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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1975-06-26, Page 6• ro. Akar. .V.89_14 'E POI 41,)N 1075 We Need Used Cars & Trucks Now's the time to trade up to a 1975 Ford HIGHEST TRADE-IN ALLOWANCES PAID HERE'S A CAR FOR YOU AT A PRICE YOU'LL LIKE 1971 MAVERICK GRABBER 302 V-8, automatic, mini console, bucket seats, radio, whitewalls. Licence DJL554 1973 TORINO 4-door sedan equipped with select air-conditioning, AM/FM stereo with tape, automatic. Licence DFU538 1972 FORD LTD BROUGHAM 4 door hardtop, automatic, power steering and power brakes, radio, temperature control, air conditioning, Licence DFM517 19,1 NOVA 4-door sedan, 6 'cylinder, automatic, radio. Licence DFX432 1968 PLYMOUTH FURY III 2-door hardtop, V- 8, automatic, power steering, power brakes. Before inspection. Licence DFX443 1971 CHEV CAPRICE 2-door hardtop, V-8, automatic, power steering, power brakes, radio. Licence DUM704 1973 PONTIAC LE MANS 2-door hardtop, V-8, automatic, power steering, power brakes, AM/FM, vinyl top. Licence DKH798 9995 '3295 '2795 1195 695 '2395 '3695 TRUCKS 1974 FORD F250 Styleside pickup, 360 V-8, automatic, 7500 GVW package, 8.75x16.5 10 4495 ply tires, long-arm western mirrors, only 14,000 # one -owner miles. Licence 884-200. 1972 FORD 1/2 ton, 8 cylinder, standard :iansmission, heavy duty suspension. Licence C67784 1973 FORD 1/2 ton, 8 cylinder, standard transmission, heavy duty suspension. Licence C55535 1967 FORD F700dump truck, as is, where is L ii9c e7n2c e FORD M82 7 r329`50 pickup, 8 cylinder, automatic, heavy duty suspension, western mirrors, rear step bumper. Licence H68942 '2595 '3295 9195 '2795 ,:arry Snider Motors LIMITED EXETER 235-1640 LONDON 2 4/-4 I 91 Open Weekdays Until 9:00 Saturdays Until 640 at was it to IRre Setiforth in 1875? lot 01.1,Nl(rsiPs 11 1 t Ill ", 11 111111 Rl 11N1 (ill• I 's 1 Ult 1 1 I le) Ut SEAFORTH JEWELLERS • fl y Susan White) Nif.e had. Jules Verse's time 014Chitie, we could go back and field Out. But since we don't and- We can't we have to put a let of tittle bits of information together Wiry and get a feeling, a realistic picture of what it was like to live in Seaforth in 1875. After all, the fact that Seaforth was here, a flourishing. newly incorporated town, is the excuse for celebrating this Centennial weekend. It seems only fair to try and discover what life was like for the nearly 3000 souls who lived here then. First of all, the good citizens of 1875 would be shocked out of their shoes to learn that 1975 is International Women's Year. The idea of designating a special year to mark -se.% women's eceomplishments and encourage them to try bigger and better things would seem ludicrous to them. They were people whose birth announcements in the Expositor of the day said "JONES: The wife of Mr. Henry Jones. McKillop, a son. June 2. 1875." It's obvious from looking through 1875 Expositors that women. though they worked as milliners. clerks, flax pickets and teachers. were seen and jot heard. Seaforth bed a flourishing literary and debating setinety in 1875 and a Mechanic's Institute or Library. but if women Acre members, they did not speak, for there is no record of their participation in newspaper accounts of these organization's activities. Not Idle All this is not to say that Seaforth women in 1875 were idle. They had large families --the Expositor records the death of one woman 'taken way in the prime of life from a young and interesting family ". who left c. seven yo ung children: Women could get their household' flour ground at the Egmondville Mill. They did most of the household sewing. cooking and provisioning and they shopped. Advertisements in 1875 papers offer %hawk furs, clouds(?), mourning dress goods, oysters by the gallon. fresh and good. a sale orr buffalo robe's." lobster and salmon If she was lucky, a Seaforth woman in 1875 would have a servant or two to help her keep her big household functioning. An article in the Expositor from England told about a house for destitute girls there that taught them to he servants. "not the better type". These lucky girls were encouraged to stay at their jobs by what the Expositor calls "admirable incentives''. After six months service, the home invited faithful servant girls back to a tea party and after they'd served in the same household for a year. they were given prizes ,at a Christmas party. If W•ornen in general had it had. servants had it worse. But all was of gloom and doom for the ladies of 1875, Women after all did not get the vote in Canada until 1918: they were ha rdly considered whole people in 1875. The idea of the equality of the sexes didn't have niuch of a firm footing with the editor of the Expositor. When a male teacher resigned his post at SPS because he wanted more money. the editor comments that he doesn't see how a male teacher could live on $500 a year. He suggests that the school board hire instead a female teacher "who could be got for $350 or $400. or better yet hire two female teachers for little more than what one man would cost. t' The Expositor tells about "one smart old lady". a Mrs. McMillan of Tuckersmith, who at 90 years old, danced the first reel at her granddaughter's wedding. Aside from the women's question, what did Seaforth people of 1875 think about other burning issues? If the results of debating society discussions are any indication, they favoured abolishing capital punishment, they 'were against compulsory education and voting and they liked the idea of taxing churches. It appears some of the debators were' far Ahead of their times. Schools were being organized into township systems in 1875 and writers to the editor of the Eepositor debated that question. They had many of the same problems with their governments that we have now . Spelling Bees Spelling bees were all the rage then and the Expositor editor suggests. tongue in cheek, a nose! bee. We should hate a big spelling bee with the councils of Tuckcrsmith and McKillop on one side and the Scaforth council on the other, he says. Crowd's of people would pay to come and watch and "a sufficient sum could be raised to gravel the Kippen road and shovel out the snow hole at Grieye's Hifl—next winter." Although the Ktppen road,is no longer gra% el. it is still often called the worse" for wear. And there yy crc quite a few car accidents last winter in the snow tunnel on the hill north of Grieye's bridge. The rights of labour , too got pretty short . shrift from the Expositor editor. In the winter of 1875 he reports that the coopers of town are out on srike for five cents per barrel for their wares. He prints a letter giving the management point of view on the' strike but the next week declines to publish an answer for a cooper. "as our available space is occupied with, more important matters." It seems from contemporary accounts that the Seaforth of 1875 was rather an unsightly place. Streets were patholed in the Spring and mud holes when it rained. Cows, pigs and sheep roamed the town at their leisure, or so one letter writer to the Expositor claims. If the livestock didn't get you, the smell would. Correspondents wrote to the editor complaining that melting snow exposed "heaps of rubbish and filth in backyards!" Another. man complains that the streets are repositories for manure, piles of lumber, brush and stones and calls the. sidewalks ."deplorable". The Expositor editor comments on • the,, . delegidated fraree buildings that line Main St; and congratulates some merchants who've replaced the "unsightly verandahs". in front of their stores with nicer looking awnings. The fire of 1877. perhaps a blessing in disguise. took care of therundown frame stores, but the people of 1875 didn't know, that and made do ---even adding additions to rickety frame stores, a practise that the editor objected to. A writer in Belden's Huron County Atlas of 1879 says that although Scaforth citizens haq lots of 'initiative as individuals, the public improvements of the town as a whole are "of a very low standard". He cites the need for a new market building and town hall, good water supply and fire protection and warns that Seaforth's boom could fall apart if these things aren't taken care of. City fathers arc moving to make these improvements, though, he adds. • Roads Bad The rural townships weren't exempt from criticism about public intprovements. One letter writer complains that the roads from McKillop and Tuckersnlith into Seaforth are so bad that in one half mile stretch there were seven sleighs upset in one half day. Seatorth was a boom town in the 1870's. The Atlas says that its prosperity in 18'9 was amazing, especially since it started as a swamp and didn't enjoy any advantages of location. Life in Seaforth was undoubtedly good for many. or as good as it could be inside the restrictions of a rigid Victorian social order. Salt was the big industry. By 1879 there were three salt works in town, pumping brine out of the ground and using tons of wood to evapo rate the water. • The Expositor notes that the salt works were closed for a time in February, 1875 because the market was toe "putting men out of eorkeand slow log the trade in town". The salt was packed in barrels for shipment and thus one of Seaforth's secondary industries tas Mr. Volmar's barrel factory. 1 : men were t o ' !ling out 500 barrels a day. the Expositor reports. thanks Ili labour say ing de% ices, Formerly 20 -mem tv ere needed to turn out 350 barrels. The Expositor felt though that Seaford) needed more industry. In an editorial in 11575 the editor warned that the country trade. on w hich Seaforth YY as so dependent. was not going to get any bigger as all surrounding tar , is Y..re sc•itled. The editor said that the taw n council should actiYely seek manufacturing industry for Seaforth and pay bonuses if necessary to bring factories here, How to Make Farm Pay The farms'that Seaforth w as so dependent on were much different than they are today. Another Expositor article suggests how to make a farm pay best. The author say's the average 90 acre farm needs 5 cows and offspring. 2 mares and 2 colts. C ' hogs and some poultry. "Butter and eggS will keep the house in groceties and children in clothes." Thirty acres should be used for grazing th,e stock, and the remaining sixty should be cropped--planted with wheat' barley, peas and potatoes. By following this author's plan, a farmer could realize a total income of 51,210 per year. The article is available in old bound copies of the Expositor. if any modern farmer would like some. tips! There was a bouyant optimism about Seaforth's future. An ad from John's and Rowctiffe, undertaking business, predicts a street railway for `Seaforth "if things continue to 'prosper as at present." A reporter in the Hamilton Times comments on the "smart business smack of the people" here. "The merchant does not stand at his door with a pipe in his teeth and an idiotical look on his countenance, but, on the other hand,: is behind his counter as quick as a needle and sharp as a razor." The 'Hamilton paper also says that there were few or no loafers on downtown corners or at the market. The contents of._ the 1875 Congratulations to the people of SEAFORTH on your 100th Birthdap from one of your newest businesses GARRY BANNON Painting - Decorating - Paper hanging 527.158-2 — - Free estimates -. r Seaforth Old man of 64 It certainly was a dangerous time. One man was 'killed by falling dow n some st airs in a Seaforth grocery .:ore---he is called "an old man of 64". Keeping its r eaders virtuous and on the right track scents to hay(' been part of the Expositor's self appointed job. Every week Fwv-iiies anti *renal tales are printed --- about budgetting money and staving healthy. Pay cash, not credit. don't scold and think before you speak. were the topics of three stories one week, There was advice to the lot elorn in the form of a full page romantic~ novel every week. There was practical advice ••• like how to make a good warm blanket from layers of newspapers encased in a calico cover. Murders, abductions and other interestsing,crimes from all over Canada were reported in short items on the front page. We think we are well informed about public affairs, what with radio and the national news. But this small town weekly carried many columns of detail about parliament and national questions every week. And there were often letters to the editor from readers who were very interested in the same subjects. It would be interesting to step back to Seaforth of 1875, but not to stay there. It's a safe bet that women anyway would much prefer to live in this town in more enlightened 1975. Smiles Seaforth papers arc an interesting reflection of M• hat society was like then. Every seek the newspaper reports rather grizzly home, farm and industrial accidents -- people being hit by fallen trees, arms getting caught in saws and machinery and ..htlyirvt burn, tl front pots of hot water from cooks! oy es Game warden: "Say, you're hunting with last year's license." Hunter: "That's all right. I'm only shooting at the ones I missed last year:" Wife, reading husband's fortune card to him: ".You are a leader of men- You are brave, handsome, strong and popular with the ladies." She paused, "It has your weight wrong, too." This rno vailable at a special price from • 379.95 youti exped and then same: Splendid reports were given by Mrs.I'Vlay Habkirk and Mrs. Irene Smith, who had attended Rebek- ah Assembly sessions in Toronto Final plans were made for the float in this Saturdays' Centennia parade. when Edelweiss Rebekal' Lodge met Monday evening with Mr. Foster Bennett. noble grand presiding. The float is beint organized by a committee repre- sentative of the Rebekah and Odd Fellows CPT ' committee. Rebekahs °Ian Centennial float Mabel Turnbull Visitors were.Mr.,and Mrs. Ed Speers, Oakville and daughter Ann, with the former's mother Mrs. , Olive Muir. The staff had an outing this week, a pool party and pot-luck supper at Mrs. June Martene's home, Egmondville. Unit 2 of Northside.. LI.C.W. held their meeting here on Tuesday afternoon. The-meeting opened with the hymn 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus". Bible story: The Youth of Jesus as a carpenter. Bible Study Matt 3 13-17. Hymn 'All people that on Earth do dwell'. Kilbarchan staff has pool party CUTTING THE ANNIVEFSARY CAKE — Two longtime members of Varna and Goshen United Churches ::ut the 50th Anniversary cake at the service in Varna Sunday which marked the •ormation of the United Church in Canada, Mrs. Sherlock Keyes of Varna and Mrs. Richard Robinson, Goshen did the honours. along with Minister Rev. A.. Taylor. (Photo by Mrs. Bill Chlessell) • 40101101qMtaarte,.."---- The refna Lots Sce 111 t: Piano Solo Mrs. Mabel Crouch, reading "The Good Samaritan", bird pictures 'and talk by Eula Kellar who concentrated on the bright colour of birds using the oriole as an example. A favourite hymn "Take Time to Be Holy", Mrs. Crouch favoured with a second piano solo by request. The meeting closed with the Mizpah benedietionfollOwed by a delicious lunch. Thank you Unit 2 for your kindness. The meeting was in charge of Mrs. Thelma Dale. last week as representati.e and scholar. respectiy. The treasurer's report • w as given by Mrs. Lillian Grunimett and the flower and card financial report by Mrs. Peter Malcolm.. .She also reported on cards. treats etc sent out. Mrs. Gordan ['apple won the mystery prize and Mrs. Papple's committee convened a delicious lunch . following the meeting. Lodge will resume meeting's on September • 8. with a pot-luck . Model F7 5200. Phone 291-4610 ARNOLD STINNISSEN LIFE HEALTH and ACCIDENT — Registered Retirement Pensions — Income Tax Deduetable Registered Retirement Annuities - tir- - REPRESENTING — Sun Life Assurance Company Of Canada TELEPHONE: 527-0410 117 GODERICH ST. EAST,— SEAFORTII supper and exchange of Sunshine Pal gifts. VIM1010.101111k• VACATION CARE PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS Ritz Lutheran Villa in Mitchell wilt operate a vacation care program for senior citizens. This .program is approved by the Ministry Y of Community and Social Services. The purpose is to care for a senior person while the family takes a vacation. For futher information contact RITZ LUTHERAN VILLA,. Box 1000, MITCHELL, OnWio Phone 348-8612 From Inglis: a 15.1 cu. ft. No-Frost refrigerator at a Special Spring Price! The Indli.s Liber:rdr is a 17e kind . rehaer_, , ave ve:-‘- 1:7nce has Liu]: :: :he .• rna-ts ajle Er s:. its t'eezer men:. freezer „4.0,17 =lc': -.he freecer 140 '1--3,:.‘f Modern Appliance Centre 102 Main St. E. 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