HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1954-08-26, Page 1Xllbe feefcr^imes-A^vocafe
Drilling For Five Years
Eighty-Second Year THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 26, 1954 Price Pgr Copy 7f?
Town Well Indicated Win Awards
oil during the
NEW HURON COUNTY COURTHOUSE Tenders for the new courthouse for Huron
County have been called by the architect, whose sketch is shown here. The structure, ex
pected to be completed some time in 1956, will cost between $500,000 and $600,000. It will
house council chambers, court room, two libraries, health unit, offices for assessor, treasurer,
<elerk, sheriff, and other officials. A special room will be dedicated to the memory of Huron
County warriors who died in wars. An apartment for the caretaker is provided in basement.
Middlesex Wins CB Day
With Two Championships
Middlesex carried off two of
the three tri-county champion
ships at Grand Bend’s Rural Day
on Wednesday.
. The centre county defeated
Huron and Lambton in all-star
softball and carried off top prize
in the horse shoe pitching con
test. Lambton won the tug-of-war
trophy.
Nearly 1,000 attended the
sports day on the school grounds
at the summer resort. The Grand
Bend Chamber of Commerce spon
sored the event.
Closest Huron came to tri-
eounty honors was in the horse
shoe pitching finals where an
Exeter team was edged after tak
ing an early lead. Basil Presz-
cator, Exeter, and Jack Boa, Hen-
sall, who won Huron champion
ship honors, lost to Wilson Dodge
and John Simon, of Muncey. The
Mac-
Mrs.
Craig; and Lloyd Waun, Parkhill.
Softball All-Star Teams
Middlesex—Harold Warren, ss,
Belmont; • John Anger, c, and
Ronnie Tiner, .p, Nilestown; Tim
Bloomfield, lb, Gerald Charlton,
rf, Ailsa Craig; Frank Clark, 3b,
Ilderton; Busher Janes, cf, Ken
Forty, 2 b, of Crumlin; Hugh
Fletcher, If, North Ekfrid, Eric
Slater, Ailsa Craig, was manager
and coaches were George Hod
gins, Crumlin, and Alf Charlton,
Ailsa Craig.
■Huron—M. N. Petraw, If, D. R.
—Please turn to Page 12
pro-
and
Mid-
Bend Cadet
Tops Camp
Cadet Lieutenant Bob
Laren, 16, son of Mr. and
W. F. B. MacLaren, Grand Bend,
was chosen top cadet over 500
others at Camp Borden this sum
mer.
The South Huron District High
School student, who was second
in command of the local cadet
company last year, received the
award—an inscribed shield—on
the basis of his achievement and
conduct at the two-month camp.
He and 11 others
to interviews and
before the honor
Signals Graduate
The Grand Bend student, who
will enter Grade 12 this fall,
graduated from the signals course
at Borden. He also played on
the championship softball team.
Valdemar Gulens, son of Dr.
V. Gulens, of Dashwood, graduat
ed from the driver mechanic’s
course at the same camp.
were subjected
series of drills
was awarded.
Girls, Man
Hospitalized
Three teen-age girls and a Zur
ich man were hospitalized Tues
day night when two cars were
wrecked in a collision on the
Dashwood road.
Marilyn Skinner, Exeter play
ground supervisor, is in South
Huron Hospital with a laceration
of the knee joint and several
cuts on the head. Oscar Maas, of
R.R. 3, Zurich, has several
broken ribs and head cuts.
Cuts And Abrasions
Trudy Pickard, also a play
ground supervisor, and Patricia
Tuckey, of R.R. 3, Exeter, driver
of the car in which the three
girls were riding, suffered skin
abrasions and small cuts.
Maas was travelling north and
Miss Tuckey west when the cars
met one and one-quarter miles
west of Dashwood.
Dr. V. Gulens, of Dashwood,
attended the occupants. The T.
Harry Hoffman ambulance
brought them to hospital.
The two cars, both post-war
models, were demolished. Pro
vincial Constables Elmer Zimmer
man and Cecil Gibbons investi
gated,
Middlesex champs won 29-50, 50-
38, 50-29.
Lambton all-stars scored 12
runs in one inning to eliminate
Huron in the first game of the
softball tourney. Huron was lead
ing 6-0 until the eighth when
Lambton broke loose with a dozen
tallies.
In the championship game,
Middlesex defeated Lambton 6-2.
Lambton outpulled Middlesex
in the tug-of-war event and then
went on to defeat Oxford All
Stars two out of three in an ex
hibition match. The Oxford team
has won a number of contests
throughout the province. Huron
failed to enter a team in this
event.
“Rural Day” Praised
F. A. Lashley, superintendent
of agriculture societies in On
tario, commended the “Rural
Day” celebration organized by
the Grand Bend Chamber of Com
merce and stated that every town
should entertain its rural neigh
bours at least once a year to
mote better understanding
co-operation.
Robert McCubbin, MP for
dlesex West and parliamentary
assistant to Agriculture Minister
J. G. Gardner, stated the future
for this area is bright in view
of the St. Lawrence Seaway de
velopment. “You do not realize
the tremendous impact this pro
ject will have upon the economy
of Southwestern Ontario,” Mr.
McCubbin said. “The young peo
ple will reap a rich reward from
the development of this tremen
dous seaway.”
Other speakers included Tom
Patrick, MLA for North Middle
sex; C. B. “Zeb” Janes, MLA for
Lambton East; Harry O. White,
MP for East Middlesex.
Grand Bend Reeve Jim Dalton
introduced the speakers. Chamber
of Commerce Secretary Pat Har
rison was in charge of the day.
Horse Shoes Teams
■Huron—Basil Preszcator and
Jack Boa, first; Court Kerr and
Ed Davies, Benmiller,
Amos Darling and Jim
Exeter, and Sam High,
and Tom Jolly, Exeter,
third.
Middlesex—John Simon and
Wilson Dodge, first; Jack Hodg
son and Earl Lewis, Lucan, sec
ond; John Snake and Lee Misko-
komon, Muncey, third.
Lambton—L. and G. Wakefield,
Oil Springs, first; L. Mason and
L. Desjardins, Grand Bend, sec
ond; E. and S. Webb, Grand
Bend, third.
Tug Of War Teams
Lambton—Cecil Thrower, Allan
and Robert Morgan, Ross McGill
and Clayton, all of Watford;
Ralph Jackson, Wyoming; Lorne
Edgar and William Taylor, of
Alvinston.
Middlesex — Murray Fletcher,
John Kennedy, Frank Clark, Don
Campbell and Ken Robb, all of
Ilderton; Orville Hooper, Ailsa
IOOF, Rebekahs
Offer Patient Bed
Odd Fellow and Rebekah
Lodges of Ontario have taken a
hospital bed program as one of
their projects.
Pride of Huron Rebekah Lodge
has recently purchased a hos
pital bed which will be loaned
to any family in the community
who may need one to assist them
in carin.
home.
use.
The
given
stc /1
ig for a patient in the
There is no charge for its
Hospital Association has
permission for it to be
at South Huron Hospital
and applications for the bed
may be made at the hospital.
By New
Exeter is now well indicated
on approaching highways, town
council learned Monday night.
Name of the town has been
erected on road signs at Calam
ity Corners, near London, at
Elginfield intersection and at the
corner of No. 4 and the Crediton
road. This was done by the On
tario Department of Highways
following a complaint by council
that the town was ignored on
their road signs.
After learning of the improve
ment, council instructed that let
ters of appreciation be sent to
the department and to Thomas
Pryde, MLA, who brought the
town’s complaint to the attention
of authorities.
Improve Town Hall
Council expressed satisfaction
with the redecoration of the ex
terior of the town hall, The 60-
year-old brick building is being
coated with white paint and trim
med with green. The renovation
presents a striking contrast to
the former slop brick color.
The work is being done by
Course Brown, Jean Coward,
John Webster and Bill Snell,
under the supervision of Proper
ty Chairman Robert Dinney.
New doors are being construct
ed for the front entrance.
Objects To Homo
Deputy-Reeve William McKen
zie expressed singular opposition
to a council motion to allow a
dwellng of a moble trailer with
a stationery siding attached.
An airman from RCAF Station
Centralia asked whether council
would approve the combination
type dwelling. Most of the coun
cil members were in favor.
Deputy-Reeve McKenzie oppos
ed the move because: “I wouldn’t
want that type of dwelling next
to my house so I can’t approve
of it for someone else.”
Complaints of destruction and
indecent conduct at the tempTh’--
ary bathhouse constructed this
summer at Riverview Park were
aired at the meeting. No action
was taken because the season is
nearly over.
Tender of Alf Andrus for the
installation of a circulating fan
in the town hall furnace for $260
was accepted.
E. II. Carscadden, town asses
sor, was offered the opportunity
to attend a course conducted by
the Institute of Municipal Asses
sors with the town paying the
fee of $50.
Clifford Watson was given per
mission to erect a sign for his
taxi stand at the corner of Main
and Ann streets.
Reeve R. E. Pooley and De
puty-Reeve McKenzie were authorized to sell wood from the
reOent tree-trimming project at
the rate of $4.50 per single cord.
Application of George Hawkins
for the construction of a sun
porch was granted.
The reeve and deputy-reeve re
ported on a parks convention they
attended in Toronto recently.
Thej’- stated the talks were con
ducted at city level and were not
applicable to small towns. How
ever, they instigated a move
ment in the organization to in
clude more activities relating to
the smaller centres.
second;
Squires,
Zurich,
tied for
Double Heat Winnei .
Feature Horse Races
Although Exeter Races pro
duced 'some keen competition on
Wednesday afternoon, double-heat
winners captured each of the five
classes.
Lena’s Boy, the Goderich horse
who trained at the local track
this winter, took the free-for-all
in times of 2.10^
Lloyd Turvey drove
horse to both wins.
Another Goderich
ter G.
Turvey,
event. Little Bill owned by
Campbell, of Ailsa Craig,
tured a second and third in
event.
Single Chips, of the Fleet
bles in London, copped the 2.23
event but was pressed by Tom
Yearley’s Darlene Day who scored
two seconds. Pat Lee Grattan,
owned by George C. F. Feagan,
Goderich, won third and fourth
spots.
A Clinton horse, owned by
Ross McEwan and driven by Tom
Yearley, swept the 2.25. Merry
Brook, owned by C. Haney, of
Seaforth, and Miss Callie Rose,
of the Hamilton Stable in Port
Elgin, split seconds.
Theu‘beginner’s class—the 2.30
—produced the second best time
of the meet, 2110, and some of
and 2.12J.
the McGee
horse, Wai-
Grattan, also driven by
won the 2.21 classified
Ray
cap-
this
Sta-
Three Of Family Drown
When Outboard Upsets
of the boat suddenly went
The next thing I knew the
had turned over and we
all in the water.”
the top thrills. Hal’s Bomb,a
Port Elgin horse, won each event
■but Lindy’s Girl, owned by Eldon
Young, of Lucan, pressed both
times. A local favorite, Charlie
Godbolt’s Trampfast Express, cap
tured a fourth
class. It was
race.
A crowd of
races. Fred Smith, of Sarnia, an
nounced the events.
and a third in this
the horse’s first
1,500 watched the
Skunk Inspects
Apartment Hall
A skunk left its trail through
the hallway of a second-storey
Main Street apartment building
which it Inspected Wednesday
night.
The striped animal plodded its
way up the stairs from the Main:
Street entrance, waddled down
the hallway past three apartment
doors while the occupants held
their breath in horror, then Slunk
down the back steps to the
ground and disappeared.
The smell drove the dwellers
out of their rooms for several
hours,
"We had been out on the lake
for about 10 minutes When the
front
down
boat
were
That was the father’s account
of the water tragedy that took
the lives of his wife and two sons
Friday near Grand Bend. They
drowned while the boating party
of six tried to reach shore When
their high-powered boat upset in
rough water.
The father, 33-year-old Evan
Smithrim, a PUG lineman in
Strathroy, fought the high waves
to bring his wife to Shore but his
struggle was in vain. She failed
to revive after two hours of re
suscitation;
'Their two sons—Ronald, four,
and John, six, were “swept away”
by the lake. Their bodies were
recovered along the beach several
hours later.
» A friend Of the Smithrim fam*
ily, Allen Denning, 14, of Strath
roy, brought two-year-old Janet
safely to shore. She and her fa
ther are the only survivors Of
the family of five.
No one saw the craft capsize
and the first that nearby cottag
ers knew that anything was wrong
was when a 13-year-old London
girl heard shouts from the
beach. Her family rallied help,
Donna Kernohan, 21-year-old
London girl, was credited with
saving the young daughter’s life.
She was the first on the scene
and immediately applied artificial
respiration to the baby who was
later taken to Strathroy hospital.
Dr. F. J. ButsOh, of Exeter,
who was holidaying in the area,
took charge of treatment for the
siirvivors.
Cottagers Assist
The boat capsized 400 yards
off the beach of SOuthcott Pities,
Although Exeter Races pro*
—Please Turn to Page 7
Tri-Service Squad
Ready For CNE
A tri-service precision squad
that has been drilling for seve
ral weeks at the RCAF station
at Centralia, Ont., will be a fea
ture of the evening grandstand
performances at this year’s Can
adian National Exhibition.
The precision squad will be
made up of 100 officers and men’
drawn in equal numbers fropv
the Navy, Army and Air Force.
The men have been selected as
typical of those joining Canada’s
fighting forces today, and are
being trained by Squadron Lead
er R. S. (Tiny) Davis, a six-foot,
six-inch drill expert.
Without a spoken command,
the men perform intricate drill
routines and marching patterns.
Senior officers describe the squad
as perhaps the best ever shown
in Canada and a working example
of the unity and teamwork of
the three services. Canadian ser
vice precision squads have long
been recognized as without equal
in the world.
The squad will also supply the
guard of honour to H.R.II. The
Duchess of Kent at the grand
stand performances.
Week’s Weather
Temperatures for each day dur
ing the past week have exceeded
80 degrees with the exception of
Friday when 74.7 degrees was the
high recorded at R.C.A.F. Sta
tion, Centralia. Monday of this
week was the warmest day when
a high of 88.7 was reached.
Lands 28-Inch Trout
Dick Howard, of Exeter, while
visiting with his brother-in-law,
Howard Dlgnan, oh Haliburton
Lake, was successful in landing a
28-inch lake trout weighing nine
pounds, after it had put up a
15 minute fight.
Accident Toll
Cut In Half
Accident rate for the town of
Exeter has been cut by 50 per
cent, Police Chief Reg Taylor
announced Wednesday.
Total number of traffic mis
haps so far this year is 19 as
compared to 39 at this time last
year. Amount of property dam
age and injury has been cut
portionately.
This downward trend is
ceptional in the light of the
rent provincial record which
tinues to rise. The town’s record
is even better than that of the
district which has also been
to show a decrease in the
dent rate.
Chief Taylor attributed
trend to more careful driving,
the erection of more traffic signs
in town and the town's purchase
of a police cruiser.
“The drivers deserve most of
the credit for the decrease.” the
Chief
more
up in
He
purchased by the town earlier
this year,
cidents because it served as
SORORITY AWARD — Kathryn
Hunter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Harold Hunter, Exeter, has been
awarded the first $50 scholarship
to be given by the Beta Sigma
Phi Sorority. This scholarship is
awarded to the Grade 13 girl
who obtains the highest marks
and who intends to go to a school
of higher education. Kathryn
headed her class by making first
class honors in eight subjects and
second class honors in another.
She will enter London Teachers’
College in September.
said. “They’ve been driving
carefully and it’s showing
the records.”
felt that the police car,
the
able
acci-
Will South Huron he the site
of the next Canadian oil boom?
Or will the present speculation
in this district end up in a bust?
That’s a question that lurks
in the minds of South Huron
farmers who have leased the oil
rights on their land.
One oil company of the two
who are. drilling in the area, ex
pects to find the black gold
shortly. This firm has been sink
ing a well near Crediton for the
past five years and has reached
a quartz formation at 4,000 feet
which officials say should be
productive.
A famous oil pioneer, Imperial
Oil Co. Limited, the firm which
made the strike in the famous
Leduc fields in Alberta, is drill
ing two wells in South Huron.
One is at the north-west corner
of Zurich on the farm of Bob
Clausius and the other is near
Dublin. Both of these wells are
down about 2,000 feet. The Zur
ich well recently struck a pocket
of natural gas.
Bright
The
small
sold a
this area, has exceedingly bright
hopes for the oil future of South
Huron. The optimistic promotor
of this firm, Stan Julien, of Lon
don, compares the indications
here to those found in the rich
oil fields of Iran and Iraq.
But his company is having a
hard time proving he’s right.
They have been drilling for five
years and still have not
able to get a gusher. Hard rock
formations have hampered the
work. 6‘
For 18 months of the five-year
period, drilling at this Crediton
well has been halted because the
tools were stuck in the bottom
of the hole. They were re
trieved this spring and drilling
was started again but another
six-week delay has been encount
ered this summer when the tools
were lost again. They are pre
paring to start again.
Excellent Showing
The driller in charge, George
Brantford, said
Hopes
Jul-Du-Mar Company, a
London firm which has
lot of stock to people in
been
McMaster, of
there have been several excellent
indications of
drilling. Pockets of gas and .show
ings of oil have been struck.
He said the rock formation
through which the drill has had
to go has been particularly hard.
Rock was hit at 70 feet and for
mations of limestone and shale
have been quite deep. The drill
went through a layer of salt 700
feet deep.
At 4,000 feet the well is one
of the deepest in Ontario. Only a
dozen other wells have been
sunk that far. In Alberta, how
ever, the drills go down to 8,000
feet.
Now in the softer quartz for
mation, the drilling will proceed
more quickly, McMaster said. Be
fore flie tools were lost this
spring, the drill went down five
feet in two-and-one-half hours.
New Formation
‘‘This is a new formation of
rock,” Mr. McMaster said. “The
geologists say oil is here. So far
we have encountered exactly
what the geologists said we would
find.” McMaster is a native of
Brantford and has been drilling
wells throughout Canada all his
life.
The well is being sunk on the
farm of Nelson Schenk.
Schenk, Crediton, is
with the drilling.
Stubble and Stubble,
contractors from Merlin.
—Please turn to
Paul
assisting
drilling
Ontario,
page 7
Tigers Retain D' Crown
Now Defend OBA Title
had helped curb ac-
a
constant warning. Signs erected
to stop parking at intersections
have relieved what was a serious
traffic hazard, the chief said.
Injured At Exeter Races
Robert Turvey, 76, of Blyth,
suffered a fractured hip early
Wednesday afternoon when he
was struck by a sulky
local races.
The elderly man was
the track from the horse
centrefield when the wheel of a
cart hit him. He was taken to
South Huron Hospital for X-rays
and. later transferred to London
Mr. Turvey is the father of
Lloyd Turvey, well-known local
horseman who was driving at the
races.
at the
crossing
barn to
U.W.O. WINNER — Jim Sturgis,
18, son of Principal H. L. and
Mrs. Sturgis, has been awarded
a $200 scolarship by the Univers
ity of Western Ontario for obtain
ing an average of first class hon
ors on eight papers. Jim, who has
spent the past several summers
working in the shoe factory of
his uncle, W. A. West, in Aurora,
will return home the second week
in September. He will enter
U.W.O. to further his education
to enter the teaching profession.
i
Dashwood Tigers retained the
Huron - Perth “D” championship
Wednesday night when they won
the fifth .game -of their playoff
series with Zurich Lumber Kings
3-0. The Tigers captured the set
four games to one.
Last year’s OBA “D” champs
will now enter provincial com
petition to defend their title.
Their first opposition
been named yet.
Robbie Wein hurled
hit shutout Wednesday
the league title. He had a one-
hitter going into the eighth in
ning when Bob Rawlings and
John Haberer knocked successive
singles to threaten a run. The
big righthander cut off the rally
with two quick strikeouts.
Lome Kleinstiver singled in
Bob Stormes, who had doubled,
for the first Tiger run in the
fourth inning. The Dashwood
team loaded the bases but could
not score any more counters.
In the sixth the Tigers scored
two tallies when Bob Hayter and
Bob Stormes hit successive sin
gles. Hayter scored On a wild
pitch and Stormes came home on
a passed ball.
Jim Hayter hit a triple in the
second with only one out but he
wasn’t able to score.
Ron Heller started for Zurich
defend their
has not
a three-
to clinch
Child Topples From Tree
Jimmy Darling, three and one-
half-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs.
Fred Darling, fractured a bone
in his wrist when he fell from
a tree on Tuesday. He was taken
to South Huron Hospital where
Dr. R. W. Read placed the arm I but was relieved in the sixth by
in a cast.Ron Heimrich.
Series On Business
Manufacture Of Pre-Fit Units
Keeps Dashwood Firm Busy
Keeping ahead of the trend of
construction is paying off for
Dashwood Planing Mills Ltd.
The main industry in one of
South Huron’s active police vil
lages, this lumber firm is busy
producing its own specially-de
signed line of pre-fit doors and
windows for the building trade.
Although the firm branched into
this line only a year ago, it now
spends half its production time
on pre-fit items.
Pre-fit doors and windows are
units ready to be placed in any
new home. They come completely
installed inside the sills with the
hardware attached and a primer
paint coat already on.
The line of windows range
from the large picture? type with
hinged door vents at the bottom
to basement units
joyce hook) and
octagon window,
packaged in wax
tainers to protect
weather before they are install
ed.
Special modular basement
units are made for cement block
construction. The windows are
built the size of even multiples
of block so the builder doesn't
have to cut Up brick to fit them
ill.All the pre-fit units are dipped
In a special solution to prevent
rot.
(complete with
the decorative
The units are
cardboard cou
th em from the
SOM
•Fiease Ttttn to Page 1
Dashwood chalked up its third
win Friday night with a 10-2
lacing on the Zurich diamond.
Lome Kleinstiver starred for*
the winners with six RBIs and
two home runs. Bob Stormes hit
a single and two doubles. Robbie
Wein hurled the victory.
Don
Zurich
shared
O’Brien scored both of the
runs. Heller and Heimrich
the loss.
ex-
we
evi-
Will Bingo
Car Again
The bingo car that has been
held by the Exeter Legion will
be given away at a free bingo
early in October, officials an
nounced this week.
The announcement said that
the car could not be given to the
man who claimed the car at the
July bingo because the card
which he submitted was irregu
lar. A Cincinatti man bingoed
but the car was withheld that
night when officials noticed the
unusual card.
The Legion statement said:
“We have carried out an
haustive investigation and
now possess overwhelming
deuce to support the contention
that the card used in the win
ning bingo was not sold by any
member of the Exeter Branch of
the Canadian Legion on that
night nor was it produced by the
company who manufactures these
cards. On the basis of this evi
dence, the car cannot be award
ed to the person who apparently
was the winner.
“Arrangements are being made
for a further bingo on Friday,
October 1, at which time the car
in question will be given away
on a free bingo.”
The statement was released by
R6g McDonald, chairman of the
I Legion Bingo Committee.
I
i MLA Presses
'Pinery Park
I
i
BUILDS PRE-FIT UNITS Thomas H. Klunipp. president
and founder of Dashwood Planing' Mill Ltd., displays one of
the thousands of pro-fit units the firm is producing’ in assem
bly-line production, This industry reorganised its mill one
year ago to produce these units for construction firms. Dur
ing the past year the firm has supplied lumber for 275 homes,
two churches and five schools. —T-A Photo
C. E, “Zeb” Janes, MLA for
Lambton East and chairman of
the Ausable Authority’s Parks
and Recreation Advisory Board,
said Wednesday he was “optimis*
tic that we can get something
done about a public park in the
Pinery”,
"I don’t know how soon it will
be but I am confident that there
will be some type of public park
in the Pinery area before too
long.”
Mr, Janes said he intended to
press the issue again when the
legislature opens in the fall, “I
; hope to see the Premier again
soon to talk over the matter with
him. We're certainly not going to drop this project,*1' he said.
Mr. Janos is head of the board
■ which recommended to the gov*
ernment that it expropriate the
Pinery from the Canada Company
subsidiary which now owns the
land. The report stated that the
4,000 acres should be maintained
as a protective forest ahd a re*
creation area,