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ABOUT THOMAS DAGG  |
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The Canadian Dream
The Dagg family was always considered unlucky – perhaps it was written in the stars that lack of luck would be their lot – but it wasn’t much consolation. That’s why, when Thomas Dagg Sr. heard of the unskilled labourers needed for the construction of a new canal in Upper Canada, his ears perked up. Not because he was particularly excited to regard himself as unskilled, or really wanted to face crossing the Atlantic with his wife and 2-year old son, Richard. The prospect of crude on-site living conditions, malaria, and job site accidents wasn’t especially appealing, either.
But the family needed the money – even if it would be a pittance. More promising, however, was the possibility of saving up a little of that money, and acquiring land. Thomas Dagg Sr. had heard the Canadas had it in excess and were practically giving it away – and that made the risk worth it. So in an effort to change their fortunes, the Dagg family decided to move to Canada.
That was, until Susan discovered she was pregnant again. Normally a joyous occasion, the Daggs knew their traditional bad luck had kicked in – for Susan could never endure the months-long voyage across the Atlantic with child.
The move would have to wait.
And wait. Two miscarriages, a death in the family, and another pregnancy held the Daggs up for another few years. On February 1, 1834, the Daggs welcomed their second son – Thomas Dagg Jr. – into the world…the same world in Tipperary, Ireland that the Daggs had inhabited for generations.
Waiting until Thomas Jr. was old enough to stand a chance in the harsh overseas voyage aboard the empty timber ship, the Daggs finally made their way across the Atlantic. And it seemed – at least at first – that their luck was finally changing: both Susan and the children had survived the horrific (but affordable) voyage!
A newly confident Thomas Dagg Sr., with family in tow, made his way to Bytown to inquire about working on the new canal on the Rideau River. Surely they were still in need of labourers – he’d heard the canal was an engineering feat like no other…
But what was that? Construction of the canal was FINISHED?!
“Typical.”
It’s all Thomas Sr. could muster, as he held his small family close to him, and watched as a group of irate and out-of-work fellow countrymen began brawling with their French Canadian competition in the street.
This would not do.And so Thomas Dagg Sr. took his family, and headed West – though just ever so slightly – to the township of Huntley. There he found a small parcel of land to rent, and worked it until his death in 1848.
A Hard-Knock Life
Thomas Jr. – at only fourteen years old – found himself taking charge of a family filled with grief, regret, and the inability to make a decision for fear of making the “wrong” one (Thomas’ older brother Richard was particularly fearful of this, thinking that because he was the eldest, the ill fortune would hit him worst). They’d become immobilized by their terror of bad luck, and of the prospect of losing the farm.
Which of course they did.
It was that damned bad luck rearing its ugly head again. That, and the fact that poor Thomas Jr. had been unable to work the farm on his own, while his mother and brother worried rather than helped. Thomas packed up his burden (otherwise known as his family), and moved to Bytown in search of work and an inexpensive place to live in Lowertown.
The following years were filled with hardships for the Dagg family. And though Thomas had Richard to help provide the basic necessities…well, Richard had never been the brightest lad. Though he was physically powerful, he was mentally weak, and therefore only managed to keep the simplest of jobs. Thomas, on the other hand, was still considered too young, unskilled, and just a little too scrawny. He too, had difficulty finding work, and had to make do with the lowest kinds of work.
At nineteen, Thomas had (finally!) filled out and looked the man he’d been forced to become five years earlier. All of those lowly jobs had ultimately paid off, and had provided him not only with physical strength – but a strength of character as well – that landed him a prime position within a sawmill. It was dangerous work – but it paid well. To celebrate, Thomas and Richard visited Mother Mcguinty’s tavern, got very drunk, and then got thrown into gaol for drunkenly singing in the streets on their way home.
The Awakening
Next morning, Thomas woke up to find himself in a stinking and crude basement cell, surrounded by unwashed, unshaven, and very unruly men (including his brother, Richard). He knew it wasn’t going to be a good day, and spent the better part of it avoiding his cellmates’ stale and malodorous stench while he waited…and waited…for his release.
Damn they were inefficient. He hadn’t even been charged with anything! This was just bad luck….the Dagg family’s ill fortunes were keeping him in this foul-smelling pit with the dregs of Bytown society for as long as possible. Just to irritate him. Thomas moved to the nearest window, and pulled his face as close as possible to the bars so that he could breathe the fresh air….and in doing so, felt the bar move. A prison, eh? It wouldn’t last.
Upon his release, Thomas vowed never to do anything so stupid as to get himself thrown in gaol again – not because he was worried about the stigma, or “his record” (heck, almost everyone he knew had spent at least a day or two in gaol at some time or another), but because he never wanted to smell it again.
He got himself to work.
And life moved on for Thomas, in a very predictable and monotonous way – working at the sawmill, making a decent wage, and supporting his family. Year after year with very little change, other than Richard’s marriage and departure from the city, which they were now calling Ottawa.
Until he saw Alice.
Thomas’ whole world stopped that day, and seemingly got caught in his throat. She was eighteen years old, the daughter of a fellow mill worker, and the most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes upon. He HAD to get to know her.
And would you believe it? He did (the Dagg luck finally seemed to be changing).
A year later, in 1859, Thomas and Alice were married.
Another three, and Alice’s father was dead – there’d been a terrible accident at the mill – and Thomas had had to come home that night, a first-hand witness to the gruesome events of the day. He was, admittedly, a little turned off from mill work, as a result, and was quite relieved (though he’d never confess it) when Alice begged him to find safer work.
A Return to Gaol
Though Thomas’ ideal would have been to buy a farm, he knew it wasn’t an option – he didn’t have the money, nor was there any land available for it. All the same, he began his job search with high spirits – Ottawa was no longer the one-pony town it had once been. It was growing. It was the new capital of Canada. There were job prospects aplenty. And there was a new gaol under construction.
But wouldn’t you know it? Not only were they building it out of limestone and brick (with which Thomas had very little experience), but they had all the workers – both skilled and unskilled – they needed. Thomas cursed his family’s luck, looked forlornly at the old courthouse next door with that stinking pit of a prison in its basement – was that the window with the loose bar? – sighed, and turned to walk away. Only he found someone standing in his way, looking him over very carefully.
“You’re a large chap, aren’t you? Bet it’d take quite the man to make you blink twice….yes….I think you’ll do….”
“I’m sorry?” The last thing Thomas needed was for some suit to think he was just a big, strong, ape of a man – sure he was big from working at the mill – but he was no idiot.
“I need turnkeys….guards….for my prison. Intelligent enough, strong, and willing to face down the worst of characters. The pay is moderate, but sure….this prison is being built to last a hundred years…there’ll be good job security…starting as soon as she’s finished construction.”
Thomas took the job. |
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