The Ottawa Journal from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • Page 37

Historic Bui As Canadians continued to wrangle about how they should honor the past in 197. another old building was placed on the auction block last week. A tor-sale sign has been put on the old inn at the junction of Richmond Road and Highway II in Bells Corners. It has been suggested that it would make a good factory site. Mrs.

H. C. L. Ranson who is chairman of the Local Council of Women's "Centennial Committee for the Beautification of Ottawa" Suggests that the National Capital Commission buy or expropriate the building, then -lease it back to someone who, or some organization which would operate it as a "living museum," or specialty shop, or handicraft studio. She suggests that the preservation of such historic old buildings is one of the NCC's functions.

THE HARTON HOTEL, as it was once known, was built in the early I870's. However, its history goes back much if 1 I MLSIC, DRAMA YOUTH PAGE COMICS SPECIAL' FEATURES PAGE TRAVEL Glossary ftTirvflnn ofiTinfij Vf Saturday, March 261966 9 lJ The Ottawa Journal Otta wunran limn Ulg Township was overheard on the party line a few years back describing the length of a funeral procession. It went -something 'There was three cars ifther the last one and two f'minst the first one Perfectly straightforward to anyone familiar with the true Ottawa Valley idiom. "When you get married." my brother Tommy used to admonish his younger brother, "ya wanta get a woman with lotsa spondbo-licks." A young lady hearing these words asked innocently: "What's that?" They laughed the poor child to embarrassment and blushes. Why.

everybody knew what spondoolicks meant: at least nobody from the Tenth Line of Osgoode should open. 4y confess to such ignorance of the local tongue. IN OUR Ottawa Valley and colorful ayings graced, or disgraced the English language, depending upon one's point of view. Those of the older generation who had not had much "schoolin" and thatvin- cluded most of them con i a eloquently in phrase and inflection inherited and handed on from other lands and other days, a kind of verbal patchwork quill that warmed and charmed you with its simple strength and versatility. As the "young ones'' got more a a a.

pf formal "leamin'." some of them tended to look down on the wa speech habits of their forebears, not wishing to be iden- lified with their rural beginnings in front of more polished and erudite company. As my father used to say, "They got big feelin'!" ANYONE CAN spot the Carp or Richmond voice. It's what they do to their vowels that gives them away.They pitch them high and cut them short: their house, proud, brown, cow, byre, barn are dead giveaways. If you come from Edwards or Metcalfe, it's easy to tune -inon, another Osgoode Town- ship wave-length. Russell and Kenmore are close enough to sound similar, though Ken-morians you ken by more' Scottish in the twang, and Edwardsians by Irish touch of brogue.

A slower, drawly accent immediately bespoke the cousin from the Cumberland area. .1 OUR HOUSE (near Edwards) came in for a mixture. My mother was bom in Scotland, but "raised" in "the Gooer'XNorth Cower area). She blends Irish and Scottish colloquialisms in a Scottish- Canadian accent. It is when she sings that you know she from Glasgow.

And to this day she is now 78 and left Scotland at the age of vx she takes "jist a wee scoot of milk." in her tea. She answers "aye," when you call her and even says Vail By Ruth E. Scharfe "aye" for beg your pardon. She refers to her' neighbors as living "over the way," or "across the way," but the way." as most Ottawa VaJieyers do. My father was always "vexed" over the "didoes" of his 'chi I d-.

ther; but myi mother was forever "moithered." -Father came from "the Gooer" too, but of Irish stock. He never, never swore; but he was always consarning' sorne consarned thing and saying "bad "cess fye" to various irritations real or imaginary. (I used to think he made that one up till I heard it in an Irish play.) He hated "maily-mouthed" people. I never knew what he meant, thinking vaguely of a knight-tn-armor and wonder ing what that had to do with' people who hadn't the courage to speak Neither father nor mother ever said anything so ordinary as "that's a pretty kettle of fish." when things got into a foolish situation. They, like everyone else, observed en- lighteningly: "There's a fine how are yuh!" STUPID PEOPLE in our area were called "goms." They were told to "smartin up" and not "be gommin' around either;" lots of the like had got a "smash in the or a "clout in the side ofjhe bead." And woe betide "me baiyo" or "bucko" that "himself shouted "quit ye!" at He immediately stopped what-' 0 further.

A tavernxStood on the as early as 1SJS. "The first minute book of Nepean i pouncil mentions a Malcolmson Tavern on Richmond Road in 1S3S." says Miss Eva Taylor, historian for the Women's In stitute of Britannia. The registry office, shows that a Robert Malcolmson registered a deed for the lot on which the present hotel stands about that time. In an 1863 map by Walling in the National Archives. William Corbett appears as the iff 1 THE "PUKl'LE COW resUurant at the junction of Highway 15 and the Richmond Road at Bells Comers is up tor sale.

It is one of the oldest buildings in the vicinity and the oldest in the village itself. The great fire of 1870 which demolished 17 townships wipedvout the buildings in this whole area, and this building was erected shortly thereafter. yese ever he was "at" and his good behavior "straight Off." He dassn't have done otherwise! A visitor might give you this account of a house-party he had attended: "Indeed'n when Lantern-jaw Jem tuk off he's coat 'n went at Big Ben, we wuz all affeared thur'd be fa mashoccur; then that gype pf a wee Wullie Criffit' stuck in he's jib and commenced t'make pace; out' Tom thrum Mittkif got vexed and told him 'Siddown. ya ijut, whiles y'er able, er I'll be afther givin' ya the toe ivme boot oura the Tom ud as lief be in a good fight fr bye see one, 'n that's a fact!" MY MOTHER IN LAW from the Smiths Falls area, had her own store of graphic and colorful turns of phrase: She never came to stay with you. she came to "stop." When others were flustered or beside themselves, she was "all through other." "I can't eat pork more," she'd lament, "it goes to me." "He said it three times hand runnin' meant three times in succession.

Many of ber expressions changed like verbal chameleons to suit the implication. "D'y" mind now," could mean imagine that; and "oh stop," told you she could scarcely believe your tall tale. INVITATIONS to a meal took various forms. Most hosts would ask, Pkototqry By Jeanne Wayling name of the hotel-keeper at this spot. The registry office confirms that Robert Mai- colmson transferred part of Lot 11, Concession Two to a irbett in 18SS.

The 1868 City of Ottawa directory lists William Corbett, as tavernkeeper on this same lot at Bells Corners. THE LOT, and presumably the hotel, passed to a i Harton on July 23, 1870. less than a month before "the great fire" which destroyed most of Nepean township. A 90-year-old newspaper account of the fire, written while it was still raging, reports: "At Bells Corners, out of some 30 houses, only two churches and Mrs. (James) Bell's, house are left standing.

From Bells Corners to Bear-man's, fences and buildings are totally destroyed and Mr. Bearman's house (Silver Springs Farm) is the only refuge in the vicinity for the unfortunate people." The two churches refer to the o'd Union Church and the Anglican Church (a log building) which both stood near the present cemetery beside Christ Church in Bell's Comers. It seenis. therefore, that David Harton's newly acquired hotel went up in smoke in 1870 along with the other hotels and residences in the village. "I can remember my father telling me that he a under the bridge at Silver Springs Creek the, night of the lire," says James Fitzgerald of Bells Corners.

"When we reached Bells Coiners the next day, he said that there wasn't a thing left in sight except the two churches- and one house west of the site of the Harton Hotel." Mr. Fitzgerald remembers being told that Davie Harton rebuilt the present building soon after the fire, possibly as early as 1871. He remembers first seeing It about 1891 when, as a child, his father brought him into Bytown from their farm west of Bells Corners. BELLS CORNERS WonTyointay for blteT Or they'd "bile the kittle a'nonst (unbeknownst) t'ye," and when you were about to' bid them goodbye, coax, "well y' may a well take a sup a be able for the chores when yiih get home." the moment of sittings down to the table, you were asked to "sit in now." I re- one man used to say, let yiz all jine till." Distortions of vowel sounds (twag for twig, weeman for woman, for swallow, sody for soda;" heerd and deef etc. could identify a family to third generation.

FUNNY THING how outsiders can spot your little slips even when you pride yourself on being thoroughly purged. A French pupil of mine once said to me: "Mrs. Scharfe, you pronounce 'food' in a way I never head before." I realized I had been guilty of rhyming it with "good" instead of like the rest of the folks from Edwards. A lady who worked with me continually reminded me that I say, "my husband is coming after me," instead of "for" Maybe regressing to the past when he-, was, indeed "after" me for "sparkin' purposes! At least I don't "threaten" to bake a cake, nor say the weather is "migratin" when I mean moderating. And I never tell their blarney would "charm the heart of a wheelbarrow," though I am often hungry enough to "eat a fried was a was natural stopping place for farmers coming in from the surrounding countryside to sell their produce in Bytown.

Because of this, there were as many as four hotels there at one period. The Bell Hotel which-was situated ra the east eerier directly across the road frem the Harton Hotel was built and run by the man who gave Bells Corners Its name Hugh Be This busy inn was described in an old newspaper article in which William Arnold, whose father ran the general store in Bells Corners was. interviewed. "Bell's Hotel was a lively hostelry in the 13S0s," said Mr. Arnold.

"To see 30 in the yard was not uncommon, and it was one of the busiest hotels within 60 miles of Ottawa. At that time farmers used to come' to Ottawa from Berwick, North (by way of Richmond), Marlborough and other points. Their favorite practice was to stop at Bells Corners overnight where they were good hotels and stabling for their horses. They would be up and away about a.m. and arrive in Bytown, In time hr market." Mr.

Arnold said he could remember seeing the sleighs Editor's Note: Mrs. Scharfe has compiled a long list of Ottawa Valley-ese, words and expressions, some of' which appear below. She insists, however: "You really have to hear the words said aloud in the local way of holding the mouth open east and west f'reby north and south to appreciate then)." A'nonst Anyways Be, be's Beyant Big feelin' Birdie Campefledge Clart, elat Coddin' Conjurin' Da Dawny Duny Freby Futherin' Glora Gollup Com Cop Intil Hotten Lad Lash una Me lone Miserd, More ther Morethemer Old sender Pothole Pamonla, aramonia P'sarves Puss, Jib, gob Scundered Slash Spoggin' along Spondoolicks Spraddle Sthreued Tarble Tost Turrible Unfriz Waiting en Whack. Whisht Wrench Wuh Zinc anyway, anyhow" camouflage by. am.

is -j beyond proud a kiss worker (only) joking underhanded plot father delicate (opposite to brawny) small, puny in case, instead fopling grab, paw over gulp, bolt (food) fool, stupid person gape, gawk into heat up any male, any age lots of alone, by myself miser more more than very big (an old sender of a storm, -wash, beating, etc.) pantry pneumonia preserves mouth fed up big batch plodding money, cash straddle stretched, strung awful towards terrible, very thaw out 1 waiting for big piece (bread, cheese) be quiet! rinse, wring' out look at that (derisive) sink a Factory Site? parked In Bell's yard, a 1 1 heavily laden with produce of various sorts. Mr. Bell kept a locked shed for the sleighs or wagons on which there was meat It was not locked up to prevent people stealing it, but rather to keep the dogs away from it was ever known to have been stolen from the yards of any of the hotels, Mr. Arnold said. He went on to describe how the farmers would tit 'around the great firep'ace In the main room telling weird yarns which.

''-'it MasMladlaelsMaat ran to the supernatural, while they enjoyed their Perth malt THE BELL HOTEL- was burned aleng with the Harton Hetel la 1870. It was never rebuilt Hugh Bell died in 1872. "I remember the Harton Hotel being surrounded by sleighs in the early 1900's," says 'James Fitzg a I d. "Many's the night it was filled to overflowing." The Harton Hotel also has a large fireplace in the main room of the building but it has been covered over by panelling. The bedrooms up-stairs have been described as only large enough for a single bed and bureau with the exception of one which was called the bridal suite.

The old carved oak bar which stood in the main room as late as 1938 has been dismantled and probably burnt. The wooden stables and verandah which once garnished the hotel are now gone and before long, the old building may be gone too. THE HARTON HOTEL, as it was known, has been standing on its present site since at least 1879. This photograph was taken by Mrs. -Harry Dodds, of Merivale Oardens, in 1938 when the verandah and stables were still standing.

Mrs. Dodds ancestors were related to the Hugh Bells who ran a hotel directly across the road' this one from about 1832 until the fire of 1870..