The Clinton News Record, 1936-12-31, Page 3THURS., DEC 31, 1936
THE. CLINTON :NEWS -RECORD'
PAGE 3.
WHAT CLINTON WAS DOING IN THE
GAY NINETIES
Do Yon Remember What Happened During The Last
Decade Of The Old Century?
From The New Era, Dec. 25, 1895:
We are sorry to report that Mr.
Hugh- MacDonald, an esteemed resi-
dent of town, is seriously ill at the
present time.
At a special meeting of the Colle-
giate Board, Miss Topping was ro-en-
gaged for next year.
Bert Davis and George Robb have
both passed their first exams in To-
ronto College of Pharmacy with hon-
ors.
Creditable to Builder and Owner:—
Mr. Thos, Fairservice, the well-known
and enterprising farrier of the 10th
Concession of Hallett, was in town
on Tuesday, making a settlement
with Mr. Thos. McKenzie of the Clin-
ton Planing Mills, who has erected
for Mr. Fairservice.one of the nicest
and most extensive residences in the
township.
From The News -Record, Dec. 30th,
1896:
Mr. D. Cantelon and a gang of men
are in Toronto repacking several
thousand barrels of apples.
Mr. Victor French of the staff of
the Mitchell Recorder was a holiday
visitor in town,
Mrs. A. J. Holloway spent Christ-
mas with Dr: and Mrs. McNally .of
Tara.
Miss Hattie Rumball, Ernest Coo-
per, Dan Ross, J. Lindsay and J. R.
Bone of Toronto University are
spending the Christmas vacation at
their homes.
James Cook has the honour of be-
ing the only expert winter bicycle
rider in Clinton.
Entertainment and Presentation
The children of St. Paul's Sunday
School held their Christmas enter-,
tainment on Monday evening. A first
class supper was spread and a good
time was had by all. Mr. H. C. Bre-
wer very kindly entertained those pre-
sent with his magic lantern views.
Games were played and prizes dis-
tributed. After the children were
dismissed, the teachers and officers
of the Sunday School met at the rec-
tory and presented Miss Lily M,
Johnstone with a beautiful gold and
opal brooch. The address was sign-
ed by A. E. Cree, Lavine Parke, M,
J. Holmes. Miss Johnstone leaves to
take a position as teacher at Bei-'
grave.
When The Present Century
Was Young
From The News -Record, Dee. 21st,
1911:
(Coutts, Alta., are spending the
Christmas holidays with relatives in
the vicinity.
I That Principal. Hartley is a pope-
, lar teacher has long been conceded
but the fact was abundantly demon-
strated on Friday horning when at
the close of the work of the term,
the:modelite class, who have been un-
der his tuition for the past few
months, presented hiin with an ad-
; dress,
d-'dress, expressing their high appre-
ciation . of his efforts in their behalf
..and of the interest he has taken in
their work, and asking his acceptance
of a Morris chair,
Mr. E. Lewis Evans of Louisville,
Kentucky, paid a brief visit to his
old home in town on Friday last.
Mr. Cliff. Levy is able to take a
drive out these days after a recent
serious illness.
Mr. W. C. Brown resumed charge
of his section on Monday after hav-
ing been off duty for some weeks
owing to illness.
From The New
E Dec. 28th, 1911:
Rev. J. Greene, assisted in the
Sunday services at Trinity Methodist
church, Stratford, and while in the
city was the guest of Rev. F. W.
Wootton., `
Mr. Broder McTaggart, who is at-
tending the R. M, College at King-
ston, spent the Christmas vacation
with his parents.
Mr. Murray Jackson of Toronto
visited at the home of his parents
during the holidays.
Mr. J. Moon of Toronto is spend-
ing the holidays with friends in
town.
Mr. Clarence Copp who is attend-
ing Varsity is home for the holidays.
Mr. Charles,.Tebbutt of theO.A.C,
Guelph, spent Christmas in this vi-
cinity,
Nomination meeting produces a-
bundance of candidates:
For mayor—B. J. Gibbings,.Jacob
Taylor, A. T. Cooper.
For ,Reeve—David Cantelon, W. G.
Smyth. '
For Councillors—D. S. Cluff, A. S.
Morrish, Thos. Mason, J. A. Ford, F.
Jackson, Thos. Beacom, T. Jackson,
Jr., -L. Paisley, W. J. Paisley, Dr. C.
W. Thompson, R. B. Carter, J. G.
Medd, Oliver Johnson, Jno. Hunter, 3,
E. Cantelon. •
For School Trustees—St. Andrew's
Ward, Nelson Ball; St. James' ward,
J. E. Hovey; St. John's Ward, H. E.
Rorke; St, George's Ward, J. S. Ev-
Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Jenkins of ans. -.
WHAT OTHER NEWSPAPERS ARE SAYING
THE DULLEST DAY
The day . after Christmas is the
worst day in the year for daily pa-
pers, when there is always a scar-
city of news. That is one problem
the weeklies avoid.
Speaking of the dailies . and their
newsgathering pretensions, why is
it that the different parts of the pro-
vince are flooded with local news re-
lative to their particular sections,
while there is .practically no news
whatever of a local nature from the
other parts of Ontario. Inserting
pages to suit the different localities,
may sometimes be neeessary owing
to the stress of circumstances, hut to
adopt it as a practice does not seem
consistent in view of the unlimited
means at the disposal of the big dai-
lies. —The Goderich Star,
IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE.
A Missouri woman advertised fox
a husband. She got one at a cost of
two dollars. He enlisted in the ar-
my and was killed. She got three
thousand dollars insurance and will
get a.Widow's pension as long as she
lives..:/Who says advertising doesn't
pay? —St. Marys Journal -Argus.
BETTER TIMES
Reports of . increased business
would indicate that the forces of re-
covery are at work. The tide has
started to run. It is predicted that
in three years or less that business of
all kinds will be making new records.'
When that time comes there will be
employment for all, interest rates, will
go up, also wages, and it will take
industry some time to supply there-1
placements necessary to bring equip-'
ment back to normal. All things indi-
cate that Canada is on the verge of
the greatest revival of business it
has ever known. .—Listowel Banner.
A. friend assures us that this is as
true as most good stories. He had
read Dickens' Christmas Carol toy
the starry-eyed children—the fam-
ily's pet kitten being also an absorb-
ed listener. Later the cat was seen
examining the shelf of Dickens'
books with great interest. Suddenly
in high excitement, it started pulling
at one of the volumes and our friend
investigated—to find that the dear
little pussy, which can't spell very
well yet, thought it had discovered A
Tale of Two Kitties. Is there a Liars
Club in Stratford?
• The Stratford Beacon -Herald.
HOW, TO KILL SLOT MACHINES
The town council of Smith's Falls
has found an ingenious and effective
way to rid the community of the slot
machine and pin game menace which
has become such an ogre in nearly
every Ontario municipality. It con-
sists of a bylaw to license places of
business where these machines are
usually found and to declare it ille-
gal for them to have such machines
on their premises.
As described by the Smith's Falls
Record -News the bylaw provides for
"the licensing of victualling houses,
todging-houses, places where food for
human consumption is offered for
sale, made for sale, stored or sold,
billiard parlors, clubs, theatres and
places for the reception, entertain-
ment and amusement of the public,
ice cream parlors and booths, places
where cigars, cigarettes or tobaccos
are kept for sale, and garages and
service stations, at a fee of $1.00 per
year." _It is declared unlawful for
any person to whom a license is is-
sued to "have inhis possession or
under his control on his premises or
in a house, store or other building
any slot machine, slug machine, au-
tomatic baseball machine or auto-
matic machne for playing the game
of whiffle in use or not." The pen-
alty for violation of the bylaw is set
at not in excess of $50 cash for each
offence. The bylaw ill Smith's Falls
comes into force on January 1st,
1937. It was passed unanimously by
the .council.
The officials of Smith's Falls de-
serve a vote of thanks from every
municipality in Ontario and it seems
certain that the majority of town
councils will readily seize this'' me-
thod, of ridding their communities of
n'.'.' '.Y.WAVAN.Y.fY:.'.•.'.". . ,P■W■'P■'■Y.'.1e. d.W. .^.:., I year with the conviction that you will
always be equal to every demand
YOUR WORLD SND MINE
by JOHN C. KIRKWOOD•
(Copyright)
i''IMAV '.'SYN.W.'MYAeeed .'.'.WdVA''.W.w.'L' ;
Three Christmases I did not spend fug opening scene of my Christmas
with my family. One I spent in Day! I, believe that I uttered a wish
Philadelphia; another in London; and that my, landlady's pudding hadbeen
the third in Toronto, when my fam- in a locality where it might boil at
fly were travelling. in Europe. any time without disturbing any lod-
The Christmas day in London, 1919; ger.
was spent absolutely alone — in a That morning I rang four times' for
dreary and chilly and damp London my hot water, three tines for my
„flat. The fancily with whom I lived boots, and was asked to eat cold ham
instead of my usual eggs, because no
room could be, spared at the fire to
boil theta.
I 'occupied my landlady's back par-
lour, and was intruded on every min-
ute because a thousand things want-
ed "for upstairs" were left in odd
nooks and corners of the room. I
had no easy -chair. My books, were,
all "put away". My breakfast table
could notbe cleared for three hours
after I had finished my meal. I was
asked to allow a saucepan to be plac-
I made' on you, acrd that when the year
•;• closes, you will be lar ahead of where
' ` you stand today—in worldly fortune,
in pleasant experiences, in the es-
teem of those whose good opinion you
cherish'j,r And probably you feel pret-
ty sure that you are going to have
some ` gladdening, enriching .adven-
tures and experiences. Some honours
may be your portion. Yotr will be
making new acquaintances, and you
may form new friendships.
But if you are well on in years, then
the look forward is without power to
thrill you. You may see the days
stretching ahead to be days of weari-
ness, anxiety, enfeeblement, impover-
ishment. You can be sure that', the
Great Reaper will cut down some of
the few friends whose friendship; has
been precious to you. You know that
your physical and mental powers are
likely to weaken in the months ahead.
Perhaps your income in the year ly-
ing before you may be menaced'by
any one of half a dozen vicissitudes.
You may feel that you are becoming
less interesting to the members of
y cur own household just a little tire-
some to them. If you have ailments,
then these are likely to become worse.
had gone North for Christmas, leav
ing me a cold chicken. Happily on
Christmas morning t h e postman
brought letters from my family, and
^a gift or two. But it was a cheerless
Christmas day. To be separated by
an ocean's width from one's family
on: Christmas Day is not a welcomed
experience.
Yet`L did not have the annoyances
and the indignities which were the
tot of a Scots bachelor who was a-
lone in London, meaning away from
his kindred in Scotland. I found the ed upon ,my fire. It was suggested
story of this irritable bachelor in an to me that T might dine `at 2 o'clock,
in order to have 'my repast over and
cleared away before the feast upstairs
began.
I was too proud to let my land-
lady have the least insight into the.
real state of my feelings. Poor soul!.
It was not her fault that I had no
circle within my reach, -yet I remem-
ber _that throughout the day I- re-
garded her as the impersonation of
fiendish malice.
After I had dined, she carne to ask
me if there was anything which she
could do for rne. I. regarded her in-
trusion as one prompted by a vulgar
wish to show me her fine ribbons and
jaunty cap, and curtly told her that
I did not require her services.
To relieve myself of the load of
vexation which oppressed pre, I strol-.
led into the streets, but I was soon
driven back ,to my landlady's little
parlour. The gayety that resounded
from every house, and the deserted
streets without, were even more an-
noying than her narked attention. I
sat down once more and doggedly
read. I called for my tea, and in re-
ply was informed that I should have
it directly the dinner was over up-
stairs.
My patience was' giving way rap-
idly. My tea was produced, however,
after a considerable delay, and then
1 thought that I would make a des-
perate attempt to forget the jovial
scenes that were going forward in
every nook and corner of the country
—save in niy desolate, sombre, close
back parlour. I swung my feet up-
on the fender, leisurely filled the
bowl of my pipe, and was about to
mix my first fragrant cup, when that
horrible servant again made her ap-
pearance, holding a dark steaming
lump of something on a plate.."Please
sir, missus's compliments, and p'raps
you'd accept this bit of Christmas
puddin'". I could have hurled it,
plate and all, into the yard below. I
saw myself again an object of pro-
found pity and charity to the com-
pany above. Although I am extreme-
ly fond of that marvellous compound
of good things with brandy sauce on
Christmas Day, I could not have
touched my landlady's proferred plate-
ful for any consideration. I gave a
medical reason for declining the dain-
ty, and once more turned to my pipe
and my tea. As the white smoke
curled from my mouth, a waking
dream stole over ne. , I fancied that
I was Robinson Crusoe, my parrot
dead, and my dog run away, I curs-
ed fate that had consighed ane to a
solitude. I recited a few verses from
Keats alound, and the sound of my
voice seemed strange and harsh. I
poked the fire, and whistled and hum-
med, to restore myself to the full en-
joyment—or rather to the misery --
of
of my senses.
old magazine, dated 1851, and when
I read it I thought that my readers
might enjoy the tale of his Christ-
mas Day—this at this Christmas sea-
son. I hope no News -Record reader's
Christmas Day was so miserable as
was this Scot's. I have to shorten this
tale, for if I gave it in full it might
be too depressing. I may mention that
this Scotsman was a lawyer --and a
lodger.
"Beg pardon, sir, for interrupting
you," said his landlady to her lodg-
er. "But I wish to know whether you
dine at home on Christmas Day. The
good woman must have noticed my
confusion. I stammered out something
in the most awkward- manner. "My
friends live in Scotland .where Chist-
mas is no festival", I replied. "Well
dear -a -me" saki my landlady. "That's
very awkard, very awkard, sir, in-
deed. Dear, dear -a" -me. What shall
"do? My table downstairs won't hold
anything like fifteen." Fifteen souls
to greet my landlady on Christmas
Day, and not a soul to break bread
with mei
I offered to vacate my room for
her great annual festivity, which of-
fer was eagerly accepted. From that
moment my fortitude deserted me. I
was sick atheart—stupidly and pro-
foundly dejected.
On Christmas Eve the maid came
into my room, and begged that I
would allow her to decorate it with
holly. 1 was very lonely that ,even -
Ing. The six square yards of space
which I occupied were the only six
yards in the neighborhood not occu-
pied by laughing human creatures.
The noise of my landlady and her re-
latives below made me savage, and
when she sent up the servant to ask
whether I would like to step below,
and take a stir at the pudding, my
"no" was given in such a decided tone
that the poor girl vanished with mir-
aculous celerity.
The knocks at the street door were
incessant. First it was the turkey;
then the apples, the oranges and
the chestnuts, for dessert; then the
new dinner -set; then the sirloin. Each
separate item of the approaching
feast was hailed with smothered wel-
comes by the women, who rushed in-
to the passage to examine and greet
it.
My. loneliness was a theme of piti-
ful consideration with the people be-
low. I. was very angry, and 'paced
my room with rapid strides. I thought
that I would wear cotton wool .tor
the next four -and -twenty hours, to
shut out the din of general enjoy-
ment. I tried after a short time to
compose myself to my book, but just
as I was about to take it down from
the shelf, the servant informed me in
a high state .of chuckling enjoyment
that "Missus's friends was a-goin' to
light up .a snap -dragon!" and the
shouts that burst upon me a few muo-
ates later confirmed the girl's report.
I was now fairly savage, and having
called for my candle, 'went to bed,
with the firm conviction that the rev -
The servant once more invaded any
seclusion—what could she want now?
"Please, sir, have you done with the
tea things? I'm a-goin to wash 'eni
for upstairs." "Take them!" Ire
ellers below were my sworn enemies. plied, not very graciously.
Brooding over the revenge I pro- I began to hope that the party was
raised myself for the following morn about to break up, A gentle footstep
ing, I went to sleep, and dreamed of was audible, descending the stairs.
the Arctic solitudes and the Sahara There was a smothered call for Mary.
Desert. Heavy footsteps passing my Mary obeyed the summons, and the
chamber awoke me. I started from following dialogue was whispered in
my bed, flung open the door, 'and the passage:
shouted, "Who's there?" It's only "Did he 'eat the pudding?"
me, sir, a-goin' to put the puddin' "No, mum. ,He was afraid of it,
in the copper" said an uncommonly and he was so cross."
cheerful voice. Here was a delight-: "Cross! I was going to ask him
to join us. Do yon think that he would
Mary?' '
slot machines and pin - games. 'The "Bless you, no, mum! HE jinei I
Reformer would recommend that the think that I see him a-jinin'. Moth
Simcoe town council take immediate m pleases him. He's too high for
action to secure a copy of the Smith's anybody. I never see the likes of
Falls bylaw and to frame a similar ham.
one for this town. In the past the I was furious . at the sympathy
e'have felt themselves
which my loneliness created. I went
town fath i s e rase I to bed, I lay there for several hours,
powerless to cope with the menace, and did not close my eyes before I
but the means is now provided for had solemnly vowed that 1 would not
them to do so.
There can be no question that pass another Christmas Day in soli -
these 'machines are takir; thousands tude and in lodgings—and I didn't!
g In the course of the following year, I
of dollars from the community ev- married.
eryyear, as well as having a demor-
alizing effect upon young people who j
can' ill afford to lose their money. As you stand on the doorstep. of.
They should have- been declared il- the old year, looking outward into the
legal long ago by the Attorney -Gen" new year, do you have great courage
eral's ,Department, but the fact that and confidence, or are you anxious?
government officials have failed to If you are young, then the prospect
meet their responsibilty does not re-' of the new year is an inviting one.
lievethe town council of its duty to It is a prospect leading into larger,
protect its citizens front the menace brighter, happier things. You are
of these diabolical` machines. buoyant. Fear is not in your heart.
Sinieoe Reformer. You face the mysteries of the new
Why do I paint so gloomy a picture
at it relates to ageing persons? Well,
my answer is this: If we who axe
getting on in years lose our interest
in life, then we assure for 'oursel-
ves an ever-increasing dullness in
the skies over us. My view is that
the older we 'grow, the richer should
.re our life, not the poorer. This view
of mine requires us to use present
days in such ways that days to come
will be harvest days of present days.
If we want our old age to be toler-
able for ourselves and enriching to
others, we must in these present
times be planting the sort of seed
which will produce' the harvest glad-
dening to us and others in our older
years. We reap what,we sow.'I£
we sow nothing, then e shall have
nothing to reap in older years.
Holding these views I cannot ap-
prove of that manner of living which
plants nothing in lusty years to be
harvested in autumn years. I have
seen many farmers, for example,
working terribly hard for years and
years, without planting much for
future garnering. I have seen them
in their 60's -70's -80's with rather
vacant minds and without ability to
get out'of passing life any great en-
joyment. And not farmers alone;; I
have seen blacksmiths,. storekeepers,
manufacturers, labourers, artisans,
lawyers and doctors going through
their full -powered years without
much thought, for the years of old
age. They may have been well -in-
sured, and they may have accumul-
ated considerable wealth as measured
by dollars and cents; but the mere
possession of a pension or an income
does not and cannot make one's old
age a pleasant period and experience,
We are reading nowadays a good
Ileal about leisure and how to em-
ploy it. The leisure . referred to is
that period of non-employment—tire
period of life following the attain-
ment of our 45th -50th -60th --65th
year. Industry joined to invention is
expelling men from wage -paid em-
ployments at age 50 or 60, and some
tines at age 45. Also, there is the
movement for a 5 -day work week.
What are workless persons to do with
their free tinge—the time which is
wholly their own? An answer to
this question is being given by many
earnest persons in books and in
magazine articles. One of the ans-
wers to the question, is the adult edu-
cation movement—an enterprise de-
signed to provide the facilities of
education to both young and old per-
sons—those whose school days were
short. •
But one should not wait on others
before beginning to consider how to
employone's leisure time in such
ways that there. will be a fruitage in
later years.
There are too many ways, as I see
it, by which one's old age can be
made a happy .one. One is to begin
now to participate in beneficientac-
betterment of others' lives or of civic
or municipal, conditions, We ,must, if
we are not to grown up stunted, give
a good deal of ourselves to good
causes and good enterprises. If you
will look about you in a purpose to
find out all the old people you know,
you will find that the happiest and
hest among them are still identified
with good causes or enterprises, from
which they are getting a full cup of
happiness. Those old people who
compel your pity are those without
occupations of any sort. Many an
ageing ;man is kept fresh -minded
and fresh -spirited, and in good
health, by making his garden beauti-
ful; by the practice of a hobby, and
by reading and writing;' even though
the writing be just letters to friends
and kin.
A year is both a long and a short
period of time. As. measured • by
hours it has the satire length for. ev-
erybody. As nceasured by employ-
ments nad the quality of employ-
ments and the quality of employ -
times as long as isthe year of oth-
ers. The more our life is like that
of oxen, the less we getout of lite
and give to life. Eating, sleeping,
toiling, idling, without purpose -just
mere existence- is living as 'oxen
live.. Look about you, and ask your-
self the question as 'you behold this
person and that, What is he (or she)
COUNT
Y NEWS _
COLBORNE: John Davis Famish,
63, Colborne Township farmer and
lifelong resident of this district, died
at his hone Monday week, after an
illness of less than a week. Two years
ago he suffered a partial stroke and
had since been • in poor health. He
was born in Ashfield Township, a son
of Mr, and Mrs. John Farrish, and
lived in Goderich a short time before
Moving to hi -s Colborne Township
farm, 30 years ago. He was a mem-
her of Knox Presbyterian church,'
Goderich, •1.O:O.P. and was a Mason.
Surviving, besides his wife, formerly
Mary Ellen Dorton, -are 10 children,
Mrs. Bert Bogie, Mrs. Allan. Schram
and John H. Famish, all of Goderich.
Mrs. Grace Bogie, Kenneth D. Far
rieh, James H,, William H. K., Robert
G., David S., and. Keith W;, all at
getting out of life and giving -to life?
Ask this sarne question in relation
to yourself. It takes a question like
this to jolt us—to make us percep-
tive of the poor use of passing time
by so many of our friends and ac-'
quaintances andperhaps by oursel-i
ves.
That life is most productively lived,
which isspent in contributing to
others' welfare. And it is good to
touch, directly and indirectly, the
lives of many persons. When we
touch the lives of many, we get back
something large — something from
each person against whose life our
own is impacted. We live small lives
When we live self-centred lives, and
when we draw income from few per-
sons, This is especially true when
our income—our intellectual and spir-
itual income—comes from few per-
sons all as poor as we ourselves are.
What sort of books do you read.
Are they books of spiritual and in-!
tellectual enlargement, or are they
books no better than a stick of chew
ing gum?
A year stretches ahead of us. How
are we going to employ our 365
days? And shall we be, appreciably
ahead in eternal things when the
year 1937 has finished its course?
home. Three sisters ancl, a brotle} •
also survive, Anne and Sadie Famish,.
Goderich; Barbara 'Parrish, Florida,
and Kenneth, Ashfield: The funer- •
al was conducted by Rev. D. J. Lane
on Wednesday afternoon with inter
ment in Maitland Cemetery.
GODERICH: Twelve hours after
being operated on at Alexandra Hos-
pital for removal of a ruptured ap-
pendix, Robert W. Phelan, 20, son of
Mr. and Mrs. James Phelan, Bruce
street, died Sunday week. He Was a.
member of St. Peter's church and of
the Holy Name Society. Surviving
are his parents, a twin 'sister, Verna,.
and an older brother, ti-Xarry J., both
at home. Interment was made in the •
R.C. cemetery Tuesday morning of-•
ter a --short funeral service at the
home and mass conducted by Rev, Fr..
Nagle at St. Peter's church.
BLUEVALLI: A quiet wedding was:
solemnized at the United Church. par- •
nonage; Bluevale, Wednesday when
Miss Ruby Baird was united in mar-•
riage to William McGee, younger -non
of Mrs. McGee and the late Arthur -
McGee of. Morris township. The cere-
mony was performed by Rev. A. V.
Robb. The bride wore a dress of
brown crepe with matching aceessor--
les, Following the - ceremony a wed--
ding
e'd --ding dinner was served at the home.
of the bridegroom's mother. Mr..
and Mrs. McGee will reside on the
bridegroom's farm on , the Bluevale.
road.
BLYTII: William H. McIlroy, who.
for 50 years has been a resident of -
Blyth, died at his home in his 80th.
year, Mr. McIlroy was born in Mor-•
ris Township. While in Blyth he con-
ducted a cooper shop. He also was a.
carpenter and later conducted a coal
business, retiring from work on ac-
count of ill health. He married Miss.
Annie Herbison, of Goderich Town-
ship, who . predeceased hien about:
three years. Re was formerly a mem-
ber of Queen Street Methodist Church
but lately belonged to the United
church. He is survived by two sons,.
Herbert, of Blyth, and Leslie of To-
ronto. The funeral took place from
the residence yesterday afternoon to
Union Cemetery. Rev. R. A. Brooke
officiating.
• •
Bargain EXCURSIONS JAN 7 From CLINTON
(Tickets also sold atall adiacent C.N.R. Stations)
To CN.R. STATIONS in MARITIME PROVINCES
Prov. of Quebec; New Brunswick; Prince Edward Island; Neva Scotia
JAN 8 and 9 —To Ottawa $7.40; Montreal $8.45;
Quebec City $11.70; Ste. Anne de Beaupre4$12.80
ROUND TRIP FARES T105A.
Tickets, Farts, Transit Linats and Information from Agents. Ask for Handbill
CANADIAN NTINAC�
•
SNAPSIOT CUL
The Shape of a Picture --
Horizontal or Vertical?
When the pelncipal linos of a
subject are horizontal, don't
forget to hold the camera Mori-
zontatty. Composition may be
further improved by enlarging
and trimming.
FROM the standpoint of artistic
d' composition the shape of a pic-
ture makes a lot of difference. This
statement may seem. axiomatic but
how often do we snapshooters give
thought to it in using our cameras?
We all know that most cameras
are so constructed as to Site us a
choice between horizontal and ver-
tical pictures, depending upon the
position in which we hold the cam-
era, but in the business of taking.
pictures there seems to be a sort of
psychology of laziness that makes
us choose the way most convenient
to our hands. With some cameras
the vertical position seems easier,
with others, the horizontal, and to
change to the other position seems
to require an effort. Too many of us
don't snake the effort, when we.
should.
So, we go right on taking pictures
the easier way without bothering
about the Shape of them, when a lit-
tle thought and little more than a
twist of the wrist would make all
the difference betweengood and
bad. composition. Remember that
the'lines enclosing a picture are al-
most as much a part of its composi-
tion as the lines inside.
Snapshot albums show all too
many pictures of vertical subjects,
including persons in fall length
poses, with a vast waste of margin,
right and left, because they were
taken with the camera in horizontal
position. This is bad, because,. for
one thing, the excess of margin di-
minishes the importance of the sub-
ject and for another, distracting ob-
jects are usually present on one side
or the other.• That snapshot of
Mother picking flowers in the gar-
den Is an excellent likeness, but
why the corner of the garage on the
left margin and clothes reel on the
right? These ugly objects would
have been eliminated if the up-and-
down view had been used.
In the case of scenic pictures, a
spreading landscape and such sub-
jects as a flock of sheep or a herd
'of cattle almost always call for the
horizontal position, but no less
often does :a picture of a tree,`a
,waterfall -or a skyscraper demand
the vertical. It is simply making
Imagine the waste of margin,
If this picture had been taken,
with the camera horizontal..
sure that the lines which give
length to your subject parallel the
long edges of the Sim, thus avoiding
an overbalance of margin above and
below or to the right and left, as.
the case may be.
So much for planning the shape,
of a picture before you take 3t, but.
composition can be improved, in-.
deed often much improved, by shap-.
ing the picture after you take it..
There are two ways of doing it. You.
may reduce the margins and, in:
some cases, also cut out distracting;
objects by trimming the print; or,,
still more effectively, you may mask;
the negative so as to leave ase-
lected portion and, from this per-.
tion, have an enlargement made.
Thus, a vertical subject In a verti-
cal panel that has cut out detail on,
the sides becomes much more im-,.
pressive; its height and importance.
have been enhanced. Similarly, with.
a horizontal subject a horizontal.
panel will emphasize its "repose"'
lines and accentuate its sweep.
Most good pictorial work, such as,
finds a place in salons because of its
artistic excellence, is usually the
combined result of choosing the
right camera position, masking the,
negative and' trimming the print.
108 JOHN VAN GUILDER: