Poems of James McIntyre Part 8

Thorold is famous for its mills, And the grand view from off its hills, A view so charming and extended, Nature's beauties sweetly blended.

Poetic thoughts it doth awake To view Ontario's broad lake, And husbandmen have their reward in Fruits of this Provincial garden.

For from the hill you see below Gardens where choice fruits do grow, The landscape all within your reach Doth both produce the grape and peach.

McCready said in the New World The finest view was from Thorold, You see St. Catharines thriving town And steamers sailing up and down.

And you can see on a clear day All along Toronto Bay, And you clearly see the haze Where Niagara doth amaze.

And glance where Grimsby's gardens yield Or view Beamsville's fruitful field, Then this thought you can advance, This is Canada's sunny France.

You see Niagara's ancient town[D]

Though it has lost us old renown, And you have a splendid view Of boats on old ca.n.a.l and new.

[D] Niagara once the capital of Upper Canada and an important fortress at the mouth of the Niagara River.

ST. THOMAS, 1884.

At time of Oddfellows Grand Lodge meeting.

Oddfellows once they had to trudge O'er rough stage road to the Grand Lodge, But now they town of metal seek And find it on the Kettle Creek.

For industry it here prevails As it was built by the steel rails, And here the wide expanded bridges Do connect the distant ridges.

No more need to stay at home as There's lots of railroads to St. Thomas, You pluckily did boldly venture, Now you are great railroad centre.

Your city now it hath high hopes From its great railway workshops, And higher yet it still will rise, This seat of so much enterprise.

When young man wants a wedded mate He seeks Alma girl graduate, And he loves her Alma mater For the sake of her charming daughter.

GALT AND DUNLOP.

John Galt was the manager of the Canada Company's lands, and he was a Scottish Novelist. Dunlop was at one time an eminent British Journalist, but he finally settled near G.o.derich. The town of Galt is named after John Galt.

John Galt and Doctor Dunlop witty They located and planned the city Of Guelph, and they cut the first tree down, The stump was the centre of the town.

From thence the streets radiate like fan, And they projected on this same plan The towns of Stratford and G.o.derich, The last it stands near broad Huron's beach,

Conspicuous on a bluff so grand, 'Neath which doth flow the clear Maitland, Of glorious view you may partake, Gazing on Huron's mighty lake.

TILSONBURG.

After him who did the mills own, This place was called in honor Tilson; Bright gleaming like to a beaming star, Is clear waters of the Otter.

And it doth form here a vast pond, Which extends for miles beyond, A fortune on town it will shower, This prodigious water power.

No other spots to youth appear, Like lovely little lakes round here, And few small towns have fine roadway Lined with brick blocks like your broadway.

PORT STANLEY.

In winter time 'tis sad and dreary For to gaze on stormy Erie, But here in summer time this port It is a fas.h.i.+onable resort, For then it is always cheery For to gaze upon Lake Erie.

Or on the steamer you can sail All independent of the gale, Or here the youth can ply the oar And view the fast receding sh.o.r.e, And be happy with his dearie On the bosom of Lake Erie.

No one here need ever weary On the borders of Lake Erie, With quadrille parties at Stanley And games and sports all so manly, Or bathe in waves with friends near thee, You fear no storms of Lake Erie.

PORT BURWELL.

The following lines were given at a concert when Port Burwell was a busy port and there had been a race on the ice the day before.

In winter time who here resort, To pay a visit to your busy port, They must be clad in fur well, For it blows cold at Burwell; But when you wish to trot your horse You make Lake Erie your race course, And we believe at every heat All other horses you do beat.

SKETCHES ON THE BANKS OF THE CANADIAN THAMES.

"The muse nae poet ever fand her Till by himsel' he learned to wander Adown some trotting burn's meander."

--Burns.

The valley of the Thames, we presume, includes Stratford on the north and Woodstock and Ingersoll on the south. The Avon, on whose banks Stratford is located, joins the Thames near St. Marys. The middle branch flows through Embro and Thamesford. The south and middle branches unite and flow through Dorchester and Westminster and blend with the northern branch at London, where it deviates to Elgin in the south.

ENGLISH NAMES ON CANADIAN THAMES.

England has given us the names To adorn Canadian Thames, And charms to them she has lent In Oxford, Middles.e.x and Kent, She Ess.e.x kisseth in her mouth, And Scottish names, one north, one south, And London now it justly claims 'Tis capital of vale of Thames, And her strong castellated tower Doth on the river frowning lower, And Chatham is the river's port, There slaves for freedom did resort, And they did industrious toil, And now many own the soil, Stratford now shall be our theme, On Avon tributary stream, And its clear waters it doth launch Into the Thames northern branch, Near that substantial stone town St. Mary's with mills of renown, Westward it winds past each town, Growing broader as it flows down, Onward it glides never weary, Meandering so soft and cheery.

The sunbeam on the waters glance, Skipping about in silvery dance, From morn till eve the cattle feed 'Neath lofty elms along the mead.