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we Oe Sl By Jim. Bell COLBORNE ABOUT 1900 (Continued) KING STREET EAST AND SOME OTHER THINGS TI had to conclude last week with the Presbyterian Manse. The next place was the resi- dence of Mr. D. lL. Simmons, Colborne’s rich man of the late Eighteen and early Nineteen Hundreds. The house was a full two-story one and the lawn had quite a few trees and consider- able shrubbery. There was a good sized barn and stables too. The place was always well kept up but the front part of the lawn was always marshy and nothing could be done with it. Mr. Simmons, D. L. as he was familiarly called (that is behind his back) was a big man both in ‘stature and outlook. He possibly did more to build up Colborne than any other citizen before or since, unless it was Mr. Keeler, who founded the place. One of Mr. Simmon’s biggest building ventures was the Brunswick block, which was exceptionly well built with all the main partitions being brick. Dressed in a well-fitting dark suit with cutaway coat and wide black fedora hat, he could be seen any day standing around on the job watching the work go on and if any one was seen loiter- ing, he was told in no uncertain language. Simmons Street, for- merly Danville, was named for him as he built all the earlier houses on it. The Terrace on Percy Street extending from Mr. Bert Waller’s to Keith Redner’s and consisting of six attached dwellings was also built by him. I always liked him. My Dad did a lot of work for him and TI often helped, especially if there was shingling to do. I hope my readers will pardon my going into personalities this| time but I think Mr. Simmons] rated special mention. I met him| one day as I was crossing Vic-! toria Park. ‘What are you ‘eas | Jim?” He asked. “Nothing, replied. You know we are a ing holidays now.” “Do you want a job?” he asked. “Yes, Sir.” I answered. He knew that T could lay shingles as good and as fast as most carpenters, so! he said. “You know where they) are building that apple storage. It, was on the farm just south of! where he lived. “Well,” he con-| tinued, “You go down there and} help the men shingle and Ill} give’ you seventy-five cents a} day.” I went home, the happiest boy in Colborne. I was not quite fourteen then and seventy-five cents a day looked pretty big to me. Why, lots of men got only one dollar a day and worked ten hours for it too, It was in July and that lucky old sun that has nuthin’ to do but roll around heaven all day, did his best to melt us. I stuck it out howev@r and had three weeks work. [ft wouldn’t seem very much to-day but the money I earned seemed like a fortune to me. Another time, he wanted a sketch of an apple storage. Dad came home and told me about it and showed me about what - was Wal ne and he gave me a dollar for it. 1 iui —, to be an architect Vol 3 - Wo. | ey REMEMBER Reminiscences of Colborne drew the sketch after that. As I have slipped un- intentionally into personal ex- periences, T am going to tell you} about another that T had and al-} {hough Mr. Simmons was not} directly connected with it, it! started at his house. My Dad was doing some work there and Bill Hollenback was helping him, so Jim Hollenback and I decided to go down there and play around on Saturday afternoon. It was a hot day and Mr. Sim- mons, having some cider in the ‘cellar, took the men down and gave them a drink. Jim and J were not asked but we watched and then we sneaked down and helped ourselves. It must have been about four o’clock for a few minutes later Dad called me and said, “You better go on home and get cleaned up. Tell mother that Tl be home shortly after five.” I got home all right guess that I was pretty dirty. It had rained a few days previous and mother had a tub of rain water at the back door. She said, “Jimmie get a basin of that rain| water and get yourself washed.” T got the basin and went to get] the water, but when T bent down everything started to turn «ap side-down and f went into the} tub head first. Oh, boy! was I} sick, That cider was about five years old and had a kick like a mule. The next day I went to Sunday School. It was Temper- ence Sunday and I signed the pledge. I renewed it about ten or twelve years later and I have never broken it and I don’t be- lieve that I ever will. Again apologizing for all this personal stuff, I will try to get back to our King Street in the next issue.