SCRAPS OF LOCAL HISTORY. 37 



where the Snowball Co's mill now stands, and there would be six 

 to ten ships built there annually. At this time it was saihng 

 vessels altogether that came to this port, and I remember having 

 seen twentj^ ships in line coming around Middle Island, all 

 following the leader, as pilots were scarce, and I have seen thirty 

 to forty ships at once anchored opijosite Chatham, loading timber, 

 as few deals were then shipped. 



I watched the men building the Peabody stone house in 1838. 

 Old Andrew Currie was architect and builder, and a good job he 

 made of it, as can be seen to-day, although one gallon of West 

 India rum was served every day to the men while working. 

 Peabody lived here three years, till his death in 1841, and then 

 the next tenant was Gregory Layton, who ran a hotel there for a 

 few years, say till 1851. Wm. Kelly (afterwards Hon. Wm. 

 Kelly, M. P. P.) then carried on the hotel business there till about 

 1855, when the late Senator Muirhead bought it for a private 

 residence and lived there till his death. His son-in-law, John 

 Sadler, succeeded him. At his death it was rented by the Pine 

 family, and again became a hotel. Then followed Mr, Stephen 

 Cameron from Kent County, and at present it is run by Reuben 

 Babineau as a hotel. An additional story in wood has been added, 

 as the Babineau Hotel required more room to accommodate its 

 clients. It is owned at pre.sent, I believe, by A. & R. Loggie of 

 Loggieville. 



When I was very young, about 1837 I think, I saw the largest 

 pig that has ever been raised on the river. Gilmour, of Gilmour, 

 Rankin & Co., sent it over from Douglastown on a large sled 

 drawn by two of his farm horses. It was staked or boarded in on 

 the sled, and stood about four feet high and weighed 1000 pounds. 

 He said he sent it over to show the people what could be done here 

 w^th good care and good feed and plenty of it. The land here at 

 that time was very productive and feed plenty. Gilmour himself 

 came over and the town authorities ordered a salute to be fired in 

 his honour. This was done on Samuels' wharf, or what is now 

 Benson's, behind the Benson block. When all was ready and the 

 cannon loaded a man from the country by the name of ' 'Big Jock 

 C", who had supped not wisely, but too well, interposed his 

 authority and avoirdupois by perching over the touchhole and 

 defied the gunner. This gunner was of the same nature and 



