HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-03-08, Page 2•
Page 2--Lueknow Sentinel, Wednesday, Mareb 8, a 1978
Do you Remember.....
An article entitled, ""Do Your
Remember", was published in
the February 4th edition of the
Sentinel. in 1953. It is reprinted
here for the interest of our
readers.
DO YOU REMEMBER...
At the January meeting of'the
Kairshea Women's Institute,
Mrs. Walter MacKenzie, covener
of the Historical Research com-
mittee, gave a most interesting
and memory -arousing paper on
the subject, "Do You Remem-
ber?"
The paper follows:
° Our meeting today comes''
under the heading of Historical
Research. The dictionary defines
"History" as a narrative of past
events, so historical research is a
careful search of events contain-
ing history. When "we think of.
history we look back and recall
past events from memory . or
written records. In other words
"we remember". Reminiscing is
said to be. a sure sign that we are
• growing old. We all are whether
we wish it or not, so for the next
twenty minutes "let us remem-
ber".
Some of our members can
remember many events of their
early youth, dating -back to early
days in this community. Others of
us remember them only by
hearing our parents or grandpar-
ents speak of them. Today I am
going to recall to your minds past
events and customs, mostly those
of this community, many of which
a goodly number of us can recall
from early childhood.
Do you remember - the parent
or grandparent, who every morn-
ing conducted family worship .at
which all members of the family
were present. The anxiety of the
school age groupif prayers were a
bit long and left them so little
time. they had to run the two miles
or less to 'school to avoid being
tardy and having to stay after
four.
Do you remember - how
everyone had his or her tasks to
perform night , and ' morning,
before being permitted to play or
do as one wished to - wash dishes,
fill 'the woodbox, carry in numer-
ous pails of water, gather eggs,
feed_ehickens and rock the cradle
(How I hated rocking the cradle).
As one became older and tasks
became more heavy and more
numerous.
Do you remember 'trudging,
from October to April from' one to
two and a half miles through snow
packed roads with seldom a sleigh
coming to pick us up.
Do you remember - the Norman
MacLeod family of 16 children
raised on 50 acres - well fed and
well clothed and- the harmony
which prevailed in that family was
something beautiful. The author-
ity of the one immediately older,
was never questioned and the
authority of the parents was never
doubted. How eight of those
children trooped out the gate to
school every day.
Do .you remember - the
discipline in the old red school
house, where one teacher taught
fifty or more pupils of all grades,
ages and behavour, for the huge
salary of from $200 to $300 per
year. Where Harry Hudson, a
very capable teacher, crippled
since he was four years old, and
,--having to use crutches, wielded a
yard long oak ' pointer' over the
heads and backs of the boy pupils
until in less than a year it was
approximat ly foot— nl� gth.
His fain s a disciplinarian won
him the distinction of being
traded. to " .Lucknow school to
subdue a roomful of third class
boys who had developed the gang
spirit to such ., an extent they
considered themselves infallable.
1 can remember hearing of them
hitching a ride on a farmer's
sleigh, and boasting to the farrier
what they were going to do to this
lame teacher. A week later when
they boarded ' this same sleigh,
upon inquiry as to how they were
getting on cleaning up on the new
teacher they replied, "He darn
near killed us". Such discipline
although very effective if used in
this day and age would insure the
teacher a nice long term in the
penintentary.
Do you remember - Billy
Davison's father driving the big
black hearse, with black and
white feathered plumes on each
of the four corners and matching
tasselled curtains inside; the
hearse drawn by two beautiful
shiny jet black horses, with
tasseled black nets on them and
followed by a line of democrats,
and buggies a mile or more in
length, in their slow procession to
the cemetery and with long
streamers of black, crepe flying
from the hats and armbands of all
the relatives down to second and
third cousins.
Do you remember - Rev.
Findlay MacLennan, who for
twenty-five years was the honour-
ed pastor of South Kinloss
Church, and whose long and no
double deeply thought-out serm-
ons were delivered under "eigit
headings namely, "firstly",
"secondly", "thirdly", "fourth-
ly", and "lastly", and "once
more".and "yet again" and "in
conclusion". And how young the
old were always present and
attentive and the majority re-
mained to listen to the discourse
in Gaelic immediately following.
Do you remember - John
"Sandy" MacDonald, who for 61
years through fair weather an or
foul, rode or walked to South
Kinloss to two services every
Sunday to lead the Service of
Praise in a strong, trite voice. No
organ in those days. He would no
more think of missing a service
than he would dream of being on
time.
Do you remember - Old Jock
Adams, a stypical old Scot ' who
lived in this locality for years and
years. He lived in `a room
somewhere in town, where he
kept dozens and dozens of
canaries, which flew about at will
in this room in which there was
never a speck of heat. He would
explain '.that "canaries could
stand inOre cold nor some people
-were aware off". And he went
about the country with an old cart
and a neglected horse named
"Barney". I can't remember
Whether he sold tinware or
notions,.or just arrived in time for
a meal and a bed for himself and
Barney. Our home- was one of his
overnight places 'and I can rem-
ember by Dad saying - "Jock, did
you give Barney a drink ,.; this
morning?" and Jock would reply
"Oh, he doesna need one. There
was , a heavy 'dew last night".
Money for a fine headstone was
'subscribed after his death by
friends who admired him and now
marks his grave in South Kinloss
Cemetery. t,
Do you remember - when
children • were seen and not
heard?
. Do you remember - yote first
sight of Lake Huron and the Point
Clark lighthouse. The Tower of
Babel would not seem as wonder-
ful to the children of today as that
was to us whose contacts with the
outside world consisted of going
church and .. Sunday . School
every Sunday and to the Pall. Pair
once a year.
Do .you leinember = the prepar-
ations for the Fall Fair to which
the whole family went for their
yearly holiday. The preparations
for days before = grorsming the
horses, cattle or sheep, whichever
•
your father specialized 'in; select-
ing and cleaning the largest and.
best formed rootsand vegetables
from' the garden; the reddest
apples; the plumpest grain and
the snow white feather light
loaves of bread and layer cakes,
and lovely jars of fruit and lovely
crocks of butter. The whole family
was on the job at daybreak, the
middle sized children going on
the wagon with Dad at 8 a.m. -
the wagon loaded with exhibits -
the . prize team with gay ribbons
braided into their manes and
tails; the colts of various ages tied
to the team's bridles or to some
part of the wagon box. The
mother and babe and the next in
line came around noon in the
buggy, to which was hitched the
old brood mare of from fifteen to
sixteen summers, whose well
developed maternal instinct de-
manded that she would much -
prefer to be home with her
offspring. If you had reached the
ripe old age of ten years, you
were elected to drive this orney
creature.
Do you remember - the Old
Caledonian Games, which were
really something out of this
world. The thousands of persons
seated on the hills of Caledonian
Park -'there was over 12,000 one
year; the pipers dressed in the
grandest of clan tartans; the boys
and girls and. teen age lads and
lasses who danced the Scottish
dances in competition all after-
noon. The beautiful tartans the
rows of medals onheir tunics and
the graceful, dancing, were mem-
ories for many months. The
,handsome young pipers in their
clan tartans marching to the skirl
of their pipes and being awarded.'.
medals or prizes. Dave MacKay
was one of these. Then the tug of
war - where 12 strong men each,
from Huron and Bruce Counties
pulled to a tie forone hour and
twenty minutes one year, with
neither side gaining an inch.
Do you remember - when an
unmarried girl of 25 year was
considered a hopeless old maid
and was doomed to a life of single
blessedness unless some kind
hearted widower with six children
offered her the care of himself
and brood and all the hardships
that entailed.
Do you remember - when a
woman, widowed at perhaps 30
years of age, donned her,widow's
bonnet, made of layers of black
crepe, with a long pleated section
of crepe falling down the back for
two or three feet, and a black
dress, and wore that drab outfit
the rest of her life, be it 30 years
or sixty. Our good Queen Victoria
was one of these widows. Mrs.
Douglas and Mrs. Lees were
others.
Do you remember - the barn
raisings, where the whole male
.comunity were invited ,oto help
raise the huge bents'sand put the
rafters in place. Captains were
•d"
1
named and two teams chosen and
' a contest followed to see which
team could raise its side- of the
•frame and put the rafters in place
in the least time. Do 'you
remember the long tables made
with planks and covered with
snowy . linen tablecloths which
were set up in the orchard and
contained every delicacy a man
could wish for: The.women of the
community helped the farmer's
wife cater to this crowd and the
dance which followed.
Do you remember Kennie
MacKenzie and Ben Hughes ,and
"Curly" Billy MacKenzie and
others, who played the violin from
8.30 p.m. to 5.30 a.m. and all for
free. No $55.Q0 orchestra for
three hours' music ins those days.
Do you remember - when the
taxes on almost +a any hundred
acres were less than $45, as late
as 1913. In 1952 they were over
$200 ,..and -this year - just forty
years later, they will be very
much more.
Do you,retnember - when there
was no rural mail delivery, no
telephone; no. movies, no radio,
no television, no motor cars, no
aeroplanes, no mechanized farm
machinery, no hydro and no
electrical appliances. When world
events took so long to reach the
rural areas they had almost
become history. Some of you will
remember the "Dark Day" of
September 1881. How the sky
became completely darkened at
noonday, and those. God-fearing
Scottish ancestors were sure the
end of the world had come. How
when asfies began to fall in late
afternoon they weren't so sure
and it was days before they
learned that this dread occurr-
ence was caused by a huge forest
,fire in the State of Michigan.
Do you remember - the first
motor cars around 1912 or 1913.
The high narrow wheels, splashy
brass trim, .acetylene lamps and
open top and unheard of speed of
fifteen miles pen hour. The men
motorists wore long linen dusters
and peak caps, the women long
dusters and long flowing scarves
to hold their hats on. And how
'those cars and scarves caused any
horse with a spark of self-respect
to rise repeatedly on his hind legs
while the car went by. I've been
pulled off my feet many times
while I frantically hung onto the
horse's bridle to keep it from
running away.
Do you remember - the
weddings these rural people gave
their girls. Our hostess today was
the sixth bride to be given a huge
wedding from the farm, all with
150 or more guests. Imagine the
number of turkeys, geese and
ducks required td serve all these
people to unlimited quantities of
food at 7.00 o'clock dinner and
midnight lunch. And the wedding
cake of five or six tiers. - (imagine
stoning all those raisins as
seedless raisins weren't even
heard of in those days). And the
preparation of all the -other
ingredients. The pies, cakes, ,
cookies • and bread required.
Everything was made by the
mother and daughters. And the
bride's trousseau - a wonderful
dress and veil . a lovely silk dress
and a suitor other good dresses.
Besides that the bride would
carry away from that home trunks
and ' chests' full of homemade
blankets - the preparation of the
wool, carding, spinning and often •
the weaving done at home.
. Dozens of quilts, sheets, pillow
cases and towels, all the work of
the bride. The dance would start
around 8.30 and continue till
dawn - with the bridal couple and
numerous others dancing the
Highland fling, Scotch reel and
numerous other .Scotch numbers
which required both skill and
endurance. A wedding in those
days was surely something.
Do you remember - the
contribution the young men and..
young women of this Kairshea
district - an area of 6% miles on
each side of two concessions and
71/2 miles on another - twenty
miles of rural homes in all - have
made 'to their country and this
community, Many of the young
men of the earlier generation
assisted in the building of the
'C.P.R. - that "Giant of the
North", without...which all terri-
tory west of the Great Lake's
would long ago have ceded to the
United States, instead of beoming
the largest tract of land owned
and governed by free 'people; with
its untold mineral wealth, huge
oil fields, rich grain and cattle
raising areas and immense for-
ests. Other young men and4oung
women from this area helped to
colonize ` the vast areas of
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta
and British Columbia - much as
their parents did in Ontario. This
Kairshea area gave to the world -.
Nearly fifty young men and one
young woman who answered their
country's call in World War I and
World War II. Many paid the
supreme sacrifice.
One from this area became
Lieut. -Gov. of B.C. for a number
of years. I refer to Hon. Tom
Patterson.
Three became members of the
Federal Government.
Seven became prominent doc-
tors: One clever medical student
is at present completing his
second year of a five-year scholar-
ship at Oxford University in
England.
Two became ministers. One
young couple dedicated their lives
to the Mission Field where they
have served twenty-seven . years.
Three became successful dent-
ists.
One became a music supervis-
or, one an accomplished violinist.
Twenty-seven young women
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
The Lucknow Sentinel
LUCKNOW, ONTARIO
"The Sepoy Town
On the Huron -Bruce Boundary ,
Established 1873 - Published Wednesday
Published by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd.
Robt. G. Shrier - president and publisher
- Sharon J. Dietz - editor
Anthony N. Johnstone - general manager '
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Business and Editorial Office Telephone 528-2822
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