\ by JiDl Hornby Morley Sabine Acorn was born in Lower Montague in 1870 to Charles and Caroline (Sabine) Acorn. His maternal grandmother was Martha Jago, noted minister and preacher of the 1830s. Mor- ley's family moved to Souris where he worked at the Klondyke Lumber Mill managed by his brother Herbert, (and known locally as "Acorn's Mill"). Both brothers later served terms as mayor of Souris. Here Morley spent the rest of his life, marrying Gussie Muttart, daughter of Dr. E.B. Muttart. Like A. W. Mitchell, a Charlottetown photographer previously profiled, Acorn was fond of music. He was a member of the Souris Citizens' Band, and his fine bass voice could be heard in community concerts and at the Souris Methodist Church. It is not known when his interest in photography began, but he opened a photography shop on Main Street in 1914, in the New Mabon Building. When it burned to the ground two years later, all of the glass negatives he had made were destroyed. However, he soon reopened in a new building on the same site, selling prints and postcards of his photographs of Souris and district. In 1926 he moved down Main Street to the W.B. Leard building, where he shared the ground floor. Here he operated a tobacco and sundries shop, had a photography studio in the back room, and sold gasoline from pumps out front, in later years offering his motorists a choice of Imperial Oil or Irving Oil brands. Morley Acorn. We are fortunate that Morley Acorn was in close contact with the Leards, for on his death in 1936, his photographic work was preserved by the late Ray Leard, who displayed photos of Souris at the family clothing store, Est. W.B. Leard Reg'd. The Heritage Foundation's col- lection of glass negatives by Acorn - from which almost all of these pictures were contact-printed by Barb Morgan - was donated by Ray Leard in 1974. His late brother George contributed in- formation to this project through his 1959 article in Men's Wear of Canada ("The Leards of Souris, P.E.I."), and through various entries in the George Leard Papers at the PAPEI. The prints of Morley Acorn and W.B. Leard's staff were supplied courtesy of Mrs. Ray Leard, Souris. Special thanks for help in identifica- tions go to: Adele Townshend, Nora (Bob) MacLean, Olga Leard, Roy White, Waldron Leard, J. Russell Leard, Richard Power, Mary C. MacIntyre, Babe Matthew, Irene Dunlap and Jack Cantwell. In the following captions all lists read left-to-right. Boldface titles are the photographer's in most cases. Some photographs have been slightly cropped. 19
Transcript
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by JiDl Hornby
Morley Sabine Acorn was born inLower Montague in 1870 to Charles andCaroline (Sabine) Acorn. His maternalgrandmother was Martha Jago, notedminister and preacher of the 1830s. Morley's family moved to Souris where heworked at the Klondyke Lumber Millmanaged by his brother Herbert, (andknown locally as "Acorn's Mill"). Bothbrothers later served terms as mayor ofSouris. Here Morley spent the rest of hislife, marrying Gussie Muttart, daughterof Dr. E.B. Muttart.
Like A. W. Mitchell, a Charlottetownphotographer previously profiled, Acornwas fond of music. He was a member ofthe Souris Citizens' Band, and his finebass voice could be heard in communityconcerts and at the Souris MethodistChurch.
It is not known when his interest inphotography began, but he opened aphotography shop on Main Street in1914, in the New Mabon Building.When it burned to the ground two yearslater, all of the glass negatives he hadmade were destroyed. However, hesoon reopened in a new building on thesame site, selling prints and postcards ofhis photographs of Souris and district. In1926 he moved down Main Street to theW.B. Leard building, where he shared
the ground floor. Here he operated atobacco and sundries shop, had aphotography studio in the back room,and sold gasoline from pumps out front,in later years offering his motorists achoice of Imperial Oil or Irving Oilbrands.
Morley Acorn.
We are fortunate that Morley Acornwas in close contact with the Leards, foron his death in 1936, his photographicwork was preserved by the late RayLeard, who displayed photos ofSouris atthe family clothing store, Est. W.B. LeardReg'd. The Heritage Foundation's collection of glass negatives by Acorn from which almost all of these pictureswere contact-printed by Barb Morgan was donated by Ray Leard in 1974. Hislate brother George contributed information to this project through his1959 article in Men's Wear of Canada("The Leards of Souris, P.E.I."), andthrough various entries in the GeorgeLeard Papers at the PAPEI. The prints ofMorley Acorn and W.B. Leard's staffwere supplied courtesy of Mrs. RayLeard, Souris.
Special thanks for help in identifications go to: Adele Townshend, Nora(Bob) MacLean, Olga Leard, Roy White,Waldron Leard, J. Russell Leard,Richard Power, Mary C. MacIntyre,Babe Matthew, Irene Dunlap and JackCantwell.
In the following captions all lists readleft-to-right. Boldface titles are thephotographer's in most cases. Somephotographs have been slightlycropped.
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Streets
Main Street looking east, late 1920s. Outside the Cox(later Seaside) Hotel, chairs were provided for guests. Thisbuilding, constructed by William Sterns as a store, is now theCheverie Inn. West of it is the Ferguson house, and eastward is agas pump outside Leard's store where the photographerattended to the travelling public.
Main Street, north side. This shows Vincent MacIsaac'sstore, Dingwell's Meat Market (formerly William Dingwell'sundertaking supplies store), Ideal Garage with its open bay, andJoe Hector Cheverie's house. Further on, across the railwaytracks, is the office from which Herb Acorn ran the mill. Note theold-fashioned electric streetlight.
Main Street in winter, mid-1920s. The group of snowshovellers stands in front of J.J. Hughes' store (now the Co-opstore). Next along the street is the old Bank of Commerce (site ofthe present bank). Across from it where the Post Office nowstands is the Lennox Hotel, and next to it is the 0'Henley house,today the Seaside Laundromat (back of Main Street behind thePost Office).
Breakwater Street. At left is the Home Bakery, and past itthe entrance to Robert MacKenzie's blacksmith shop, where hisson Bobby opened perhaps the first garage in Souris in the1920s. At the far end of Main Street is the old summertime oasis,Vincent MacIsaac's store, where Mamie Vince purveyed delicious ice-cream. The "Ice Cream Parlor" legend is in the lefthand window of the store, and the last three letters of it can beseen in the photo on the facing page. The curly-headed youngman standing in the driveway at right is said to be Lloyd Stewart.
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The Watemont
On the Breakwater. Souris West presents a backdrop foran unusual quartet: two people in what appear to be father-andson officers' uniforms of World War One vintage, a civilianholding a flower or weed, and a black dog. The end of thebreakwater (orginally built in the 1830s) was a favorite destination for strollers, especially courting couples.
Bathing Beauties, c. 1920. This friendly group, whichtoday seems unadventurous both in costume and depth ofpenetration of the ocean, probably consisted largely of touristsfrom the Cox Hotel, which had a large bath-house on the shorenearby. The raised arm points toward the Stone Hotel with itsseveral chimneys.
The Railway Wharf, c. 1933. The first public wharf inSouris was built in 1849. It became the railway wharf when theline's eastern terminus reached Souris in the 1870s. Here coalwas imported from Nova Scotia, and produce shipped for export. Above the boxcar can be seen the top of the Harry MacLean house (now the Kings County Alcohol Treatment Centre),and to the right of it is the Reg MacDonald house.
Souris wharves. In this view from the hillside the Railwaywharf is seen in the foreground, with two nuns walking along it.Behind it is the Matthew & MacLean wharf (named for themerchant firm that owned it) which is now the Eastpac wharf;beyond this wharf, the white building on the shore is the oldMatthew & MacLean lobster factory (which burned in 1940).The spire of St. Mary's Church stands at the top of the town. Onthe hillside to the right, the white house with five front windowsvisible is the' old John Knight house, once owned by the mancalled "the founder of Souris."
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People
W.B. Leard's tailoring staff, 1914. The man at left isunidentified. Next are: W.B. Leard, Celia Paquet, Anna MacDonald, Herbert Cheverie, Alice Peters, Hannah Shea, JamesSwallow, and Milton Saunders. Born in Tryon, Waldron B.Leard apprenticed as a tailor and in 1898 moved to Souris,where he operated a tailoring and dry-cleaning business until hisdeath in 1927. At this time the building he was in {complete withhitching post in front} was known as the "three suit building";besides Leard's tailored suits, lawsuits were handled by Fraser &McQuaid, and "box suits" were kept on the second floor inMatthew & MacLean's casket-storage area.
Souris High School Cadet Corps No. 255, 1928. Backrow: Kenneth MacDonald, Bill Acorn, Andrew McIntosh, RayLeard, Lester O'Donnell, John D. MacIntyre {platoon leader},Melvin McQuaid, Eugene Lewis, ?Teddie Moynagh, Ernest St.John, J. Russell Leard (instructor). Middle: Neil Cheverie,Joseph Cheverie, Bernard Creamer, Gus Gallant, ,Bernard MacDonald. Front: , , Aylmer Gallant,___, Francis St. John, Johnnie Cheverie, ,___, Arthur Gallant. Exhibition cattle sheds are behind thecorps at left. St. Mary's Church, constructed in stone in 1901,suffered a terrible fire the year after this was taken, and the spirewas changed in reconstruction.
The Teddies Hockey Team. Hockey rivalries were alwaysstrong in Souris, not just with other areas such as Montague butwithin Souris itself, where the "uptowners'" team was the Teddies, the "centertowners" had the Vies, and the "lowertowners"cheered for the Beavers. Winners of the Tip Top Tailors Trophy1934-36, the Teddies are seen in front of the old St. Mary'schurch hall - apparently in summer. Back: Peter MacLellan(coach), Ernie Dugas, John D. (Toot) MacIntyre, Roddie MacIntyre, Wilfred Cheverie (manager). Middle: Eugene Lewis, Frank(Darky) Cheverie, Herbie MacIntyre, Ike Cheverie. Front:Leonard Condon, Maurice MacLellan (mascot), Billy Acorn,Jimmy MacIntyre.
Theatrical group, c. 1929. Plays were a popular form ofentertainment and were put on at the BIS Hall, now the SourisCinema. Back: Peter MacLellan (director), John D. MacIntyre,Brenton St. John, J.E. Moynagh, Fr. Eugene Murray. Front:Ethel Hughes, Margaret Lavie, Margaret Brennan, Della MacDonald, Alice Lavie, Mrs. George Campbell.
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Near Souris
Souris West. Around the turn of the century a drawbridgereplaced the ferry from Souris West to Souris (in the background). Captain Lanigan's store is at left, with a "Red RoseTea" sign on the side of the building. The car in the photo is saidto be Morley Acorn's 490 Chev, one of the earliest automobilesin the area as it was bought in 1919.
The Old Mill. This is Frank Warren's mill at Black Pond, fromwhich "Black MacDonald's" mill in Johnny Belinda was said tohave derived. A man named Morrow is recorded to have had agrist mill at Black Pond before 1800. Charles Acorn operated thesaw and grist mills here before Warren.
Fishing Stand. Here at Little Harbour Pond was the LittleHarbour Packing Company's lobster factory, located just outside the picture to the left. These lobstermen worked long days,hauling traps in the morning and canning their catch in theafternoon. A water pipe was erected each April for the twomonth lobster season, bringing hand-pumped fresh wateracross the stream to the factory. The buildings shown were fishhouses used for salting cod and hake.
The Glen Road. Running from Connaught Station, the firststop on the railway line east of Harmony Junction, to Glencorradale, this pretty, winding country road is much the same todaywhere it has not been marred by tree-cutting. A romantic imageto conclude.
