08/30/2020
Melvin S. Huntington & Excerpt from his 1934 Diaries
📷Melvin S. Huntington was born in Salmon River, Grand Mira in 1875, the eldest son of Henry and Frances (Spencer) Huntington. His great grandfather, Caleb Huntington, was a pre-Loyalist New Englander who came from Connecticut, USA around 1760 and was the first white settler in Grand Mira after the French exodus.
As a young man, Mr. Huntington worked a number of years at the Dominion Coal Company in Louisbourg, and then became a travelling salesman for Miller Brothers, selling pianos and organs. In 1906, he opened his first store in Louisbourg, and continued to run his own store until his retirement in 1962 at the age of 87.
Melvin Huntington was elected Mayor of Louisbourg in 1926 and held the office for 20 consecutive years.
Excerpt - 1934 Huntington Diaries
MARCH 1934 Saturday 10 Louisburg, NS
Clear and moderately cold becoming cloudy in the afternoon. Min temperature 8 above, max temperature 27.
Steamer “Gypsum King”, Captain Rodgers, sailed in the morning for Halifax, NS with a cargo of coal..
Steamer “Watuka”, Capt. Bragg, sailed with a cargo of coal for St. John’s Nfld.
Norwegian steamer “Siak”, Capt. Haug, sailed for England with a cargo of about 1500 tons of steel products..
Steamer “Liverpool Rover”, Capt. Williams, sailed in the afternoon for Liverpool, NS with a cargo of coal for the Mersey Paper Company..
Three masted schooner “Donald II” owned and sailed by Captain William Trenholme of Louisburg, left here at about 10am enroute to Barbados, B.W. I. with a cargo of bunker. The “Donald II” arrived here in December last from Bay Chaleur where she loaded a cargo of bunker for Barbados and remained here during the winter.
Guilty of Murder (evidence purely circumstantial)
Walter Wilkinson of Glace Bay, NS aged 32, was found guilty of murdering his brother’s wife, Mrs. William Wilkinson, on the morning of November 23, 1933 by a jury in the Supreme Court today. The trial which began on last Tuesday at Sydney was presided over by Judge W. F. Carroll. M. A. Patterson, Crown Prosecutor and D. A. Cameron for the prosecution. N. R. MacArthur and J. W. Maddin for the defense. The crime for which Wilkinson (see next page)..
MARCH 1934 Sunday 11 Louisburg, NS
Snow began to fall at an early hour this morning and continued until about noon. Hail and drizzle during the afternoon followed by a light mist in the evening which froze as it fell. Snow fall about 12 inches. Fresh to moderate northeast wind. Min temperature about 14, max temperature about 24.. Church services. At 11am and 7pm, I attended services in the First United church. Congregation small owing to the inclemency of the weather, only 19 present at the 11am service. Both services were conducted by Rev. D. A. MacMillan. Emeline was not out to church in the morning owing to the severe snow storm but accompanied me in the evening.
Free of Ice.
Louisburg harbour free of ice. The ice which had formed in the northeast end of the harbour all broke up during the day and drifted out to sea leaving the harbour entirely clear of ice from one end to the other.
Guilty of Murder (continued from previous page)
was found guilty, took place at Glace Bay at about 2:30on the morning of Nov 23, 1933. Mrs. Wilkinson was instantly killed by a bullet fired through a window from a 38-55 Wi******er rifle while she was in the home of Dan MacLeod after she had been threatened by Walter Wilkinson in her own home and from which she had fled for her life a few minutes previously. The rifle was found five days later on the shore at Table Head beach. There were no eye-witnesses to the tragedy. The jury in this case were as follows: Carl D. Ryan (Foreman), Alex. Morrison, L. W. Brown, Andrew Wenning, John MacDougall, Charles Tracey, Angus J. Morrison, G. B. Riley, William Turvey, Robert Gibson, all of Sydney, John Gordon, Sydney Mines and Walter Graham, Dominion. (It is stated by the press that an appeal from the above verdict will be taken before the Free Bench of the N. S. Supreme Court, which meets on March 20, 1934).
MARCH 1934 Monday 12 Louisburg, NS
Clear and moderately cold with light northwest wind. Min temperature 2 below, max temperature 26 above.
Traveling on the streets and highways very heavy owing to the snow storm of yesterday.
Murder Trial.
The trial of Joseph Marusiak, charged with the murder of his father Joseph Marusiak Sr. began today at Sydney in the Supreme Court before Judge W. F. Carroll. Joseph Marusiak Jr., who is 19 years of age, shot his father in the stomach while the elder Marusiak was in the act of beating his wife, mother of Marusiak Jr. Immediately after the shooting which took place on the morning of Dec. 26, 1933 at Whitney Pier, Sydney, young Marusiak went to the Whitney Pier Police Station and surrendered himself to police officer Hugh R. MacDonald at the same time admitting that he had fired a charge of shot from a shot gun which struck his father in the stomach while defending his mother. The wounded man was taken to the City Hospital for treatment where he died three or four days later after an operation performed by D. A. Calder. Crown Prosecutor, M. A. Patterson, assisted by his partner Bernard Gaffen, is prosecuting the case while D. A. Cameron assisted by Don. Finlayson, is conducting the defense. The jury is composed of: Neil MacDonald (Foreman), John H. MacDougall, Edward Leonard, Neil D. Morrison, Duncan Sutherland, Alex. Morrison, G. B. Riley, Charles Tracey, John J. Richardson, Lindsay MacKenzie, all of Sydney, F. Anderson, Glace Bay and George Ivey, North Sydney.
MARCH 1934 Tuesday 13 Louisburg, NS
Bright sunshine during the greater part of the day becoming cloudy in the late afternoon. Light westerly wind shifting to southwest and increasing to a fresh breeze at night. Min temperature about zero, max temperature 32.
Acquitted of Murder.
In the Supreme Court at Sydney tonight, Joseph Marusiak was acquitted of the charge of murdering his father on the morning of Dec. 26, 1933. The jury deliberated for three hours and twenty minutes before arriving at a verdict.
MARCH 1934 Wednesday 14 Louisburg, NS
Cloudy and mild, clearing in the afternoon. Moderate to fresh southwest wind.
Min temperature 26, max temperature 41. Snow melting very fast and as a result the streets are very slushy.
Steamer “Gypsum King”, Capt. Rodgers, arrived from Halifax at about 6pm. She was followed about an hour later by the “Liverpool Rover”, Capt. Williams from Liverpool, NS.. Both of these ships are after cargoes of coal.
Sentenced to hang.
In the Supreme Court at Sydney this morning, Walter Wilkinson of Glace Bay, who on last Saturday was found guilty of murdering his sister-in-law, was by Judge W. F. Carroll, sentenced to be hanged on May 17, 1934.
MARCH 1934 Thursday 22 Louisburg, NS
Cloudy with moderate south west wind. Min temperature 8, max temperature 38.
Council meeting.
At 7:30pm, I attended and presided at a meeting of the Town Council. Those present were councillors Jeremiah Smith, D. J. MacInnis, Wesley Townsend and G. B. Hiltz. Clerk, B. M Spencer, Policeman Albert Baker and myself. At this meeting, Police officer Albert Baker tendered his resignation to take effect on March 31, 1934. Mr. Baker holds a turn on the S. & L. Railway as brakeman but did not have any employment with the railway for upwards of two years owing to the depression. Recently he has been notified to report for duty hence his resignation. On motion of the Council, Mr. Baker’s resignation was accepted. Albert Baker was first appointed to the Police force on June 27, 1932. Reappointed June 15, 1933. Salary since his first appointment until the present time $25.00 a month with $10.00 extra for reading the electric light meters making a total of $35.00 per month.
MARCH 1934 Saturday 31 Louisburg, NS
Clear and cool with light east to southeast wind. Min temperature 8 above zero, max temperature __. Heavy drift ice in sight off the harbour and coast.
S. S. “Watuka” Steamer “Watuka”, Capt. Bragg, sailed in the morning for Liverpool, NS with a cargo of coal.
S. S. “Gypsum King” Steamer “Gypsum King”, Captain Rodgers arrived in the afternoon from St. John, NB for a cargo of coal.
Old Age Pensions.
The first Old Age Pensions to be received at Louisburg arrived in the evening mail from Halifax. The Old Age Pension Act was proclaimed in the Province of Nova Scotia last September. Pensions payable from the First of March 1934. The first cheques were mailed on or about March 28. Pensions of a maximum amount of $20.00 a month are payable to persons who are in need, who are over 70 years of age, paid jointly by the Federal and Provincial Government on a 75 and 25 per cent basis respectively.
Among those who received pensions in Louisburg were the following: Angus MacLean, Miss Emma MacAlpine, Alex. MacIntyre, Mrs. Wadden, Nelson Tanner, Sam Tanner, Chas. Reid, Joseph Currie, Mrs. Joseph Currie, Dan Johnston, Mrs. Christina MacAulay, Murdoch Cameron, George Tutty.
APRIL 1934 Tuesday 3 Louisburg, NS
Cloudy and mild with light variable wind. Light frost at night. Harbour partly full of ice and coast and harbour mouth blocked.
Min temperature 28, max temperature 50.
S. S. “Gypsum King”. Steamer Gypsum King, Capt. Rodgers, which finished loading a cargo of coal last night, remained in port owing to ice conditions on the coast.
Council Meeting.
At 7:30pm, I attended and presided at a special meeting of the Town council. Those present were Councillors Hiltz, Townsend, Smith, Clerk B. M. Spencer and myself. At this meeting Daniel M. Johnston was appointed Policeman, Sanitary Inspector, Truant officer, Jailer and Inspector under the fire ordinance for the Town of Louisburg at a salary of $10.00 a month (part time). He was also appointed meter reader at $10.00 and tax collector to collect arrears of taxes and poll tax on a commission of 5%. Mr. Johnston succeeds Albert Baker whose resignation took effect on March 31, 1934.
R. C. M. P. The party of R. C. M. P. officers who arrived here yesterday evening by train, set out in the direction of Gabarus this morning with two horses and sleighs. At the premises of one Gatto, a reputed bootlegger at Deep Cove, they carried out a search for liquor which I understand was not successful.
Click link to See complete Huntington Collection and transcription of diaries that span from 1896 to 1950..
The collection of diaries by Melvin S. Huntington are listed below by the year they were recorded. These documents have been transcribed from the original diary.
