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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1971-11-18, Page 3These are two old views of the store now occuPied by Smith Stationery and Gifts and the new Smith's Pro Hardware. For many years the store was the W, D, Fair bookstore, it later became McEvvan's, The top picture was taken in 1914 in the Fair store. Men and weather make mistakes • / tbtSt LAE Vitl°1 Cf151$eS 661...15.1SICN Published every Thursday at the heart of Huron County Clinton, Ontario Population 1,4)5 me HOME' OP PADAR IN CANADA CONGRATULATIONS BEST WISHES and . ) Albert Street — Clinton We were please to have had a part in the construction of their enlarged and modernized location. BELL at GARRETT 'CLINTON 442-9660 To SMITH'S PRO HARDWARE & STATIONERY I Editorial coalmen, t Lend a helping hand Clinton •News-lievorcl, Thursday, November 19, 1971 3 Smith store has long history to 1892 The expansion of Smith's Office Supplies and Gifts to include Smith's Tiro Hardware is one more move in the long history of the block of buildings first built in 1892, The first occupants of the present building were Rance and Spalding, a book and stationery store. - The building Was sold to W. D. Fair in 1895 and he operated a stationery store there for many years. Mr. Fair also sold fancy china, ' complete dinner sets, embroidery materials, yarns, crochet cotton, greeting cards and decorations for all seasons; window shades, rods and poles, artists' supplies, children's toys and dolls, express wagons, tricycles, sporting goods such as lacrosse and hockey sticks, tennis racquets and balls and even bicycles and marbles. Mrs, J. Heard was a clerk With W. D. Fair Co, for 11 years and then worked for nine years with the Maw ans who succeeded Mr. Fair.,Jabez Rands was employed there too ftir about five years, The slogan of the store used in its advertising was "Often the cheapest — Always the best". In 1943 the business was sold to 0, R. McEwan who operated it until 1968 when it was sold to Bill Smith, the present owner whose expanded store opens this week. Little really is known about the company that has purchased Canadian Forces Base Clinton but from the size of the company, it would seem certain that they have taken on a mighty big task. Few really realize just how large the old base is, There are some buildings that will probably never be used again, but even leaving these out it leaves a huge potential of floor space to be occupied, let alone the housing and recreational facilities. One thing is certain, the new company is going to need a helping hand from all those in the area if it is going to make a success of the venture. It will need more than just good will from Tuckersmith, Clinton and Huron County, it will need complete co-operation. And here's hoping it will get it. A huge potential for the whole county lies in that base and what it could became unde'r private enterprise. The sale of the base to a private company could mean a change in the whole pattern of development in the CQUnty. If the company is successful in its attempt to rehabilitate the base, it leaves the way open for development of the area between the base and Clinton as pointed out in an 'article in the News-Record nearly a year ago. Such development would make Clinton the focal point of the county, not merely geographically but economically. This is why it's so important for this new firm to get a good welcome and co-operation from all of us, We are not merely talking about their future but ours. Mankind's great hope United Nations Secretary-General U Thant has requested a 1975 budget totalling $208-million. The world organization always has trouble getting enough money from its 127 members. Already the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary questions has called for a cut of almost $3,500,000 in Mr. Thant's proposals. This is the month when the General Assembly begins its annual regular sessions, and debates some of the serious problems afflicting the world. And one of these surely is that mankind has its priorities all mixed up. There are grumbles about an annual UN budget of just over $200-million — yet the world's nations spend one thousand times that amount annually on arms and defence. The global arms budget of $200-million is an indictment of the human species, Men seem to spend willingly for armaments, but give only grudgingly to the United Nations, Man's salvation certainly does not lie in armaments, nuclear or conventional. Co-operation, mutual understanding, inter-dependence and trust are the factors that, hopefully, will lead in time to a more stable world. One obvious way to reach such a state of affairs more rapidly is to spend less and less each year on armaments, and more on enhancing the status and power of the United Nations. —Contributed Yet it should be remembered that for international accord in the short term, the United Nations is mankind's greatest hope. In the long term, mankind's greatest -hope is in mutual respect and understanding, of which the UN is only one expression, albeit a major one today. It is the only truly universal organization the world has and will become so particularly now that the Chinese, representing almost a quarter of humanity, are preparing to take their UN seat. At time of writing, there is a wind howling out of the north and a wrack of clouds tearing across the sky. But you we'll hear a word of complaint from me. In the first place, the wind has blown the remainder of my annual 20,000 cubic feet of leaves right off my front lawn and onto my neighbours! And in the second, this has been the most glorious autumn I can remeimber. The foliage was eneffably beautiful, and lasted longer than usual, We were swimming right into October, On November 1, we entertained friends on the back lawn, after a two-mile walk through the hushed expectancy of a beech forest, over stone Walls that looked as though they had been built by the same chaps who knocked together the pyramids, and across rolling pastures that reminded, bittersweetly, of the English downs. Let dread winter do its dangdest. The Lord, or whoever runs the weather department, has given me a fall I will never forget. Mind you, take that with a grain of salt. Man is a fallible creature, and Within a week I'll be, cursing the snow, getting my snow tires on too late, trying to pry the garden hose out of the ice, and wondering why I didh't get my storm windows on during that glorious autumn I was raving about. Man is fallible, indeed. We are born equal, but some of us become more equal than others. THE CLINTON NEW ERA Established 1865 We -are born fallible, but some of us become more fallible than others. I am content to be in the latter category. If there's anything that raises my hackles, it is the person who is infallible, Or' thinks he is. Or she, in the case of my wife. For example, did you read about the way that Jackie ex-Kennedy has that poor Greek, Aristotle Onassis, tied up financially. He made himself a billionaire, but despite his first name and the wisdom it implies, his marriage contract with her makes him look like a teal hick who has come in contact with a very shrewd horsetrader. She is guaranteed $10,000 a year for clothes. I forget the other items, but they're in the same vein. Even my wife was appalled. She couldn't spend it, she said. I Merely raised one eyebrow. But wouldn't you agree that Aristotle is fallible? The political experts are just about as fallible as they come, Premier Davis would have a real battle on hit hands in Ontario, Joey SmallwOcel would have some opposition, but no real problem in Newfie„ The upset of the long-entrenched Alberta government was itnpossiblet Davis Won walking in DOC, Joey got licked (I think) in Newfie, and the long-entrenched boys in Alta. were turfed out. The cops are fallible. Hundreds of them stood around with red faces when some silly young punk burst through their serried ranks and pot a Amalgamated 1924 half-Nelson on Premier Kosygin. The mighty U.S. is fallible. For the ,first time in the history of the United Nations, the States got a real jolt in the ego on the admission of China vote. Its fallibility was showing even more blatantly when it persisted, in the face of world opinion, in the great nuclear test off Alaska. But this is the way of the world, If man were infallible, he would have no need for a god, the earth would be crawling with automatons, and life would be very If weather forecasters were infallible, for instance, there'd be no spice in life, We'd be able to batten down for a storm, instead of having the roof blown off when they predicted light Winds. We'd be able to wear heavy jackets, instead of shivering like a dog vomiting razor blades, when they forecast hot weather, and the temperature was 34, No fun, No variety. I've come a long way from my Opening words about the beautiful autumn we've had. But there's Method in my madness. Man is fallible. Maybe I just THINK we've had •a beautiful fall. I could quite easily wake up tomorrow morning, discover that it was the middle of September, and that we'd just had a 4-toot fall of snow, and that the whole thing had been a dream. I hope not, but I'm not discounting the possibility. Dream girl For years now — more than I care to admit — my wife has been quietly and efficiently puncturing my full-blown dreams. Now that the shoe is on the other -foot, as the saying' goes, I don't know how to act, In retrospect, of course, I realize that her deflating of my frequent enthusiasms has saved us from some embarrassing situations, if not outright poverty, Miniature golf did not come back, as I had cunningly anticipated, I have blessed her many times for keeping me from being the first — and last — to revive it. It was she, too, whose persuasive argument limited my proposed caravan tour of the world to North America which was, if you'll pardon the expression, a belly-full. So it's gone — the voice of reason tempering my tendency to romanticize. But now everything is changed. The voice of reason is now supercharged with a dream Of its own. The analytical, calculating approach has blown sky-high. She's off and running with the bit in her teeth and the wind in her heir and nothing short of a brick wall is going to stop her. To come right to the point, my wife has gone farm-crazy. She is determined that we are all going back to the land. She Spends her evenings reading the fine print in the elassified columns under the heading "Country Homes," Each weekend means an expedition to goad green acres where the drawling voices of rural realtors are beckoning her ever deeper into the hinterland. To be' honest about it, I find it hard to resist the overwhelming contagious effect of the new woman.' suppose everyone at some time hi his life, gets a hankering for farm-life and, as a repeated hankerer, my time may be due. Only the searing memory of a short and disastrous career with six White Leghorns, which produced eggs at an average of $8.50 a dozen, and the recollection of vegetable gardens that withered and died with only a few fossilized, Lilliputian radishes to show for my toil, has , V.UG% SiV4S• 10 YEARS AGO November 21, 1961 For goodness sake and for the sake of your own pocketbook, don't (and we repeat that word), don't buy from people you don't know. Buy from the people you know who are in business in town, pay business tax, donate towards your cookbooks, your children's recreation, your church, and everything in your town. You can trust them to give you a fair deal. With Christmas mail already beginning to make the work at the post office heavier than usual, those who wish early delivery will have to take pains to get their cards out early. 15 YEARS AGO November 22, 1956 Two graduates of Clinton District Collegiate Institute earned Carter Scholarships last year, according to information received by Principal E. A. Fines from the Department of Education. The Clinton Hospital Board is again requesting the County Council to grant money for the complete renovations to the old wing of the building. The request was for $6,000 in addition to the $6,000 already grapted„. When present plans mature, the Clinton Community Credit Union will be housed in a modern building, built on the lot at the corner of William and Orange Streets, with plenty of parking space for customers. 25 YEARS AGO November 21, 1946 For reasons of ill health, produced by his war experiences, L. C. "Skip" Winter has disposed of his business "Clinton Bowling Alley" to Harold E. Hartley. Huron County agriculture was brought into the bright spotlight of the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, Monday, when John Kinsmen, 18-year-old Tuckersmith Twp. boy, captured the King's Guineas, Miss A. B. Sinclair has been chosen as the new superintendent of Clinton Public Hospital, Succeeding Miss Jessie Grainger, who retired after serving the Hospital since 1919. 40 YEARS AGO November 19,1931 November 1 was an anniversary for James Scott, Clinton's postmaster, who on that day 50 years ago in 1881 came to Clinton as a young doctor, The staff staff of Cooper's Variety Store went out last weekend to spend an evening with Miss Jean Lawson, Hullett, prior to her marriage. W. Mutch, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Mutch, received a severe injury to his leg last week when a heavy oil tank slipped on him. Early Tuesday morning the barn of "Gus" Bisback, south of town, was destroyed by fire. The cause was unknown. 55 YEARS AGO November 23, 1916 Sergeant Earl Ross, son of Mrs. Lucas Ross, who has been in the trenches in France for over a year, has been recommended for a distinguished conduct medal. W. J. Elliott and family have moved into the new cement house on the corner of Victoria and Joseph Streets. Thomas Cottle is attending the Horticultural meeting at Toronto this week. Mrs. E. M. McLean sailed last week for England to spend a few days with her husband, Major McLean. 75 YEARS AGO November 18, 1896 At a meeting of the central sports cOrnmittee, last week, it was decided that only one hockey team would be organized for the coming season. In a recent examination, T. W. Hogan was promoted to the rank of major in the Canadian militia, Mr. McIntyre to that of captain and Harold C. Lawson to that of lieutenant. By burning coal, man is releasing extra CO2 into the atmosphere. This inhibits the loss of the sun's heat by the Earth, thus bringing warmer climate. This theory, introduced recently, holds that the earth will continue to get warmer as smokestacks keep belching. Opinions In order that News—Record readers might express their opinions on any topic of public interest, Letters To The Editor are always welcome for publication. But the Writers of such letters, as well as all readers, are reminded that the opinions expressed ih letters published are not necessarily the opinions held by The News—Record. convinced me that I am better suited to steam-heated apartments. My wife has the answer to this and the aanswer is a, mysterithish , confifet" who exist only in her mind, I know exactly how she pictures them ee the fine, old, white-haired gentleman with his magical green thumb, looking after our greenery and livestock, the sweet, silver-haired old lady happily putting up preserves and pickles and such, sharing with us the bounty and the contentment of "our place." I know how she pictures there because it is just the way I would If the enthusiasm were mine. It does little good to remind her that they don't exist, that we would surely draw a Ma and Pa Kettle or a brace of aged alcoholics, Knowing the symptoms so well I know that she is beyond reason. Hardly a night goes by that I am riot exposed to some new propaganda which I recognize only too well as the old softening-up process. "A stream," she'll, say suddenly, without any introduction. "It would be nice to have a rambling stream through the property." "So that it can flood in the Spring?" I counter. Or, out of nowhere, "One cow will be enough," she'll say. "What a wonderful thing to have your own fresh milk every morning, right from the tap," "Cows get strange diseases, At least our cow would," I come back, truthfully enough. Mind you, it's not without an h effort thke ' I nia-naee this dissenting voice. Just mention "stream" and "cow" and I can see a fat, sleek Jersey bending down to drink from a clear, murmuring brook, trout rising in it, and, beyond, the corn, 12 feet high, She knows I am this way. She knows it is just a matter of time. Only this morning, having lowered my resistance with a particularly bountiful breakfast, she silently placed before me an advertisement which was clearly calculated to melt me. "Close to Centresville," I read. "20 acres, approx. one-half cleared with fish stream running year round....lovely four-bedroom home....small barn—chicken house.,..two-room log cabin—large mixed fruit orchard....."' I began to talk, swiftly and with great conviction. mentioned everything that could possible cause heartache, backache or bankruptcy on a farm. The nearest school would be 18 miles away. The house would have termites from top to bottom. The soil would be barren. She was not listening, "Ate you coming to tee it?" she asked. "Naturally," I said. second class mall tegistration number — 0817 A member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association, Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association and the Audit Bureau of Circulation (Ape) • SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (in advance] Canada, $8.0 per U.S.A., $9.50 KEITH W. ROULtTON — Editor J. HOWARD AITKEN General Manager THE HURON NEWS:RECORD Established 0381 ' Clinton News-Record.