Life in the Clearings Versus the Bush

Life in the Clearings Versus the Bush by Susanna Moodie

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Authors: Susanna Moodie
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Sheriff in the first court ever held in the place.
    Twelve brief years have made a wonderful, an almost miraculous, change in the aspect and circumstances of the town. A stranger, who had not visited it during that period, could scarcely recognize it as the same. It has more than doubled its dimensions, and its population has increased to upwards of 4,500 souls. Handsome commodious stores, filled with expensive goods from the mother country and the States, have risen in the place of the small dark frame buildings; and large hotels have jostled into obscurity the low taverns and groceries that once formed the only places of entertainment.
    In 1840, a wooded swamp extended almost the whole way from Belleville to Cariff’s Mills, a distance of three miles. The road was execrable; and only a few log shanties, or very small frame houses, occurred at intervals along the road-side. Now, Cariff’s Mills is as large as Belleville was in 1840, and boasts of a population of upwards of 1000 inhabitants. A fine plank road connects it with the latter place, and the whole distance is one continuous street. Many of the houses by the wayside are pretty ornamental cottages, composed of brick or stone. An immense traffic in flour and lumber is carried on at this place, and the plank road has proved a very lucrative speculation to the shareholders.
    In 1840, there was but one bank agency in Belleville, now there are four, three of which do a great business. At that period we had no market, although Saturday was generally looked upon as the market-day; the farmers choosing it as the most convenient to bring to town their farm produce for sale. Our first market-house was erected in 1849; it was built of wood, and very roughly finished. This proved but poor economy in the long run, as it was burnt down the succeeding year. A new and more commodious one of brick has been erected in its place, and it is tolerably supplied with meat and vegetables; but these articles are both dearer and inferior in quality to those offered in Kingston and Toronto. This, perhaps, is owing to the tardiness shown by the farmers in bringing in their produce, which they are obliged to offer first for sale in the market, or be subjected to a trifling fine. There is very little competition, and the butchers and town grocery-keepers have it their own way. A market is always a stirring scene. Here politics, commercial speculations, and the little floating gossip of the village, are freely talked over and discussed. To those who feel an interest in the study of human nature, the market affords an amplefield. Imagine a conversation like the following, between two decently dressed mechanics’ wives:
    “How are you, Mrs. G—?”
    “Moderate, I thank you. Did you hear how old P—was to-day?”
    “Mortal bad.”
    “Why! you don’t say. Our folks heard that he was getting quite smart. Is he
dangerous?

    “The doctor has given him up entirely.”
    “Well, it will be a bad job for the family if he goes. I’ve he’rd that there won’t be money enough to pay his debts. But what of this marriage? They do say that Miss A—is to be married to old Mister B—.”
    “What are her friends thinking about to let that young gal marry that old bald-headed man?”
    “The money to be sure – they say he’s rich.”
    “If he’s rich, he never made his money honestly.”
    “Ah, he came of a bad set,” – with a shake of the head.
    And so they go on, talking and chatting over the affairs of the neighbourhood in succession. It is curious to watch the traits of character exhibited in buyer and seller. Both exceed the bounds of truth and honesty. The one, in his eagerness to sell his goods, bestowing upon them the most unqualified praise; the other depreciating them below their real value, in order to obtain them at an unreasonably low price.
    “Fine beef, ma’am,” exclaims an anxious butcher, watching, with the eye of a hawk, a respectable citizen’s wife, as she paces

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