HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1973-06-28, Page 33Section 2, Page *13 THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE JUNE 28, 1973
Had themselves real ball in 1935
Jottings by JMS
April 5, 1962
One of the outstanding ac-
complishments to mark the
occasion of the Old boy's reunion
in the summer of 1935 was the
building of the two stone pillars at
the south entrance to the town.
One of, the pillars bears the in-
scription to the memory of the
first white settler, James Willis,
a native of Ireland, who came to
this district in 1832,
The other pillar is a memorial
to the first council. Isaac Carling
was the first reeve. Michael
Eacrett was the first municipal
clerk and William Sanders the
first postmaster.
A clean-up paint-up campaign
was launched and flowers
planted to brighten up the town.
Two stone pillars were built at
the entrance to Riverview Park,
Reception in library
A reception for the visitors was
held in the public library. Hung
on its walls was a wonderful
display of old photographs and
the old boys recalled many fond
memories from this collection.
On Sunday the pulpits of the
town were filled with Old Boys
and the choirs were filled with
Old Boys and Old Girls. It was a
great day for the old choir
members to sing again with the
choirs they had sung with many
years before.
Sunday afternoon was
decoration day at the cemetery.
Hundreds of people came to lay
flowers on the graves of departed
loved ones.
Monster procession
On Monday afternoon there
was a grand parade about two
miles long. In it were business
floats, comic floats and
decorated cars. Old fashioned
bicycles and all sorts of queer
looking vehicles found their way
into the parade. Music from three
bands enlivened the occasion
along with the antics of the
calithumpians.
In the evening a civic reception
was held in James T. UC. Chief
Justice Martin, of Saskatchewan
and Hon. J.G. Gardiner, of
Ottawa, replied to the reeve's
address of welcome.
A street carnival got into full
swing each evening and con-
tinued to the wee small hours,
On Tuesday there was a band
tattoo with five bands taking part
and in the evening there were
fireworks.
On Tuesday morning hundreds
of former pupils gathered at the
school, the highlight of which was
the presentation of an album
containing hundreds of greeting
cards and a tooled leather purse
with a cheque to Miss Clara
Vosper, a former beloved school
teacher.
Wednesday, the final day of the
reunion, saw the largest crowd in
town to attend the horse races. At
the farewell dance that evening
the crowds paraded in old-
fashioned costumes and everyone
seemed to let their hair down to
enjoy the last night of a reunion
that all agreed was an
unqualified success.
Long Procession of Decorated
Floats and Cars.
The program on Monday began
with a monster parade of floats,
decorated cars, calithumpians,
etc. at one p.m. to the fair
grounds. This was followed by
two patriotic drills, Then came a
ball game between Hamilton and
Stratford teams. In the evening
there was an old-time fiddlers
contest and street dance, the
merry-makers leaving the scene
'about three o'clock in the mor-
ning.
The parade formed at Victoria
Park and headed- by two
motorcycle policemen marched
Exeter Band of forty pieces.
Patriotic floats by the High and
P.S. girls came next followed by
decorated floats that were most
attractive and consisted of a Ford
V8, a car from Saskatchewan;
with C. Stewart, Bill Chambers,
Mrs, Browning and Snell Bros. all
with beautifully decorated cars.
Commercial floats were
represented by H.C. Rivers,
butcher; E.R. Hopper, furniture;
Traquair's Hardware, Coates'
Machine Shop; Canadian Can-
ners; Tuckey Transport, British
American Oil, Stewart Bros;
Leavitt's Theatre, Jones & May,
Simon's blacksmith, with the
veteran wood-worker John
Dignan assisting; Winer Bros,
truckers; Cunningham and
Pryde, cemetery memorials,
Sandy Elliot and five Ford
models beginning with 1907 of
open top buggy style, then 1914,
1921 1928 and 1935.
The comics contained the
Dionne Quintuplets, barber Shop,
Maggie and Jiggs the old spin-
ning wheel, boys with a goat and
boys with dogs.
One of the attractions was a
buggy bought in Philadelphia in
1863 and used by Rev. Mr. Gracie
when pastor at Thames Road
church. This was followed by one
made by John Campbell in
London, Canada West, in 1865.
Rev. Acheson with his Kazoo
band of Old Boys and Girls at-
tracted much attention, The
Forest Boys Band and the
Woodham Fife Band were also in
the line of march.
Among the oldest residents in
the parade were James Hand-
ford, James Dignan, 93-year-old
pioneer; Mrs. Wm. Whiteford,
91; Mrs. Annie Bedford 89, who is
the oldest of five generations, all
living and these were presented
to the audience. Mr, and Mrs.
John Cornish, born in 1852 and
1857 and married 67 years, were
the oldest married couple, while
Mr, and Mrs. Alfred Hunkin, with
a combined age of 173 years have
been married 55 years.
At the grounds many appeared
in national fancy or comic
costumes. The Exeter band
played for a very elaborate and
precisely executed drill given by
the junior high and senior public
school girls under the direction of
Miss Alma Brown, of the high
school staff.
Hamilton Wins From Stratford.
Justice Martin of Regina
Premier Gardiner, of Saskat-
chewan. Senator Tom of Ohio,
and W.H. Golding M.P., Seaforth,
officiated at the opening of the
baseball game between Hamilton
and Stratford teams, which was
won by the Hamilton nine by a
score of 8 to 6. The Stratford team
was leading by four runs whve in
the middle of the game they
changed pitchers and in two
innings the Hamilton team went
into the lead.
Clinton, Bob Hatter, Sam Elliott.
Decorated car - Sandy Elliot,
Dr. Browning, Calvert Cham-
bers.
Commercial Truck - E.R.
Hopper, Canadian Canners,
Tuckey Transport
Business truck B.A. Oil,
Leavitt's Theatre.
National float - Miss Brown, T.
Moffa tt,
Trade floats - Wes. Simmons,
F.W, Bawden, Cunningham and
Pryde.
Hand propelled vehicle - Lois
Hunter,
Comic float - Dionnes, 1st;
Violet Willis, 2nd; A Dayman,
3rd.
Old fashioned horse drawn
vehicle Jeffrey and Coates, Asa
Penhale.
Pony outfit - M. McDonald.
Boy and dogcart - Ed.
Anderson, Bill Coleman, Ross
Kercher, Bob Pryde,
Fancy bicycle - Marjorie May.
Calithumpian Band - Beverly
Acheson with his kazoo band.
Oldest car driven by its own
power - Sandy Elliot (1907), Roy
Hunter, H. Klopp.
Best outside band - Woodham
fife band.
Fancy float - Snell Bros.
Unveiling of the Cairns
One of the first ceremonies in
connection with the reunion was
the unveiling of the cairns on the
Highway at the south entrance to
the town. The cairns were built of
stones gathered from the farms
cleared by the pioneers in this
section. One cairn was in
memory of the late James and
Jane Willis, the first settlers in
this community. The other cairn
was in honor of the first
municipal officers following the
incorporation of Exeter as a
village in 1873.
The band paraded to the scene
and Reeve Thos. Pryde acted as
chairman. Mr, Pryde spoke of the
work of the pioneers in making
—Please turn to page 14
Prize Winners
The list of the prize winners in
the Exeter parade as announced
by the judges, Herb Eilber,
Crediton; Laird Mickle, Hensall;
Harry Hoffman, Dashwood and
R.Y. McLean, Toronto is as
follows :
School children - Miss Rowe,
Miss A. Brown.
Oldest person of parade -
James Handferd, 96, Mrs.
William Whiteford, 91.
Couple longest married - Mr.
and Mrs, John Cornish, 67 years;
Mr. and Mrs. Alf. Hunkin 55.
Old fashioned group - Mrs.
Hunter, Mrs. Lorne Love, Mrs.
Preszcator.
Comic character - Jack
Newcombe, 1st; Truman Elliott,
2nd; Ina Elliott and T. James,
3rd.
Fancy dress eostume Tena
McCurdy; 1st; Pear Harpole
(Hensall), 2nd.
, National costume ,- Gloria
to the fairgrounds. The Boy Cann, 1st;.W.Lodder,,2ncb Alma
'Scouts came next carrying the Smith, 3rd,
flag and were followed by the . BeSt crown - Mrs, Gould,
Decorated cars featured Old Boys parade.
Whether You Drive for Pleasure
or business . JOIN THE CROWDS WHO
SAVE on GAS
Savg-U Gas Bar
North of the Bridge Exeter
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