HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-03-07, Page 153.1
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Serving over 25,000 hpmes in Listowel, Wingham, Mount Forest, Milverton, Elmira, Palmerston, tiarnston,
rowel , WO,,,e "4vnkton, Millbank, Newton, Oliffbrd,'Wallenstein, Drayton, Moorefield and•Arthur..Wednesday, March 7, 1'984
ONCE A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR for the CNR, Mr. in his basement where he occasionally practises his
Mohr keeps his interest alive with a lir,of his office Morse Code.
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Stepping kW4 Walter 1Vlohr's basement is
like steppxl g baqk.into the beginning of the
century• Odie.NOM is chockfull of parapher-
nalia data g back, tp; the 1890s, while another
is set up he*egraph office, similar to
the one heroi 4 t at as an operator for the
Ca nadianiPtkipalItailway.
Although* retired from CNR a little over
10 years ago, he still keeps his profession
and m.e Aries alive through the
memorabd ..be has collected. His fondness
for his onlIcchnOs evident as he talks about
the historyof `each piece, carefully showing
visitors boil each item works.
His position «iss a CNR agent -telegraph
operator was more than just a job for Mr..
Mohr — it waki boyhood dream that came
true. The dream began to shape into reality
as a youngster when he began hanging
around the Milverton station, listening to the
agents Send and receive megages in Morse
Code. When.hagrew into hiss teens, he helped'
the agent at Milverton take express and
baggage off thepassenger train.
By 1927 hisinterest had turned into love
for the station. He began learning Morse
Telegraph Code with encouragement from
the agent, the lateH. C. Baird.
It was then his dream came true. He was
hired in 1927 as an assistant relief agent for
the Stratford branches, working in
Southampton. He worked in that capacity
until 1931, when the depression forced lay-
offs all over the country.
He went to work at his father's grocery
store in Milverton which was then located
beside what is' now Kelterborn's Food
Market: Even though, he was unable to work
at what he loved, he kept up his training in
Morse Code, using a key to tap out the
signals.
In 1943 his diligence paid off. He was
tested by the chief dispatcher in Stratford
and promoted to agent -operator, working
for Stratford and London divisions.
He stayed in that capacity until 1973.
While telegraphs aren't used anymore on
the CNR — they died out in 1970, Mr. Mohr
said — he keeps, his interest alive in his
basement.
"I go downstairs and tap a message out,"
he said. "Of course, I'm not communicating
The antiques more than fill the room he
has set aside for his collection. Virtually
anything can be found — aside from more
common items such as lanterns and antique
chairs, he also has some things that today's
generation have. seldom seen, including a
cherry pitter, an old wooden stand designed
especially for harness repairs, old forgotten
tools, and many contraptions that were
designed to make a housewife's job easier.
Most of the antiques were made around
the 1890s. Old chairs and tables have been
stripped down and refinished by Mr. Mohr,
with the help of his wife Florence.
He keeps his eye open for any sale,
travelling up to 20 miles to find items he can
res of e and keep. His collection is con
stantly growing, although he admits he
didn't foresee having such -- .a sizable
assortment of items when he started.
And despite the crowded conditions in the
basement, Mr. Mohr will not part with his
prizes. He has held backyard sales, making
room for more off his finds, but in general the
items are not for sale.
A table and four chairs, in excellent
condition, date back to the early 20th cen-
tury, and Mr. Mohr and his wife are
responsible for, keeping them in tip-top
condition. They add a touch of nostalgia to
the otherwise modern kitchen where they
find everyday use.
"I've always appreciated antiques, things
from yesteryear," he admitted. "Now, I
spend half my time in the cellar."
"I like attending the auctions. It's an
interesting hobby. I have no time on my
hands now."
Mr. Mohr saidone thing he worried about
upon his retirement was being bored, but
now his hobby keeps him occupied.
"My hands are full because of -this," he
said. "Just because I'm 76 years old doesn't
mean I'm not doing anything."
He and his wife also spend a lot of time
during the summer tending.their vegetable
garden on the large lot behind their Tem-
perance Street home.
' Despite the fact Mr. Mohr has been able to
keep his interest in antiques and his former
work as a telegraph operator thriving in his
basement, he sadly admits a feeling of loss
f sut -time& aregone.
"Nobody knows Morse Code anymore,"
he
said. --."It's a-lost,art — it's gone."
• The .telegraph became popular for giving
train orders in 1844 and lasted'until.1970: A'
few stations in the United States still use the
old-fashioned way of communicating.
Morse Code is still used somewhat in
water travel, however.
Mr. Mohr plans on continuing his hobby,''
adding to his collection by travelling to
auction sales, and keeping his skills on
Morse Code honed by practising on his
telegraph. ,
' "It's something I really enjoy."
understand it anyway. I.t's just a -way to
keep it up."
Mr. Mohr' rail '.y career resulted in hifh' '
;tr sllihr ny• towns and cities, He
spent time. ii 19 stations, including his ,
native Milverton; Sbuthampton, Harriston,
Hanover,,. Atwood, 'Moorefield, Baden,
Drumbo, Magor, Dublin, Goderich,
Sebringville, Newton, Stratford, Mitchell
and Brussels.
It was after his retirement he felt an urge
to keep busy. Because of his love for the
past, he naturally turned to collecting an-
tiques.
THIS BUGGY was built around 1890, according to Walter Mohr. Itis made of wicker
with steel wheels and boasts a bronze plaque on the front with "The Prince of Wales"
inscribed on it. Mr: Mohr picked. it up at a garage sale.
CHERRY PiTTERS were designed to make a
housewife's duties easier. Mr. Mohr estimates this one
is approximately 75 years old.
Former
telegraph
operator
keeps
past alive
by Laura Plumtree
A BEVERAGE DISPENiSER, complete with a hand
pump, is something that is seldom seen. It dates back to
the early 1900s. '
SOLiD LEATHER BOOTS date back to the 1800s. Boots similar to these were made
in Milverton, although Mr. Mohr doesn't know where these were made. The tools that
line the walls behind Mr. Mohr were used for barn framing, hay cutting and other
chores that are mechanized today.
AN EDISON PHONOGRAPH graces Mr. Mohr's bollection and was bt)ilt in the
1 890s. it plays cylinders instead of today's popular disks, and is still in working con-
dition