HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1976-06-24, Page 71Rave you seenGeo.rgie"
•puts village on alert
"Have you seen Georgie? We be sleeping and then be
wakened by the rain,
have been searching for him for awakened
10:20 p.m. Squadron
over half an hour." It was 6:15 Leader R.E. Henderson. Ken..p.m.., October'6, 1954 and nearly randon. George Bet1. John'
dark, €tad a two year old boy was BLindsay and James Boyce
not to be found.
One reads of incidents like this, decided to park their car at,
but no one knows the feeling of McAlister's cottage. about a Mile.
fear and concern until it happens north of Bayfield, and walk down
in one's own family or to those the°beach which was full of debris
nearby. Corporal Montgomery of from a recent storm. They passed
the RCAF Station. Clinton lived what they thought was another
in a cottage at Jowett's Grove, stump or log when sorttething
his -daughters Patsy and impelled them to turn the
flashlight back. nntitheree
Susan attended A.M. Hugh Bell
Campbell Public School on the upinls spotted the wee�boy curled
grey coat. sound aalter!,station. When they returned with the rising waves raping ever
home, George was missing and nearer to him. Ken Brandon
his mother frantically looking for irked him up and they collie
hfnt. At that point they notified home rejoicing.
Path's who, in turn. called When the searchers. those in
George Little, the local constable
and he phoned the Pcovincial the two cottages and those at the
Lindsay's heard the horns, a
Police. collective "song of praise" rose
The thought of a little one Qat
somewhere• in the darkness to the heavens. As Ken put,
Georgie in his mother's arms.
touches all heart. Members of the there wasn't a dry eye in the
Bayfield'- Lions Club left their room. At no time during the
dinner and volunteered for the ordeal had Mrs. Montgomery
earth, and as the news spread. broken down, until this moment.
ople came from far and near. This account has been written
uadcon Leader E.D. Finley. as a tribute to those -men and
who lived in the cottage next women whose hearts were
door. notified the RCAF Station. touched and who gave so freely of
Clinton and a busload. of Airforce themselves that night to find little
personne.E' and others in cars
arrived in a short time. equipped George.
with powerful flashlights.
As Georgie was always wan-
ting to go to school with his
sisters. it was felt that his little
legs had carried him eastward.
The men were given orders to
move down the fields arm's
length apart. it looked like a city
of moving lights.
Others; provincial police and
civilian. combed ibe picnic
grounds. the river
beach and up the steep hill. It was
hard on the men and their
clothing. There would be many a
tumble that evening. One man
saw a dark object in the water
along the lakeshore and reached
out to grab what he thought was
the boy. only to haVe Mon-
tgomery's big shaggy dog.
"Willie." shake water on his face.
Some drove cars up and down the.
roads with headlights trained on
the ditches.
Mr. Malcolm Toms. chief
operator at -the local telephone
exchange. played an important
role in this tense drama. She
phoned people asking them to
turn on lights, along the river-
bank and vicinity. She also
notified CKNX and CFPL-TV
picked it up also.
The men were busy searching.
but the women were left won-
dering. "What can we do?" Then
Mrs. John Lindsay. who lived
nearby on Highway 21. an-
nounced that she would serve
coffee and sandwiches to the
weary searchers, and in many a
home. out came the bread.
sandwich spreads and coffee.
Those who were free to do so went
to the Lindsay home to help. No
one knows how many they served
that night.
The RCAF sent over hot coffee
and Mrs. Finley opened her
cottage as a canteen. She had Mr.
Montgomery. who had fallen
earlier in the evening. stay with
her and Dr. Paul Walden
remained to give any medical
help if needed.
Bloodhounds had been
promised to the RCAF to be flown
in from Winnipeg and it was
thought that the search should
probably be called off until
morning but, when it began to
blow and rain, the search was
continued in case the boy should
Vuna a^+.r..p
4114. ..«,wf w.YI"SET 7"!tt
AWS" '� ►R t U Si ► '' . ' N ••
July 14, 1886
To the Editor of the News -Record
Dear Sir.
1 notice that the New Era says
that some of our citizens. run
mad" at election times.The
Almighty has spared the editor of
the Era the trouble of running
mad at such times. He is a
"natural" all the time. Noone but
a madman or a fool would so
persistently lie as he does and as
you proved no later that last
week.
Yours,
11E. Loyalist
rc.
t �.
The +Gair4aerH4use b been standingln Hayfield for many years and is well known by the Villagers.
(photo by-Milvena Erickson)
Gairdner house goes back to 1856
The Gairdner Home
The Gairdner Home on Main
Street and Susan Street, corner is
a fine large. square brick
structure built in 1856 as a home.
a general store. and the post
office..Also•4n the store was the
Great '.Northwestern Telegraph
Co's office and telegraph h
was carried on here by the
Gairdner Family from 1880 to
1892. The post office was from
1856 to 1917.
James A. Gairdner and Robert
Hutchinson Gairdner purchased
the property and a good deal
more around the village in 1853
from Baron de Tuyll and this
particular piece never changed
ownership or name until 1974
when it was purchased at the
auction sale by Kr. and Mrs.
Charles Rogers. Charles spent all
his "growing up summers" in
Bayfield so has a deep interest in
the village and his wife feels the
same. They intend to retire here.
•
DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED BY
DOMINION ROAD-
SINCE ISBB
Salutes the
BAYFIELD
CENTENt4IAL
DURING
"PIONEERA '76"