Were you aware that every issue of the Glengarry News — from 1892 to 1960 — is now available on the Glengarry County Archives web site? The only caveat is that the collection is highly addictive. I got up early last Saturday and started tiptoeing through the News on the Archives site. And it is simply astounding what you’ll find there.
I’ll share some of my Dunvegan News finds in later columns, but I guarantee that your own exploration of this mirror image of Glengarry’s past won’t disappoint. It provides a unique glimpse of what was obviously the “Wild West” era for Canada’s fifth estate. When the presses at the News were first installed, there appear to have been few restrictions. Anything was permissible. I even came across illustrated ads in the 1892 papers for a “Swirling Vaginal Syringe”. Even today, the word vaginal is seldom used in an headline; let alone the late Victorian period. The syringe’s function wasn’t entirely clear, but readers were invited to satisfy their curiosity for the price of a postage stamp. And responders were assured the requested information would arrive by return mail in a brown paper envelope.
Plus, unlike today where “advertorials” (ads that suggest they are part of the publications editorial content) have to be clearly marked, the 1911 versions of these “ads in sheep’s clothing” had no such limits. Under an attention-grabbing headline proclaiming “Boy Saved from Being Cripple” was a heart-rending account of how W.B. Perry of Tamworth, Ontario owes his son’s well-being to Douglas’ Egyptian Liniment. Tamworth, by the way, is a real place located on Beaver Lake near Kingston, Ontario. Readers are told that, without the magical liniment, the young lad’s toes would have been surely amputated.
My main disappointment with the site is that the collection’s “Search” function lacks the ability to highlight the search terms you specified when it returns the search results. This creates a rather unsatisfactory “needle in a haystack” situation. For example, you’re told that the words “Dunvegan” and Night Watchman” do indeed exist in one or more papers. But pinpointing exactly where on the four or eight pages of tightly-packed text is up to you. Another shortcoming (but one that I’m told will be corrected soon), is that the newspapers from 1892 to 1910 inclusive are unsearchable.
Info on the half-shell
At Allan J. MacDonald’s excellent Glengarry Historical Society presentation on the 125th Anniversary of the Glengarry News last Thursday evening, the topic of oysters arose. In preparation for his talk, Allan (curator of the Glengarry County Archives) had combed the 1892 issues of the News extensively and was astounded at the number of oyster-based social events held in Glengarry just before the start of the 20th century. Allan and the packed house of history buffs agreed that this would be unthinkable today. So what’s changed over the past 125 years?
As near as I can tell, oysters (like their cousins from the briny deep: lobsters) have gone seriously up-market. In the 19th century, the natural oyster beds in New York Harbor were the largest source of these edible bivalves… in the world. On any day in 1892, six MILLION oysters could be found on New York’s wharves waiting to be processed. Is it any wonder that barrels of oysters were shipped far and wide? Even to the wilds of Glengarry.
While an excellent source of zinc, iron, calcium, selenium, vitamin A and vitamin B12, raw oysters are low in caloric value, with only 110 calories per dozen. However, they are a rich source of protein. And, at the rock bottom prices they commanded in the 1800s, they were an affordable and nutritious staple of many working class diets. It’s much like the stories one hears of Maritime children in poor fishing villages being sent to school with lobster sandwiches instead of the yummy peanut butter ones better-off students enjoyed.
But all good things grind to a halt and, so too, did the oyster boom. As so often happens, demand outstripped supply and exhausted most of the oyster beds. Disease from the introduction of foreign species, rising pollution levels and sedimentation also took their toll. The net result was increased prices, which transformed them from being a cheap working-class food to the expensive delicacy they are today.
Post Valentine addendum
I know. Valentine’s has been put to bed for another year… nudge-nudge, wink-wink. But what of the oyster’s reputation as an aphrodisiac? Well, there’s no definitive proof of this old bachelor’s tale. However, researchers did find that oysters are rich in amino acids and these, in turn, trigger increased levels of sex hormones. Oysters’ naturally high zinc content also aids the production of testosterone. So the answer to this age-old question is a resounding “maybe.”
Some Like it Hot
While we’re within shooting distance of events with a romantic overtone, I’d like to spotlight the movie classic that the Dunvegan Recreation Association has planned for the Saturday, February 18th edition of their monthly movie event: Some Like It Hot.
The curtain rises at 7:00 PM for the 1959 romantic comedy starring Marilyn Munroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. The film is about two 1939 musicians who witness a crime similar to the infamous Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, and dress in drag to escape. Produced in black and white, even though colour films were increasingly common at the time, the screenplay is based on a French film entitled: Fanfare of Love. The supporting cast included George Raft, Pat O’Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee, and Nehemiah Persoff.
Some Like it Hot, which features cross dressing and a whiff of homosexuality, was produced without approval from the Motion Picture Production Code… which began to lose its grip on the industry in the 1950s due to increasing social tolerance. The overwhelming success of Some Like It Hot was a final nail in the Code’s coffin.
Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and we’ll get a record turnout. Bring your own refreshments and a comfy cushion or chair. The DRA will supply the kettle-fresh popcorn. Admission and corn-based snacks are free, but donations are gratefully accepted.
Carnival oversights
Quite rightly, Terry took me to task for overlooking two Glengarry residents and their contributions of to the success of the DRA’s Winter Carnival. My first apology goes out to Graham Johnson of Fassifern General Store. On very short notice, Graham kindly donated pre-measured ground coffee to the cause. And it was much appreciated. Linda Burgess also deserves a special nod. When she showed up on Carnival day to help Terry in the kitchen, she was laden down with a copious supply of delicious, homemade chocolate chip cookies. Two more examples of how it takes a community to build a successful event like the DRA Winter Carnival.
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