Article Of Interest: A Diary Journey Into Montreal's History

Columnist John Kalbfleisch writes an interesting week-end column that enlightens readers in the Montreal Gazette.

Here's an example titled, "Prolific diary left behind a valuable record of early Montreal."

The keeper of the diary was Jedediah Hubbell Dorwin who "was born in Vermont in 1792 and settled in Montreal in 1816."

"He soon realized the city was dingier than the glittering rooftops suggested. Most houses had heavy iron doors and shutters; "there was little or no attempt at ornamental architecture."

"Montreal in 1816 had about 20,000 people, including its garrison of 4,000 British soldiers. The city, nearly two decades away from incorporation, was still organized like a township in the countryside.

Hm. Not much has changed. Montreal is not only run like a small town, it's also ridiculously bloated - and corrupt.

The rural system of government in so large a town was not productive of much order or regularity," Dorwin said, "and the roughs of the place did pretty much as they liked. But on the other hand the taxes were light."