Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1954-01-07, Page 2Page THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSpAY MORNING, JANUARY 7, 1954 Need Larger Post Office 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 iiiiiiiiiiiiniHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniHtHiiifinniiHiniiuiHiiiiiiitHinDiiiimiiiit 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) i ■ Didi ijouJc Ox SAVING? TW.A iw- Ata/nJh/wj dtjM ibWfiz vtvwjufa I eocA pau-.doiLJ VYou, AaXMmoj at “MVBANK" Im, 1954 TO 2 HUUM CMMAK 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 ■ J L... ■■ • I -U-.. ........ ■: ............................ ......................, .... ...... -............. ,---------- -----------ptaa