HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1954-05-20, Page 2tr
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• THE GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR
• •
THURSDAY, NAY 20th, i
6nOrtri)
HURON COUNTY'S FOREMOST WEEKLY
Established 1848—In its 107th year of publication.
Published by Signal -Star Publishing Limited
Subscription Rates—Canada and Great Britain, $2.50 a year: to Uzi
States, $3.50. Strictly in advance.
Advertising Rates on request Telephone 71.
Authorized as second-class mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa.
Out -of -Town Representative: C.W.N.A. 420 Temple Bldg., Bay and Richmond Sts., Toronto.
%Umber of Canadian Weekly (Newspapers Association. Member of Ontario Division, C.W.N.A., Member
of Audit Bureau of Circulations.. Weekly Circulation of over 3,200
GEO. L. ELLIS, Editor and Publisher.
SAM'S ;ACOMIN' NOW!
THUASDAYMAY 20th, 1954
"THE 'LONE SHIEL1NG"
Listen to me, as when ye heard our father
Sing long ago the song of other shores—
Listen to me, and then in chorus gather
All your deep voices, as ye pull your oars:
Chorus.
Fair these broad meads—these hoary woods are
grand,
But we are exiles from our .father' land.
From the lone shieling of the misty island
Mountains divide us, and the waste .of seas;
Yet still the blood is strong, the heart is Highland,
And we in dreams befiold the Hebrides.
We ne'er shall tread the fancy -haunted valley
Where 'tween ,the dark hills creeps the small
clear stream,
In arms around the patriarch banner rally,
Nor see the moon on royal tombstones gleam.
When the bold kindred, in the time long vanish'd,
Conquered the soil and fortified the keep,
No seer foretold the children would be banish'd,
That a degenerate lord might boast his sheep.,
Come foreign rage, let Discord burst in slaughter!
0 then for clansmen true, and sternclaymore—
The hearts that would have given their blood like
water
Beat heavily beyond the Atlantic roar. - • 4
One of the greatest literary puzzles of the
past century concerned the authorship of. the
above lines known and cherished by sons of
Scotland in this and other lands: Many names
were brought forw.ard, but none with .con -
elusive authority until Dr. G. .II. Needier,
retired. professor 'of the University of Toronto,
set himself to solve the puzzle. Dr. Needier
is a ,.profound scholar a'nd he delved deeply
in his search for the correct answer t� the
question that had .baffled. so many. Among
those most frequently mentioned as We 'author
was John Galt of the Canada Company,. but
Dr. Needier in a volume devoted to the subject
points decisively to David Macbeth Moir, a
.friend .and 1ike, Galt
writer.
It detracts not atall from Galt's estab-
lished reputation in the field of literature to
attribute to another the authorship of the
known lines. After the lapse of a hundred
years there appears to. be a growth of interest
in Galt as a writer of prose and poetry as 'well
as in his work as the organizer of the Canada
Company. To Dr7-Needler the thanks of the
literary world are due for his arduous pursuit
and .painstaking presentation. of the circum-
stances, which he 'brings to light concerning
the authorship of "The Lone Shieling."
The following letter by Dr. Needier in
The Globe and Mail of Saturday last brings
the matter to p-ublic attention at this time:
Some of those who read in last Saturday's
issue of The Globe and Mail the interesting notes
on Guelph and Gait in their early days by Mrs.
Marjorie Wilkins Campbell will have been, surprised
• that she ascribes to John Galt the authorship of the
poem, now generally called The Lone Shieling,
which appeared anonymously in Blackwood's Edin-
burgh Magazine in September, 1829, under • the
label "Canadian Boat-Song—froni .the Gaelic." For,„
though John Galt's work with the Canada Company-
Ippening up the great Huron Tract furnished the
background for the poem, the writer •of it was his
close friend, the eminent physician David Macbeth
Moir of Musselburgh..
A regular feature of Blackwood's Magazine for
many years was a section facetiously entitled
"Noctes Ambrosianae," which was edited, and for
the Most part written, by Professor John Wilson,
known, to literature by his assumed name Chris-
topher North. • A very noted group of writers con-
tributed to this section Q.11 a great variety of sub-
jects in prose and verse, largely humorous. Most
of the ,contributions, -were anonymous; :and to -add
,ro the humor; '6ven when a name was given, a piece'
was frequently ascribed to Someone who had not
written it. This was an accepted game among the
contributors.
The Lone Shieling was unsigned. When it
became known the world over and was to the Scot
in exile the most beautiful expression of his love
for the rugged homeland he had left, the effort to
findothe author became gener,41. The secret remained
unrevealed, however,i-until all of the Blackwood
group who knew it were dead. And now a great
mass of books and magazine articles on the question
has accumulated. 'As probable authors a long,' list
of well -,known names has been put forward by this
or that advotate, including Christopher North, Lock-
hart, Scott, James Hogg, John Galt, David Macbeth
Moir and others. Much of this was unsubstantiated
guesswork, until at - last the problem was tackled
by a really quzinfied scholar. This:was Mr. Edward-
MacCurdy, with his book A Literary Enigma, in the
year 1935. MacCurdy is known to the world as the
leading authority or•r*Leonardo da Vinci: After
long training in this larger field, MacCurdy, a good
Scot, took as it were u day off for a go at the fas-
cinating ri1ie of The Lone. Sliioling. He analyzes
the claims of the writers named, and with con-
vincing acumen dismisses them one by one (John
Galt included), Until only David Macbeth Moir is'
left as likely author of the poem; all the evidence
of any -validity points to Moir, but the final positive
proof is lacking. •
I write this letter because„ at this point I. come
in with niS7 book, The Lone Shieling, published by
the University of Toronto Press in 1941. I carried
on the search from the point where MacCurdy left
off. By, a lucky ,chance a batch of 91 autograph
letters written by Moir to Alexander Balfour, a
novelist and poet of some note in his day, came into
my_ possession. Following_a_few_elpes_prgsentesi
17v them regarding Moir's craftsmanship, ferreting
out in Blackwood several pertinent items that es-
caped MacCurdy's attention, discovering in Balfour's
verse a patent source of the ,actual wording of two
lines in The Lone Shieling, and tracing the metrical
ancestry of. the poem from the' quantitative metre
of Sappho and Horace to the accentual sapphics
.practiced by Moir (and by Moir alone of all the
• Blackwood group), I was able to heap up a three-
fold and finally conclusive confirmation of the
soundness of MacCurdy's judgment in pointing to
Moir as the writer of the unique poem.
If your veteran. columnist, Mr.,, J. V. 'McAree,'
should chance to see what 1 am here writilit-it will
perhaps remind himf of"how he reviewed • my book
in The Globe and Mail, heading his column with the
words: "The Mystery Solved of the Lone Shieling."
If it be not too great immodesty on my part, I might
add that The 'London Times, in its Literary Supple-
ment, honored me, not with a routine review, but
with a leading editorial. And itis not betraying
improperly a secret at this date to say that, 0 soon
as he had read my book, Mr. MacCjirdy, the best
qualified of all:to speak on the subject, wrote "On-
gratulating me, as he 'but it, on having "clinched"
.the argument and positively established Moir as
the author.
'And now, as this communication was called
forth by a reference ito Galt, what of John Galt as
a poet? At the present moment I am seeing through
.the press a small volume of his verse, which will be
issued this autumn under the title Poems of John
Galt: A Selection.
Torbnto. G. H. Needier.
EDITORIAL NOTES
For a bunch of optimists take a look at
the Western farinerwho are seeding for
another crop of wheat while -last year's
is still urisotd.
* * 10
erup
The., dandelion, makes a pattern of gold
• -.•
and green on IRAVI1S and boulevards. Too soon
'the golden heads will turn to gray—if the
lawnmower doesn't get them—and one of the
finest bits of springtime' will again have passed
by.
• - 4, •
Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edin-
burgh have happily returned to Britain after.
a. tour of Commonwealth countries „extending
over nearly" six months—the greatest tour ever
-- made by a British monarch or the ruler of any.
other country. -1Ier MajejtY has shown en-
duranee.and courage in a high degree' and it
• is the hops ..ef her loyal Subjects that the unity
• cif the Commonwealth wilt be ,definitely
'strengthened as a result.
• • .1P
Disclosures before a special coi tee of
the Provincial Legislature reveals 'a st te -of
• affairs in the Ontario Department of igh-
ways that demands stern action in dealing
with persoils found ”guiltyl of wrongdoing and:
immediate action in the reorganization of the
department. Immense sums are involved, and
the destruction of records in the department
since the scandal first come to light some
tionthS ago will make it a more difficult task
.
to bring the wrongdoers to justice. While
the affair apliarently does not reach the minis-
terial level,. there is already evidence of gross
....,,,-"..-4.iireiessneas if not collusion, on the part Of
paitment officials. Charges are already- in
QUICK CANADIAN QUIZ
'1.Whot is the difference in. -stand-
ard titne7lietWien" 'St'. John's,
Nv1ndIIfld' and Winnineg,
2‘Ths, Canadian new car, buyer
id „holy:lunch' on thesivcrage
alairrejitrfedetal ekeise and
Atates?4, •
.immi-
iitrfastlear *eta there more
court against some 'persons said to be con-
tentedin' the .scandal, and While these cases
are sub judice evidence toughing -themwill
not be allowed before the committee. The
public Will \kook for a thorough investigation
of the whole` nasty mess.
EQUAL 'PAY FOR EQUAL WORK
(Midland Free Press)
Equal pay for equal work carries with it an
equally important qualification.
' If we are to offer equal pay for equal work,
surely we must, be also prepared .to offer unequal
pay for unequal work.
The man or woman who, performs above aver-
age service in his or her job should be entitled to
above average pay; and the man or woman who is
below "average in producti5h or service should re-
ceive less than average combensation.
We are sometimes inclined to forget these very
self-evident truths in our bargaining. .
The outstanding individual—whether he or she
be a doctor, a teacher, a machinist, or -a carpenter
—merits outstanding compensation.
And we are inclined to overlook at times that
what some professional people term "qualifications"
for a particular post are not and should never be
the sore determining factor in the rate of compen-
sation.
Quite frankly, some of the stupidest and laziest
and most selfish people we have ever known have
held high degrees from outstanding universities.
They received them merely by going through the
motions for a sufficient number of years. '
Qualifications should never ,be viewed solely as
"acadenlic qualifications" but should be looked at
in their true sense. And in that sense qualification
for any Job includes experience, attitude, personal-
ity, sense of duty, and a number of other factors
which are in many -instances even more important
than what degree a man or woman holds from a
high school or university.
Progress An .this. ;world has always been the
result Of ideas marching on the shoulders of men
and women who were prepared to assume more than
the average or equal burden..
children?
4. Net -national income 'of CanAdiatis
this year will be about $18 ,bil-
• lion. How much of that wfll
ithey pyjn taxes'?
5. Of Canada's 42,956 miles of rail-
• "-waY. track, •how much Is In the
„prairie' rovinces?
• AN • 5. The three prairie
Proyincel have 19,270 Miles eUraiC
waYtr*ek":3: '100,000 *omen::
rt.
Two and one half -hours. 4. Taxes
to all governments vtill take about
one dollar In three. 2. The average
of excise and sales taxes, paid at
the factory to the federal govern-
ment was $424 on every new car
bought 1n1953.
rayar
The standard time sYMelia
verited' 'bk: Canadian • engineer: Sir
Sandford FleMingt, Was • adepted
malesor mord iotonteit aUd, eh drett,;. 68,000 • adult males'i•:"'"Ii.- ,thtionghoutqhe World in 1884.
SEAWAY
CANADA'S 60 -IT -
ALONE PolicY•
6`111,4 orr won
PARENT -TEACHER GROUP
,OFFICERS INSTALLED
Officers of St. Peter's parent -
Teacher Association were installed
at a meeting of the group held last
week at St. Peter's School. •
Installation was _conducted by
Mrs. Carl Schneiker. Reports were
given by A. J. Wisser, president of
the group, and Sister M. Alexand-
rine, delegates who •attended the
recent Federation of Catholic PTA
of Ontario meeting in Toronto.
Annual reports, .given by commit-
tees showed 'a successful year. •
• 'A program' in charge of the
Sisters was presented 'by children
of the ' school: Miss Jeanette
Austin was accompanist at the
„piano. At the close of the meeting
lunch was served by the social
committee, with Mrs. Ed. Jeffrey
in charge.
Forest fires destroyed -nearly a
third more timber in Canada in
1952 than in 1951. The toll —
289,656,000, cubic feet.
ONOE' MINISTERS HERE,
,APPOINTED AT SYNOD
Two former Goderich ministers
were honored in appointments
made last 'week in London at Huron
Synod -Of the Church of England by
the Lord Bishop, Rt. Rev. George
N. Luxton.
Ven. J. N. H. Mills, former Arch-
deacon of Brant, was moved to
become acting Archdeacon o
Essex. Rev. Beverley H. Farr,
St. John's Church, Sarnia, w
named a Canon. Both were forme
rectors of St. 'George's Anglican
Church hi Goderich.
• Rev. Dr. K. E. Taylor, present
rector of St. George's Church, was
appointed to tie executive commit-
tee of the Synod of Huron and
was also eleeted, to the Provincial
Synod.
•
• •
What
'Middleweight"
has
everything?
..Down Memory's
Lane
40 years,Ago
In a certain boarding house on
-West-street-the-landla4--did_not.
like the company of one of her
boarders and ordered him to make
himself "scarce." ' He liked the
place so much, however, .that he
returned and the landlady had him
brought into court for trespassing,
The - magistrate fined, the accused
$1 and told him not to return again
to the boarding house.
Early one morning when the
Grand Trunk train pulled out of
Goderich, residents near the rail-
way line thought there Must have
been some trouble because the
enginewhistledfor a rather long
time. Inquiry _ revealed that one
of the; engineers had just become
married and he and his bride were
headed. for Chicago on their honey-
moon.
Rev. James E. Ford presided at
the annual meeting of Goderich
and district of the Methodist
Church held • in North Street
Methodist Church. 'Sessions were
held on two-day.
25 Years Ago
The W.M.S. of Victoria Street
United Church staged a successful
Mother and Daughter banquet,
with about 125 in attendance. Mrs.
Byron Wilson presided over the
banquet. • .
Under the'auspices of the Gode-
rich Lions Club an address was
given by Cyril T. Young, F.R.G.S.,
superintendent of development for
the Canadian National Railways.
Special services were held in
Goderich churches and an open
air'service was held in St. Patrick's
Park to mark Mother's Day.
Successful anhiversary services
were held at Victoria Street:United
Church with Rev. J.'W.•Healey, of
Essex, a former pastor of the
church, as spedial preacher:, .
15 Years Ago
School teachers of Colborne
Township formed an association at
a meeting held at Carlow, .naming
Miss Geraldine McEwen as presi-
dent and G. Murray as searetary.
Complaining that chain stores in
Goderich were frequently using
bread as a "loss leader," bakeries
reduced the price from nine to
eight cents a loaf to meet the
competition. • A short time pre;
viously ,the price had been reduced
from 10 to nine cents to adjust it
with prevailing flour prices.-
A man who didn't think that two
girls .,and tivo boys, one girl seated
on her boy friend's knees, in the
cab of ,a truck constituted reckless'
driving, was straightened out in
court when the Highway Traffic
Act was explained to hitn. He
pleaded guilty and paid a fine of
$10 and costs.
10' Years Ago
Huron County came through with
flying colors in the 'Sixth Victory
Loan. The county exceeded its
quota by 8.19 per cent. The quota
was $3,060,000 and $3,310 850 was
41
subscribed. Top honors a a sales-
man went to Tom Prit ard, of
Goderich, who collected $83,150:
S. 11.- Blake, of Goderich, was sec -
end with $70,200.
Bayfield fishermen repotted that
trout and 'whitefish had returned
to Lake Huron after an) absence
of several years. Catches were
ranging from 200,10 600 pounds.
Union of Huron and: Maitland
Presbyteries of the Presbyterian
Church was concluded at a meeting
of the two :presbyteries- held in
Wintham. Named moderator -of
the new itueon.Maitland Presby-
tery was Rev: C. H. MacDonald; of
Last year Canada's leading im-
ports were automobile patts, farm
implements, crude petrolettm, 'deo-
trical apparatus, ,petroletun pro.
duct coal, rolling, pill products,
engines, and boilers, aircraft and
parts, fruits, autos, cotton products
and,woO1 products.
Lucknow and Dungannon. Rev.
John Pollock, of Whitechurch, was
named clerk and J. G. Mullen, of
"Seafiirthrtreasurer.
• •
• • • • • • • • •
...the
. 15 h.p.
EVINRUDE
Super Fastwin• •
OUTBOARD MOTOR
Find•your local deals*
under "Outboard Motors" in phone
book Yellow pages: .. -
EVINRUDE MOTORS I Peterborough. .
..Canada'.234-.
24111
WITH A
BANG!
HAND'S. FIREWORKS
• (Since 1873)
CRACKERS NOVELTIES
Box assortments at various prices.
Obtainable in the Goderich district ONLY at ---
T. Morris •
GENERAL STORE
SALTF ORD
-20
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..•
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AA•
here We co
•
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th bur, own...spare bedroom)
.
Very soon it will be time torpack our bags
• because Happy Holiday . . here we come 1
Last year we spent a lot of holiday dollars getting to our resort by
train and bus, and phew( were we ever tired when we finally arrived.,
But this year it's going to be different. .We ' re going there in ,style •in
our new Nash Canadian Statesman, and, we're taking all the luggage we'll
need. The trunk space in a Statesman is a vacattonist's dream, believe me:
Harry, and Hilda, ournext door neighbours, are coming with ,us' . . .
that!..11e seven all tolA.. •That's OK, our Statesman has the widest seats •
ofaja car -ion the' road, sO there'll,be plenty 'of room for all of us to ride
in'comfort.and,safety. Yes, safety. You see, Nash's Airflyte construction
makes the Statesmanha stronger, safer car. It isn,'t bolted together like
other makes. No sir, a Nash is welded into one solid, rattle -free car.
And our Statesman is a 'real gas miser, too., -We'll have:a. lot more.
,hard -to -get holiday dollars for fun -not transportationi
a 7.4•
The cottage we stay in has only two ,bedrooms -so, -we're taking., a spare
bedroom with. us. No, I'm not kidding. • Our Statesman has something all cars
should have, and that's twin beds. All I do when we get there is fold back
the front seats, and presto, there's the kids' bedroom for two weeks.
For my money the Nash. Canadian Statesman is your best.buy-and .don4t
let anybody try to tell you differently. See the low-priced Nash Canadian
Statesman and you'll see what 1 mean. Call in at your Nash dealer's and
have a good look at Canada's Smartest, most practical car.
Take my advice, go Nash, youll love it.
and say "goodbye" to'the city
ajrhiriat
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