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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1973-06-28, Page 44Section 2, Page 24 THE EXETER TIMES-APVOCATE JUNE 28, 1973 NEW HEARSE - It was a proud day when this new motor hearse first came to Exeter to serve R.N, Rowe's Funeral Home. Mr. Rowe is seen at the rear of the vehicle, Before the day of the motor hearse, a team of beautiful black horses, dropped in a black net that reached almost to the ground, were used for transporta-, tion at funerals. First car in Exeter attracted 1904 crowds Congratulations, EXETER Sure hope your next 100 years are as exciting and prosperous as the past. Go rd's Variety (successor to Bob's) The store with the best customers in the world. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Gord Beuttenmiller. Established in 1937 AS IT WAS Wuerth's was established in 1937 by Alf Wuerth at the site of Dr. Cowen's office on Main St. In 1939, assisted by his wife, Lucilla, he opened a store at its present location, selling men's work boots, dress shoes and doing repairs. Ray joined his father in 1946. Alf Wuerth retired in December 1964, when the business was taken over by Ray and his wife, Willa. They enlarged the business to include ladies and misses shoes and now employ two full-time employees, Hedy Devine and Lloyd Simpson, along with some part-time help. AS IT IS WUERTH 1111.1111M SHOES LTD. Main St. Exeter JOTTINGS BY JMS (March 5, 1953) I wonder how many of our readers will remember the first automobile that came to Exeter; of the noise and dust they used to create; of how frightened the horses used to get and at times how calm the horses were and how frightened the drivers would be. With the open exhaust the rat tat tat from a motor could be heard a block away and everyone stopped to gaze as the car went by. To get the first ride in an automobile was as much as getting a ride in an aeroplane or a motor-boat to-day. There was little use for gasoline in those days. Coal-oil was the more important product of the refineries. It was in July, 1904 that F,E. Karn, manager of the old Sove- reign Bank in Exeter and W.W. Taman went to Toronto for a week-end and while there Mr. Karn bought a McLaughlin car, made in Oshawa, the forerunner of the General Motors plant there The Sovereign Bank at that time occupied the building now owned by E,R. Russell. I remember when the vault was installed in the new bank. Several of us kids were standing around when one of the men worked the combination and opened the vault, As soon as his back was turned, one of the kids standing by repeated the performance. Mr. Karn's car was a steamer with a speed of from ten to twelve miles per hour. It was said at the time that it was an easy and rapid way of getting over the ground, It had a short life and on Sept, 15 of the same year while Mr. Karn was in Toronto, Mr. Walter Connor, who was the mechanic in charge, was on his way to Chiselhurst when the car caught fire from the fire-box and was destroyed. The second motor-driven vehicle to arrive in town was a bus for A,Q. Bobier, who was then reeve of town. It was built by a Mr, Kurtze, of St. Williams and was brought to Exeter by the builder. On the day of its arrival Mr. Bobier received word in the afternoon that the bus would leave London about four and was expected to arrive in Exeter a little after six. A Well timed Hoax. Word soon circulated that the bus was to arrive and a crowd assembled on Main street and in front of the Central Hotel to greet the arrival of this new mode of transportation. About eight o'clock out of the darkness of the night two lights appeared in the distance "Here she comes' went up from the crowd. Finally two lads with a horse and buggy, each carrying a lantern at the side, drove past waiving their hats in high glee at the hoax they had perpetrated. However, about ten o'clock the new bus arrived and took a number of passengers for a trial spin, I stood close-by hoping to be asked to hop in, but no such luck, The bus made a couple of trips up and down Main street, It was chain-driven and with the heavy loads over the then gravel road, one of the cog-wheels broke. Passengers Left At Centralia It was the first of numerous break-downs for the ill-fated bus. Many will recall the old-time strawberry festivals that used to be held at Centralia on July 1st. It was a gala affair with a program of sports in the afternoon and a program at night, I used to help Mr. E.A. Follick in an ice cream booth and incidentally won several prizes in the foot races. The new motor-bus made three trips to Centralia with passengers and then broke down. Band wagons were brought from Exeter to bring the people home. On another occasion a number Illicit still found in Hay Exeter Times 1880 Revenue officers from Brant- ford and Stratford, accompanied by Constable Gill, of this place, on Thursday last proceeded to the Township of Hay in search of illicit whiskey stills, and their search was not in vain, They discovered an unlawful still, together with the,worm and large agricultural furnace on a Canada Company lot near Black Creek. From the appearance of the worm and the still it is thought they have not been used for some time. The furnace pans and still were destroyed but the worm was brought to Exeter. Suspecting that there were other stills in the township, the same gentlemen made another search on Friday and were again successful in finding what they were in search of, and not a great distance from where the first one had been found. There were two furnaces with this still and from the number of barrels • and kegs which were lying around, one would suppose that quite an extensive business had been carried on. A warrant for the arrest of a young man named Arthur D. Kitty, who was supposed to own the stills, was placed in Constable Gills' hands. Kilty was taken prisoner in Hensall on Monday last and brought to Exeter where be was put in limbo until yesterday, when he was tried before Thomas Gidley and Patrick McPhillips, J.P.'s. He was fined $500 and sent to the county goal for six months, from Cromarty engaged the bus to take them to Grand Bend. They landed out on the Thames Road when the battery went dead. It was necessary to make a trip to Exeter for a new battery. The picnickers decided to take no further chances with the bus and secured a band-wagon. The bus was finally returned to St, William.