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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1966-04-21, Page 9Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, April 21, 1966 SECOND SECTION IMO barn Abilance&Zinte If You Want A Laugh For teachers on the verge of suicide, puzzled parents, and anyone else who, worn by win- ter, needs an injection of warmth and humor, I have a spring tonic, Buy a copy of "Up The Down Staircase", paperback 95 cents, and read it. I came across it on the weekend and changed my mind about quitting the teaching profession. It's called a novel, but isn't. It's a record of the first term of a young, pretty high school teacher in a huge New York secondary school. It's tender and touching and utterly hilarious. And beneath the fun is a shocked and often bitter indictment of what the educational system is doing, or failing to do, for the vast mass of teenagers. As educators and others have pointed out, the cream of the crop will rise to the top. The bottom ten per cent. is having millions of dollars spent to help them. It's the great mob in the middle that gets the dirty end of the stick. Conditions in the school de- scribed are much worse than those in the average Canadian high school, but the parallel; are there. Avalanches of paper, most of it unnecessary. Crowded condi. tions everywhere. The administ- ration thinks discipline more important than learning. The librarian doesn't like the library used because the kids don't put the books back on the shelves straight, The nurse isn't allowed to dispense even an aspirin. And the counsellor tries to analyze all the kids with phony Freud. And the teachers arc these. the workhorses, the whiners, the beaten, those who don't like kids, and those who, in spite of it all, know they're doing the most important job in the world. But is is not basically a bitter book. And most of the humor comes from those fascinating shops built on Josephine Street. Milliner and dressmaker shops were built close to the street. In those days girls would learn dressmaking with four or five girls working in each shop. Many girls learned tailoring, a very good business at that time. Goods were bought at the mill, and a tailor would make a suit for four or five dollars. Elliott and Talbot had a very large three-storey Store on the Please Turn to Page Six animals, the kids themselves. The teacher asks the kids to tell briefly why we study an- cient myths and the Odyssey. One answer: "I'm sure there are many reasons why we stud;, these things, but I missed it due to absence." Another: -Because everybody in high school at one time or another had to read it, and now it's our turn." Another: "We read it because it's a classicle." The young teacher has a "suggestion box' where her stu- dents were allowed to drop ideas, anonymously. Some were scurrilous, some threatening, some funny. Samples. "My mother has been living with me for 16 years hut she still insists on cross-ex amining me." "Don't worry, we're heb rid you 85 per cent." "Get lost and sta. Singed, Poisen." "Having sprained my ankle, the nurse gave me a cup cr tea. is that supposed to help my an- kle. Athalete." "This is the first class I en- joyed failing because of looking at you." What emerges from the hook? Several things. First and most important, the yearning of the young for some contact with some one who respect- them as people. This is the aeceed ;ode vidual demand for respi:. a; :q1 human dignity. Second, the requisites of a good teacher: physicat tough ness: understanding: mental and emotional vitality: a genuine liking for fellow humans, espe- cially kids: and, of course. somethine to teach: you can't fool kids with games and gim micks. Third, the massive, frustrat- ing task of educating the mass- es. The money: the things: chalk, paper, steel and stone; the teachers: only the best the aim, but it's too laden with trivia to attract the best. Ah, well, read the book, 101 do you good. Last sample of its flavor is a cartoon the teacher had on the bulletin board. It went: Teacher: "There are two words in the English language you must never use. They are "swell" and "lousy." Pupil: "O.K. What are they?" Flying saucers! People from Quter Space! Outer-terrestrial observers! That's all it takes, Just mention the words and you have a sound basis for a friendly civil war, Quite frankly, we don't have any solid opinions, despite the fact that most of the folks we know are absolutely sure. About an even half are sure that "flying saucers" are nothing more than the pro- duct of over-heated imaginations—and the other 50 percent are equally convinced that creatures from other planets have us under careful scrutiny. Thirty years in the newspaper business leave a person with an open mind. Close observation, along with detailed notes on a passing parade of politicians, puritans, saints and sinners, leaves the average re- porter a little hard-surfaced, You don't panic too quickly. Last Tuesday evening we dropped in on the Lions Club meeting to hear their guest speaker, a Mr. Shelley, who was talking about the far-famed flying saucers. Now Mr, Shelley is no fool. Neither is he a juvenile; nor a fanatic. He is a retired high school teacher, and we would assume from his words and his behaviour that he was a good teacher—the sort who seeks always for facts and is more inter- ested in planting the truth in other peo- ple's minds than in the money he is paid for the job. Mr. Shelley, after years of study and research, believes that flying saucers, as we dub them, are the vehicles of visitors from another planet. He could talk for hours on the facts which confirm his con- clusions. He also professes to know that these visitors come from a planet which has not yet been sighted by earth-dwellers, but which is believed to exist within our own solar system. The most exciting facet of Mr. Shelley's observations is that he ties the whole dra- matic thesis into his belief in the presence of a kindly Creator who has made a uni- verse a million times bigger and more Electrical Business, a publication de- voted to the interests of the electrical in- dustry generally, carries a story which may be indicative of official thinking. Here is what it says: "A municipal expert from Montreal has sent shivers through municipal elec- tric commissioners in Ontario and raised once again the spectre of abolishing the public utilities commission system. "The expert, Thomas Plunkett, was ap- pointed commissioner eight months ago to study the structure of local govern- ment in Halton and Peel Counties, which lie between Toronto and Hamilton. "At a recent public hearing he suggest- ed that Ontario PUCs (there are 356) are anything but public. "They are the most uncontrollable of all public bodies," said Plunkett. "And among other things they are often more secretive about their operations than pri- vate industry." "He told a red-faced Burlington PUC ah spokesman that utility commissions gen- erally try to keep everyone from know- ing their business. "Plunkett said the PUCs refuse to open their books for public inspection—an il- legal position — hold in-camera meetings, barring press and public and place them- selves on a level above those who elect them. Robert Hay, president of the Ontario Municipal Electric Association, presented British Columbia is turning its lowly boxcar into a rolling art gallery, reports The Financial Post. Pacific Great Eastern Railway Co, has retained a professional artist to brighten up its• boxcars with murals of B.C, scenery. The trains will travel through Canada and parts of the 0 wonderful than we have ever thought of. The speaker's description of an "omni- verse" so vast that our own tiny galaxy (only one of countless billions of galaxies) would take thousands of lifetimes to traverse. Mr. Shelley's thought is that we on this speck of dust have no foundation whatso- ever for assuming that with all this vast conglomeration of material to work upon, we have any basis for the assumption that the Creator singled out our tiny planet as the sole place for the existence of intel- ligent life. The statistical odds are in favor of life on several hundreds of thousands of plan- ets, most of them outside our own solar system. All this conjecture leads us back to the human attitude about flying saucers. We readily acknowledge that even the words we have written here will have set all sorts of people off into peals of laughter. What comes to mind most forcibly is the picture of the laughing Spaniards when the word leaked out that Christo- pher Columbus was off on a hair-brained trip because he had the bright idea that the world was not a flat shelf. Flying saucers, maybe. Personally we have no experience on which to base an opinion. Mr. Shelley may be right. On the other hand, you may be right when you laugh. But right now we would give Mr. Shelley the marks because he has put time and study on the subject. History, as we have told you many times before, is a wonderful subject. Not because it tells us what people did in centuries gone by, but because it opens to our scrutiny the mistakes they made, And the most common error of all time stems from the mistaken impression that we know all there is to know. There are many gifts a man or woman may pray for—but one of the greatest is an open mind. a brief advocating retention of the PUC system. He repeated arguments used on previous occasions when it had been re- commended local electric utilities should be handed over to municipal councils to run, "Hay said that hydro service, which is provided through utility revenues, and kept separate from taxes, is best handled at the local level by a commission operat- ed independent of local "pressures." "I always cling to the old-fashioned notion," replied Plunkett, "that this pres- sure is desirable, that it is something that should happen in a democracy." The Plunkett report is slated for sub- mission in September. His remarks about utilities commis- sions are indicative of an attitude which is apparently forming in the minds of government advisers. Not only are the PUCs under criticism, but small town councils as well. There has been con- siderable talk during the past couple of years about changing the entire municipal system. All this may be well and good, but the simple fact is that the numbers of those willing to fill public offices are dwindling, Fewer and fewer citizens are willing to donate their time to serve on councils. We cannot believe that many town coun- cils would welcome the added duties if the PUCs were eliminated. U.S. and hopefully lure tourists to the province. The scheme will undoubtedly put the PGE's cars among the most color- ful, artistic and eye-appealing anywhere. And, for good measure, it will have con- siderable promotion value for B.C.'s cen- tennial year. REMINISCING APRIL 1917 Once again Wingham feels the heat of battle, On Thurs- day last Mr. A, E. Lloyd re,. ceived a cable stating that his son, Richard H. who is an air- man, was dangerously ill suf- fering with a wound in the thigh. The engagement is announc- ed of Miss Annie Reid Robert- son, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Robertson, to Mr. George. Tervitt. The marriage will take place on April 11th, Mr, Billie Burke who has conducted a barbershop in the Holmes block for the past few months has moved into the shop formerly occupied by John Hew- er, one door north of The Ad- vance. Mr. W. H. Gurney has pur- chased the Kent Block from the Wm. Davies Co. The sale was made through Ritchie & Cosens, Real Estate Agents. Mr. Gur- ney has found the need of more room for his increasing glove business and we believe has tak- en a step in the right direction. He will commence repairing the building at once, and will in- stall all the very newest mach- inery and fittings. APRIL 1931 A pretty wedding took place at First St. Matthews' Lutheran church, Hanover, at 7.45 on Monday evening last, when Ruth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Addison Rudy, was united in marriage to Mr. Frank Ford, son of Dr. and Mrs. A. T. Ford, of Wingham. Rev. J. H. Kud er officiated. For the past two weeks a government plow has been en- deavouring to open Highway No. 4 for motor traffic from Clinton to Wingham. Consider- able difficulty was encountered around Blyth, but on Monday afternoon it pulled into town. The road is now open as is the road to Lucknow, and while passable is not in perfect shape, but with a few warm days will be much improved. APRIL 1941 Harold I. Weir, son of Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Weir, of How- ick, has been appointed to the position of Assistant Superin- tendent of Agencies for the London Life, and commenced his new work on March 1st, The engagement is announc- ed of I. M. Bernice, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cec- il Day, of Gorrie, to Clarence Wallace Sperling, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Sperling of Gorrie. The marriage will take place quietly in April. Mr. Walter Nichols, of Chesley, has been engaged by the Huron Motors, commenc- ing his new duties Monday. Two local lads have enlist- ed in a tank battalion at Lon- don. They are Hugh Bell and Pat Fitzpatrick. Hugh is the third son of Mr. and Mrs.Matt Bell to enlist for active service. His brothers, Matt and Andrew, are serving in the forces in England. APRIL 1952 Gordon Leggett has announc- ed the sale of his delivery ag- ency to William Elliott. Gord will take a position with Jack Reavie Motor Sales. Residents of the Wroxeter district all their life, Mr. and Mrs. James Stokes celebrated their golden wedding anniver- sary on Thursday, March 27th, at the home of their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Bolt, Belgrave, Mr. John L. Currie of E. Wawanosh, has purchased the hundred acre farm west of S. S. No„ 9 School, (formerly own- ed by his father, the late W.J. Currie), from Mr. Wm. A. Currie and gets possession this week. Congratulations to Chief Constable Bill Irwin who won the title of the baldest man in Wingham. He had some pretty stiff competition from Omar Haselgrove, Hal MacLean, Bill Galbraith and some other shiny types. THIS GROUP OF BOYS who are members of Wingham Sacred Heart Church were confirmed on Monday evening. From the left, back row they are: Brian Black, John Late W. Currie Remembered Early Days in Wingham The following account of early days in Wingham was written a few years ago as it was told by the late William I. Currie. WINGHAM- -ITS BEGINNING About the year 1860, Peter Fisher built a flour mill and woollen mill combined. This was situated where the electric light plant is at present. At the flour mill the grinding was done with large stones, motivated by water power. This flour and woollen mill was burned down. Another woollen mill was built where the gates of the agricul- tural park are now. The flour mill was built on the original site. Andrew Bell built a hotel on the corner where Mr. Law now lives. A large store run by George Green was on the other corner. There was a sawmill and a grist mill with an office on the roadway leading into the mills. John McGregor had a harness shop. Duncan Mc- Gregor had a tailor shop. James Thom had a groceries and dry- goods store. Water from the river was channelled into a raceway to run the various mills. Between the race and the river Tom Car- ruthers had a blacksmith shop. Across the river towards the east Mr. McCall's repair shop, and east from there Tom Price a shoemaker. He was a free- holder. About the place where David Finlay's house is now, was a tannery built by John Chapman, east from there Tom and Ed Johnston's blacksmith shop. Where Lloyd's lumber yard is now, were two churches, Methodist and Presbyterian. Later the Presbyterian church was burned, and a salt block was built on the site. On what is named Victoria street, there was a post office run by Peter Fisher, corner of Victoria and Leopold streets. The principal business part was the block on Victoria between Scott and Leopold. Dr. Towler was the doctor. James Shrigley was a handyman about town. Mr. Nichol was a carpenter. Alex Dodds had a pump shop. Jos. Kormann had a cooper shop. John Ritchie was a carriage builder. Scott street had a blacksmith shop on the corner. A glove factory was then on Victoria street. A bake shop; two butcher shops and five waggon and carriage shops. This was before there were any No Need to Panic Bad News for Utilities Commissions Boxcar Art Gallery THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited. W, Barry Wenger, President - Robert 0. Wenger, Secretary-Treasurer Member Audit Bureau of Circulation Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association. Authorized by the Post Office Department as Second Class Mail and for payment of postage in cash. Subscription Rate: 1 year, $5.00; 6 months, $2.15 in advance; U.S.A., $7.00 per yr.; Foreign rate, $7.00 per yr. Advertising Rates on application. DeBruyn, John Bruyns, Bill Bauer; centre: Gerald Skinn, Jake DeBruyn, Tony DeGroot, Bruce Skinn; front: Ricky Foxton, Bruce Ortlieb, James DeGroot.—A-T Photo. 0