HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1973-06-28, Page 56C.Ige +arr.k..
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40, '41;
Some things work so well
NOTHING CAN
TAKE THEIR PLACE
Serving sorhe of man's most urgent needs since 1849, the trustworthy old
safety pin is a device whose utility has never diminished. It is one of those
great inventions of all time which even space age ingenuity cannot im-
prove.
BU
. . . When you have
something that isn't working well
chances are Don MacGregor and staff
can fix it . .
Not everything works as well as a safety pin, When area residents need
repairs, they've come to know that Don MacGregor is the fellow to see.
Not only will he fix it, but chances are he'll even create something if you
have a need for which no product is presently available. You'll find him
working on all sorts of projects ... all the way from fixing a toddler's
tricycle with a small welding job to designing and building those' huge
trailers used by plastic drain companies.
From the left, Ralph Morley, Don MacGregor, Jim MacGregor and Beverley Burtch.'
Don MacGregor Welding
EXETER 235.1273
JOTTINGS BY JMS
May 16, 1963
The above picture shows the
Main Street of Exeter during the
early part of this century, Few
will remember the grocery store
and the liquor store of Farmer
Bros., shown in the right hand
corner of the picture.
The liquor store with the
wooden verandah was the first
Bible Christian church iti Exeter
and was the forerunner of what is
now James Street United Church
which had its beginning just
about one hundred years ago,
Adjoining the liquor store was
the grocery and flour& feed store
of Farmer Bros. The two stores
were operated by John and
Richard Farmer. The former
was married and lived in a large
brick house on Andrew Street,
at one time owned by J.S. Har-
vey.
There are numerous stories
that the boys used to tell of the
tricks that were played on the two
proprietors and some of these
were concerned with petty
thieving that is by no means a
modern invention, also of the
ruses used to procure liquor in
those early days. While engaging
the proprietor with an excuse to
go to the cellar or liquor store the
boys would do some shop-lifting.
MAY 27, 1954
Jottings By J.M.S.
The early history of the Huron
and Bruce railroad is fast fading
from the memory of the oldest
inhabitants but many of our
readers will recall the days when
it was a most important link in
the life of the communities
through which it passed.
Particularly on holiday oc-
casions, such as the 24th of May,
with visitors coming and going,
the H. & 13 played an important
part as before the coming of the
automobile it was the only means
of long distance travel,
Watch Culprit
The first station was on the
west side of the tracks and the
tracks had to be crossed in order
to reach it.
I recall on one occasion while
waiting for the train I stood on the
platform while opposite were the
grain houses where the farmers
brought their grain for shipping.
The grain, wheat and peas were
stored in large bins.
From the station platform you
could see right through the centre
of the building with the grain bins
on either side. A young lad with
his back to the station and with
his eye on Mr. J. Harding, who
had charge of the plant, was
dipping his hand into the pin of
peas and filling his pocket.
That was in the days of the pea
shooters and the grain houses
were the sources of supply. A
number of people on the platform
observed the act and one lady
was heard to remark: "Isn't it
awful what the young generation
will do in these days I wonder
what will become of them in the
future?"
There were four trains a day in
those days, one from the south
and the other from the north in
the morning and the same in the
afternoon.
Carry Produce
This permitted the women
Exeter Times, Oct. 11, 1877
In the quarter ending the 11th
of September, 1877, there have
been in the county of Huron, 46
convictions of assault, 30 for
drunkenness and 22 for breach of
the Liquor License Act.
That is the story and I have heard
it so often that I believe it to he
true.
Following the Farmers the
grocery store was used as a
furniture store by Wesley
Ilueston, who afterwards moved
west.
' The liquor store for years was
operated as a boot and shoe store
by Alfred Walters. In 1915 the
store was purchased by J.G.
Jones and removed to the rear of
the lot and was used as a
warehouse for Jones & May. That
same year the building now used
as the town clerk's office, with a
residence in connection was built
and Herbert Walters, carrying on
his father's business, used it as a
shop and residence.
The furniture store, owned by
Mr. Farmer, was purchased in
1908 by Jones & May and a seed-
cleaning plant was installed and
operated until October 30, 1947
when Jones & MacNaughton
opened the modern seed-cleaning
plant that carries their name.
One of the interesting items in
the picture is the electric light
seen in the left hand corner. It
was the forerunner of hydro in
Exeter, It was a carbon lamp and
the lamp had to be lowered each
day and carbons adjusted or new
carbons installed.
from the farm to carry their
produce to the London market in
the morning and return home at
night, It was because of this that
the H. & B. became known as the
"butter and egg special," a name
it carried throughout the years
before the section from Clinton to
Wingham was discontinued on
April 26, 1941.
When the railroad was built in
1875, one section began con-
struction at Hyde Park and the
other at Wingham. It was on
Christmas day, 1875, that the two
gangs met at Exeter and the
traditional golden spike was
driven as the ties came together.
On Tuesday, January 11, 1876
the dignitaries from the various
places along the route, many of
them bewhiskered gentlemen,
celebrated the inauguration of
the new railroad with a banquet-
at the Tecumseh House in Lon-
don.
One of the prominent
passengers and one who had
much to do yvith bringing the
railroad to Exeter was Mr. Isaac
Carling, reeve at that time.
Wood-Burner
The H & B was equipped with a
wood-burning locomotive and
wood was piled along the tracks
at strategic points. The first
passenger coaches had hard
board seats, later replaced with
red plush.
The dignitaries and visitors
arriving at the Great Western
Railway station in London were
met by Mayor Benjamin Cronyn,
by members of the committee
and citizens of the city to the
strains of music played by the
band of the 7th Battalion, Added
to the joyful clamor in connection
with the celebration was the
ringing of the bells of St. Paul's
Cathedral,
In addition to being feted by the
railway and by the city, the
visitors were shown the various
public institutions, factories and
wholesale establishments.
One of the afternoons'
highlights was a demonstration
by the London Fire Brigade at the
corner of Dundas and Wellington
streets simultaneously with the
firing of a salute in Victoria Park
by the London Field Battery.
Section. 3, Page 4
THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE JUNE 28, 1973
First B.C. church
become liquor outlet
Butter & egg special
important to town