HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1971-05-27, Page 11JAMES WEDGE stands by one of his huge modern vans that move the furniture of -people travelling
from place to place. The 'Daddy of 'Em All' he still tries to give the best service possible. T-A photo
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EXETER
25th ANNIVERSARY
This Week's Specials
"It's the man about the wiring, ma'am?"
It's true, living in any older home without up-to-date wiring just doesn't hold
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The changes that electrical modernization brings will brighten your life
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Thries-Advocate, May 27, 1971
Page 1i
Be g .blood donor, June 14.
STILL SATISFYING CUSTOM-
ERS after 60 years in the mov-
ing business trade, James Wedge
is shown in his office where he
continues to conduct the busi-
ness founded by his grandfather
in 1873. T-A photo
Did You Know when you donate
blood to the Canadian Red Cross
you give about a pint which is less
than a fifteenth of the average
body's blood content. The plasma
portion of the blood is replaced
within 24 hours.
Had to have guts.
Daddy of 'em all still moves 'em
Love s good humor
r
`The Daddy Qf 'Ent All', with 63
million miles of driving, and 60
years of experience and
memories behind him, still
operates the oldest moving
business in Ontario from his
office in Exeter,
James Wedge, whose grand-
father moved Hill the Mover,
another old timer, twice before
Mr. Hill even went into the
business, still heads the family
firm that was founded in 1873.
It was really a 'horse-powered'
affair in those days, and Mr.
Wedge remembers his father had
a stable of 26 beautifully groomed
heavy dray horses at the
beginning of the century.
It was the young Jimmy's job
to put down the bay and straw,
and help look after the teams that
were housed in the firm's livery
barn.
In 1912, the young man, then
about 17 years old, started to
drive one of his father's horse
drawn moving vans.
An unforgettable highlight in
his memory is the buying of their
first motor-powered van in 1916.
Shortly after, Mr. Wedge's father
told him they had a load of fur-
niture to move to Montreal.
"Heck, I didn't even know
where Montreal was," drawls
Mr. Wedge, as he recalls the
excitement he felt.
Excitement gave way to
weariness, however, as the
little van, which could travel no
more than 12 miles per hour,
struggled over unpaved, bumpy,
narrow roads.
"You had to have guts to make
that trip," recalls Mr. Wedge,
"and you prayed to get up the
hills!"
It took two weeks to make the
round trip.
With this initiation behind him,
the young driver was soon sent
out in other directions. Another
trip he remembers vividly was
his first haul to Chicago.
Again, travelling on small hard
tires over treacherous roads, he
says. "It was hell. Sometimes I
thought it was the end of the
world!"
But trucks and roads improved
and soon Jim Wedge was an old
hand at moving furniture to such
far away places as New Mexico,
California, Florida, New York,
Vancouver, and Halifax and
hundreds of places in between.
He took over the business in
1928 and one of the first things he
did was design and build a
'furniture pullman'. Many
families still didn't own cars and
the pullman was equipped with
seats and other facilities to move
the families right along with their
belongings.
Mr. Wedge recalls a trip to
Vancouver with a large family on
board that took 10 days, one way,
travelling about 35 miles per
hour. Stopping at hotels for nights
it was somewhat of a pleasure
trip for everyone.
"I loved the job," he says with
enthusiasm, "I liked to travel and
to meet new people, and I got
tremendous satisfaction of giving
the best service I possibly could.
"It was always the husband
who hired you to do the job, but it
was his wife you had to please,
and she sure didn't want her
belongings delivered upside
down,
"If she was pleased she told her
neighbors, and if she wasn't she
told everybody!"
Pleasing some of the ladies
took a lot of doing. The old-time
mover says he and his helper took
more beds than he can remember
upstairs and carried them back
down again when the woman of
the house couldn't make up her
mind as to their final location,
"But, I didn't mind," he says
cheerfully. "I figure the woman
has the toughest job in the world
... with raising kids and
managing the house. They need
all the help they can get."
He says he remembers driving
24 hours straight "just because
some woman was anxious to get
her kids there."
Long hours were usual for him.
"There were no unions then, We.
just worked to please the
Did You Know the Red Cross
Blood Transfusion Service offers
a free prenatal blood test to check
the Rh-factor of a mother-to-be.
This enables her doctor to be
prepared for any Rh-factor
complications which might arise
during or after the pregnancy.
KJ M
CONSTRUCTION
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for estimates On
farm Buildings and
House Framing
ON MANN
234.6401 CREDITON
people."
All this travelling had another
happy side for the veteran driver.
"I love good humor," he says,
"and hi those days there were all
'kinds of travelling shows."
Trips to other cities, especially
in the United States, gave him
ample opportunities to see acts of
many performers who later
became famous. These included
Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, Jack
Benny, and Charlie Chaplin.
Eddie Cantor was a favorite. "I
often made excuses to stay over
in a city just to see that guy," he
chuckles.
He doesn't see any live shows
now, but enjoys watching a 'good
comic' on TV.
Mr. Wedge gave up driving
about two years ago but he still
'drills it into my boys to give
courteous and efficient service."
Letters tacked to the wall of his
office attest to the satisfaction of
many customers, One states that
the writer, having moved several
times, had never had his chattels
delivered in such good condition
as when Wedge the Mover
transported them.
James Wedge moved from
Hamilton to this area about 20
years ago. His son, Bob, helps
him run the business, and
although he says he is semi-
retired he still makes it to the
office every day.
Asked if during his 60 years in
the moving business he had run
into any problems he couldn't
cope with, he answered, "No, I've
never had any trouble I couldn't
adjust myself to."
And, that's a pretty good
philosophy to live by.
FIRST MOTOR POWERED VAN purchased by the Wedge firm in
1916 travelled at a speed of 12 miles per hour over roads that were
often hazardous. During weekends, the side curtains were rolled up
and the van was used to transport customers to Sunday School
picnics, and other outings. T-A photo
Have 2 doors kept you out
of a Volkswagen?
DESIGNED AND BUILT BY ITS OWNER, James Wedge, this furniture pullman was unique in its day.
It had comfortable seats built up front where the family could sit while they moved right along with
their belongings. T-A photo