HISTORY OF BOWMANVILLE
Part 41
By Mr. J. B. Fairbairn, P. M.
A man who understood thoroughly the use of too’s and who took a fair share of the labor involved in helping to build the story of the village temple which was just booming into a town, was Mr. William M. Horsey. He was ushered into this planet at Cloyton, Devonshire England and this happened in the year, 1832. While not born to the purple, he came from extra good stock.
I find in tracing the stream backwards, the Horsey family were large landed proprietors, and had an abundance of all this world’s goods, and enjoyed high social standing. I had the privilege of reading a book sometime ago relating to the original place, and which gives an account of them in it. Like many other families have experienced, adverse changes came and they had to face the inevitable. Mr. Horsey’s father found it best to remove to a newer field in which to rear and place his family where they would be likely to get a return for what efforts they might make to financially rehabilitate themselves. With brave hearts and sound bodies, they left for Canada in 1846, Kingston being the lodestar that awaited them. There most of the family remained. The members who staid in that once important Canadian city have made names for themselves, and the younger scions are scattered over the Province doing masterly work in the various avocations to which they are devoting their time.<
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William M. Horsey came to Bowmanville in 1858, and a most immediately it became apparent to others that he would be no drone among the working bees. I lived opposite to him for a long time and as a worker he is entitled to the highest award. From the first streak of daylight until dewey eve he was ever busy at work. If ever he gets a coat of arms he should emblazen on it the motto, "Work to live." People talk about sinews of steel. I think his were made of illuminum or some other equally hard or tenacious stuff. I question if there is another man in the county who has done more hard manual labor in the last fifty years. I also doubt if there is any man at the age of seventy four who carries the burden of so long a time as erect in posture, and who can step out with as firm and elastic tread. Were it not for the snowy locks that cover his brow, you would take him to be in the midsummer of his days.
"For in my youth I never did apply,
Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood,
Nor did with unbashful forhead woo,
The means of weakness and debility;
Therefore my age is as a lusty winter
Frosty and kindly."
The trite saying that "work never dills" is borne out in his case. He opened out a tinshop and to this he gave his best attention. I heard a lady say; he had been doing some work at her house. "There is a man who is bound to make headway; although having the appearance of a gentleman, he is quite willing to knuckle down and work with his own hands being not afraid to soil them." His unremitting care to take advantage of every opening in his line, he soon began to make money. His first investment was in real estate. He has always had a penchant for building, and seems naturally to possess a good idea of architecture. He bought the two lots on King street, then owned by Samuel Young, one of the early settlers, and put up the first really good artistic block that we have in the western part of the town. It was a costly structure, and the dwelling house which occupied the upper story was finished in the best of style with all the then modern improvements. At
first he had good returns for the money he thus locked up, it having been rented for banking purposes, but owing to changes it has not latterly paid as well.
Evolution took place in Mr. Horsey’s case from lesser to greater. The first move in tinware grew into a large well paying hardware establishment, and into this he again threw his whole vitality, coining the were withal rapidly. However, clouds began to hover on the sky, and Nature’s physician began to knock pretty loudly, calling a halt. The state of his health led him to dispose of the concern to his brother, who was a remarkably fine looking specimen of humanity. He afterwards filled a big place in the Limestone City as Chief of Police retiring about two years ago. This was in 1867. For the next six years he was an unknown quantity as far as we are concerned, but he could not finally tear himself away from the place where he had spent the best and strongest part of his time, and so we find him again in 1873 with his fighting toggery on ready for anything that might turn up. His mania for building again got possession of him, and he planned and put up the stately edifice now
owned by Mr. E. C. Southey. This is a monument to is well developed instinct in that department. There is not a better constructed one in Durham. I think he watched every brick and every part of the material that went into it. It will last at any rate for the next hundred years, if they only keep it roofed. The grounds are tastefully laid out, and the site one of the prettiest we have. Here is another evidence that what Burns says is too true "The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglee."
I suppose it never dawned on his consciousness while he was working and telling so arduously that some one else would enjoy the fruits of it, but so it is. One bereavement followed another. The eldest daughter fell a victim to that dreaded disease consumption, and the others took it on, leaving only two, one son and daughter of the whole flock.
Owing to great depression in the value of real estate, serious financial losses were sustained. Mr. Horsey got disheartened and sold the delightful homestead and moved up to The Eyrie that he built for himself on one of the western hills. From there he can now look down with feeling of pity, perhaps of contempt upon the thoughtless crowd who are trying to extract honey from weeds, giving most of their time and talents in heaping up riches which must eventually turn to dust and ashes, forgetting along with it to lay up treasures where moth and rust do not corrupt.
Mr. Horsey too , had an itching for political affairs, and at last got a chance to try his skill in the municipal governing body, becoming Councillor and reeve. He so impressed his townsmen with the belief that he was well qualified to look after their varying interests, that he was elected to the highest office in their gift-that of Mayor-and for two years, 1886 and 1887, he was at the corporations helm. I cannot say anything as to his doings when he was filling his place in the council of the town, not having taken much interest in their proceedings, but I have felt that he never got the credit he was justly entitled to in this connection. Many a night when other people were in bed he walked up and down our streets to see that by-laws referring to hotel’s and saloons were properly observed.
I will state one incident to show the spirit of determination he had when a conviction took hold of him. He bought the premises on the corner of Temperance and King, opposite the present post office, in 1883. Frank Henderson had a hotel in the eastern end of the building, and sold great quantities of liquor. It was an especial rendezvous for the gentry from the north. The bar was afterwards moved into a room opening out on to Temperance street. Later on a new tenant took possession, George Fisher becoming the presiding genitor, and he continued dealing out the stuff to all and sundry who might apply. From what Mr. Horsey saw he began to take the whole question into his most serious consideration, and realizing that man of the bodies and souls of the growing youth and men of the town were endagered by the wretched traffic, no consideration would induce him to bear the responsibility of taking what he began to look upon as blood money. He immediately entered into
negotiation with the lessee and bought out his interest in it. He was offered by a responsible party $1,000.000 a year, he to take lease of it for five years, and give good security that he would hold till the end of the term. This Mr. Horsey refused to do, although he knew at the time that it could not be relet for any ordinary business purpose at a much less sum. This pecuniary sacrifice was made by him in the public interest and for which he got precious little thanks.
Mr. Horsey was for a long time a member of the school board, and here it was I got to know him more intimately. I frankly confess that I found him a pretty hard character to dissect. It recalls to my mind a novel which many of my readers have read, "Dryer Hyde," who is transformed from time to time into "Doctor Jeykel." They interchanged whenever it suited the main actor. When Mr. Horsey was himself, matters went along smoothly, and the Board got the benefit of his often wise advice, but when the other Mr. Horsey appeared, the tune was entirely changed. Mr. Samuel B. Bradshaw, an old Bowmanvillian, used to tell a good story of an old Cornishman who lived down below the Eastern House. The pith of it was that he accidently stepped upon a hornet’s nest, and two or three of the interesting creatures got up the leg of his pants, and then followed a series of antics with voiciferations in Cornish that astonished the natives. When Mr. Hors
ey appeared in the ring in a waspish humor, we had exciting times. Colonel Frederick Cubitt was the most expert boxer we had and would often metaphorically knock him out, but the plucky little man would always come up to time. He had one or two backers ready to sponge him down and encourage him to renew the battle, which he did to the end of the chapter.
When the real Mr. Horsey got down to work in dead earnest, he was a valuable member. The reports that he gave from time to time upon matters submitted to him as chairman of any committee upon which he was acting at the time, showed care and ability. During the discussions that arose over a scheme that was lobbied by a few influential persons to remove and hive our beautiful school buildings on the shed grounds, he took a prominent part, and gave a most determined opposition to it. He was one of the members who bitterly opposed the separation of the buildings, and wished both schools to be erected on the site now occupied by the Public School. I have determined in these reminiscences to bury all the past, but I own up that many a time I felt that the "’tother Mr. Horsey" deserved a black eye.
I will now speak of another idiosyncrasy. I think some of his aristocratic ancestors in England must have kept a pack of hounds, and that love for this kind of animal must be an inherited perculiarity. To illustrate. The late Rev. Dr. Jessop, who was a volumnious writer in England thirty years ago, tells the following racy story. The rector of the adjoining parish was a bachelor 30 years of age. He suddenly took a notion that it was not good for a man to be alone and sought a wife. He paid court to a young lady in the parish who gave her consent. The Rectory was refurnished and fitted up in fine style. He advertised for a Curate to take charge during his absence on the honeymoon trip and the special stipulation was that there should be no encumbrances. The right man apparently applied and took possession the day the bride and groom left. His wife brought with her to enliven their stay sixteen bulldogs and gave them the free use of the establishment. She understood how to m
anage the unruly brutes and kept a red hot poker to roast them into submission when their fighting propensities prevailed. One can picture to themselves the consternation of the happy pair when they returned to occupy it.
Mr. Horsey keeps sixteen collies. There is a legend that an unfortunate individual desiring an interview with him, after climbing up to his residence, was met by those infuriated creatures. He had to take refuge on the fence and fight the howling dervishes until the proprietor came to his relief. It has been suggested he erect a pole with iron cleats sufficently near the house, so that the door bell can be reached and thus afford a sfe restig place for casual visitors when they are loose about the steading. When he lets them out at early dawn there is a regular orchestra, their yells come rolling down over the sheet of water, adding double force to the cadence, reaching out over a good portion of the peaceful town. The bag pipes are nothing to compare to them in volume.
When the office of Police Magistrate became vacant, owing to the death of the last occupant, much anxiety was felt as to who would be selected to fill this highly important office. All doubts were removed when it became known that William M. Horsey was the choice of the Government and a wise one it was. He has a judical turn of mind and is especially well adapted to unravel the often tangled skeins that he has to tackle in the many crooked cases that are brought before him. Still possessed by the demon of work, he takes any amount of pans to study up the law bearing on each particular case and to analyse the often contradictory evidence which may be given. Just and wise he makes an excellent judge. Thee is any amount of dignity upon him when upon the bench. Indeed he only wants the wig and robes to represent a dignity of the higher courts. I am told that an unfortunate dilinquent would rather pay a larger fine than to take the scathing dressing down they so often get. I am co
nfident of this; that all our citizens will join me in the hope that he may long be spared to preside over this important court of justice.
In the early part of these reminiscenes I ventured the opinion that the Indians did not permanently live near the shores of Lake Ontario. Mr. Horsey calls my attention to a rather strange fact. He has found within the circumference of an acre near his present residence, a very large quantity of flint arrow heads, some badly decayed; others are as perfect as they cae from the hands of the artificer. He has collected quite a large basket full. He thinks they must have had a battle of some kind in the immediate neighbourhood.
Next - Bowmanville and Darlington History Part 42
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