Loading...
Clinton News-Record, 1976-12-09, Page 15dor 20 years, Wilfrid Arthur asked thepeople of Ontario the musical Clues ion, 'Are you lonesome tonight?' Far. the last 33 years, hehas asked himself the question, 'Do the people - of Ontario remember?' Wilfrid Arthur may not be remembered by as many people as Guy Lombardo, but he will long be remembered as the leader of one of the most popular dance bandsin southwestern Ontario. In 1923, Wilfrid Arthur, 72, now retired and residing in Clinton, was the leader of a five -piece band, known as Arthur's Radio Orchestra. The radio station was 1OBP, now known as CKNX, Wingham. "There were many bands to play on the radio the same time as us," Mr. Arthur said, "but, we were the first band to go out from the station and tour the surrounding area." Sarnia, Orangeville, and as far north as Owen Sound, the Arthur band travelled out from Wingham to play one-night ,stands almost every night of the week. Mary, Wilf"s wife of almost 50 years, takes down a picture of the band that hangs in their apartment living room and hands it to her husband: "There's 'Papa'," he said pointing to himself in the picture. "I played sax, violin and piano. That's Clayton Steeper<of London, he played violin The wife's r sir, Mrs. Tom (Carrie)---CruJkshankr, Who played piano. Irwin Edwards from the West Coast, who played piano, and Tom Cruikshank, the wife's sister's husband on the drums." Wilf 4 the last jiving; member oaf the original Arthur .Band, Various musicians came and went from the band during Its 20 years of existence, hitt ToM and Carrie crulkshank stayed with Wilf right until the band, disbanded in 1943. "The war was on then," Wilf recounts., "1 joinedthe RCA (Royal Canadian Artillery) as a member of the anti-tank unit out of Wingham." From 1940 until 19427 he played sax with the unit's Winglarn Citizens' Band. "After the war, it was hard to find the musicians necessary to form a band and the band dissolved," WIIf said. By the end of World War 11, he had thrown himself full-time into his work as' a garage mechanic, a move far different from the one made in 1922 when he worked in a Gorrie garage. "It was my first garage and I worked there a year before leaving. I was on the on and up," he said. The "on and up period" had begun the year before with his enrollment in the American Technologicafl. Society's auto engineering course. "The course Was in Chicago and 1 lived there for the two years that 1 took the course," Wille -said. "Looking back, I'm sorry 1 decided to come back up here (Canada)." r Although he did come black, the big band sounds of_Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller drew him back to "the windy city" and the Drake. Hotel for New Year's Eve. "We'd sit in the Drake Hotel and listen to the bands. Glenn Miller, Benny Goode hands with tt' Chicago," V Back til proved to, "Beforo -'-i married,, We' hear the Lon:! en,: I met and shook all when 1 was in 1 said. da, Guy Lombardo close friend. jl and 1 were even go to Grand Bend and ar .Brothers playing in the pavilion during the sum- mers,"- Mary said. • Playing_a similar brand of music, Wilt said that 'Ile met Guy and other area -bandleaders in a London music shop where they all went to buy their music. "Wlf's band was always pretty well liked. because he played for mixed dancing, He'd play a big band number and then play a country and western tube," Mary said. Unlike her husband, sister, and brother -ins aw, Mary never played in the band, but she was always on hand when they hit the road. Shebegan following the . band before she married Wilf in 1927, but the piano in her family's home went far in bringing Wilt and Mary closer together. "We had a piano at home and Wilf and the band would come over to practice every evening after sup- per," Mary said. Wilf divided- his time -between -his work at the garage during the day and his band in the evenings. One thing was certain, Wilf could not support himself and Mary on his t lttadd Ai uz and his band once entertained thousands 01 maple In Southwestern Ontario, both on the dance floor and over CKNX radio during the station's infancy. He per - smelly knew Guy Lombardo and otherreats of the Big Band era and is t ecognized as one the finest auto mechanic.sn the area. Now retired and living in Clinton, WM, 74, played a half-dozen instruments, and can still pound a piano when called on. (News -Record photo) band playing. "We made about S3 apiece when we first started out/' Wulf said, "and we weren't making anymore than $5 by the time the band disbanded in 1943. It wasn't like today, where a band member can make $50 a night." He regretted the band dissolving a little, "but 20 years of that (playing one nighters), is enough to kill any man," Wilf said. Except for a period between 1928 and 1932 when he owned and operated his own garage "in Wingham, Wiif spent most of his time working for others. In 1950 he moved to Clinton and took up work as a bonier engineer at the Clinton Public Hospital, a job which lasted 10 years . "In 1960 1 began working as a mechanic for Harold Lobb, retiring in i971," Wiif said. It was during those 11 years that he successfully worked for and received his certificate as a fourth class stationery engineer. He brings out the framed cer- tificate for a viewing. An achievement he is very proud of. For an old, big band man, today's modern, electronic music makes Wilf feel uncomfortable. "The old bands could really pray good music," he said. "Give me a Guy Lombardo, Paul Whiteman or Horace Heidt, anytime." It may still be the era of, the electric guitar, but Wilf has noticed a trend "back to my kind of :music." The kind of music he still sits down to play on the piano, every now and then. Arthur's Radio Orchestra of Win em Ichrred in this r Wllfrld" Arthur, -on extreme rl ,a°cate aissdil jiving. were loft to right "Tao Crulckssf "gha ds of WIngh tm on banjo; Mrs. To t C cksli ii to Hiagstoh) on piano; C'1nyiton Steeper of London on' the Viotti), and:- d�, *110 played a host of lnstrumments. Born in Howick To nttlp, hsa'been llvlt g Itz Clinton since t' . Bayfield Reeve Ed Oddleifson called a $1,508 ceiling on salary increases "discriminatory" and called for a recorded vote when the Special Com- mittee tabled its recommendations for salaries at the November meeting of Huron County council. The vote lost 49-5 but Mr. Oddleifson told County Clerk -Treasurer Bill Hanly to be sure his name was recorded as being in objection to approval of the recommendation. Mr. Oddleifson was protesting a clause in the committee's recommendation which said that a "six per cent increase be granted to each of the Executive Group personnel, to a maximum of $1,508". The Bayfield Reeve said that if everyone else was entitled to a six per cent increase in salary it was discriminatory to place a ceiling on the two top paid County employees. Those affected by the ceiling were Medical Officer of Health Dr. Frank Mills, who earns $37,024 per year, and County Engineer Jim Britnell, who receives a yearly salary of 332,578, after the in- creases. Oddleifson said it was not the money he was objecting to but that it was a point of principle. Warden Jack McCutcheon, who headed the Special Committee made up of council executive committee and the chairmen of all its other committees, said the limit was, put on the increases for the two employees because of provincial government regulations on such increases. The government pays a large portion of their salaries. he pointed out. Stanley Reeve Anson McKinley said the men were given 11 per cent raises last year which were much larger than those given other employees. He told the meeting that the lower end of the pay scale was held -back hist year and this year would make up^for that inequality. Stan Profit, Reeve of Goderich, said he did not agree with the Ilayfield Reeve's objection. He said because it was a percentage increase, all employees -- appeared to be getting the same treatment, when in fact the "higher paid help" was: getting significantly more money. fere the increases the M.011. reteiVed $35,520 and the Engineer `til. Other increases include 31,456 for the Clerk -Treasurer and 31.274 for the Deputy Clerk -Treasurer bringing their salaries to 325.870 and 322.360 respec- tively. The Planning Director will receive an increase of $887 bringing his salary to $23.062, the County Librarian gets $656 more bringing the salary,up to 317,056, the Administrator at Huronview now earns $19,292 after a raise of 3742. The Social Services Adrriiiistrator received an increase of $634 to raise his salary to $16,484, .the Develeptnent Officer got $611 bringing his salary to $15,886 and the Museum Curator received $520 in increases bringing his salary to $13,520. The sailing wasn't a great deal smoother for a recommendation that Mileage Allowance be increased, ef- fective January 1, 19?7, from 14 to 16 cents per mile for these receiving the car allowance of ,360 per month and from 19 to 21 cents per mile for casual mileage. Exeter Reeve Clarence Boyle told the meeting that anyone who would take 20 cents per mile was "a robber". He said that even if petrol goes to $1.00 per gallon it would still only cost him 55.00 to attend a county council meeting, where: he received a free meal "which I should not get" and $12.50 renumeration. "1 would still be making a profit by coming here," he said. "and 1 should- n't." Goderich Reeve Stan Profit suggested that at least the County Councillors should be taken off the list of those to receive the 21 cents in mileage. Warden McCutcheon, suggested that "that is easy for someone who walks to meetings to say". In the end council approved the in- crease in mileage rates as well as an increase in the per diem rate for Councillors. That rate will be increased from $44.00 to $46.00 for a' Full day or night meeting and from 327,50 to $28.50 for a half day meeting. The Warden's Honorarium was increased by the same motion by six per cent from 1977. from 32,500 per annum to 32,650er annum. Warden 1VMcCutchcon told the meeting that increases for the council members were often left without moving up "to reality"' so that one council was left with' havingto make one lar' increase. The increases he said were in "keeping with the ties".