The Chignecto Isthmus And Its First Settlers [76]
with the expectation of returning with his family. In the meantime the war between England and her American colonies had broken out, and he could not reach Nova Scotia until the trouble was settled, which was not for seven years. For a part of this time the family had charge of a toll bridge near Newcastle. The following incident is declared to have actually occurred while they were keeping the toll bridge. A large man, riding a very small donkey, one day came up to the bridge and asked the amount of the toll. The charge was more than he felt inclined to pay, so he asked what would it be for a man with a load. Finding that it was considerably less he at once laid down the smaller sum, picked up the donkey in his arms, and walked over the bridge. From Halifax Mr. Colpitts and the two oldest boys made their way overland, walking the most of the way from there to Moncton, while the others came in a vessel soon afterwards. When they reached Coverdale the land he had improved had been pre-empted, and Mr. Colpitts had to push on. He settled at Little River, five miles from its mouth."
The writer, after giving a fuller account of the family, says: "It is, we freely confess, the history of a race of humble farmers, and such, for the most part, have been their descendants; no one of the name has yet occupied a prominent place in the public life of our country. But the name has always been an honorable one, and those who have borne it have been, with few exceptions, honest, God-fearing, God-honoring men and women."
Mr. James Colpitts, of Point de Bute, is a great-grandson of Mr. Robert Colpitts.
MONRO.
Alexander Monro was born in Banff, Scotland. His father, John Monro, and family came from Aberdeen to Miramichi, New Brunswick, in 1815. He remained in Miramichi three years and then moved to Bay Verte. The next move was to Mount Whatley, and, after a few years stay there, Mr. Monro purchased a wilderness lot on Bay Verte Road, to which they removed, and after years of strenuous labor made for themselves a comfortable home.
It was from Mr. Robert King, school master--referred to in another part of this book--that the son, Alexander Monro, received the inspiration and training that started him on the road to success in life. His biographer says: "When he was twenty-one years of age a Mr. Robert King came into the district to take charge of the school, and under his care young Monro studied in the winter evenings geometry, algebra and land surveying. Mr. King possessed a surveying compass, and gave him practical instruction in land surveying, leading him to decide to follow that business.
Mr. Monro obtained a recommendation from Dr. Smith, of Fort Cumberland, and others, and in the year 1837 went to Fredericton to obtain an appointment from the Hon. Thomas Baillie, then Surveyor-General of the Province. Mr. Baillie complimented him on his attainments, but refused to appoint him to the office. When Mr. Monro got back to St. John he had but two shillings in his pocket, and with this meagre sum he started on foot for home. Before he had gone far he found a job of masonry work and earned fifteen shillings. With this money he returned to St. John, and purchased Gibson's "Land Surveying" and some cakes for lunch, and set out again for Westmoreland. On the way he worked a day at digging potatoes, for which he received two shillings, and later on built a chimney and was paid two pounds.
The next year Mr. Monro received the appointment of Deputy Crown Land Surveyor. In 1848 he was made a Justice of the Peace, and was the surveyor to run the boundary line between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He was the author of a number of works, one on Land Surveying, also one on the "History, Geography and Productions of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island." For a number of years he edited an educational monthly magazine called the PARISH SCHOOL ADVOCATE. His biographer adds: "Such is the life and labors of one of our foremost and most useful citizens, and if there is a moral to be read from it, it is this, that to make
The writer, after giving a fuller account of the family, says: "It is, we freely confess, the history of a race of humble farmers, and such, for the most part, have been their descendants; no one of the name has yet occupied a prominent place in the public life of our country. But the name has always been an honorable one, and those who have borne it have been, with few exceptions, honest, God-fearing, God-honoring men and women."
Mr. James Colpitts, of Point de Bute, is a great-grandson of Mr. Robert Colpitts.
MONRO.
Alexander Monro was born in Banff, Scotland. His father, John Monro, and family came from Aberdeen to Miramichi, New Brunswick, in 1815. He remained in Miramichi three years and then moved to Bay Verte. The next move was to Mount Whatley, and, after a few years stay there, Mr. Monro purchased a wilderness lot on Bay Verte Road, to which they removed, and after years of strenuous labor made for themselves a comfortable home.
It was from Mr. Robert King, school master--referred to in another part of this book--that the son, Alexander Monro, received the inspiration and training that started him on the road to success in life. His biographer says: "When he was twenty-one years of age a Mr. Robert King came into the district to take charge of the school, and under his care young Monro studied in the winter evenings geometry, algebra and land surveying. Mr. King possessed a surveying compass, and gave him practical instruction in land surveying, leading him to decide to follow that business.
Mr. Monro obtained a recommendation from Dr. Smith, of Fort Cumberland, and others, and in the year 1837 went to Fredericton to obtain an appointment from the Hon. Thomas Baillie, then Surveyor-General of the Province. Mr. Baillie complimented him on his attainments, but refused to appoint him to the office. When Mr. Monro got back to St. John he had but two shillings in his pocket, and with this meagre sum he started on foot for home. Before he had gone far he found a job of masonry work and earned fifteen shillings. With this money he returned to St. John, and purchased Gibson's "Land Surveying" and some cakes for lunch, and set out again for Westmoreland. On the way he worked a day at digging potatoes, for which he received two shillings, and later on built a chimney and was paid two pounds.
The next year Mr. Monro received the appointment of Deputy Crown Land Surveyor. In 1848 he was made a Justice of the Peace, and was the surveyor to run the boundary line between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He was the author of a number of works, one on Land Surveying, also one on the "History, Geography and Productions of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island." For a number of years he edited an educational monthly magazine called the PARISH SCHOOL ADVOCATE. His biographer adds: "Such is the life and labors of one of our foremost and most useful citizens, and if there is a moral to be read from it, it is this, that to make