WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22,A976, PAGE 5 Brian Winter's Historical ~Wh tby BENNETT'S TAVERN This large roughcast hiouse at the northeast corner of Dundas and Euclid Streets played a very important part in the social and political life of Whitby ini the rnid l9thi century. Kainins On.¶ Last week 1I managed tu attend Canada's ()th National Audio Show called "Stcreo '76". The shiow xvas hceld l'or three days at Skyline Hotel un Dixon Rd. On one hand, 1 learned something about stereo eqiiment and ail the rest of the gadgetry that goes along withi suchi display ot' stereo products but, on the othier hiand, 1 almosi Iost rny hearing. My car drumis were shattered and cunstantly harnmered by what is knownl as the "big sotind" in the stereo business. In une roumi, 1 saw abouit seven or eight Froni the 1 820s to the 1 860s it was une of the leading tavernis in the cornmunity, owned by several different pro- prieturs over a period of about 40 years. Although the date of construction of the building is not known, early records show that it was occupied by a man named Cronk in 1828. On October 15 of that year, Unity Lodge, a Masonic Lodge in Whitby and Pickering Tnwnships, mioved its meeting place to this building, where it renîained until 1 838. In I1838 the lodge moved its meeting place to Pickering, but met again at the Cronk bouse, then known as Bennett's Tavern, from 1840 to 1842. Little is known of Mr. Cronk except that he made his own beer at his tavern, and "Cronk's Beer" biad a high reputation in Whitby in the 1 820s and 1 830s. Mr. Cronk is said to have been the first man ' u sdil beer and liquor in Whitby. By 1837, the Cronk house was known as Bennett's Taverfl, kept by Thomnas Bennett. It was bere that the tav- cmn figured promninently in the events which led up to the Rebellion of 1837. On Septemnber 14, 1837, William Lyon Mackenzie, thei a gitator for rebellion, advertised that he would hold a-public meeting at the Baptist Meeting Flouse in Whitby Township (marked by a cairn today at. the K-Mart Plaza), and advisedj his suipporters to cornle arnied. A large ciowd arrived but whcn Mackenzie failed to show up, somne of the crowd adjourned to Peter Perry's store at the Four Corners, and after several hours of waiting in vain, dispersed. The Conservatives, however, felt that somne action should be taken, and called a meeting that afternoon in wbatwas knowvn as the "long roum" in Bennett's Týavern. *Captain George Thew, of Port Witbyunfurled the Union Jack, and Williami Dow Sr. acted as chiairmnan. of the speakers ail piled on- top of' eachi other-ali turned on fu hiast. i swear the sound could make sume peuple deaf. Being a cautious persuli, I kept a distance, thus reducing tue on cuming volumle. Somne organi/.ers ou't he shiow. were lu ite mmiid«" i of' the so-calied sound eft'ects. A sign ai the duor 1roclilmed that the flii-blai su und COU Id be liarm fi tu childrenls' ear drumns. They were advised Iu 'c-.ep away tronli the nmore "powertul- stercu machines. What puzzles mne kis is: xvhy all ibis -,und is necessary'? XVly. on earth. can nul toda.y's nmusic be played gent ly. softly and quietiy.a' ove al'? The stce show also brougliti unt the aiready knlown tact t bat soime peuple are 'sound addi, -îs'* and **sotiun aniacs-. I low else can you expiai n t 1vw fact dt a t ciniy roum con lairne d aboli t fiVe siereo sel s-ail biasting away ai top volume'? Worse . a salesmian wvould try tlu sdI y.'u une ut these powcrtui machines. dr\vncd oi hy tue nu10se and a caca- pbuony out soIi1d. Ail added t'eaiure at siercu '76 wvas the "liard seil" meeting. A stormy meeting ensued in which those loyal to the guvernment condemned "such pranks as bearing armns of any sort", and drafted a series of resolutions to be sent to the guvernrnent, displaying their loyalty. They condemned the calling of' meetings of a political nature during the harvest season, proclaimed M4ackenzie and his supporters to be "comnmon enemies of social order" and a "public nuisance", and voiced their support of the Famnily Compact government under the leadership of Sir Francis Bond Head, the Lieu tenant-Gove rnor. The meeting ended with ttîree cheers for Queen Victoria, the British Constitution, and the Lieutenant Governor.' It is said that Mackenzie's failure to show up at the meeting he called, and the large number of government supporters in Whitby Township led to a decided lack of support in Whitby for the rebellion when it occurred in December 1837. Mvr. Bennett continued to operate the tavern and hotel until the mid 1 840s when for a couple of years it was operated by Thomas N. Scripture, an unusual namne indeed for a hotel and tavern keeper. In 1848, Mr. Scripture moved into a new brick hotel at Dundas and Byron Streets. In July 1848, the tavern was taken over by Molyneux Hutton, and called the Union House. Mr. Hiutton advertised that "his bar will be furnished at ail times with the best wines and liquors and his table with such comforts and luxLlries as the seasons will afford". In the early 1 850s, the hotel was kept by a Mrs. McBrien, who was succeeded in 1857 by Darwin Kent, a hotel keeper of long standing in Whitby, who in the 1860s was tfie proprictor of thc first Royal Hotel. sales gimmick. At one booth, the signs assured that there is a Santa Claus in the world of sterco equipment; ail you have to do is just step right in and help yourself. But, in recality, the visitor was stock with a "lucky number" wbich turned out to be quite unlucky, say, for most of us who decided to check out the number. Thiere were other "]lucky" numbers available and a chance to win somne of the most higb-priced components. Peuple were lining up to "sign in", freely giving away their nianies and addresses. 1 het soon they will be swamiped with numrerous "offers" from the sterco industry. Just be ready tu pay in time. Mmnd you, I sce nothing wrong with a clever sales pitch. But, soml'e of the methods used at this show were definitely of' dubious character. i wish advertisers in general would resort tu more straigbt-forward sales tactics. Ahove criticism aside, 1I must say Stereo '76 was a successful undertaking. After aIl, the music industry needs an imipe tus in these gloorny days of mounting inflation and financial instability. History tells us that, when television swept in for public viewing in the late 40's, relatives, friends and neighbours gathered together in the humne of the person who had a T.V. set. It was a big event. Arrangements were made well in advance (up to a week somnetimes) for special events. Th-s rmeant Lhat invitations by telephone, letter and in person had to go out and of course the host and hostess were responsible for catering. Apart from coffee, tea, milk, pop and beer, vast quantities of sandwiches, cookies, cold cuts, pickles and candies were chomped, chewed, gulped and swallowed. Those were great days. When a "gate crasher" arrived Sunflight to Italy 2, 3,4 &S8weeks f rom $349 Dec. 1# '76 - March 30, '77 DIepartures %every Wednesday &Linda Russelli RUSSELL TRAVEL LTD. 116 Brock Ste Se, whîtby 668-5000 Mon. - Set. 9-5 Your 7 kae Is Our Bmdsiess For your potoottoi reglsterea undr ai a T.V. party, peuple presently wbispered "liushi" and tlîe guiity person tip-tued acruss itie roonm and sat down quietly listenîing tu ithe program and oniy ventured to utter a suund wbien the conîluercials canme on. Let's sweep ourseives îiuw inito the 70's and whiat do we fiîd'? Firsi iliat praciicaliy every lhume lias a T.V. set. One cuuld aimosi play the nîelody "The Party's Over". Even fuotball and hockey ganies on television in futll colour do not aitraci peuple as they did wlien colour becanie 'the thing'. But thiat's okay. Now we could watchi our uwn chuice uf prugramis, settle duwn in the Fali aîîd Winter evenings and gel invuived with our owuî particular favouri te prograni. But wlîy do peuple insisi un keeping thieir television on (freq,,entiy ai, a iîiglî pitclî) whien une is visiting? Maybe it's a cuntest Lu sec whuo can shuut the loudest - the T.V. participants, the lîousehiold niemnbers or the guesis. Babies cry, yuuing chiidren want lu watclî cartoons, Dad and Muili are bionie after an arduou' day's work, loukiiîg for relaxation. l'lie phone rings and a neiglîbour knocks at flie door. But -- nuoîîîatter wliat the conditions - television plays on! Some peuple say "Su What". I say conîversation, discussiun, exchiange ut' ideas, viewvpints un happenings of the day. hiobbies, plans for the Fail and pre-Cbristm-as, nexi Spring's pianting are nmore interesting. The ist is Heads Up. Summer's Here Summer slump? lt's time to climb 'Out. We have L- -'h ln - the Colg DciaI1s. Conditioner. * or. Cut. Look cool as reeze. LA CONTESSA .BEAUTY LOUNGE almost endless, But they have become rare things. People have becomne slaves to their television sets just the saine way (in miy opinion and experience) as they have tu the telephonle. In soi-ne cases, it bas deprived individuals of stim-ulating conversation with good friends. Many people, in their golden years, of the Whitby area will recail reading aloud or being read to by another. And wbat about the gatbering of people around the piano. A recurd player would do. There's somnething about a sing-song tuai sets the adrenalin siîooting through the blood stream of the body. To put it anotber way, people who talk, discuss, sing and play togetiier - stay together. Television is one of the wonders of the world. But every onie who cornes to se my famnily at our home will always, wel l almost always, be treated the courtesy of having the television set switched off on their arrivai. 1 value tbeir presence, their conversation, interests and viewpoints far nmore than the projected image and the fiction of somnebody else's iniagination. As a mian said to mne in 1965 (the man in the next office to be truthful) "When George says he's goùlg to do it -- be does it". Try turning off the T.V. set when friends arrive, you'll find peace is sweet. m 668-P9262 119 'Greçn St.