Sunday night, Sep 18/98, Walker Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Last night where I left off we were well into Lake Huron & as I said, there seemed a change coming on, & so it came, but as I had turned in, was soon asleep & knew nothing about the lake till 6 this morning. I woke up, got up soon after, had a breath of fresh air on deck, & breakfasted at 7. It was a trifle dull then, the water quite smooth, & we were in the channel & nearing Owen Sound. A sweet soft breeze was blowing at this time & I soon made my way on deck to view the scenery. I’m always loath to miss anything. We were making hard in for the port & every revolution drove us past beautiful scenery, the land on either side quite close. It was a tipical [sic] calm Sabbath morning, sun now out, & the lovely green verdure a charm to the eye. By 7:30 we were at the wharf close to 2 enormous elevators belonging to the CP, bold letters on each face & these were connected by a bridge, one looked old & the other, larger, one quite new. The view of the pretty little town of Owen Sound with its church spires, warehouses, & good buildings was very cheering, & alongside the shore, outside the little cosey [sic] harbour, were some very large lumber, they call them hereaway, or saw mills [7:9] & on the right of entrance is a large American Bent Chair Coy’s warehouse, & away down that side of the shores are prettily situated residences. We went alongside the train wharf where the boat express was standing & only a few steps to walk. Baggage was soon on the wharf, checked, & into the van. It was now nearly 8 & as we were not due to leave till 9, I had a pleasant walk into the very pretty, well built & laid out town, & every street had a row each side of beautiful maple trees. Few people about, but the silence betokened the Day of Rest. Oh, the air was delicious & I enjoyed it. I took a snap at these huge elevators & hope they come out as these are worth seeing. Our train consisted of a fine, big engine, 3 cars & 1 baggage van. One of the 3 cars was a parlour car, all easy chairs upholstered in red figured plush, move them as you please, for this car 50 cs. extra, or 2/- extra, over 1st class is charged, & I enjoyed it. We left to the minute, engine bell tinkled & motion began – all engines have a big ships bell & no whistling – & away we sped through very pretty scenery, numerous apple orchards with trees laden with the beautiful red Baldwins, fields of maize, or green corn, they call it, growing all along the line, & by the way, in the town of Owen Sound I stood & looked into a field, half of which was grand cauliflowers & the other half beautiful tomatoes “galore”. [7:10] I thought of you there & has [sic] oft done as tomatoes are served every where & to everything. Turnips were plentifully growing too along the line, & clover 2nd or 3rd crop, & sheep here & there in stubble, fine plantations too on the route & much bush, some burning, other places already burnt, but not cleared. Many fields had great piles of big stones formed into mounds, 3, 4, & 6, mounds in a field. These when clearing are all gathered & piled. Some had dry stone dykes formed with them. I didn’t admire the piles in the middle of the pasture & tilled fields. Mr. Chrystal wouldn’t have tolerated that. We stopped at few places. It was practically through traffic, you see, but at Orangeville[1] we stopped at 11:15 for 10 minutes’ refreshments. Pretty it was here, & a short distance further on the train describes a horse shoe on the line, & we see three sides of a house in the course. This all within a very little space, all were gazing out as the attendant calls out when any points of interest present themselves. A great lot of maize is growing as we get nearer Toronto, & now we come near to the big city as works of great dimensions are coming in view. One very big building, “Cleveland Bicycle Works”, H.A. Lozier & Co. These at Toronto junction ¼ hour or so from the Union Station (destination). Just here I got my first view of Lake Ontario. We arrived punctually to [7:11] time, 1 p.m., & soon was out of train. Hotel porters waiting for customers, & I soon was relieved of my hand bag & gave him my 2 checks, & he soon had all, but I went on to hotel, only 3 minutes from station, & soon my baggage & I were in a very good room on first floor, “lift” up. The day was very hot but nevertheless delightful. I had lunch at 2 & as it was fine, I thought I better have a view around, splendid electric cars run all around & through & about the city, so I took a “Belt Line” car & had a run around about 4 miles & back to spot I got on at, then entered another for Munro Park, a natural park on the lake edge about 4 ½ miles from the city centre. The electric tram coy. had bought this ground & laid it out for the public & for resorts, bands &c. (no music on Sunday), & this to make traffic for the cars, & it must be a success as crowds go & come, & the day, oh, it was lovely, a light, balmy breeze blowing which was vigorous & life giving. What a most charming this Toronto city is, magnificent streets, & just out of the city, every street has its boulevards, fine maple, elm, oak, chestnut trees. In fact, it’s a city of green sward[2] & trees, pretty residences around this belt line. All places that I’ve been in colonies, Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg too, have a belt line. That is a circle or square outside the city.

[7:12]

I went into hotel at 5:30, had tea (Sundays the luncheon is dinner) rested & went to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in King & Simco Sts., 10 minutes from hotel, the largest & finest church I’ve seen or been in from the “Old Country”. Ours would stand inside & between its galleries. It seated 1,400 & was packed tonight. Revd. W.J. McAughan from Belfast.[3] While on the train in the afternoon, I asked the conductor about Presby’n churches. He said, “Well, Sir, there’s a great rush of people goes to one along King St. & I expect the minister must be the attraction”. Says I, “That’s the one I’ll go to. Where is it?” & he directed me, & I am happy to say I was greatly pleased. A very large, grand organ with a refined choir, of, I should say, 40, up stairs over the entrance, the bend of gallery, minister faces them, a noble gallery & a handsome “waggon” roof, same shape as ours, waggon upside down shape. Service was 7. I got a good seat in center, told one of the many attendants I was a stranger. Invocation – a few words only – sung 23 Ps. – read 42nd Ps., prayer of thanksgiving & confession, sung hy. 112, “Holy Ghost dispel our sadness,” read 2nd epistle Corinthians Ch. 7, Lord’s Prayer audibly, anthem, “Behold the Western Evening Light”, solo & chorus – lovely – notices – sacrament next Sunday morning (strangers cordially invited to join), hy. 111, “Our Blest Redeemer”, prayer invoking help to worship, text, 2nd Corinthians, Ch. 7 & v. 6, “Despondency & Dejection – God and Christ the [7:13] Comforter”, a grand peroration (as in olden days), prayer for comfort, 110 hy., “Come thou Holy Paraclete”,[4] collection, 115 hy., “To Thee O Comforter Divine”, benediction, 8:30. I did enjoy the whole service, the first on shore since Port Chalmers (Dunedin). I left my card as I came out with the verger (clad in gown) from whom I enquired minister’s name & capacity of church, & told him to tell the minister I had richly enjoyed the service.

I came straight to hotel, wrote & dispatched 4 p. cards: 1 to Sarah, 1 to Mr. Wooley at N. York asking him to make enquiry about Andorinha & let me know to Simcoe, p/c to Mr. Windrim, & 1 to Mr. Burgis. I’ve a short letter ready for Mrs. Sinclair (condolence)[5] & one for Mr. Scott (congratulations if true). Now I am up to date & I’ll not tell you what o’clock it is. Goodnight.

[1] Inserted on facing page: “Orangeville”.

[2] 1) A portion of ground covered with grass; 2) The grassy surface of land.

[3] Born on 4 December 1859. Pastor of St. Andrews Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1897-October 1898 and later 3rd Church in Chicago, Illinois 1898-1907. Died of injuries sustained on July 26, 1910, while escaping from a burning hotel at Belfast.

[4] Literally: advocate, intercessor, from parakalein

[5] This probably refers to the death of John Sinclair, ship owner, of Church Street, West Hartlepool. See http://www.hhtandn.org/venues/3810/sinclair He married Annie Dunn in 1866. It is not clear if he was related to Reverend Jasper Sinclair of Berwick.