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THE HURON EXPOSITOR., (lPRII. 21, 1917 —13
The auction sale,
Weddings - Anniversaries
- F!oriratts.-- tridustrlo
Team & Voup Pistures By W. G. Strong
Weekly editions of the local newspapers and farm journals
carry advertisements titled, AUCTION SALE in geld type,
Whenever the writer scans these notices, he reealls such events
which occurred regularly every spring .and fall in rural
communities years ago.
In addition to the advertisement 'carried in the Classified
Columns, large sale-bills or posters,were run off in the printing
office. These notices114, admonitions carried the date, time and
place of the sale noting in detail the jot, concession, survey,,and •
township where the event was to be held. The terms and
conditions of sale were explicitly stated; cash or furnishing
approved-inint -notes payable within thirty days and thereafter
interest at the rate of three percent per annum. These notices
listed in detail the farm stock and implements, furniture and
household effects with miscellaneous articles too numerous to
mention.
The wayfarer would find these advertisements posted in
sundry places; the blacksmith shop, the general store, the livery
stable, the church shed, the bar-room, the wooden bridge, stout
fence posts and trees,. Unfortunately, then as now, they too
frequently remained for weeks fqllowing -the sale M fall victim-to
wind and rain and the odd piece of vandalism. How often the
passerby mumbled to himself, "I'd love to go to Archie's sale. I
just hope I have the time and the weather permits." The magic
of an auction still persists in the human race.
,
Desperate need
Seated near the kitchen stove, spring or fall, in the glow of the
kerosene hanging lamp over the kitchen table, every
honest-to-goodness farmer read this notice avidly.VVhenever he
performed this ritual, he experienced a sudden and desperate
need for many of the items listed. Previous to this time he may
have thOught that he had enough animals in the stables already.
He could have felt that he would make that old mowing machine
or binder do for another year but after reading further and
cogitating thereon he muttered to himself, "Dog-gone! I just
have to •get to that sale somehow or other, come hell or high '
water:"
As such, auctions usually got underway abOut 1:30 p.m. not
1330 honrs, the noon chores had to be hustled through and an
early dinner gulped hurriedly, and washed down with a couple of
cups of green or black tea. Depending on the distance he had
to travel by horse and buggy, he set forth in what he considered
tobe ample time. As he approached the farm site, he found that
a stream of traffic lined the lane leading to the homey -roadside
home,' a solid brick Ontario farmhouse festooned with ornate
gingerbread trim, its household effects once cherished and
lovingly cared for now placed at random on the front lawn, where
groupings of town and country folk gathered to scan and bid Or
just to socialize. Having found a suitable place to which, to tether
old dobbin, he proceeded afoot to join the motley •crowd in
scattered groups around the, house and barn yard.
Above the milling, murmuring assembly could be heard the e
familiar voice of Tom Brown or George Elliott, two popular
auctioneers. "Who will 'give me fifty cents? Fifty cents I Am bid.
Who will make it fifty-five? Sixty I am bid. Sixty I am bid. Any
advance on sixty? A Sixty is the last bid. Going once,, Going
twice, No advance? Sold to the chap standing next to Jim
Smeathers." Unlike today's auctions where all prospective
bidders must pre-register and be assigned a number, the clerk,.
usually a prominent local citizen with a solid 'reputation for
knowing the patrons, liked the name of the article, the
purchaser and the armitintbid,,,its,a good-sized scribbler. For the
small articles, payment was e immediately to the clerk.
Lower Interest Rates Service, London, sell the' contents of -the home of the
late Mrs. Robert Joynt on James Street.
(Expositor Photo)
SPRING MEANS AUCTIONS Although an auction
is a sad time, it provides a great ekcuse for people to
stand outside all day in the warm spring sub. A
steady crowd all day watched Egerton Auction NOW AVAILABLE ON
1st and 2nd Mortgages
anywhekKatario on
RESIDENTIAL — INDUSTRIAL
COMMERCIALandFARIWPROPERTIES
Interim financing on new construction
or land development
IVRESENTATIVES IN YOUR AREA •
PHONE
SAFEWAY INVESTMENTS
• & CONSULTANTS LTD.
Head Office: 56 Weber Street, Kitchener, 15191 744-6535
Branch Office : 504 Tenth Street; Hanover [519] 364-3121
WE BUY EXISTING MORTGAGES FOR INSTANT CASH
CLOVER
FARM
AT VANASTRA
The Management Reserves the- Right
to limit quantities to normal
family requirements
NEW SUMMER HOURS:
MONDAY - TUESDAY 1 A.M. • 6 P.M.
WED,THURS,FRI, 9 A.M. • 911.M.,
' SATURDAY • 9 A.M. • 6 P.M.
SUNDAY • 11 A.M. - 3 P.M.
Prices effective 'Hi closhii Saturday. April 23
Hay rack.
Usually the auctioneer placed himself on some elevated
'implement so as to have a better view of the patrons,Often this
was the hay-rack or gravel-box. During a lull in the proceedings
at aloCal sale, some years ago, where the auctioneer stood on the
manure spreader, a candidate, for- a, provincial election asked
permission to address the assemblage. He hadn't proceeded
.;very far when- an old wag from the opposition Party shouted
aloud, "Throw her in gear, Tom. She never had such a load
before,"
Following this brief interruption, the candidate, quick. at the
retort, explained. "You'll have to pardon me, gentlemen. You
. -see, this is the first time I've ever had the opportunity to speak
from a 'conservative platform.-" " .
The small articles such as garden tools, carpenter tools, fOrks ,
shovels and sundry pieces were offered first which allowed time
for the main crowd to gather. In most cases these items were
. solid and unpretentious. The carpenter's tools told , of' a
generation of hard-work, fortitude and• patient endeavour. That
. old broad-axe in the hands of ,a bearded pioneer once shaped the
logs for the log cabin, log barn and cattle byre. The adze had
notched the spaceS-for The interlocking timbers. Originally oxen'
-.had been used to plough and till the virgin soil so it was quite
possible to, find an ox-bow and yoke offered, When horses took
the implements 1 isted indicated the change. New and
. expensive modes of transportation and, power often superseded--
the -former slow and steady types.
When the small items had been cleared away, the farm
implements ,were put up.These included walking ploughs. gang
ploughs, cultivators. discs, eat:rows, seed drills, sloop sleds,
-market sleighs, cutter, democrat, rubber-tired buggy, stoneboat,
light single and ,heavy, ,double harness, horse collars:, horse
blankets, bu alo' etc. These had been arranged -in line
along one sii ,??.0 .arnyard and the crowd slowly moved from
-one position to another. The staccato rap of the auctioneer's
hammer signalled a sale. It' was surprising to see once heralded
tools and machinery. oft rusted and obsolete, picked up for
a mere trifle, often by surprise, but by today's standards would
• ' be .museum pieces or, collector(s) items.
Moving to the livestOck there were Percheron mares,
Clydesdale geldings, Durham cows due to freshen, Herefords •
with calf at side, stockers, Berkshire and Yorkshire and
TarnW'orth sows with littlers afoot. Plymouth Rock and Leghorn
hens and so it continued. '
WHAT Am I BID? — ThliLofIdon auctioneer had no
trouble raising bide from. the crowd at the auction in
-Seaforth Saturday. Not everyone came to buy ...an
auction on a warm spring day` is like an invitation to
come out and visit with friends anal neighbours and
take-in-some sun. (Expositor Ptiotd)
Gremlins at work
CUT FROM CANADA GRADE A-1
beef--BONE IN
YOUNG AND OLD LIKE AUCTIONS While their
mothers ''chat, two babies ignore the hubub and
excitement at' a spring auction in Seaforth, Saturday.
(Expositor Photo)
LB.
'I LB. PKG:
4 VARIETIES
SCHNEIDER'S
WIENERS
While vacationing in the NeW England States recently, the
writer picked up a copy of a purported auction sale in a novelty
shop where the gremlins had apparently been hard at work. The
sale, was to be' held at-the farm located 1 mile north of Wart
Factory on Bulitoad Road just East of the Colic farm across froth
the cemetery. I. Soakem was li sted as the auctioneer and U.
Hoildem, clerk. Among the prescribed property listed for sale
were columns indicating the respective items.
Among those listed were the following: 1 sorrel hoss, well
matched; 1 brOvvn work hoss, a good feeder; 1 Jackass shod with
giant shoes, soMe kicker; 7 yearling heifers rising 4, 1
Poland-China bull, good as new; 2 milk cows heavy with calf; 7
condensed milch cows 2 of which are bulls.;..1. Plymouth Rock calf
with milking attachments; 4 Billy goats with whiskers, a la mode,.
unexcelled for dairy work as, each is a good butter;' 1 separator
with mortgage attached:-.1,,narrow-toed cultivator; 1 sulky rake:
-1 sulky wife; bucksaw With directions for 'use; 1 Berkshire
wheelbarrow, can pace or gallop;--1 Castor Oil -manure ,spreader,
works while you sleep; 1 six-cylinder stone-boat with automatic
shut off., Among the household effects were 1. sideboard, nothing
• in it; 1 female talking machine, never needs winding; .1 baseball
basin, pitcher and catcher; twin beds: one as good as new.
SUPER SPECIAL!
LIMIT 3 1011. PER CUSTOMER
A slip
-Weighing in at lust 40 lb.., the
E-300 4-stroke generator Is
possibly the perfect portable
power source. It runs for over 4.
hours on one tank and is
extremely reliable for cottage,
farm or emergency use.
q Single-cylinder air:cooled
engine developing 1.1 hp at._
q Recoil starter- •
• 0 0.4 Imp. gallon fuel tank
0 352 mm long x 264 mm wide x
307 mm high (13.9 x 10.4 X
12.1 Inches) •
O 2-pole permanent
3,600 rpm Max.
• Type C: 110 V60 HZ 300 W AC
(rated)
12 V 75 W DC magnet
Honda F-400 Tiller
Pawewred by a tough,\recoil-start
3 1/2 hp engine,.-4-stroke muscle
that eliminates mixing of gas and /
oil. Quiet muscle that refuses to
quit. •
Chalh driValransmission
O Power take-off, standard
O Safety clutch and lanition cut
off on handle
O Handle moves ,. .up and to sides;
folds storage
O Tines adjust, to 36,inches
•
THESE OE OURFEATUREVIOPP R STOPPERS'
WtARE ALSO FEATURINO;THIS WEEK AN,
ADDITIONAL UST OP OVER 40 OTHER i, • ‘
"IN STORE SPECIALS" ' ......-- ,
Over 30 New, Honda Cycles
an• Display'
LYNN HOTENTERPRISES
Hwy. 86 East of Winih-am
WINGHAM ,357-3435
Syrup k;etile .
As the scattering.etowd passed through the yard gate to move
toward the lawn they- stopped beside the old bled iron kettle
which had been used to boil the maple,sap each spring to make
Maple syrup and sugar, the only syzeets available td the early
settlers. This same utensil had been set up to boil the water at
butchering time or to make soft soap from time to-time.
The ladies present were always interested in the household
effects and stood near their husband nudging him and urging
hint to bid on certain items which she thdught would adorn their
modest home or prove useful. Many young cottPleS..jUst starting
• up housekeeping took advantage of sundry articles going at
ridiculously low prices since many bidders had begun to
disperse. As each ,article fell victim to the bidder, the farmer's
wife watched in suffering silence as each piece was carted away.
1334.,s.bt o'clock the crowd had left ,
Lektring silence once again,
The farmhotMe stood empty now,
The Shell of krformer day.
All pride and warmth and horniness
Had quietly ebbed- away;
One Iasi stroll before She left
Round 'the bottle that' had been hers
To gather all that there remained,
The Memory of other times." -
(Stokes)
Doubtless the harm of every editor's life is the slip that passes
in the type; No matter how hard one tries to avoid them, they will
inevitably creep. in. Imagine the consternation "that must ,have
reigned in the, editor's mind When she picked up the proof for the
weekly issue just before going to press to find -idiot the make-up
man had produced a mixture of items involving a wedding
ceremony and an „auction sale. •
The .proof read as follows: "William Blank, the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Joseph J. Blank, was disposed -off at public auction to
Margaret Dash, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dash of lot 4,
sixth concession in the presence of eighty guests including two
mules' and, pine head of horned cattle. Rev. J. Binks tied the
nuptial knot averaging 1200 pounds on the hoof.
The beautiful home of the bride was tastefully decorated.with
one set of double harness, nearly new. Before the •ceremony,
Mendlessohn's Wedding March was played softly by twenty-one
five-year old milk cows looking perfectly charming in, a high
spring wagon, top buggy anewheel-barrow.
--The gown is a well-known ,young-man, popular in society
circles including about thirty eight Berkshire hogs while the
bride is an accomplished and talented teacher of Poland-China
shoats, pedigree furnished if desired. Among the many presents
were one hundred bushels of, potatoes, One drag-harrow.
hay-fork, rOpe,--pulleys and other , articles too numerous to
mention. The bridal couple left on yesterday's -boat on an
extended trip, six months on approved joint notes. four percent
off for cash."
Every auction sale in the old days was a sad ending for a
lifetime of love andacctimulation, a scene of pathos, a dying way
of life. The children h ad left home and the aged couple had no
fti4her are 'for the old-fashioned things and would furnish their
new home in the 011fage, With more modern fixtures.
"The old order changes, yielding place to new
And Goo:1'61ft Himself in many ways
1,est ,ntie good custom should cortupt the world," •
(Tennyson)
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