By Mr. J. B. Fairbairn, P. M.

Peter Consaul, who was so long in Milne's store and in business as well, bought the old lot and erected a handsome house now the residence of Mrs. J. C. Vanstone. The next place was Lester's, whose record I have previously noted. A Mr. Johns was a kind of carpenter who lived on the lot adjoining Mr. O'Hara bought him out. The latter was the progenitor of the two boys, Robert and Henry. For a long time he was in the army under Wellington, in the Peninsular War, and saw a good many of the fiercest battles in that terrible campaign. He was a pensioner and was decorated with medals. As I try to photograph him in my mind, he looked like Henry. Since Robert is dead and the other has left the old town for good, it may be excusable to say a few words about them both. The brothers first engaged in business in a frame building next to Hinds' Hotel on the present site of Mr. McMurtry's store. They opened a small variety shop with books and stationery and their business grew with the place. Robert was quite an adept at advertising and used to get out some amusing screeds. He at one time edited a small sheet containing local news, and hitting off Municipal and other matters of passing interest. He died in middle age, leaving a wife and one daughter. By an unfortunate accident the latter was injured for life. They went to and are now living in California. Miss O'Hara developed fine artistic taste and has become quite a celebrated painter. The firm kept on apace and was a long time in the tenancy of the store under the Town Hall. Being wide awake, they added a photograph gallery, and also did a large trade in sewing machines. Henry was far-seeing and knew enough to go to a large centre. He is now a magnate among the brokers in Toronto. We had a celebrated evangelist brought from the United States by Rev. John Climio (could be Climie.) He held a series of meetings in the Congregational church. He was gifted with great oratorical power, - the Moody of the time. I can remember now an address he gave urging the claims of Christianity. He was indeed a remarkable speaker. Many were brought to confess the faith, among them our friend. He has been ever since one of the pillars of that body both here and in Toronto. Early in point of time he became a member of the Sons of Temperance and has held time and again, all the offices, in the gift of the Order, only quite lately holding that of Worthy Patriarch. The motto of his life has been, - "never say die!" He is one of the most persistent individuals to be found. To anything he undertakes to do or to any cause he advocates, he clings like a limpet to the rock. He may see only one side of the question, but then what he does see he sees with both eyes. I am sure the wish of the old Bowmanville Boys is that he may long remain on the stage and fly aloft the flag of victory in all his undertakings. It was with real pleasure that I saw his smiling face when last in town, looking like a man of fifty.

On the south side there was a frame house put up by the first Congregational minister and then rented by a Mr. George. He had two girls, one of whom married. They are both living yet, denizens of Victoria, BC. They were twins and so much alike it was hard to distinguish them apart. They easily fooled any ordinary observer and sometimes those who knew them intimately. Lovely in looks and disposition, they were the belles of the hill if not of the town. To know was to admire them. They conquered many a youthful beau. Burns speaks of his first love and how she caused his heartstrings to tingle.

They did their share in making music of the same kind. Like their youthful companions of fifty years ago, the changing hues of Autumn are beginning to touch with more somber coloring their once bright, happy faces. But I am sure it is just a change of tint and that a beauty of its own will continue to adorn them till their sun finally sets.

Next we have Levi Bigelow, commonly called "Uncle". He was one of a kind that has become extinct and will never be duplicated, a brainy, witty, genial, well-informed, rollicking fellow, full of all kinds of fun and frolic. There was nothing mean or bad about him, he was the product largely of the time. He had two houses on half an acre. Prior to this the western one had been a store; it was afterwards converted into a dwelling. Mr. Markus Mayer now owns the premises. At one time R. C. Smith, a son in-law, kept the store carrying a general stock of goods. Another business had been carried on farther east but it was so long before my time that I cannot give particulars. Coming back to "Uncle", he was a character! He was born in Vermont, was large, raw-boned and strong. At one time he ran a tinshop. When I knew him he did little or nothing, spending his time mostly about the hotel, where he was always the chief centre, generally surrounded by an admiring crowd. He was ready at any time for fun or fight as the case might be. Thos. Coleman and I were once recalling olden times, speaking of the rowdy proclivities of the many frequenters of the tavern. It was directly opposite the Coleman place. Uncle would come to him in an emergency and say: "Tom, be on hand, I will knock them down and you can throw them out!" and this he frequently did. On one occasion he hit one of the roughs a blow from the effect of which he slept so soundly and so long a report spread that he was killed. I, with other excited townspeople ran up the hill expecting to see a corpse. But the Irish man from the north was not so easily done for; he lived to have many another jamboree. Uncle used to indulge in numerous yarns about his native Vermont. Once I heard him expatiating to a lot of open-mouthed listeners on his favorite topic. "Look here," he said, "we used to live largely on bean soup. It was alright unless you wanted a bean, when the only way was to take off your coat and dive for it!" Another yarn setting forth the poverty of the land was that in pasturing the sheep, they used to hold the animal by the tail and let it get what it could out of the crevices of the rock. He was Withal most Neighborly and knowing more or less about the ways and means in use at the time to aid in making things comfortable in and out of the house, he was willing to give his services free of charge to any applicant. He was well up in medicine and had a panacea for every ailment. He once posed as a full fledged physician in Buffalo, but unfortunately fell into the clutches of the law. The story went that on appearing before the justice to whom he had given "the wink", he was asked for his authority to practice, he handed him the supposed diploma. It was his Grand Lodge Masonic Certificate and his Honor on the bench belonging to the Brethren of the Mystic Tie, promptly discharged the case. He was an enthusiastic member of Jerusalem, Lodge and on his death in Port Hope, he was buried by them in our beautiful cemetery. The daughters did well; one married Dalton Uylliot, Peterboro, another, R. C. Smith, Port Hope, and a third, John Beavis, once merchant and P. M. at Newtonville, Clarke. The boys never amounted to anything.

Next - Bowmanville and Darlington History Part 12

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