Times Advocate, 1995-11-01, Page 6Page 6
Times -Advocate, November 1, 1995
Bewitching winner
The winner by public ballot for the lampost decorating
contest was announced Monday as the Purple Turtle for
their street level witch and ghosts. The second place
was also taken by a witch, created by Seip's valu-mart,
high above heads on Main Street at John Street. Third
place was a combined effort by Sisters, Sugar and Spice
and Greeting Card World.
FAMILY
Sharing of Christmas gifts in Centralia
Presents to be flown to war-torn
Operation Christmas
Child is being set up
for the Christmas sea-
son,
Mary Peterson
CENTRALIA - On Sunday, Oc-
tober 29, it was wonderful to have
Heather Smith back at Zion West
and Centralia United Churches to
celebrate World Food Day. Ross
McFalls, Charlie Hayden, Doug
Stevens, Jack Wildes, and Mac
Mills played some lively old-time
pieces before the worship. Smith
opened the service with a message
about the ulicoming referendum in
Quebec, and reminded everyone to
treat the results with a Christian
heart. She offered a prayer for Can-
ada and her people during difficult
times, and the congregation joined
in the singing of '0 Canada.'
Smith noted that the conference
newsletter she had received high-
lighted the project of the local
churches and those in Hamilton and
London in growing corn for the
Foodgrains Bank.
In her children's story, Smith ex-
plained to the children about the
referendum, and reminded them
that God helps heal hurts. Lois Wil-
son read the scriptures from Jeremi-
ah 29, verses 1 and 4-7 and Luke
17, verses 11 to 19. The responsive
reading was Psalm 66, verses 1 to
12. The sermon asked the question
Speaker at Historical Society
talks about the mining of salt
Ross Haugh T -A staff
BRUCEFIELD - The history of the salt industry in
Huron County and Goderich in particular was the top-
ic of the guest speaker at Friday's annual banquet of
the Huron Historical Society held in Brucefield.
Steve Mayers who is studying public history with
the development of special programs and exhibits
through the Huron County museum talked about min-
ing salt from the mid I800's through to the present
time.
Mayers said the ancient Greeks came up with the
saying, "You're not worth your salt."
He went on to say, "Salt is a natural resource that is
vital to our lives."
The first salt was actually found in the Saltford well
on the north side of the Maitland River, near Gode-
rich.
Samuel Platt continued drilling after others trying to
find oil gave up at a distance of 750 feet. At 960 feet
Platt hit a salt rock of 60 feet and in the early days 100
barrels of salt were produced each day.
Another early salt producer was Peter McEwan who
had four furnaces operating for evaporation purposes.
In those days McEwan's operation used four cords of
four foot wood every hour 24 hours a day. At the
present Goderich salt mines, natural gas is used in-
stead of wood.
Methods of mining salt in the early years consisted
of drilling holes, pumping water down and bringing
the brine hack up to he evaporated.
In addition to the Goderich area, salt was mined in
Clinton, Seaforth, Dublin, Exeter and Parkhill.
In the first year of the Goderich Salt Works opera-
tion, 15 percent dividends were paid to investors at the
end of six months and at the end of the year another 36
percent was added. At that time salt was selling for
$1.25 a barrel.
This company was selling salt to Milwaukee and
Chicago until the United States government put on a
tariff and the demand didn't stay.
With wood available at lower prices, than in Gode-
rich rival salt companies in Seaforth and Clinton were
able to sell for Tess and captured most of the domestic
market.
Mayers continued, "Any visitors to Seaforth were
impressed by the salt derricks, sheds and the salt
blocks. At that time beech, birch and maple wpod was
available in four foot lengths for $2 a cord. The Sea -
forth operation was dissolved in 1885."
He added, "After the war in 1945, peace brought
prosperity to Ontario and the highway building boom
of the 1950's produced a new demand for rock salt.
Sifto is now the second largest employer in Goderich."
Mayers continued, "There are four square miles of
salt mining going on under the lake just off shore in
Goderich at the present time. About 100 salt boats ap-
pear in Goderich each year. The biggest cost in salt ist
transportation."
When asked about power systems, Mayers said,
"They have their own electricity and the mine was one
of the few places in Goderich that had power during
this year's summer storm."
After Mayers' presentation, former SHDHS teacher
Andy Dixon said he remembers going with his father
by wagon nine miles to the Exeter salt factory in 1916
to get a barrel of salt. Dixon said at the same time they
would pick up two bags of flour and a bag each of
white and brown sugar. He believes the Exeter salt op-
eration closed in about 1920.
Paul Carroll of Seaforth is president of the Huron
Historical Society and was chairman for Friday's pro-
gram.
In 1997 the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario
will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Plans for celebrat-
ing this event are already beginning and the Huron
County Historical Society is pleased to join in on this
program by dedicating its 1995 Historical Notes to
their organizau m.
In the His' ,rical Notes which are now available, edi-
tor Ron Lati..►m says, "We particularly wanted to high-
light their historical research work, which has been
one of their key Institute programs, during the past 70
years."
The Women's Institute in Huron County holds a spe-
cial place in thc hearts of the Huron Historical Society
because it was they that organized starting the Society
in 1964 and provided the first president, the late Mu-
riel Mack of Crediton.
The guest speaker at Friday's annual meeting of the Huron Historical Society was Steve May-
ers,
aµers, a researcher at the Huron count museum. At the left, Mayers Is being welcomed by Socie-
ty president Paul Carroll and member Joe Rider of Exeter.
"Where is God?"
Special worship services
Remembrance Sunday will be
celebrated on Sunday, November 5
at Zion and Centralia United
Churches. Everyone is invited to
contribute memorabilia for a dis-
play at the church. Photos, scrap-
books, etc. are invited from thc
First and Second World Wars, etc.
The Community of Area United
Churches, including Zion and Cen-
tralia, are planning a special eve-
ning filled with music and worship
on Sunday, November 26 at
Thames Road United Church. The
orchestra and a sing song will be-
gin at 7:00 p.m. The worship ser-
vice will begin at 7:30 p.►n. and a
social time will follow. Practice for
the combined choir will be help at
7:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 5,
12 and 19 at Thames Road United
Church. Everyone is welcome to
come join in.
Operation Christmas Child
The Sunday School is requesting
assistance to provide Christmas
presents to children in war-torn
countries. Wrapped shoeboxes con-
taining gifts for children who
would otherwise receive nothing
for Christmas will be shipped free
of charge by Greyhound Bus to
Calgary, and airlifted free of
charge to locations around the
world. Many volunteers will be in-
volved to ensure that the gifts will
be distributed to the children.
Each person is asked to fill a
shoebox with gifts for children 1 to
two, three to six, or seven to 13.
Your
Views
Letters to the `editor
Organizers
congratulated
"It was spooktacular!!"
Dear Editor:
Congratulations to the drama stu-
dents and organizers of the haunted
hay ride/tunnel of terror. It was
spooktacular!!
Lynn Tordoff
Exeter
Suggested gifts include small toys,
dolls, cars, stuffed animals, flash-
lights, school supplies, crayons,
coloring books, toothbrushes, t -
shirts, socks, underwear, and bible
picture books. These gifts should
be wrapped in shoeboxes with the
lids wrapped separately so that they
can be opened by customs as re-
quired.
Operation Christmas Child is
headed this year by Franklin Gra-
ham, the son of Billy Graham. To
participate in this very meaningful
project, bring your shoeboxes to
the church by Sunday, November
19. Last year, over 110,000 shoe -
boxes were shipped.
Church activities
Saturday, October 28 was a dis-
mal autumn day, but it was warm
and cozy at Centralia United
Church. Many hands pitched in to
hake apple, raisin, and cherry pies,
and there were sounds of friendly
chatter and the wonderful smell of
fresh-baked pies. Audrey McFalls
organized the successful baking
bee.
UCW meetings will he held at
Zion on November I at 8:00 p.m.
and at Centralia on November 2 at
8:00 p.m. Constable Kern from the
Exeter OPP will be guest speaker
at the Centralia meeting.
On Friday, Novemhcr 17 a tur-
key supper will be held at Centralia
United Church. Dinner will' he
served at 5:00 p.m. and at 6:30
p.m. Tickets are $8.50 for adults
and $4.25 for children aged six to
12 and are available from thc Ste -
countries
wards.
A Joint Stewards meeting will he
held at. Centralia at 8:00 p.m. on
November 12 to set the 1996 bud-
get. On November 23, the Session
will meet at 7:30 p.m. and the Offi-
cial Board at 8:00 p.m. at Zion.
Community activities
At the euchre party in Crediton,
high hand winners were Helen
MacDonald and Percy Noels, while
011ie Essery and Percy Noels were
lone hand winners. Low hand win-
ners were Mary Rhame and Archie
Ellerington.
On November 4, St. Paul's An-
glican Church in Kirkton will host
a "Treats and Treasures" Bazaar at
Kirkton-Woodham Community
Centre from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.tn.
Visscher Farms
Country Market
Broccoli 75¢,
Cauliflower $1.00,
Cabbage 75a,
Potatoes 1.25 10 Ib. bag
$5.00, 50 lbs,
Apples,$10. bushel, Apple Cider
Syrup, jams, honey
Mon. - Thurs. 12-5
Fri. & Sat. 9-5
Closed Sunday
3 miles west of Exeter
on Hwy. 83 237-3442
Capsule Comments
with Ernie Miatello
There's a new "bone paste" being studied that
helps repair broken bones faster. Imagine a liquid
bone substitute which is injected into the fracture
before the cast is put on. It hardens to the strength of bone within 12
hours and is gradually replaced by real bone. The hope is that the need
for screws and pins to fix the fractures will be reduced and the cast
can come off sooner.
When treating heartburn, the majority of people reach for the antacid
bottle. One of the better products of heartburn, ironically contains an
acid, alginic acid, which reacts with stomach acid tvfioem antacid back:
up the esophagus. Works quickly and well to cool that burning feeling.
An example is Gaviscon.
We occasionally get smokers complaining that this column contains too
many anti-smoking comments. So we will not have any for one month.
(It's just that there is so much information about the bad effects of
smoking, it's hard to ignore them!)
Nov. 1-7 is Pharmacy Awareness Week in Canada. We invite you to con-
sider the role pharmacists play in your life.
HURON
APOTHECARY uw.
Phone 235-1982 440 Main St., Exeter
"Your Health Care Pharmacy"
CHRISTMAS BEGINS IN
&ryfie/d
r
NOVEMBER 10, 11 & 12, 1995
STORES OPEN 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
In Store Draws
Refreshments and Treats
Tree Lighting Celebration
Friday, November 10, 1995,
7:00 p.m. Clan Gregor Square
Community Carolling in the Square
Refreshments & Treats in the Park or Town Hall
Choir Competition
Sunday, November 12, 1995
2:00 p.m. Bayfield Town Hall
Tickets available at the door & Main Street Shops
Remembers SHOPS ARE OPEN
THROUGH THE CHRISTMAS SEASON
,hayfield
N THE SHORES
A VILLAGE FOR ALL SEASONS of S
LAKE HURON
1