During the Year...

Richard was now 55 years old. He lived in Peterborough. He socialized much with his sons, and actively tried to help his children obtain work. He helped Harry as he went to Detroit and tried to help Edna get work in Cleveland. His daughter Lillian had several convulsions during the year. These attacks continued to worry the family. In January one of his men drowned, H. Ivan Fairweather. They looked for the body and finally gave up the search 10 days later. The body of the man was not found and buried until the beginning of April. RBR accompanied the body to Sussex, N B. for the funeral. During February RBR mentioned writing his reply to the Holgate Report and the subsequent delivery of it to the Minister in Ottawa. On March 1st, RBR wrote of the Great Strike in the coal mines in England. The ‘Titanic’ sank in April and the news went around the world and reached the local papers. RBR talked of paying the last note of his deposit security and is greatly relieved to see the last of it.

Headlines in the Papers...

• Claims Arising from Buckhorn Dam Will Receive Consideration (June 13, The Review)
• Is the Trent Waterway Being Poorly Constructed? The Attention of the Government is Now Called to A Very Serious Defect (Oct. 18, Peterborough Time)
• The Trent Canal. Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars Required to Rectify Colossal Blunders Alleged to Have Been Made, Otherwise Canal When Completed Will Be Worthless. As Seen By An Experienced Navigator (Dec. 17, The Times)

1912 Diary

Period covered: January 1, 1912 - August 29, 1912

Dimensions: 15.5 cm X 9.1 cm (l x w)

No. of Pages: 166

Note: Entries are scattered. Rogers does not record events daily. Dates are skipped if no entries have been made.

January Monday 1: There was no midnight service on acct of Sunday services. Busy all morning getting things ready for dinner. We had dinner about 1:45. The following were present Mina, Harry, George, Lillian, Leah, Heber, Anita, Maggie, Mamie, Claud, Ehrma, Mrs. Wells, Gordon Logan, Kate Calcutt, Amelia & Sam Price & self. Weather blustering in am, beautiful in pm. After 4:30. went & voted for Hydro electric bylaw. Harry & I went calling, called at club. Mrs. Thos. Hay, Collins & Kendry, Mrs. Hamilton was not at home. In evening went to Charity ball in Conservatory of Music. Harry, George, Anita, Lillian & Leah & I went. Mamie and Miss M Erskine.

January Tuesday 2: Harry went to Toronto this morning for a couple of days.

January Wednesday 3: George left with Nita for Frankford at 1:40.

January Sunday 7: Very cold. Heber & I went to tea at Gwendoline’s.

January Monday 8: George telephoned & I told him to get gravel draining as soon as possible. Snowing.

January Tuesday 9: Snowed hard all night. About 10 inches. Wrote Porter re investigation.

January Sunday 14: H Ivan Fairweather was drowned at C.G. Elec Coy Power House at 10:40 am. when cutting ice at lower end of another ice sluiceway. Heber & I went up immediately. Telephoned to Gordon for men & appliances. C.G. Coy Dobie came up in afternoon & did every thing possible to start work looking for him tomorrow. Drove down with Dobie to Wood to arrange men to go up tomorrow.

January Monday 15: Had about 10 men grapling for body in eddy below dam. Caulking the first two sluices in dam & taking out other logs at E end. CG Coy sent up lunches for men. Arranged for diving suit for tomorrow. Very cold.

January Tuesday 16: Had diver (John Waldy) go down in eddy at West side. Got large punt from P L. Coy. Very cold.

January Wednesday 17: Still searching. I drove down at noon and left for Frankford at 2:40. Went to tea with Simmons. Spend evening with WD. Rained hard middle of day.

January Thursday 18: At Frankford. Drove to Trenton with Belfour. WD went down on train. Saw Weddell also Collins re rails for track to No 4 for gravel as teamsters have held us up on price of gravel. I came back on train & came home on C.P. Ry. Still searching for Ivan. Very cold.

January Friday 19: Drove to Nassau. & searched all day. Very cold.

January Saturday 20: Still searching. Very cold.

January Sunday 21: H Castle had about a dozen men cutting ice & taking out logs in first two sluices from West & pulling out logs in East sluice. Diving in eddy below dam. Went to early service at 8:30 & drove up after.

January Monday 22: Searching in eddy and below dam in river. Had diver search in Harveys eddy. Willie Boyd came over to tea & we went to curling match of Scotch curlers & after to club in evening.

January Tuesday 23: Made a line with hooks on it & part over in river below Harveys eddy. Dragging in eddy below dam for which George went to Frankford at 1:40.

January Wednesday 24: Just had 2 men (Vinette & Waldy). The line across the river with hooks on it was so covered with anchors we had to take it in. Small boat was sent up belonging to Ontario Gov’t. Left it at Harvey’s. Decided to give up searching as we have looked every place possible. Very cold.

January Thursday 25: Did not go to Nassau. Very cold.

January Friday 26: At Home.

January Saturday 27: At home.

January Sunday 28: Lillian had a convulsion this a.m. at 8 am. Not very bad. Called in Dr. Hammond. Lillian better. Services - called to see D Spence who is not around. Cold.

January Monday 29: Working at home. Curl in pm. Service at night. Rural [decenal] Meeting. Cold.

January Tuesday 30: Work at home. Curl in pm. Lecture in consumption at night. Called to see Tom Hay who is sick. Snowy.

January Wednesday 31: Work at home. Fixed [---] of Claud’s. Curling in afternoon. Service at night.

February Tuesday 6: Left at Midnight for Ottawa. WT Boyd also - to see Chief Engr re our holdback and also see Gus Porter re application for investigation. Cold & fine.

February Wednesday 7: Arr’d in Ottawa. Went to Grand Union as Russell crowded. Went up to see Borden & arranged to see him in afternoon. Went to lunch with Mr. Schreiber at Rideau club. Saw Borden & showed him error of Grants Report & he promised to give us back something but would not say amount. Just caught G Porter MP before leaving for Toronto. Asked him about investigation & re entering claim for Edna.

February Thursday 8: Went to Forestry Convention in am. About Dept. R&C [Railways and Canals] in afternoon. In evening walked down to see Mrs. Mothersill. After G.A.M. walked up to House with us. Met Mabel Sootheran at House with Mrs. Hughes. Met Sam Hughes in afternoon & had some talk with him but there was [sic] others present. Stayed at Bath hotel.

February Friday 9: Willie Boyd went home at 10:40 am. Went up to Dept. R&C & to see Geo Kidd re monorail Ry. Called to see Ethel Barnard. Called to see Phillips. Left at 3:30 for Montreal. Harry met me at station. Walked to see Mamie & Soph B off for Peterboro’. Cold.

February Saturday 10: An awful day. Cold & blowing. Went down to see Koelley re monorail Ry. Saw his first locomotive & his track. He expects to have it in operation in a week. Called to see Mr. McNabb & then up to lunch at his place. Spent till 3:30 with Mrs. Grant. Went in & met Harry & we went out to Edith Tyllers for tea. After went to ‘Windsor’ & saw Jamison till 11. F Burnham with me. Stayed at Windsor.

February Sunday 11: Was going to Com’n to St. G but was late. Went to St. Georges at 11 and after met Harry & went out to Ediths for dinner. After called to see Williams & tea at Jack Fairbairns & to Brown’s. Went to Bath Hotel.

February Monday 12: Walked up to college with Harry & after to CSCE rooms & phoned Mr. J Kennedy G.E. who asked me up to lunch with him. Enjoyed seeing him. He is perfectly blind. Left for Ottawa at 3:35 pm. Went up to House & saw G Porter and Sexsmith. Left for home at 11:20. Porter said had promised of an appointment with Minister re my case.

February Tuesday 13: Arrd home at 6 am.

[Note: the following entry has been written vertically and covers the dates February Thursday 15 to Saturday 17.]

February Thursday 15 to Saturday 17: At home. Working at my reply to Holgates Report in morning & generally curling in afternoon.

[Note: the following entry has been written diagonally and covers the dates February Sunday 18 to Saturday 24.]

February Sunday 18 to Saturday 24: At home. Generally curling in afternoon and working at my reply to Holgates Report in the morning.

February Sunday 25: Missionary addresses at St. Lukes by Mr. Allen. Lillian & I went over to see Tom Hay & stayed to tea.

February Monday 26: Lillian & I went to Missionary Meetings St. [St] Johns 3-5 8-10. Mr. Allin Secr’y Miss'y Soc’y also Rev Dr. Gould Sec’y soc’y. I intended to go to Toronto for a few days with Lillian but put it off on acct of Missionary Convention.

February Tuesday 27: Missionary Meetings St.John's 8-10.

February Wednesday 28: Missionary Meeting 8-10. Had Mens Meeting after.

March Friday 1: Great strike on in England in coal mines.

March Friday 8: Rec’d letter from Porter informing me of interview of Holgate with Minister.

March Saturday 9: Left at 5:30 pm with John Belcher for Bobcaygeon. Stayed with Wm Boyd. Rev Price staying there.

March Sunday 10: At Bob’n.

March Monday 11: At Bob’n.

March Tuesday 12: Left at 3:40 for home. Had tea with Sootherans at Lindsay.

March Thursday 14: Snowing & blowing all day.

March Friday 15: Terrible stormy & snowed all day. Snowed about 6 inches. Papering Spare Room. Rec’d copy of Holgate Evidence & other papers from Porter.

March Saturday 16: Dr. Boucher died this morning. Met Sexsmith, M. P. at hotel at 7 pm. Walked to C.P. R station with him. Showed him letter from Porter. Papering & writing reply to Holgate Report.

March Thursday 21: Purchased [Oxepather] for Lillian.

April Monday 1: Parliament prorogued.

April Tuesday 2: Sent Reply to Holgate’s Report to E.G. Porter to forward to Minister. Went to moving picture [---] [---]. Mild.

April Friday 5: Good Friday. Telephone message sent to me while in church that Ivan Fairweather’s body had been found above water works dam. Will Hall came over to drive me up. Met Comstock coming down with it. He prepared it & put it in metalic coffin. I started for Sussex at midnight with body.

April Saturday 6: Arr’d in Montreal at 8 am. Harry met me. Spent day in M. Saw Fairbairn. Showed him letter from Porter about interview with Minister. Met Ryerson Ritchie. Harry & I had supper with him at Windsor. I left for Sussex at 7:25 pm. Fine & warm.

April Sunday 7: Easter Day. Arr’d at St. John at noon but found there was no train in Int. Ry on Sunday so had to stay in St. J. Went to Communion in Trinity & for a walk about City in afternoon & church at Night at St. Johns. Fine & warm.

April Monday 8: Left at 7 for Sussex & got there at 9. Funeral was at 2:30 pm. Not many at it as arrival of body was uncertain & no notices were out. Called Shannon up by phone at Moncton.

April Tuesday 9: Edna & I went for walk with baby in am. I left at 4:30 pm for home as I had an excursion ticket.

April Wednesday 10: Arr’d at Montreal 3 hrs late & missed train for West. Stayed in M. till 10:45 pm. Saw McLeod & showed him Porter’s letter also J Fairbairn & Harry & I went out to Edith’s for tea. Called on Symonds also. Showed Jamison also letter.

April Thursday 11: Arrd home at 6 am.

April Friday 12: Papering Sitting room.

April Saturday 13: Lillian was sick last night at 1:30 am.

April Sunday 14: The most awful Marine disaster on record occurred. The ‘Titanic’ the largest ship ever built went down with about 1600 people. Terrible.

April Monday 15: At Peterboro’.

April Tuesday 16: Left at 1:40 for Frankford. Papers full of ‘Titanic’ disaster.

April Wednesday 17: At F’d.

April Thursday 18: At F’d.

April Friday 19: WD left for Cleveland at 4:30 pm and I left for home. Stayed off at Belleville to see Porter re Ednas case & letters of administration [which ] he took [about] 1 ½ hrs to prepare. Got cheque of firm of $10, 470.00 to pay off my deposit security loan from Bk. of Ottawa.

April Saturday 20: Left at 5:45 am. for home and left again for Toronto at 11:45. Went to tea at Hetty’s & went to Ed’s at 9 pm. Paid off the last note of my deposit security $10,470.00 which is a great relief to me.

April Sunday 21: At Toronto at Ed’s. Went to ch in am. Walked down to meet Francis Carnagie at Sanatorium. She spent evening at Ed’s.

April Monday 22: At [---] called to see Rust C.E. & showed him Porters letter re Holgate’s admission. Left at 5 pm. GTRy for home.

April Tuesday 23: Left for Frankford at 1:40.

April Sunday 28: No church as water in cellar of ch. Went to dinner at Dr. Malone’s. Harry arrived home from McGill this a.m.

May Wednesday 1: [Note: the following words ‘Was to have been a meeting of Men’s Guild but no one turned up’ have been crossed out.]

May Friday 3: At F’d.

May Saturday 4: J Cameron Agt. (Insurance). W A Hill arr’d re Ins’e on Men. I drove to Stirling with him and left for home. Harry met me at tr ain. Did not give application as W.D. not at home.

May Sunday 5: Harry & I went over to Ryerson Ritchies for supper & till 8:30. R.J. Lyle there also. WD returned to Frankford this am.

May Monday 6: At Pet’o met R Ritchie at club & went to train with RJ Lyle.

May Tuesday 7: At Pet’o. Had meeting of Kawartha Transportation Coy at which Rritchie was there.

May Wednesday 8: Harry & I left for Frankford at 1:40 pm. Was to have been meeting of Mens Guild but no one turned up.

May Friday 10: Helped Harry at his plan of Pet’o for Ritchie all day. Went to meeting to form Civic Assoc’n which was formed. Very good meeting. It was decided to plant trees in Village.

May Saturday 11: Harry & I went trout fishing to Riverdale & Richardson’s Creek. Caught about 30. Supper at Belfours.

May Sunday 12: Harry, George & I drove to Trenton & had dinner at hotel. Tea at Dr. Simmons. Rain at night.

May Monday 13: T Whims came in as track foreman. Harry left for Peterboro at 5 George drove him to Stirling. Meeting of Civic Ass’n.

May Wednesday 15: Harry left Peterboro at 6 a.m. on his way to Detroit. He stayed [in] Toronto.

May Thursday 16: WD left at 10:10 am for Toronto to buy clam. Rained in pm. Meeting Civic Ass’n. Harry left Toronto for Detroit.

May Friday 17: Will & I drove to No. 4 in am. Rained hard all day. No work. Harry arrived in Detroit & met R Ritchie.

May Saturday 18: Wheeled to Stirling & went home on train.

May Sunday 19: At Pet’o. Called in pm to see Mrs. R Hamilton who is very ill but is better at Oriental. Went to tea at Tom Hay’s.

May Monday 20: Harry started to work at 6:30 am at the [Hup] Mobile Works Detroit.

May Sunday 26: Fine. Church & S School. Took B Class for first time this season. Dinner at Will Dennon’s. WD & I drove to Trenton re rails.

May Monday 27: Fine. Warm. Waiting for rails.

May Tuesday 28: Fine. Very warm. Waiting for rails. Heavy showers 4 pm. Most of work stopped.

May Wednesday 29: Showry all day. Very little work. Rails came & unloaded 2 or 3 loads. Archie McDonald came up to act as foreman.

May Thursday 30: Left for home at 2:30 via Anson.

May Friday 31: My old and fond friend Mrs. Rob’t Hamilton died this morning. Will miss her very much. Busy sowing grass seed on lawn. Went to Summer Fair at night. It was splendid.

June Saturday 1: Went up in afternoon to call at Auburn.

June Sunday 2: At Pet’o Service in am. Was Pallbearer for Mrs. Hamilton others J. Collins, G. Hatton, R. Frances, R E Wood, M Mulhern, A Hammond. Went to tea at Tom Hay’s.

June Monday 3: Left at 1:40 pm for Frankford. Fine.

June Tuesday 4: At Fd. Fine.

June Wednesday 5: Fine.

June Thursday 6: Fine."

June Sunday 9: At F’d Went to service & Bible Class. Dinner at Miss Clarks & supper at Simmons.

June Monday 10: Fine.

June Wednesday 12: Expected Minister over Canal.

June Thursday 13: Expected Minister over Canal. Phoned Porter.

June Saturday 15: Went to Belleville on special for Circus. Rained part of day. Went to circus (Ringling). Saw Porter re [---] case & also my own case. Did not get much satisfaction. Came to F’d by special but train was 1 ½ hours late so missed train for Pet’o at Anson. Was much disappointed.

June Sunday 16: In house till 2:30. Dinner at hotel. Bible class & service at night. Saw Mr. Dennon & George.

June Monday 17: W.D. Went to Valleyfield to purchase Dinkey.

June Tuesday 18: Fine.

June Wednesday 19: Fine. Mina’s Birthday.

June Thursday 20: Fine. Poor day handling gravel.

June Friday 21: Fine.

August Sunday 18: Capt. Copperwaite drove me up as far as No. 3 Lock & I wheeled up to Sandy Pt. & Yacht met me there.

August Monday 19: Wheeled down from Lake'd to Pet’o. Heber ran me Lak’d in yacht. Left by morning train but left wheel. Walked from Anson to Frankford.

August Saturday 24: Left at 4:10 for Pet’o via Belleville arr’d at 11 pm. Wreck on freight train ahead.

August Sunday 25: Service. Wheeled up in afternoon to lake.

August Monday 26: At lake. Sailing in am. Met B Ludgate.

August Tuesday 27: Harry & I left lake at 8 am with yacht & most of things. Saw Delafosse re article in ‘Review’. Left at night 9 pm & wheeled up from Trenton to Frank’d.

August Wednesday 28: Coffer dam lower entrance gave away.

August Thursday 29: Started to repair coffer dam. Brophy & Grant here today. [Note: the word ‘Grant’ has been crossed out.] [Lejeir] said they had taken 4 stop logs out of Glen Ross Saturday. This raised the water a foot here in rear.