HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1956-09-20, Page 1o
Eighty-Second Year THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATJE, SEPTEMBER 2Q, 1956 Price Per Copy 7 Cent*
Builder Refuses Contract
TRADE FAIR ATTRACTS 500—The first trade show presented by Exeter and dist
rict merchants in connection with the agricultural fair Tuesday night attracted' a
. crowd of 500. One of the popular exhibits of the show, was this German‘sports car
displayed by Hunter-Duvar and Sons Ltd. Besides seeing latest cars, appliances, fur
niture, fashions and farm products, visitors were entertained and showered with
free prizes. —T-A Photo
Trade Fair Draws 500,
Usborne Lady Top Cook
Exeter Fair, getting a healthy
start with a crowd of 500 at its
trade show Tuesday night, look
ed forward to excellent crowds
this-, week despite weather and
’ harvest problems.
Tuesday ..night’s show was an
unqualified success • and officials
look forward to develop this, new
feature of the fair in future
years. s
Entries . 'on .Wednesday indi
cated some classes would be
down because of the poor harvest
but others attracted record-size
competition.
■■'Mrs. Rufus Kestle, director of
the women’s' department, said
the number of exhibits in her
section was the largest in the
history of the fair.. Baking, handi
crafts and art ..classes were well
filled. “It’s away ahead of any
thing we’tfe had for years,” Mrs.
Kestle said:
Mi’s. Aimer- Passmore, of R.R. | “Exeter Fair,” was among the
1 Woodham, mother of three• most artistic exhibits.children, , became the first I The Ausable River Conserva-
wmner of Gram’s Trophy, don- tion Authority made available
ated by The Times-Advqcate to f copies of the report on the Den-
- the champion cook of the dis- field watershed model valley for
n trict. • [ the first time. The Authority’s
Ml 4-H Rodeo
At Kirkton
Competitions for three __
clubs, incuding a tractor rodeo,
Will be features of Kirkton Fall
Fair on Thursday and Friday,
Sept. 27 and 28.Achievement days will be held
for the Kirkton 4-H Dairy Calf
Club, the beef club and the trac
tor maintenance, club. Members
of the tractor club will compete
in driving abd safety tests.
A parade of- school children,
led by the -Bannockburn Pipe
and Drum Band, and the South
Huron District High School Bugle
Band, will open the fair Friday
afternoon.
A sports' program, including
foot races, bicycle and calf
races, a tug. Of war and musical
chairs, will be’ held during the
afternoon.
Extensive competition is being
offered in horse, cattle and hog
classes, as -well as grains and
produce. Prizes are also being
offered for women's handiwork,
cooking and school children’s ex
hibits.
Clayton Smith,. reeve of Us
borne, is president of the agri
cultural society. Vice-presidents
ar Wellington Brock and Fred
Doupe A10& F. Crago is secre
tary-treasurer.
Directors include Rae Stephen,
James Willis, John Berry, Milne
Pullen, Clayton Colquhoun,
James H. Robinson, T. A. Crago,
T. A. Wiseman, Roy Nethercott,
Ross Dobson, Charles Atkinson,
R. E. Doupe, Charles Paul, Wil
bert Kirkby, Clarence and Fred
Switzer, Hugh Berry\ Milton Mc
Curdy Synd Newton Clark.
4-H
Runner-up for the award was booth manned by Fieldman. H.
her sister, Mrs, Lloyd Jones, o£\ pr Hnoke ’ * R.R. 1 Centralia. Third and1- ■ ’
fourth prizes went to Mrs, Roy
Morenz, ' Dashwood,, and Mrs.
Bert Thomson, R.R. 2 Kippen.
Announce 4-H .Winners
Three 4-H competitions were
judged on Wednesday.
Bob Down won the grain corn
contest. Runners-up were Bob
Galloway, Tommy Triebner,
Hugh Rundle and Edward Hern.
Top display in the sugar beet
club was exhibited by Jim
Dougall. Other prizewinners in
cluded Jim Etherington, Bill
Etherington and,. Edward Hern,.
Gordon Strang, son of promin
ent seed grower, H. H. G. Strang,
a former president of Exeter
Fair, won the grain club’s com
petition. Other winners were
Ronald Hern, Keith Coates,
Thomas Hern and Harry Jacques.
Top winner in the grain and
seeds class was Mrs. Tom Hern,
with five firsts and a second.
Clarence Down, Hensall, won
three firsts and Gordon. Strang,
R.R. 1 Hensall, captured two red
ribbons.
Harvey Hyde, R.R. 1 Hensall,
captured six prizes. Other win
ners were Jack Triebner, Ex
eter; Archie Etherington, R.R. 1 atuiux’ jviuiurs, Jiixensr xviutui
Hensall; and Norman Hyde, R.R. 'Sales, Pearson Motor Sales, Lar-
1 Hensall. ~ ' - - -
Mayor Opens Trade Fair
Mayor R.- E. Pooley, who is
also president of the fair board,
and A J. Swietzer, organizer of
the trade show, officially opened
the program.
Entertainment was provided
by Mrs. G. K. Crocker, Mrs.
Robert Pryde, Mrs. Bill Schmidt
and John Bruls. The latter, a
New Canadian in Exeter, dressed
in his native costume to sing
Dutch folk songs. Mrs. Schmidt,
another New Canadian accompa-
One of the most popular ex
hibits at the show was a German,
sports car displayed by Hunter-*
Duvar and Sons Ltd. A bright
red and black car with whitewall
tires, its modernistic styling
caught the eye of the crowd.
One merchant attracted at
tention by decorating his exhi
bit in a Christmas motif. Tele
vision dealers displayed 1957
models and one appliance dealer
showed an automatic dryer in
operation.
Numerous free draws, in
cluding one on a $50 mattress,
were provided for spectators.
An egg display, which spelled
, urged farming prac
tices to prevent surface, erosion
Of soil.
New cars occupied the centre
of the arena. Exeter Boy Scouts
sold “bacon in a' bun..”
Dr. E. S. Steiner, a past presi-
-dent of the fair, assisted Mr..
Sweitzer in the draw for numer
ous prizes donated by merchants.
Mayor Opens Trade Fair '
Exeter Lions provided free
movies in the gymnasium and
hundreds of youngsters took ad
vantage of free miniature air
plane rides.
Two peanut men, highlighting
Exeter Kinettes’ peanut' cam
paign, wandered through the
crowds.
Exhibitors included Cann’s
Mill Ltd., Jones, Ma.cNaughton
Seeds Ltd., Tuckey Beverages,
MacMillan’s, Traquair Hard
ware, Huron Lumber Co. Ltd.,
Exeter District Co-op, Lakeview
Hatchery Ltd., Canadian Can-'
ners Ltd., Gratton and Hotson,
Beavers Hardware, Reder’s
Flowers, Hopper-Hockey, HeSs
Electric, Jack Smith Jeweller,
Snelgrove’s, Dinney Furniture,
Irwin’s Ladies Wear, Graham
Arthur Motors, Exeter Motor
ry Snider Motors, Snell Bros.
Ltd., and Armstrong Motors.
New Grant To Board
Sports Council Debate
Council did some soul-search- ~
ing over its recreation and com
munity centre operations Mon
day night after hearing a report
that the debts of the Community
Centres Board have mounted to
over $2;500.
Faced with unexpected costs
which threaten to overwhelm the
town’s budget, council agreed to
grant the board $1,000 to meet
its more “pressing” accounts but
not until after an hour-long dis
cussion on the recreation-arena-
park problem.
Council granted the Centres
Board $1,000 earlier this year,
Councillor R. C. Dinney, chair
man of the Community Centres
Board, reported its bank balance
had dwindled to $8.00 and that
its debts would amount to $2,800
before it would get any sizeable
revenue from the arena.
The problem, he said, was the
lack of revenue from the park
and arena during the summer
months. Rents foi* the use uf
these facilities are decreasing
because organizations wli i c h
sponsor events there, aren’t mak
ing the profits they used to-
“They Don’t Pay Us’/
“When the organizations don’t
make any money, they don’t .pay
us. We can’t operate the park
without any money.”
“The horse barn, cattle barns,
grandstand and ball diamonds
must be kept up but we’re not
getting any revenue from them.
People expect the arena to pay
for the maintenance of the park./
“If we just had the arena io
operate, We could probably make
out all right.”
Despite the little revenue it
provides, community park is an
-asset■■ to -th,?' town and ,the ,towji
.should maintain it with public
funds, the. councillor argued'. “It
would be a shame to see it grow
up in weeds.”
Councillor Bailey: (“How much is spent on the park during the
summer?” Councillor Dinney
didn’t know..."
Councillor Bailey: “If you
didn’t have the park, would you
be able to make the arena pay?”
Councillor Dinney thought it
might be possible, if the arena
didn’t have to contribute towards
the wages of a recreation dir
ector.
Bailey: “Could the arena man
ager be a rec director?”
Dinney: “No, not if he is full-
time arena manager.”
I Councillor Bailey inquired into
salaries and learned that Recrea
tion Director Doug Smith has
been receiving $4,000 a year,
half of which is paid by the rec
reation council and half by the
community centres .board. His
assistant, Alvin Willert, who is
employed solely by the centres
board, receives $2,800, On the
total wages of $6,800’ the town
gets provincial grants amount
ing to $2,800, leaving its share
at $5,000.
(Recreation Director Smith,
who earlier this fall submitted
his resignation ta accept a posi
tion at Iroquois Falls, reapplied
for the Exeter post after his new
contract failed to materialize.
Community Centres Board and
Recreation Council are currently
reconsidering the recreation dir
ector-arena manager situation.
They' have already held a number of meetings to discuss the
problem.)—Please Turn To Page*3
Nab Youth Near Lake,
Travels Miles In Bush
SHDHS Bus Service
Will Cost $30,000
Bus transportation for rural
students, costing approximately
$30,000 for the school year, was
approved at a meeting of SHDHS
board last week.
Eight busses kre being oper
ated this year, the same number
as last, but they’re travelling
14 miles further and carrying
31 more students. Total daily
_ mileage is 526 and The number
tfif students being transported is
<13.
‘'Three of the routes are in Hay
township, three in Stephen and
two in Usborne. Mileage of the
longest trip is 79 and the shortest
is 53.
Daily cost .of the system is
$173.82, averaging 42 cents per
student per day,
The boaikl "pays Exeter Coach
Lines, operated by E. R. Guen
ther, Dashwood, a fee of 32 cents
a mile for small busses and 37
cents a mile for the larger ones.
Vice-Chairman E, L. Mickle
was in charge of the meeting
In the ’absence of Chairman C.
S. MacNaughton.-
Principal H. L.
Sturgis re-
1
the following breakdown: grade
nines (6), 181; grade tens . (4),
149; grade-elevens (3), 86; grade
twelves (2), 50; grade t 13, 32
and special commercial 25.
There are 21 teachers on the
staff.
Board members approved pur
chases of 10 science rbom
ances at a cost of $40 each. They
also granted permission for pur
chase of additional sewing mach
ines and four new models have
been secured for the home eco
nomics department Two older
models were traded in.
The board took no action on a
request that it ^sponsor student
participation in plowing matches
this fall.
Offer from the Guaranty Trust
Co., represented by Ray Pat
terson, Hensall, to provide inter
est at the rate of three percent
per annum for unused balance
of proceeds from the sale of
addition debentures was accept
ed,Construction of the five-room
addition is progressing well.
Outer walls have been poured
and cement blocks are being laid
bal-
A 16-year-old youth who ap-
perently had lived off the land
nearly a month after disappear
ing from home was caught 'Sun
day on the sand dunes near
Drysdale.
William Butler was trapped by
two Londoners, Kenneth Keron
and Frank Devoski, who gave
chase to a wild-looking figure
they spotted near ’ the Devoski
cottage. He was about 75 miles
away from his home in the Hol
land Centre area near Owen
Sound.
Police believe he must have
travelled hundeds of miles on
foot, wandering across fields and
through woods.
Police who took Butler in cusJ
tody to return him to his parents
said his clothes were in rags and
he was unkempt, but appeared
fairly healthy. No reason was
given for his disappearance.
Herbert C. Butler, of R.R. 2,
Holland Centre, had offered a re
ward of $100 for information on
the whereabouts of his son but'
police said he had practically
given up hope of seeihg him
alive again. >
William was talking unintelli
gibly whbn Kenneth Keron
caught up to .him along Lake
Huron." He had chased the half
wild youth for more than a half-
mile over sand dunes, through
scrub bushland and gullies, along
the lake- shore.
■ Drysdale is about half-way be
tween Grand Bend and Bayfield
on the Bluewater Highway.
Daughter Saw “Stranger” 1
Frank Devoski, who helped
Koron hold the boy until the I ar
rival of police, said his daughter
saw a "stranger” wandering
around their cottage Saturday
evening. i
Apparently he had been feed
ing on peaches. The ground Wais
littered with freshly-pefeled peacli
Skins in a near-by orchard. \
At the Sight of his daughter and
Mrs. Devoski, the youth dashedh
off into the surrounding woods, I
Devoski said strangers are a
rarity in the community and
since there was a possibility he-
might be entering near-by vacant
cottages, they took after him.
When they failed to locate him,
they, called Mr. Deypski and Mr.
gulley near the lake and spotted
the youth again. He chased him
about a half-mile before catching
up to him.
. “He told me he lived about
four miles up- the road,” Keron
said. *
By this time, Devoski and the
others were becoming uneasy,
over the whereabouts of Keron.
Repeated shoutings brought no
response and it it was growing
dark.
Mr. Devoski set out with his
car and was relieved to meet the
—Please Turn To Page 3
Urges Test
For Drivers
Magistrate Dudley E. Holmes
found more support in Exeter
court Wednesday for his con
viction that more extensive
examinations should be given
drivers before they receive
licenses.
Appalled that a driver didn’t
know that he ' had to give the
right-of-way to the car on his
right at an unmarked . inter
section, Magistrate Holmes. rsaid:
“It’s becoming more evident
every day, that something will
have to be done in regards to
examination of drivers.”
“That’s the second person I’ve
talked- to recently who didn't
realize this.”
Magistrate Holmes has repeat
edly advocated that drivers’
tests should be elaborated to re
quire operators • to know traffic-
laws.
The case which prompted his
comment was a charge against-
William Abbott, 78, of Exeter,
who was involved in an accident
at the corner of Victoria and
Carling streets. Mr. Abbott, who
said he was the first man north
of London to own a car and has
been driving for 42 years, con
fessed he didn’t know about the
right of-way-regulations.
He was fined $13 and costs.
Gary. Middleton, Exeter, was
assesed $25 and costs for having
possession of a spring knife.
Ungrateful Hitchhiker
An army hitchhiker, who stole
a camera from the car of an
RCAF Centralia airman after he
had been given a ride from Han
over to the local station, was
given a suspended sentence and
ordered to post a $200 bond to
keep the peace.
Daniel Gilbert Proulx, 19, a
Wiarton Indian, pleaded guilty.
He was caught by police with
the camera in his possession as
he. entered Wollesle.v Barracks,
Lbndon, an hour after he left
the Centralia car.
Police said the camera, valued
at $85. was taken from the rear
Seat of the car. The owner notic
ed the loss after the hitchhiker
had been dropped off on No. 4
Highway.
SING NATIVE SONGS—John Bruls and Mrs. Bill Schmitt,
both New Canadians of Exeter,, entertained crowds at the
trade fair with'folk songs from 'their native Holland.
Exeter Youth Survives
District's Worst Wreck
Robert “Bob” Scott, 18, of
Exeter, survived one of the worst
wrecks in this district’s history
early Monday morning when his
car literally wrapped itself
around a tree in the ditch along
No. 4 highway south of Bruce-
field.
Although suffering from a frac
tured spine, broken pelvis, dis
located hip and fractured wrist,
the youth is reported in “satis
factory” condition at Victoria
Hospital, London.
. District' police men described
the wreckage as the worst they
have ever seen. The vehicle
struck the tree broadside and the
frame Was bent into nearly a
90-degree angle. The impact
forged a two-foot-wide circle in
the front of the passenger side
of the car.
Returning From Clinton
The accident occured around
5 a.tn. when the Scott youth was
returning to Exeter after driving
i
Jp1■k i7 ':
Im
• ■. ■ ..-AW'.* ” ‘
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YOUTH ESCAPES DEATH—-Eightecn-year- old Bob Scott, Exeter, survived a crash
ii\to a tree near Brucefield Monday morn ing which resulted in this wrefck, described
by* police as one of the wor$t seen in the district. The driver is in London hospital — ------n:-i- . .. ............. ..................-.......... Ma . ■
: a friend, Bob Kirk, to Clinton
; to meet a train.
owned by Kirk.
OPP Constable
son, of Goderich,
gated, said the car hit the west
ditch first, then veered across
to the. east ditch where it skid
ded sideways before crashing the
tree.-The highway was wet from
night rains.
The youth was taken to South
Huron Hospital by Hopper-Hock
ey ambulance and later transfer
red to London. Dr. J. C. Goddard
attended.
A passing motorist saw the
Scott youth slumped over the
wheel of the car and drove
. further down the highway until
he noticed a light in the resid
ence of Norman Long, where lie
called for assistance.
Three Others Hit Poles J
Three other cars struck poles;
along the highway this week.1
On Monday, a car driven by I
James W. Down, R.R. 3 Park
hill, suffered $300 damage when
it knocked out a hydro pole be-1
side No. 4 highway near the I
RCAF Centralia sideroad. DoWnl
was travelling north about 3 a.m. when his car went out of]
control. OPP < Constable John,
Forde, Who investigated, Said
charges are pending.
Another car, driven by Lav
erne Hamilton, R.R. 1 Hensall,
crashed into mail box and tele
phone pole south of Hensall on
NO. 4 highway on Sunday. The
car suffered $400 damage.
I Donald Hatcher, Seaforth, was
i hospitalized and his car received
$600 damage parly Friday morn
ing when it hit a telephone pole
beside No. 4 highway one mile
north of Exeter.
The car was demolished.
Hatcher is in Westminster Hos
pital, London.
Youth In Hospital
Robert Hopcroft, 18, of
wood, was released from
Huron Hospital Tuesday ___
suffering from injuries sustain-
! cd in an accident involving four
other teenagers early Saturday
morning.
Raymond Kading, 18, of R.R. I
Dashwood, driver of the vehicle,
told police he was attempting
to overtake another car on No.
4 highway when a vehicle ap
proached from the opposite dir
ection. He lost control of the car
and it tolled over on the high
way.
Two girls and a third boy, all
passengers in the car, escaped
injury. Damage was about $300.
QPP Constable George Mitch-
The car was
Jack Parkin-
who investi-
Dash-
South
after
The Morrison Dani project if
stalled again.
Contractor R. A, Blyth, Toron
to, .has refused to accept the
A p s a b 1 e Valley Conservation;
Authority’s contract for con
struction of the dam. .
Blyth, who tendered to build
the structure for $163,525 on
August 1, turned down the con
tract after the Authority refused
to grant his request for a higher
price.
Fieldman H. G. Hooke an
nounced on Wednesday that an
emergency meeting of the
Authority has been called for
Wednesday, September 26, in t
Exeter to deal with the problem.
The Blyth tender was lowest
of three bids for the contract
and was accepted conditionally
by the Authority at a meeting
on Wednesday, August 1.
Delays were encountered in
getting approval of the various
provincial government depart
ments involved, however, and
the official contract was not
sent to Blyth until last week.
Steel Price Up
In the meantime, price of
steel went up following a labor
strike and Blyth requested that
Ills contract be reviewed to in
corporate the increased costs.
Blyth’s original bid was $12,000
above the engineer’s estimate
for the job and the Authority,
along with the town of Exeter
and Usborne townhip, had'to get ■
approval to meet the increase.
The Authority felt it could not
ask for more money from the
municipalities.
Delay in the awarding of the
contract contributed to this latest
development, too. Blyth had op
tions on building supplies for the
dam when he tendered for the
job but he had to give them up1
a month later.
Blyth was obviously annoyed,
at the delay and in an interview,
a telephone conversation,' with
The TimesrAdvocate on August
29 said: “We’re disappointed we
didn’t get the job three Weeks,
ago/’
Hoped For Fall Completion #
With Blyth’s refusal to accept
the contract goes the Authority’s
hope of building th,e dam this
fall.. Blyth told officials.he-could
complete the job before snow fell
when he tendered on Aug. L
The dam is being financed
jointly by. the Authority, Exeter. Usborne, and the provincial
government and. all of these
bodies must be contacted before
any changes can be approved,
There is no indication of what
action will be attempted at the
emergency meeting Wednesday,
The seventy acres in Usborne
township, required for the reser
voir, have already been exprop
riated. but owners are appealing
the amount of money offered for
their land.
1
Doubt Dog
Has Rabies
Huron County Health Unit said
Wednesday it doubts if the dog
which gashed the face of a two-
year-old Crediton boy last week
has rabies.
No symptoms of the disease <S?
have been observed in checks
this week, Dr. R. M. Aldis, dir
ector of the unit told The Times-
Advocate. However, the collie
will be kept under observation
for another week.
Michael Schmitt, son of Mrs.
Margaret Schmitt, was taken to
South Huron Hospital Wednes
day with severe gashes in his
face inflicted by the dog’s teeth,
OPP Constable, John Forde,
who investigated, said the lad
went to put his arm around the
dog when it attacked him. for
tunately, the animal’s owner,
Roland Haist, was nearby and
pulled the dog off or the child
might have been killed, the con
stable said.
Haist lives in the front half
of the house occupied by the
Schmitt family. However, the
child had been absent recently
and was not familiar with the
dog.
Makes Snowballs
On September 18
Snowballs in September?
Kenneth Johns, of Usborne, re
ports he was able to make -a
number of snowballs from a pile \
of hailstones beside his home 12
hours after a local storm Monday
night.
Mr. Johns reported hail and
rain fell heavily for nearly an
hour and the downpour Was so
heavy the eavestroughs on his
house, couldn’t carry it,
Hail made such a noise on the
aluminum roof of the back kitch
en that it was impossible to bo
heard
A pile of hail beside the eaves-
trough drain didn’t thaw until
Tuesday afternoon.
Piefure Page N*xf Week
Next week’s edition of the T-A
will contain a full page of Ex-