a “chaste and eloquent” lecture on music given by John Caven on March 17, 1879, the words of the distinguished professor being interspersed with the patriotic songs of Ireland and Scotland. Lectures on Scottish themes seem to have been popular. Thus, on April 22, 1882, S. Bairns- father delivered his talk, “An hour in Scotland,” while on June 16, 1908, Rev. Dr. MacPhail lectured on Scotland for 11/2 hours. Patriotic themes such as “Love of Country,” “Scraps of Canadian history” and “From ocean to ocean” were also favoured. The last mentioned, delivered on March 20, 1905, was illustrated with seventy—five stereopticon views of “splendid and beautiful scenery,” and this presaged the technological innovations which were so to alter modes of entertainment during the century which had just begun.

Organized on December 27, 1882, the Literary Institute and De- bating Society, or at least a descendant thereof, was still flourishing in 1928. Its first President was Mr. William J. Logan, a school teacher and farmer, whose name was associated with the village’s cultural activities for almost half a century. The Society met weekly during the winter months, and a great variety of topics, ranging from “which policy is the better to adopt, free trade or protection?” to “which is the most pleas- ing to the human eye, the works of art or the works of nature?” was debated. Other entertainments such as the “grand concert” held on the night of February 17th, 1896, were frequently presented. There, such recitations as “The Gladiator” and “The Death Bridge of the Tay” and the solos “The Sword of Bunker Hill” and “McGarry’s Hat” were rend- ered with gusto. Societies were also established at Pisquid and St. An— drew’s, and there was a particularly active one in the Cherry Hill - Head of Hillsborough area. It was the stated aim of the latter “to eschew the old worn—out themes which too often engage the the attention of de- bating societies and discuss questions affecting the moral and material interests of the province.” None of the subjects debated by any of the societies seems, however, to have been treated with levity, and the ar— guments used were often very wide-ranging. Thus, when the Mount Stewart Club considered the resolution “that whale oil and tallow candles Were more beneficial than electricity,” a speaker for the affirmative claimed that the costs of electricity were “extortionable,” basing his ar- gument on the Biblical injunction, “Freely ye have received, freely give.” He also stated that “wiring of houses for light was unnecessary as in a short time the light would be broadcast the same as the sound of radio at present, requiring no wiring.”

The Examiner for July 8, 1884 reported the chief amusement of the boys of the village to be playing baseball. A “keenly contested match” had just occurred between the “Wharf Rats” and the Head of Hillsborough “Stumpers,” resulting “in the defeat of the latter, to the great joy of the former.” The interest remains undiminished to the present day, and the record is embellished with the triumphs of succes— s1ve generations of players. Thus, during the 1920 season, Mount Stewart played 8 games with visiting teams and lost only one. The line-up was Ward Jay (pitcher), Harvey Douglas (catcher), Peter Jay (1st base), Walter Douglas (2nd base), Percy Gorman (3rd base), Lane Pigot (short stop), McLeod Douglas (right field), Stanley McQuaid (center field), and H. Douglas (left field). In June, 1958, the Mount Stewart team was reported to have come to life with “a real bang” when it “walloped” Georgetown 23-0. Arthur Coffin, the star of the day, pitched a three-hitter for the winners, striking out 14 Georgetown batters. He further aided his team with a home run. The other members were Ross

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