HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1976-08-19, Page 16,
STANLEY PARK OPENING — The Ausable Bayfield Conservation
Authority opened a new lakeside conservation just south of Bayfield
in Stanley Township Sunday. The opening was well 'attended with
many people staying for a picnic supper and a walk around the area.
(Staff Photo)
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Mrs. Ed Regele at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Correspondent Harold McCallum.
Sunday visitors with Mrs. Mr. and Mrs, Harold
Joseph Thornton were Mr. and McCallum, Joyce an.d.Carl visited
Mrs. Leslie Weiterwn .. . . with,Mr. and Mrs.Murray Hare-of '
Brodhagen and Mo. and Mrs. Milverton .on Monday.
Nelson Howe of Cromarty.
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley
Preszcator and Barbara Glanville
of Credtion spent Sunday with
Mr. 'and Mrs. Edward Regele.
Miss Brenda Glanville who spent
past six weeks with her Mr. and Mrs. David Watson
grandparents Mr. and Mrs. have moved froni 12th Concession
Edward Regele returned to her of McKillop to the village of
home in Crediton. Walton.
..Mr. and Mrs. Stanley A shower was held last week on
-Preszcator and Barbara Glanville Thursday evening for Miss Faye
of Crediton were recent visitors Dalton bride to be at Winthrop
Somebody
Wants
What
You Don'# Need
Through-
Huron
Expositor
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11.111,. ma'
Want Ads
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Phone
527.0240
Mr. and Mrs. George
McCallum and Robin of
Cambridge Gale visited with Mr.
and Mrs. Harold McCallum on
Sunday. To', a Big Beautiful Family
fr iom, McLaughlin Motors
In families with a lot of kids, there's very sure to be,
Differences in temperaments, and personality.
You'll find a wide variety, in things they choose to do,
There'll be Little League enthusiasts, Artistic dreamers, too.
• There'll be some who like to study, and are never late for school, s
While others get in trouble, by defying every rule.
Some will spend their money, like it's going out of style,.
Others with a frugal streak, will -save for things- worthwhile.
There'll be kids who'd rather follow, while others take the lead,
There'll be music freaks and movie fans, and some who even read!
Put them all together, and you have a mothley crew.
Sometimes it seems impossible, the bunch belongs to you!
ar
But when the day- is over, and they're safely tucked in bed,
And one, by one you count them, and pat each sleepy hea.d.
Good or bad.or in between, you know beyond a doubt,
There's not a single one of them, that you could do without!
At Bill McLaughlin Motors Ltd.
We're
ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY
See us for a "FAMILY DEAL"
on a fine 1976 Ford Product
1976 MAVERICK
. 2 door Sedan, 250 six cylinder, Automatic, rear defogger,
chrome wheel rings, optional axle ratio finished In light green
with a ore, vinyl roof.
1976 PINTO MPG RUNABOUT
2.3 litre WIC engine, A speed transmission, Limited Edition
Package,' A.M. Radio, electric rear defogger, color keyed remote
- mirrors. Finished in dark brown metallic with dual pin stripes.
1976 GRAN TOftINO BROUGHAM
4 door pillared hardtop 460 V8 , automatic, double, power,
Selectaire, radio rear speakers, electric rear defogger., remote
control mirrors and fender skirts. Finished in Creme with a Dark
Brown Vinyl roof' and interior.
1976 FORD CUSTOM 500
2 door pillared hardtop, 351 V8, Automatic, double power,
electric clock, 'radio, Heavy 'duty suspension, rear defogger,
Body side mouldings, color keyed wheel discs. Finished in Silver
Blue metallic with matching interior.
BILL McLA.UGHLIN
MOTORS LTD.
Ire Bring h- All together
SERVICE SELECTION SATISFACTION SAVINGS
'Whether you require
one TV outlet or 20 outlets
we can design and b install professionally
any tower system you require.
FREE ESTIMATES
NO OBLIGATIONS
,Phone Today!
iiiieleandTV SERVICE
Phone 54.9640
BLYTH: ONT.
t!
ennembering
The General Stote
by W,G. Strong
' "What has become of the old grocery store
where we gathered on Saturday night?"
Cicero, an ancient philosopher, once wrote, •
"Memory is a treasury and the guardian of 'all
things." Remembrances do embellish life,
especially rural life. The tranquility of country
life shaped. and moulded staunch character.
Senior citizens hold pleasant memories of
youthful days when life's tempo was slower
and unhurried. What memories are evoked of
childhood's experiences at • the country
general stoFe that stood at the crossroads!
Just once more would we like to open an
old-fashioned village store door and whiff the
distinctive fragrances we remember.
9n Saturday evening, mid-winter, when
darkness descended and cold winds whipped
the snow into drifts along country roads
bordered with crooked rail fences, when
kerosene lamps and lanterns cast an eerie
glow on the landscape, the farmer with his
frugal family started out to replenish their
larder's stock. Wrapped in his coonskin
overcoat with the wife and children encased in
winter coats, woollen mitts and scarves,
stocking caps pulled well down on the
elements.
The expansive buffalo robe and the
inevitable horse blanket gave protection
against the cruel blasts. The' old, faithful •
mare jogged along leisurely keeping pace with
the music from the strand of bells circling her
body. Occasionally she slowed up as she
approached a pitch-hole or attempted to jump
across much to the consterna tion of all
parties concerned.
Arriving at the store, the family headed for
the warmth of the stove while dad drove
around to the lee side of the building, tethered
his docile steed to the hitching-post with its
iron ring, blanketed her carefully and cli mbed
a short flight of .steps to the plank platform
where he stamped his feet and shook his coat
before opening the single door which set in
motion the proverbial sleighbell announcing
the arrival of another customer. •,;
Old Box Stove
4 Others revelled around the old box-,stove set .
on its zinc mat. Aging armchairs, egg crates,
butter firkins, nail kegs served as resting
places. Nearby was a carton . filled with
sawdust substituting , for the inevitable
spittoon or cuspidor, a-, necessary, sanitary
receptacle to catch the tobacco spit 'secreted
by the salivary glands. Pipes were emptied,
stems cleaned with a stout straw from the
floor broom or heated knitting needle, refilled
with cut plug smoking tobacco, usually Stag,
Queen's Navy or McDonald's. With a'sulphur
match applied at. the .proper angle, a few
draws on the mouth piece and the circling-
smoke caught in' the warm air currents soon
peryaded the whole place of business. While
thc men folk indulged in idle chatter or
discussed such' weighty problems as township
politics, the state of the weather or bits of local
gossip, the evening passed pleasurably.
' Meanwhile the ladies shopped. Money was
scarce and much of the trade was conducted,
on a miniature barter system. Farm produce
including eggs., butter, tallow, lard and fowl
were exchanged for the necessities of the
.home and family. Wood at about a dollar a
cord and potatoes at forty cents a bag were
staple commodities In many of these
commercial enterprises.
Wonderful smells could be detected. Some
were blends,„others stood forth with their
individual aromas like the clear streaks of
colour in a marble eake. One quickly
recognized the pungent fragrance of the big
cartwheel cheese, of pickled herring and salt
codfish. When these were mingled with the
satisfying smell of fresh ground coffee, you
had an aroma no manufacturerer of perfume
has been able to match.
Boxes and Chests
One,almost needed a catalogue to find one's
way around. The grocery section occupied
ma st of one side of the emporium. There
were few packaged food stuffs but an
assortment of boxes, tins, cartons, caddies,
cans, chests, canisters and diverse containers
held .bulk supplies with their respective
aromatic odours - cinnartion, ginger, cloves,
nutmeg. Under the counter-top were bins or
barrels for white and brown sugar, flour, salt ,
-' oatmeal, Boston crackers.
. • a
V
In a show case at one end of the counter
were plug tobacco for Chewing and smoking,
snuff., five-cent cigars, 'sulphur matches, clay
pipes and Misiouri meerchaums (corn-cob).
1n glass jars on the lower shelves behind the
counter were. candy canes, sugar sticks, all
day suckers, rock candy, bull's eyes, •
horehound, peppermints, conversation
lozenges, cinnamon hearts, licorice, spruce
gum, bags of Long Tom popcorn.
On upper shelves above the reach of
inquisitive youngsters were arrayed
ointments, salves, condition powders and
potions guaranteed to cure all diseases
incident to suffering humanity. Popular health
remedies included Scott's Ethulsion, Burdock •
Blood Bitters, br. Thomas' Electric Oil,
Dodds' Kidney Pills, Sloan's Liniment and
Lydia Pinkham's Pink pills for pale people.
The stationery section displayed such
miscellaneous items as writing • pads,
envelopes, scribblers, foolscap; Carter's ink,
pen handles, pen nibs, lead and slate pencils,
school bags, copy books, drawing hooks and 'a
meagre selection of the standard school
texts. Slates with their red felt binding
interlaced with black cord were the envy of
every school child.
Bolts of Gingham
The dry goods section usually opposite the
grocery department carried a wide variety of
bolts of gingham, calico, percale, linen, cotton
, towelling, spools of thread, needles and
thimbles, hanks of wool, crochet ( and carpet
hooks, rolls of cotton batting, long, black hose
and hair ribbons. .Good familiar smells came
from the wide, wooden counter heaped with''
stiff-starched overalls, heavy woollen pants,
smocks,, work shirts, fleece-lined garments,
Long Johns, grey wool socks, felt leggings, .
leather mitts to pull over hand-knit ones, peak
caps with ear lugs or muffs, leatherAhoes for
Sunday wear, work boots, gaiters, carpet
slippers, moccasins, copper-toed boots for
junior. Then there was the acrid pungency
from rubber boots and oil cloth blending with
the fragrances emanating from the utilit'y
section at the rear of the store - hemp rope,
harness, leather straps, horse blankets, horse
collars, sweat pads.
In the adjoining frame shed stood the
refrigerator in which the store butter and eggs
in winter and fueled by blocks ,of ice in
summer. Here axle grease, coils of barbed
wire, b ales of binder twine in season, hayfork
rope, forks, sho'vels and garden tools as well
as a limited stock of 'such tools as .'axes,
hammers, picks, shovels and crow-bars. Kegs
of wire, nails, shingle nails, fence staples and
spikes were within easy reach. In connection
with axle grease the story is told about an Irish
immigrant engaged by a local farmer.
One rainy day the lad was asked to grease
the wagon up on the ihreShing floor. When
the farmer went to' check on the progres ,
being made he was surprised to .pote that ^
'grease had 'been applied to every part of the
implement but the wheels had enver been
removed." I done what you told me."
General Notes
Some of these general stores continue to
operate despite the encroachments made by
modern supermarkets. Unlike the attractive.
window displays of today. those of yesterday
Often were used as extra storage space behind
Venetian blinds rolled down to concealstained
and yellowed cartons. Here despite the
inclemency of the 'weather straw hats might,.
be found, broad-brimmed, making one recall
the smell of hayfields. There was a legitimate
reason for' 'having the wide, green, blinds
lowered because it would _have been difficult
to untangle the junk if som'e'body wanted
something they thought they wanted when
window-shopping. Here, too, the largest
blue-bottle , flies you ever , saw tried
desperately td find an escape route through
the dttst and cobwebs of a blistered corner
behind the sun-heated window pane.
There are hosts of Canadians who still
remember these general stor s of by-gone
days and who recall those old-fashioned
places where goods were kept or sale and not
merely marts of trade.
"There's a bit o' real affection ,
Wrapped round the' ;country store
That was standin' at the crossroads
Eighty years• ago and more."
McKillop
„ Granddaughter returns home
Church.
Mrs. Ann Powell of Seaforth
visited with Miss Joy Hey
Saturday.
Sympathy is extended to Mr.
and Mrs. Robert Regele in the
death of the latter's father. '
lan9kart , lidlY, WO and Co.
Chartered Accountants
Resident Partner
ARTHUR W. READ
268 Main St., Exeter
Bus. 235-0120 Res. 238-8075
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