Ray Lee's notes 'Torrington in the Early Nineteenth Century' tell us so much about those days - an easy way to reminisce - noting down memories of people, businesses, places, schools, events.... Also, other's stories ... Now in this digital age with few letters, ephemeral messages, much smaller newspapers, digital diaries ......how will to-day's history be recorded??
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I urge you all follow this example and record your, and others reminisces in hard copy!
Ray Lees' notes continue:
'There were the three general stores - owned by Pound Young, Charlie Yow and [Alf?] Rundle.
One Baker, William Dawson and one Butcher, Richard Murphy.
Meat was delivered door to door from a horse-drawn specially made fly-proof cart and orders were weighed at the door. Sausages were made by a horse drawn machine.
The hotel was owned and conducted by Alfred Collins and family.
Another popular and colourful character on the field was a man named Eli Bates. He had a steam driven five head stamper Battery with four Buddles, he used to crush and treat tin and wolfram ores for the public and any ore he won himself.
Also, he was the only ore buyer on the field and at night he ran the town's only Billiard Saloon; he was very skilful at making household chairs from selected round stringybark timbers from the forests and using Butter Box lids for seats.
Three horse teams plied between Torrington and Deepwater [27 Kms] carting the tin and wolfram ores to the railhead and taking the general merchandise back to the township.
Heavy draught horses were used and the ratio between horse and load was gauged to be one ton per horse and two horses to pull the weight of the wagon. Owners of these three teams were Jack Rundle, Thomas McDowell, and Happy Turner.
Mail was delivered five days a week by two light horses pulling a buggy. Contractors were Cecil and Dan Romer.
Most babies were born in the home, with the help of two midwives Granny Trewhella and Granny Finnegan. These charming ladies gave their services and expertise at any hour and in any weather. The only doctor in the area was stationed at Emmaville [24 kms] away.
Telephone connection - a single phone wire fastened to wooden poles and connected to the Deepwater Post Office, often broken by fallen trees.
Final next week.
