The Huron Expositor, 1976-02-05, Page 2Published at SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, every Thursday morning by MCLEAN BROS.
ANDREW Y, McLEAN, Publisher
SUSAN WHITE. Editor
DAVE ROBB, Athertising Manager •
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SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, FEBRUARY'S, 1976
. — •
Thanks for the plowing
sized kibbles tuna flavoured and milk soaked
-- and on time too.That man I hired is a regular
when it comes to animal chores.
a
Since 1860, Serving the Community First
Peace
•
We can complain about the weather
but e can't grouch much.about snow
owing in Seaforth.
Three •• weeks of fierce winter
weather, with centimeter after
centimeter of snow being dymped on
us hasn't cut down the efficiency of
street plowing, in our town •one bit.
Snow that would bring cities in this
Province to a standstill for, days sees
Seaforth's snow piowers working
longer and getting up earlier to'
quietly get streets bleared up early
every morning.
We lived on a little street in Toronto
that wasn't plowed, .not touched, by
city snow removal crews, for days
after the 1971' storm. Only wh,en the
whole, street was calling the city's,
public, works department every hour.
on the hour,• did we get some action.
In Seaforth everybody we've talked
to says their street,is ploughed before
they go to work. Frank Sills, an ex
mayor' who. admits, 'he's prejudiced,
says Seaforth's Streets are the best
around in wintertime "and havebeen
for years".
We've heard lots of compliments
from city people who have • moved
here and marvel at how fast our
streets are plowed. They know there's
nothing, that'll move a big city
department very quickly.
Town foreman Harvey Dolmage
and his fellow workers deserve a
thanks from all of us.How would you
. like to get up and, plow streets in the
cold middle of night?
• Although the streets a'r'e in good
shape, we've .been hearing lots of
One hundred and forty-three
people were murdered in Ontario in
1973 (the last year for which statistics
are available) and ,the cry .of "hang
the - murderers" •, reverberates
throughout the land.,
But perhaps 'the most dangerous
murderer of all goes about its deadly
business in the country's'toWns, cities
and highways accOmpanied by a lack
'of concerand amair of fataiiim that
'is appalling.
In 1973 in Ontario alone, more than
917 " alcohol-related deaths were
recorded -,•-• the ratio between these
and deaths' by Murder- speaks, for
itself.
The breathalyzer test, has been a•
dismal failure in preventing, - ors at
least curbing -- drunken driving
because_ of loopholes in the law and'
difficulty in enforcing ttie system.
Many people who Should not. be
behind the wheel of a car because of
impaired ability are able to evade
even the test beca use, if , is
cumbersome and awkward.
The Ontario•government this year
begins • to reduce highway speed
complaint's about our sidewalks.The
town plows only the sidewalks that
small kids have to take to school and
doesn't attempt to do any more. It
would cost,too much and they'd need
to buy at least another sidewalk plow.
We agree that many, sidewalks are
pretty tough going ---„,especially when
thaws and freezes leave plenty of
ruts.
But we' can't have a town with
municipally plowed sidewalks and
keep taxes down at the same time.
Even Toronto, which'we sometimes
imagine has-every municipal service
possible, doesn't attempt to
plow sidewalks. What they do
though, is slap fines on home owners
or tenants who don't shovel and salt
the sidewalk in front of their houses
within a few 'hours after every
snowfall.
The elderly and disabled can be
exempt if they apply at city hall,
ahead of time. City crews shovel their
sidewalks. • •
A by-law like that here, with strict
enforcement, • might make walking
easier tor all of us but we doubt.it'd
be very popular..
It works in Toronto. Everybody is
„filut shovelling like mad to keep from
paying that fine. BLit we, think it
would'bring out a lot of squawks if
Seaforth tried it.
Majtbe.we should remember that a
few years 'ago,' eventhe streets
weren't plowed and either"shovele our
own walks and ask neighbours to do
the same, or walk, as carefully as we
can on the icey ruts'. •
Ten
%lb
4 ,,,,4)11010
limits .and make the use o ts
compulsory. For this it is to se
commended even though energy
shortages as much as human lives
may have been the motivation.
However we suggest that the latest
campaign showing smashed up cars
on television, 1D Cards for minors and
far-reaching powers to'detain drivers
who may be impaired is a punitive
approach, one which is far less likely
to.work and which gives even greater
powers of arrest to police.
When goVernmen,ts and citizens
recognize that alcohol abuse has
reached epidemic proportions in this
country and are prepared to tackle it
with the same zeal that might go into•
eradicating any other diseaSe then a.
major step will have been taken.Then
we can, have new' and searching-
programs to understand the problem
and provide broad public education to
get at the root causes.
Otherwise we are merely--treating
the symptoms while those afflicted
with the disease continue their path of
destruction.. •
(The United Church)
A men
by Kari Schuessler.
No sympathy.
Don't come meowing on my shoulder,
Pepper'. You're not going to wheedle any
sympathy out of rne.
Don't look at me that way.' Putting on that
real hurt face.Trying tumake.me feel sorry for
you.
1, know what you want me to do, Pick you up
. sit you in`my lap. Stroke you. Pet y ou. Say
"Poor, poor. Pepper, all alOne --out in the
bat:k shed. You miss your baby, don't y ou?
Sure Pepper. I know. It would be great if
your kid came back home to you, So you two
could cuddle up together an& keep warm on
these cold winter nights.
But you should have thought about that two
m onths ago--when you two were carrying on
k. And y ou did most of the carrying on,
'Pepper. With all your. hissing and growling at'
her.' Lighting up all kinds Of fireworks. You
were downright mean to your kid kitten.
Oh, no, don't bring that up. Doti't start
shifting all the blame on me. Saying it was my'
fault she lett.Saying I started it by giving her
an inferiority complex -- With that, name of
•
So
herso,
what if,we did name.her Mouse? With all
that gray 'fur of hers, anyone Woulesee why
we picked the name.',And the way she darted
around--scurried--why . she was so skittish,
real mouse-like. Anyone with a little sense
would appreciate the comparison. Mouse was
a perfect name for a• cat.
But you never saw it that.way, Pepper. You
blamed me for everything that went wrong
with Mouse. Her name, the back shed
envQvuent. the, celd., the meals, Her
ternperment was all my fault. You m ade
Mouse my fault: .
But I won't have, it, Pepper. I'm innocent, I
did 'everything for the Mouse I could. Gave
her bed and board out back. And then when
we went on our vk•ation I hired, note hired, a
man to come over ever!, day arid feed you two.
With good store bought food. That's better-
fare than usual. Not every day do youget bite
To the editor
As I crawl out of bed in the middle of the.
night:'
And I' call my wife to fix me a bite,
,Then I get the snowp1M'i ready to-go,
To plow thgt-Oiernal .
Yesterday 1-had the. roi'ids open. % •
That way to stay I was hopin',
through the night it snowed again,
how in the world can we ever win?
'I he peopled in the country depend on us,
to plow that snow., without a fuss,
For cars. trueks and school buses too,
"(he roads they have to get through.
Sometimes' a compliment uc .
do'gct,
For a job well done, don't you forget,
But other people they do complain. '
That darn snowplow just .0 Iled our lane!
Can 1 help it, Pepper, Mouse took a walk
one day -- across the road--and decided to
move in over there?
I tell you, Pepper, it's all your fault. I
warned you to stop all your fighting and
bickering. I told you it pays to be nice --
especially to your own 'kind. You have to be if
you! want to live together.
' See' what happened? See? I told you so,
And, now what do all the neighbors think?
Everyone knows you two aren't getting along.
And what's worse, Mouse prefers someone
else's company to our company.. She likes, the
neighbors better than us.
Sure, it's embarrassing to me, Pepper.
Mouse has found a better house,
Uhhhhh, no, none of that, Pepper. Don't
trip me up there. You say Mouse would come
back if we let her in the house. If we feed her
inside -_ on time., If 'We'd let her sit on the
chairs. Walk over the table and the ,kitchen
counter tops. If we'd keep kitty litter handy.
So y ou think I should roll out the red carpet. ,
Kill the fattedoall and hand 'out a house pass-
' key to Mouse.
Sneaky Mouse. Sneaky , Pepper, You two
aren't conniving, are you? Ready to take over
the house?
What did the good, Lord give you a coat of
fur for? None of us wear fur coats inside.
You're meant to live outside.
None of that! I don't care what the
neighbors.do. This is my -house..
I'll' just have to live with it. 'And let the
whole world. know. Mouse doesn't' like us.
She's much better off at the neighbors.
Other people holler loud and long,
So then the snowplow must go on,
Over the fence goes that snow
As off the wing tve let it .go.
Cotirteous we try to he,
But sometimes its hard as you can see,
Those Cars 'heft on the road sure are a pest,
For, plowing snow is hard at best.
But bear with us we do our best,.
And every now and then we need a rest
Remember when you're•cozy-in bed
We ploWing snow the' nearly dead.,
But surely spring will soon come,
Then we'll have that peskey snow on the run,
No trouble you'll have gettin,g about.
But I guess that's what winters all about.
Interested.
n the Years Agone
FEBRUARY 11, 1876 ••••'
Joseph Brownell of Seaforth, met with an accident. He was
coming from Egmondville and when he reached the railway
track, a passenger coach was standing on the track. He tried
to go around it and he noticed two other cars were coming
,,, down the track. He attempted to back his horse, when the
coach was struck by the other cars. he was dragged over the
rails. He was not seriously hurt.
We/learned that David Sproat of Tutkersmith has sold his
farm'of 70. acres to his brother William for $4,0001
Isaac Townsend of Tuckersmith has purchased from John
Cox the farm on the 6th concession of Hibbert. The farm
contained 50 acres and was sold for $2500,
Jis. Read of Cromarty has resigned his position as clerk
and was entertained at an oyster super at Page's hotel.
Seaforth was represented by the jovial host of the Mansion
Hotel R. Carmichael.
The patrons of the Londesboro cheese factory met there.
They passed a resolution that they would supply milk to the
factory to be Manufactured into cheese by H. Wallace and Co.
for 2' cents per pound.
At a meeting of the directors of the Hay Branch
Agricultural Society it was resolved to proceed with the
erection of the new hall. The following men were appointed a
building committee, R. Ferguson, R. Broderick and R,
- Brown,,
A young lad, son of Thos. Dinsmore of Stanley q was
drayvihg firewood out of the bush when the , animals got
frightened and in their flight one horse fell down and injured
its shoulder. Nothing could be done and it had to be shot.
FEBRUARY 8, 1901
Wm. Lee of Londesboro, who purchased a carload of
bugloss peas has disposed of them-and has purchased plank
around. •
Wm.' Sturgeon of Bayfield has gone to the Old Country
taking-charge of cattle for Mr. Winter, Seaforth.
Peter McGce.k.Bayfickl, was seriously injured by a falling
tree.
Frank Norwood of Constance fell from the straw-stack a
-height of 10 or 12 feet. he struck the hard ground and was
rendered unconscious.
Lew Farnham of Constance has sold his Durham c.5v.%i to
Gee.. McKee of Winthrop for $100.00.
John A Jackson of this town has passed his third year
examination before the Ontario Law Society.
S. •A.Dickson of town 'has also passed his 2nd year
examination.
J. Ross of Brucefield has purchased a blacksmith business
in Wellington County. ' • .
Roy Scott, son of James Scott, met with,a serious accident.
He was fixing the electric wires in the E. McFaul store, when
the current was turned -on at the power house. He had one
• hand on the wires and it was badly burned.
B. McLean disposed of 14 head of fat steers to Mr.
lronsides realizing five cents per pound.
•
FEBRUARY 12. 1926
The farm of the late Jaeobl3arrows of
Harry Jackson.
Lawrence Cunimings of Walton has installed a radio.
Hugh 5hannon of Walton has ptirchaSed a lot- from Robt.
Ferguson and intends building.a ,house.. •
P, B. Gordiner and John McDonald's team of Walton are
busy hauling in. ice for Fred Miller. . •
• Chas. McGregor of Conktance. purchased a team of
Percheron hOrses froth D.' F6theringham.
S. Dale of Alma'has purchased the old Freeman farm from
J. Rands. •
Norman, Carter ,Of Alma fffts installed a radio,
Satni.day .was, a . bard .day,, on,:Jack rabbit farmers -._from ..„
Hibbert and - Kirkton. armed • themselves against the
marauding invaders. The • drive was headed by Wm.
Colquhoun. .
John Broderick of Mitchell passed away at his home in his
86th year. He was the father of, M. Broderick of Seaforth.
Edelweiss Lodge of town held their- annual euchre and
dance.. in the G.W.V.A. room. Sixty-five' tables were in. play.
The prize. wihners were, Ladies-1st - Mrs. W. Wright; Lon,p
hands - Miss Brown; Consolation - Mr. J. Hogg; Men's first -
Dr. Grieve; Lone Hands - Mrs. J.
Hogg
Consolation. F,
Sills.. Music was furnished by Hogg Orchestra.Two solos 'by
JaMes Scott and the sailor's hornpipe' by .G.P.Cardn'o.
Mr. and Mrs. Geo.,,Buneb,,,whohave been in Royal Oak Tor
the Winter'. have returned ,home. •
Neil Gillespiehas taken over the implement business of the
late .1. G, Martin
FEBRUARY 9; 1951
.A snow ' stork of- solar- proportions swept down or
vicinity of Seaforthi. Motor traffic was brought to a standstill,
The social club of St. Thomas Church held the third in a
series of euchre sin the parish hall. 16 tables were in play.
Prize winners were - Ladies High score - Mrs.Wallace Ross; •
Lone hands - Mrs. W.J.Cleary; Low Mrs. Wm. M
ontgomery; Men's high - Peter McIver; Dine hands -.
Munro; Low score - Writ. Oldfield; Lucky Cup - Mrs.
Austin.
'Death cast a gloom overtire entire _community of WhAillop
when-ft became known that Glenn Cuthill had passed away
from a heart attack. He was in McKillop 44. years ago.
He took over the farm of J.G.Grieye.
Dr. and Mrs.E.A.MeMaster have returned from a trip by
plane to Mexico where they spent the past three weeks.
T.A.Gordon of town had the misfortane, to fall and break his'
arm. . .
The nurses of Seo'tt Memorial Hospital enjoyed a sleigh ride
to the country. On theirretUrn they had lunch at the nurses
residence.
John A. Baldwin of town was 'in Toronto attending a
hardware convention..
Plans were made for the porehase of a new piano for the
sunclay school of First Presbyterian Church. The meeting was
held at the home of Mrs. .J.J.Cluff,
Misses Patricia Brugge'. and Lorna Ellis attended a dance
recently at the 0.A .C.,' 6uelph.
the ~iurun
Don't drink and driv
Snowplower speaks
Walton-was sold to
•
•
Sugar and Spice
by Bill Smiley
Getting old
..,Tfoly. Ole Moly, I must be getting on!
Just walked in the door, picked tip the
•-•rhail, and there was-an iny.ltation to •a
retirement party for Peter Hvidsten .
publisher of the 'Port Perry weekly
newspaper. Say it .isn't so. Pete!
Per (Pete[ Hvidsten is'a friend of more
than a quarter of 'a century, hut it' seems
only yesterday that he and I were the life of -
the' party. waltzing the girls. off their feet .
watching the dawn come up as we sat in
the bow of one of the, old passenger
• Steamers sailing up the"Stilawrenre, while
everybody else, including the very young,
had gone to bed:
This retirement gig is a trend that deeply
alarms me. All my old buddies are....pritting
themselves out to pasture. They don't
seem to spare a thought for pie., I have to
teach tit' nti.L1, am eleventy:seven to get a
pension.
,About a year ago, three old ancrelose
weekly newspaper friends phoned me from
a convention in Toronto: Don McCualg of
Renfrew. Gene Macdonald of Alexandria,
and Pete HY idsten, It was about midnight
and they weren't even flying yet. f sensed
something ty rong, f thought they needed
Smiley there to get some yeast into the
dough. 'They sounded tired.-
McCuaig is semi-retired, a
newspaper baron of the Ottawa Valley.
Gene mutt he either dead or in tough
Shape, as he wasn't at the summer national
weeklies' convention. which he never
misses. And now Pete.
Mjgawd, chaps. I'm just getting warmed
tip in the teaching' i",rofeNsiOn'.' f"reckon
have another 20 years to go. leering at the
latest skirt-length, telling and re-telling My
four jokes, trying to sort out the difference
between a dangling partelle and a split
infinitive. Hdw dare you "retire, " when I
have to gt5 tin. working?
Well, maybe I know, at that. You've
quit, because
ears
worked like a dog for
30-odd years in one of the toughtest
vocatiOnslin the world —.weekly editor. I
had I I years of it, and if I'd continued,
probably be pushing up pansies right now.
We were in it together when you worked
60.70 ,hours a week, when you had a big
mortgage to pay off, when staff was tough
to getand hard to keep, when the old press
was always breaking , down and you
couldn't-afford a new one, when you had to
sweat over a four-dollar ad, when you were
lucky to take home $60 or $80 a week, .
But it had its rewards, right? There was
that sheer physical satisfaction of seeing
the first copy run off and folded, smelling
,:wriff—nk, practically hot in your hands, like a
fresh-baked loaf. There was anoths'r type
of reward — knowing you had stuck to your
principles. and written a strong and
unpopular editoiial, lotting the chip; fall
Where they might.
There was the deep pleasure of seeing,
aft er Months of writing an'd urging, the
reluctant town fathers adopt a policy that
was right and 'good, instead' of 'merely
exRedient.
Some people would prefer ., ti2 be
remembered by a plaque anrstaffe. A
• good, old-tiMe weekly editor would die
happy. if'they named a new sewage system
or. old folks' home,' for which he had
campaigned, after him.
There aren't many of the old breed left,
come to think of it. George Cadogan, Mae'
McConnell, Art Carr, the Derksens of
Saskatchewan.The type of editor who could
set a stick of type, fix a machine, run a
linotypc in a pinch, carry the papers to the
post office, if necessary, pound out an
editorial,
There is a new breed abroad in the land.
Many of them are graduates of a school of
journalism. This type wants every news
story to be a feature article. They all want
to be columnists, not reporterrs..
There's another type, among the young,
They refuse to believe that a weekly editor
should be poor but prou'd.They work on the
cost of a column-inch rather than records of
peoples' lives. They won't die broke. They
believe in holidays and fringe benefits and
all those things We never heard of . and
couldn't affbrd.
Maybe it's all for the 'best: We were
suckers, We Ali terally believed that • an
editor's first allegiance was the betterment
of the entire community, not Iiimself.
Weekly newspapers, today, are better-
looking, fatter, richer, They are put
together with scissors and paste, printed at
a central location on a big, offset press
which doesn't break down, folded and
bundled with dispatch. The only thng that
hasn't improved is the postal delivery.
But a giteat deal of the personal involve-
ment is gone. The editor is not as close to
his reader as he once was. When I was in
the game, I was always 'introduced to
strangers as: is our editor." Not the
editor of our paper, but 'our editor.
Pete Hvidsten: green pastures. Keep
your nose out of it, and: let the young guys
Make a. mess of the paper.
We had a good session at the oars of the
galley. And, any time you Want a -game of
arthiitic golf`, you know where to come. AS
a practically barely almost middle-aged
school teacher, I think I can hainifle a „t,
"retired " editor any time.