Georgetown Stories: 1869-1890 20

The Georgetown Common

A press report of the debate in the RBI. House of Assembly on a bill re the Georgetown commonz” Mr. MacDonald spoke. The bill had been asked for by the largest number of the inhabitants of Georgetown. The Common around Georgetown was laid off by three English gentlemen as early as the year 1776. Of course, these gentlemen did not know and could not foresee what would in the future be the requirements of Towns in a place like P.E.I., and the result has been that from the year 1776 to the present this Common has been of no further use to Georgetown than as a place to bury their dead. Now this Bill provides that the Government be empowered to appoint three persons who shall have the care of the Common and be permitted to let it to various tenants for a term not exceeding ten years. The land is to be given back to the town art the end of the term in a cultivated state and all rents that may accrue from it are to be laid out in its further improvement. This we hope will result in the clearing up of the Common and be a great advantage to the town. About forty years ago a man squatted upon it and cleared a few acres. he was ejected, and the clearance is now used as a cricket field. If the Bill goes into operation. it is hoped that in a few years a great part of the Common will; be cleared and cultivated, so that it may be resorted to by the people for amusement and recreation.” The report went on the say that Dan Gordon spoke in opposition to the Bill saying that many believed the Common “was the property of the people of Georgetown and cannot be disposed of without the consent of all the inhabitants.” Gordon argued that the Common might still be needed as common property: “Were it not for the great injury done to the surrounding fisheries by the American fishermen, Georgetown would would today be next to St. John’s, Nfd, the best and most thriving fishing place in the Maritimes Provinces. These Fisheries may again become valuable and the land needed for fishermen.” Gordon argued further that hundreds of pasture lots around Georgetown, owned by individuals, were still undeveloped. Wasn’t this the place to begin? Further, neighbouring land would lose value if the Common were placed on the market. MacDonald replied that such objections came from the Royalty-~that “residents of Georgetown do not admit that these persons have any right or interest in the Common.”

Others joined in the debate. It was by no means

certain that neighboring lands would lose their value. But another said sarcastically, “the people of Georgetown can amuse themselves on their vacant lots and magnificent public squares.” The Bill passed, however, with some amendmentstPresbyterian, July 26, 1880)

Robbeg in Georgetown

“ Late last fall and early this spring, despite the vigilance of the employees, a good deal of thieving was committed around the Railway Dept. in this town, which was brought to a crisis on Monday last. The list of missing articles consisted of 1 barrel of flour, 1 box of raisins, 1 case of whiskey, a quantity of boots and shoes and two rolls of cloth all of which were taken out of locked cars on the Railway Wharf. Besides 1 case of brandy was stolen from the railway warehouse though the doors were kept under lock and key and five hides were snatched from the wharf, three of which were secreted under the warehouse. In due time the railway department instituted an inquiry and to that end samples of the missing cloth were forwarded to Mr. J.H. Byme, Station Agent, who found some of the same quality in Mr. Cameron’s tailor shop on Saturday last, left there by [a well-known citizen of this town]. This discovery was communicated to the Superintendent, and Marshall Flynn was dispatched to arrest the parties accused of theft. A search warrant was procured on Monday night and on Thursday morning the marshal accompanied by Constable Reilly and the agent here searched the residence of [the citizen] and found two rolls of cloth which the agent identified by the samples in his possession. [The man] was arrested and remanded until the 17th. A young man. . . who is accused of complicity decamped before the officers appeared and is still at large. Constable Reilly is on his track. [The well—known citizen] declares he is innocent

of the theft.” (King’s Conny Advertiser as copied by the Presbyterian, May 18, 1881).

St. James Total Abstinence Socieg

The St. James Total Abstinence Society, Georgetown, elected new officers for the year, the initial term of three years for the society having expired. At a meeting held on a Sunday