SCRAPS OF LOCAL HISTORY. 33 



ticular niche of the mosaic of the past, confirming its veracity. 

 Looking at the matter in this hglit, I have ventured to write this 

 ai'ticle as a sequel to the article entitled -'Fi-ancis Peabody, the 

 Founder of Chatham," in Bulletin No. 6 of this Association. That 

 article describes Chatham in 1800, this one a little later in its 

 history. Tlie spot where thi^ article is being written is historic 

 ground, and the ac3ompanying plate gives it as it appeared in 

 1826. The hip-roofed buildmg in the foreground had evidently 

 been formerly a porter's lodge for the Cunard juansion, as a 

 similar one stands yet at the other entrance of the semi-circular 

 driveway that leads to Cunard 's residence, now the Bowser 

 House. This hip-roofed building was the first stationery store in 

 Cbatham, and was kept by James A.Pierce. It faced on Water 

 street. It was elongated, and in the rear end was published the 

 first newspaper on the North Shore, viz., "The Mercxiry," in 

 1826 and 1827. Jas. A. Pierce was a bandsman in an English Regi- 

 ment disbanded in Quebec. He came to Halifax, where his sister 

 was married to Alex. McLeod, wholesale liquor dealer, and after- 

 wards to Miramichi, where he started this stationery store and 

 afterwards became editor of "The Mercury", which he continued 

 for only two years, w^hen he built the other i)itched roof building 

 and started a printing ofi&ee in it, and changed the name of the 

 paper, calling it "The Gleaner" (1828), which was published for so 

 many years by himself and afterwards by his son, J. J. Pierce. 

 We give here the pictures of both. ^ 



They were both able and tearless wi iters. The father was once 

 arrested, taken to Fredericton and imi)risoned for a week or so, 

 and tried before the bar of the House for "s.-tssing the Govern- 

 ment," and let off with a caution, I believe. They were both 

 noted for being always "agin the Government,'' whichever side 

 was in. I have before me an old copy of "The Gleaner" which 

 reports a festival of St. Andrew's held on the 3(tli Nov., 1839, 

 in which Dr. A. Key was President and Jno. Petrie and Robt. 

 Cassels, Vice Presidents. Toasts — The Queen, St. Andrew, The 

 Queen Dowager, Army and Navy, St. George, St. Patrick, the 

 Governor General and North American Colonies ; Sir Colin Camp- 

 bell, Lieut. Governor of Nova Scotia ; Sir John Harvey, Lieut. 

 Governor of New Brunswick; Sir John Colbome, &:c , &c., — 

 were drunk. 



