FOUR DAYS ON LONELY ISLAND: EAT DOG
After 51 years Separation Wm. Lloyd of Kincardine and H.W. Martin, Detroit, meet here. Were Boys Together on Manitoulin Island. Tell of Experience They had When Crossing Ice from Mainland, When Two of Party were Drowned. Saved by Indians (Kincardine Review)
Friday last, one of our town citizens, Mr. Wm. Lloyd, had a pleasant surprise when a boyhood friend of his, Mr. Fred Martin, with his son W. L. Martin, motored from Detroit to spend a day together talking over old times when they were boys living near Kagawong, Manitoulin Island. Mr. Martin and Mr. Lloyd had not met for fifty-one years, but recalled many incidents of interest to both: of Mr. Martin’s father losing his life on the wrecked S. S. Asia enroute to Manitoulin, and of the near tragedy that befell them both when boys of 16 and 20. They, with a party of five others were crossing the ice from the north shore, or mainland, where they had been working on construction work on the Soo branch of the C.P.R. to spend Christmas at their homes in Little Current.
The party of seven left LaCloche (then the Hudson Bay trading post) shortly after noon, Dec. 20th, 1883, for Little Current, on new made ice and owing to very mild weather made travelling very slow and dangerous. As darkness came on they got to ice which would only carry them by crawling on their stomachs and keeping some distance apart. Their packs with food, clothing and axe had been abandoned long before dark, and their one hope was toward a small island, or rock heap, they could see in the distance. An elderly man who started out with them, turned back early in the evening leaving the six boys to go on, as their homes were all on Manitoulin and all were anxious to reach home for Christmas. As they crawled on in the darkness the first boy went through the ice and drowned. He was Robert Frazer eldest son of Donald Frazer, who still resides near Kagawong, a pioneer of that part of Manitoulin.
Shortly after Frazer went through, another followed quite near the rocky island. He was Robert Boyter, son of the late R. Boyter, Gore Bay lighthouse keeper. The rest came to open water and by swimming a short distance, climbed up on the rocky shore almost exhausted. One of the four saved was a younger brother of Robert Boyter, namely Dave Boyter, a lad of 13, now in business at Little Current, also a young man, Chas. Burrison, whom they have lost track of. The four boys found their island was just a huge rock pile, with very little firewood. The had matches and these they succeeded in drying in their hair, and succeeded in getting a fire going some hours later, but they found it cold enough without food or shelter. They reached the island on Dec. 20th and were rescued by Indians on Dec. 24th. The Indians saw their signals for help and came with a small sleigh and canoe pulling the canoe on the sleigh where the ice was safe and then riding the canoe in open water.
Three days and nights under such conditions was a life time to the boys and the last morning on the island, despairing of ever getting off alive, they killed a small dog belonging to Dave Boyter, cooked some of it, and – but that’s as far as Mr. Martin and Mr. Lloyd wanted to talk about that incident. The quartette arrived at their homes on Manitoulin Island on Christmas Day for turkey dinner. Safe to say every detail of that dangerous trip remains fresh in their memory.
Manitoulin Expositor, August 16, 1934
FOUR UNINJURED WHEN CAR TURNS OVER
Returning a late hour from attending a large Masonic gathering at Espanola on Wednesday night of last week, Mr. Melvin BOCK accompanied by four others, had the misfortune to turn his car over. The accident occurred at Swift Current while crossing the railway tracks. It is thought the car skidded on the slippery rails after receiving a jolt at
this bad crossing. The car skidded, turning completely around on the road, toppling over when string a stone pile along the right of way. Damage to the car amounting to a smashed top and much of the glass being broken. The occupants of the car besides the driver were, Chas. McDonald, Donald McKenzie, and E.C. Davis, all of whom escaped without any injury except for a few bumps when the car turned over.
Manitoulin Expositor November 1, 1934
McDOUGALL – BRANDOW
An interesting wedding took place at the manse, Gore Bay, on June twenty-seventh, when Catherine M.E. Brandow, younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Brandow of Ice Lake, became the bride of Alexander McDougall of East Bluff.
The pretty bride wore a white silk crepe dress, white shoes, stockings, gloves and a veil caught with orange blossoms. She wore the groom’s gift, a white gold bracelet, set with rhinestones, and carried a bouquet of peonies, honey-suckles, and maiden hair fern.
Miss Laura, sister of the bride, wearing a dress of white silk crepe with accessories to match attended the bride, while Mr. Laughlin McCannel, cousin of the groom , was groom’s man.
The groom’s gift to the bridesmaid was a green gold watch band and to the groom’s man gold cuff links.
After the ceremony the bridal party with Mr. Jim Gordon as driver, motored to the home of the bride’s parents, where a dainty dinner was served to the immediate relatives. In the evening a reception was held in Billings Hall, for a large number of friends of the popular young couple.
We all join in wishing the happy couple a long and happy wedded life.
The bride and groom will reside at East Bluff.
Manitoulin Expositor, July 12, 1934
Mr. and Mrs. T.J. Patten Receive Many Visitors
On the event of their Golden Wedding Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Patten received many friends and acquaintances at their home on Sunday. A family dinner was held in the evening. At the dinner Mrs. Patten was presented with a gold wrist watch and Mr. Patten with a gold axe. Fifty years ago Mr. and Mrs. Patten were married by the Rev. Rogers, Presbyterian minister and have lived in Little Current ever since. The happy couple received the congratulations and good wishes of a host of friends and were presented with many beautiful flowers.
Manitoulin Expositor, November 1, 1934.