With the kind permission of our enlightened administrator... My father, Lanson Zufelt, was born in Wyebridge in 1890. died in 1968 and is buried behind the Good Shepard Church. His father brought the family from Northumberland Co. in the mid 1870's and started a dray business that lasted until about 1910. I have a business diary dated 1883 that Grampa used to register what wagon team did what, with what kind of material and the cost. When my father was about 8 or 9 years he started to paste in this diary, newspaper clippings, tracts, and those vintage colored flat cards featuring angelic children, buxom ladies, bearded gentlemen and heroic visages. Until I decide what to do with these deteriorating treasures I will transcribe some of these items and publish to this mail list.. First is a poem "Composed by Mary Conlon, Orr Lake, Nov 1889, on the death of two brothers, who died on the march from Toronto to Penetanguishene on the 2nd of June 1831." ...Orr Lake... To the residents of North Simcoe my story I'll unfold Of hardships and privations endured by troops of old When Simcoe was a wilderness scarce broken by a trail And of Samuel and John McGarraty who in the march did fail. It was on the second day of June eighteen and thirty one The Seventy Ninth Regiment their march they had begun. >From Little York, now called Toronto, through forests decked with green These gallant men they took their way to Penetanguishene. They came to Holland Landing crossed Lake Simcoe in a scow, Landed at Kempinfeldt, where Barrie does stand now. >From there they marched to Craighurst, a long and dreary way Loaded with sixty pounds of baggage, that sultry summer day. They thought there to remain that night but duty must be done There orders were to reach the fort before another sun. So weary and disheartened, without their well earned rest This gallant band of heroes complied with the request. When yet a long way off the fort those brothers lagged behind. Their comrades thinking it was to rest dismissed them from their mind. When the Regiment reached the fort it was very late that night And being very much exhausted they took a short respite. In the morning they started their comrades for to find Little thinking of the dreadful fate of those they left behind. They traveled back the selfsame route they had come the night before Not thinking those two brothers in life they would see no more. When near the place they had missed them, one of them they did see Sitting a short way off with his back against a tree. They hurried in to help him not thinking life had fled But when they came up to his side they found that he was dead. In a short time they found the other within the bush he lay. It is supposed he had gone for water and perished by the way. On the tree trunk the date was cut likewise their age and name Done by one of those brothers before the summons came. That bade them meet their maker upon that flaming shore Where sorrow and privation, even death shall be no more. And where the Lord has said to them. Thou servants good and true, Thou last deserved the mansion I have prepared for you. With sad hearts the comrades raised them and back the corpses bore. Within a small enclosure the remains are resting there, Close to the Reformatory, search there you cannot fail To find corrobitive proof of this, my truthful tale..... End... A case of history and genealogy walking hand in hand. More to come, later. Bill Zuefelt, Rodney Ont.