In the early 1800 Richibucto was the
third largest shipping port in New Brunswick.
Hundreds of beautiful vessels were built
here, vessels that sailed to every port in the World. Those square-rigged
vessels, barques, brigs, and brigantines are not built anywhere in the
world today but have given place to steamers and schooners equipped
which auxiliary engines for hoisting sails and doing almost every other
work that the old-time sailor was compelled to do by hand.
All along the Richibucto River are the
old ship-building sites were hundreds of square rigged vessels were
built. Many of the ships of Saint John with which Bliss Carman's boyhood
dreams went out, although owned in St. John,were actually built at Richibucto
and Kouchibouguac. To unload these ships a ferry was used. Captain Louis
Hebert ran a ferry (back were G.L. Caissie's) to mid-river on a cable.
The sea acted in many strange ways. The
sea while bringing fortune and adventure to some brought a mixture of
misfortune to others including murder, piracy, treason and even heroism.
The Colonial Times, published in Chatham
during the American Civil War, carries an account of the murder of Thomas
Riley. Riley was mate of an American ship and was murdered in the Carey
Hotel.
This Hotel was later owned by Steve O`Donnel
and was destroyed by the great fire of 1921.
It appears that the American and Canadian
sailors at that time had a grudge against the foreign crews who had
made themselves unpopular by shipping under the regular rate of wages.
Riley, in the company of his vessel crew, went into the Carey Hotel,
all under the influence of liquor. Eight or ten belonging to an English
barque were in the Hotel at the time, drinking. With them was a Swede
about twenty-five years of age. Riley slapped the faces of some of the
Englishmen. Not being able in that way to provoke a quarrel, he spat
in the face of the Swede. The Swede then drew a dagger and plunged it
into Riley, just below the heart. Riley lived a little more than five
minutes.
The account read that Riley was a splendid
looking man and that, when not under the influence of liquor, was one
of the finest and best men imaginable. To prove the type of man Riley
was, it is said that just before he died, he raised hiss head and asked
where was the man who had stabbed him. The shock had naturally sobered
him and realizing how provocative his actions had been, he wished to
exonerate the Swede from all blame. "Don’t let him be punished in any
way," he said, "it was my fault."
Another famous murder remains unsolved
to this day. This one took place in the old Grayson Hotel on York point.
this Hotel was also known through the years as Joe’s Bar, the Seaman’s
Hotel, The Sailor Home and Mrs. Conroy`s Boarding House. Many seamen
stayed there and the place had quite a reputation for fistic exhibitions.