Opening of the Great Western Railway to Galt—The Galt and Guelph line —The McCracken affair—Warm municipal struggle, in 1855, over the erection of the Central School—Mr. Peter Cook—William Lyon Mackenzie's last visit to Galt—His Homestead Fund—Enterprising spirit of Galt at this period—Proposed Galt and Saugeen Railway—£15,000 voted to aid the enterprise —Bears seen in Dumfries as late as 1856— Meeting in 1856, to authorize the erection of a Town Hall and Market —Second great Fire in Galt.

The Great Western Railway was opened for traffic at the beginning of 1854, but the Galt branch was not finished till the succeeding summer. It was opened about the 21st of August, 1855, amidst much rejoicing. About half-past eight o’clock a. m., an engine with a freight and two passenger coaches, filled with Galtonians, slowly glided out of Galt station on their way to Hamilton. The station platform was crowded, but not so much so as at 11 o’clock, when the train returned from Hamilton, having on board Messrs. R. W. Harris, President; Richard Juson, Director; Hugh C. Baker, Secretary, and other officials of the Great Western—with Mr. W. L. Distin, and a number of the leading citizens of Hamilton. They were received by Mr. John Davidson then Reeve of the village, conveyed in carriages to the Queen’s Arms Hotel, where about seventy persons sat down to lunch, and duly celebrated the opening of the Galt branch in toast and sentiment. A free ride in the afternoon was generally accepted by the citizens, and served to put everybody in the best of spirits and good humour.

The first station-master of Galt was Mr. James K. Andrews, associated with whom was Mr. R. W. Dunstan, as freight agent. They continued in office for twelve months, at the end of which time they retired, and were tendered a public dinner at the Queen’s Arms Hotel, then kept by Mr. E. L. Cutten. Mr. W. L. Distin, Hamilton presided on the occasion, and about forty gentlemen took # • part in the compliment.

The Galt and Guelph Railway was at this time in rapid course of construction, the first sod having been turned at Preston amidst great rejoicing, in the month of May preceding. No good feeling existed between this company and the people of Galt—and thereby hangs a tale ! The older residents of Galt will recollect the struggle which took place for the control of this road. When parties met at the Royal Hotel, Hamilton, to sign the stock books of the proposed company, it was found that the representatives of Galt signed for a larger amount of stock than both Guelph and Preston combined. This would have given Galt the choice of directors. But their opponents were equal to the occasion. They induced the bar-keeper of the Royal hotel, one Henry McCracken, to sign the stock-book for 825,000 worth of stock. This was done at the last moment, and secured to those hostile to the interests of Galt, the control of the directors and the location of the line.

Much ill feeling resulted from this occurrence. The Galt subscribers appealed to the courts against McCracken’s subscription as being bogus, but the suit was afterwards withdrawn, on the directors allowing the Galt subscriptions of stock to be cancelled. For a considerable time this was a lively quarrel, but it has already almost passed out of memory.

The Galt and Guelph Railway was opened from Galt to Preston in November, 1855, and within a few months afterwards as far as Guelph. Since then it has been extended, under the name of the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway, all the way to Lake Huron, which it taps at Kincardine and Southampton, and is now one of the best paying portions of the Great Western system.

One of the warmest municipal struggles which ever took place in Galt, occurred over the construction of the Central School. The School Trustees in 1855 were, Messrs. Peter Cook, William McLaughlan, Andrew Mal-com, John Barbour, and Andrew Ramsay. They determined that Galt should have a first-class Public School, and with that end in view, purchased from Mr. James Harris, for £750, the present site. This action called forth strong opposition, and there can be no doubt that at first a large majority of the ratepayers were against the proposition.

The village was soon divided into two hostile camps upon the question, headed, of course, by the local newspapers. Indignation meetings were held. The Trustees were condemned. But the Trustees persisted. The Council refused to raise the money to pay for the Harris lot. The Trustees applied to the courts for a mandamus to compel them. And, to make a long story short, after a long and bitter struggle, the Central School went up, and public opinion so veered round, that in the end the action of the Board was completely sustained by the ratepayers. The name of Mr. Peter Cook, then Secretary of the Board, and whose tragic death2 in 1859 was so much lamented, ought ever to be remembered in connection with the Central School, which remains to this day one of the finest public buildings of the kind in the Province.

The Central School was opened in February, 1857, Mr. James Baikie being the first Principal. He held the position for several years, after which he entered Knox’s College, and ultimately became Minister of the West Presbyterian Church, Toronto, during the pastorate of which he died on the 9th December, 18GU. He was widely respected.

The last speaking tour of William Lyon Mackenzie was made in 1855. He held a meeting iu the old Town Hall Galt, on the 1 Oth September, and was greeted by a large audience, many of whom had never before seen the " old man eloquent.” Although over seventy years of age, from his smart appearance, great energy, and rapid and forcible speech, the listener would hardly have taken him to be over forty or fifty years of age. He had entered upon a crusade to secure a dissolution of the union between Upper and Lower Canada, but, although backed up as his views were by his paper, Mackenzie's Message, the agitation did not make much headway.

A few months afterwards a meeting was held in Galt, Mr. Thomas Dalgliesh in the chair, and Mr. James Young, secretary, to assist in providing a homestead for Mr. Mackenzie. A considerable subscription was obtained and forwarded, but the old man did not live long to enjoy the home provided for him by his friends throughout the Province, death closing his stormy and eventful life on the 28th August, 1861.

The enterprising spirit which prevailed in Galt during this period was well exemplified by the agitation which took place for a railway from Galt to Saugeen. The Press of the town strongly favoured it. The Council took it up, and a motion to aid the line to the extent of £15,000 was unanimously carried. Steps were taken to procure a charter from the Provincial Legislature. Quite a struggle took place over the matter, representatives from Guelph and Preston opposing the charter being granted. The latter proved to be the best lobbyists, or had most influence with the Government of the day, for the Railway Committee threw out the charter, and the project was never afterwards revived.

The fall of 1856—so far as the writer is aware—is the last time bears have been seen wild in any part of Dumfries. Much to the surprise of the neighbourhood, a large black bear and its cub attacked the sheep on Mr. John Smith’s farm, Sprague’s road, three miles from Galt, about dusk on the 21st September. They were first discovered by Mr. Peter Brown, upon seeing whom they made off into the woods adjoining the Township Hall. Chase Avas soon given by Mr. Brown and others, when the cub took P up a tree, from which it was shot after dark. Thinking the old bear might also be among the branches, a number of the neighbours kindled a fire and sat up till day-break, keeping a sharp look-out, however, lest bruin should unexpectedly descend, or return through the darkness in search of her offspring. Daylight revealed that the bear was not upon the tree, but it was the general belief she could not be far away. Many turned out to take part in the hunt, but nothing more was ever seen or heard of the unexpected visitor.

The want of a Town Hall and Market began to be much felt as Galt increased in population, and Noah’s Ark was soon doomed. This ancient structure was quite behind the times, both in appearance and accommodation, and at a public meeting held on the 17th October, 1856, resolutions were unanimously passed in favour of putting up a new building. The sum of £1000 received from the Clergy Reserve Fund, was devoted to the purpose, and the Council was authorized to issue debentures in payment of the balance.

The present Town Hall and Market were the result of this movement, but all did not go smoothly with the enterprise. On the 17th December an unusually stormy indignation meeting took place, and it is some vindication of the good taste of the municipality, that a majority of those present condemned the plan which had been adopted by the Building Committee. Tenders had, however, already been asked for, and the contract was advertised to be awarded the following day, so the committee proceeded, ignoring the action of the indignation meeting. Although a substantial building, it must be confessed that the objections to the plan of the Town Hall and Market were well taken.

On Sunday afternoon, the 23rd November, 1856, shortly after one o’clock, the second large fire from which Galt suffered, took place. It broke out in Arnold’s Saloon, on the north side of Main Street, and as the buildings were all wooden, the whole of that side of the street, from what was known as Mrs. Johnson’s corner (corner Main and Ainslie Streets) down to Mr. H. H. Date’s hardware store, was soon one seething mass of flames. The following were the sufferers: Messrs. A. G. Lordly, grocer; Mr. Danziger, clothier; Elijah Arnold, saloon; Robert Walker, clothier; L. G. Robbins, barber; and Kerr & McTague, tinsmiths.