Norwich bulletin., 1917-04-19
THE WAR PRIMER By National Geographic Society.

St. John, New Brunswiek-'St. John, rival of Halifax for the commercial favor which war is bringing to eastern Canadian seaports." says today's war geography bulletin of the National Geographic Society, Ties about mid way of the Bay of F'undy upon its | western shore. at the mouth of the St John river, sO-named by Champaign and Des Monts. the founders of New France. because, on St Johns Day. (June 24) I604. their sturdy ships first stirred its waters. Early the scene of strife between rivalrous-and some times traitorous-French leaders and later a prize to be contested by Eng two centuries failed to rise above the status of a military and trading post; and it was not until 11S2 that it began to take on municipal form
 -In that year, following the close of l the Revolution, began the emigration
 of the Loyalists from the successfully
 reyoltos Colonies; and in the first three weeks of May there arrived at from New York, laden with the de voted men and women. adherents of Ihe Mother Country, who, to retain their allegiance to the British Crown. sacrificed their possessions and sought 1 home upon the nearest soil where the Cross of St George still waved
 At st. John they found the virgin forest scared only by a small clear
 ing about the site.of the old fort: and with great energy9 they set about the At firsr living in tents. then in log cabins. they speedily prepared for more permanent habitation-and it is sig nificant that the first framed house which they put up was place of wOr- ship, which served also as a court house and for the meetings of the Comon Council. At that time the Province of Nova Scotia included f- settlement was first named Parr Town in honor of John Parr, the then pro- vincial governor Two years, less a day, from the date of landing of the Loyalists their city was erected by royal charter.
 "The natural advantages of the site f-the deep and safe harbor the rich Forests adjacent to the noble river.
 and the productive agricultural land tributary to tall responded to the enterprise of the settlers, and the
 growth of the city has been continuous
 As center for shipping, as an en- trepot for the vast lumber trade of
 Eastern Canada and an especially advantageous spot for shipbuilding, St
 John soon became known. At one
 time it ranked fourth among all the
 cities of the Empire in the tonnage of ships constructed, and for more than
 fifty years it has thought of itseff as the Liverpool of America.
 Among the first corners to St. John after its establishment was Benedict
 Arnold, who spent several years of his exile by the waters of PassanaQuoddy.
 on the islands and on the mainland
 At St John he engaged in trade, ard
 in 17s8 in his store occurred the first
 of the fires which have so frequently
 ravaged St John. The loss was heavy
 cut, as the chronicier takes pains to set down in italics, '-it was said to
 have been we'll insured" One of the results of this was a libel suit brought
 by Arnold against his partner, who had
 charged him with setting fire to the
 store in order to gain the insurance
 This case was one of the first to oc-
 cIpy the attention of the new courts of the Province. which had been set
 up only four years prior. and Arnoids
 verdict of two and sixpence was a
 I'yrrhic victory. It is recorded that
 Arnold's known fraudulent dealings
 and naughty department made him
 very unpopular with the people, who
 on one occasion showed their resent
 ment and contempt by suspending his
 emgy in public labelled Traitor. in
 such position as to be easily seen from his house It was then committed to
 the flames amid loud huzzas" In
 17S4 Arnold closed his business at St.
 John and sailed for the West Indies
 whence he made his way to England
 and to an unmourned grave.
 'sThe situation of St John B at tractive to the tourist as well as to