HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1954-01-07, Page 2Page THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSpAY MORNING, JANUARY 7, 1954
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This journal shall always fight
for progress, reform and public
welfare, never be ufraid to at
tack wrong, never belong to any
political party, never be satisfied
With merely printing news,
Jottings By J.M.S.
A Short Sketch Of Weber Family
THURSPAY MORNING, JANUARY 7, 1954
Service Cramped
Make A Resolution
Just when this area was about to boast
of the fact that it has lowered the number
of traffic accidents in 1953, along came a
rash of road crashes with the winter wea
ther.
In spite of these, however, the record
has improved and less accidents were re
corded in this provincial police area in 1953
than in 1952.
This proves the point that if a commun
ity becomes safety-conscious it can prevent
accidents. It also shows the results of the
increased efforts of our OPP detachment to
stop careless driving.
Up until December, the local area had
not experienced one traffic fatality. Un
fortunately, during the last month of the
year, two deaths resulted from accidents in
which snow or ice conditions were contribut
ing factors.
This emphasizes the importance of ex
tra care in driving under the conditions of
winter. Drivers must take it easy to avoid
collisions on slippery roads.
Everyone should try to avoid driving
through snow storms. Before long trips are
taken, weather conditions should be noted
to evade treacherous weather. Tire chains,
sand, shovels and extra clothing should be
carried in cars, and lights, windshield wip
ers, brakes and heaters should be checked,
Let’s make it an unbreakable resolution
to drive even more carefully in 1954.
Better Enforcement
Despite the previous attempt to re
organize and enforce parking regulations
effectively to reduce traffic hazards in town,
there are still improvements to be made.
To cite two examples, the regulations
on James and John streets just east of Main
are not being enforced probably because of
lack of signs. These streets are constantly
gutted with stalled traffic.
Another hazard which should be elim
inated is parking at the corners. If proper
regulations are in force, signs should beregulations are in force, signs should
erected so that police can enforce them.
"Oh, God, I Didn't
See Them"
Strewn along the highway after the ac
cident were two crumpled bicycles, a knap
sack, a broken lantern and one of the shoes
of a young lad. It didn’t matter about the
shoe . . the lad wouldn’t need it any more.
The surviving boy told his story: “We
Were just coming home from our camp down
the road. Johnny’s a Cub and I’m a Scout.
Suddenly we saw a big light. Johnny was
ahead of me and the car hit him first. I had
my lantern, but it wasn’t lighted. We only
jhad rear reflectors.”
The driver wept. His shocked mind per-
'initted him only to repeat over and over . . .
“Oh, God, God ... I didn't see them ... I
^didn’t see them . . .didn’t see them.”
The driver had been proceeding east
along the highway and pulled out to pass
another car. The boys on bicycles “suddenly
appeared from nowhere and we hit them.”
Slogans are capsule recommendations
for safety. Here are two: Slow down at sun
down . . . and ... a light on the bike is your
life preserver.
*
Year’s resolu-
**
at the corner
' Note And Comment
The Printed Word says: “If people howl
loudly enough, that increase in postal rates
will not go into effect.”
* * ■»
How many of your New
tions remain unbroken ?
*
Added Attraction: Sign
of Hill and, Main streets which advertises
Riverview Park now boasts “Necking Facil
ities” instead of “Picnic Facilities”.
* * V- *
Aside to the Town’s Public Works Com-,
mittee: Any sand available?
Exeter needs a larger post office, This
was grossly evident during the Christmas
rush when it was impossible to reach the
doors of the building. It is evident daily as
lines form from the wickets to the entrance
when the mail comes in.
The lobby is far too small to handle
the number of people who are using the post
office. Those who receive mail through gen
eral delivery; the number who are lucky
enough to have personal boxes; the ones who
wish to buy stamps, money orders, mail par
cels, and use the other services; and those
who need to use a table and writing facilities
in connection with their mail: all these are
crowded into a space smaller than the aver
age living room.
It is only natural that the present facil
ities should be inadequate. The building was
constructed in 1928, when Exeter was a vil
lage of I,GOO and postal facilities were not
used so extensively as today.
Since then, the town has grown to 2,600
and become the shopping area for the large
R.C.A.F, station at Centralia and for an in
creasing number of people in the district.
The amount of service handled by the
local Post Office has more than tripled since
1928; the building has never been enlarged.
After hearing numerous complaints
from citizens, we consulted Postmaster Har
vey Pfaff about the situation. He is, of
course, much more aware of the problem
than ourselves. In answer to our questions,
he divulged the following information:
There are 368 business and personal
mail boxes now available in the building.
The postmaster estimates some 200 more
could be rented if provided. As the present
facilities* stand, however, there is no appar
ent way the box service can be expanded.
(The top rows of the existing boxes are al
most out of reach of the average person.)
This lack of boxes places a heavy bur
den on the general delivery wicket, result
ing in the long queues of persons waiting
for service.
The inadequate space in the lobby is
comparable to that in the part of the build
ing where the staff works. The postmaster
reports employees are handicapped through
crowded conditions. Not enough equipment
can be placed in the room for efficient hand
ling of the mail.
The rural carriers are forced to lug
their mail downstairs Ro the basement for
sorting and bring it up again for delivery.
Unlike other post offices in the country,
there is no private office where businessmen
can discuss mail problems with the post
master. Since only authorized persons are
allowed inside the working area, the crowd
ed lobby is the only place where the public
can reach the postmaster. This is not satis
factory when discussions are confidential.
All these problems with file existing
postal building may be summed up in one
deficiency: lack of space. The office should
be enlarged to accommodate more room for
mail boxes, a larger lobby, more private and
better personal writing facilities, more work
ing area to handle both the town and rural
mail, and to provide a place where the pub
lic can discuss postal problems with the
staff in private.
Since there is considerable amount of
land behind the present building, it appears
that an adequate addition could be made to
the rear of the building without excessive
expense. Although we are not familiar with
the proper layout and architeCtual contin
gencies of post offices, we feel there should
not be a great problem to provide for the
services which the town requires.
Although mail services are operated
through the Post Office Department, the
federal Department of Public Works is re
sponsible for providing the facilities and it
is this department which must arrange for
the addition to the local building. We hope
that this government agency will act soon
to remedy the situation in Exeter and we
would urge local authorities—-the town coun
ci1 and member of parliament—to press the
issue with Ottawa.
TIMES
Go By
50 YEARS AGO
Mr. and. Mrs. J. Wanless,
recently returned from an
tended trip to Europe, left
week for Duluth where they
make their home.
Miss Lillie Robinson, who
been home for the school vaca
tion, returned Monday to re
sume her duties in Auburn.
(During last Saturday night and
the early part of the week, the
thermometer registered between
2 to 8 degrees below zero. The
cold snap seems to have been
general throughout the province.
We missed the smiling face of
our genial express man, C. T.
Brooks, during the first of the
week when he was laid up by ill
ness.
On New Years evening, Mr.
and Mrs. John Glavin of the
north boundary of McGillivray
threw open the doors of their new
and beautiful home to about 100
guests. Dancing was induged in
until an early hour in the morn
ing to the music of piano and
violin, while cards afforded a
pleasant pastime for the more
sedate.
15 YEARS AGO
who
ex-
this
will
has
25 YEARS AGO
Rev. James Foote, of • Caven
Church, has received a call from
St. Andrew’s Church, Carleton
Place.
Thomas Cameron, W. D. San
ders-and C. B. Snell will contest
the reeveship in the coming
municipal election.
Dorothy Mildred, 17-yeai“old
daughter of Mrs. Florence and
the late Melvin Gould, died at
her home in Hay Township De
cember 3'0, after being 111 for a
week with flu.
Elimville ‘United Church was
closed Sunday because of an epi
demic of flu in the community.
Mr. and Mrs. Bertram North,
newly-weds, who were returning
to their home in Woodstock from
Hensall, were injured when their
car w£ts forced off the road near
Mitchell by a car which cut in on
them. Their car was a total
wreck. They returned to the home
of Mrs. North's parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Higgins, where they
are being treated for their in
juries.
son-
and
In speaking of some of the
early settlers of the community
I have been pleased to receive a
short sketch of the Weber family
Which -dates back to J.85Q When
Jacob Weber, as a young man
from Prussia, Germany, left the
Fatherland for a new life in Ca
nada. He settled in Waterloo
county tp continue his trade as
a carpenter, a trade he had
learned throughly before emi
grating to the new world.
Soon after arriving he sent for
his sweetheart, a Miss Bitterbey,
and they were united in mar
riage. Some time later, with a
daughter that was only, a few
weeks old, the family moved to
the Goshen Line, travelling by
team and sleigh. They settled ad
jacent to the present Goshen
Line Cemetery. Mr. Weber was
accompanied by his sister and
brother-in-Jaw, Adam Engeland,
and together they topk up 100
acres of land, the latter receiv
ing 60 acres because he was
without a trade.
Together they cleared the land
and knew the hardships of pio
neer life. Jacob Weber buiR a
house and carpenter shop in
which the first religious services
were held. On Saturday the shop
was swept of shavings and tem
porary seats were put up ready
for the visit of the missionary
and the service on the Sabbath.
Besides carrying on farming in
a small way Mr. Weber planned
the building of homes and barns,
built cupboards and other house
hold furniture. Since there was
■no undertaker near he soon
a
found himself making coffins,
buying the lumber and^the lin
ings and using the shavings, for
cushioning. A, square piece pf
metal was inscribed witjh certain
facts of the deceased by piercing
the metal with an awl. These
coffins with the services at the
funerpl were priced from $6 to
$17. Their only son, Jacob, Jr.,
kept a fine black team for the
hearse and the charge whether
the interment topk place at home,
at Grand Bend or Mt,. Carmel
was $1 a trip regardless of the
distance. From the Goshen Line
Mr. Weber moved his dwelling
aqd shop to a mile north of
Dashwood.
For 17 years Mr. Weber car
ried on the undertaking business
selling out to a Mr. Ball, of Dash
wood, who was succeeded by the
late Peter Molsaac who in turn
was succeeded by Mr. T. Harry
Hoffman.
During his early years on the
farm Mr. Weber at one time
carried six dozen eggs in a basket
to Exeter for which he received
■80 a dozen in trade at one of
the stores. After threshing the
oats grown on the farm, Mr. We
ber carefully calculated the
amount on hand and figured out
how much he could feed at a
meal to his two horses so that
it would last until the next har
vest.
Jacob Weber, Sr., had one son
and seven daughters, four of
whom married farmers and be
came Mrs. Charles Miller, Mrs.
William Battler, Mrs. Dan Surer-
us and Mrs. Henry Ehlers. An-
other married Louis Ravelie, a
merchant at Grand Bend, another
Louis Pfeffer, who worked in a
gristmill at Crediton, and the
seventh was married to William
Ehlers, of the fourteenth conces
sion and they moved to Huron
Co.t Michigan.
Jacob Weber, Jr., had two
sons, Daniel, of Dashwood, and
the late Arthur Weber, Daniel
Weber's family comprises three
sons and four daughters, Walter,
Ralph and Keith, the latter in
the Air Force at Centralia, and
Mrs. C. Schade, of Zurich; Ruth,
of Red Deer, Alta., Mrs. (Rev.)
B. Carr, of Rosenthall, and Thel
ma, of London. The lamily of
Arthur Weber comprises Harold,
of Dashwood; Kenneth and Jack,
of Exeterj Mrs. G. K. Crocker
and Mrs. Frank Brintnell, of
town.
Of the great grandsons of
Daniel Jr., there is only one boy
to perpetuate the Weber name
and that is Ronald, son of%Mr.
and Mrs. Walter Weber, There
are five girls.Keith and Jack Weber served
overseas in the last war. Two of
the Ravelie boys paid the sup
reme sacrifice, Several of the de
scendents served under the
American flag from Michigan.
Alvin Surerus saw fighting in
World War I and is now a Professor of languages at the Uni
versity of Toronto.
J. II. Ehlers, another member
of the family, entered the minis
try and for years was organizer
for the YMCA throughout parts
of the U.S A
Mr. H. T. Rowe, who has been
in business here for the past 24
years, is retiring and has dis
posed of his business to his
in-law, Mr. W. C. Allison.
Snowstorms, sleet, fog
rain have featured the weather
during the past week. Snowplows
have kept the main roads open
and motoring, though difficult,
has not been tied up for any
length of time.
Plans are being made to cele
brate the first anniversary of the
local Lions Club with a fowl
supper at Bossenberry’s with the
ladles as guests.
A canvas of farmers in Thames
Road vicinity, shows that 89.4
per cent of the farmers are in
favor of making Huron a Bovine
T.B. Restricted Area.
Mrs. George C. Coward of Us
borne Township passed away in
St. Joseph’s Hospital, London, on
New Years Day after a short ill
ness.
Mrs. Arthur Page spoke to
Hurondale Institute of the life of
Marie Curid at their Christmas
meeting at the home of Mrs. E.
Mitchell.
IO YEARS AGO
Word was received here that
F/L Donald E. Hicks, son of Mr,
and Mrs. Andrew Hicks, who was
reported missing after a mission
over enemy territory two months
ago, is now reported to have lost
his life at that. time.
Mr, and Mrs. Stephen Webb,
of Grand Bend, celebrated the
sixtieth anniversary of their mar
riage on New Years Day at a
family gathering at the home of
their daughter, Mrs. Arthur Fink-
belner, of Shipka.
Mr, Hugh Berry was elected
reeve of Usborne by acclamation
succeeding Mr. Percy
who retired.
Ideal weather- has
during the Christmas
Year holidays.
A baby born to Mr. and Mrs.
Telsoil Tate, R.R. 2, Granton,
was the first baby of the new
year in London.
At the Evangelical parsonage,
Crediton, Shirley L’ouise Fahner
was married to Lewis S. Hoar, of
Vancouver, B.C.
Passmore,
prevailed
and New
News From Our
NEIGHBORS
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I
Exeter ®ime5=^liibocate
Times Established 1873 Amalgamated 1924 Advocate Established 1881
Published Each-Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario
An Independent Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of the Town of Exeter and District
Authorized as Second Glass Mail, Dost Office Department, Ottawa
Member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association
. Member of the Ontario-Quebec Division of tlie OWNA
Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation
Paid-in-Advance Circulation as of September 30, 1953 2,474
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Canada (in advance) $3.00 per year ILSA, (in advance) $4.00 per year
Published by The Exeter Times-Advocate Limited
Gjoit ,
Bureau
VRCUUttd
Robink and Lemons
Phil Presant spied a robin out
side the . Riverside Rest Home
just before Christmas, far from
its regular winter habitat.
The lemons that tree produces
at the Mitchell Nursery grow
better and better with th*e years.
This season it produced a fruit
weighing a pound and a half,
measuring 14 inches around and
15 inches from one end to the
other and back. And furthermore
it provided enough juice for four
good lemon pies. Even the south
could not do better. But then
until recently we have been hav
ing nearly as balmy weather.
(Mitchell Advocate)
Assessor Dies
John Robinson Cameron, 72,
veteran councillor in. Stanley, and
Bayfield assessor, suffered a
heart attack and died at the an
nual trustee nominations meet
ing Monday night.
Mr. Cameron had served on,
council, the' school board and for
the past five years was assessor.
O.P.P. Increased
On January 1, the county de
tachment of the Ontario Pro
vincial Police at Goderich will be
increased to a nine-man unit with
the inclusion of Constables James
Moore, Robert Sims and A. B.
Summers from the Goderich town
detachment.
The hew headquarters for the
unit is on Park Street and radio
transmitting equipment lias been
installed in the new office. The
detachment intends to provide
24-hour police service.
(Huron Expositor)
Remove Landmark
Workmen have removed a fam
ous landmark from the Inter
section of Np, ? Highway and
the Downie - Blanshard boundary
road, east of St. Marys. Mother
Brown's tree which sheltered a
cabin in which the first school
classes of pioneer children were
tutored was taken down the past
week.
A C.N.R. freight train with a
spare caboose coiipled ahead of
the regular caboose had to waste
a bit of time at the Junction
here on Thursday night, when it
was discovered the spare caboose
had a fire raging In its innards.
St. *Marys firemen and train crew
men using water from the Junc
tion tower,, doused the fire,
(St. Marys Journal-Argus)
Narrow Escape
Russell Whitelaw, of Sylvan,
had a narrow escape from injury when he leaped from his truck
which got out of control on the
hill leading down to the river at
the McAdam Farm on Bank’s
Sideroad. Russell, a driver on a
milk route for D, Nevin, Park
hill, wag making his Saturday
afternoon pick-up and got into
trouble on the ice-coated road.
When he could not get the truck
under control he jumped as the
truck. started to roll down the
side of the hill. The truck landed
oh its top and was severely dam
aged while the load of milk was
a total loss.
Two wreckers and a snowplow were used to haul the truck back
tip the hill ahd then it was
brought to Parkhill.
(Parkhill Gazette)
'Test New Fire Siren
A new and more powerful fire
siren was erected On the roof of
the town hall on Tuesday for
trial. When the bld and new
sirens were tested together, a
considerable difference was no
ticeable. The new siren will be
kept for a time to try It out.
(Seaforth News)
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Bank, of Montreal
Exeter Branch: • C. E. SHAW, Manager
Centralia (Sub-Agency):0 Open Mon. Wed. & Fri.
Grand Bend-(Sub-Agency): Open Tuesday & Thursday
Crediton Branch: RAYMOND KING, Manager
(Open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday)
Dashwood (Sub-Agency): Open Mon. Wed. St Fri.
Hensall Branch: WALTER JARRETT, Manager
Lucan Branch: WESLEY PARKINSON, Manager
WITH CANADIANS IN EVERY WALK OF L IF E SINCE 1817
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