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^^â- â- â- â- laifcj'ijiii Jkslj^rtnn ^bMtta. ••TBUTH BEFORE FAVOB." â€" •• PEINCIPLEb NOT MEN.' VOL. XXffl, NO 1162 Flcshertoii, Ont., Tliursday, Decerqber 17, iQ03 W. H ThUl^rON, PBOPKIETOB \ I Up to Our I 4 Neck in Work i^ WE are doing the best we We can for you, VVl5h working night iTou Ail and day. A Very Still rierry Christ- mas ... we cannot get our orders out half fast enough. W. A. Armstrong, Fiesherton IP JEWELLER AXI> OPTICIAN p The Sattle of Inkerman TUB RECOLLECTIONS OF A SURVIVING BRITISH TAR. [WrittoQ for The Advance] Ths-*iuter of 1854-5 was past and yet the siego coutinu<Ki with the same doysjed â- defiance by both ihe besiegers and the ihe besieged. The tuoiiner was fast waning »iid still the enemy held their .stronghold, and it was beginititig to be fenred ihac nuoiher winter wo«H yet he spent on that cold Crlmeaii shore, ijut the longest siege must come to au end, and foituuato for «s Sebastopol was docnied sooD to f«11 into the hands of the besicffera. To ^ivc in detail the account of the »tru»!;le is beyond n)y power to describe. Suffice it then to say that on the 18th of September a biave and deter- mined attempt lo reduce che fortress proved successful. After a severe bom- baldinent a breach was effected, and breach folluwed breacli through which our forces entered, «uttrng and fighting their way with an impeni'.wtty that the enemy could not resist. On and oa came (lur troops, cheering as they came. The enemy b«gan to waver, thei> to break and tinally to fly in disorder and in every di- ivQctioQ. Their Itattpries were crumbling, the tUunder of the guns grew fainter and fainter, until they uliimatuly ceased. A British cheer, which seems to ring in uiy ears whenever I think of it, rent the air, and Seba«toix>l, the mighty, impreg- nable Sebastnpol, was ours. If the vic- tory was great, high was the price paid for it. Alany gallant officers gave up their commissionB with their lives iti that great struggle, old, w«r-s>sined , veterans who had fouglit for their country on the xunbumt plains of India and in the iiKiuntaiii passes cf Afuhanistan ; men who had hitherto passed through bloody struggle* scatliVsR ; young men fresjh from their homes and all they held dear, f«ll to rise no more, and many names were added to the li«t of widows and orphans on that 18th September, 1855. Little more remams to be told. Shortly after th« fall of Sebastopol our ship pro- ceded to Malta, where she was dry- ducked for repairs, after which we re- turned to Sebastopol. Admiral Lyons was promoted to coroinander-in-chief, lioist«d his flag on the Prince Albert, taking with him Captain Menzies, and we l«de farewoli to two of the best officors that ever commanded a British man-of- war. We took on board the Grenadier tliinrds and xailed for Portsmouth uuder Captain Paisley. After disembatkiiig Ike troops we stripped the old Agamemnon. She was ]iur. out of conimissiou, her crew piid off and I was free from her majesty's service. Fur his aervices Mr. tlcltae received Ihe war nieoal and three clasps. What a munificent feward for 6ve yeais of hard hnd dangerous service and a life-long injured Iio>b ! Wa read that thousands of pounds are annually paid out of the national treaxurv to dukes, carls and marquUes, merely Itecause their great, great grandfather or some distant relative tenil<*red Home creat service to their ooontry. It is all very well and most praiHeworthy for a generous and grateful natioii to recognize and appreciate such services by rewarding its heroes with hand«u>.u* gratuitira and annuities, but why these annuities should descend from generation to t;eneration for two hundred yiMa or more, aAd be paid absolutely lor nothing to those who never rendered ,iny service to their country, isan ineiplicable problem. Could not these thousands be appropriated to a more laudable cause were they used in increasing the pensions oF those (lid and worn out veterans who have (jiveii 21 or more years of the very best purt of their liyes to the service of their country, and many of whom in old age and past their lal>or find themselves struggling through the balance of life on a lueai-ru ])ension barely sufficient to sus- tiiin life. It is to be hoped that in the many changtis and reforms that are to be made in the army and navy a comfortable provision will be made for the old age of those who so long and faithfully served their country in the prime of life. I It is gratifying to note that our esteem- ' ed friend and fellow citizen, Mr. McRae, thouiih ill requited for bis service to the empire, has, by his indomitable courage ar.d hard labor, nut of the primeval forest hewu for himself a comfortable home in I which to take a well merited rest in the ' evening of life, and we trust that he may , live in health and comfort to see many anniversaries of the battle of Inkerman. I After leaving the royal navy Mr. I McRae spent some peara in the merchant . service, iu which he sailed to nearly eveiy I part of the globe, experienced many I perilous adventures including shipwreck, and long and dangerous voyages made in overladen and unaeaworthy vessels. A- part from the active service which Mr. McRae had seen while in the navy, his experience as a sailor in the merchant service fades to insignificance his former career as a sailor in the imperial service. At some future period we hope to give a detailed account of his voyages and ad- ventures iu the merchant marine. â- â€" F. From the Wheatfields Another Entertaining Letter from nr. F. T. Carr It is not wise to t(0 far from home here in the West, even in August, without your fur coat. It might be needed quickly. While the harvest was in full swing, en Sept. 12, down came a snow- storm and heavy frost and the grain not cut was cooked, and most of that iu stook nut dried hard enough was frozen, too, so that there ia not much wheat this year for No. 1 hard. I tell you, Mr. Editor, it is an experience in farming when you sit on the cinder clad in fur coat, mits and cap, with the prairie wind blowing sixty miles an hour, and your teeth chat- tering as if in prize contest with the baud of the Coldstream Guards, whilst you are hustling to get the wheat cut down before the frost destroys it. It did catch us this year in earnest. On Sept. 12 the wind blew a blizzard and the snow cov- ered the face of the country here six inches deep, and at night the snow froze so hard you could walk on the drifts the following morning. But the old settlerit say it is not often like this, and the wheat in the stook will not be hurt, but the sei}uel proved the contrary this time. It froze in the stook, ton, yet it sells, al- though not as No. 1 hanl, at 40 to C5 cents per biuhel. The harvest is over, thr«shinir done and farmers are busy hurrying the plough. Whilst some say with Horace Ghreeiy, "Tickle it with a hue and it laughs with a harvest," experience has taught intelli- gent men that it pays to cultivata the laud well here, as ehiewhere. Because of the frost enormous yields are net the burden of the song of many in this part of the wheat garden this year. Still there is not much complaint, although many a man's wheat returns are about what Ootariu farmsrs ctsii good cbickeu feed. But the oat crop is a good average crop. Aud still the newcomers come and new homes ore riaing on every hand along the line of the new branch of railway. This opens up a moat extensive and beautiful stretch of the very best of this prairie country. From where I sit in my cabin I can see a mile away the grsdinggang at worli nearly coinpletinir, ready for the steel, which ia being laid by Ihe construc- tion gang at the rate of two tuiles per day. This bids fair tn be a very import- ant sectiou of the C. P.R. lines. From hereto Begins, northwestward, 92 miles, being, the eneiiieers assort, the longest, stiaightest and must level piece of track in the world. The town at this point is the intended junction of another branch to be built next summer to Eslevan, 90 miles south, to the coal fields, and it ia the intention to convey the pas- senger traffic over this Arcola-Regina extension from the last to the coast in future. It is remarkable with what energy and enterprise the% western people take hold of things. This new town of Stougbton was only surveyed by the C. P. R sur- veyors a week ago, and the town luta have sold like the provnrbial hot cakes at 9150, fl75 and |200 each, according to location, lots ttxlSO feet. A bitick of forty acrsa waa surveyed, and still more is being called for and some of tbs pur- chasers have commenced building opera- tions already. All bands are possessed with enthusiasm, for the train in expected here in a month, and men from every- where, representing the varioua business lines, are pushing to be on hand when the train arrives. This all tends to stagger one when we think we druvu over this very spot only two years ago, a wide open plain with scarcely a settler's hut in sight. This all goes to show that previous trav- ellers and prospectors did not ride over these plains with the object of sightseeiirg merely, or love of adventure, but luckily behind it all was the dei^ire of conquest and the attainment of something of grand commercial value. For this men, and women, too, will brave the inconveniences of life for a season to obtain a broader sphere of operations. Here there often comes severe electric storms in the summer time. They come up suddenly, and, if at night, to a new comer it ia terribly sublime. It is a unique experience, anyway, to a-ako up, aroused by a deafening crash of thunder and feel as though your cabin was being knocked about the ptairie like you would kick around a pair of old boots. You jump up to look at the awful scene. The lightning is at times one continuous glare as if our Fred Deagle had his finder on the button and at every twict the lights all along the line would flash out in blinding brilliancy. At other times there is a blinding flash and then an instant of intense Egyptian darkness, and you listen inatinctively for the crack of doom, while at thesfimo time the waters coma down from above in one great sheet a.s though the bottom of a sea had fallen out. It is sometimes apalling â€" similar, perhaps, to the experience of a down east congrega- tion recently, an account of which reached me just at the time of one of these phe- nomena here. The account ran thit the minister in a certain town was in the midst of his Bible talk, when an electric storm came over and a crack of thunder caused alarm amongst the uatives,causing such a commotion tlint he could not pro- ceed but announced a hymn and the people sang and left the church. The face of the country here at night in autumn is often illuminated beautifully by ihe lighta from burning straw piles in ! every direction. The threshing being done on the fields tho straw is burnt there, there being no need to save it us in Ont.-irio. These beautiful illuminations would give you the impressioa that you were out on the ocean and approaching a great city and those were lights all along the shore. As I write I look out and see an immense blackened waste. A prairie fire has swept off everything it could reach over a larste extent of country. These fires are awful to behold. Imagine a plane of dry grass knee dsep or so, and a wind blowing at sixty miles an hour. On the fai distant horizon you see a dense smoke. The prairie is un fire and it is rushing before the wind with more than racehorse speed, everything getting out of its way as fast a.s foot or wing can carry it. Man, alone, feebly attempts to stop the fury. If there is time to turn a few furrows of sod around stacks or buildinga, or run out a little way and bum a few spots in the line of the approschiog wave, then slash it out with a blanket or boughs and thus turn the element aside, but stop it 1 No, might as well try to turn back the tides. â€" F. T. C. McFARLAND. STAFFORD & CO. £;kdale:, onxaijio GREY COUNTY'S BICCEST AND CHEAPEST STOfSE Only six Shopping Days / Before Christmas SgggBBgBP^gCggg Think of it ! Next week will bo Chritmaa and only six days after to-day in which to do your holiday buying. Why not commence at ' presents, before the best things are picked over 1 I this atore will help you, because of its immense I prices. This ia but a partial list of such things : and select your ChristmaH If undecided what to buy a visit to variety and uniformly reasonable jCnaetieal Qfwiatmaa Scr^aents Wiiat is Catarrli It is inflammttion of the niacous lining of the thrtiat, bronchial tubes and nasal passages excited by germs that can only be dnstrnyed by fragrant healing Catarrh- ozoDO which is breathed direct to the seat of the disease, and ha< never yet failed to cure. Pleasant to use, absolute- ly certain to cure. Catsrrhuzone always gives satisfaction. "I suffered from nasal catarrh so badly that I couldn't breath through my nostrils, writes G. K. Wilmot of Meriden' I used Cttarrhozone for a few oiiiiu'es and was relieved. It cured in a short time." N.> other remedy just like CatarrhuZ'ine, â€" it's the best. 'I'wo mouths' treatment 9L0O ; trial size 2Sc. SILK WAIST LENGTHS AT ?1.50 30 waist Lengths of pure silk in a large variety of shades, floral designs, and Persian stripe effects, specially adapted for ladies waists.in 4yd.leni:ths(8uSicient for a wsist), each put up in a separate box labelled "Xmos Greetings," ele- gant Xmaa gift at S1.50, ?2.00, ?2.50, §2.30 DRESSING SACQUES FOR «1.05 8 Dressing Sacques of heavy quality Eiderdown in cardinal only, sailor collar, cuffs, nicely trimmed with fancy biaid, only 1 65 10 Dressing Sacques of knitted Berlin Wool, hanJaomely worked out with fancy stitch <if whitB,eflged with ball trimming, colors pinks, cardinal and sky â€" handsome gift, only y 1.65 $1.75 KIMONOS FOR 98c. 12 Kimonos of imported eider flannel in heavy weight of assorted rich floral pat- terns aud colors, combination wide collar and reveres of Roman satin, edged with lace, regular value $1.75 for 98c $3.50 LADIES SKIRTS for $1.75 75 Ladies Homespun Dress Skirts bought at one- half the regular values, from a leading skirt manufacturer, comprising medium and dark grey stripe efiects, also rich dark green, and a few black that are lined throughout. The makers could not take orders for any ono line as they couli not give a complete range of sizes, there- fore they had lo sacrifice the lot. Groo])- ing them all together, there is a complete range of sizes. The price we ask for them is leas than the bare cost of cloth. On sale this week at your choice, only 1,75 34.00 LADIES MANTLES for 98o. 25 only Lidies' Mantles. 27 inches long in black, blue and brown nap clothâ€" last year's style, many of them are trimmed with fancy braid and have pearl button.s, good value in rei;ulur way 84.00, to clear, wo have put them on sale at each 98 «2.50 KNIFE &, FORK SETTS $1.50 50 sets of triple plated silver knives and forks, either dinner or desert size and put up in sets of six knives and six forks in a box, sold in most places for 82.50 t)ur price this week per set 1.50 DOLLS ! DOLLS ! DOLLS ! Dnnt t fail to have a look through our big collection of doUa.just placed in stock the other day for Xmas trade. All are new and prices low as follows : 8c., lOc, 20c. 25c., and 33 COME EARLY IN THE DAY I We emphasize that word " EARLY " because it is of mutual benefit. We can insure early shoppers better choice, better service ; and certainly you can shop with greater ease and comfort by coming early. McFAKLAND, STAFFOI^D & CO. SPECIAL INDUCEHENTS FOR CH RISTMAS TRADE. ^ 10 Men's all-wool Tweed SuiU $7 and $8 for 6.00 12 Ladies' Fine Coats, $7.50 and $9.00, for 5.00 A large assortment of carpets, arranging in price from 25c. to f .125 per yd An extra good stock of B(>r80 Blankets on hand,and weare sellini^lh^m at the lowest living prices known. Also a full range of Men's Heavy Fmitwear, such «« Felt Boots, Heavy Rubbers, Moccasins, Lag- gings, etc. 20 Men's Heavy Ulsters, good valve at 86 12 only Men's Pea Jacket8,on sale atS.iH) 20 all-wool Men's Sweaters, worth $1.00 for Ooc. 60 yds. crash toweling, worth Sz.yd. for 7 6 pr.gray wool Blankets, to clear out at $1.90 pair 12 Men'* Cardigan Jackets, reg. $1.50, for i.it» Men's Kid Gloves, regular price 90c. and • 1.00, for. 60c per pair A Reduction in Groceries 5 lbs g<xM! Japan tea for fl.CO 5 lbs Coylou Black tea. .' 1.00 13 lbs. best selected raisins 1.00 The News in speaking of the possibility of Ganiey a8!<i«ting in the Ni.rth Renfrew election now pending has this t<j say : â€" | "The truth is that both Strnttun and , Oamey should be driven out of the Leg- 1 islature. If our politics had not got dowu I to a low level neither cuuld hold any place I in the public life of the country. Neither | could sit in the British Pxrliaiiieiit tor one i hour, and we discredit British in'titu(i-<ns and British tisditions when We accept] such traffickers in the public honor as leaders of the community. If the Royal CommiMiun bad done its whole duty and : •et its mark on Siratton as it did on Oamey, both would have disappeared. As ii is, Oamey is able lo alta^.k the find- inssof the CiHiimission with cuosideraUe effect, while LibersU accept ibe report aa a vindication of S'ratton and an apology for all the diacre Citable iniiii.U«ri*l negot- iatious with the msmber for Manitoulin." 25 lbs. best Tapoica 1.00 25 Iks. fresh Figs \x<S go '«f|{« Ws soap, reg. 124c for 9c.pr.bar A nice assortment of Faucy (ilaasware fo ChooM from for Xmas Olftt. . . Higliest prices ptiid fof Fowi and Butter.. . . W. HOCKLEY Proton Station Mr. W. J. Blakeston, principal of the Dundalk public school, has completed statistics in conuKction with kcrping a C"W for a period oX one year,froni October to October, which will be found interest- ing. The cxpendi lure during that time was'afi f<dlows: â€" Chopped feed $2 25,bran $3.20, pasture $«.00. turnips $8.80. hay $18, â€" total cofit $:M.25. Ttie n c-i;>ts from the cow were i* follows:â€" 226 1-2 (loumls of butter 135 00, milk aud cream used $24.00, sals of calf $8.00.â€" total reeeil'U $67 00 Amount of receipts over exp<"- diture$2A.75. To attend to the cow eU- ouired ahuut oite hour a day, or sbout ttii ty-sis day8,which at least is valued nt a dollar a day. This would mean a 'o i of 47 25, and Mr. Ulakexton's oncluni-^a ia "uo moncT in keeping a cow iu a vil- InSC, but it is very convtuirut." â€" Dwa' dalk H«ratd. â- V.i ^:j: