Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1934-02-01, Page 7THE EXETER TlMEb-ADVOCATE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1st, 1931 Dear Caven Church and S. S.,- A hail for you from the Peace Riyer, and many wishes for a very Happy New Year, even if the wishes are a little late in arriving. I hope you are not having such'a teryific winter in Ontario as we are in Alberta. It ie snowing to­ day, but that is such an old story that we don’t pay much attention to it any more, except to remark how many inches fell since last night, and maybe worry, a bit about how we are going to get around if this' keeps up till spring. I expect we’ll he hib­ ernating like the bears by that time. Our Christmas doings are all over and I am very happy to assure you that the Caven Church hales arriv­ ed in plenty of time to provide our trees with plenty of good things, as well as relieve many everyday needs that have nothing to do with Christ­ mas. It was well that you sent them early, because the later bales were held up by storms, bad roads and such bitter weather that it was dangerous to be abroad at all. There were, three trees provided with gifts from the mission here. It was a very busy time and there were spells when we could hardly move around in the Manse because of the multi­ tude of boxes and strings and wrap­ pings and all the other trappings of Christmas, in preparation for the trees. However we got them all boxed up and despatched at last, and the kiddies had their little hour of real joy and mirth after the concerts were over and the gifts given out. The weather during the week of Christmas concerts was bad. Storms and snow and cold, down to 4*5 and 50 below zera, but if the children didn’t have sufficient clothing, the fathers and mothers put them down in the bottom of the sleighs, with plenty of straw under them and all the blankets in the house over them, nnd they had their Christmas any­ way. . I think this is the hardest winter the Peace River has seen in many years. The summer was cool and wet and the crops were late in ma­ turing. They gave great promise of a bumper yield, but heavy frosts in early September touched all the standing grain. Markets are poor even for good grain and for frosted wheat there just aren’t, any markets unless it is for the pigs and poul­ try. The men in the Whitemud Valley all went out in late Septem­ ber and early October, to harvest and thresh in the older more settled districts to the south, around Grim­ shaw and neighboring towns. They were held up by rains. And then the snow came before they were half through threshing. The men came home where their own crops were still standing in the fields, cut but neither threshed or stacked. And much of that grain is still standing in the stoo'ks for the snow has never left us> since the 19th of October. There is- still no threshing done in the Whitemud Valley, for the ma­ chines cant get around in three feet of snow. The result is that there is no grain for sale and none for feed except in the sheaves-. Cattle are worth about one cent a pound, if they can be sold at all. Threshing wages- didn’t run over three dollars a day for a man and team and wa­ gon, and very few of the men got more than twelve days threshing. There has been no road work this summer to bring in a little cash, ■Only a few eggs and butter can be sold locally and the Peace River hens and cows don't do any better in the fall and winter than those in Ontario and I guess not as well. This isn’t a hard luck story, It is a simple statement of facta. And then the half has not been told. You can just imagine what a struggle it is for some of the homesteaders to get enough to eat, for themselves and families, without thinking of clothes at all. Even the local flour mill is not running this winter and if it were, the flour from frozen wheat, threshed out by hand, does not make very tasty bread, And yet—and yet—every day I discover something among my people that makes me wonder anew at the greatness of their courage, their generosity, and willingness to share what they have, be that ever so little. The day before yesterday I was away in a. distant part of the settle­ ment to see a young, man with in­ flammatory rheumatism. He and his brother are both bachelors and etrattgers in a strange land. Their people still live in the old country. A neighbor woman who has all tod little herself, too-k the sick boy into her little shack, and put him into her own bed. Her husband, she said, would -knock together a bunk with hay in it for them. When I arrived she was bustling around making the boy comfortable, her face all alight because “she had somet’ings good to do now!” The oby wasn't -seriously ill but he will be weeks getting over it. And I reflected humorously as I thought the case over, that a medical emerg­ ency in this country involves a lot more than a visit, a diagnosis, and a few orders. Often there is a night­ shirt or extra bedding to supply, or even the right kind of food for an invalid. Reading matter if they can read. And proper clothes when they get up around again, from un­ derwear to slippers. The boy had been sick for several days and they had done the best they could for him themselves, and when I told them they had done the right things they were just as tick­ led as a little boy over a new red wagon, only more so. When I left, they were such a merry crowd, in that little log shack. And the boy was so grateful that I choked all up over his thanks. He and his brother have only a dollar or two in the world, but they are honest and cheerful as the day. And the heroism at the heart of them is- something that makes me very humble. There is only one threshing out­ fit in this valley, and the man that owns it is hundreds of dollars in the hole from bills that have nevex* been paid. This year it would have been the same old story all over again, a lot of work and no pay, only the snow stopped operations. Neverthe­ less he took some pigs to town to sell them and get enough cash to buy gas and oil and repairs- for his machine. And he built wide run­ ners to set the separator on to haul it around through the snow. Glad and willing to thresh for people just to help them through a hard place. That man does not profess to be a Christian, and yet I am sure that the good Lord counts his big heart among His greatest treasures! in this v-alley. And I think too, of the mother with the whole brood of little ones, who took in an old man, who cannot do for himself any more. After advising her about his food one night, I said .slowly,—“But I hate to think of you having all this extra work, when you’ve got more than enough to do now.” And her quick retort. “Oh nonsense, I don’t mind in the least. If only I can help somebody. I get so tired of doing things for myself all the time.’ And! there were tears in my eyes as I looked at her there in the failing light—weather beaten, tired and j growing old, but that glow in her face! I am sure He counts that heart too among His treasurers. There is much on this frontier that wearies and irks and disap­ points, but always shining through, ■are these other lovely things, the gold of God at the hearts of the pioneers. I am very happy to tell you that this mission station made up its full allocation for the Budget for 193'3, and a little over. I don’t know how that wild story about the Doc getting her leg brok­ en, ever got started .It was all over the newspapers in the east before I knew anything about it, The papers- in Edmonton got word of it and wired me for particulars. I met the messenger* at the door with two per­ fectly good legs and an astonished face, True, I had cut my leg with an axe, but not seriously, and only half an hour before the wire came, so I didn’t see how in the world On­ tario knew, when nobody in Dixon­ ville did, but myself and a couple of dogs that were the sole witnesses. And now, many, many thanks again for your contributions to Dix­ onville this autumn, and not only you, but those outside the congre­ gation, who did their bit. You can­ not know just how much it means to us here. May youi* New Year be very very happy indeed because of youi* thought for others. Yours sincerely, MARGARET (STRANG-SAVAGE Owing to the severe storm which has been raging during the week some of the subscribers to the Times-Advocate have been unable to get out this week and renew their subscription as they had intended. We have been asked to continue the contest for another couple of days and in response to the request we will postpone the drawing until Monday next at 2.30 o’clock. Ilrtinw cl • j Buck That Cough or Cold With Buckley’s It costs only a few cents to knock out a cough or cold with BUCKLEY’S MIXTURE, be­ cause Buckley’ji is so supremely good that only a few doses are needed to subdue the toughest cough pr cold. And Buckley's can be diluted with three times its volume of water making it go still further. Will not upset your stomach, Just safe, sure, instant relief from coughs, colds, ’flu or .•bronchitis. Play safe. Refuse substitutes, Buckley’s is sold everywhere. GRAND BEND SEXTET WINS London North hockey team visit­ ed Grand Bend on Saturday night in a smart game which was, how­ ever, lacking nice combination on account of heavy icp. From the spec­ tators’ viewpoint the game was full of thrills and checking was hard. The score was 4 to 3 in favor of the -Grand Bend team. The line-up: London—Goal, L. Smith; defense C. Brown, W. Channer; wings, C. O’Hara, L. O’Hara; centre, Haggjtt sub., A. Atkinson. Grand Bend—Goal, E. Guenther; defense, G. Statton, I. Desjardine; wings, W. Desjardine, M. Webb; centre, C. H. Hoggarth; sub. G. Desjardine. Referee—IGeo. Renshaw. FACTS ABOUT HYDRO—No. 1 of a series of official announcements by the Ontario Municipal Electric Association (O.M.E.A.), representing the Municipalities who own the Hydro-Electric System of Ontario. ONTARIO MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC ASSOC I ATI O N 0 The great public service enterprise known as the Hydro-Electric System, or simply as "Hydro”, while operated and administered by the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario acting in the capacity of trustee, with the Govern­ ment of Ontario acting as banker, is the property of the people of the associated Hydro municipalities. Hydro - Electric power is distributed, through the agency of the Hydro munici­ palities, to the citizens who .use this low cost electric service. The Ontario Municipal Electric Association (O.M.E.A.) is an organization con­ stituted to represent its member municipalities—the owners of Hydro—and to make representations to the Hydro-Electric Power Commission. At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the O.M.E.A., held in the City of Toronto on October 31, 1933, a Publicity Committee was appointed "to collect and disseminate information in respect to Hydro facts”. At a subsequent meeting, held on November 30, 1933, the Executive Committee individually endorsed and unanimously passed the following Resolution regarding Publicity. THEREFORE BE .IT RESOLVED: — THAT The Executive Committee of the Ontario Municipal Electric Association endorses the report of the Publicity Committee; THAT we believe, with them, that the time is now opportune to carry out the repeated requests and suggestions which have been made from time to time by our Association; THAT a campaign of publicity be carried on so that the people of Ontario, who have been respon­ sible for the outstanding success of this great Public Utility during its twenty-five years of existence, shall be given from time to time all necessary infor­ mation as to the administration and operation of the Hydro System and its branches in all parts of Ontario............... WHEREAS, from time to time, state­ ments have been made and published with respect to the Hydro System of Ontario that are not in accordance with the facts, and which, if allowed to go unanswered, tend to create doubts in the minds of the public, and more particularly that section of the public which is not sufficiently interested, or will not take the time, to look into matters carefully enough to secure the information for themselves; AND WHEREAS the Municipalities of Ontario are the owners of the Hydro System, in which they have an investment of some three hundred millions of dollars; and anything which would create distrust in the minds of the people as to the proper and efficient conduct of this great Public Utility would tend to impair the value of the investment of the Municipalities in the Hydro System: In pursuance of this Resolution, the Publicity Committee of the O.M.E.A. will publish informative statements which will set forth, clearly and simply, what Hydro ownership has done for the people of this Province. The facts about Hydro speak for themselves. Ontario Municipal Electric Association z’1 President, C. A. Maguire Toronto 'Vice-Presidents, T. W. McFarland London, Jos. Gibbons, James Simpson EXECUTIVE 4 CHESLEY—C. J. Halliday HAMILTON—W. D. Black OSHAWA—Frank L. Mason BROCKVILLE—W. B. Reynolds GUELPH—J. W. Oakes MIDLAND—David Hurrie PETERBORO—Gordon Matthews WALKERVILLE—W. R. Woollatt OFFICERS : Secretary-Treasurer, T. J. Hannigan Guelph Toronto, F. Biette Chatham GALT—H. O. Hawke LINDSAY—A. K. Gregory OTTAWA—J. J, Allen ST. CATHARINES—Dr. W. J. Chapman ST. THOMAS—E. E. Seger WATERLOO—W. Henderson WINGHAM—W. H. Gurney PUBLICITY COMMITTEE: Chairman, Controller James Simpson, Toronto Frank L. Mason, Oshawa T. W. McFarland, London * Keep this informative statement and watch this newspaper for further statements by the Publicity Committee.