The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1973-06-28, Page 107FRANK SHEERE
Frank Sheere was
tailor for 60 years
SH PPING A "HOME"
EXETER 1873
The travelling hardware wagon made rare trips to serve
the needs of early settlers. What an occasion when the
merchant came rattling along the rough and rocky roads
to bring all the newest and necessary items for those
pioneer folk ...
A VISIT TO YOUR "HOME"
EXETER 1973
A modern fleet of Home Hardware tractor trailer units brings
regular shipments of modern merchandise to your local
"Home" store. From a varied stock you can obtain the items
you require any day of the week. We sincerely hope every visit
you make to our store will be as interesting and exciting as the
hardware wagon of by gone days .
A VISIT TO OUR "HOME"
rAp, • HEAMAN HARDWARE
• TRAQUAIR HARDWARE
• HAROLD GUNN HOME HARDWARE
Home
Hardware
Stores
VALUE - SERVICE - DEPENDABILITY CONTINUED SERVICE FROM THE SAME LOCATION
Sept. 12, 1963
Sixty years as a tailor in the
same shop has been "a lot of
fun," said Frank Sheere of
Walper's Men's Wear, who on
September 7, 1963 marked his
diamond anniversary at the
trade.
Saturday night Frank was
guest of honor at a dinner at Oak-
wood Inn, Grand Bend, given by
Norman Walper. The dinner'
marked his 74th birthday as well
as the completion of 60 as a tailor.•
Frank Sheere's happiest
memories go back to the time
when he was one of a staff of
about 10 who custom-tailored
suits for the late W. W. Taman in
the same building.
"We had some good times then.
Somebody was always cutting
up." He remembers the time of
the Crossley-Hunter tent
meetings here. When one of the
staff spotted the evangelists
walking down the street, they all
started to sing a religious hymn,
just to show they had the spirit of
the occasion.
BEGAN AT AGE 14
Frank Sheere began his ap-
prenticeship at the age of 14
under the guidance of the late
Alex Stewart. It was a three year
period and the pay was $1.00 a
week for the first year, $1.50 the
second and $2.00 the third. "And
you had to board yourself,"
laughs Frank.
He recalls the favorite trick
pulled on an apprentice was to
send him to find a "ready-made
button hole. "
Contrary to present made-to-
measure methods, which
resemble an assembly-line
technique with each operator
handling a different part of a
particular garment, the tailors in
earlier days did a complete job.
They were trained either as a
coatmaker, pantmaker or
vestmaker. Frank became a
coatmaker, although he later
learned to make all three.
Styles changed just as much
then as they do now. "There used
to be a lot of freaky trends like
pointed flaps and pearl buttons."
The Taman shop established
quite a reputation for itself in
those days. Among its customers
were Dr. Arthur Ford, honorary
editor of the London Free Press;
— Continued from page 8
rate, and the balance for schools,
local improvements, municipal
government, and interest and
sinking fund on debentures.
The assessment for 1874, the
year of incorporation was
$105,515, and in three years (1877)
it had increased nearly 500
percent, or to $482,355. On ac-
count of the prevailing shrinkage
in values, the assessment for 1878
is scarcely so high as the
previous year.
A market was erected last year
on the public square cornering
the street leading to the Railway
Depot, the ground being
presented by Isaac Carling and
others. The former gentleman
also presented the Railway with
ample and commodious grounds
for their station, &c., when that
enterprise was in progress.
There are two very good fire
companies in the village, their
engines being of the hand pat-
tern.
The principal business part of
the village is on the old London
Road, and extends 11/4 miles from
the south end of the old Village of
Exeter to the old Village of
Francestown, at the corner of the
Township of Hay, where there is
still a post office retained, under
the name of Hay Post Office.
The business houses comprise
seven general stores (all large),
three hardware, six grocery, two
drug, two book, two jewellery,
five boot and shoe, three tin and
stove, four furniture, six harness,
four merchant tailors, and
several millinery stores.
There are six hotels, two
liveries, a liquor store, several
barbers, butchers, bakers and
confectionery shops, &c., a music
store, two photographers, two
lawyers, six doctors, two charter
(Exchange and Molsons) banks,
one private bank, and two post
offices, two telegraph offices, a
weekly newspaper (the Times),
public school, and five churches -
Methodist, Episcopalian, Bible
Christian, Presbyterian and
Roman Catholic.
There are also some first clss
specimens of local manufactures,
which include two large gristing
and flouring mills, two steam
planing mills, one steam hub and
bending factory, one foundry and
agricultural implement factory,
one woollen mill, one flax mill,
two cooperages, one steam saw-
mill, five wagon and carriage
factories, and a large number of
blacksmith shops.
The buildings are generally of
an exceptionally good class for a
place of the size, many of the
stores being such as would be an
ornament to any of our best cities
of 10,000 inhanitanta.
Exeter is the seat of the Fifth
Division Court of the County of
Huron, of which Thomas Trivitt
is Clerk, and Wharton Hodgson
Bailiff,
The South Riding Agricultural
Association have their grounds
here. They comprise an extent of
ten acres of land supplied with
the usual accommodations of a
good class, the whole being
valued at $2,500. There is also a
T-A February 21, 1935
Michigan Sportsmen
Enjoy Jack Drives
Three Michigan sportsmen
visited in Exeter last week and on
Wednesday and Thursday af-
ternoons participated in their
first jack rabbit drives. The men
were Messrs. Ben East and
George H. Travis, newspaper
men from Grand Rapids, who
also contribute articles for
several outdoor magazines, and
J.S. Stephenson of the Michigan
State. Conservation Commission.
The drives had been arranged
by Messrs. Fred Kerr, of
Crediton and F.J. Delbridge of
town but unfortunately, Mr. Kerr
was laid up with the flu and was
unable to participate.
The drive Wednesday af-
ternoon was in the vicinity of Mt.
Carmel and three blocks were
covered. About fifty men took
part. Forming a V shape they
spreadout across a concession
and invaded the block.
They were successful in
bagging a total of 115 jacks which
averaged 8 lbs. 13 ozs. The jacks
at this time of the year are not.
quite as heavy as they were
during the early winter. The
Driving Park Association,
owning a fine half-mile course.
Previous to the building of the
L,H. and B.R. the produce of the
section was teamed as far east as
St. Mary's and Stratford to find a
market.
Now Exeter is admittedly one
of the best grain and produce
markets in Western Ontario; and
the facilities it offers for ship-
ment taken in connection with the
really magnificent stretch of
country by which it is on all sides
surrounded, have already
secured for it a local ascendancy
which it seems bound not only to
maintain, but to increase; its
natural and acquired ad-
vantages, promoted by the en-
terprise of a most public-spirited
class of citizens, standing Exeter
in good stead, as the present
nucleus of a future' great com-
mercial centre.
• • •
visitors carried with them
cameras and took numerous
snaps of the drive.
They took a picture of a field
covered with snow that one
person stated looked as though it
had been tramped down by a
flock of sheep. During the weeks
that the ground has been covered
with snow the rabbits have
stripped the bark from many
saplings and the young trees have
been ruined. This was noted and
pictures taken.
From what they learned the
visitors were not particularly
anxious to have the jacks invade
the State of Michigan.
T-A November 22, 1934
Bell Telephone Company
removing the telephone poles
from the Main street.
T-A February 7, 1935
There was a large crowd at the
auction sale of horses held by Mr.
G.J. Dow on Friday afternoon of
last week. All of the horses of-
fered were sold to the highest
bidder the top price being $150,00.
Mr. Dow intends holding another
sale on February 15.
Section 1, Page 19 THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE JUNE 28, 1973
Atlas details history
Hon. Thomas Greehaway, who
later became premier of Alberta;
a London member of the
legislature, a Buffalo lumber
.salesman and a Detroit druggist
who used to frequent Grand
Bend.
The firm also had its agents
throughout the area and stores
like the one operated by J. H.
Jones at Winchelsea would send
in customers for fitting.
Sometimes for rush orders, the
tailors would have to come to
work at five in the morning.
Through the years