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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1967-03-09, Page 4In favor of an untidy desk exeferZimeo-Usocale SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND Member: C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A., C.C.N.R. and ABC Publishers: J. M. Southcott, R. M. Southcott Editor: Bill Batten Advertising Manager: Howie Wright Phone 235.1331 ONE OF A SERIES OF CENTENIAL REPORTS Churches in Usborne Doesn't make sense By ERNEST J. PYM, RR 3 Exeter Member, Huron Historical Society Exeter Councillor Ted Wright had some well-founded criticism for the de- partment of highways last week when he said they weren't thinking clearly in not encouraging the town to move hydro lines off Main St. His statements came as council learned the department would not pay their anticipated share of moving the present lines between Gidley St. and the river to back lots, and also the placing of services for the new street lights underground. This is obviously a move that will enhance the appearance of the highwiv through town; will remove hazards for drivers who from time to time have smashed into poles after losing control of their vehicles, and also facilitates snow removal. While we agree with the decision of council and the MC to continue with their plan and share the added cost, we would urge them to make further representation to the depart- ment in an effort to have them review their policy in this regard. Surely they can see the advantages to be gained. Will they take aduantage? Similar to most of us, farmers of- ten complain about their lot in life, and yet fail to take advantage of the opportunities designed to help improve themselves and their industry in gen- eral. It's a well proven fact that most people can find plenty of energy to complain and criticize but can't find the ability to channel that energy into constructive action. An event slated for Huron County this weekend will prove that point again, as we would probably be opti- mistic in making a prediction that only 500 farmers in the entire county will be on hand for the second annual Ag- ricultural Conference scheduled for Fri- day and Saturday in Clinton, The Agricultural Conference will cover a wide range of topics related to the farming industry and it is safe to say that regardless of the type of farm- ing any particular farmer does, there will be something of interest for him. Friday's meeting will feature pres- entations by 13 major Canadian chemi- cal companies, as they will be telling by words, slides and movies what their chemicals can do in improving produc- tion of crops and livestock. Obviously, that's information ev- ery farmer should have and it's all available by merely taking one day off his usual chores. This will be followed up by six different topics on Saturday, covering such things as drainage, crop insur- ance, hydro investments, unemploy- ment insurance, dairying, sugar beets and operating agreements. Here again, these are topics de- signed to provide needed information to men in a complex industry that in- deed does bring hardships to those un- prepared to take advantage of the wide range of tests and recommendations available. Attendance at the Agricultural Conference won't guarantee success for any farmer, but it can certainly be a helpful step towards that goal. He's awaiting your delivery This young baseball player awaits pitcher's delivery—and also yours—so when he hits this two-strike count he can circle the bases. You can help him by returning your Easter Seals contribution to the Exeter Lions. This lad has no fear of striking out—so don't you. He and 16,000 other crippled boys and girls are counting on you. Don't call it a squabble in 1900, It was served by Rev. Edward E. Newman, first incum- bent pastor from 1862-66. His clear hand writing can be seen in the original register which is still in use today. There was a church on lot 25, concession 2, Usborne, known as Bethesda. We have been un- able to locate the dates of this church; however, the cemetery deed is July 22, 1857. The members of Rehoboth closed their church in 1884. It was located at lot 9, concession 10. They then bought the Wesley- an Methodist church at Elimville and moved it to Sunshine corner in Usborne on lot 11, concession 10. It was then known as the Sunshine Methodist church and opened for service on Christmas Sunday, 1884. Sunshine church was closed in 1926 owing to the s carcity of worker s in the congregation. Members joined the church union and sold their building by auc- tion. The Eden church was dedicat- ed in 1862 and closed 48 years later in 1910. It was located on lot 5, concession 3. The Whalen United Church was formed from the union of two churches the or ig in al Free- will (Bible Christian, later Meth- odist) Church and the Bethel (Wesleyan). The materials from both were used in building the Whalen struc- ture, opened in late 1907 on land donated by the late John Morley. The Zion United Church cele- brated its centennial in 1965. In 1939, the church became part of the Woodham charge and has since been known as the Zion West United Church. In 1956, a bequest of $5,000 spurred the congregation to match it with a similar amount of cash and labor, making it pos- sible to completely renovate the church. The Quaker church was situat- ed on lot 30, north-east boundary concession. McTaggart's cemet- ery is on the same farm. From 1850 to 1875 it was a log struc- ture and was later moved to a Kercher farm. There was another church on lot 16, north-east boundary con- cession, but we were unable to verify this information except to prove that one did exist there. over 20 percent :and this is the figure which the board has to consider. As we have stated before, it is our opinion that wage increas- es of 20 percent or greater are just not realistic and our opin- ion on that regard remains un- changed. The board's offer of a 10 per- cent increase — exclusive of an- nual increments appears gen- erous. MORMONS HERE A Mormon church was situated on lot A, concession 6. The land was given by the Jacques family and is presently owned by Cliff Jacques, a great-grandson. We understand there was a church at Ebenezer (1 1/4 miles east of Exeter on Huron St.) and a cemetery. All that remains now is a cairn on lot 16, concession ;df ot4etta4 • • 2. There are those who fear that the "squabbling" over teachers' salaries undermines their posi- tion in relation to the students, and while this may well be, we know no reason why negotiations should be considered as "squab- bles". In our system of free enter- prise there is no need for any- one to look down their noses at the fact teachers may not be satisfied with their present sal- ary scales, or that the boards may not agree to the demands of the teachers. Negotiations between employ- ers and employees are going on around us all the time, and obviously there is no degrading of teachers just because they are in it with the rest of us. There's no reason why there shouldn't be some hard-nosed negotiations between these two groups, as long as it is main- tained on a high level, and doesn't degenerate into the type of at- titude we find on many other levels of salary talks. We have yet to hear of any animosity being carried on after negotiations at the local level in the past and those that fear any harm from such negotiations cause most of it themselves when they refer to it as "squabbles". It has never reached the point where it could be described in such terms locally, and we trust it never will. The following is a brief anthol- ogy of those churches in Usborne Township which have developed, from the early settlement days. I realize that subsequent con- tributors to this column will treat their individual congrega- tions' histories in greater detail. This article is not intended to "steal their thunder" but it 'is designed as an introductory view of the role religion had in the formation of the area population. The information is derive d from historical documents, at- lases, church records and inter- views with many knowledgeable persons whose assistance has been invaluable. The churches will not always be mentioned according to the dates of establishment; some are unknown and some are on the boundary of the township or just outside. One of the first dedications was of the Bible Christian Church on February 24, 1856, on the present site of the Exeter post office. Some say this followed service being held either in a church or homes near Devon Corners where Thomas May settled in 1833. The church and school in Us- borne were on the London Road north of Exeter, the former be- ing the Presbyterian Church at Rogerville (Huron Atlas 1879). We cannot find the exact position of this church, but the atlas shows a church on lot one, concession one, Tuckersmith. Also a Rev. Logie is shown as owner of lot two. The Caven congregation was organized in 1861 by the Rev. John Logie, who was then pastor of Warrensville (later known as Rogerville) and the Thames Road charge. The reason given for its or- ganization was that "owing to the distance from a place of worship over bad roads" it was thought expedient to form a con- gregation in Francistown (now Exeter North). Rev. Logie was born and edu- cated in Scotland and ranked high among pioneer ministers in Western Ontario. In the same year (1861) a union of Presby- terian Churches was effected in Canada. The people of Kirkton were desirous of having services in their locality; steps were taken to proceed with the building of a church at Kirkton and at the same time seek connection with the Thames Road station which was now demitted by the Rev. John Logie. On October 3, 1862, the stone church was built at Kirkton, lot 5, north-east boundary conces- sion, Usborne, and closed 1933. The present Thames Road United Church was built in 1881. On the same site was the pre- vious Thames Road Presbyterian church which held its first ser- vices in 1861. There was a Methodist church across the road known as Beth- any, dating back to 1868. There was a very happy relationship between the members of the two churches. Heading the list of "subscribers" at the opening of the Bethany church appears the name Rev. Henry Gracey, then minister of the Thames Road Presbyterian church. At a time when this country can ill afford to lose any of its great states- men, the death of Governor-General George Vanier certainly comes as a deep blow that should be felt by all Canadians from coast to coast. Words seem to fall short in de- scribing this man, who brought to his office an understanding heart and mind that enabled him to reach out and contribute so much. While the office he held is consid- ered by most to be that of a mere figure-head, Mr. Vanier certainly rose above this description, and with his ever gracious wife, will be long remem- bered for his quick smile, understand- ing heart, generosity and deep concern for all persons regardless of their sta- tion in life, He was a humble servant, but at the same time did not hesitate to air his views on the needs and challenges facing Canadians, and some of his words will live to provide us with a frequent reminder of a truly great Ca- nadian. No man can attain a greater goal than to have his example live on favor- ably in the hearts and minds of others. At Kirkton there was a church erected in 1869. The present church was built in 1888 and at one time was the focal point of a six-circuit charge. We also found that there were two Methodist churches in Wood- ham, a "primitive" Methodist about 1884 and also a "new con- nection" Methodist. The latter was a log church built some time between 1857 and 1860, re- placed by a brick church in 1870. The present church was built in 1906. One of the most interesting stories concerns religion in Win- chelsea and Elimville, started by the Andrew family who came from Devonshire between 1840 and 1850. There was George Andrew and his son, Samuel, and Samuel's wife Elizabeth. They took up farming on concession 7 near a cluster of farms that was -- Please turn to page 5 DESTROYED In 1924, the church was de- stroyed by a wind storm and rendered unfit for service. Mem- bers then attended various churches until church union in 1925 when Thames Road Pres- byterian became the United Church. St. Paul's Anglican Church, Kirkton, was erected in 1862 and the present structure was built • limes Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 Piper was given by pupils of Grade 11 of Exeter High School with Dorothy Green as reader; Mayor, Gerald Campbell; coun- cillors, Douglas Pryde, Winston Shapton and Ray Stewart; pied piper, Lloyd Smith; rats in cos- tume, John page, Robert Nichol, Calvin Fahrner; little lame boy, Lewis Tasko. The orchestra comprises H. L. Sturgis, pianist; Gerald Lawson, trumpet; Allan Elston, violin; John Size, saxophone; HarryJef- fery, guitar; Nell Jones, string bass with Miss Marguerite Ho- garth as soloist. 50 YEARS AGO The assessor is on his annual tour of the township so keep the dog in the cellar. The Dollar Day fad is becoming very common in towns and cities and our merchants will have to get busy if they want to be in the swim. Clayton Sims, Crediton, has been busy of late cutting up wood for townsmen. The buck- saw is almost a thing of the past or is it because we don't like work? Mr. Morris Wexler, who has been conducting a junk business here for several years, will leave here to conduct a similar busi- ness in Windsor. Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ont. loL o man gialinflanszittr Ili - et. '6",vsonp[o5 (Om° AUttiorlied as Second Class Mail, Kitt Office Deo% Otte**, and for Payment of Postage in Cash Teachers' salaries roared back into the headlines this past week when information leaked out that some 20 to 25 school boards in Western Ontario had formed a combine in an effort to hold in- creases to a maximum of eight percent for some 2,000 teachers employed by the boards in ques- tion. This immediately drew threats that the teachers would counter- attack by forming into large groups themselves, thereby pre- senting the possibility of a head- on clash with two large bargain- ing units. It has been suggested this could create giant troubles, but really it is not far removed from the situation as it now stands. In ef- fect, the teachers are bargain- ing as a group across Ontario and to an extent — although per- haps somewhat less — the boards are doing the same things. This is clearly pointed out in the fact that teachers in Ontario range only from $100 to $200 dif- ference in their present salary scales, with the exception of some isolated instances. Both the teachers and the board at SHDHS are fed constant in- formation from their respective associations listing the figures being negotiated between their counterparts in Ontario. At the present time, the teach- ers hold the upper hand in negoti- ations because there is a shortage of instructors in Ontario, and the move by the boards to unite is an apparent attempt to eliminate the past practice of boards cutting each others throats with salary boosts to entice teachers their way. This combine shouldn't be met with too much opposition on the part of the teachers, because it really is just putting the boards into the same bargaining position enjoyed by the teachers. However, we do question the apparent ',cloak and dagger" techniques which surrounded the formation of the combine, which by the way, representatives of SHDHS have attended, but have not signed any agreements that they will only offer what the other boards in the combine are offering. If the boards want to prove that their move is justifiable, they should have made it without call- ing secret meetings that suggest in some respect they were up to some form of sculduddery. It is only natural that such back-room gatherings would draw criticism from the teachers and this only creates art atmos- phere that is not conducive to the type of friendly, realistic negoti- ations one should expect between two such groups. However, the teachers are not exactly without some guilt in their presentation to the boards and their apparent attempt locally to make people think they are asking for only a 14 pertent pay increa se is distorting the facts. Before they even started figur- ing the increase, they suggested their rates of pay should be brought up to the median of On- tario salaries and this added from $100 to $200 before the 14 percent increase was figured Out, In addition, they fail to Make mention of their annual increm- ent of $300. So, their 14 percent request quickly changes into a range of Paid in Advance Circulation, September 30, 1966, 4,427 Just the other night we had a talk at our Honor Banquet which left me rather perplexed. It was an interesting, at times exciting, address by one of our Captains of Industry. No less than the President of one of our biggest producers of processed foods. A big cheese, one might say, in the vernacular. American owned, needless to say. Perhaps I should explain what the Honor Banquet is. It's an occasion when the students who have obtained 75 per cent or more the previous year are hon- ored, along with their parents. Again, needless to say, it is dull. There's nothing much to say except that these kids are in the top 25 per cent, which even they can figure out. And the "banquet" runs more to potato salad, a bottle of milk at each place, and cold cuts, than it does to Falernian wine, Lobster Thermidor and Baked Alaska. But it's a gesture, anyway. The athletes get a banquet, with cups, trophies, letters and heart- iness. The kids in drama and music get applause when they perform. Least we can do is honor the bright and indus- trious. Trouble is, they don't get a chance to show, at the banquet, how bright and industrious they are. Instead they get a Guest Speaker. This would be enough to keep me from making the Honor Roll. And apparently my daughter feels the same, as she didn't make it this year. Second problem is, the Guest Speaker feels he Must inspire the kids. It's a tough audience, A hundred-odd kids, their proud patents, and about 100 teachers and spouses. I know whereof I speak. I was Guest Speaker a couple of years ago. What kind of a talk do you give? Well, this chap, with the best intentions in the world, scared SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada WOO Per Year; USA $7.00 the wits out of the kids. If I'd been on the Honor Roll, 17, in Grade 12, I'd have walked right out of there and started swill- ing booze or gobbling sugar cubes loaded with LSD. This fellow was an honest, hard-hitting, 105 per cent capi- talist, and I admired him for it. I don't like pussy-footers, But his talk was obviously aimed at a sales convention, with some concessions to the kids. First, he painted a horror picture of the world they would take over: population explosion; starvation: it's all yours kids. A few commercials here, about the food company. Then he outlined a frighten- ing pair of alternatives: pro- duce or you're out. And he ex- plained, with a certain amount of pride, how ruthless an exec- utive like himself has to be, when someone is not up to scratch, (I'm probably being un- fair. He is noted as a tough, but fair man). He talked about hitting with a sledgehammer, rather . than a fea- ther. He talked about choosing goals and pursuing them fiercely. He said that if you got up Mon- day morning, and hated the thought of going to work, you should switch into something else. He talked about money: giving statistics for annual earnings depending on education, from el- ementary to college degree. Tea- chers perked up a bit here, when he said $11,000 for a university degree, and they average about $7,000. The point is that everything he said was eminently sensible. If you happened to be a sales- man bucking for sales manager or vice-president, But his talk troubled me. Change the terms Slightly, and what do you have? It was against everything I believe, and try to --Please turn to page 5 25 YEARS AGO Mr. E. A, Howald has taken a position in the grocery depart- ment of Southcott Bros. to re- place Mr. Gordon Appleton who resigned. Miss Elizabeth Galloway, tea- cher of French at Port Colborne High School, motored 150 miles after school Friday to be present at the induction of her father, 'IRV, John Galloway, in Caven Presbyterian church that even- ing. She was accompanied by her sister, Miss Agnes Galloway, a teacher of home economics in London schools. A dratnatiza.tion of the Pied 15 YEARS AGO Dr. C. BordenSanders, agrad- uate of Exeter schools, has been awarded a fellowship in the Royal College of Physicians of Canada. Some 300 parents took the op- portunity to see their children and their children's teachers in reg- ular classes at the new Exeter Public School's first open house Wednesday afternoon. A cheque for $600 was pres- ented to Elmer D. Bell for the South Huron Hospital from the local chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority at the annual balloon ball Tuesday night. Volunteer laborers are re- modelling Stephen's township hall at Crediton and preparing to make -- Please turn to page 5 ,•.;eana(4.5 V.92.1":"cYrsg:::.4.:::(...2.6...05;w ';