennis Stein

  On a cold February night in 1813, three groups of American soldiers crossed the frigid ice covering the St.Lawrence. The first group flanked the city's east side, the second group the west side, while the main column occupied Court House Square. At the time, Ontario's oldest incorporated city was called Elizabethtown, and at some time after 9 o'clock in the evening, some 200 men, including soldiers and citizen volunteers, decended on Brockville. The main portion of the force, led by the American commander at Ogdensburg, Captain Forsyth, went immediately to the jail, demanding the keys. These were surrendered, and the American invaders took back American prisoners, which as it was rumored, were not being treated well in their captivity. They also took several prominent citizens of Brockville as prisoners, along with 120 muskets, 20 rifles, 2 casks of ammunition, and various other provisions. All of this, including the prisoners were taken back to Ogdensburg, including Major Carley, three captains and two lieutenants. When the American force arrived back across the ice in Morristown, where they had staged the 'invasion' from, they paroled one of the prisoners, Dr. Hubbell. All of the prisoners were later set free.
  The Americans justified the incursion into Elizebethtown with the excuse that the Canadian soldiers had been crossing the river repeatedly in the area of Morristown, apprehending deserters. This would not please the British forces arriving near Prescott, and two weeks later, the Canadians retaliated. Lieutenant-Colonel McDonnell marched two columns of men out onto the ice of the river in front of Ogdensburg, in an effort to show the strength of the forces in Canada. One of the columns marched straight into the village, to almost no resistance. Two men were dispatched by McDonnell to the American headquarters, with a demand for surrender. Captain Forsyth refused of course, and a battle ensued. The Americans were driven back, after 5 killed and eighteen wounded, retreating to Black Lake. Fifty-two prisoners and considerable stores and weapons were seized by the British that day, and before leaving back to Canada, the forces burned the barracks, and attempted to destroy the bridge...
  It was a brief engagement exactly 200 years ago that would only lead to greater and greater conflicts in the War of 1812.

The Heart Of The Raven is finished!!!

After ten months of pounding out the story letter by letter on my Ipod Touch, The Heart Of The Raven is finally a finished book! The final editing is going on as I write this, the cover art is finished, and the whole thing should be pieced together and ready for proofing by this evening. I hope to be able to make it available locally for Christmas sales, at both Leeds County Books on King St. in Brockville, and Coles in the Thousand Islands Mall. It will also be available on Amazon.com, and for all of you with e-readers, as an e-book.

  The story plunges the characters of my children into a quest to find a lost amethyst crystal, blessed by an Indian Shaman. The crystal is part of an ancient prophecy, and has the power to heal sickness and injury. Once they find it however, they are constantly pursued by people who wish to steal the Heart from them, as they try desperately to get to their Grandmother, who lies in a hospital bed dying of cancer.
  It will be the first installment in a series of novels, following the characters through many different adventures...

  Once the proofs are approved, I will post the expected arrival date of the first shipment of books to be made available!

The Steel Trail

By : Dennis Stein

   What is today used by cyclists, dog-walkers, and children began in some areas as the Brockville and Westport Railway. The 6 Km of the aptly named Brock Trail wind through Brockville following Butler’s Creek, upon part of the old roadbed of this historic railway line. Started in 1884, and making its final run in 1952, The Brockville and Westport was originally supposed to be a much more ambitious project than it ended up being. The intent was to have rail service all the way to Sault St. Marie, but the costs associated with building the rail line shortened it to Westport. The first passenger train left Westport for Brockville in 1888, the track joining the Grand Truck Rail lines to get into town. A trestle bridge was eventually built over top of the Grand Trunk line, where the Brockville Country Club is now, connecting to the Church St. Station, and further down to the rail yards at the waterfront. Jones' Mill, which still stands, is at the very south end of the path, and its logging ponds were removed to put in the rail line around 1884. Regular passenger service ran between Brockville and Westport, but eventually, the cost of running the rail line became too much, and the railway went into receivership. In the early 20’s, The Brockville and Westport eventually ended up as a part of the newly amalgamated Canadian National Railways. In October of 1952, a special train made a last run from Westport to Brockville to pick up any equipment left along the line. It was then abandoned and later dismantled. Old railway ties can still be seen near Church St. alongside the path, left over evidence from the past, now overgrown with mosses.

  Further north along the bicycle path, in some areas especially in the summer months, the city seems to disappear, as you walk through areas with hanging wild vines and thick undergrowth, even though you are really walking almost right behind homes and businesses. It becomes almost jungle in some areas, and wildlife can usually be spotted on any given day. Bridges occasionally cross the creek, and the city parks staff have done a fabulous job with cement planters, flower beds, and park benches along the way. Planted trees serve as memorials, all decorated with small plaques to immortalize the beloved departed, and tablets with various interesting historical facts line the way in spots. The scenic Brock Trail takes people from Brockville’s waterfront, and through the city to its north end, passing residences and businesses alike, tying in city parks, and quiet shaded areas. The gurgling creek is always present, flowing swiftly with the spring run-off, and slowly by the end of summer. It houses fish, turtles, frogs and waterfowl, along with a myriad of plant life. Many residents have helped with the cultivation of the Brock Trail, as almost an extension of their backyard, clearing brush and planting perennials at times right up to the shore of the creek. Ducks are ever present along the way, even during the winter months, and nest with young along the creek banks in early summer.

  I personally enjoy walks along the path, and it becomes functional to me as well. There is little sense of even starting our truck for a trip down to Metro for a few needed items for dinner, when a pleasant walk of 15 minutes takes me there and back. It is a much better way to spend time than waiting for traffic, and burning expensive fuel. It is great exercise, and a ‘free’ entertainment to walk with your family, a friend, or even by yourself. Next time you are looking for something to do that doesn’t cost a thing, try walking the Brock Trail, there is always something to see, you don’t have to worry about parking to see one of our downtown events, and it will fit in with anyone’s fitness level. We all seem to be looking for ways to exercise and relieve stress these days, and a good walk to get your blood pumping on the Trail is the perfect answer…

Photo from Brockville Museum Collection...

Return Of The King

By : Dennis Stein

The Thousand Islands Poker Run was another full house event this summer, coupled with the ever-popular Ribfest. Many popular boats returned for the Brockville stop, including the area favorite, My Way, the aptly named 'King Of The 1000 Islands'. Owned by Bill Tomlinson of Rockport, this large 50 foot catamaran is always a spectacle of performance watercraft as it enters the waters of Brockville Harbour. People crowd around the immense boat as it docks, its twin turbine engines roaring like some kind of spaceship, snapping pictures and looking on in awe. My Way is truly an extreme machine.

  It all begins with the hull. In this fourth inception of My Way, it comes from Mystic Powerboats in the form of the C5000-R catamaran hull. The previous version used a silver Outerlimits Powerboat hull, a design which although striking, was limited. The streamlined, stepped Mystic hull however, could take Tomlinson and Throttleman Ken Kehoe beyond 220 mph if equipped with the right engines. Those came in the form of T-55 Lycoming gas-powered turbine engines, which were purchased from the Miss Geico offshore racing team. They each produce a whopping 3000 Horsepower, almost double that of similarly equipped turbine boats. All that power is then transferred to BPM drives, through a special braking system and crashbox style transmissions, and finally out to custom made Propellers. GPS assisted speedometer, and tons of high-tech gadgetry adorn the full-canopy enclosed cockpit, complete with every safety option, right down to the HANS device worn around the neck, favoured by NASCAR, and five point seat belts. There is also an escape hatch on the floor in the cockpit, in case the boat goes wrong-side-up. All of this equipment was custom rigged into the boat by Mr.Tomlinson, Mr. Kehoe, and friend Jamie Auld.

  Despite a couple of near disasters this season, the team has rebounded quickly, officially tying last year's speed record at Lake Of The Ozarks of 208 mph, and thrilling crowds there with 'unofficial' runs of over 221 mph!

  With her bright red paint job, sporting the same logo as each of her three predecessors, My Way is truly a bullet with butterfly wings, and even after a devastating accident in the recent 1000 Islands Poker Run, I have been assured that the return of the King is... Imminent.

  Now it is time for my own shameless plug. Bill, Ken, I would love a ride in that boat someday, but forget the lifejacket, I'll bring an extra pair of shorts!

The Lost Warship

By : Dennis Stein

  At Fort Haldimand in the shipyards on Carleton Island in 1779-1780, the largest and most powerful British brig sloop ever to sail the Great lakes was taking shape. The Thousand Islands was a strategically sensitive area for both British and American, not to mention the French in years before. Operated by the Royal Navy, she had 22 guns, and weighed in at 226 tons when completed, a double mast warship which was over 80 ft. long, and had a beam of 25 feet, built to guard British assets in the colonies from attack during the American Revolutionary War. The ship was christened the HMS Ontario, and the boat herself was shrouded in secrecy. The British didn't want the Americans to be fully aware of its capabilities, and she routinely sailed between Carleton Island at the head of the St.Lawrence, and Fort Niagara, ferrying troops and supplies. She was fast and well armed, used to guard the entrance to the St.Lawrence against american attack.
  Only six months after her launch, on Hallowe'en 1780, the most powerful hurricane of the 18th century churned north out of the Carribean Sea, across the New England coast and into Lake Ontario. The Ontario was returning from Fort Niargara with over 130 souls aboard. She floundered in the rough waters, sinking in the storm, lost. The ship's Captain and crew, Canadian soldiers, 9 women and children, 1 mohawk, and possibly 30 or more American prisoners-of-war all died. Very little wreckage was ever found, and six bodies from the ship which washed up on the southern shore of Lake Ontario were the only evidence of the ship's loss. Even after the Ontario sunk, the british kept it a secret, not wanting George Washington to know how weak the Canadian defenses had suddenly become, fearing the Americans would attempt an invasion.
  For over 220 years, the HMS Ontario remained in a watery grave, lost to time. In 2008, Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville, using sophisicated side-scan sonar, re-discovered the Ontario, lying near the southern shore of Lake Ontario in about 500 feet of cold water. She was remarkably intact, resting upright on the bottom and leaning slightly to one side, her masts still standing 70 ft. above the decks. The two men used sonar and a specially developed Remote Operated Vehicle with cameras to document and image the wreck site, which was far beyond the reach of diving. British Admiralty maintained that the site was still British property, and should remain undisturbed. It was designated as a war grave, and enough video and imagery was taken to positively identify the Ontario, so that any return to the site would be unnecessary. It remains historically as one of the worst maritime disasters in Canadian History. For more historical articles, visit www.thefineprints.blogspot.com.

  

Cropped from Legend of the Lake by Arthur Btitton Smith

Plum Hollow's Witch

By: Dennis Stein

 Eastern Ontario is home to its fair share of strange and wonderful stories, told by local authors, reporters, and spoken of around many a campfire. One such tale involves a very special woman, who managed to achieve everything she did, despite the hardships she faced...
 Although exact dates are sketchy, as is sometimes the case with people or events early in Canada's history, Elizabeth Barnes was born in either 1794 or 1800 in county Cork Ireland. She was supposedly the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, and even though that was never confirmed, it is used to explain her unnatural abilities. At around the age of twenty, she eloped with a young man by the name of Robert Harrison to Canada, settling here in Ontario around Cobourg. They had a son there, but tragically, Elizabeth was widowed when Harrison died a few short years later. She remarried, to a shoemaker named Barnes, and they came to live in Sheldon's Corners, just outside of Athens. They had nine children, and lived in a small homestead, until Mr. Barnes decided to leave his family behind, with the exception of his two oldest sons, moving to Smiths Falls to make a living at shoemaking. Now alone and caring for seven children, 'Mother Barnes' as she had come to be known, began using her talents reading tea leaves to tell people’s fortunes. She charged 25 cents to earn extra money, and her fame quickly spread. People came from all over to consult her, by horse and carriage, for everything from lost livestock, to murders, and even buried treasure. Even Sir John A. McDonald consulted Mother Barnes, and was told, among other things, that he would become the leader of the new country. Entering the small house, people would be led to an upstairs room where Elizabeth would be sitting at a table with a pot of tea. They would be invited to 'turn a cup' and would have their fortune told...
 Author T.W.H. Leavitt speaks of interviewing the 'witch of plum hollow' as he describes her in his book of the same name, and the designation stuck. Today the homestead where Mother Barnes lived is still standing, having been bought recently, and restored. Elizabeth Barnes died in 1886, and is buried in the Sheldon's Corners cemetery. She lived to be over ninety, and is credited with solving a murder, locating buried treasure, personal items, and unraveling 'ghostly events'.
 Though she was not really a witch in any real sense of the word, nor did she live in Plum Hollow, Elizabeth 'mother' Barnes is and will remain another of the interesting stories in our area. One can envision the wise old woman, sitting with her pot of tea as she looks into the future...For more historical articles, visit www.thefineprints.blogspot.com.