HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-06-21, Page 36Page 4-Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 28, 1978
The Lucknow Sentinel
LUCKNOW, ONTARIO
"The Sepoy Town"
On the Huron -Bruce Boundary
Established 1873 - Published Wednesday
Published by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd.
Robert G. "Shrier - president and publishes
Sharon J. Dietz - editor
Anthony N. Johnstone - advertising and,
general manager
Subscription rate, $10 per year in advance
Senior Citizens rate, $8.00 per year in advance
U.S.A. and Foreign, $14 per year in advance
Business and Editorial Office Telephone 528-2822
Mailing Address P.O. Box 400, Lucknow NOG 2H0
Second class mail registration number - 0847
Service groups
contribute to
community
The Lucknow Kinsmen and Kinettes are to
be congratulated on a third successful Kin
Summerfest. The weekend was filled with
activities for everyone and there was fun for
all
It takes a lot of hard work to stage a
weekend such , as Summerfest and the
preparation started months ago. The
Kinsmen and Kinettes were busy, up to the
last minute Friday afternoon planning and
organizing and then they worked all weekend
to supervise and co-ordinate the events.
Their work was for a profit but, not for
their club to enjoy proceeds. The money will
be put back into the community as service
projects which will make Lucknow a better
place to live. Two of the major projects which
have been funded with money made at.
Summerfest in the past two years have been
the purchase of the lights for the ball park
and the plastic coating on the boards around
the ice surface at the arena.
We are very -lucky to have the community
minded people who belong to• the Kin clubs
who are willing to work hard and give their
time and effort to stage a fun weekend for the
whole town and to undertake projects which
will benefit our community.
• Lucknow is fortunate because it has several
service clubs which are actively working in
the community. The Lions have recently
spearheaded the building of a new
community centre which proved its value the
first weekend it was open. Lucknow does
require a facility which has the capacity to
house 500 people at an event.
The Kinsmen directed a fund raising to
purchase furniture for the new medical
centre and the Kinettes are in the process of
establishing a• Block Parent Program for the
security of 'the community's. children. The
Legion has given money to several of the
community's projects including the commun-
ity centre.
The people who belong to these organiza-
tions are to be commended for their time and
effort. Service clubs are fun to belong to
because there is companionship and socializ-
ing for the members. But, the community
service work is the major reason for their
existence and • the real benefit to the
community.
I.tteis to the editor
June 21, 1978.
To the Editor,
In response to your editor-
ial `;The Book Issue", as a
parent, foster parent, former
teacher and concerned citiz-
en, I would like to express
my views.
Our teenagers certainly
should not be sheltered from
real life and exposure to good
literature but in. today's
free -thinking society should
there not be room for moral
guidance, respect for parents
and for God?
Yes, I have read ",The
Diviners" by Margaret Laur-
ence and there is no possible
way I could stop a person
from reading the book on
their own but should I
condone the reading of it in
my childrens' schools or in
my home simply because
Margaret Laurence is a,
Canadian author of renown
and because the book deals
with what you call "real
life", when I consider the
book morally unsound and
full of needless vulgarity?
Certainly not!
Parents must remember
we have taken on a tremen-
dous responsibility and we
must set a good example for
our children and yes oversee
that a good example is set for
them in our schools.
Lorraine Brophy,
Lucknow, Ontario,
Friday, June 16;1978.
Dear Editor,
The Costume Society of
'Ontario is presently conduct-
ing research on 'Men's
Occupational or Work Cloth-
ing worn in Ontario during
the 19th century'. We would
appreciate very much your
bringing this matter to the
attention of your readers, as
we feel theyare perhaps our
most valuable source of
information. '
This topic deserves special
attention now, as little re-
search has been done in the
past, and information is
disappearing every day. The
main objective of the Cost-
ume Society is to gather and
organize information from
across Ontario, and make it
available for educational and
general interest purposes.
To your readers we ask:
CAN YOU HELP?
Do you know of any
sources of information such
as: actual. garments, photo-
graphs, memories and rem-
iniscences, books, local hist-
ories, bills of sale, etchings,
sketches, painting, engrav-
ings, ledgers, etc.?
If you have any infprma-
tion that may help us with
our study, please contact:
Sue Scherbarth,
c/o Guelph Civic Museum
6 Gordon Street,
Guelph, Ontario. N1H 4G7
Your help wouldbe greatly
appreciated.
Sincerely yours,
Sue Scherbarth,
Research Technician.
June 17, 1978.
To the Editor
Of the Lucknow Sentinel.
Madam:
I buy the Lucknow Sentinel
and other rural papers to
enjoy that irreplaceable racy
savour which, literally, oozes
out of their content.
One of the utmost difficult
classical attainment for gift-
ed writers is simply to make
odors, smell or fragrance,
emanate from their diversi-
fied style.
Country folks, "when they
write about a visit from Mrs.
Canuck to Mrs. Machin -
chose, when they announce a
sale, or even when they
relate what had been decided
in their lodge, club or league,
attain naturally, through
their local expressions' and
native tangs, to that prevail-
ing atmosphere typically
made out vegetable -mould,
compost, leaf -mould and re-
lent of gasoline even. All this
while city writers rack their
brain to describe the frag-
rance of a rose.
Try to change the content
of rural papers and you'll
have nothing left to differen-
tiate then from city's dailies.
Occasionally, rural papers
inherit the collaboration of a
full-fledged writer able to
write cracking good stories.
D. A. Campbell's "Acres of
Memory" is quite an enrich-
ment for the Lucknow Sen-
tinel. Transform and trans-
. plant his peevish, ill-temper-
ed Angus as a salesman
based in Toronto and you
have no story for country
folks to enjoy. Mr. Campbell
knows his art as well as his
people.
Speaking about writers is a
colossal task. Critizing them
among friends is easy. Critic-
CONTINUED
ritic.CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
4Ctid Tfltinoq
BY D. A. CAMPBELL
Angus carried on a mixed farming operation - he kept a
little of everything but didn't make much money on
anything. When I first knew hien, I hadn't the sense to
keep my mouth shut, . and often put my spoke into his
farming business when it was not wanted. I was to learn by '
bitter experience, that Angus never talked much to people
he did not respect. At that time, he had little or no respect
for me!
"You stick to the out'ou%e news," he told me
sarcastically, "an when you've made yer first million, yer
can tell me 'ow ter farm!"
It would be wrong to give the impression that I was
entirely ignorant as regards animal -husbandry, especially
sheep. My knowledge of course, was derived from books -
I was long -on academics and short on experience.
Naturally, I looked forward to lambing time at the
"Hungry Hundred '
When the little "woollies" started to arrive, I made a
cautious survey. from the barn door, and tested the mood of
Angus before entering. Gradually, I edged my way in,
until I stood beside the makeshift lambing pens.
What I saw, had never been described in any of the
books 1 had read. The sheep were not properly prepared
for this most important event and hygene was absent from
the operations. "Fools step in where angels fear to tread;"
in spite of the consequences, this know-it-all Limey just
had to open his big mouth.
"Do you think we should clean- them up a bit, Angus?
Perhaps clip them a little around the rear end?"
Angus grasped one of the rickety boards of the pen and
painfully raised himself off his knees. There were bits of
chaff sticking to the stubble on his face and sheep noodles
clinging to his tattered overalls. I sensed he was about to
explode! He limped a pace towards me and shook a filthy
fist within an inch of my nose.
"Another word out 'o you, an' I'll clip your rear end - wi'
mi boot. Git ter hell out. 'o here!"
The next night, when I saw the lights still burning in the
barn, I had the stupidity to try again. Would I ever learn
that I was just not"' wanted? Unable to shake off my
curiosity, I advanced stealthily towards the lambing pens.
To my surprise, Angus watched me approach without one
word of protest.
- There was a ewe in difficulty and we stood and looked at
the suffering animal in silence. I was determined to keep
my trap shut this time. It was Angus who spoke.
"Tried ter git the Vet," he said. "Sonnavawitch - 'e'
away - won't be back till tomorrer - gotta do sornethin'."
For the first time; it almost appeared as if he was asking
ME for advice!
I looked at his hands. They were *large.and crooked with
arthritis - hands like that were notinstruments for
delivering lambs. What could 1 ay? Reading about lar"nb
delivery and actually doing it wce two different things,
"Do you want me to try?" I asked, doubting my
capability.
Angus thought for a moment, and deep down inside
• him, I knew he hated -to admit defeat, especially to me. His
face twisted into a combintaiton of scorn and gratitude. He
shrugged his shoulders in helpless abandon.
"Guess yer can," wase all he could murmur.
I ran back to the house and raided my wife's first-aid
box. There was iodine,;'an antiseptic called Dettol and a jar
of vaseline. After scrubbing my hands, I returned to the
barn.
Where eyes cannot see, a delicate touch is essential.
How does an amateur determine what is a nose, a knee
joint or a tiny, hoof? There is no substitute for experience
and although I have delivered countless lambs since that
time, I am still learning. Thankfully, Angus did not
embarrass me in my ignorance, but left me alone with my
task.
After a while 1 diagnosed the trouble - the front legs
were doubled back. One at a time. I carefully straightened
them. Holding both together, I gently pulled the little body
forward with every natural birth movement of the ewe.
Soon the lamb was expelled and I removed mucus from
around its nostrils and placed the new arrival by the head
of the mother. As she cleaned her offspring, the lamb's
twitching and kicking became more frequent. It was not
long before it uttered its first plaintive cry, and after
several unsuccessful attempts, was able to stand on its
wobbly legs. Instinctively; it began looking for the place to
feed.
I have never ceased to feel joy at the birth of any living.
creature and the exultation I felt at that moment was
indescribable.
Later that night, as I tried to relax after a long day, I was
pondering on the strange character of Angus, when I
heard his voice calling me from the cellar of the house.
"Don!", he shouted in his high pitched voice. "Gimme
a hand down 'ere."
I was getting tired of his hard ungrateful manner, Tired
of being treated like an ignorant lackey. This time I was
determined to give him a piece of my mind!
Descending into the dank atmosphere, I found Angus
standing by a pile of old potato sacks and grinning like a
Cheshire cat! There had to be something seriously wrong
with him, smiling like that. It was contrary to his normal
- attitude - maybe his mainspring had broken and he had
flipped his lid!
Reaching into the pile of sacks, he withdrew a bottle of
whisky from its hiding place. " 'ere," he said, all nice and
buddy like, " 'ave a drink."
More from surprise than pleasure, I took a small swig
and handed him back the bottle. He didn't drink himself
but just stared at me for a few moments, wanting to speak
but unable to find the words.
"I clipped the sheep like "yer said."
"Is that right?" I answered in a matter-of-fact tone, and I
was about to blast him when he spoke again.
"Guess I been 'ard on yer Don - didn't really mean ter.
I'll make it up to yer - so I will." ,
My anger medlted away. This was as close as Angus
would ever get to a sincere apology!
Copyright 286070/239