Tabloid Thursday: Diptheria and Typhoid by the numbers...

Tabloid Thursday: Where yesterday's news is today...

T.T. is an experimental weekly meme I'm trying here at "Roots & Stones" (please let me know if there are any themes/memes already around like this - I don't want to reinvent the wheel!). 

I wanted a weekly feature where I could showcase articles, those lovely little social news items (i.e. "Mrs. X and daughter visited Mrs. Y this weekend and will be returning home on Thursday..."), and other interesting newspaper "stuff" I've come across in the course of my research.  Thus, Tabloid Thursday...

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Source: "The Ottawa Daily Citizen", Wednesday, November 2, 1887, p. 1, column 4.
Accessed at Google News archive, 27 January 2010.

[click to enlarge]

HAVOC BY DIPTHERIA.
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Deaths Caused by Diptheria and Typhoid Fever in Ontario.
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Provincial Board of Health Statement.
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By Telegraph to The Citizen.
      Toronto, 1st. - At a meeting of the Provincial Board of Health this afternoon a statement regarding the prevalence of diptheria and typhoid fever was read. Out of 600 municipalities 353 reported and out of these 185 reported either diptheria or typhoid fever, and 71 reported neither diseases. The total number of cases of diptheria was 1,888 and of typhoid fever 864. The deaths from diptheria numbered 488 and from typhoid fever 135. The causes given were impure water, impure milk and causes in connection with slaughter houses and cheese factories. A statement regarding the prevalence of these diseases in several Ontario cities was also presented as follows,

Toronto
      Cases of diptheria 428, deaths 155, cases per 1,000 of population 3.39, deaths per 1,000 1.23; cases of typhoid fever 127, deaths 41, cases per 1,000 1, deaths per 1,000 32.

Hamilton
      Cases of diptheria 134, deaths 15, cases per 1,000 3.11, deaths per 1,000 34; cases of typhoid 47, deaths 3, cases per 1,000 1.09, deaths per 1,000 0.7.

Guelph
      Cases of diptheria, 46; deaths, 2; cases per 1,000, 4.38; deaths, .19; cases of typhoid, 10; deaths, 1; cases per 1,000, 95; deaths, .09.

St. Thomas
      Cases of diptheria, 30; deaths, 4; cases per 1,000, 2.92; deaths, .38; cases of typhoid, 1; deaths, 1; cases per 1,000, .09.

Stratford
      Cases of diptheria, 3; deaths, 3; cases per 1,000, .33; deaths, .33; cases of typhoid, 3; deaths, 1; cases per thousand, .33; deaths, .11.

London
      Cases of diptheria 60, deaths 19; cases per 1,000, 2.26, deaths .71; cases of typhoid 5, deaths 3; cases per 1,000, .18, deaths .11.

Brantford
      Cases of diptheria 63, deaths 8; cases per 1,000, 4.83, deaths .61; cases of typhoid 92, deaths 4; cases per 1,000, 7.06, deaths .38.

Kingston
      Cases of diptheria 18, deaths 1; cases of typhoid 14, deaths 3.

Marriage: Anstee-Skinner, 1904

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Ontario, Canada. Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1926. MS932, Reel no. 116.

Archives of Ontario, Toronto.  (Accessed at Ancestry.ca, 16 February 2010)

Groom: David Henry Anstee

Age: 35

Residence When Married: York Tp.

Place of Birth: Hastings Co.

Bachelor, Widower, Spinster, Widow: B

Occupation or Profession: Farmer

Names of Parents: Austee, Alfred and Sneelis, Amelia

Bride: Skinner, Sarah Ellen

Age: 19

Residence When Married: York Tp.

Place of Birth: York Tp.

Bachelor, Widower, Spinster, Widow: S

Names of Parents: Skinner, Jno. and Gallop, Florence

Name of Witness: Geo. Hy. Bellamy

Residences of Witness: Todmordeu [?]

Name of Witness: Sarah Skinner

Residence of Witness: York Tp.

Date and Place of Marriage: Dec. 7, 1904, Don Mills Rd.

Religious Denomination: Ch. of Eng [Groom] / Meth [Bride]

By Whom Married: [?] Caldwell

License or Banns: L

Date of Registration: Dec. 10, 1904

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David Anstee's sister Charlotte married Johnston Story, who was the son of Robert Story and Margaret Johnston.  Robert's brother David was my gggg-grandfather.   

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy: Week 6 - The Result...

A wordle of this week's post (click to enlarge)

Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog presents "52 Weeks To Better Genealogy", a series of weekly genealogy prompts/suggestions/exercises that (hopefully) help you to become a better researcher.

This week's (#6) challenge dealt with the exploration of your local public library's online database(s).

Since I work for my local public library, and have used our databases (both genealogical and non) to assist others, I'm afraid I slacked on this challenge a little. ;-)  To access the databases, you simply click on Online Resources, and one of the subject headings listed on that page is Genealogy.  There are four databases under this:

Ancestry Library Edition
Description: Ancestry.com is the number one online source for family history information, including the web's largest collection of historical records.

My Notes: Though our library subscribes to this Ancestry version, it is only available for use while actually in a library building (which sucks, but then how would Ancestry get their money's worth?!) and on a library computer. 

Oshawa Book of Remembrance
Description: Online version of the Book of Remembrance, dedicated to preserving the memory of those from the Oshawa region who served and gave their lives in WWI and WWII. 

My Notes: Each entry provides a picture of the soldier, his rank and full name, birth date and place, death date and place, parents names, where the soldier went to school, and (occasionally) hobbies.  The original book is available in a glass case at the main branch of the library, where a new page is displayed everyday.  This database can be searched (divided by branch of service - Army, Navy, etc.) or browsed.

Oshawa Newspaper and Obituary Index
Description: An index to the Oshawa newspapers preserved on microfilm at the McLaughlin Branch of OPL. 

My Notes: Includes full name (as given in the source) of the individual, type of event and date, source (newspaper name) and date.  Obituary listings include the name of the cemetery.  Search (keywords, dates) only :-(

Toronto Star - Pages of the Past
Description: The digitized full-image version of the complete contents of the Toronto Star newspaper since 1894.  See below for my (short) exploration of this database.

My Notes: Listed under the subject of History are a further two resources:

Oshawa Full-Text Archive
Description: Check out our expanded Oshawa Full-Text Archive, a collection of materials providing a glimpse into Oshawa's past. 

My Notes: Various local history books and booklets that are kept in the library's local history collection and are not allowed to leave the library.  They have been digitized and organized by general subject headings (business, directories, education, clubs, local families, etc.).  Searchable within each document only.

Oshawa Images
Description: Take a look at our newest online collection, featuring intriguing images from Oshawa’s past.

My Notes: Includes a variety of images, ranging from portraits, street scenes, groups, and buildings.  Attached to each image is as much detail as known, copyright, history (if known), and holder.  Database also includes a rotating list of "Mystery" pictures.  Search (basic and advanced) only.

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While the local resources are not (currently) of much use to me, I did go to the Pages of the Past database and do a couple brief searches. 

One of the sons of the Story clan - Frederick William - married an Wilhelmina Alexandra Robinson, daughter of Alexander Hamilton Robinson and Martha Jane MacFarlane, of Etobicoke, York co., Ontario, Canada.  Frederick and Wilhelmina, along with her mother, Martha, migrated to B.C.  I have an obituary for Martha (I also have Wilhelmina's) from a Vancouver paper, and while she died in B.C., she was buried with her husband and parental family in Etobicoke.  I decided to look up Martha's 1930 obituary in the Toronto Star, assuming, with the burial occuring in Etobicoke, there would have been a cross posting.  She died on Monday, February 10, 1930.  I found her in Friday, February 14th, page 33:

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Unfortunately, I was unable to locate a Toronto obituary (I have the Vancouver one) for her daughter, Wilhelmina Alexandra (Robinson) Story, who died on the last day of the year, December 31, 1951.  Nor was I able to find any mention of the death of Wilhelmina's husband, Frederick, on January 2, 1961 - though I did not expect to find anything for him, since he was not originally from the area.  However, when I tried a blanket search for just MacFarlane/McFarlane, beginning in 1894 (when the digitized version begins), I got a "No Results" screen (which is weird, since in Martha's obit, above, her father Alexande MacFarlane, is listed...)