HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1936-02-27, Page 6THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATETHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 193G
JN THREE INSTALMENTS
SYNOPSIS . ♦ » Y’o.ung, ambitious,
and efficient, Donald Fisk of New
York, engineer and key field man
for a small oil corporation, is sent
into the desert heat of El Centro,
<S.A., to bring in paying wells in
a very promising field. He takes
his young wife, Gloria, with him
and together they endure the soul-
trying heat and dust in the blaz
ing desert. Against great odds,
the drilling has progressed until
Fisk is certain that oil will be
mtruok, so he makes reservations
to take them home and away from
the hardships his young wife has
endured so bravely. Gloria is be
side herself with joy and. days too
soon starts to pack luggage. Then
NOW’ GO ON WITH THE STORY
SECOND INSTALMENT
Gloria regained control of herself
with an effort and let her flower
like face bx*.oke into a smile. “I’ll be
patient. Only don’t let anything hap
pen.”
As he left the house, Donald told
himself with a pang that he had a
sick girl on his hands. Gloria was
sicker‘than she had permitted him
to realize and it had taken this brief
flicker of animation at the prospect
of going home to show him just how
weak she really was. She was fra
gile, bloodless., the life and the
laughter had gone out of her. As
a mater of fact, he had watched it
go day. by day for months and he
had tried vainly to check it, but
never before had he appreciated to
what extent she had failed. If any
thing should happen to her—Don
closed his eyes and refused to face
such a thought. Only ten days more
they they would go north to those
green fields and cool waters of
which she was forever wistfully
.speaking. Ten days wasn't long.
This certainly was not a woman’s
country. Least'of all was it a coun
try for a lovely, high-bred creature
like Gloria. But, Don reflected, it
had been this ox* nothing, Gloria had
jbeen willing, nay eager, to marry
•iinx, even against hex* family’s ad-
vi’ce, and even though it had meant
’exile. Nor had she once complain
ed, at least not until, today when it
•was all ovex* and She could voice hei’
Hatred for this life without hurting
'him. That was like 'her, to fade
?away, if need be to die by inches
at his side, without complaint.
■ One thing was sure—-without
■Gloria’s love to strengthen him he
■Would never have -had the courage
■and the pertinacity to win this fight
against the desert. ‘The mere fact
that his own money and that of his
‘triends was sunk in’the El Centro
’field would not have been sufficient
to keep him here. Not iby any means.
But with a wife like Gloria, a man
couldn’t quit; he couldn’t tolerate
failure of any sort. -
i ’ff he and Gloria had 'been able
*Yo. get away once in a'while it would
’Slot have been so ha*d, but money
'from the wells which he 'had sojme-
‘%ow managed to drill had -gone into
•(new equipment, info storage .tanks,
.tank cars, drilling* rigs, ■’leases and
'the like; for in order to live at all
’■in'this business xtf;had been neces
sary to expand, and as a result pro
duction had not quite kept pace with
expenditures. It had been the old,
heart-breaking story of most so-call
ed successful oil enterprises—just
enough encouragement to render it
impossible to let go. But the com
pany had real holdings no.w and with
the Homestake,.making five thou-
6and barrels a/<£&y. »jyes, or even
Wlf that, it Would, ’fye :but of the
red in no time and its stock would
Jbe worth a lot. It would be worth
so ‘.much that Gloria could well af
ford to give her family the laugh.
Something like a million dollars,
that’s what it would mean to them.
&nd Homestake couldn’t miss. El
(Tuck it in your
travellins bag
Yoa newer fcnmy when
yqo^neipdMiiftawd**, NEW
METAL CAP hermetically
seals Im strength
liniment.
jPrefcnt3 spill-
yet is easily
jtemoyed.
RoftjmMinard’s
freely to relieve
any muscular
pains or stiff
ness, sore feet,
euma ti c
aches, etc.
, S«rfes Agents t
. RitcZiZe
■■■fit Co^Lid.,
Tomortto
QJfye Exeter
Established 1873 and 1887
at Exeter, Ontario
Published every Thursday morning
SUBSCRIPTION—$2.0<0 per year in
advance
RATE'S—Farm or Rea) Estate for
sale 50c. each insertion for first
four insertions. 25c, each subse
quent insertion. Miscellaneous ar
ticles, To Rent, Wanted, Lost, or
Found 10c, per line of six words.
Reading notices 10c, per line.
Card of Thanhs 50c. Legal ad
vertising 12 and 8c. per line. In
Memoriam, with one verse 50c.
extra verses 25 c. each,
Member of The Canadian Weekly
Newspaper Association
ed by the Grieve family were held In
the Lieury School. Later a Sunday
School was conducted at Corbett's
Corners. For several years Mr.
Grieve and his family were promin
ently associated with the West Mc
Gillivray Presbyterian Church. These
was also a church at Carlyle. Out
standing clergymen of the district
were Rev. A. C. Carriere who serv
ed the community for 41 years and
Rev. Mr. Fletcher who was pastox*
of the West McGillivray Church.
and n few minutes later he found
hex' weeping. (She made no sound,
there was no expression of grief up
on hex* face, ‘but tears of utter ex
haustion were coursing down her
checks.
“Honey! honey girl!” her husband
cried in agony. Don’t take it like
that!”
•She tried to smile. “I’m so tired.
Dpn! I’ve been planning so. Qli.
Don. I haven’t strength left to stand
another disappointment!”
“We’ll catch the next boat, sure.”
“I’ve .been thinking so .much about
the green grass and the cool waters!
I’m so hot—so tired!”
Fisk nodded; his face was work
ing. “I know. But I cant leave. I
can’t—without throwing away all
we’ve
go to
chuck
crowd
forgive me.
“I suppose so.” Gloria tried Un
successfully to check hex* tears. “My
people, too! We wouldn’t have oux*
triumph, would We You mustn’t
mind me. 1’im such a baby! I’ll be
all right as soon as I giet home.” !
Da.y aftei* day the work! at thef
well went on. Many times Fisk was
tempted to blast, but the men
ed him out of the idea.
(Continued next week)
alongi as well as could be
pected,
For two days his nightly report
was the same. Had the. accident
occurred earlier, he would have pro
ceeded, upon failure to grapple the
troublesome bit stem, to sidetrack
the obstruction, so he explained, In
othei’ words he would have drilled
past it by allowing the second bit to
be deflected by the first, The lost
tool was in reality a forty-foot steel
shaft standing the bottom of the
hole, and it weighed many hundreds
of pounds. Inasmuch as it was tip
ped so that its upper end rested
against the side of the well, it was
not easy to get hold of it. This new
drilling would have resulted in* a’
crooked hole fifty or 60 deep deep
and would have left the obstructing
tool standing upon a shelf of rock.
By exploding a small shot a few foot
below this shelf the lost bit could
have been dropped in the pocket—
old
shaft could have been carried on.
But Fisk declared he was afraid
to attempt this maneuver so close to
the structure. Other oil men had
warned him against doing so. Twice
something of the sort had been tried
in the ElCetro field and in each
case a ruined well has resulted. The
shots had seared the rocki—due^per-
liaps to some peculiar characteristic
of the formation. Again he told
his wife not to worry; new fishing
tools were on the. way up from the
coast; McKay might have the ob
struction out before they arrived—
in fact, he might get hold of ‘that
bit stem at any moment. That was
the way with fishing jobs.
Don maintained his hopeful atti
tude; in his wife’s presence he con
tinued to be cheery, but out at the
I-Iomestake, where he spent twenty
out of every tiweirty-four hours, he
was anything but optimistic. Noi’
was he a pleasant person to get
along with. Under ordinary circum
stances he would have refused to be
unduly pertuxibed by the oil game
and grappling blindly for a bit stem
in the bottom of a steel-lined shaft
a quarter of a mile deep is slow work
at best. Sometimes it takes weeks.
But circumstances were not
dinary. Gloria’s heart was- set
catching that boat, the- days
slipping past and Don could no long
er blind himself to the truth that
she was seriously ill and ought M
go. And yet • there no nobody ■ he
could send with her. nor could he
leave until the well was in. The di
rectors wouldn’t stand
even if he could
do such a thing,
as it usually does
time in the entire
, c o m pa ny ’ s o p er ati o n s
been more unpropitious than
present foi* a mishap such as
The treasury was low, there
bank loans soon to be met! nothing
less than big new “production” could
avert a serious crisis. If he lost
the Home&take, the company was
Wrecked.
Fisk di'ove his men without mercy
bu,t it was maddeningly futile work,
this blind grappling, this ix^termih-
afble experimenting with’ one device
after another. He became irritable
and jumpy; his hands shook wheXi
he wiped the stinging sweat out of
his eyes; he cursed the desert aloud
when its heat rendered the work
doubly hard. Working on that der
rick) floor was like working upon a
bed of coals. Every piece of metal
that flesh fell upon was hot efaouglx
to blister; the stale watei* that’he
and his mexx swilled dowxx their
(throats was tepid, and even in their
Sleep they were thirsty.
Contr./ wasn’t that blind of a pool.
Once inside the limits, a man was
as safe as if his money was in the
Bank of England.
Ten days more, then New York
with its shops and its lights and its
theatres. He’d show Gloria that he
wasn’t merely a machine eternally
thinking, talking, dreaming, living
oil. He’d prove that he was the
wildest, most extravagant, the most
devoted lover the world had ever
seen. The things he would buy for
her—the love, the tenderness he’d
shower upon her! He’d repay for
the faith and for the courage she
had shown. Tan days more!
•Gloria ate but little supper that
night. She attributed her lack of
appetite to excitement, to the an
ticipation of leaving, but as a mat-
tei* of truth, Francesa, the one ser
vant they °ould afford, had been
more than usually, shiftless that af
ternoon and the young wife herself
had been forced to prepare the meal. sidetracked'—aftei* which the
Any exertion of late left her upon
the ragged edge of utter collapse.
Donald’s sympathetic remonst
rance was interrupted by old Pedro,
the water man. Pedro halted his
groaning truck outside the house
and called something in Spanish
that took: Fisk away from the table
and out into the road. Gloria
mastered cnly a few words of
language—this climate robbed
men of enrgy both physical
had
the
wo-
Pedro halted the groaning truck
and called, out ho moshing in Spahisli.
i_____________________________________
i mental—hence she could not under
stand what was being said. When
Don rebux'ntffy 'he .forestalled hei-
anxious querry by announcing:
“McKay’s in some sort of trouble
and I’ve got to run out there again.
Don”t worry-—it’s nothing much.”
“What kind of trouble?’’ Gloria’s
tired face was .suddenly drawn with,
apprenhenoion.
“Some kind of i fishing job—
Pedro didn’t know,.just what.” Fisk
came around ' the • table and kissed
his wife. “Don’t fret, and don’t wait
You know how long
takes afAind a well. I
got it fixed before imorn-
pmllod reassuringly and
pinched her ear. “Can’t
risk any delay fox* the sake
eh?”
up for me.
everything I
may not
ing.” He
playfully
afford to
of a little sleep.
With sinking heaxt Gloria watch
ed him go, for there had been some
thing in liis voice that belied his
cheerful wmi’ds. This, hateful oil bus- ■
iness! Its hazards Were never end-!
ing; there ‘was a malignant genius I
in the • W&lls ’’’that - took ’ delight in
wrecking human plans and killing
high hopes,’however well founded.
Don returned to breakfast, hot
and tired and dirty; 'he -began gruf
fly: “I was 'afraid of McKay! He
dropped a** toolin' the "hole.”
“What‘doles that mfean?”
“Me didn't, set up his point pro
perly, I presume. "Anyhow, it means
we’s got to fish it out.”
“It that a—-a long job?”
“Not necessarily; depends on how
the stem ’is cocked and ’ things like.I . . . „
. that, We’re going to’ take a picture
of it—you know, lower a soap mold
i and table an impression. While they
! are doing that I’m going to get a
; few hours' sleep—I haven’t been
off my feet all night. Lord, it’s hot!’
Fisk lay on his' bed all that
ing. and he perspired in his
Meanwhile his wife went on
hex* packing and unpacking,
was
and
but
her
her
rived from folding and unfolding I
hex' doll’s clothes for imaginary
•’ourneys, She, lxad 1ovod to play with
that game when she was a tiny girl
and she was becoming very childish,
of late.
Don loft again during the most
cruel boat of the afternoon; ho re-
gb-Tif u Idnlffht and G’wia
'’’'n- i f...........ho tMd bo.-
that these fisMixg jobs were tedious
at best and that the crow was iget-
morn
sleep.
with
There
readyindeed very little to get
it was a 'foolish waste of effort
she had to do something with
hands and this occupation gave
the same pleasure she had de-
or-
on
were
for that,
bring himself to
It so happened—
happen-
history of
■could
■that no
the
have
the
this,
were
fought for, The company will
smash—you understand! I'd
it all if it were mine, but the
relies on me. They'd nevei*
I’d be a quitter!”
talk-!
4
Ninian Grieve Knew
Hardship of Pioneering
Former Reeve of McGillivray, Now
in 84tli Year, Helped Clear Forest
Eavly Elections
a. Among the prominent members of
Parliament in North Middlesex of
earlier times were Thomas Scatcherd
Liberal; J. S. Smith, Maple Lodge,
Liberal and C. 0., Hodgins, Conser
vative “’Elections .were always im
portant events but seldom was there
more interest displayed than in the
federal Election. Premier Bennett
lias proved himself one of the great
men of Canada and I believe he will
be recognized by future generations
as one of the greatest statesmen in
Canadian history,” Mr. Grieve de
clared.
Looking back over the social life
of McGillivray, Mr. Grieve referred
to the days, when he purchased a
load of apples at 10 cents a bushel
on the farm of Robert ’Calvert, con
cession! 8, London’Township, and on
returning hpme invited lads and las
sie to a paring bee. Working until
midnight, the young people were
then served with sandwiches, pump-
klih pie, cookies and tea. Later the
fiddler and caller-off opened
merry dance which continued
dawn.
Corn' husking 'bees held in
on a moonlight
an interesting so-
Professional Card^
BARRISTE
Money to
GLADMAN & STA BURY...... i
IOTORS, &c
Shvbstmenit-s Made
rance
. . aults for use of our
Clie’Hts without charge
EXETER and IIENSALL
i------------------------------- ------------------------- -
CARLING & MORLE
BARRISTERS, <OLIC|
LOANS, INVEsrf
INSURANCE
JTORS, &c*
ENT'S,
Office: Carling Block, Mjain Stree®,
EXETER, ONT.
the
until
the
Early in Grand Bend, Ails a
Disti'cts
(Milverton Sun)
On lot 29, concession 12, London
Township, about one and a half
miles northwest of Ilderton, resides
Ninian Grieve, ocitogeilarian of Lon
don Township, who has been famil
iar with the history of North Mid
dlesex foi’ over 70 years. Prominent
in the public life of McGillivray
Township half a century ago, Mr.
Grieve ih 18189 was elected reeve,
having previously served as assess
or of McGillivray for several terms
director of McGillivray Mutual Fire
Insurance Co., and_active, worker in
the North. Middlesex Conservative
circles.
Born nearly 84 years ago in
Northumberland County, England,
near* the Scottish Border, Mr. Grieve
is a son of Andrew Grieve, who
p,fioi’ to the coming to ’ Middlesex
County, Canada, was engaged in the
sheep industry.' As a lad, Ninian
Grieve waltched with interest the
thousands of sheep .grazing on the
hillsides, tended by the old sheep
herds and theix* faithful doigs.
Sailing oxi the “Nova Scotia,” the
Grieve family arrived in Quebec in
186 2. From this point they travel
led to Ailsa Craig, a village which,
then boasted of three -hotels, two
stores and a blacksmith shop. The
first brick' residence, owned by Da
vid Craig', was under construction.
“McGillivray Township) was a wild
looking land when compared to.
Northumberland, England, much of
'it being a dense wilderness, dotted,
here and there with ldig> shanties,
while in otlrei' .parts large logs and
ti-mlber lay sitrewn about,” Mr.
Grieve stated.
("Settling on concession 8, .McGil
livray, Andrew Grieve, the pioneer,
set about the task of establishing
a home for wife and eight children,
the miothei* Jiaving died in England.
In an effort to assist, Ninian, as a
lad in his teens, Secured employment
with a farmer neaT Grand Bend, re-
ceiiving $4 a month for driving'
team of horses.
ago Mr. Grieve
barn or corn crib
night also proved
cial event.
Over 20 years
moved to lot 29, concession 12, Lon
don Township, where he has since
resided. In 1912, Mrs. Grieve, form
erly Miss Ellen Davidson, a school
teacher of Qtrathroy, passed away.
CHATHAM BEET GROWERS
TO FORM ASSOCIATION
CHATHAM— Matters pertaining
to the framing of a constitution for
a newly organised Ontario Sugai*
Beet Growers’ Association was con
sidered at a meeting libre Saturday.
The Provincial directorate and grow
ers of four counties .forming a com
mittee were present. Application for
a charter is to be made in due course
Counties represented at the meeting
were Essex, Kent, Lambton and
Middlesex. Bad roads, it was said,
prevented the attendance of growers
from Huroii and Bigin who are
the committee.
on
THE RURAL POSTMAN
In the cold and blustery weather, -
When the frost is on the rail,
Would y’ou like to face a blizzard
With half a ton of mail
In the biting blizzard weather
When the snow comes to your
knees
Would you love to fish for pennies,
While youi* feet and fingers freeze
When the gleaming snow is drifted
Underneath a
Would you love
blains
In elbows and
foot of sleet,
to have the-
your feet?
chil-
When outdoors the wind is whistling
And the air is full of snow,
Would you love to have a jitney
And the blamed thing would not go?
Yes, I’d love the good old firesides,
Sipping coffee from the pail,
But I have to buck the snowdrifts
’Cause the farmers want theix*
mail.
J. E. JACKSON, M.B., L.M.C,
(Tor.)
Physician apd Surgeo
Phone 26
ence Main St.
let Garage
: or Day
pt attention.
Office; At his resi
just South .of the)
Genera) Practic
calls given pr
Successor to Dr. Browning
4‘-
.,D.D.S,Dr. G. F. Roulstqn, L.
dew^F
Office: Carling Block
EXETER, ONT.
Closed! Wednesday Afternoons
Dr. H. H. COWEN, L.pXxD-DS.
DENTAL S'UMEON
Successor to Die latcJDr. Atkinson
Office oppo|it0‘Hhe Post Office,
Main Wtreet, *Exeter
Office 36w Telephones Res. 36<
Closed Wednesday Afternoons
U'
»JOHN?WARI|f?-
CHJROPRAOTID, ^ffi5OPATHY,
ELECTRO-THigR^PY & ULTRA
VIOLET TREATMLENTS
PHONE 70
MAIN ST. EXETER'
ARTHUR WEBE
diesex
ECIALTY
LICENSED < A UCTI
For Huroti/and ft
FARM SALE'S A
PRICES ’ 8KSONABLE
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
Phone 57*13 Dashwood
R. R. No. 1, DASHWOOD
iddlesex
SPECIALTY
e and Satisfaction
ranteed
EXETER P. O. or RING 138
LICENSER AUg^DNEER
For Huron ” *
FARM S
Prices Reas$
“Honey! Honey girl!” her Ittls-
band cried in agony. “Don’t take it
like that!”
Developing Grand Bend
,At this time there was but one
house at Grund Bend, that being the
Fisk to’d his wife grimly oiie day
that they* could1 not make the boat.
She took 'the announcement much
- 't‘ » • ot *d lmv-‘ s Mow In
"c’lM end
st,-: k°n with smnath .n. riii-fy
worse than pain. She crept away.
shanty of Mrs. Drake, a fisherman’s
widow, Mr. Grieve explained. This
building was located near the bridige
Later a loig hotel Was erected by the
Morris 'brothers on the present site
of the1 Brenner House. Some time
aflterwAr'd, Joseph Brenner, ances
tor Qf the present proprietor of the
Grand Bend hotel, erected a tavern
near the bridge., During the fishing
^ea^on, ^fisherman resided in small
huts along the, shores of Lake Hu
ron. .Freqvhnt'ljy Mi*
granted pei’ihiSeiO'n to use the .row
boats and ehjdyed niany a sail on
the lakte. .SeverSj settlers from
various parts of McGillivray travel
led to Grand Bejid, in the autumn
to sectire a supply of fish fox* win
ter use.
As a young man, Mr. Grieve also’
spent several wintei* in the ’pine
forests Of Michigan, receiving $35
a month And hoard. In the sixties
and seventies many young men of
Western Ontario secured employ
ment, in these lumber districts, thus
enabling them to purchase property
off their return to Canada.
In recalling events of the sixties
In McGillivray Township, Mr. Grieve
recently referred to the first fair
held at west McGillivray Corners- in
1864, the exhibits being arranged
along the roadside, tulle livestock
exhibit included oxen, horses, sheep
end qwhm, The. ladle's’ work was
• laved !p. o W d ng that stood
n«, r th? nv.
The first religious services attend*
'i
■Grieve •> was
I don’t mind the frozen snowdrifts,
When my legs are stiff with cramps
But you keep your bloomin’ pennies
Buy a quarter’s worth of stamps.
I get snow mixed in my whiskers,
And I get it in my socks,
But it nevei* hurts my feelin’s,
Like loose peiinies in tile box.
—(Ope who knows
USBORNE & HIBBERT MUTUAL
FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
W.
SAMUEL NO LIS Vice'
ECTORS
F. McCONig^LL, JOHN
ANGU t'iSINCLA
Cedar Chests
AND NEW E
Also furnitMre
We take
blnet wo
NITURE
^modelled to order,
s fox’ all kinds of oa-
for kitchens, etc at the
DASHWOOD PLANING MILL
Head Office, Farquhar, Ont.
H. COATE> ■ P,reaid|B
LLISON
OHN
HACI
entralia, Agent
and Biddulph
RRIS, Muni'o, Agent
wTiarton and Logan
JOHN |
forALVlN’J
fof?_________________
/THOMAS SCOTT, Cromarty, Agenl
for Hibbert '
B. W. F. BEAVERS
Secretary-Treasurer
Exeter, Ontario
GLADMAN & STANBURY
’Solicitors, Exeter
ou Will certainly make no mis-
tako When you use B.B.B. It has
proved its merits in thousands of
cases during the 60 years it has been
on the Canadian market.
from
blood into
irities circulatinge blood the J
What is necessary for those who
are troubled with pimples, boila
and skiit diseases, and who wi
have a.cloan, clear,
complexion, and a skin
blemishes, is to put
a jgood condition Vanishing from
♦
Blood Bitters banishes