HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1967-03-02, Page 4We're still mere subjects
We're all for these centennial cele-
brations, where people dress up to re-
live events of the past, but someone
went a bit too far in inviting Mother
Nature to provide some of her "old-
fashioned" winter weather to add to
the authenticity of things.
She probably came to the conclu-
sion that humans may have been tak-
ing too much credit for the progress
of this great country during the past
100 years, and decided to point out—
rather emphatically we must say—that
she played a major role as well.
While the wondrous works of Na-
ture have provided this area with its
rich resources, it is also true that the
havoc She has created on occasions
have been among some of our memo-
rable events, and we doubt that the
recent storm has been over-shadowed
too great an extent in the pages of
our history.
However, it is also a noteworthy
fact that we are now better equipped
to meet the onslaught of winter storms,
and no one would think of laying in
provisions for a lengthy hibernation
caused by an act of Nature.
In this way we have shown prog-
ress over the mastery of the elements,
but the fact remains we are .still "sub-
jects", and most of us now have cal-
louses and aching muscles to prove it.
Have right to profit
Members of Grand Bend council
were undoubtedly well meaning in
their decision to ask garage operators
in the resort to allow a commercial
discount on gas and oil used in the
community's four vehicles.
Any steps taken to reduce expend-
itures should be welcomed by all tax
payers.
However, we question whether this
is really a fair way of reducing taxes,
and Reeve Ory Wassmann's contention
that the garage operators should be
agreeable on the basis it would reduce
their taxes as well is certainly true,
but one that is open to argument.
The point that members of council
failed to seriously consider is the fact
the garagemen's ability to pay taxes at
all undoubtedly hinges on their ability
to make a profit from their businesses.
Obviously, to reduce that profit by
allowing discounts, reduces their
ity to pay taxes.
To carry the argument one step
farther, council are in effect asking
the operators to make contribut'ons to
the community that are not being made
by other businessmen and residents
who do no business with the council.
Tradesmen hired to do work in
the community probably don't offer
any discounts on their hourly wage;
we've yet to hear of members of coun-
cil giving back a portion of their an-
nual stipend as a form of a discount;
and most suppliers don't discount their
wares just because they are dealing
with municipalities. In fact, there have
been many examples where people
think governments — at all levels —
should pay a premium price on goods
and services.
This does not suggest that some
firms do not allow discounts, but it is
a fair assumption that they are only
able to do so because their prices are
marked up enough in the first place
that they can afford to offer rebates
and still make a fair profit. Others are
able to offer discounts on volume busi-
ness because their overhead expenses
are not as great on such accounts.
However, all businesses have to
make a profit, and those which fail to
do so are soon no more.
It may well be that the quantity of
business the garages do in Grand Bend
would permit them to offer discounts
to council, but it should be considered
as a straight business deal without the
suggestion that it is something that
should be done as public spirited citi-
zens interested in reducing tax bills.
Businessmen pay their fair share
of taxes and therefore should expect
to receive a fair profit for goods and
services provided to their communities.
•
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Laughter knows no bounds
S' Z,S peea ,Z4teect la is
Dog problems everywhere
Did town council members who
voted to halt dogs from running at
large—without really coming to grips
with animal control—know that Huron
County Council is investigating the
same thing?
It might explain why they did not
bother to offer any answers to ques-
tions about what can be done with dogs
which have no home.
Policemen are apparently not ex-
pected to gather the dogs at large and
impound or destroy them if unclaimed.
Neither does the municipality have a
dog catcher nor a dog pound.
The police can identify a dog at
large by its tag and summons the
owner to pay the penalty. Presumably
the dog will be allowed by the police
to continue to roam after the identifica-
tion has been completed.
But where does the summons go
if a dog carries no tag or has no
owner?
Will stray dogs be allowed to go
their merry way because nobody knows
who they are or will police carry out
on-the-spot executions?
A sensible approach to dog control
would be immediate impounding of
dogs at large and their destruction —
not sale for experimental purposes —
after a brief opportunity for an owner
to claim his pet — dog or cat.
This would serve the purpose of
prevailing upon owners to keep their
pets confined, to eliminate stray ani-
mals and contribute to the battle
against the spread of rabies.
Town council has been told it is
impossible to hire a dog catcher which
is difficult to understand. Usually if a
job pays enough it will attract some-
body.
Huron County may find it impos-
sible to operate a county-wide control
for, the same reason that its member
municipalities have failed to implement
a positive solution — lack of personnel
and the expense.
However, if the money collected
in dog taxes in each municipality were
contributed to a central coffer maybe
an effective approach could be made
to keeping pets within the law.
— The Goderich Signal-Star
tainwearnrariza4•,,Z.<41:
Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924
exeler'Zintes-Abuocale
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
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Publishers: J. M. Southcott, R. M. Southcott
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Phone 235-1331
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Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ont.
Authorized at Setond Class Malt, Post Office bep't, Ottawa,
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Paid in Advance Circulation, September 30, 1966, 4,427
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14.•!•14•41i•-
LOT NO, 5
In the County of Huron, there's to me a dear spot,
Near the village of Kippen, number 5 is the lot.
In the township of Stanley, a mile or more west,
There's where I was born and in childhood loved best.
To this unbroken forest, with trees every kind,
Came a youth pioneer, strong in body and mind.
He in time cleared some acres, built a house and a barn
Then married a lass, from a neighboring farm.
The fame of this grand Huron Tract sounded far,
Neighbors soon settled near, names such as Kyle, Slater, Carr.
The Bullocks and Whitemans, Hollingshead, Dick and McLean
Deed of lot no. 5 was John Anderson's claim.
This hard working couple, shared labour and joys,
To this happy union, came six girls and four boys.
The family now scattered and all of them wed,
The youngest son Arthur, now owns the homestead.
There were Margaret, Wm, Jessie, Frances, John Maitland& Grace,
Albert, Arthur and Jennie, then five years of a space.
Then the joy, a wee girl, Clara Elizabeth her name
Completed the family of Anderson fame.
How oft have we marvelled at the stories they'd tell
In the woods traced their herds, by the cow with the bell.
How the neighbors would gather at evening to sing,
How they danced to the tune of a home-made violin.
In those woods, winds the Hayfield, at the rear of the farm.
There we romped and picked posies for Mother, unharmed.
To the dear swimming hole, on its cross-logs we'd play,
Fancied echo of laughter wafts to me today.
Such haunts as the spring and the butter-nut tree,
See chipmunk and squirrel, hear birds and wild bees.
To a lightning split maple, that grew on the flats,
We poked sticks in the crevice and scared out the bats,
To Lot No. Five I return once a year,
We're made welcome, yet memories oft cause a tear.
Nothing seems quite the same when your parents not there
And for all that is gone simply breathe out a prayer.
Different house, more out buildings, page fence, better drains,
Now a car hums along down the maple-tree lane.
The line gate is gone, the milkstand's not there,
Just a Post Box where carriers each day leaves the mail.
There's a time comes to all when it's not just a farm,
To the home land up yonder, that's where we belong.
As our family assemble in His heavenly fold,
With each name on His charter in letters of gold.
We never quite know, where our lot may be cast.
We shall reap what we sow, death claims all at last.
Let us follow the gleam of His infinite love,
Redeemed, dwell with Christ in His Mansion above.
Just can't
win 'em all
While Brotherhood Week has
passed for another year, the
aims and objectives of the Can-
adian Council of Christians and
Jews in using the week to foster
brotherhood throughout the year,
should be met in part in this
area due to the work of the AOTS
Men's Club at James Street Un-
ited Church in Exeter.
For several years now, this
group has invited members of
all faiths in the area to attend
a special banquet, and the grow-
ing numbers in attendance in-
dicates indeed that any evidence
of religious discrimination in
this area is being overcome.
We've proven through the years
we can play, work, sing, study
and laugh together, and it is
now encouraging to see that it
is being proven that we can
worship together.
The fact that we can laugh
together was vividly established
due to the wit of the guest speak-
er at the event, the Rev. Noble
Hatton, Toronto, Regional Dir-
ector for Ontario of the Canadian
Council of Christians and Jews.
A couple of his stories are
worth re-telling.
One concerned U.S. President
Johnson, who, feeling a bit fed
up with the constant criticism
of his policies, dismissed his
usual entourage and headed for
a Washington park.
His travels took him to the
Lincoln Memorial, and while sit-
ting there, he looked up at his
famous predecessor and asked
if he had any advice to help him
in his troubled times.
The reply came back from the
monument: "did you ever con-
sider going to the theatre?"
Another incident told by th e
former RCAF padre concerned a
young soldier who presented two
letters to be scrutinized by his
padre, who served as censor
for all mail.
One letter had been addressed
to the man's wife and the other
50 YEARS AGO
Pte Elmore Harness, who has
been recuperating from wounds
at the hospital in Reading, is
expected home almost any time.
The prophets who fore-
shadowed the present winter were
hopeless failures but it looks
as though the ground hog theory
is going to hold good.
The telegraphic report re-
ceived this Wednesday (March
1) states that the franchise has
been extended to all women in
Ontario of the age of 21 years.
Mr. Southcott of the Exeter
Times occupied the pulpit in
the Crediton Methodist church
Sunday Morning in the absence
of Rev. C. W. Baker, Who is ill.
25 YEARS AGO
Mrs. William Mair of Thames
Road won the grand prize of
$1,000 in an Oxydol contest,
Mr. & Mrs. William Baker
will on Saturday, March 7 cele-
brate their 54th wedding annie
Versary.
AC2 Allen Penhale of Montain
View near Belleville spent Tues-
day with his parents, Mr. & Mrs.
Asa Penhale.
Winning championships is get-
ting to be a habit with the Ltican
Irish. Per the third year in a
row they have grabbed first place
in hockey,
was to go to a sweetheart he had
met. However, he had placed
them in the wrong envelopes.
The padre noticed the grave
error and called the lad back to
allow him to correct the situ-
ation, but the cleric was informed
that the switch had been made
intentionally.
"After this I hope to be free
of both of them," the soldier
said in explanation.
He followed that one up with
a story of an unemployed Boston
Irishman who, in searching for
work to feed his family, finally
took a job as a replacement in
a zoo for a popular baboon that
had died.
Putting on the hide of the
animal, he was placed in a cage
and enjoyed his work for some
time, making the children laugh
and eating their gifts of peanuts
and other goodies.
However, one day a group of
older boys started throwing rocks
at him, and in his rage he start-
ed to yell 'at them in English,
whereon the lion in the next
cage came in and really sent
the Irishman into fright and yell-
ing for help.
With this the lion turned to
him and said:"shut up you fool,
you're not the only Irishman in
Boston out of work".
In conclusion, the story that
drew the greatest response con-
cerned a young man who was
seeking a wife, but was having
a difficult task because he had to
find one exactly like his mother.
Most of those he brought home
had some fault mother didn't
approve of, but finally he found
one that was similar in every
respect, and his mother con-
sidered her to be the proper
choice.
However, there was one slight
p r ob 1 e m. The lad's father
couldn't stand to have her around
the house.
* * * *
We've attended a number of
"At-Home" dances at SHDHS
15 YEARS AGO
Tom Pryde MLA for Huron
has been appointed deputy-whip
for the PC's at Toronto.
The local basketball league
came to a close Friday when
Exeter girls played hostesses
to the Mitchell teams with the
local girls emerging victorious
thus the local girls end up on
top of the tri-school loop with a
3-1 record.
Organization of the Red Cross
campaign to raise $1,000 in this
district has been completed and
canvassers are starting their
house to house collections.
10 YEARS AGO
A lone yellow Harvard gave a.
farewell salute to the Centralia
control tower as the final course
of Flying Training School cadets
graduated from Centralia.. This
marked the end of nine and a half
years continuous post war flying
instruction on Harvard aircraft
that graduated 1,800 NATO pilots.
The second three-act play pre-
sented by Exeter and District
Players' Guild 44 Father's Been to
Mars" drew an attendance of over
750 at the two-night performance
in SHDIIS auditorium,
A contract was left for the
Complete redecoration of the
interior of Trivltt Memorial Ang-
lican Church to A. W. R. Mc-
Dougall, Toronto, Saturday,
in the past, and while the dec-
orations have always been sup-
erb, this year's crew of design-
ers overshadowed them all.
The students chose an "Alice
in Wonderland" theme and ob-
viously spent many hours in
creating an atmosphere that re-
created the enchantment found by
the heroine in the fairytale.
Despite the severe storm, a
large number of students and
recent grads were in attendance,
although the number of teachers
on hand must have been dis-
appointing to the students.
We still haven't.figured out how
the kids get any 'enjoyment out
of their dancing style, but we did
learn that 'it can create some
problems for other dancers.
As you know, the kids stand
about three feet away from their
partners and move their legs and
arms in various patterns, but
seldom stray more than an inch
or two away from their place on
the floor.
Steering the better half through
the maze of dancers didn't appear
to be such a difficult trick, until
she politely pointed out we had
just gone between two partners.
With that, we decided it was best
to watch those "rock numbers—
or whatever they were—from the
sidelines.
Depending upon your vantage
point, the weekend storm did have
a few humorous moments,
although to be sure it wasn't
safe to laugh at the victims in
some of the incidents.
While on the way to work
Saturday morning, we stopped
to talk to a few businessmen
on the west side of Main St.,
who were up to their necks in
snow and shovelling furiously.
Much of their exuberance was
caused by the fact they were
slightly infuriated.
Seems most of them had been
out bright and early and had just
about completed their task of
clearing the sidewalks, when the
department of highways plow
came along and dumped it—along
with some more—right back on
their doorsteps.
Naturally we sympathized with
them, because it was rather ob-
vious that any other emotional
display such as smiling would
have been met with a good crack
on the head with a snow shovel.
We also have a word of ex-
planation for the driver of the
snow plow, who appeared to think
the men were waving at him when
he made a return run back the
other side.
The men -had their hands in the
air, but if he had looked closely,
he would have noticed their fists
were clenched.
LETTERS a. EDITOR
His view
Exeter, Ontario.
Feb. 23, 1967.
Dear Sir:
If Exeter did nothing to mark
Canada's centennial except fluor-
idate the water supply, subse-
quent generations of local resi-
dents would still have cause to
consider this step the most pro-
gressive, unselfish action of most
other possible alternatives.
The medical and dental pro-
fession have shown themselves
enthusiastically behind this
measure with the exception of a
few, who, however vocal they may
be, will not in the end prevent
BY DEBBIE ANDERSON
RR 2, liensall
After many months of eager
anticipation, 1967 our centennial
year, has finally started off with
festive occasions occurring all
over Canada.
It seemed to me, as a teen-
ager, that there was nothing I
could possibly do. I had spec-
ulated over several projects that
had already been suggested at
school but above everything else
I had wanted mine to be unique
and interesting. It then occurred
to me that right next to me was
a centennial farm, and on top of
this, it is the farm of my an-
cestors.
The original Anderson farm is
geographically situated on the
south boundary of Stanley Town-
ship, Lot 5. It then consisted of
fifty acres. A tributary of the
Hayfield River passed through
its thick bushland.
In those days it was a perfect
situation for a farm. The loam
soil was very fertile and thus a
great many crops could be grown.
Kippen, then a young and pros-
perous village, was just two miles
away. This village was very im-
portant as it provided excellent
grain elevators and flour mills.
Gilbert Anderson purchased
the uncleared lot from the Canada
Company in 1846. It took a year
to clear enough land to build a
log cabin.
John, Gilbert's son, a young boy
of seventeen, then bought the farm
from his father for the small sum
of one dollar.
John had been born in Kirkin-
tilloch Dumbarton Shire, Scot-
land, and had come with his
parents, two brothers and seven
sisters, at the age of four to
Lanark County in 1833. They
resided there for several years.
In 1858 John Anderson married
Francis Whiteman, a native of
Glengarry County. Four boys and
six girls were born to this mar-
I don't know whether it's the
weather, but certain species pro-
liferate in this country with the
rapidity of rabbits. One is the
chairman of committees. There's
one for every snowbank in the
nation. Another is the guest
speaker. There's one at the bot-
tom of every barrel. And another
is the canvasser. In some
smaller communities, there are
more canvassers than non-can-
vassers.
A canvasser is a weak-willed
person who can be talked into
asking other people for money
for a 41Good Cause," or even,
more popularly, a +(Worthy
Cause." The number of Worthy
Causes in this country is only
_ .
this measure being adopted in all
towns and cities in modern coun-
tries.
Exeter has the opportunity to
lead ItS fellow emnitunities in
this respect, The question is
whether it has enough citizens
with year 2057 viewpoint or
whether 186/ WOuldelasSifyInest
Of its citizens more accurately.
Yours very truly,
W. G. Huntley.
riage during their years on the
farm, William, John, Arthur, Al-
bert. Margaret, Jessie, Fannie,
Grace, Jennie and Clara. Five of
these ten children left Canada,
hoping for a brighter future in
the vast United States.
In 1889 the present house was
built, directly behind the old log
house. When Arthur, the youngest
son, was 33, he married Eliza-
beth Clark of Hensall and they
moved into the present house.
John, Arthur's father had died
in 1902 and his widow left the
farm to live at Kippen with her
daughter Clara, where she lived
until her death in 1933.
Arthur and Elizabeth, my
grandparents, lived on the farm
for nearly 50 years. They had
five children, John, Emerson,
Olive, Elva and Frances. In 1936
Elva died at the age of 26 and on
January the third, 1967, Olive
passed away.
On January 25, 1957, Grand-
father, at the age of 82, was
killed in a car accident not more
than five miles away from home.
Grandma then moved off the farm
and went to live with her two
daughters.
John, my father, then bought
the farm in 1959. Many years
before, 33 acres had been added
to the original fifty acres and it
now consists of 83 acres.
On August 21, 1966, Grandma
passed away at the age of 82
after suffering from a stroke.
The house is now deserted but
fond memories of my grand-
parents still linger within its
dark and gloomy walls. A hun-
dred and twenty-one years of
Anderson history has gone by
and I hope one hundred and
twenty-one more years will fol-
low.
My Great Aunt Grace wrote a
poem many years ago about this
farm and it sums up all my
feelings.
exceeded by the number of back-
boneless birds of both sexes
who allow themselves to be put
on the list of canvassers.
And I know whereof I speak.
In my day I have canvassed for
the blind, the retarded, the re-
sort owners, the Red Cross, the
Salvation Army and eleventeen
other Worthy Causes, About the
only thing I haven't done is sell
cookies for the Girl Guides.
And I've hated every minute
of it. The trouble is that the
average Canadian citizen heart-
ily detests the handing over of
cash for an intangible. At heart
he's a generous soul. He knows
the Red Cross does good work,
for
that o sioe mething should be done
blind and that we need
a school for retarded children.
But he can't eat them, smoke
them, drink them, or even.at-
tach them to his car. Therefore,
the fellow who will fling down
a ten in the liquor store as
though he grew the lettuce, will
dourly, head shaking, peel Off
a couple of thin one-spots Or
the Sally Ann. The housewife,
who buys her weeds by the oar.,
ton, will spend 20 minutes look
Please turn to page 5
ONE OF A SERIE'S
OF CENTENNIAL REPORTS
Found project
very handy