HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1949-10-06, Page 2Page 2 THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 6, 1949
HCIje €xeter
Times Established 1873 Amalgamated November 1924 Advocate Established 1881
Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario
An Independent Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of the Village of Exeter and District
Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa
Member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association
Member of the Ontario-Quebec Division of the CWNA
Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation
Paid-In-Advance Circulation As Of September 30, 1948 — 2,276
z SUBSCRIPTION RATES 4
Canada, in advance, $3.50 a year United States, in advance, $3.00
* , Single Copies 6 Cents Each *
J. Melvin Southcott - Publishers Robert Southcott
THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 6, 1949
Good Work
Dr. Harry Seldon, son of Mr. R. G.
Seldon, now of the famous Mayo Clinic, of
Rochester, Minnesota, in collaboration with
Mr. Rogers, has invented a device for the
assistance of doctors in the securing and
preparation of blood for blood transfusion.
This device is believed to be an advance on
the older methods of aiding sufferers from
the loss of blood and as such is welcomed
by the medical profession and the laity. Dr.
Seldon has won an enviable place in the
world of medical science for his work in
anaethe^ia. Indeed, he is invited to lecture
in many of the important medical circles
—not only in the United States but of
Canada. Exeter is proud of her sons who
lead the van in inventive genius, particular
ly in the departments that mean so much
for the alleviation of pain and the restora
tion to sound robust health.* $ * *
Lumley
Anyone W'ho knows the richness of the
soil and the high quality of people known
of the locality known as Lumley is not sur
prised that the children of the Lumley
school under the .skilful guidance of their
teacher, Mrs. Mair, did so well at the rer
cent Fair held in Exeter. More than three
score years ago, Lumley was a locality of
such importance that it won for itself a
place irk an encyclopedia dealing with On
tario. Lumley was a place of real import
ance and worthy activity. There was at '
least one store that did a considerable local ;
trade in the days -when Exeter was the !
business distributing centre not only in its I
immediate environs ’but for a large region I
in Huron County ;
Lumley had one amen the late Mr. !
Mowbray, who was celebrated for the num- ‘
her and the quality of his horses, to say j
nothing of the. goodly price he required for J
them. There was a wagon and carriage I
manufactury that turned out considerable ;
quantities of wagons and carriages that j
were shipped not only throughout the re
gion of Huron but to the outlying places.
There was a woodworking shop that not
only built houses but»manufactured furni
ture. Well supported tradition has it that ’
the pulpit of Thames Road church was
made in this shop. At any rate, the pulpit >
might easily have been made in a less !
worthy establishment. There were other |
busy shops, but they have, all of them. ;
yielded to the coming of the railroad and !
the building of highgrade throughfares.
Right thrifty were the founders of this i
settlement. One good lady left behind her
the memory of driving a team of oxen,
drawing a load of logs to the saw mill on
the bank of the lordly Aux Sauble River.
Not to lose any time, the good lady sat on :
the load of logs knitting as she drove.
Those were great days. The country was I
opening up and well did those sturdy pio
neers lay the foundation of a very fine
community.* * * * '
• Are They Chuckling?
We cannot but wonder if Russian poli
ticians with a sense of humour are not hav
ing a quiet chuckle these times. Should a
Russian farmer be caught in the act of
storing a turnip, he seems to* be suspected,
by outsiders of burying an atomic bomb. If
a Russian youth is seen removing the stop
per from a pop bottle, all the parliaments
and congresses of the world are agog with
dire news. If a mouse trap in the Kremlin
is heard to snap, all the radios of the world
begin staticing and cracking with word •'5f
approaching doom. Meanwhile, national
councils talk and debate, make faces at each
other, pack their bags and go home. Mean
while, the Russian representatives keep
their heads level by drinking water while
the other representatives are deceived. Into
drinking vodka. It is all to be for tilings
to be something like this even if the Rus
sians do have many a quiet smile over the **
wonderings and perplexities of the rest of
ns,* > * *
’Doing Without
duced. In this way he carries on at a mini
mum of risk. Goods well bought are more
than half sold. The producer takes the risk
of getting an article on the market that he
has not been able to sell at £ profit. The
ultimate consumer secures his goods and
that is an end of it as far as he is con
cerned. This passer-on class bids fair to be
on the increase. So far he has business af
fairs pretty much his own way. Lately,
however, there has been developing a move
ment among the ultimate consumers that is
likely to prove a disturbing influence. This
class of citizen is making up his mind that
he is not content with the goods the passer-
on folk are offering. This class is determin
ing to do without everything they possibly
can get on without. We know the thrifty
folk who resolve to live on what they can’t
sell. We know of arms that have been paid
for on this principle. We know of a farm
home where all the clothing was produced
and made in to suitable suits where every
thing was found on the farm but the thread
and buttons. Sugar was made from the
maple trees and medicine was made from
herbs and barks. We are not advocating a
return to these conditions, though they
were sturdy folk who lived amid them. But
something like those conditions may return,
though the spiral will have moved upward.
The real problem is for the race to make
progress without forging chains as the so-
called advance is made. At any rate, the
“consumer resistance movement” gives a
hint of what may be done. Humanity is
tough and inventive, even if at times gull
ible.
Pretty Grim
Nearly every bit of information that we
get from Britain indicates that conditions
are decidedly hard. We hear little about
merry England and bonny Scotland. The
cry over there is “Eat less, work harder,
and work longer hours”. Unless Britons are
content to work fifteen hours per day and
work harder than ever before in their his
tory. unless they produce three times what
they are now producing and for less wages,
their island home will go out of existence.
We have heard this sort of thing so often
and for so long that when it is mentioned
we are likely to yawn and go to sleep.
However, dozing will not scare the* wolf
that every day is getting a little closer to
John Bull’s door. Canadians need not think
that they can or will escape the situation
that John Bull’s family is facing. Britain is
anything but indifferent to what is threaten
ing her and is making every effort she can
to remedy her plight. She is learning in a
very hard way that her welfare campaign
has been a mistake, for the most part, and
a very costly mistake at that. Her helping
so many who can help themselves has de
moralized a large body of her citizens. Her
# welfare work to a very great extent has
injured the one who takes and the one who
gives. Worse than all, the trusted leaders
of the people look more to the ballot box
than they do to the national welfare. The
government has sought to put the whip on
to the backs of her citizens with one hand,
meanwhile demoralizing them by a false
liberality with the other.
* * * *
Too Bad
It seems that Canadian mills are losing
some of their newsprint markets in Britain.
Those thrifty British dealers are finding
that they can do better in this line with
Scandanavia than they can with Canada.
This is bad news as the newsprint in in
dustry means a great deal for Canada. We
wonder how this loss has, come about. The
newsprint business in Canada has been built
up at enormous cost. The upkeep of those
mills is no small item, the cost of trails^
portation is heavy, as those mills are not
easily reached. Improvements in machinery,
in research, in skilled workers, is very con
siderable. Now that those mills are getting
under way, it would be a grave loss to have
them deprived of their market in Britain.
We hope that the condition may soon be
remedied.
/■
v.
&
As the———
“TIMES* Go By
50 YEARS AGO
(The Exeter Advocate 1899)
Messrs. N. D, Hurdom and Jas.
Beer left on Monday for Port
Frank, where they will spend a
week shooting. . z
Rice was dropping out of the
passenger coach going south on
Wednesday evening — a Clinton
bridal couple were going through,
Exeter Markets — Wheat per
bushel, 66 cents; flour per cwt.,
.$1.80' to $2.00; oats, 25 to 28
cents; butter, 14 cents per lb,;
eggs, 12 cents per dozen; pota
toes, 90 cents .per bag; hay,
$•4.50 per ton.
On Saturday morning the
ground was decked in white.
25 YEARS AGO
(The Exeter Times 1924)
Service last Sunday morning
was taken by Messrs. E. Aid
worth, L. Statham, B, ..Tuckey
and H. Dignan, of Main .Street
*
Reprinted from the Ausable Valley Conservation Report, this is the
story of the development of the area served by The Times-Advocate.
This history is not only authoritive, but it also contains many interest
ing features never before published for public consumption. The nar
rative will be produced in a series.
The Watershed Since 1875
■y
There has been a growing practice of
getting out of the consumer class of citizen
into the passer-on class. Only in a very
limited sense is the passer-on a consumer,
and in an even smaller sense is he a pro
ducer His main job is to get goods into tlie
possession of the ultimate consumer. When
he can work his game successull he is about
the most fortunately situated of our citi
zens. He secures goods that he is quite sure
someone needs and that someone has pro-
& 'ss hk
Should It Be This Way? /Or That Way? —
Angle parking versus parallel parking
has always been a torrid, topic of the local
citizenry. Driving through our Main Street
on a Saturday night is as great a sport as
the “Dodge-’Em” concession that flourished
this summer at Grand ‘Bend. It would be
interesting to hear some views from our
readers on this subject.
The period of the late seven-,
ties was probably the time when
the Ausable region was in its
most prosperous state. The peak
of rural population came about
IS SO but by then various factors
were then already slowing up the
development of the Area. These
were not limited to the Ausable
region, but were general to all
parts of Ontario which had been
opened . up before 1S40. The
change to mixed farming or
specialized stock-breeding was al
ready well under way and farm
machinery was becoming more
common, .but there had not yet
been much reduction in number
of hands employed in farming.
The emmigration to the west,
which was to drain .off much of
the Ontario farm population on
the next forty years, was only
beginning. The region was well
settled, well cultivated and pro
ductive. It was dotted with small
but busy villages, two oi' three of
which seemed almost certain to
grow into fair-sized towns. The
surplus “country produce” manu
factured goods and lumbering
were finding a good market out
side the watershed.
The peak of development came
a little later in Hay and Stephen
Townships, where vacant land
was still being settled. The area
available for settlement had been
increased considerably by drain
age operation in the early seven
ties. The land along the Ausable
from Grand Bend .for ten miles
south, and for a considerable
distance on either side, was subject to annual flooding from the
earliest times, , and remained
marshy throughout the year.
When Brewster and Smart built
their dam south of Grand Bend
in 1832, the water had been
backed up still farther, and
drainage ditches dug by settlers
of the marsh proper proved to be
almost useless. This state of af
fairs continued for some time.
The Canada Company tried to
suer Brewester’s and obtain an
order compelling the dismantling
of the dam, but their case was
not granted a hearing in Eng
land, on the grounds that they
had condoned the operations 'for
nineteen years. Finally the dam
was dynamited and the mill
burned by a .group of angry
farmers from McGilllvary and
Stephen Townships In the early
1860’s. This, however did not
materially improve the drainage
of the land, and1 a new mill had
been built before 1868 without
protest from the farmers.
It was apparent that the Can
ada Company could not hope to
dispose of land so wet: the idea
was, therefore, evolved of drain
ing the area by constructing a
diversion of the river, which
would also out across the South
ern end of Lake Burwell, empty
ing it as well. Specifications were
published and tenders called for
in 1872, the work was completed
by 1876, Lake Burwell was
drained and Lake George reduced
to its present size, ^acquiring the
name -of Smith Lake somewhere
in the process, but the latter’s
former bed was still marshy.
The “drowned lands” of Stephen
and McGilllvary ,as they were
called by local residents, were
only partially drained.
One thing was .Apparent, how
ever. The land thus reclaimed
was of qnheard-of depths was
left behind by the receding
water. These first reclaimed
areas were the beginning of the
famous “celery beds*’ from which
vegetables and berries go to all
parts of Ontario and neighbour
ing United States. Tlie newly
surveyed lots sold readily where
they were not wet, and settle
ment went forth another step.
In other townships, however,
the changes in rural economy
were Raving their effect. There
was probably already some loss
.of population before 185 0. The
planning of the London, Hur oil
and Bruce Railway was, however,!
responsible for the founding of
new villages. Centralia was laid
out in 1870, on a site west of
the highway obviously chosen in
1S77, around .a station on a
newiy-finished line. Hensail grew
quickly and replaced Rodgerville,
Which has practically disappear
ed. Its chief industry was the
Petty Pork Packing , establish
ment, an indication of the more
diversified farming which iVas
becoming general in the seven
ties. Centralia also grew quickly
after 1ST6, and the “post vil
lages” of Devon and Adare on
London Road were gradually
superseded bjj, . the new village
and had also disappeared. Credi-
ton, however, was able to main
tain itself and expand, although
not on any railway, and the prox>
irnity of this flourishing place
prevented Centralia from grow
ing as large as might have been
expected.
The lSSU’s saw the end of the
market for Ontario wheat , and
the beginning of the movement
away from the countryside.- All
the townships bf the Ausable
region declined in .population be
tween 1881 and 1891. The sharp
drop in population figures notice
ably in most townships in the
1881 census was due to the in
corporation of villages in the
early seventies, which were al
ready quite large in 1871. The
late seventies and early eighties
were years of depression: the ef
fect on the farming community
was felt only for a short time
since new markets for various
specialized farm products soon
opened up. More and more land
was being brought under cultiva
tion, wheat growing had increas
ed again after the bad crop years
around 1870 and other crops
were being grown in larger
quanitles. The first enthusiasm
fbr cheese-making and flax-grow
ing whs over, but there were
still several flax mills and cheese
factories operating in the water
shed. Beef cattle began to be ex-
orted to England about 1878 and
heavy draught horses were al
ready being raised and exported.
The market for wool was excell
ent during the seventies and
there was some development in
hog raising. Altogether, 111 e
fanners of the region were pros
perous, but farming was already
developing along lines which
called for fewer hands and this
trend was to increase in the next
few years.
In the larger villages, how
ever, the depression of the late
seventies had a more direct ef
fect. All the older villages were
checked in their development,
temporarily at least, and, for all
but two or three, the years be-
tween -1875 and 1881 marked the
'height of their population im
portance.
'Parkhill suffered most. A fin
ancial crisis developed from the
failure of one of the larger firms,
which involved the* local banks.
Finally the’ Exchange Bank failed
in 1SS2 and brought down more
"businesses with it. The town had
received a blow from which it
never properly recovered. By
18S5, there had been a rally, the
various firms were reorganized
and many of them were still run
ning in 19 09, but from IS91, at
least, the town grew steadily
smaller and in the early years of
the present century it had be
come plain to the inhabitants
that Phrkhill’s future was un
certain. -
Port Franks naturally increas
ed in importance, aftei' the open
ing of the “Cut”. In 1833, a salt
well was sunk in the village,
1,345 4feet deep. An evaporator
was. built and for some years
lumber and salt were shipped,,
from the “Port” in schooners.
Vessels were now usually loaded
from lighters outside the bar,
since they had trouble in cross
ing it when loaded. Boat building
and fishing were still carried on
and> for a few years Port Franks
enjoyed a brief prosperity. Be
fore long, however,, the floods
coming down the “Cut” under
mined the banks and silted 'up
the river. By 1890, it .was too
shallow for the barges and tugs
and Port Franks dwindled once
more to a small fishing village
with a few summer Visitors.
Meanwhile, Grand Bend had
been growing in Size, and there
was talk of the village becoming
incorporated, of the channel was
cut to the lake, When this cut
was made in 1893 the “Bend"
also became a fishing port, while
the pier at “Port .Blake” was
abandoned and Brewster became
unimportant, though it retained
its post office for some time
longer, More and more visitors
were coming to Grand Bend In
summer, and a beginning had
been made of the resort business,
which was to grow so greatly
after the first World "War.
(To be continued next week)
’ “Smallest, busiest, cheapest
workers in town the Classified
Ads.”
Church, Exeter, and did so in a
very creditable manner. They
were accompanied by W. G. Medd
—-Elimville News.
Several from town attended
the fowl supper at the Grand
Rend" Methodist .Church, Monday
evening and assisted in the pro
gram. They were Rev. Clysdale,
E. J. Christie, Misses E. Huston,
M. Follick, E. Follick and Mrs,
W, Martin.
The annual Crediton School
Fair took place on Thursday,
October 2, and was the best held
in its history.
Rev. W. E. Donnelly, of Exe
ter will give a lecture in ,the
Evangelical Church on Friday
evening, taking for this subject
“Scraps”.
15 YEARS AGO
(The Times-Advocate 1934)
The organizing committee in
connection with Western Relief
met in the town hall on Tuesday
evening, Dashwood, Elimville,
Thames Road and Exeter .are co
operating to load a cai’ of food
stuffs at Exeter on .October 22
and 2'3. i
Mrs. Roy Ratz attended the
Century of Progress Exposition
in Chicago over Thanksgiving—
Shipka News.
George Grant and his Huron-
ians have been engaged to play
at Parkhill on .Wednesday and
Kippen on Friday evening.
Mr. Sylvester Taylor is re
modelling his jewellry store.
IO YEARS AGO
(The Times-Advocate 1939)
The Toll Brother’s travelogue
“Hiking Through South Amer
ica” in James St. United Church,
Monday evening, drew a capacity
house.
Rev. Don Gladman of Crediton
has joined the colors , and ac
cepted a position as Lieutenant
with the Perth Battalion.
The Exeter High School boys
have been holding a local soft-
ball tournament. On Monday,
Murray Moore’s Aces defeated
Bob Soutlicott’s Panthers 14-10.
in the second game Tuesday,
Wally Fahrner’s Lions were vic
tors over Jack Moise’s Bombers
13-7.
A public meeting will be held
on Wednesday, -October 11 at the
Arena for all those interested in
shuffle board.
The Reader
Comments
Hellers to the editor published
hereunder represent the views
of individual persons. We invite
our readers to make use of this
column.
WINCHELSEA
Mr. Walker Kerslake, Londes-
boro, spent a couple days last
week at the home of Mr, and
Mrs, Clarence Fletcher.
Mr. and Mrs, Harry Ford and
Mr, and Mrs., Freeman Horne
were in St. Thomas on Saturday
last to attend the wedding of
their niece. Miss Marjorie Allisoft
of London, to Ray Frederick
Southern, R.C.N., of Sarnia, at
St. Andrew’s United Church.
We extend congratulations to
Mr.» Sparling and our local pupils
on winning second prize for
their parade at Kirkton Fait on
Friday.
Mr, and Mrs, Harold Campbell
of Hay Township were guests of
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Armstrong
on Sunday. 0
Sunday visitors with Mr. and
Mrs. James Horne were Mr. and
Mrs. H0nfy Delbridge of Exeter,
Mrs. John Essery, Mrs. Byron
Hicks ahd Stahley, of Centralia.
Should We Shoot Pheasants?
Yes! But only the male bird
and only under regulated rules.
The reason for this is the same
as the reason for killing your
roosters in the fall. It’s the only
source of revenue we have .for
further propogation of this game
bird. The sale of hunting liscens-
es is this source of revenue.
While the above is a sound
reason, there are others. Come
mating time next spring the male
birds will only kill each other
off until there is only enough
males foi* mating purposes.
Therefore there is nothing gain-
by keeping them over.
Too, they only add to the cost
or wintering the flock. Should
the Winter be severe they will
have to be fed out in the open
field. These birds run in flocks
and at mating time when the
male birds get to fighting they
Will sometimes kill the hen bird
as well. They also trample the
eggs.
Any one posting their property
for the purpose of, protecting
these birds are defeating our
purpose. If they have other rea
sons, that of course is another
question.
Yq,U can help this cause by re
fraining from posting your prop
erty for this purpose. A good
sportsman will not shoot a hen
bird and will shoot only in open
season.
You can help by informing on
poachers who shoot out of sea
son. That’s the fellow who
sneaks into your property after
the season is Over and believe us
he is not particular, what he
shoots.
—The Fish and Game Preserva
tion Committee.
SMILES ....
“I had a beard like yours once
but when I realized how it made
me look I cut it off/*
“i had a face like yours once
and when I realized that I .could
not cut it off, X grew a beard.”
Young husband: “My , dear
Molly, I must say that the pud
ding does not taste very nice.”
Young wife: ”it must be your
imagination, dear, Xt says In the
cookery book that it tastes ex
cellent.”
-«