In the previous blog I posted a photograph taken in 1918 of Charlie and Allie Ballantyne standing proudly in front of their new Dodge Chevrolet Touring car. While I use both names in reference to the car I am sure that the reality was that the car "belonged" to Charlie. Alice never learned to drive and Charlie took complete responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of the vehicle. Here is a story as told by Gordon McEwan, that speaks to Charlie's relationship with his car. When the story begins Charlie and Alice had a hired man named Eddie Dietrich who lived in the community. " One day Charlie and Eddie were washing the family car, a very early Dodge. Cars were objects that were few and far between and therefore, objects of great pride. Just when they were finished, the car began to back down the grade that led to the garage. Shouting for Eddie to help, Charlie threw himself behind the car and held while red
spots danced before his eyes. Before Alice could get out to put on the emergency brake, the car's speed backwards began to increase and the wary Eddie leaped for safety, leaving Charlie the car to himself. Now the car got out of control, Charlie barely got out of its road and he saw the fender of his new purchase buckle against a post. Eddie who had been watching the proceedings at a safe distance now poked his head around the car to ascertain Charlies's position. Seeing the face of the object whom he considered to be the cause of the happening, Charlie rid himself of some frustration by landing a round house right which sent poor Eddie head over heels down the slope. "No sooner had I done it," Charlie admitted later, "but I was sorry that I had taken it out on poor Eddie!"
Attached is a copy of Charlie's 1920 motor vehicle permit for the Dodge Chevrolet. In the second photo a group of relatives is standing in front of another car in about the year 1912 (Tom the boy standing in front of his mother was born in 1901). The owner of the car shown in the photograph is uncertain but my guess is that it may have belonged to Charlie's nephew Frank Ballantyne (the fellow on the left holding the camera).
In an era of government old-age pensions, health insurance
and other societal supports for the elderly, it is easy to forget how
vulnerable the elderly poor were a hundred years ago in Canadian society. A case
in point is that of Gordon’s grandparents James and Elizabeth Irvine, both born
in Scotland in 1832 and both of whom emigrated to Canada as young people. James, who never learned to read or write,
worked with his father William on land they cleared in Fullarton Township west
of Stratford Ontario.
The land was registered in William’s name and when William died he left his property - not to James - but James’ oldest son William. When
the grandson William died prematurely in 1910 his parents both of whom were in
their late 70’s had to leave the farm. They moved, along with their
granddaughter Viola into Mitchell where they lived in the white frame house pictured above.
Three years later Viola married Ferg Levy a young businessman in the town.
Ferg and Viola moved into Ferg’s large brick house on the main street. Viola’s
grandparents continued to live in the frame house but it soon became obvious
that they were unable to cope on their own. Grandmother Elizabeth went to live
with Viola (see attached photo of Grandma and granddaughter) while Grandpa James stayed behind in the frame house. I imagine that
Grandfather James had few cooking and housekeeping skills. Moreover, he was lonely,
old and ill. In a letter to her youngest daughter Rubina written in 1918,
Grandmother Elizabeth who was living with Viola expresses concern that her
husband might have to go to the “poor house” a fact that would shame them all.
Here is a portion of that letter. I don’t
know how Grandfather James got through the winter of 1918-19. He died the next
summer. He is buried along with his wife and his youngest son in the Presbyterian
Cemetery in Mitchell, Ontario.
