HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1946-02-07, Page 7THE TIMES.ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 7th, 1946 1
A New Serial Story ft
The Township of Usborne i
ft NICE GUY”by *-
Ahlene Fitch
in 1878
Chapter ILL
The stpry thus far; Rippy .Whit
more is chosen by Paunchy Pilber,
head of the north side gang to hW
Tiger Dpllaway, head of the south
side gang. ‘Rippy starts on his mis
sion, accompanied by Runt Smith,
his pal, When’ part way there he
decides to make a break for it>
leave town, and go straight, But
just as he is divulging his plan to
Runt, he ‘feels a gun in his ribs
and turns to find himself covered
by Chopper, the killer of his gang.
was Methuselab. All
Rippy is turnin' nice,
sist he oughta
Chopper ,scram
Stick to him ’til
South 'Side hangout, •-UT ’ wni+firl 3.11?
the boys say
They ail im
bumped. So,
an’ tag him-
to the
“Nice guy,” rumbles Chopper,
massaging the trigger on his forty-
five. “Nice guy, Rippy, Maybe too
nice for this world,. eh? Angels is
much fitter playmates for mugs
like you. Move your speed.”
“AngelS ain’t bad,” concedes
Runt, “when an’ if.” *
“Just when,” Chopper retorts.
“No ifs about it,” And the way he
flourishes that sleep-producer in
his right mitt, it seems the when
is almost any time now" “But I -got
orders from Paunchy,” he wades
on “to deliver you upright. ‘No
erasin’, he says, ‘until you replace
the mug right front of me,’ ”
“Listen here, Chopper!” I twist
out, and maybe the -frog in my
windpipe is a cold coming on. But
what is the difference, because the
cold is -going to get here too late,
anyways. “Was I sent out to get
Tiger, or wasn’t I?”
“Oh, sure,” pipes up Runt, all
his two brain cells now racing like
mad. “I forgot, Rippy.” He "takes
a couple wiggles down towards
Chopper, and the way he ain’t con
scious of the fire-spitter in Chop
pen's mitt is like a cat with about
two lives down and seven still to
go.
“Chopper,” he ripples out ppund-
ing a good spike into my coffin
lid, only he thinks he is lifting it
off, “it is like this: we rolled over
to the south side. I waited outside
while Rippy crashed into Tiger’s
joint. I waited an’ waited,”
“Pipe down!” I roar at him, but
Runt only figures T am modest.
“But Rippy never come out,” he
concludes. “He never come out.”
Runt, turns and strolls back beside
me, like be believes that now it is
all fixed, and I am a free man.
“Nuts, but harmless,” I quick in-
rorm : Chopp'er thumbing at my pal.
“Sure,” agrees Chopper pleasant
ly. “He don’t even memorize -good.
That ain’t just the how you waff
learnjn’ it to him, was it?” Then
it is ,1 am sure” for certain ..that
Chopper has been concealed in thq
offing^ for some time; so
pass the buck about how
intending to drill Tiger,
taking vocal exercised
“What, anyways,” I
past my tonsils, "is this
idea?”
“You mean why come you. are
mow, so near to a stiff in place of
bein’ safe out of town?”
“You seem faintly,” I bounce
back, “to 'get the idea.”
“All along Paunchy suspicions
you are turnin’ nice. Good. Moral.
'So when up comes this Tiger pop
pin’ job, he clicks in with this big
proof test. He will send you out to
open up Tiger. Not but what I am
the real guy for the job.” Chopper
starts digging at his back section
with his left fist, and I start pray
ing his right index digit don’t
work on reflex action.
“But,
“it is
if I try to
I was still
I am just
shove up
whole
be
out
he melts in> u
T ‘ waited an’ waited,”
mumbles to himself, like he
learning his lessons, “but
never come out.”
“But in case he starts to
on the lam,” Chopper tells on “toe
him back here like he was lightnin
an’ you was his twin,”
“I resent the relationship,” I
state .coldly,
“Maybe,” agrees Chopper,
you ain’t gonna long,
got no preferences.”
“Once I am done
wood,” I want to know, __
Paunchy figure will do his safe
blowin’ for him? There ain’t no
other yegg in the layout could pass
box-crackin’ exams above the third
grade,”
“Well,” suggests Chopper, “Runt
here might shape up to it. .Only he
is too dumb to live.”
“Oh, I get by,” reminded Runt
cheerfully.
■“You get- by,” I snap at. him,
“because Rippy Whitmore is al?
ways at the helm. But if I am de
ceased—<” . - -
“When you. are deceased,” cor
rects Chopper. Then he humps his
shoulders like his feet are restless.
“Paunchy is waiting, boys. An’ I
got a big night ■ ahead of me. So,
march!”
“Who c'ares,” wonders Runt, “it
I skip on ahead?”
.“That is a good question” Chop
per tells him. “Who does care?”
“Maybe nobody," suggests Rune,
and streaks around tire corner. But
nobody has -got a reception com
mittee worked up for Runt, sq
speeding is all a matter of person
al taste with him. And while in my
heart I hope he has got something
up his sleeve to keep them from
extinguishin’ me, in my brain I
know it ain’t possible. .And it ain't
“Push on in,” dictates Chopper,
when steady locomotion has movec}
us right up outside the front door.
"Push'on in.” So I push on in,
Only one thing I can see good
about this -croakin’ business, an'd
that is I am goin;’ to give so many
guys so much pleasure. Because
every hood in the mob is present,
and stacked up around the; walls;
and displayin’ their dental piano
keys.. That is, every mug in the
hangout is grinning except Runt,
•who is my pal.
And maybe I am better off phys
ically if he is ,not Because the first
scene
tered ... .... .. ___
front of the throne chinning very
earnest with
I can make a pass at him, he has
said it, too.
“I waited
Hunt
is still
Rippy
take it
“But
Stiffs ain’t
up in the
“who does
which registers on my shat-
brain-waves in .Runt down in
right index digit don't
anyway,” he finishes up,
more insultin’ to Tiger to
pop him off by a amateur, like he
don’t rate professional attention.”
“So far,” I jack him up, “I am
just being sent out to puncture
Tiger,”
“Right. An’ no more you are out
the door than Paunchy elbows me
into a/
t squawks, ‘Tiger is still safe like he
corner. ‘Chopper,’ he
Highland Cedar
FENCE POSTS
LARGE Run
Sound, Straight and Peeled
AT LOWER PRICES
. A. J. CLATWORTHY
We Deliver
Photie 12 Granton
ypu. See?”
“See?” snorts Paunchy. “Lord I
heard Jpm,” He eyes Runt thought
ful, “Npt much sense,” he argues
with himself, “in bumpin’ off a
nut, And with Rippy on the slab
we got to have one box-crackor
left/’"Right,'” agrees Chopper, because
agreeing with Paunchy is a smart
habit. “And he seems harmless.”
“Sure,” warbles Runt but it has
all the earmarks of only a passing
remark.
“Well,” Paunchy again snatches
up the tangled threads, “so what
next?”
“Next,” Chopper’s chest moves
out a little to accommodate his
opinion of himself, “I arrive,”
“You was there five minutes)
ago,”2 argues Paunchy, not quite
satisfied.
“Sure,” Chopper contests, “only
not visibly. But now -I am, and
even a blind sucker cannot miss
me what with my forty-five spread
out against his ribs. That is a nice
forty-five,” Chopper digresses.
“You arrive,” Paunchy prods
him op.
“And the story is ended,” Chop
per cracks the gap in his mapi
“Mostly the story is ended when I
arrive.”
“Nice work, Chopper.” Paunchy
pivots his chassis around until he
has got a good straight glimmer ?:dt
me. “So you figgered to blow, eh,
Rippy? Turnin’ moral, was you?
Goin' straight? Maybe you would
like before we bump you to tell
all the boys just what this bein'
straight feels like?”
Slowly I turn and roll an eye
from one hood to the other, and
then all of a sudden I feel asham
ed to think how, when I die, the
devil is going to catch me in such
poor company.
“Boys” I announce and my voice
is ste.ady even if my stomach trem
bles a little, “exactly the opposite
feelin’ of goin’ straight will be the
sensation you all get when they
fry you up at the big house.” ‘
“I’m sleepy,” grunts Chopper,
“an it’s gettin late. Let’s clean up
this job ail’ roll in.”
“Check,”
per an’ _ .
you can fight’ it out which
does it.' Personally I feel
rights go to Chopper.”
... ’ yawns Paunchy. “Chop-
Mugs, this is your job. An1
•one
first
Paunchy. And before
outside while Rippy
crashed into Tiger’s joint. I waited
an’ waited. But -Rippy never come
out.”
“You me^n/’ Paunchy bawls out
‘rthat Rippy" went in after Tiger?’
“Sure!” bellers bapk Chopper,
moving me downstage with 'my
neck for a handle. “Rippy went in
after Tiger. Like the devil, he did”
“Well,” Runt whispers up to me
placidlike, “I done my best. Rip-
py.”
“Yeh,” I mutter back at him.
and if he is not my pal I would for
certain plant one last biff on his
kisser. “You sure done
'So all you got to attend
bUyiii’ me flowers. I’ll
conventional lilies.”
“Lilies,” .echoe’s Ru-nt.
a note of it.”
■ “^hey are to 2tO'th and N” Chop
per’s gargle comes floating in)
“when I catch up. They are roost
ing on some steps. Rippy is talk
ing. I let him go right on.”
“Look here!'” I blurt Out. “Ain’t
there no—”
“Button up!” shouts Paunchy to
me. Then to Chopper: “Yes. Rippy
is talking. You let him go right
on.” . •
“I let him .go fight on, And you
are okay on that idea about he i§
aimin’ to blow. Sure enough, he is
telling Runt-all about it. He does
not like to have to drill- Tiger.”
Chopper claps a palm against the
spot on him where a normal guy
would be wearing his heart and
rolls his eyes up to where I will
soon be leavipg for. “Oh, no Paun
chy, He does not like to have to
drill Tiger. Rippy is a nice guy!”
“Ain’t that pitiful!” trebles out
Paunchy. “Pitiful. Go on, Chopper
if
your best,
to now is
take the
“I'll make
this is rich.0
“Rippy gives Runt some lines
about how the south siders fed him
lead. Fake
Painful, Pus Filled Boils
the Cause of Much Misery
\ If you suffer from boils you know holy side and
miserable they made you feel.
Boils Pre an_ outward indication of impurities in
the system, and just When you think you are rid of
lines to bring back to
Ono another Crops up to.take its place and prolong
ydur misery. All the lancing and poulticing you can do may not stop more corning, >
boils you should purify the blood, so why not give
that old, reliable blood ihcdicme, Bitrdock Blood Bitters, a chaiice to fihovv'
what it will do m helping you get fid of them? Thousands have Used it for this purpose for the past 60 years. Why not you?
The T« Milburn Co., Limited, Toronto, Ont.
■ “I ain’t selfish” Chopper informs
-him. “How is it-if we line him
against the east wall and make
a duet?”
“The' spirit is noble,” puts in
Mugs, beaming on Chopper, “but
the outline is awful. Why waste a
good solid wall when the window
at the west end is cracked any
way?”
“Your parents wasn’t Scqtch to
no advantage, compliments the boss
“Make it the west wall against
the cracked window. Then we-got
to sure replace the window tomor
row. Make a note of it, Mugs?’
“Are you interested in a nice fit-
i tin’ sayin’ .1 read once?” Run^
wants to know, lowlike, while the
boys are draggin’ out their machin
ery.
“Not interested,” I reply, won
dering if the rattle of my teeth is
being drummed up by my knees.
“I can’t recall it, anyways,” Runt
admits sorrowful. “But it went
something like; Cowards croak a
thousand times;. brave guys check
out oncet only.
“A
“is small change to me, Runt,
been busy croakin’ all night.”
“Once more, then,” he consoles,
“ain’t maybe so tough.”
'“This way,” demands Chopper,
and slaps a paw on my right wing.
“This way,” Mugs backs him up,
and clamps down on my left. Then
I am marched over to the west side
of the room/ and flopped around
with my
dow._
“Now,'
asks me
ice guys
up
it
The TpwnaMp of Usborpe is sit
uated In the southeasterly extrem
ity of the Opunty. If, ip laying it
out, it was the object of the Canada
Company's engineers to make a
figure whose shape is perfectly im
possible pf mathematical descrip
tion, they Proved themselves equal
tp the emergency, as a glance at the
plan will demonstrate. Its bounds
extend northward to the Township of Tucicersmith; north-east, . east
pnd south-east to Hibbert, Fullarton
and Blunsjiard, in the County of
Perth, southward to Biddulph, in
the County of Middlesex, and west-,
ward to the London road, dividing
it from Stephen and Hay.
In "topographical » features and
quality of soil Usborne is almost
identical with Tuckersmith, hereto
fore described, though on the whole
probably not so well improved, yet
a splendid township in every sense
of the word. It contains, according
to the assessment roll, 42,681 acres
of land, of which 29,737 are im
proved, and the whole is assessed
at $1,623,275, The number of resi
dent ratepayers is 643, and the
amount of assessed personal prop
erty $'52,90'0'. The perfect farce of
expecting assessors to make correct
returns is nowhere more palpable
than in the 1878 return of popula
tion, which is set dowif at only
2,616, whereas it was 3,831 in 1871,
and nothing is more certain that
the increase io the meantime has
doubly balanced the deduction ef
fected at the time of the incorpora
tion of Exeter,
The early settlement of Usborne,
or what’ was originally Usborne,
may be more clearly understood by
reference tp the sketch of Exeter,
which, till incorporation, was part
of its territory. Outside this part,
which* afterwards became Exeter;
William May, now living on the
London Road a short distance
south of Exeter, wag probably tne
first settler in the township—al
though some give the claim to Thos.
Lamb, who settled two or .three
miles north of Exeter. The date of
Mr. May’s settlement was June 21st,
1832; that of Mr. Lamb’s is not
authenticated; but it is quite, cer
tain a child born in the latter’s
family was the first in the whole
section of the Huron Tract between
London arid Goderich. The Balk
wills—a number of brothers—and
George Snell, came very soon after
Mr. May, -Snell settling in Usborne;
and the Balkwills on both the Us
borne. and Stephen sides of the Lon
don road. It should be mentioned
that although Mr, May was the first
actual settler (with the possible ex
ception of Mr., Lamb), there had-
been a cleaning’ of . about foui* acres made 1 U miles *south of Exeter, in
the spring of 1831, by John Balk
will, Mr. May’s brother-in-law, "who
was so pleased with the country
fjoned in these sketches, is said to
have been the first who ever preach-’
ed a sermpp in this locality, or in
the township. For years marriage
ceremonies, (what few occurred)
were performed either at Goderich
or iLondon, the nearest points where
there^ were either clergymen or
magistrates—-the balance of opinion
in those days being in favor of the
civil dignataries exercising their
legitimate right to perform a rite
legitimate as weji * as interesting.
But the ceremony was not neglected
by reason of the .difficulty of ac
complishing it; and that “marriage
was consummated0 all right was
soon evidenced .by the,great num
ber of little ones in Devon settle
ment; and one of the greatest days
the settlement ever had was when
Rev, Mr. Qronyn, of London, attex-
wards the first Anglican Bishop of
the Diocese of Huron, came out
specially to the house of Hugn
Balkwilj to .perform the baptismal
ceremony on twelve 'little backwoods
-pets belonging to the good people1
of the neighborhood.
The first church and school in
Usborne were on the London Road
north of Exeter, the former 'being
the Presbyterian church at Roger-'
ville and the latter the old log
school, erected, at Francistown in
1838. In this latter Thomas Taylor
was the first teacher. This gentle
man was a “character” in his way.
He was sent for to England on pur
pose to teach school, He was an old
bachelor, and not so very strange
for old bachelors—very eccentric.
His residence was the old log school
house where he “taught the young
idea” during the day and attended
to domestic duties at other times.
He was one of the oldest clerks and
the early records bear evidence of
his attainments and love of system.
He subsequently miraculously dis
appeared and was never more heard
of leaving no living relative in the
world, so far as the .people of Us
borne ever knew, and his end re
mains among the mysteries which
will sleep till the resurrection.
Next to Lamb, above mentioned,
and William 'Elder, the earliest set-
...., ,.............
. SNAFFI/Yr DISTRESS PF
Acute Cafarri/
trouble I*
Instantly relief from catarrhal misery
starts to come when you put a few
drops of Vicksya-tro-nol in each nos
tril. Va-tro-nol is so effective.. results
are so good,»/because it (1) reduces
.swollen membranes, (2) soothes irri
tation, (3) helps .clear away
congestion. B. and thus makes
breathing easier, Many catarrh r—— drops
sufferers say it’s the best relief I Just fl te"
they’ve found. You, too, will
like the way it works! Try it!
Butt; Robert Kydd; 1861,
Joseph Case,; 1862, Dr. Kay; 1863
to 1874 inclusive; Arch. Bishop, the
(present M,P.P. for South Huron,
and then to the -present time, Leon
ard Hunter, In 1864 Usborne be
came entitled to a second represen
tative in the County Council, and
Robert Craig was the first to fill;
the position of Deputy-Reeve, which
he held for six years, being succeed
ed in 1870 by George Willis, who re
tained the position for four years,
when he gave -way in 1874 to Leon
ard Hunter two years, who was in
time followed by David Millar, four
years; ending with 1878, The incumbents of municipal? offices for'
the current year are: Reeve, Leon
ard Hunter; Deputy-Reeve, T, Mo-
Kay; Councillors, James Halls,
Jonathan -Shier, Henry Horney;
Clerk, N, G. Clark; Treasurer, Thos.
Coates; Assessor, Thomas Heywood;
Collector, Alex. Duncan,
The only liability of Usborne is
the unpaid balance of the deben
tures, (originally $25,000) given to
the IL. H. & B. -R. The whole of the
Municipal Loan Fund iSurplus due
the township was a-pplied to repur
chasing of its oWn debentures, mak
ing its indebtedness, for such a
wealthy and populous municipality,
simply nominal,
“ The inhabitants now have excep-
Then there is RodgeryiHe, on the
London -Road, near tlie North of the
township; Farquhar, six miles east-
[by-north of Exeter; and Lumley.,
near the north boundary.
Of these Elimville is the “muni
cipal capital”, and -is otherwise the
most important, containing hotel,
two stores, a number of mechanics*
shops, of various kinds-, two church-’
es, a nice brick building erected by*
subscription as a’ “Union Sunday
School,” and probably 100 inhabit
ants—'besides the town hall, a- com
modious brick structure which cost
over $1,200 to build.
The present condition of Usborne,
as compared with other townships
of the county, is second to none ex
cept Tuckersmith; and even the dif
ference now noticed between these
promises before many years at the
present rate of improvement on all
hands patent, to melt away before
the energy and enterprise of a peo
ple who have already transformed
it from a wild and trackless waste
into one of the fairest sections of
the fairest province qf the first
Empire in .the world.
<*uu yy ii i-i ci in biie bihtkhh dci- . -levs toward the north of the town- tionally fine market and transpor-
ship were Thomas Case and his ten ftation facilities—'particularly those
sons, from County Wicklow, Ireland, jof thp western portion—Centralia
whence they came to Huron tract;and Exeter Railway* stations going
and settled about three miles north J'ust across Its western boundary,
of Exeter, in the spring of 1836. J They have, also( as a whole, first
One of the sons, John, had come outjc^a.ss mail accommodations, there
in 1884 worked that .summer fori being no less than seven post vil-
-McConnell, . the Canada (Company’s jlages within the limits of the town
contractor on the London'Road, and . ship, jviz^—
taken up land where they after-/’
>—Elimville, near the *ceu-
„_. __j. ___- jtre; Kirkton, on the south-eastern
wards located, subsequently revisit; !‘boundary, midway. between Exeter
ing Ireland and inducing the whole (and St., Marys; Winchelsea, on the
family to return with him. On more<sartle roa(i, but- nearer to Exeter;family to return with him. On more i
than one occasion the Case brothers
have been aroused from their ibeds
to yoke up their qxen and pull the
horses and the rig of the London
and Goderich mail coach out of the
almost bottomless mud-holes which
same road, but- nearer to Exeter;
Woodham, on the south-east boun
dary a mile south? of Kirkton; all
on the Exeter and St, Marys Road,
and having daily mail both ways.
*•CROMARTY
Cpl. Ross Houghton Returns
Cpl. Ross Houghton has returned
from overseas. He crossed on the
lie de Frapce, and arrived in Lon
don on Monday, January 28. He
was met there by his mother; two
brothers, John and Gordon; Frank
Stagg and Reggie; and Mr. and
Mrs. Jack Kemp.
Mrs. Lloyd Sorsdahl* has returned
to her home here after a few days
with her sister Mrs. Neil Lammond
London.
Miss Margaret 'Scott, accompani
ed by Miss Ada Maryfield, Ottawa,
visited with her mother, Mrs. Rus
sell Scott.
that he'returned to .England special- occurred between the long stretches
ly to induce a number of his friends of corduroy. The first .of the coaches
ever .passing over the road was driv-to come out and* settle in it. In this, ever .passing over the road was driv-.
he succeeded, and of those so in- en "william Geery, and the way
duced to come, Mr. May was the ; he handled the ribbons of his four-
first in, and erected the first shanty, ] m-hand was said to be a wonder,I
OTT1S
o
thousand times,” I bust out,
I
back’ to the cracked win-
hold that pose,” Mugs
tenderly. Slowly the two
_ _ back off to the east side
of the room. Slowly they raise
gats,
“One,” counts Mugs.
“Two,” counts Chopper.
“You Was a nice.guV,”
Runt mutter faintly, “You
nice guy, Rippy.”
(To Be Coiltinued)
Before kings can say “three,” an
interruption occurs in the party
that.. Paunchy is holding for his
henchmen.
their
i: hear
was a
‘—"'’■"■'a111 .............................................................—..............................
MRS. FERGUS HARRAH
DIED JN STRATFORD
The death of Mrs. Minnie Harrah
occurred in the Stratford General
Hospital Tuesday, January 29th,
where she had been a patient about
a Week. Born in Blaiishard Town
ship she was the former Minnie
Crozier, daughter of Mr. and Mrs-
William Crozier and was in her 75th
year. She had resided in St. Marys
for the past 26 years, she was mar
ried about 40 years ago to Fergus
Harrah who predeceased her lo
years, (Surviving is one son, George;
two brothers, 'Burton and George
Crosier, all of St/Marys; two sis
ters, Mrs. Russell Lindsay, Granton,
and Mrs. Kirkby' Robertson, st.
Marys. Interment was in St. Marys.
Cemetery,
a large number of others following
soon after. They were Devonshire
people and their influence on other
friends at home subsequently pre
vailed to such an extent that the
whole section of the, township was
settled up by natives of the old
English Shire, The 'Balkwill settle
ment was called “Devon”, and a
little village at the place still bears
the name. When they came through
London it consisted of but a few log
shanties and a log tavern.
For many years after the early
settlement the hardships of the sett
lers were such as those of all new
-parts of the country are familiar
with though more so from the fact
that development was slow and con
sequently the deprivation of the
usual accompaniments of civiliza
tion had longer to be borne. It is
related of one of the pioneers, who
afterwards became one of the lead
ing and most wealthy citizens of
the community that 'on arriving
without even the proverbial and in
evitable British shilling in his
pocket, he went to .Goderich and
borrowed—or more properly begged
—a half bushel of whe‘at from the
agent of the Canada Company, half
of which he sowed or scratched in
with a self-inade rake among the
stumps of the little clearing he suc
ceeded in making — substituting
meanwhile on the- other half, boiled
to a pulp for each meal. By the time
he planted one-half the other half
was eaten up, and he went to work
at the Canada Company’s mill in
Tuckersmith, known as “.Bell’s
mill,” to pay for his half bushel of
wheat, and ear some more to eat
While .he was .harvesting his crop
and making fresh clearing.
It was not for .many years after
the first time we speak of that the
settlers were provided with such
blessings as schools or churches,
though travelling clergymen used
occasionally to call and hold relig
ious meetings while passing between
London and Goderich. Rev. Mr.
Cooper elsewhere frequently men-
THE PICK OF TOBACCO
It DOES taste
good in a pipe
Iff
even to the Jehu profession.
The first wagon in the settle
ment was so great a curiosity as to
be a “seven days’ wonder.” It was
owned by the Case family, who also
owned the first pair of horses in the
township oxen and “jumpers,” being
the only means of locomotion and
traffic -for many years.
The municipal history of the
township begins with the year 1842,
at which time Stephen and Hay
were both united to Usborne. The
record of the .first “town meeting,”
has been destroyed, but we find in
the clerk’s “notes,” the following
entry:—‘1842, January 22nd. Dec
larations to perform duties of their
several offices Were signed by the
following persons, elected to hold
township offices: Jas. Scott, Esq.,
Richard Bissett, Commissioners;
Rev. H. C. Cooper,' Mr. Thos. Case,
and Mr. Jos. Hardy, the other three
commissioners; did not consider it
necessary to sign a declaration.
William Case, Richard Balkwill and
James Willis, town wardens; Thos.
Rowcliffe, assessor; Robt. Bissett,
collector; James Balkwill and Cas
tor Willis, poundkeepers; James
Stanlake, Thomas Lamb, Robert
Moulds; John Westcott, and Wil
liam Balkwill, overseers of roads.
George Snell, township clerk.”
For 1843, William Sanders, Wil
liam Wilson, and James Balkwill
were wardens, and Hugh Balkwill,
clerk. Thos. Taylor was elected
clerk in 1844, retaining the positloff
until his disappearance above men
tioned. From the minutes or the
town meeting that year, held Jan.
1st, in the Stephen School-house,
we extract the following—“Moved
by William Balkwill, seconded by
I-Iugli Balkwill, that no dogs do
come to Divine service, under a fine
of 2s, 6d, for the first offence; the
second offence, 5s. cy. Carried, nem-
c'on,” We could see ho record of any
dogs having been subsequently fined
under the operation of this 'by-law,
which shows that dogs in those days
minded their P’s and Q’S.
In 1845, (Stephen seceded from
the municipal union and Hay did
likewise; but under the first year’s
operation of the Municipal Act
(1850) Stephen was reunited to
Usborne, and the first Set of officials
for both townships, under the new-
system was composed of Jas. Scott
Reeve; Messrs. Balkwill, Bissett,
Lamb, and Quick, Councillors, Thus.
Taylor, Clerk; Robert Bissett,
Treasurer; John Essery, Jas. Balk-
will and Matthew Rogers, assessors;
Wm. Scott, Collector,
Since the withdrawal of .Perth
from the union of Counties ,(1853)
the Reeves of "Usborne (Stenhen
withdrew again in 1852) Were, for
John
1857-
Elam
1854,
Strdng;
.1858,
1855,David Kirk;
185'6, Thos, Lamb;
AleX. Smith;1859,
Exeter District Co-Op Store
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P. Passmore, Manager
Doing a “Rip Van Winkle isn t going to get
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wake
start
once
Never has and never will. So
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yon
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