Loading...
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) • 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 Classified 11.111,. ma' Want Ads • 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 •