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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1939-03-02, Page 3THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE THURSDAY, MARCH 2nd, LIFE —> AN OPPORTUNITY Life isn’t so bad. Trials there* must be; disappointments are bound to come; trouble has a habit of bunching itself occasionally, and yet isn’t it a glorious adventure just to be alive and breathing and sensing and experiencing and struggling and hoping and loving? Just think how uninteresting it must be to be dead, And then, con­ sider the opportunities there are for making the world a better place be­ cause you are in it and part of it. What are you doing with these opportunities? Ignoring them? .Going through life hitting on two cylinders —or climbing its hills with all of your power of ambition and deter­ mination turned on pnd working to- the limit? There’s a lot of fun in doing things. If you don’t believe it, just you try to do absolutely nothing for a while and see how tired you get of loafing. But you’ll never get any fun out, of doing things unless you put some joy into them. ‘Just be glad' is more than a phrase—it’s the sec­ ret of helpfulness. And unless we are helpful, we can’t get very much happiness out of life.* * * It is figured that some of the high-toned magazines cost women $1,005 a year — $5.00 for the sub­ scription and $1,000 to keep up with the ads. Those who live in glass houses should be mindful of their silhouet­ tes.* * * Religion that does not conquer the •fear of death is a failure. * * * While you are celebrating the or­ der you took from your competitor, be careful he isn’t celebrating two he took, from you.* * •* ’ He who cannot win gracefully did not deserve to win. $ ♦ * MY PA IS A DOCTOR MAN My pa is a doctor man And my ma said to me one day; Your pa has gone and took a bran’ New baby across the way To Mrs. Niles. And maybe dear If you he good, an’ ast him to He’ll bring annuzzer baby here A bruzzer boy for you! Well, when my pa coined home that night An’ put his slippers on, an’ said He guessed he’d haf to go and write A letter ’fore he went to bed, I climbed upon his knee, an* then I hugged an’ kissed him two or free An’ ast him if he wouldn’t en’ An’ git a bruzzer noy for me. He said he would, an’ then he winked His eye at ma, an’ coughed and smiled An’ aid he kind o’ somehow finked .He wouldn’t diserpoint the child, I don’t know what he meant; but ma Just claspt his han’s, an' then she said; It was a splendid joke on pa An’ then they sent me oft to bed. unconsciously accorded leadership, are firms that have continuously and persistently brought their message to you by systematic advertising..* W * A. TRUE STORY ■During the Revolutionary War, t commander of a little squad was giving orders relative to a stick of timber they were endeavoring to raise to the top of some military works. The timber went up very heavily, and on this account the leader was often heard in regular cries: “Heave away! There she goes. Heave Ho!” An officer, not in military costume was passing, and asked the comman­ der why he did not take hold and help a little. The latter, astonished said: “.Sir, I am a corporal.” “You are, are you,” replied the officer, “I was not aware of that.” Whereupon he dismounted, and lift-: ed till the sweat stood in drops on his forehead. When finished, turning to the commander, he said: “Mr. Corporal, when you have another job such as this, and have not enough men, send for your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again.” The corporal was thunder-struck — the non-uniformed officer was George Washington.* * * If you dislike your town, it is be­ cause you have earned the dislike of your town.* * * PRANKISH PROBDEMS Answer to Prankish Problem No 54 which appeared in this space last week: 12 blocks. Prankish Problem No. 55: Can you divide 45 into 4 numbers so that twice the first, half the second, the third plus 2-and the four minus 2 the results will be the same? (Correct answer will appear in this space in our next issue.) The height of fashion seems to be knee-high. * * * Well anyhow, the sweet young things can’t see the backs of their necks.* * * Freshman: “What causes blushing ?- Professor: “A blush is a tempor­ ary erythema and calorific efful­ gence of the physiogomy, aetiologiz- ed by the perceptiveness of the sens- oriurn, in a predicament of inequili- brity, from a sense of shame, anger or other cause, eventuating in a pare­ sis of the vasomotorial, muscular filaments of the facies divested of their elasticity, when they become suffused with a radiance emanating from an intimidated praecordia.” * * * I RIAL But when the baby corned, you know ’Tfas just anuzzer girl and ma Was just heartsick about it so Sho had to stay in bed; and pa He 'lowed the folks in babylan’ Was out of boys and so they sent A girl . • or diin’t un’erstan’ The kind of baby what he meant.* * * A well-known attorney was al­ ways lecturing his office boy — whether he needed it or not. 'One day he chanced to hear the following conversation between the boy and the one employed next door: “How much does your chief pay you?” ask­ ed the latter. “I get $1,500.00 a year. $5.00 a week in cash and the rest in legal advice.”* * * memory test If you recall from memory the names of the business organizations you most admire, those who are making the most progress, you will find that these firms which you have Tired Out Before Day Half Over Women who should be strong and healthy become worn only and arc unable to attuiu to their household duties. Some disease or constitutional dis­ turbance has loft its mark m the form of Shattered nerves, impover­ ished blood, and an exhausted con­ dition of the entire System,Women will dnd m Milburn s Health and Nerve Pills the remedy they need to supply food for the exhausted nervo force, and one that Will help them back to sound, per­ fect health again. Ho T. Milburn Co., Ltd., Toronto. Ont. What Effect Does Advertisers Have on the Price of a Product? An inquiry was made in which 29 leading advertisers were asked to. state what effect advertising had on the price paid by the consumer for their products, and on its stand­ ard of quality. 5 firms replied that advertising enabled them to reduce prices, while the -quality remained the same. 8 reported price and quality un­ changed in spite of increased costs of raw material and manu­ facture. 11 companies stated that while the price had not been changed, they materially increased the value received ’by the consumer for his money. 5 concerns had both reduced the price and improved the quality of their goods. The salesman who declares that his article is “just as good as So-in- So’s, but can be sold cheaper because it isn’t advertised”, either does not know the facts or misrepresents them.* * * A little boy was saying his go-to- bed prayers in a very low voice — so his Mother whispered: “I can’t hear you, dear.” And the small one answered: “I wasn't talking to you.”* * *. It is sometimes overlooked that we live in a chemical world. Water un­ der a bridge is just as chemical as when put in a bottle with a nice monogram of H20, It is always dif­ ficult to think of one’s food or one’r desk as being chemical because we somehow have the idea that unless it is a particularly marked bottle on the shelf of a chemical laboratory, it is not chemistry.* * * ‘Try’ rhymes with ‘shy’, As does 'solemn* With ‘Column’-— But gracious me, Oh, my— What other word rhymes with ‘column’? THE 00L0NE|D Like Wellington's Guards, Mitch is up and at 'em.******** Hitler is grieving because Britain is arming. We wonder why. ******** The Exeter Groundhog greatly appreciated the gift of a warm­ ing pad supplied by the Exeter Eligible Maidens.******** Those fellows who are eager to abolish municipal and provincial goverments have a fine example of that sort of thing in Newfound­ land, ******** Those dictators of Europe evidently think that the camel who got his head into his friend’s tent know a very good principal to act upon.******** The Japs made an occasional apology to other nations. Outside of that they are having their own way in about everything they undertake,******** Why is it that a February rain is especially cold and misery engendering when it comes on a -Sunday? We were out in one and we know. ******** Winter is very fine. There is something noble about the storm . and grave austerity of a cold, sunshiny day. Just the same we’ll be glad to see the flowers of May. ******** With its shivers and its watery eyes and bubbling nose and its ringing ears and its sneezing and coughing and prescribed remedies a cold can provide a program of about the most varied and engaging entertainment as anything we know about.******** THAT FRUIT-TREE At a meeting of well-meaning .people held to consider ways and means of aiding folk in a tight financial corner, it was suggested that each family in distress be given a fruit tree to plant in its back­ yard. By this method the family, it was alleged, would be supplied with fruit. Ask almost any farmer about this, if you want some real in­ formation. He’ll tell you that it will be 12 to 14 years before any fruit will be forthcoming, that is if the tree escapes the hazards of the George Washingtons and their little hatchets to say nothing of the visits, nocturnal and otherwise, of jack rabbits and their imi­ tators. When blossoms appear there will be the attentions of Jack Frost who while he may not always wither blossoms, has a way of rendering them non-productive. Then there will be fungus1 and beetle and worm that make fruit growing one long nightmare. Worst of all, there will be the sneak thief who toils not nor spins but who takes the fruit of another’s toil.******** BOUND TO COME We have just heard of a deputation from a right tight little town who waited on a railroad executive begging them not to remove their railroad. “Give us sufficient business to make the road pay and we’ll not only leave the railroad where it is but we’ll improve our railroad facilities” was the quiet reply. Not so very long ago folk were calling railroads and all their works by very ill names. They’re not doing that sort of thing any more. They have come to see that railroads are mighty costly af­ fairs that have not a way of .paying big dividends. Indeed, a lot of railroads need handouts from the governments if they are to carry on at all. Lately we have been working against the railroads, in­ stead of freighting our goods, we truck them. Instead of traveling < by trains we use the autocar. ILittle by little the stream of money that trickled into the railroad till has been drying up till the rail­ road executive has said “Tha't and that branch line does not pay nor it is likely to pay. We’d better close it up.” A railroad lives by patronage as surely as old Dobbin lives on oa.ts.,(.****!*«*'■* ARE MINISTER’S SOFTIES? (Folk used to divide all mankind into three classes, men, women and preachers. This division was made because ministers were, looked upon as notoriously poor business men. To this day in fi­ nances ministers are first on the sucker list as far as investments are concerned. All -of which cause us to raise the question asked at the head of this article. Here is an example we -came across' the other day. A minister -was asked to conduct the funeral service of a man who had never darkened his church door, though he was prominent in the social and business life of his -community. The minister complied with the request giving the free use of his car in which three -of the pallbearers rode to the cemetery with him. Three hours in all were spent in this service, for which the minister was not paid one cent,, nor was he even thanked for what he did. For the fun -of it, gentle reader, call -up your doctor or your plumber or -carpenter or your radio engineer or your electrician and ask him his labour charge for an afternoon’s work as well as his mileage, for driving twice ten miles. Try it! This minister did all this for nothing-. That’s why we ask if ministers are softies? What costs nothing is appraised at its cost value, some people tell us. At any rate we ask the question.• ******** NOT LIKELY TO WORK When it wag suggested that the unemployed should be placed on the land, we ventured to protest. We have not changed our mind since we made that protest. To begin with, farmers are having a difficult time to make both ends meet, even when they carry on under the most favorable conditions. One reason for this is that the world has an over supply of the farmer’s product. Only an oc­ casional “big fellow” is able to make anything like a financial suc­ cess of the farming enterprise. A few make an operating profit. Few make both an operating and an investment profit. Ten-acre farms are spoken of. This sort of farming is what is known as truck farming. Occasionally a truck farmer wins out but when he achieves success it is as a rule because he has land specially adapted to the line and he - is himself trained and a natural gardiner. Along with this he must have a convenient market and he himself must be suited to selling his goods, a rare combination, we assure our readers. In any case capital is needed, far more capital than most folk dream of. The experience of many such gardeners will be similar to that of many in the dried out areas of the West. In 1938 many farmers who could not grow regular farm crops had good gardens, but found they could not sell their vegetables. These brave souls had nothing wherewith to provide meat, groceries, taxes, clothing and the thousand-and-one requirements of a farm home. Why plan and spend for the inevitable repetition of their experience?* * * * * * * * IT HAS IT’S VALUE We hear a great deal of the regimentation carried on by the Dictator powers of Europe, With any system that means the stif­ ling of the free expression of the rational human spirit we have no sympathy whatsoever. For -discipline that results in the accomplish­ ment of reasonable and. right human purposes we have every sym­ pathy. This was brought to our attention by a lady Who entered one of the stores in a nearby village. The morning was stormy and the road slippery. After she had done her shopping and had her basket well filled with her purchases she started to leave the store, heavy basket in one hand and her cane in the other. To get through the door she had to lay down her basket, adjust the door, pick up her basket, close the door and pick up her basket and start for home. Meanwhile the merchant looked oil but' stirred neither hand nor foot to assist her. Three young men were looking on, not one of whom did one thing to help the customer. This incident il­ lustrates oiir need for regimentation. Everyone of those spectators sadly needed a sh&rp overseer, A few mothers had been asleep some years before. -School teachers hud not done careful training. Just last Spring a young man who had a good job was criticized for not doing his work properly. He immediately threw down his tools, preferring the occasional job to regular employment. He said ho would not be bossed. Surely this young man was sadly lacking in the training, the discipline, the regimentation a good home sup­ plies, “Young man, there are dozens of men who did better work than that as they made their course who are this day sawing wood in Salvation Army woodsheds/' said a University professor to a young man under his care. “Ask yourself whether you lack ability or ate deliberately lazy.” Here was a youth sadly in need of the benefi­ cent offices of a dictator. Yes,“we believe that It‘s a poor job that has not at least one boss and a Sharp boss at that. Goderich Stood Alert When Invasion Feared During the Fenian Troubles By V. L. in Free press Goderich witnessed stirring scenes in 18 G 6 when -Canada was threaten­ ed by the Feniaus. For, though far from the international land boundary Goderich, as the most important port on the east shore of Lake Hu­ ron, was easily accessible by water. The militia, under -Major A. M. Ross, carried out daily evolutions on “The Square” and at night bivouacked on the old Canada Company grounds overlooking the lake and harbor where, if anywhere,’ attacks might be anticipated. No tents were pro­ vided, the men sleeping in the open, each with his rifle and GO rounds of ball cartridges beside him. It was some days after the affair at Ridgeway that Major Ross receiv­ ed an official despatch that a sus; picious looking vessel, supposedly carrying armed men, left Chicago for the purpose of landing some­ where near Goderich. The watchful­ ness of the defending forces was ac­ cordingly redoubled, and arrange­ ments were made that in the event of a raid, an alarm would be given by the firing of the Russian cannon on Harbor Park and the ringing of the town fire bell. A heavy cable was stretched across the mouth of • the harbor, while men in small boats patrolled both river and lake. Later a trench was dug from the top of Harbor Hill to the lighthouse and three sentry posts were estab­ lished, each commanding an uninter­ rupted view of the lake. Each hour during the night watches the cries rang from post to post: “Number one, all’s well!” “Number two, all’s well!” “Number there, all’s well.” It was many days later that the whole town was thrown into con­ sternation by the violent clanging of the fire bell and the boom of the old cannon. The sentries had sighted a strange craft about four miles up- shore, heading for Goderich. Officers and men billeted at the old Huron Hotel on Kingston street and at other hostelries grabbed their rifles and ammunition, and- started on the double quick for the harbor trenches. IBy this time they strug­ gled through the* excited, impeding crowds, the suspicious craft was get­ ting much closer. Black smoke belch­ ing from her funnels told unmistak­ ably that she was a stranger, for the coasting steamers still used wood fuel. As the steamer approached the piers, it was discerned that her decks were crowded with passengers. Major Ross dispatchhd a ser- gean guard to investigate. The steamer, happily, proved to be the American revenue cutter “General Dix” with a number of prominent military and naval officers aboard, including General W. T. Sherman, commander-in-chief of the U. S. army and General Ord, of the ordinance department at Detroit. The party was returning from an inspection of the Upper Lakes, Welcomed Major Ross and his staff hastened to board the vessel and extend a hearty welcome to the distinguished visitors. The latter were eminently hopitable, and the -Canadian com­ mander and his officers reciprocated by tendering the visitors a dinner that same evening. A Chicago newspaper correspon­ dent who accompanied General Sher­ man’s party sent his paper a vivid, if not entirely accurate account of the affair. He wrote that some time before the American craft reached the har- bor those on board observed an un­ usual commotion on shore. Men in uniform, mounted and on foot, were galloping and running hither and; thither, while alert sentries tramp­ ed to and fro. The Americans were at a loss to account for this unusual show of military zeal in peaceful Canada. The sting of the Chicago paper re­ port, was however, contained in the concluding paragraphs. For, after a1 ' vivid description of everything he saw and heard, plus probably a very great deal more, the newspaperman wrote: “On the gang-plank being thrown out, General Ross, in command of the force stationed in the town, stepped forward to shake hands with General Sherman, remarking at the same time, in the most earnest man­ ner: “General Sherman, I am under lasting 'obligations to you, sir, for not firing a salute when you entered the harbor; for had you done so, the whole of my command would have immediately taken to the woods.” Major Ross, a doughty Scot, whose sterling qualities later liter him to a position of prominence in Ontario politics and to Gam binet rank, took the report, rather seriously. He at once wrote to General Ord, at Detroit calling attention to the article and requesting his version of the affair. General Ord stated that to the best of his recollection, no such words were ever uttered, and expressed his regret that the correspondent's ill- timed levity should have caused an­ noyance. Quality Counts SMost A number of years later, General Sherman and his aide, Colonel Ba- can, were guests at the then popular sumer hotel at Paint Farm. The proprietor of the hostelry, the late J. J. Wright, had been one of the Goderich defenders in the Fenian days, and in a chat with the Amer­ ican general, eized the opportunity to recall the entire incident. When he caihe to the Chicago newspaper man’s narrative, the general burst into hearty peals of laughter. “It’s one of the best jokes I ever listened to,” he declared, Almost Tragedy The affair might well have been a tragedy, or the beginning of a ser­ ious “international incident” for when the “General Dix” headed down the channel into the harbor, a lot of Canadian rifles were loaded, and a lot of Huron Militiamen had their fingers hovering dangerously near their triggers. A chance shot, might have precipitated a fusillade all along the line. That the defenders took their du­ ties seriously was indicated. The authorities had issued general orders for all civilians to be within doors after 9 p.m. and anyone at­ tempting to pass the line of sentries was promptly interrogated. Quidnunc Robert Perry is credited with be­ ing the first to discover the North Pole in 1909. Ronald Amundsen in 1926 succeeded in reaching the Pole and in the same year, Admiral Byrd also reached the Pole. Measuring a year as one complete revolution around the Sun, a year on Mars is 687 earth days - Mercury just 8.8 days - on Neptune, a year equals 165 of ours. On Pluto, it equals 25 0 of ours and Jupiter’s year is 12 times as long as ours. And it takes more than 150 earth years to make one on Uranus. From 1936 to 193'8, approximate­ ly 31,088 Jewish emmigrants were admitted to the United States. There was an increase last year of about 8,000 over the previous year. The average rate of speed for ra­ dio broadcasters is about 17 0 words per minute. 'On a 15-minute pro­ gram, news commentators are on the aii’ about twelve minutes — making the average number of words spoken over the air about 2,000. The aver­ age man dictates letters at the rate of 85 to 10 0 words per- minute. Ex­ perienced stenographers can take down in shorthand 125 to 150 words per minute. On a recent test for speed and clear enunciation, three well-known radio announcers were in competition — the fastest speak­ er achieved a record of 420 words per minute — the runner-up, 3 80. In Leap Year, February 29th re­ presents four one-fourth days instead of a whole day — one quarter day 20 for each of the four’ years. On In other words, each calendar year is 365 and one-fourth days. Transcontinental Airplane Trans­ ports average between 10 and 11 miles to the gallon of gas — small one and two-seaters sometimes aver­ age 28 to 30 miles to the gallon — depending upon atmospheric condi­ tions. The largest circulation of any news- papei’ in the United States is the Sunday circulation of the New York Daily News, which is 3,178/063, Faddys & Yerkies are credited with having established the cafeteria They operated a ‘self-serve’, low- price restaurant in the basement of the southwest corner of Madison and Fifth Ave in Chicago, Illinois about 18180, J. R. Thompon established' the self-serve ‘one-arm’ daily lunch in Chicago in P891. Correction — In a recent item in Quidnunc we credited Bulun in Si­ beria, Mongolia with being the north­ ernmost city on the globe. One of our readers offers a correction, claiming that Hammerfest, Norway, is the northernmost city. It is a mo­ dern city, with electric lights, paved streets and a local municipal govern­ ment — population approximately 5,000. ANOTHER EXETER OLD BOY TO THE FORE A press despatch from Regina states that J. A. Gregory, member of the Battlefords, has been chosen as" Deputy Speaker of the Saskatchewan House. Mr I ‘Gregory is an Exeter Old Boy. Thus both Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Provincial Assembly at Regina are from the county that has contributed so many of Saskat­ chewan’s prominent men,, including at least two Premiers of the Prov­ ince. Mr. Gregory has been Mayor of North Battleford for twelve years. The fellow who achieves success is the chap who creates his own opportunity instead of waiting for opportunity to come along. Pope Pius XI and Canadian Rockies In his earlier days the late Pope Pius XI achieved considerable fame as a mountaineer and scaled most of the well-known Alpine peaks. After his accession to the Papal Throne he one day told a party of ■Canadians visiting in Romo that he had always been interested in the Canadian Rookies and that at one time he had hoped to visit them. There wore several mountains there, he said, that he would very much have liked to xslimh. The fates directed bis path to other heights culminating in the Chair of St. Peter, but the story Was brought back to Canada and at the direction of Sir Edward Beatty a collection of photographs of the Roekies was bound together in a handsome portfolio of white calf-skin and presented to His Holiness with the compliments of the Canadian Pacific Railway* Sir Edward received a most courteous and kindly ' acknow­ ledgment .which is now preserved in the Company’s archives.