took our furniture and goods out of the store, and had all shipped to Beaverton. We remaining over for a few days at St. Vincent, where only James and Harriet with their families, and Margaret, were still remaining. We also settled the last of some half uncertain old debts, which were paid more for the sake of our good name than for their real obligation.

BEAVERTON PROJECT.

Some of the enterprising citizens of the town of Beaverton on Lake Simcoe determined to have an agricultural foundry and machine shop, and knowing Mr. Jay's business and mechanical ability, invited him to build and manage the whole undertaking. Accordingly, he moved his family from Meaford to Beaverton. As father was living with them, he accompanied the family. An arrangement had been made with me, while on the north shore, to assist in the plans and construction of the plant, and in the course of regular work, to be the patternmaker. A large machine shop was erected forty by sixty feet and two stories high. Parallel with this, twenty feet away, was the moulding shop or foundry, and a building twenty feet wide connected the two. In the course of three or four months business was commenced, and in about four months after this the foundry took fire and burned to the ground. As the buildings were all connected, and the town had no fire company or fire appliances, it was regarded that all would surely go. The fire broke out about nine o'clock in the evening. The whole townspeople, men, women and children, gathered and stood awestruck with uplifted faces, watching the great high cone of flame and sparks as it shot toward the sky. But one of the town officials saw that the machine shop could be emptied of its stock and machinery and that much saved. He was a big man with a voice like a roaring bull of Bashan. He called on the men to come on and clean out the shop, and the women and boys were to carry water to prevent the shop taking fire, as long as possible. So everyone began to make himself as useful as he could. The shop pump and other pumps were kept a-going. The fire was fought in the

connecting building; and when the big shop began to smoke, from the great heat, water was thrown upon it from the windows, from which most of the sashes had been taken. In a short time the building was emptied of its contents. Then efforts were redoubled to save the building. But, at the same time, more than half the upper side of the building burst into a sheet of flame, which running upwards passed over the eave projection like a reversed waterfall. We thought we were surely beaten, the heat being so great, we could hardly stand to poke our heads out of the windows. But well-directed water thrown by many hands, extinguished the flames, and we saw that the charred surface absorbed the water, so that it would not readily ignite again; so we saved the main shop, while the foundry was completely destroyed and the connecting building almost wholly so. It was the most heroic accomplishment of that kind that I ever saw. Next morning the citizens gathered again and carried in the heavy machinery they had so ruthlessly pulled out the night before. It had, however, suffered much by the change.

This fire was a severe blow to the company, and accompanied by the fact that we had spread out into lines of work, in which we could not compete with the large shops, this compelled us to narrow its sphere and curtail expenditure. This made it advisable for me to leave and find employment elsewhere, as I did in Peterboro in the early summer of 1872.

I feel that I should not dismiss this year in Beaverton without further reference to father. Mr. Jay and I felt that in coming there we were entering into a large and hopeful undertaking. Father, though in his seventy-first year, felt likewise, he was as buoyant and hopeful as his boys, but in quite a different line. While Mr. Jay and I hoped to carve out a business and mechanical career with at least good moderate success, he was building himself up with the hope of starting a Church of Christ. So in the large house we all occupied, a large room was set apart to be the place of meeting, and his family, that is, myself and Jane, and Charles and Mary, were to be, with his lead, the nucleus of a church. There was no

use in raising objections, or asking to wait for a better start. The first Sunday we were all together was the first meeting day, and besides Jay's two children and our little one there was no further audience. We went through the usual routine of worship. Though father was physically unable to work, his mind was alert, and like Paul at Athens, he talked in the market place or anywhere with those who met him. His hearers would admire his knowledge of the Scriptures and his ability in argument, because they could not match it, and they would let it go at that. To go to the good auld Kirke on the Sabbath day and have some good Scotch whiskey on more or less frequent occasions satisfied their minds and palates so well, that a change could not be considered.

An advertisement for a machine shop foreman brought a Mr. William Smith to our house. After the business talk with Mr. Jay, and a mutual satisfactory arrangement had been completed, father began sounding him on the religious situation. He was found to be a good solid well-versed Scotch Presbyterian. So father lined up against him some of the Scriptural positions that he could so nicely pose and the discussion was long and earnest, but kindly and considerate. Smith realized that for the time at least he was beaten; but felt sure that when he could review, and place his arguments in more orderly form, he would come out all right. A few weeks afterwards, when he began work with us, the whole subject of their differences was gone over again, and Smith surrendered, and a week or so after, he and his wife were baptized in Lake Simcoe, and our church numbered seven, and I think that was the extent of the Beaverton Church of Christ. Mr. Jay remained in Beaverton a year or two after I left, and after turning the whole management over to Smith, he and family with father returned to Meaford, where he entered into business with my brother James.

REMOVAL TO PETERBORO.

As before mentioned, I had struck out for a new job. I went to Peterboro and engaged with an agricultural and foun

dry firm of which J. R. Davis was the manager. I was the leading and for most of the time the only patternmaker. Here was my first experience with architectural castings and with George A. Cox, afterwards the great railroad king, Member of Parliament and president of the Canada Life Assurance Company; who, though rich, and I only a good skilled workman, yet through work I was doing for him there arose a mutual respect, which was undiminished by the fact that though he with others strenuously urged me, he could not enlist me as a politician in his behalf. Afterwards, when he had removed to Toronto and was president of the Street Railway Company, he must have acquired a similar greater respect for my brother Edward, for neither by argument or the prospect of material advantage, could he prevail on him to change the course of the Monetary Times in regard to Sunday street car service to suit his interest.

This Peterboro beginning was momentous in more ways than one; I was away from old associations; both of family, friends, church and politics. I was free to readjust myself and family religiously, politically or socially. I had been a Liberal Conservative. My employers and new friends were in the Reform party.

As there was no congregation of Disciples to unite with, the question came up, "Should I unite with some other body or stay out altogether?" The latter possible choice was admitted to consideration because of my knowledge of the scientific discoveries of Darwin, Huxley and Tyndall, and the possible deductions therefrom, seemingly so hostile to current religious belief. The most extreme of which was the confidently expressed opinion, that "Given matter and force all things could be accounted for." This manifestly assumed the question in dispute, that is, mind or spirit. Which was regarded if not in some way material, at least a product of matter; and they seemed likely then to make their contention good. So that for a time thoughtful believers were uncertain as to their standing. However, the second or third Sunday after coming to the town, I attended the Baptist Church. At the close of the

preaching service the pastor announced that a meeting to attend to the Communion or Lord's Supper would immediately follow this, to which other Christians were invited. Though greatly surprised, I said, "That means me," and remained. But seeing the members reseating themselves compactly in the center row of seats, said I, "This looks like close communion, I better wait," and seated myself to one side. A venerable old deacon came and inquired if I were a Baptist? I replied, "No, but I am a Disciple." "Do you wish to commune?" "If there are no objections, I would be pleased to do so." He went and submitted the matter to the pastor, who gave me an approving nod, and I took a place among them. Later when I was ready to move Mrs. Trout and family to the town, without any further formality, we continued to work and worship with them quite heartily for eleven years. We were often earnestly entreated to become formal members, but as our position was that of Christians only, we could not curtail our freedom by becoming Baptists.

This at first was a Scotch Baptist Church and attended to the Lord's Supper every Lord's day, according to the regulations of close communion. A good Englishman, Brother Gilmore, while their pastor, indoctrinated them with open communion principles, which cut off their fellowship with the regular Baptist churches, and left them independent. Since we left, however, they have been regulated back into the full fellowship.

With regard to politics, I gave the claims of the Reform party a new, and as unprejudiced consideration as I could, only to settle back more decidedly in my Conservative position, opposed as it was to boss and friends and fellow work

men.

After a year's residence in Peterboro, the combined position of draftsman and foreman patternmaker, in the William Hamilton Company's shop, became vacant, and I applied for the place, and secured it. I had been preparing for advanced work and here I had it in plenty.