MARCH 26. 1954

4 Si. Columba andi I I I

Vlcllllfy E I

0Mr. Daniel McDonald who has spent the winter months in Nova scotla returned to his home at 5;. Columba on March 23. Mr. McDonald will now prepare for iils annual lobster fishing at North Lake.

M1. Pius McEschei-n was 3 buss. iieas visitor to the city on March 23. He was accompanied by his son, Francis.

Mr. Phillip Holland, Charlotte- town. is now spending a vacation ' at the home of his brother, Bern- ard in East Baltic.

Mr. George Robertsoii suffered .. broken collar-bone when a car- Jack which he was using slipped.

i-ausing the car to fall to the ground thus injuring the young man.

Sawmg firewood is now the or. ii.-.i' of the day around these parts. the farmers wanting to busy themselves splitting and getting ihe wood but of the way before .pring chorel begin.

Friends of John S. Jarvis, St. uiilu.mba. are pleased to hear of ins improvement in City Hospital, Charlottetown.

It is pleasing to see that Mr. Wm Doyle is back on the JOD a- ,'.llll. having spent some time in City Hospital. Charlottetown.

Ilhe condition of a former pas- ior Rev. R. J. MacDonald is much .inprovcd in City Hospital, Char- lolteflown, and all look forward to seeing him pay a visit to st. Col- umba when roads and weather per- mlt.

Rev. W. .D. Macboiiiild. parish priest at St. Columba, was a busi- -less visitor to Souris on March 23. Father MacDonald has had a busy winter attending to his parochial iiork and administering to and vls-, .iing the sck.

Miss Mary McPihee spent a few dais in Souris ivhtre she visited lriends.

Miss Flora Mclsaac. bank em- iiloyee, is now spending some time at her home due to sickness in the iainily. l

Mrs Harold Douglas who spent some time at the home of hEl daughter Mrs. Gus Whalen return- I rd in her home at Canavoy onf March 23. She was ai'companied' nv Master Joseph Whalen.

Friends 01 Miss Annie Townsliend ll? pleased to hear she is improv- ing steadily in Sourls Hospital

.scQ

Pisquid East Alld Vicinity

”.M," MV1" Burke. mcrchriiii at PWl”-1d- "5 In Ciharlottewwn onl business on March 16.

W” G”"8' W- JR; was a vis- itor in Charlottetown on March 16.

Among those from this vic. nms to attend the hockey game at the Charlottetown Forum on X;-itndnyy night between the Halifax

antics and the Charlottetown Islanders were Mr. Edward Jay W Alton Jay. Mi-. Elwood Jay: -Vlh ROI-ny Woolridge, Mr. Russel Wwlfldie and Mr. George Dover

Mr. Levi Jay was a busincss vis- -mr in Charlottetown on March

g M.r. Milton Rcdgerson monored vi Charlottetown on March I6.

W" 5!-U-Y Leard, daughter of Mr. and Mrs Fred heard. arriv- ed home from New York. having HDGM the past six months with MT BUM. Mrs. Martin.

Hf. Bert Lennon of the Work- mena Compensation Board. Char- lotlntown. panod through Pisquld East on business on March 19, and want 0. brief visit with Mr. and Mrs. Harold Jay.

Kn Guy Jay spent the March 30 week-end at the home of his ghfillfl. Mr. and Mrs. Wendell .ay.

Mr. and Mrs. Eldon Burke. Mr Sunday Webster and 'Mr. Jack Wobotcr were gueots of Mr. and VHS. Alvin Burke. Pisquid on March 21.

Miss Georgie Dover. teacher at Mount Stewart. was ii week-end guest of her parents, Mr. and Mrs Goons Dover.

Mr. Jammie Birt. C.N.R. sec- tion man at Vernon. spent the week-end at his home in Plsquld East. BA.

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Ind locate the parents of they h!"'lfl tot. Wayne. The father rlirlni even know the boy was missing.

Mission of St. Columba

Towards the close of the lath century seveial Catholic heads of families from the Highlands of

, Scotland settled on the Northeast-

ern shore of” Prince Edward Is- land. On their arrival they found the extmere East Point occupied by an old soldier from the Low- lands. named Peebles; another Lowland settler named John Ford ultimately joined them, and they had a later addition to their ranks in the person of John Broh. an Irishman from Dublin and uncle to Archbishop Hughes. then Arch- bishop of New York.

In the year 1806 these people set about building their first church which was a log structure 30 feet in length by 26 in width. The builder was one John Camp- bell. oommonly called Ian Mor, or Big John. As there were no saw mills accessible at the time, the boards for the church were all prepared by hand, and in lieu of shingles. the roof was covered with two.tlers of boards. 'Iihe first grave yard of the mission which was used some years before the church was built. was on the farm of Duncan Campbell about five chains from the beach.

The second church which was erected between the years of 1822 and I825. was a frame building, fifty feet in length by thirty in

g width. It was also built by Ian

Mor. The inside of this church was

At East . Point

of st. Columba were the sodality of the scapular of Mount Carmel. numbering 775 members, the Con- fraternlty of the Sacred Heart. established in 1886. and numbering 615 members. and St. Columba's Catholic Total Abstinence Society which had on us roll of n”ieinser- ship the names of 355 men. Un- til Bishop Mcmachern opened his road to the East Point, the peo- ple of St. Columba's had no way of travelling but by water. if we except a road blazed by the In- dians through the forest. from the north ' shore to the West River. This road was usually taken by Bishop Mcllachern when com- ing from Rollo Bay to st. Colum- ba's. . . .

A peculiarity of this district is its beautiful water scenery. A short distance from the church on the north side is a body of fresh wa- ter E mile and a half long and half a mile broad, called the North Lake. In the time of the French oc- cupstion there was a natural chan- nel connecting this lake with the Gulf and it then formed a har- bour for large vessels. The en- trance, however. gradually be- come choked with sand. render- ing it impassable. About the year 1855 the people living in the vic- inity cut a canal through the sand bar, so as to admit of the entrance oi their fishing boats. but storms soon came and the

celled and painted and was furn-

sand drifted in and packed closely,

Present Church

of St. Columba

Parish Hall in background.

ished with a gallery. The painting was done by the father oi Mr. George Thresher. at the time a resident of Charlottetown. In 1846 it was found necessary to build a larger church for the musion of St. Columba. and work was commenced during the pas- torste oi Rev. Pius McPhee. Ron- ald Ban MacDonald of Big Cape was the builder. The dimensions were 80 feet in length by 50 in breadth: height oi post was 34 feet. The spire rose to an altit- ude of 120 feet. The greater part

'of the inside work of the church

was done by the Messrs. Carrol of Charlottetoiwn. The altar. which was very neat in design and ex- ecution was the work of Mr. Demp- sey oi Summerslde. The pews. walnscottlng and gallery frontal were oi imitation oak. The pul- pit oi solid oak and rosewood was a. gem, the work of Mr. Bernard Creamier. The wood employed in its construction was taken from HMS. Phoenix which was wreck- ed on East Point real in 1881. Above the a r hung a valu- able piece of spestry, evidently embroidered by French ladies of by-gone centuries. It represented the Resiirrectlon oi the Blessed Lord; in the foreground were the figures of several Roman soldiers in awe-stricken'attltudes at the sight oi the risen Christ. The col- ouring was delicate and the needlework exquisite. The stations oi the Cross in this church were very handsome olaographs in black walnut frames. The organ of the Dominion make was I. powerful and complete instrument. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of old st. oolumbrs was its bell which weighed 1346 pounds. Ila aonorous tones could be heard within a radius oi seven miles. The origin- al architects oi the church de- signed a vestry. but in course of time it was found to be too small to meet the requirements oi the congregation. In the year 1886. it was replaced by a larger one. I fine building 40 feet in length by 36 feet in breath and 16 feet post. 0 C 0

At the same time 29 new pews were added to those already in the church. a step rendered neces- sary by the increase in the con- gregation. These improvements were made during the pastorate of Rev. D. J. Glllls. i

The presbytery was very old and had been built by Bishop Mcilaohern. In the year low it was remodelled and enlarged by the late very Rev. Daniel Mac- Donald. then pastor oi Bt. Col-

umbra. The cemetery contains some handsome monuments. among

others. one to the Hon. Emanuel Mcllachem. who died in Novem- ber ms. and so years. This amin- ent public ,man pnuaaaad strong antipathies; It is told oi him that when he was requutod to pat- ronize a Highland dinrir. given

(I 7FMPTHvi;

B

In Charlottetown in 1071. to cele- brate the marriage of B.R.H. Prin- cess Doulse with the Marquis of Mr. Molaolurn declined.

so that there is now a. firm and level roadway where the mer- chant vessels oi St. Malo once rode at anchor.

This lake is the home of splen- did speclmens oi the flnny tribe, and here every summer many tourists come in search oi the speckled trout. Three miles from the North Lake. lies the south Lake. which is three miles long and about half a mile broad; it runs parallel with the Gulf shore. from which it is separated only by a broad sand bar. Driving west- ward irom the south Lake the North and West Rivers are cross- ed, both beautiful and pictures- que little streams. The scenery in this district is really very fine. A pretty spot is Campbell's Cove where there is a breakwater. built in 1872, which forms a shelter for fishing boats and such small craft. Hither csme two American artists in 1886 who made many sketches of sea. sky and sand beach in the vicinity.

D I O Sta rting from St. Columba's church. A drive of seven miles

eastward brliigs one to the very East Pcliit. where resided Alex- ander B. Beaton, Esq, J. P, Mr, Bea.ton's family was among the

East Point. They came from Lo- chaber. Scotland, and on their ar- rival' in Prince Edward Island. rented the "Stukely” Farm at Morell. Later they removed to the East Point whence one branch of the family migrated to Cape Bre- ton. Mr. Beaten was for many years in charge of the Lighthouse and an order from him would admit any one to the clean and well kept tower. the brightness of which did credit to the keeper, Mr. Burge. The light is white and revolving. It is visible 1'1 miles out to sea. Here is also a fine fog alarm, built in 1686. It is double fitted. and the whistle can be heard at a distance of 16 miles. The lighthouse was built in 1867 but formerly stood further to the westward. It has been removed to the very edge of the Point.

The terrible reef which extends out into the water for two and a half' miles has been the cause oi many shocking disasters. Here in 1&2. was wrecked the emigrant ship "at. Domingo." a number oi whose passengers landed and per- manently settled upon the East Point. The last survivor oi these was Mr. Moses I-Iarris. who died in the aummsr of lass. at the age oi one hundred and four years. so lately as im, there was I. coatb wreck at the East Point. when on the night of the lath November. HMS. "Phoenix" Qtruck the cruel reel. The crew and of- ficers. who all landed in safety. found shelter in a. lane canning abtabllahuian vino in coma time shay renlehod liking the soil- tudsaoflaotrointgty with their presence.

0 O O

Aa a rule that has not been much loss of lilo in the wrecks off this (sinuous coast. though

there an Qsptlons. as in the can of s fhai-man ii-om canseau. anal Q was picked up

. ton's house could be seen Diligent

' row's grist mill was in operation

'- spot

T Cove. It was his custom

first of those who settled at the

Ilhd might not outlive

Church of St. Columba Destroyed by fire in 1917

l Wexiord; South Uist;

way of Bishop McEachern's road. now fallen into disuse.

This road was cut through a beautiful grove which was carpeted with moss and wildflowers, the trees meeting overhead, so that on the most sultry summer day. this shaded green lane was always cool and pleasant-a regular fairy dell.

From the WUld0M'S of Mr. Bea- Pond. famous in the time of the French occupation.

Driving to St. Columba's by way oi the south shore road, one passes what was formerly a place of importance-Black Point. Here very early in the century Mor-

and ground the grain oi the first settlers. Near to St. Columba's church was a dense thicket. known as "Timothy's bush," a generally avoided by the timid in the gleaming. or after dark.

Long. long ago. when the U.E. Loyallsts first came to East Point. there was an old soldier named Timothy livuig at Oan'ipbcll's to come up to the lake to fish for eels and trout. and at such times, he wouldt usually stay all night at the house of Peter Rose, another disbanded soldier, somewhat bet- ter off than himself. One night however. Timothy refused to hearken to Mr. Rose's offers of hospitality and. although it was very dark and drear. he persisted in starting for home. He was never more seen oi man; but a long time afterwards. in a wood that

lay on his homeward roulc. Peter Rose found some bones and the remains of fishing caused him to conclude that poor

the bears which then infcs-ted those parts. 0 o a An old familiar figure with

some of the e...'ller residents oi St. Columba's was the schoolmas- ter of their day. There appeared in the mission about the year 1825. a little Irishman named John Barrett. He was a quaint figure with a long frock coat. decorated with large brass buttons. and he

a tall beaver hat.

He was a very highly educated man. a good linguist and l1I'0flCl- ent in astronomy. He is said to have been rather bad tempered and spiteful. but he had a keen sense of honour. He would never tolerate a lie. and any boy whom

tackle, which The neighboiirs

Timothy had fallen a victim ofliore it was comP1Eted- B9”-Y then i

always wore a huge neckcloth andlwas Laughlin MacDonald or Pros-

he found guilty of any attempt

Old Rectory. at East Pi. Built by Bishop MacEachern

diligent enquiry will bring to light the history of the somewhat chequered career of Betty Broh. John Broh. a weaver oi Wax- iord. married. against the wishes of his family a Duackeress oi Dublin. who however, turned with him to the Catholic Faith. John came out to Prince Edward Island.

End 19' some years pued ms wade William D. MacDonald. 1953, pre- as a weaver. At the end of seven um pastor. years" diligent working and sav- The muowmg priests, RM deg

ing, he had amassed a little mon-

ey and sent home to Ireland for 13h

Betty. She came out to New- foundland in one of the many ships at tlx time sailing between St. Johns and Great Britain, and thence took passage in a schooner to Rustlco, Prince Edward Island.

Galeon Mclnnis who was then living in French Village, happened to be in Rustlco and took Betty in his boat to Savage Harbour. where John was weaving. some- time afterwards. the reunited pair settled on ”Anderson's farm" at the East Point. John began farm- ing on a large scale and made money by shipping produce in Newfoundland: but one year it happened that. an embargo was laid on shipments to Newfound- land. which so affected John”: business that he failed. lost his farm. and alter a time became extre.mcly- poor. Bishop McEsch- ern took pity on him and his faithful Betty and took them to

live in the priests house, 'Betty officiating as housekeeper and John as man servant. After a

while John became too old to do much work. and with the consent of the, parishioners the Bishop allowed him to put up a house on Laie corner of the priest's farm. helped him to finish his cottage, but he died be-

moved in and lived there for some years. She appears to have been a. very amiable and pleasant old woman and a general favorite. She had a great talent for music. and the old people of St. Colum- bais used to tell how sweetly Betty Broh sang Irish ballads. I 0 0

As has before been stated. the first settler at the East Point was the old soldier Peebles. the second pect Hill. Then came Donald Beaton from Lochaber. then the M.cEachorns and-then the Mac- Donalds of the East Lake. From 1791 to 1885 the dwellers in this mission were. for religious conso- lation and instruction, dependent on the visits of Bishop McEachern who came to them. twice a year.

3

Ford from Lowlands of Scotland.

Donald.

THE GUARDIAN. M cHAaLo1'rv.'row'N

containing a full and accurate ac- count of the several parts of the known world. as it la divided into continents. Islands. Oceans, and seat. Rivers. Lakes. air. The nit- ustion extent and boundaries of all the empires, kingdoms. states. etc. in Europe. Asia. Africa and America".

This ancient Canada as:

"A colony of North America be- longing to the French, whose claims on this country and en- croachments thereon are very ex- orbitant.

"It is bounded on the north by Ekimaeu or New Britain and by the British Colonies lying on Hud- son's Bay; to the east and south it has the river of St. Lawrence. the Iroquois or Five Nations. the Lakes Huron and Illoquois. and on the west lies an unknown country reaching to the South Sea."

tome deecrtbas

coo

First Catholic settlers in the Mission of ..'t. Columba were: Lsughlin MacDonald, from Glen- coe; Donald Benton from Loon- Sibel"; Charles McEachern from South Uist; Neil MacDonald from South Uist; Angus MacDonald from Glencoe; John MacDonald from Glencoe; John MacDonald from South U-ist; John Broh from Angus Campbell from John Campbell from South Uist; Allan Mclsaac from Mainland of Scotland; Galeon Miclnnis from South Uist; John

since 1380- i890- I891-

Pastors of St. Columbia, 1886. are: Rev. D. J. Gillis. 1890; Rev. J. C. Macbean. 1391; Rev. A. J. Maclntyre, 1903; Rev. James Aeneas Mac- l903-l9l1: Rev. Dr. Ber- niard Giilills. 1911-1917; Rev. Ronald J. MacDonald, 1917-1953; Rev.

ceased, were natives of the par-

Rev. Francis J. MacDonald. Rev. James Aeneas. Macliityre. Rev. Angus MacDonald. Rev. Leo J. MacDonald, Rev. Alexander Mac- Donald.

! 0 I

In the second volume of the "History of the Catholid Church in Prince Edward Island" by Rev. Dr. J. C. MacMlllan. at page 17 is found the following reference to the fate of one of the students whom Bishop MacEachern had sent to the College of Propaganda in Rome:

”Among the candidates sent to Rome by Bishop MacEachern, there was one named Ronald Maclsaac. a native of Rock Barra in the Parish of st. Columba. King's County, who entered the Propaganda College in the month

of November. 1833. He was a young man of brilliant parts. re- markable for his piety. and in

high favor with his superiors During the autumn of the year 1886. he contracted a severe cold accompanied with fever. and though he had the best of medical care. it continued through the winter without any sign of im- provement.

"Early in the following summer, his physician advised his return to Prince Edward Island. in the hope that the long sea voyage and the air of his native land might restore him once more to health and vigor. But it was not to be. He set out for home in good spirit. buoyed up by antlcipations of the welcome that awaited him; but when a few days at sea. he grew worse. and died on the 26th of August, 1837, as the ship was nearing the Banks of. Newfound- land. Amongst the passengers aboard the ship were two priests, Rev. Colin Macxlnnon and Rev Nell MacLend. both on their way home to Antigonish. They were with him when he died. and com- forted his last hour with their kindly mlnlstratlons They than directed the props ation of his body for burial, and stood with heavy hearts by the ships i'ildF, as his mortal remains were slowly lowered into the deep. there to remain till that final call when the sea shall give up its dead."