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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1973-06-28, Page 41T raded soap for ashes MRS. IDA DINNEY I have been wondering how many people will remember when we had a Cooperage in Exeter. It was located just about where the Legion Hal; is now. The cooper was James Gould. He and his family (wife arid two daughters) lived in their own home where the Exeter Electric building is now. In summer the cooperage was an extra busy place. Mr. Gould, for years, hired two men from London, Jack and Neil McConnell to assist with the work. In those days there was a big demand for apple barrels as most farmers had good orchards: In the fall when the apples were ready to be picked, many far- mers hired apple pickers and you could see apple barrels here and there in the orchards. At one time a Mr. Laing used to buy barrels of apples and ship them. I believe some went overseas. Mr. Gould had another business on the same property- gathering wood ashes. That required a hired man. David • Gillis was one for years. He drove a team of horses which hauled the ash wagon, a large box type and he had a spring seat to sit on. His itinerary comprised a large area of the country surrounding Exeter and also the village itself. In ex- change for your ashes he would give you some "Comfort Soap". When he got his wagon box full he came back to town and unloaded into the ash house. It was quite an extensive building on William St., beyond the big garden behind the Gould house. There was quite a big yard between this part and the cooperage. When the ash house got filled to capacity the ashes were then reloaded and transferred to a car at the railroad station, to be O shipped to some soap-making company, that had bought them. Exeter Times•Advocate, Jan. 12, 1933 New Ford cars now delivered in Exeter, all taxes paid and fully equipped as low as $499.00. Sandy Elliot, We're Mighty Proud to be part of a PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITY We've been providing quality automotive and industrial supplies (Wholesale and Retail) in Exeter for 17 years and look forward to con- tinuing our association as Exeter enters its second century. McKERLIE Automotive Co. Ltd. 319 Main St. 235-1040 January 22, 1953 In the early days there were two volunteer fire departments in Exeter, one in the north and the other down town, and they oc- cupied a more spectacular position in the social life of the community than they do at the present time, The firemen's concerts and the firemen's ball were social events of importance. In the early days there were no screaming motor-driven, highly equipped fire engines to race through town at the sound of an alarm. Instead the fire-fighting equipment was drawn by hand and the number of helpers to pull the engine and the hose reels increased as the crowd assem- bled, Yearly tournaments were held in various cities and prizes awarded. The Exeter firemen competed on different occasions in London, Stratford and Brant- ford and in the latter city carried off top honors in a hose-reel race and brought home a very ex- pensive silver tilter tankard with the following inscription: "Brantford, June 3, 1885: First Prize, International Hose Reel Race" Competition was also keen • between the two Exeter depart- ments, It was a race between them to see' who would be first in operation following the sounding of the alarm. Firemen came first in those reel race' Similar tests were carried out by the Fire Underwriter's Association and the speed in which the test was carried out was taken into consideration in setting the fire insurance rates. The first engine I remember was the pumper, It was drawn by hand and with eight to ten men on each side working the handle bar up and down succeeded in throwing a very creditable stream of water. The water supply was con- tained in a number of un- derground tanks situated at strategic points throughout the village, There was one at Huron street, others at James and John streets and at almost every corner of Main street, They were built so that the rain water from the streets kept them filled. The first fire chiefs that I remember were William Treble in the south and John McLaughlin in the north. When better firefighting facilities were in- stalled in the south the north-end department gradually disap- peared. William Treble was succeeded by James Weekes and Mr. Weekes by the present chief, William Chambers. Mr. Ed Treble son of William Treble, has in his possession a gold-headed ebony walking stick that was won by his father in a popularity contest between Mr. Treble and Mr. McLaughlin. It was the year the Gidley Opera House was opened and at a firemen's concert and a small sum of money was paid for a vote. In 1920 Exeter purchased a new Watrous fire engine known as "the steamer". It was an upright boiler type. Kindling and fuel were set beneath the boiler and when a fire alarm came in the first on the scene would light the fire which burned while the engine was being towed to the fire. If a horse was handy it would be commissioned to help pull the engine. The first test of the engine was made on the banks of the river and two streams were poured across the river. It was then taken to the James Street United Church where a large crowd gathered to see if the engine could throw the water to the top of the church steeple. It did, and the town was delighted with the new acquisition for firefighting. In 1909 Exeter laid its first water mains, running from the river to the library, The present stand-pipe was built the same year. During the next two years pipes we're laid on the remainder of Main Street, the side streets and in Exeter North, and the old wooden tanks were done away with. The first motor-driven engine a Ruggles, was purchased second- hand from London in 1927. James Grieve was standing on the back running board during a trial run when he was ac- cidentally shoved off just before arriving at the hydrant at Huron street. He hung on to one of the supports and was dragged for some distance. At the same time just before the engine stopped Richard Davis another fireman fell off the same running board. Some of the more familiar names belonging to the brigade under Chief Weekes were Ed Treble, Samuel Sweet, Silas Handford, William Creech, Eli Snell, George Anderson, William Balkwill. The brigade numbered 18 men. The north-end brigade had 12 men. For six days a week the men gathered at the town hall in the evenings to be on duty so they said, in case of fire. They had a room of their own and played euchre, six-handed euchre or five-hundred. Promp- tly at ten o'clock the games were called off. Soketion 2, Pug. 2% THE EXETER TIMES.ADVOCATE JUNE 2$, 1973 FATHER, ON TEAMS Father and son firefighter teams Syd and Aljoe Sanders, left and Herb and Irwin Ford served on Exeter's volunteer fire brigade for 140 years in terms of total years of active participation. Fire Chief Irwin Ford had the longest single record of service, however. Syd Sanders and Herb Ford are now both decased. (T-A, January 23, 1964)