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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1963-09-05, Page 2THOMAS TRIVITT . . 5 ta&H, COO MO 0,1?"' e Oa pe stessossg4teastesgr:eneleratitr$677AUSI this..unclp.)0,, Wednesday afternoon and during the eyening thrbughnue the week, EDITORIALS No swimming in Huron! Even the records during those years are quite incomplete as steadily but surely the church both physically and congrega- tionally simply fell apart. These were dark years, granted, years that saw a world war that should have brought the parishioners of Trivitt Memorial even chaser together. But the people were simply not there. The building began, through neglect, to crumble and peel. What ser- vices existed were held in the tiny, still existing parish hail. Finally in 1954, the church was opened again. Under the guidance of the incumbent, Rev. Norman Knox, the church was literally rebuilt. The Gothic arches were strengthened, the pealing walls were painted, the pews given much needed coats of varnish. And following Rey. Knox came Rev. Bren de Vries, endowed with the ability to bring people together, to make them realize how necessary a part of life it is to worship together. t: Gradually the people came back until today Trivitt Memorial Church on the eve of its 75th birthday is enjoying the most prosperous time of its history. Prosperous not only financially but spiritually and congrega- tionally. And now the church is given another Rector, Rev. Phi- lip Gandon, who will lead the parish in this new period of growth. What an experience it is to read the many records and books, read between the lines almost, as various people have recorded what happened in the parish years ago. One almost feels one is intruding in the lives of other people. It is sad because it involves death as well as birth, burials--so many of them premature--as well as christenings--in short, Life, Saddest of all is to see a once proud church crumble because of neglect; to read a minister's notes of worry as he ponders this situation. One can almost sense the helpless exasperation he must feel. To see the con- gregation slip away, and then one experiences delight to read that it grows again. The church is being rebuilt, the people re- turn--Triv itt is proud once more. May this stand as a constant reminder to the present and future parishioners of Trivitt Memorial Church. It is a me- morial; it is a shelter; it is a place of worship; it has a soul-- it breathes and lives on. In the organization of a number of re- gional and district bodies which spend munici- pal funds, the principal of representation by council appointment has been established. The municipal council appoints annually a delegate to such groups as the district high school board and the Ausable authority. These delegates or members have no direct respon- sibility to the public. In theory, we suppose the regional groups remain responsible to municipal au- thority through the appointment system. Coun- cil can, if they wish, direct or replace their representatives and thereby have some say in the operations for which they provide the funds. In practice, however, there is little com- munication between the public, the council, or the representatives on these boards. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this sit- uation. Clearanc On All New To occasional visitors who sometimes visit Trivitt Memo- rial Church to admire the pseudo-Gothic architecture, or simply to enjoy the tranquil at- mosphere, two brass plates em- bedded in the floor of the church chancel usually pass completely unnoticed. But to the parishioners of Trivitt Memorial, Church who Must walk past these plates to make Communion at the Main alter it is a different story, The brass plates serve as constant reminders of the couple who so generously endowed the town of Exeter with Trivitt Memorial Church. Surprisingly enough, 75 years ago an Anglican church, Christ Church, existed in Exeter prior to the construction of the pre- sent church. It is interesting here to note that in 1879 pari- shioners of Christ Church stop- ped paying rent for their pews. However the church wardens were given power to approp- riate particular sittings or pews for the various members of the congregation! Incidentally the incumbent's salary was raised also at this time from $400 to $500 per annum. Christ Church, however, was slowly falling apart and Thomas Trivitt, at this time clerk of the fifth division county court of Huron, formerly a farmer, and his wife Elizabeth offered to donate $16,000 to build the church; seating, lighting, pre- paral for worship to be under- taken by the parishioners. On May 5, 1887, the Bishop of Huron gave his consent and a Capt. Peters, a London ar- chitect, was hired to design the church to be known "for all time as Trivitt Memorial Church". Most of the work was done by London companies, al- though a Hensall man did the carpentry and an Exeter man named Welsh did the drains and excavations. Land was pur- chased from Thomas Hawkins and a street was made north of the church to be named Baldwin' Street and deeded ,to the town forever. If one reads the old records of the church one discovers that problems both social and finan- cial have existed always for the parish. Generally speaking, it was thought though that a new church was a step in the right direction and on August 1,1887, the cornerstone for the new church was laid. Within it are the traditional old newspapers and coins of the period. Present for the ceremony were Ven. Archdeacon Marsh from Lon- don, Rev. Craig of Clinton and Rectors from Lucan, Seaforth, Ailsa Craig and Hensall; and there amid almost the entire townfolk "Mr. Trivitt,... gave his Lordship an engraved silver trowel with which Morris S. by divine permission Bishop of Huron, well and truly in the name of the eternal Trinity laid the foundation stone". Following this there was an evening of entertainment in the rink: "Our noted brass band discoursed sweet music" and the crowd enjoyed ice cream and "draughts of lemonade". On Dec. 16, 1888, the last service was performed in Christ Church within the poor old walls that had seen hap- piness and sorrow for 25 years. Mixed emotions seemed to pre- vail as far as leaving the old church was concerned. However Christ Church was simply over- crowded and inadequate and on Dec. 23, 1888, the first service in Trivitt Memorial was held. Rev. S. T. Robinson was the incumbent and what a marvel- lous experience for him it would have been. People came to ser- vices that first Sunday from Toronto,London, Lucan, Clin- ton an all the surrounding areas by train, sleigh, any means. Evensong saw 1200 people in the pews and"monied institutions were well repro- Sented". Not all parts of the organ were complete but filially at a cost of $1500, the organ was finished, the cabinet being built of red oak. One hundred and twenty families supported the church at this time. Among the More pro- minent names were the Trivltts, of course, Isaac Carling, the Willis', Achesons and Sweets. To gaze at the church lighting now it is difficult to believe that gas II gh is Once lighted the Church, having been installed at a cost of $525. Names' are al- ways interesting and among the records exist the names of the first people married in the new church, JanieS Flynn and Mar- garet Ann Clark, In many ways and at many Hines Trivitt has been exposed to sadness, Exactly one year to the day of the opening of the church, Mrs. Trivitt, a woman beloved by all who knew her died at the age of "With sad hearts she was laid to rest be- neath the thMinel of the Chu- reli", A brass plate then was put in the floor of the Chatidel to honor that dear lady. On My I, 1890, the church Was consecrated and shortly QUEST OPINION Trivitt. marks 75 years. BY pI.Ahnig WOODEN afterward Mn, Trivitt gave an order for ten bells at a cost of $3,000 to be placed in the high church tower, They were rung for the first time. Dec. 7, 1890, preacher for the occasion was the principal of Huron College, Rev,Io Mi118911e Rev, r. Robinson re, • Signed and was replaced byRev. F, H. Fatt who remained for two years. At this time the parish hall and rectory were complet- ed. In Feb. 1894 Rev. E. W. Hunt became the minister and at this time also the grounds around the church were sodded and new fencing was erected, In July, 1894 the church was again saddened by the death of a dear friend. Thomas Trivitt, at the age of 82, passed away and was buried by the Bishop beneath the chancel, beside his wife, Then the second brass plate was placed in the floor. In 1896 Rev, Hunt resigned and was replaced by Rev. Ho- race E, Bray. The church was very badly off at that time. Only 12 families supported it with no organizations and the receipts were obviously inadequate to cover expenses of such a large church. Is it any wonder, then, that there followed in rapid succession many ministers, among them Rev. Tenyck, Rev. Perkins, Rev, Collins, Rev. A. A.•Trumper who remained for ten years; and Rev. Jones who served from 1927 to 1929?Rev.• M. A. Hunt served from 1932 to 1947 followed by Rev. C. L. Langford until 1953. *•;;;t:1,.;4;•;,•;;;,.61.V.: a....*•••••,.•.••••:••4•V•:, • .•X•44•M $o,,t•:•:•.t.••:•,•*••••••••••••••:•/•••••,:•••••••••••••••••••••3 •••••'. THE INDUSTRIAL MORTGAGE & TRUST COMPANY Established in Sarnia in 1889, we have grown with this community. Your business in our hands is made secure by neighbourly, personal service. As more than one of our clients has said: "It pays — in actual dollars and cents!" If the detail work connected with your investments, stocks, bonds or other assets is taking up your valuable time, avail yourself of the sound advice and practical help of specialists in these fields. Head Office: Sarnia Offices; Forest, Petrolica Agents Walloceburg, Dresden, Strathroy "No swimming" signs on Lake Huron? Surely that will never come to pass.. Rut Dr. R, Aldis, director of the Hur- on County Health Unit, has given a sober Warning. It's one that deserves immediate at- tention. The health unit, according to the doctor, has been taking bacteriological tests along the lake shore between Bayfield and Goderich peri- odically during the past summer. The results apparently indicate a serious pollution prob- lem. Says Dr. Aldis; "Restriction of swim- ming within the next few years is well within the realm of possibility". Lake Huron's shore provides some of the finest summer recreation facilities in this province. It is a major source of revenue to this area and the county. Take away the swimming and all this is lost. Every possible effort should be made immediately to prevent such a disaster. Let us have an all,out attack against pollution. The cause of the pollution may not be known. Certainly, however, there Are and have been many makeshift disposal arrangements in summer cottages, cabins and motel opera- tions that must contribute to the problem. There are ditches near Grand Bend just putrid with sewage and this goes directly to the lake, There are other cases of irresponsible disposal which should be cleaned up. Whatever other causes are involved should be investigated and corrected. Now is the time to act—not after the "no swimming" signs have been erected, The health unit, Ontario Water Re- sources Commission or any other body which may have jurisdiction over this problem will receive the full support of the general public in whatever steps they can take to alleviate this alarming situation. Appointments should change One of the unfortunate drawbacks is the tendency for the appointed representative to remain in the post too long. The council apathetically continues to reappoint him year after year until the length of service extends beyond the decade mark. The appointment is never changed unless the appointee resigns. Although there are always exceptions, the average representative begins to lose in- terest after five years and certainly has made all of the contribution of which he is capable in 10. While long service is commendable, it is not always beneficial even though every organization needs experienced members to guide it. Representatives now serving who have remained in their posts for many years might in fairness to themselves and to their munici- palities ask themselves from time to time if they are continuing to make the contribution they once did, or if the time has come to per- mit other persons to be of service. Don Southcott BY THE EDITOR nswerin JOTTINGS BY JMS J. M. Southcott the charges Eventful year 1963 Austin Sedans A60 And Austin 850 '62 AUSTIN 850, Less than 10,000 miles. '60 RENAULT SEDAN, Excellent 2nd. car. '59 METEOR, 6-cy1(1)Se- • den, Really sharp, ra- dio, straight stick. '59 VAUXHALL SEDAN, runs good, red paint. '59 METEOR RIDEAU SE- DAN, automatic, V-8. patent nonsense" for Mr, Wintermeyer to say that the chairman of the White River District, Naldo Bracci, had made large financial gains by having secret knowledge of the route of the Trans- Canada highway. Bracci owns land along the highway right-of-way, Mr. Wintermeyer had charged that the general public had no knowledge of where the highway was going to go until December, 1959. MacNaughton reveal- ed the route was public knowledge back in 1950. "The survey line for that stretch was cut 13 years ago and grading work began in 1955", the minister told the press, Liberal leader John Wintermeyer has launched "a charge a day" campaign in an attempt to liven up the provincial election scene. To meet his objective, he's had to dig up some old bones, spreading some of the dirt from the holes rather wildly. As might be expected, members of the PC government have reacted with some anger, although Premier Robarts calmly ordered two investigations into the' allegations to show he isn't afraid of unearthing the facts. Last Wednesday night at his nomina- lion meeting in Clinton, Highways Mini- ster Charlie MacNaughton desribed the Wintermeyer campaign as one of "vilification, smear and innunendo"and suggested the Liberal lead had offered little to the Ontario people which would suggest that his party could provide an alternative to the present government. The next day, in his Toronto office, the highways minister called a press conference to answer the Wintermeyer charges which affected his department. As might be expected from the Huron MPP, noted for his businesslike me- thods, the allegations were met with documented evidence and strong words. MacNaughton said it was "utter and "FRIVOLOUS AND IRRESPONSIBLE" At the same conference, MacNaugh- ton dismissed as "frivolous and irres- ponsible" charges made by a former Negro soils inspector in the depart- ment's Owen Sound district that sub- standard materials used by contractors had necessitated remedial work on highways 89 and 4. He also answered the insinuation that the inspector had been dismissed becau se he was aNegro. The highways minister produced va- rious documents showing that the reme- dial work was required because of heavy rain, seepage and frost And that on all three contracts specifically mentioned by the complainant departmental speci- fications had been adhered to and the roads are performing satisfactorily. As for the dismissed Negro inspector himself, MacNaughton pointed out that be personally had invited the inspector to his office to discuss his grievances but the latter did not show up for the appointment. Regarding the charge of discrimina- tion against a Negro, the Huron MPP produced a report from the chairman of the public, service grievance board which stated: "No evidence whatsoever was adduced that the officials of the department had behaved improperly or that they had condoned such behavior on the part of employees." The highways minister concluded: "Misleading the public in this manner with frivolous and completely unfounded charges is an old and, of course, cheap political process, "Succumbing to the frivolous charge made by a disgruntled ex-employee is to point a finger of accusation at 12,000 capable and efficient civil servants in the persons of the department of high- ways staff." It's significant to note that following the minister's forthright replies there have been no further references to these incidents which drew headlines earlier in the campaign. 1.e.1:`,i" • Times Established 1873 Amalgamated 1924 Advocate Established 1881 `fie (ExeferZiniesAkmocate The gavel is on display at each council meeting but it is seldom that the presiding mayor has had occasion to use it. Exeter coun- cil in return presented the City of London with a suitably en- graved silver cigaret box. In July, '51 Grand Bend elec- ted its first municipal council of reeve and four councillors. Elected were Herman Gill, reeve; Peter Eisenbach, Ken- neth Young, Eric McIlroy and William Glenn, Councillors. In a vote as to whether Grand Bend would go in with Lambton or Huron Counties resulted in the former three to one. Herbert Wainwright was appointed clerk. In July Edmund J. Wethey, who, for many years, was prin- cipal of the Exeter High School, died in London in his seventy- fourth year. He resigned his position in Exeter in 1942. In April the public school children deserted the old school and moved into the neW building. The old school had been in operation for 65 years. It was rented that year to the Comstock people for storing equipment while hydro was being changed from 25 to 60 cycle, It was later torn down to provide additional playground at the school. It was during 1951 that the new hall of the Exeter Branch of the Canadian Legion was in course of construction. SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND Member: C.W,N.A,r 0.W.N.A., C.C.N.R, and ABC '57 METEOR SEDAN, automatic, V-8, good tires, new paint. '57 OLDSMOBILE SEDAN, automatic, radio, rear speaker, new paint. Clean interior. '56 STUDEBAKER, V.- 8, straight Stick, like new. '56 VOLKSWAGEN; real sharp. '56 PLYMOUTH S E DA N, autoniatia , ' 6-cyl. '54 CHEVROLET SEDAN, automatic, $195, South. End Service Published each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ont. Authorized as Second Class Mail,- Post Office Dog, Ottawa, and for Payrnent of Postage in Cash kutt...chd Chuck Shel l PHONE 235-2322 EXETER Paid-imAdvance Circulation, March 31, 1963-3;928 suascriipTiON RATES: Canada $4.00 Per Year; USA $5.00 "I'm going to take lessons es aeon as my arms get tong enough!" ............... Last week reference was made to the promotion of the South Huron Hospital in 1951. During that same year there were several important events that affected the welfare of the town and the community. At the January municipal election Exeter was elevated from a village to a town and instead of five councillors that had previously conducted the village affairs, the new council elect comprised Mayor B. W. Tuckey; Reeve Larry Snider; Deputy-Reeve W. G. Cochrane and Councillors R. C. Dinney, Roy Campbell, Eugene Beaver, William McKenzie and William Webster. The reeve and deputy- reeve represented Exeter on Huron County Council, One of the first disasters in the neighborhood was the des- truction by fire of two grain elevators at Hensall owned by W. G. Thompson, containing thousands of bushels of beans and wheat. To the credit of the Thompson's, two new en- larged elevators with modern equipment were erected on the spot and are now in operation and form a conspicuous place in Hensahl's indu st ri al life, Hensall's year-old water Sys- tem contributed much in saving the many buildings surrounding the elevator. Th May, 1951, a six million expansion program Was annOun- ced for the RCAF station at. Centi•alia. It included 375 new homes kir RCAF personnel, bringing the total to more than 550 homes, making it a fair sized town. ProVisiOn was also made for a 14-rooni public School; four new barrack blo- cks; a control tower, ground Instruction school and receiving building, Exeter's hey/council were the recipients of a gavel presented by the City of London, England, The gavel was inade froth Wood from an old bridge which at one time spanned the riverExe. e ViAtttgetMA5, •_Vey:XS* tlSiS, . It• • •". -* • • • • •'• • • v- Ate.