HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1952-05-01, Page 7THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, MAY J, 1952 Page 7
A father cannibal was lectur
ing his son. “How many times
nfust I tell you not to speak
when you have something in
your mouth!’’
Salt, Flax, Carriages Early Hensail Industry!Ml
M
Horse Racing, Bear Hunting Among Sports
AUTO
SERVICE
More
Power To You
you want per-Of course
feet performance from
your car! But, like any
performer, your car has
to be kept in the peak
of condition. Remember,
a checked motor, checks
trouble . W e guarantee
that you’ll get top per
formance from your car
after our experts give
needed repairs.
it
tr
Ed’s Imperial
Phone 38-W Exeter
Hensall was settled
year 1875 when the
was put through. When
of way was purchased
land to the north and
the county was purchased for
$60 per acre, but for several
miles both north and south of
Hensall, it was purchased foi*
$80 an acre. Hensall was placed
where it is now because the
Petty brothers, George and
James, donated the land for the
station and yards. The fact that
Zurich was already settled was
another factor in the choice of
location. This choice
ruined the prospects
ville, li miles to the
the business which
booming there moved to Hen
sall.
It is rather interesting to
know that Hensall, being ap
proximately half way between
Goderich and London, was the
fueling centre for the railway
engines. Large gangs, principally
negroes, came with sawing ma
chines to cut wood into two-foot
lengths. The wood was piled into
cord racks ready to be loaded on
the train. The village boys were
paid one cent for filling a cord
rack and felt quite wealthy.
The village was named Hen
sall because the Petty brothers,
who had so much to do with its
founding, came from Hensall in
England. Hensall was incorpor
ated as a village in 1889 with
G. C. Petty, nephew of the Petty
brothers, as its first reeve. The
first councillors were William
Bell, William Moir, William Hod
gins and Henry Cook.
Land was surveyed and a
number of frame houses built,
mostly near the station.
in "the
railroad
the right
in 1874
south of
of location
of Roger-
south, and
had been
Lawn And Garden
FERTILIZERS
Driconure:25
50
$1.75
$2.75
$1.75
$2.75
$4.50
25
50
100
bag
bag
bag
bag
bag
Now Is the Time to Fertilize Your Lawn.
Shrubs and Perennials
lb.
Ib.
Ib.
lb.
Milorganite
(Apply 50 lbs.
per 1,000 square ft.)
lb.
[HICK STARTER
EXETER and CREDITON
JUnked toyetheb Im.
ECONOMY in PRODUCTION
5 Real Reasons For Feeding
Shur-Gain To Chicks!
SCIENTIFICALLY FORMULATED: to produce rapid,
sound, healthy growth.
TEXTURE: the coarse, hard particles in SHUR-GAIN
CHICK STARTER produce good permanent gizzard develop-
coarse,
ment.
PROVEN PERFORMANCE: SHUR-GAIN nutritionists
constantly testing SHUR-GAIN CHICK STARTER at
SHUR-GAIN farm and demand that it produces'more
more economy
FRESHNESS:
tured here at
palatable.
POPULARITY: Every year, more and more poultrymen find
that SHUR-GAIN feeding pays. That’s what makes SHUR-
GAIN Canada’s favourite Chick Starter.
are
the
and
in production.
SHUR-GAIN CHICK STARTER is manufac-
our mill and therefore is always fresh and
WHALEN CORNERSEXETER
There is but one of the early
business landmarks
business — Clark's
shop. Originally this
riage shop owned by
Clark.
Richard Blatchford
a carriage shop and
ery hut would not hire a horse
on Sunday. If you wanted it
Sunday you had to take it
on Saturday night.
First girl born in Hensall
Alice Blatchford
Peterson, of Rapid
now doing
blacksmith
was a car-
Brown dnd
also owned
kept a liv-
for
out
was
his daughter,
(now Mrs. A.
City, S.D.).
There were
hotels, each
business. The
operated by
was called the Purdy Hotel.
Arthur Coxworth owned one of
the latei* hotels and in IS84 had
a skating rink erected east of
the hotel which was very popu
lar with skaters and curlers. At
the carnivals held at the rink,
the usual prize skaters were
Murd McPherson and Bill Char
ters.
The
ed by
1875.
office
postmaster
at one
doing
first
a Mr.
the
time, three
a thriving
hotel was
Purdy and
f
first tailor shop was own-
William Smallacombe in
In. 187 6
was built and the first
was James Suther
land, assisted by his son ■George,
who held that position for 61
years.
Dr. James McDermid was the
first doctor in the
up practice
first patient
who had a
twenty-five
kept that quarter until his death.
The doctor was also very suc
cessful in mending fractures
without the assistance of X-
Rays. He was long remembered
as a very kindly man and many
of big patients, unable to pay,
received medical services gratis.
Like the Seven Dwarfs, the doc
tor always whistled at his work.
Salt Company l^onned
About 1884 a company for the
production of salt was formed.
This was soon taken over by
George McEwan, who extended
the business to include a cooper
shop and stave and heading
mills. The salt produced was one
of the finest quality and a
sample sent to the World’s Fair
at Chicago in 189 3 received
highest honors.
An enormous number of bar
rels were made in the cooper
shop, men averaging 5 0 barrels
a' day. Fred Smallacombe, still
residing in Hensall, set a record
by making on hundred barrels a
day. The men were paid, five
cents a barrel. Forty men were
employed in all concerns.
The salt business provided a
market for an enormous amount
of cord wood and loads 16 feet
long and six feet high could be
seen coming from all directions.
Destroyed By Fire
Later on, George McEwan and
Owen Geiger built up a large
business in flax. They had one
mill and two large barns fifty
by one hundred feet. In 1896
these large 'barns . full of • un
thrashed flax, ten stacks of flax
and one thousand cords of wood,
besides a nearby house and
stable owned by James Beverley
were consumed in one of the
worst fires Hensall ever had. It
was caused, like- the Chicago
fire, by an upset lantern. One of
the barns was rebuilt and busi
ness carried on.
Donald Urquhart, one of the
most enterprising
that
ness
and
had
profitable.
G. C. Petty built the first
house here, and became the first
Reeve when Hensall was incor
porated in 1889. The Petty’s also
owned the packing house busi
ness and it was a. busy place
fifty years ago. Lots of dressed
hogs were sold there
and six cents a pound
weight.
Racing Centre
In the late eighties
owned a splendid race track and
people came from Sarnia, Lon
don, Stratford, Chatham and all
of Western Ontario to race
meets. Abe Johnson, Brantford,
had a trainer’s stable of about
twelve or fifteen horses.
Thomas Murdock, who kept a
livery stable of 20 or more
horses was the life of the race
track. He usually had several
race horses, but never bet a
dollar on a race. He raced horses
for the love of racing and was
nearly always, in
Purses
$300.
the first post
here
was
tooth
cents.
village, taking
in 1887. His
Donald Burns
extracted for
The doctor
g businessmen at
time, ran the oatmeal busi-
and retained the local trade
overseas market. He also
a saw mill which proved
for five
dressed
Hensall
. the money,
ranged.' from $250 to
T---- Later on Mr. Murdock
operated a stage to Zurich and
Seaforth. Jack Larrimer drove
the Zurich stage. Tom
kind-hearted Irishman
ready to give a dollar to
person.
Bear Hunt
Jim Chesney was the
ary surgeon 55 years ago and
while driving home from one of
his calls in the country with his
horse and cart, spied a bear
crossing Burns’ back field. He
hurried into town and spread
the alarm to all the sports he
could see. They laughed at him
2 " . Jim
Do you think I do not
know a bear. Get your guns and
get after it as soon as possible.”
The Hunters grabbed their
guns and headed for the bush
but no sign of a bear. Some of
the hunters went the Burns’
house and got Jim Burns and his
hound and the bear was soon
discovered in Reith’s bush sit-
Mr.
was a
always
a needy
veterin-
and declared it was a dog>
said
ting in the crotch of the tree.
By this time many more men
appeared on the scene.
Arrangements were made for
all to wait until early morning
and Bill Buchanan was appoint
ed governor of the gang. Some
slept and some took the shells
of the sleepers’ guns Just before
daybreak some one noticed that
the bear was nearly down the
tree. Then the excitement began
as the bear was running away
and the shooting started. Many
declared that they shot the bear
but it was decided that honors
went to Jim Burns.
The first paper was the Hen
sall Review, published in 1891,
owned by Simon Stahl. Later
Thomas Neelands published the
Hensall Observer. Another pio
neel' citizen was J. C. Clauson,
harness maker, who had the
reputation far and near as a
good reliable tradesman.
Dave Nicol was a teamster and
used to haul about one hundred
thousand bricks each winter
with a team of mules. This brick
was purchased for five dollars a
thousand. Hemlock lumber was
eight dollars, any length. Best
red cedar shingles were 80 cents
per bunch, and best cedar posts,
10 cents in swamp cut.
Few Two-Storey Houses
Regarding the building in Hen
sall up to 1884 there were few
good two-storey houses. Bill
Waugh, who was John Mc-
Donell’s partner in the hardware
business for many years, built a
very fine two-storey house in
1884. During that time houses
were going up by the dozens. In
1888 Ben Hoggarth and William
Elder had two more elegant two-
storey brick houses built.
The Anglican Church was
built in 187 6 and the original
building still stands. The present
United Church was
11886 and the manse in 1884.
I These were the oldest churches.
R. y, Thompson was the Presby
terian minister here when the
new church was built. He went
to the members of the church I with a subscription list to try
i and raise funds to make a start. I There were thirty
| $200 each making „
I $6,000 for a start , the
der cleared later,
cost about $10,000.
Early Mills
The flour mill and
Paterson’s planing mill .. _
about the first doing business. D.
Urquhart’s oatmeal mill soon
appeared about 189 6. All those
concerns employed many hands.
There were three blacksmith
shops doing a thriving business.
Renouned Citizens
Following are some of the old
boys and girls who became
famous: Mabel McLean (Mrs.
Broughton) became an author
ess; George McEwan, an M.P.;
Doug. Neelands, railroad presi
dent in the U.S.; Louis McKay,
professoi* of classics and author;
John Buchanan, professor of the
O.A.C., Guelph; Wilson Berry,
president of Guaranty Trust Co.,
Toronto; Dr. James Tapp, assist
ant manager of the Polymer
Plant at Sarnia; Dr. Ben Smillie,
missionary, and many others.
subscribed
a total of
remain
churchThe
Robert
were
APPLIANCES, ETCMOTORS
“WHERE BETTER BULLS ARE USED
Garfield Thomson
Phone ,232-M
Waterloo
I
The father of a little boy gave
him a dollar for his birthday.
The boy spent the afternoon go
ing the rounds of the tradesmen
and having them change the dol
lar, first into silver, then back
to a bill, and so on. When the
father heard of it, he inquired
the reason.
“Well,” js a i d 1 i t tl e Sandy,
“sooner or later somebody is go
ing to make a mistake and it
ain’t going to be me.”
The Waterloo. Oxford and Hamilton Artificial Bmd-
ing units have reached agreements for, exchange of
semen and no two organizations of these, three, will
be operating in one area. The Waterloo Cattle Bret cl
ing Association has purchased the Artificial Insem
ination business formerly operated by R. Arm
strong (Bowhill Farm). Semen from Mr. Armstrong's
polled Shorthorn bulls will be available through our
inseminators. His polled Hereford bulls have been
purchased by the Oxford unit and their semen will
also be available through our inseminators. Semt-n is
now available from Holstein, Jersey, Guernsey. Ayr
shire. Hereford, polled, Dual-Purpose and Beef
Shorthorn, of high quality. Effective May 1.
WATERLOO CATTLE BREEDING ASSOC., Kit
chener 2-8397, Waterloo County and part of Welling
ton served directly from unit.
HARRY REID, VARNA, Bayfield, Huron county
south of No. 8 highway including Colborne Township.
CHARLES BRANDON, Clinton 633-r-5, North of N<»,
8 highway extending as formerly.
NEIL COGHLIN, Listowel 567-W, Everyone with
Listowel phone down to the main road from Mill
bank and Newry and as far west as Brussels.
145-HP. V-8 "Cargo-King” ENGINE
244 Ft. Lbs. Torque
Series F-7
Series F-3 Express
Series F-4
Series F-5
Series F-6
Series F-6 C.O.E.
All the way through—this new 1952 line brings you a Ford Truck
that’s better than ever for your hauling job—because it’s truck-built
stronger to last longer—to advanced standards of PERFORMANCE
and ECONOMY.
• 7 Series Ratings
• 12 Wheelbases
• G.V.W.’s—4.700
3 NEW ENGINES
NEW FULL-FLOW OIL FJIL-
TER on "Cargo-Kings"
reduces ring went 33%
NEW '’CARGO-KING"”
ENGINES with High Com
pression, Low-Friction
Short-stroke design.
YtAfUKING IMPeOVSO-.power? prior
ECONOMY
“ Moif Power from Leoti GailV-8 "Cargo-King" ENGINE
284 Ft. Lbs. Torque
Series F-8
See year
FORD
DfAlfR
Now! More power . . . more torque . . . increased
range plus tremendous performance improvements
for new 1952 Ford Trucks. The world-famous Ford
Truck V-8 engine is “stepped-up” to 106 horsepower
with increased torque to handle light and heavy duty
hauling more easily and economically. And for Ford
Big Jobs, two new “Cargo-King” engines with new
High Compression, Low-Friction short-stroke design
for outstanding performance and economy.
I06-HP. V-8 TRUCK ENGINE
194 Ft. Lbs. Torque
Series F-1 to F-6
Senes r-1 Panel
See them—the great new ’52 Ford Trucks—now at your Ford Dealer’s ’
Compare them on the job—with any load—under all conditions!
Then you’ll know why new ’52 Ford Trucks set netv standards of
performance for the entire hauling field! They’re the most powerjul
Ford Trucks ever built with 3 new HIGHER-POWER, HIGHER-
TORQUE V-8 Truck engines with big power reserves to get loads
rolling—to cut down hauling time on highways. It’s the most complete
Ford Truck line ever offered covering ALL hauling requirements from
the sturdy k^-ton Pickup to the rugged, huskier Extra-Heavy-Duty
Big Jobs, load-engineered for G.C.W.’s of 41,000 lbs.. .. with 7 series
ratings—12 wheelbases—Cab-Over-Engine Models—2 all-steel, all-
welded cabs—and improved Power Pilot Economy in every model.
THERE’S A FORD TRUCK
TO FIT YOUR HAULING NEEDS
Ford Trucks for *52 to run I
Series F-8
Ford and Monarch Sales and Service Exeter, Ont
£