Milan near Scotstown Second part

MILAN - MARSDEN

Part 2

Railway "Grand Trunk"

The passage  the of railroad played a major role in building the village of Milan. The village is rapidly growing. Residents working on the construction of the railway or in the sawmills.

In 1877, before the railway has been built up Marsden (Milan), changing the company's name to Company InternationalRailway.In 1886, the Co. International was acquired by the Company Railway Atlantic and Northwest, which is in turn leased to the Company leased the Canadian Pacific. So do aît in 1877 with the arrival of the railroad, the village of Marsden, 23 years after the arrival of Norman MacDonald.

Duncan McLeod buys land to Norman MacDonald and built a house and a shop. Business taking the scale due to the construction of the railway. He expanded his house to accommodate the traveling public and did the same for his general store to meet the influx of families in the village and surrounding countryside.

As there was only one train a day, traveler descended, passed the night at the hotel and McLeod took the train the next day to the next village. Mr. McLeod also had livery stables. As it also has a timber trade; he buys logs settler-farmers and ships them by rail to the saw mills operators in the Sherbrooke area as well as to places in New Hampshire and Vermont.

The first locomotives used around the year 1877 on the line Sherbrooke-Mégantic are small compared to steam locomotives 50s They include cars "freight" (goods) and a passenger car. They have steam engines powered wood.

Sometimes they are unable to tow the car to the top of slopes between Scotstown and Milan and we must use an extra locomotive to take the train to Milan, sometimes Springhill. To return a locomotive, using the "Y" i The Greek"is a section of track in the shape of an inverted Y. When one off additional locomotive the train, it is placed on a turntable, it is rotated and returns with the next train.

Duncan contracted to build the necessary culverts on the easement between Milan and Echo Vale, which is the first terminus until the line is built to the Chaudière River in 1879. Mr. McLeod is the first telegraph operatorCPR.(Canadian Pacific Railway) to Mégantic. He teaches morse code telegraph or, several young guys and one of them, DK MacDonald, is the agent of the railroad in Milan and Springhill until he reached retirement age.

                                                        Milan Station

is constructed the first station a few feet east of the crossing. They say suspected misappropriation of funds officer and the building burns the day before the coming of the auditors. Residents are not satisfied with the insignificant little construction of the station that the company intends to build. The frame is finished it just disappears overnight. The company decided to meet the wishes of the villagers and erected a beautiful large building. This is one of the most beautiful railway station on the line between Mégantic and Farnham. The highest point on the path of CPR east of Broadview, Saskatchewan, is about four miles east of Milan, near Springhill or Nantes

CPR's Milan Train Station as seen from looking west at the road crossing. The final week of December 1965 saw the train from Montreal 202 Reviews arriving in Milan at about noon. The Consist Was an unidentified F unit, a baggage car and coaches oven INSTEAD of the usual single rail diesel car. Every nut Train Has To start with a first gear photograph and This Was the author's first.

                                             Train Accidents

In 1908, a forest fire, extending from east of Scotstown cleared farms to St. Leon, destroyed several square miles of virgin forest between the village and Mount Mégantic. Fortunately it falls heavy rain that dampen the fire then off so it was not necessary to carry out the total evacuation of the population".

in July 1917, Nanaan McLeod wrote to his sister  The day I arrived last Monday, our church was destroyed, the presbytery, the barn and the Montgomery house are also in poor condition, people are injured not to mention the great fear that installs crops suffered heavy damage..


In December 1919, there derailment in front of the railway station in Milan. A freight train moving westward stores on the service road to allow a speeding passenger train in the same direction to pass. But bad referral launches passenger train on the siding. It stamps the van freight train, killing Walter Booth controller and a passenger, Johnny Buchanann Keith, Lingwick.

The passenger train carrying Chinese workers returning from Europe returning to their country. A neighbor closed wagon freight train wagon has sugar in 100 pound bags. It disappears more before the arrival of the police. It tells stories of many sugar bags taken in the car and hidden in tasseries, in warehouses, etc. And stole sugar is collected by someone else and hidden elsewhere.

                                             Fatalities in Milan

A little later another derailment occurs near Whitton Crossing towards Springhill, it costs the lives John "Cook"McLeod.

Another life is taken to an individual by a locomotive. Duncan did not mention the person's name. Mr.Beauregard,a cu CPR employee loses a leg when the latter is stuck in the hub being rotated.

John O. MacDonald sees a morning Ms. McAulay passing in front of the store along the railway, towards the west to McLeod's Crossing; we learn later that she was crushed near the village by the morning train. She was obviously sitting between the rails before being struck by the locomotive.

Come the steam trains and they are large consumers of water. Each locality is water tank along the railway. With the advent of power Diesel locomotives that do not require water, the tank becomes unnecessary and was demolished around 1960. Among the people working on the railway, there are several Scottish and some Canadian: Emile Turcotte, Cyrille Poulin, Alfred Morin, Fernand, Pierre and Jean-Marie Bergeron, Antoine Boisvert etc .. They are railroaders.                                                 

Shops

There are two hotels in Milan in the early days. One, called "dry" or temperance hotel, owned by Duncan McLeod and the other with a bar, McIver property. The hotel McIver has the reputation of being a hard and noisy establishment. After its closure, several vagrants sleep there and it's probably one of them which is attributed its destruction by fire overnight.

During the period of 1887-1889, while police and soldiers are looking DonaldMorrison, off-the-law ofMégantic,the officers stayed in hotels McLeod while the soldiers staying in one McAulay held at the time.

In 1890, a cooperative enterprise is established by the "Patrons of Industry "Chapter of Milan designates"Highland Star no. 19. (This organization is apparently cooperative, farmers gather to buy essential items to pack the house and livestock, under the responsibility of a manager in charge of purchasing and sales.).

At a meeting of the Highland Star Lodge No. 19, within minutes, adopts a proposal that states the acceptance of the offerto the R. McDonald Fire and lighting in the room rate 0.10 cents per evening. the room rental costs .29 cents Milan for the evening

June 25, 1895, still in the minutes of meetings of the Highland Star is proposed to pay McDonald's ticket from Milan to Scotstown and her return, 0.65 cents and dinner, 0.25 cents for a total of 0.85 cents. September 10, 1895, there is agreement between the Co and the blacksmith on the following prices: 0.70 cents for shoeing horses with new irons; with back irons, 0.29 cents, its other prices to match. Filing irons 0.35 cents.

Donald McIver even goes up to Hong Kong with his regiment and was taken prisoner for the rest of the conflict when the colony fell to the Japanese on Christmas Day 1941. In the years several boys 20-30 join the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association. They practice at Bishops Crossing range, now named Bishopton.

Donald McIver even goes up Hong Kong and captured

early as 1936,the British colony of Hong Kong begins to prepare against a possible threat from troops Japanese, theJapanese Imperial Army occupied Canton in October 1938, building theLine Gin Drinkersfortifications.The territory, however provided that a limited military strength,

Hong Kong prisoners of the Japanese in 1941

despite the reinforcement of two battalions of Indian colonial soldiers of theregiments Rajput of Punjab and a militia, local  the Volunteer Corps Hong Kong defense (Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps). The 2nd Battalion of theregiment Royal Scots was stationed in Hong Kong, as well as the 1st Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment.

Despite the obviously aggressive intentions of Japan in the previous month, the government of the United Kingdom had sent only few reinforcements troops, preferring to focus on the defense of its other Asian territories. Canada had nevertheless provided a contingent from the bodies of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles ofCanada,arrived six weeks before the Japanese attack, part of which had not yet combat experience.

Battle and UKsurrender

The BritishCanadians, Indians, soldiers and volunteers, backed by reinforcements from the Royal AirForce,resisted 17 days the Japanese troops commanded by SakaiTakashi.

The Japanese won air superiority on the first day of the battle and the forces Defensive were three times less likely than the enemy.

The equipment of the troops stationed in the Gin Drinkers Line proved insufficient to stop the advance of the Japanese. The English and the Indians withdrew from the line, and therefore Kowloon,under bombardment aviation and artillery. A fierce fighting continued onHong KongIsland;the only reservoir in Hong Kong was lost. The Winnipeg Grenadiers defended the strategic area of Wong Nai Chong Gap that controlled the flow between the city center and southern parts of the island more remote.

The forty members of the local committee of FreeFrance,formed in 1940 by the Consul France, took part in the defense among the volunteer units. The Republic of China from integrating the Allies,it was proposed that Chinese troops intervened to lend a hand to the British, but the defense of Hong Kong fell before an action can be undertaken.

As of December 25 1941,known as the "Black Christmas" by the people of Hong Kong, the senior British colonial officials, headed by the Governor of HongKong,Mark Aitchison Young, surrendered to Lieutenant-General Takashi and its leader 'Staff TadamichiKuribayashi,third floor of the PeninsulaHotel.

Donald McIver even goes up to Hong Kong and captured 25 December 1941

Hong Kong Christmas 1941

Consequences

On the morning of 25 Japanese soldiers besieged the hospital installed in St Stephen's College, and killed sixty wounded soldiers and hospital staff. It is estimated that 10,000 women were violées in the early days after the fall of Hong Kong. A large number of real or perceived resistance were executed.

Hong Kong was then subjected to a Japanese military administration. Rensuke Isogai became its first governor.

PhilipSnow,a historian of the period, said that civilians were severely reduced rations to preserve food for the soldiers. There were many evictions to regions of MainlandChina who were even more lacking and most affected by famine and disease. The evictions were aimed most Chinese returnees who had joined Hong Kong a few years earlier, during the Sino-JapaneseWar.

Hong Kong Christmas 1941

prisoners of war were sent to labor camps, located on the territory of Hong Kong or well in Japan.Chinese resistance forces, including counting networksof Communist PartyChina based in Guangdong,were active in the NewTerritories.These columns led  actions guerrilla and informed the British armed forces until the end of the war, leading the Japanese to conduct law enforcement operations and raze several villages.

Hong Kong was occupied until 15 August 1945, shortly beforesurrendered. Japan

                                                   Milan and sawmills

The first sawmill was built by John D. Morrison. Then the wind in Duncan and this warning service until 1940 He also has it mills "portable" some operated by water power. It is a dam in a stream or river, we build a mill and the logs are dragged with a team to the mill site. The Olson brothers (Narcissus friends) have a saw mill and do good business for many years.

By 1920, Mégantic Manufacturing Company Philibert Cliche leases the land to Rory MacDonald family and built a saw mill with heated pool west of the village. It mainly produces railway sleepers. It sells True Beloved and Leonard Beaudoin St. Leon who in turn sell it to Roger Beaudoin. That's sawmill where Ira died Antoine Boisvert.
Drava

In the years 25-30, the Great Depression, the price of wood pulp reached $ 31.00 rope and overnight, it falls to $ 8.00. Arthur and Canute Olson brothers who are traders of wood and have many cords of wood, suffered heavy losses.

Matheson Silver Fox RanchInc.

A company has been very successful in Milan is the Matheson Silver Fox Ranch Inc. C is the largest farmed silver fox farm in the province of Quebec and one of the largest in Canada. Around 1920, James Matheson bought a pair of silver foxes for breeding. The expansion of this trade is done in 1928-29 until it reaches 1,000 animals. Considering Bernard Matheson as one of the most "knowledgeable" men in the silver fox industry in Canada.

The first French-Canadian immigrants and their business

the first French Canadian living in Milan is JB Ouellette. He worked for the CPR Louis St-Pierre comes around 1909-1910. It builds and sells a creamery creamery in Norman MacDonald in 1920-21.

The Poulin family arrived around 1911, Cyril worked for the railroad and in 1924 bought trade Damase Breton.

In 1926, when John D. Morrison resigned as postmaster, the eldest daughter of Cyrille Poulin, Imelda was appointed postmistress and remained there until 1946. His sister Lucienne succeeded him and fulfill the role until 1972. Emile Turcotte says "Ti-Rouge" moves from St. Leon in Milan in 1915. He was later against the master of my father and my unclesarea.;

Adelard Roberge blacksmith plies his trade for several years while gold prospecting in the  there will also be blacksmiths Angus McDonald and Albert Bolduc. Ephrem Jacques arrives in the 20s he bought the house of Morrison and opened a barber shop and a small grocery store. This place is during the depression years, the favorite rendezvous of card players and chess. He will sell his property before the Catholic Church. Romaine.

Ephrem Benoit butcher and Frank Langlois. Cars traveling butchers are abandoning their business.

It installs a first telephone line that comes from Stornoway. The center is located at Murry store. The service is discontinued after a few months. The co. St. Leon Phone has a line in the village in the 20s and there are half a dozen subscribers. The service leaves something to be desired, a sudden increase in death rates sign in the locality.

Estrie silver fox

Canadian Company PhoneCookshire,causes the phone to Milan from Scots in the early 30. The Eastern Township Organization Phone Sherbrooke takes over and is in turn relayed by Cie Bell Canada phone in 1951 and the dial system arrives in 1964.

                                                        tax

In the 1910-1930years, I have no receipts to tell you How much are the amounts of municipal and school taxes; against by AdelardSt-Laurent (maternal grandfather Romeo Couture) lives in Winslowsouth.His account of school taxes is $ 00.25 on the dollar in 1909 and the bill came to $ 10.63.

In 1914, the fee goes up to 80ct on land valued at $ 1,200.00 In 1917, the fee is 100 in the $, which ca means that costs him $ 12.00. He must also pay $ 1.00 for his two children. In 1818, an estimated his property at $ 1100.00 always 100 more in the $ 0.50 per child, the account is $ 12.50.

In 1920, it increased to 1.25 on the dollar and 3 children to 0.50 cents. In the following years the "Millins" down and regaining strength in 1929. It is the cure Tétrault signing receipts in 29-30 years. In 1930, "Millins" is set at $ 1.40 in.

The municipal tax in 1914 is 40ct (Millins) in the $, the land is valued at $ 1,200. The account is $ 4.80. In 1930, on a property valued at $ 1.700 the amount of the fee is $ 51.00 and the receipt is signed by Albert Tétraultpriest.
Milan municipal taxes

it was not until 1948 that he began to pay taxes Milan. The clerk of the municipality DA Nickolson, sent him an account of $ 10.03. The rate is 2% and the assessment of the lot $ 500.00, he must pay .03 cents interest and the interest is 5%. In 1951, the rate was 1.5% in 1952, 1.65% and in 1953 it went to 1.65% and is Adelard St-Laurent who is the secretary of the municipality.

Often in times of poverty, the settlers can not afford their taxes, so that you accumulate arrears and it never ends. It must be said that the "Millins" dollar is high compared to that earned by settlers.

In 1927, a sheep mower costingAdelard St-Laurent $ 28.75. He buys seed grain for the sum of $ 14.14. In 1938, he made ​​a receipt by Alex MacDonald in the amount of 36.00 & for rent. La Presse, daily and weekly newspapers in Canada all the largest circulation, costs $ 1.50 per year in 1928.

It does business with the company Revillon Frères (Trading Company Limited) in 1918; he sells fur red fox, stinking beasts, weasels, stoats, rats and 1 house cat with a value of $ 52.50. In his catalog of Pharmacy 1916 Veterinary Doctor Grignon St. Adele, we find the name and the price of medicines for animals. We also find oils for all kinds of utilities "grease the shoes" to "scent traps for mink" etc ...

fox fur collection

Religious life

He comes to Milan a weekend every two months. He arrived on Saturday afternoon, visits families confesses sinners and distributes guidance and encouragement for 6 years, the priest staying with Louis St. Pierre and it is in this house is celebrated Mass on Sunday morning. In 1917, he was replaced by Raoul Dubé.

                 The mass is then called in the English village school

from 1911 to 1930, the future parish is known under the name of St. Joseph of Milan. In the early 20s, the Cure Alphonse Roy,who is pastor of Springhill and he just serve Milan once a month. When weather is nice, he walks up to Springhill via the railway. In 1921, Edmond Lacombe priest takes the cure Springhill. It is not a real priest; Indeed, a young priest visiting his parents realized that the priest retracts Lacombe liturgical gestures during Mass and never recite his breviary.

He confides his doubts to a priest from a nearby parish and the bishop. We are investigating. The priest realizes the situation and fled. It will eventually admit that it was never a priest. It is a fraud. He wanted to continue the vocation of his dead brother priest in action in the First World War. It is organized to suppress this story.

In 1924, the first French school is built. This building is also used for religious service. We also built a primary school in Victoria, close to the cross to the Dell and another small school "schoolhouse" along the road extension of the "Yard"

1930-1940

When automobiles are emerging in the years 30, merchants control their gasoline per 45 gallon drum. A fuel depot is installed by Imperial Oil Ltd. Scotstown. Delivery in Milan is in a tank wagon pulled by horses. Charles Bennett is the agent. McLeod and Louis St-Pierre had the first gasoline pumpsgallon.;

The first model pump gasoline into a gauge of a  then poured through a funnel into the self fuel tank. Then comes a hand pump that puts up to 5 gallons, later still, with the glass compartment, can pump 10 gallons of a sudden and then come the electric pumps.

During the depression in the 30s, the government opened to settlement lands east of the "Yard" (now rang St-Louis) and move 5 or 6 families on wood lots. Rank the road is drawn and opened to traffic. There among the first French-Canadian families

to colonize this section, those of Antonio Lapierre, Edward Bergeron, Edmond Roberge, Joseph Maheu, Odilon Grenier and Joseph Du

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataille_de_Hong_Kong
http://www.munmilan.qc.ca/indexFr.asp?numero=15

http://pages.videotron.com/dianebc/histoire/marsdensuite.htm