Christmastime in Guyana 100 years ago
(Compiled by Clifford Stanley)
Guyana Chronicle
December 24, 2006
THIS is a look back at some of the happenings in British Guiana between October and December 1906 as Guyanese were preparing to celebrate Christmas 100 years ago.
The excerpts selected give readers a light-hearted look on these events and some other aspects of life as reported in the pages of the Daily Chronicle newspaper at that time.
ACCIDENT IN WATER STREET (October 30, 1906) -- Yesterday a young man named Edward Leung, Clerk to Messrs Hing Cheong and Company, was knocked down by a cab horse in Water Street, Georgetown near the Stabroek Market. The young fellow was stunned for a while but it was not thought that he had received any worse harm than a very severe shock.
CRIME:
DARING THEFT FROM WHARF: Daily Chronicle October 25, 1906:
Percival Earle was yesterday charged by District Inspector King at the City Police Court before Mr L E Hawtayne with having stolen two barrels of rolled beef valued at $30, the property of J. I. Chapman between the 20th and 21st in Water Street.
Robert Wight, Clerk with Mr Chapman said that Saturday the 15th he took stock and left five barrels of rolled beef on the wharf. They each had a diamond mark with a C in the Centre. The beef was sold only in the grocery and to shops in the gold fields but not to those in town. From information received he went to the wharf and checked the barrels on the wharf. Two barrels were missing. On the 25th he accompanied the Police to Albouystown where he saw a barrel similar to those in which the beef was kept. The head was scraped. Hubert Phillips, a cartman, said that the defendant came to the market and called him to take a load from Holmes Stelling. The defendant borrowed two boards from Mr Birch’s Store and rolled the barrels onto the cart. One of the barrels was marked with a Diamond and a C in the centre. Witness saw a man named Dover Blackman there. He was told to drive to the corner of Murray and Thomas Street. When he reached Main Street he met a Portuguese man who accompanied the cart. When he reached the destination the Portuguese man told him to drive to Lot 49 Brickdam and leave the barrels there. Blackman and two others followed the cart. The Portuguese man and another man knocked in the head of one of the barrels at Brickdam.
He did not see what was in the barrel. The barrels were covered by a board at Holmes Stelling.
Dover Blackman corroborated. His Worship convicted accused and sentenced him to two months imprisonment with hard labour.
SHIPPING NEWS:
The Steamer Ganges which is due at Georgetown with indentured immigrants from CALCUTTA towards the end of the month is also bringing a number of Immigrants from Trinidad where the steamer is due for the 25th Instant. She left CALCUTTA on the 8th Ult.
FASHION:
THE EXCELSIOR Is the Establishment for High Class Tailoring.
We offer the best lines in Serges, Tweeds, Coatings, Trouserings, Lambwool, Cheniot, (the right thing for Frock Coats), riding breeches. A small shipment to hand; Galatea sailor suits, Boys’ Navy and dark and light blue sailor clothes; Boots: a new style in crossover, button sides, Planters and other kinds; Fox’s patent SPIRAL PUTTEES.
The Excelsior Talioring. G. N. Lord Cutter and Manager
44 Water Street 1906.
WOMAN WITH BASKET OF STONES:
A day or two ago in the Vreed-en-Hoop Courtroom a young woman appeared carrying a basket on her head to lay her difficulties and trials before the Magistrate, To the surprise of everyone the basket contained a quantity of stones and when questioned the woman poured forth a most pitiful tale informing the Magistrate that it was her husband’s doing who had put her out bag and baggage and implored His Worship’s sympathy. His Worship questioned why the husband should have treated her in the manner described. She pleaded no reason whatsoever and in fact she made herself to be an immaculate person. She pleaded that she might be supplied with a Constable and let her take her goods.
His Worship was not impressed by the story and suggested that she should summons her husband. The applicant left the Court with her sympathizers looking very dejected.
SWINDLING MILKMAN HEAVILY FINED:
At the City Court yesterday (November 1 1906) before Mr W A Parker Acting Assistant Stipendiary Magistrate Balgradge was charged by PC 1201 Curry with having sold a half pint of milk valued at 3 cents which when analyzed was found to contain 4.7 per cent of added water at Georgetown. Accused had been convicted on three previous occasions on a similar charge and was fined $50 or two months imprisonment with hard labour.
(Writer’s Comment: Fifty dollars! What a heavy fine for a dairy farmer in 1906. Wonder whatever happened to Mr Balgradge? It’s a safe bet to say that he kept his fifty dollars in his pocket and cut his two months in jail. But it happened a hundred years ago and Mr Balgradge is undoubtedly above all that agony about choice making now.)
BENT STREET BURGLARY: (Burglars on the prowl) At the City Police yesterday before Mr J KD Hill, George Cox and Perry Bowen were charged by District Inspector King with having broken and entered the shop of Joseph Bozwelle at Lot 69 Bent Street on the 24th inst and then stolen therefrom a quantity of goods to the value of $4.25. No evidence was led, the case being further postponed till the 5th instant.
ANOTHER BURGLARY IN GEORGETOWN: On Friday evening a small theft was committed at a branch shop of the Demerara Bread Factory owned by Mr N Cannon at the corner of Lime and D’Urban Streets, Georgetown. It was discovered yesterday morning that the thief had carried off seven shillings in cash and seven and a half pence of bread. The Police have been communicated with. (The Daily Chronicle added -- It is peculiar that the robbery should have taken place on the eve of the relinquishment of the duties of the person in charge of the shop.)
DISTRICT NEWS EAST BANK DEMERARA:
There has been quite a harvest of sudden deaths and accidents here. The finding of the body of a man named Kemp in a farm at Mocha and the sudden death of a child at Bagotstown named Irene Hamlet were followed by Ellen Fortune being seized with some kind of disorder on the road at Meadow Bank and fifteen minutes after she was taken home she died. Then followed an elderly James Barry at Bagotstown who after taking his tea died suddenly. Sookurmoni, an elderly East Indian woman of Plantation Houston went to bathe last week and had to be taken from the trench into which she had fallen. She too expired and so did Rhoda Hodge a little dumb and deaf girl of ten years who fell into a trench. At the Inquest which was held by Mr W A Parker at Providence Courtroom the Jury returned the verdict of accidental drowning in all other cases except that of Irene Hamlet. Post mortem examinations were made.
CYCLES CYCLES CYCLES (The main mode of transport at the time): An advertisement:
Chapman’s Brick Store has just received a shipment of the following well known bicycles. Rudge-Whitworth’s Special Standard and Crescent. Singers Model DeLuxe and Challenge. TO BE SOLD AT PRICES TO SUIT THE TIMES.
SGD: JOS Chapman November 4th 1906.
EXEMPLARY CHASTISEMENT FOR A SCAMP: (The assailant fined 24 cents) Daily Chronicle November 2006. A Court story.
At the Suddie Court before Mr Burke one R Young charged J Richardson who is a fisherman and resides at Johanna Cecilia. He was absent from home on the night of December 15th leaving his wife in charge of the house.
Young visited the house of the defendant and eventually strayed into the bedroom. Defendant who had received information about these nocturnal visits did not fish that particular night but lay in ambush and on returning found Young cooling out without boots, without trousers and without jacket. Needless to say Richardson promptly attacked his adversary who could not give a satisfactory account of himself and one Webb gave his kindly assistance by throwing light on the scene by means of a lamp holding it over Young’s face. The night prowler got a good healthy castigation. In vain did he beg and implore - Richardson leathered him for all he was worth and eventually when the door was burst in by a Rural Constable the scamp was badly battered. The Magistrate thought a shilling to be an adequate penalty for the ruffled husband to pay.