HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1938-03-17, Page 3•
THURSDAY, MAR'C'H 17, 1938
Jean de Rimanoczy Guest Artist With
Calgary Symphony
The fame of radio artists spreads
far -and wide, 'but it is seldomthat an
individntal radio musician, in Canada
is called 1,151010 miles to play a concer-
to. Yet that is the 'case with 'Jean de
Rimaeraczy, Hungarian violinist of the
CBC in Vancouver, Mr. de Rimanoczy
h:as been asked to appear at a special
concert •of the Calgary Symphony OOr
dhestra on Friday, .March 215; `Phe
city's civic,- symphony is directedby
Gregory 'Gabrolovitch.
:By special request the vomiter 'Van -
Dower musician who has been pres-
ented on numerous CBC programmes
originating at the .west coast studios,
will play the complete Concerto in E
by Felix Men:delssohn. It was his ap-
pearance on his regular Sunday after-
noon :programme t(at 6.4151 p.m. EST)
that secured for hien the offer, far he
playetd two movements of this'concer-
to in two sueoessive Sundays.
The eminent position held 'by Mr.
de Rimanoczy in the musical world
was also demonstrated by the fact
that be ,appeared as guest soloist
with the Vatfcouver .. Symphony Or-
•chestra during the final •con•cert of the
present season to play a 40 -minute.
concerto 'cont;posed for him by !Allard
tie Bidder, oon:cluctor of the orchestra,
His absence in Calgary will not inter-
fere with his 'appearance on any of
the CBC ,programmes..
Corot Painting To 'Be Discussed
iGraham McInnes will tell the his-
tories of two famous paintings, owned
in ,Canadian galleries, when he speaks
next to national network listeners of
the CHC Tuesday, March 32, 4,45• to
15,100 p.m., EST, "Seeing ,Pictures", a
series devoted to the famous art
treasures of the Dominion, will fea-
ture a 'description of "L'Lle I3tureux",
by Corot and a discussion of 'Vulcan
and Aeolus as Teachers •of Mankind
by the great Florentine painter, Piero
di Cosimo.
Corot, the strong, classical painter,
and Corot, the realist are one anal the
some with Corot, the lyrical painter
of .fluffy willows. Bnt he is hest !mown
on the North American continent ars.
a lyricist. A French wit once said that
Corot had painted seven hundred pic-
tures and that two thousand of them
were in America. "L'11e I:Icnrettx",
painted in '118((4 as part of a series of
panels from the house of Datibigney,
now hangs in the gallery of the Mont-
real Art Association.
The Cosimo canvas is believed to be
one of a series of four showing the
legend of Vulcan, and ryas acquired
recently by the 'N'ational Gallery of
Canada, in 'Ottawa. It coulee from the
collection of-d.ord Lothian.
"Country 'Gardens" in New Arrange-
•
Hersenhoren, is presented from the
Toronto studios in honor of the ar-
rival of Spring.
Opening enin With F1'etcher'.s "Batp g w
Miaeque," the string ensemble also
will play "Who •Can Tell," from
Fritz Kreisler's lovely operetta, "Ap-
ple Blossoms." (Victor Herbert's cele-
brateldl '"Pulcinel@o," and, (Paul
Liocke's t'Beatitiftil Spring," will, fol-'
low, and during the latter ,portion of
the 'half-hour broadcast listeners will
hear the Gavotte from Sullivan's
"Gondoliers" and, to emphasize' the
theme of the new season, 'the famous
"Spring Song" by Felix Mendelssohn,
• Allan 'Wilson, tenor soloist, will
sing three songs: "Sing 'Birds on the
Wing", .by Godfrey (Nutting; Arthur
Fenn's 'Little Green Winding 'Lane,"
and "Roses of Picardy," by Haydn
Wood.
Percy Aldridge 'Grainger Was born
in Brighton, Australia, in '1182. (Great-
ly interested in all forms of folk art,
he 'has collected more ith•an 15:00 rec-
ords of songs in .Australia, the South
Seas, (Denmark and 'England. The
popnier "Country Gardens" is also
known as "H''andlcei•ehief Dance," •es
it was a •custom of old-time Morris
Dancers, to carry fluttering handker-
chiefs as they danced. 1'be melody is
made up of pheesee from a very old
Morris ;Dance time to he found in the
eanaous collection. 'of- Cecil Sharp in
London, (Heard most frequently as a
piano piece, as well as in orchestra
and band 'transcription, the string ar-
rangemeiit is by •Russ 'Gerow of the
CBC's staff.
"Carmen," Last of "SMet" Broadcasts
Ringing down the curtain on the
seventh annual 'series of .complete
open( 'broaidtcasts from the Metropoli-
tan Opera's regular season; the 'Na-
tional 'Broadcasting Company will
present Bizet's "C`arnlen" with Biala
Castagna in the title role, on Satur-
day. March 110, 'hegining at "2 p. tn,
EST, over she INd3{'-CII•C ''netti•osks.
The commentator will be Milton
Cross, veteran opera anrnatincer and
the opera will the 'heard in Canada as
an international' exchange •fcatnre.
The (Don ;Jose of the performsince
will she 'Rene Maison, Belgian tenor.
John 'Brownlee, Australian 'baritone,
will have the role of the swaggering
toreador, 3Escautillo. Susanne Fisher
will sing 1'Ficaela. The conductor will
he 'Gennaro ,Pani,
The .final 'broadcast .from the regu-
lar (New York season rounds out a
series ori seventeen complete operas,
including five of the eight novelties
and revivals of the 19457-35 season,
heard 'direct from the great stage. of
the
Metropolitan Opera House.
Susanne Fisher is the only new
voice in the 'Carmen" cast; it will he
ment - her first attempt of the season in the
+Percy, IGrainger'e famous "Country role 'uf Micaela. Miss Fisher, 501 tAnt-
Gardeus" will he the featured and eriean joined theetro Metropolitan Op -
closing
1 r
,selection to the offered CBC's era several seasons ago after 'having
national network listeners Monday, sung with great success at the 'Paris
March Al, 6.010 to 6.3101 ,p.m. EST, 'Opera and the ;Opera 1Comrque,
when "Dancing Strings", a program- Buni. Castagna joined the Metro -
me under the direction, of Samuel politan iu 1`936'after having sung at
THE SEAFORTH NEWS
PAGE THREE
Milan and Buenos Aires. She also
sang two seasons 'with the New York
Hippodrome Opera Company. Miss
Castagna is now one of the leading
Metropolitan contraltos,
The :cask:
Carmen,B uesa Castagna, contralto.
Micaela, Susanne Fisher, solprano.
11+ae'quita, Thelma Votipka, soprano,
Mercedes, Helen 'Olheim, mezzo-
soprano.
Dion Jose, iRene Maison, tenor.
'Escantilio,'John Brownlee, baritone
Dancaire, George Ce'hanovsky, bari-
tone.
Remendado, t i•ord ,
tenor.
21an.iga, Norman 'Co
Morales, Wilfred -
tone,
Conductor, :Genstaro,
CBC Book
The thrills 'of ski -in
and ,successes of :Nazi
Hit-
ler and 'the aclevn+turesl
family transplanted 't
Ohio. are the s•ubbtjec
provide .discussion on
Review," presented. by
'Macdonald. Saturday,.
7ip p.m: EST;
/Professor ?Macdonald,
speak from the Toronto
CSC to listeners 'of the
(yogic, will review 'briefly
ing books: "'Escape
Brian :Meredith, the
who has illustrated h
some remarkable photographs:
D." )(Rural Tree 0)'eliv
Allan Scott, in which
of his •ow'at escape 'fro
his experiences in an
greater freedom as
"'The House that Hitler
Stephen H, Roberts,
straightforward ntanne
nal management of th
since Hitler 'became; he
Corporation Features
an•o Paltrinierd
Cordon, (basso,
Engelman, bars
IPapi.
Itevfew
ng, the failures
Naziism under Hit-
s of a city -bred
o farm life in
is which will
the tCB'C "`Boot.
Professor J. IF
March 119, at
Id, who will
efiu•di:os of the
to national net-
work,
the follow-
ing Skis," •'by
Canadian writer
is (book with
ngraphs; "R. F.
cry) by Charles
'Mr, Scott tells
m city work and
effort to seek
a farmer; ansi
des- Built," Iby
which tells in
r of the inter-
nal
Nazi regime
•
ad moat,
Day By Day
(All Tines Eastern Standard)
Thursday, Merch,11(7:
9 p.m, "`Bard of (Erin"—story of Sir
Thomas Moore; radio script by James
Muir. From Ottawa.
llllil5 p.m. "Youth Intervenes"—ser-
les of talks by young Canadians,
Prom Montreal.
Friday, March 1118;
6:115 pr1. Talk by Or. Roland Hall
Sharp speaking 'frons Bogota, Col-
umbia, NBC -CBG international ex-
ohanye programme. From Bogota.
745 p,m. )Canadian (Portraits—bio-
graphic al sketch of Peter Russell 'by
Dorothy Reynolds Flaunt. Front Ot-
to wa, •
Sa•turday,' March 19:
v. pant. Metropolitan opera company
"C'arinen" with I3runa Castagna,
Rene Maison, and John Bowlike.
'NBC - C13'C international easchang(
programme. From New Yorlc,
:51115 p.m. "Scrub Oak Hollow"—as
reported by Bruce ilTutchisnn. From
'Vancouver.
8 p.m. Let's All ,Go to the Music
Hall --direction George Yn•ung, with
orchestra, dramatic cast, anti soloists.
From Toronto.
Sunday, March 20:
6 p. 01. "And It Carrie to ,Pass"—
biblical drama produced 'Rupert Cap-
lan, 'From Montreal.
9 :p,in. CBC ).Music .Hour—orchestra
and charts under the direction of
Geoffrey Waddington. ;From Toronto.
DONOR OF DUNCAN C'CJ'P DS
•SEA1lQRTIH 'MANUFACTURER
The loss of a finger when he was
working, at the age of ITIS, in the old
Broadfoot and B'ax furniture factory
:was fhe turning point in the life of
William J. Duncan, proininenf Sea -
forth shoe manufacturer. The accid-
ent served to 'terminate ai abbreviat-
ed career in the furniture industry,
because his mother would not hear of
him going hack to the •plant and run-
ning the risk of losing any more of
his fingers. One was quite enough.
Instead, Mr. tDuncan got a job with
W. H. Willis, now of \Wingham, *who
manufactured leggings in the rear of
his shoe store 00 Main street, .and be -
'tore many years went .by he itad
branched out for himself in the leg-
gings and shoe manufacturing busin-
ess, says the Stratford Beacon -Herald
•In addition to 'being one of Sea-
fort'h'.s largest employers of labor,
Mr. (Dantean has served his town in
countless ways. A member of numer-
ous onganizations .and public 'bodies,
Seaforth properly •counts hint as one
of her most public-spirited citizens.
(Although he never indulged in sports
himself when 'he was a youth, !prob-
ably because .he left school to go to
work at the age of '111), there is no
better sports booster in Seaforth than
Mr. ?Duncan, ,A11 in all, he is the type
of man that neither Seaforth nor any
other town would want to lose. It
would never get a thetter one.
Born in Seaforth on 'August 6, 1834,
bIr. Duncan is a son of the late Mr,
and Mrs„ John Duncan, and he was
one of a large family of four boys
and 'five girls, His father, who died
when Mr, Duncan was quite young,
was for many years a harness maker
in. Seaforth, .and before that in Brus-
sels. The late L. L. ,Mciltaul was prin-
cipal when Mr. Duncan started to
public school in Seaforth back in
September of 11(15159. Some of the boys
who were school chums of 1r. Dun-
can hack in those 'happy days are still
in Seaforth. 'Others are scattered
throughout Canada and the United
States. Bruce 'Waugh, for instance, is
now a surveyor in :Ottawa and Mr.
Duncan inet him for the first time in
years while curling in 'Toronto a few
weeks ago. Alex Waugh is station
master ,at Ignace; Alex MclKsnzie is
a furrier in Orillia; Syd Town is a
printer hi Chicago; 'Alex 'McLennan
is a plumber in Vancouver and 'Elgin
•'31ic ;Tones ie a plumber in 'Orillia;
'Lorne 1fcl.ennan is a wheat broker
in Vancouver; 'George Whiteside is
a manufacturer in Stratford; "Sal"
\4 miroe is in Los Angeles; Charlie
Silts is postmaster in Seaforth and
Pat Box is also in Seaforth,
Alex McKenzie and I chummed
'Monday, March 211:
S730 pan. Streantiine---orchestra and
soloists direction Percy Faith, From
Toronto
dif1:30 p. nt. Sport in Canada—talk
,by Spent Spinner on fishing in Wes-
tern Canada. From Vancouver,
Taee3ay, March L213:
10 n.nn. 1 rant Sea to Sea-orchee-
tree directed by Percy Harvey, ban-
cnnver, and Marjorie Payne, Halifax,
with Blue Jackets Quartet and Mod-
ern Chords. Actuality broadcast from
both points. 1Fron Halifax and Van
couver.
ountdr
0
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Seaforth News
SEAFORTH, ONTARIO,
together pretty much in those days
Mr. Duncan's memory went back,
"and 1 can recall that neither of us
thought very much of school. One
year we managed to :get in nearly
two weeks of fishing before news got
home that we were • not at :school.
Each of us got a thumping Wheh our
mothers -found out, and after that. we
were among the most faithful at-
tendants at school for quite a while.
"The
.
youngsters nat public school
at that time were a lot 'bigger than
they are 'today and I can remember
that Mr, '3ldFzui had his hands full
most of the time, Dead now for many
years, he was a popular .and efficient
school master. I recall 'he was particu-
tarly strict about snowballing and he
had a marvelous method of dealing
with those who persisted in throwing
them. He used to he on the lookout
at recess and all of a sudden he would
pop out 'from nowhere, With one ding
of the hell, he would reach out his
other hand and .put it on pop of the
culprit's head. Then, with a quick
twist of the wrist, he would spin the
victim around half a dozen times and
the boy would sit down .finally with a
resounding thump. J'ltat was usually
quite sufficient to stop the snowball-
ing, but if caught again in the act, the
culprit discovered 'chat Mr. MeFaul
had other methods of dealing with the
offenders,"
Mr, Duncan was in the junior
fourth grade when he left school', at
the age of eleven, to work in the old
VaniEg'mond woolen mill. He fed a
carding machine for $1.901 i5A1 a Week and
in those days they worked a ten -hear
day 'for six days a week.
"I was there for ab tit seven
months and f decided •I had better go
back to .school and get a little more
education," lir. Duncan recalled, "Ra-
ther than go shack to the Seaforth
school :after (being •out for so long 1
paid GS •cents a week to attend classes
at the public school in ,E'gmonlville.
About five months later I got a
chance of a 'job in the 'old Broadfoot
and 'Box furniture plant at .2,1015 a
week and 1 left school for good. 1
worked in the furniture factory for
nearly two and a half years until i
lost a finger on my right hand when
it became caught 10 a saw. That end-
ed my job there; my mother would
not hear 'of me going' hack,"
\t this time 1\'. 'H, Willis OPei^tte
.t shoe store in Seaforth and at the
rear of his premises he manufactured
leather. canvas and cloth leggings,
which sold in large quantities then.
11 r. Duncan learned his trade as a
cutter and leas foreman for 31r, Wil-
lis when the 'latter 'built the Willis
Shoe Company plant on 1'iain street.
During this time he took a special
correspondence course which proved
of great value to hint in later life.
The factory had been in operation
only a few monthe. however, when
the depression came along in 119117 and
forced 'it to close sh,tt't. Out of a job
for the first time since he had left
se.h"ul, 31r. Duncan ventered to To-
ronto and landed a job as a nater
with the 'Ted Shoe and Leather Com -
early. Two months later the Willi
-
factory re -opened and 11r. Dune -in
returned to •resume his hid :lob. la
was a matter of only another few
months, however, before the factory
•closed definitely and 31r. Duncan hik-
ed for Toronto a second time.
"A how the first person I met in
Toronto- that time lens (,'nr::,
Whiteside, an old Seaforth boy tt9t0
nary lives in Stratford. I had jut
landed a job and lGeorge tnld Inc"ht'
would have wagered '$1:00 to one dol-
lar that there wasn't a job in the
whole city. Things were very bawl
around that time, early in 19011
lir. Duncanworked for various
fints in Toronto, 'Milton anal Hamil-
ton until he returned to Seaforth in
1'009 to go into bu the , for himself.
Prrt•ouitng a thousand dollars fits
machinery and equipment he started
manufacturing. leggings in a portion
of a small store v‘ here the postoffice
nate stands. With his first ,amplet
msde up, lir. Duncan :closed his .shop
in March and went on the road for
tine initial time to drum un business.
He never attempted to sell anything
fierorc in his life and be confesses to
being a trifle :shaky when he boarded
the train. for Stratford that morning
29 years ago this month. Between
trains in Stratford he made his ,first
actual contact when he called upon
1. 3, Bedew,
",Mr. Radom- listened to everything
T had to say :and •I recall 1 !gave ,h1111
quite a sates talk that morning," \fr.
Duncan related, "I confessed it was
my firs'( attempt at selling, and al-
though 1 failed to get an order from
him I ;gut a lot of encouragement. Mr.
Badour told ole that with my ent us-.
lass and the quality of the leggings
I had T would be'hound to make a' go
of things, incidentally, although I
didn't sell Mr. Badour that morning:
I sold hint for many years later oh,'
My next rail was on John Ready of
St. Marys and T got my first order
from .hi'm. He bought a dozen and a
half pairs of leggings and I got a real
;l, lil nal of hooking that first order.
Mr; Duncan remained on the road
LISTEN.,onhiday).
sN
IMPERIAL TOBACCO'S 7
INSPIRING PROGRAM
FRIDAY 10 P.M., EST
STATION' N
OBI
Y�L
for a little more than two .months and
when he got back to Seaforth he had
enough orders on hand to keep him
busy for the balance of the year. He
took on a boy to help hint out, ,and
by the next year, when he had four
or fiveworking for hint, he had to
find more room. He moved during the
summer to the 'old McGinnis Block,
a white frame building that stood
about where the bowling ,greens are
now, The following year he moved
again to the old McMaster property
across the tracks, and in the Spring
of 1191113' he purchased his ,present
plant,. which until two years before
had been the old Grip House, a com-
mercial hotel, Mr, Duncan 'had about
eight employees working for him
then,
About this time Mr. Duncan be-
gan manufacturing baby shoes and
within a few months branched out
againand began turning out a com-
plete range of soft -soled shoes, For -
seeing the :end of the leggings 'busin-
ess with the advent of the leather top
h'ig'h lace shoe, Mr. Duncan disposed.
of his leggings plant to a Toronto
'limn in 1903.
Today, the W. J. Duncan Shoe
Factory has eleven men. and 11115 girls
'en its ,payroll and has a turnover of
from 9001 to 600 pairs of shoes daily.
There are four travellers on the road
and the plant has 'operated steadily all
through the .depression.
"We have a wonderful group of
employees," Mr. Duncan said. 'Some
have been with me for more than
twenty years. The oldest, 'actually, in
point of service is Burton Muir who
started work for me in '1191112 and has
.been here •erer since, except for three
years' service overseas."
Mr, .Duncan was married 09 years
ago to !lies (Anne Laverty, a daugh-
ter of the late 'Mr. and hl•rs, Fergus
Laverty of Stratford, the ceremony
being perforated in St. ++Joseph's
Church, Stratford, by the late 'Dean
McGee. One son, •Basil is in charge
of shipping a.ud processing in his
father's factory anti a second son,
Eugene is in charge of the machinery
in the :plant, There are also two dau-
ghters. Rita is attending Brescia Hall
in •London and Mary is a student at
Seaforth Collegiate Institute,
Mr. Duncan is a charter member of
the Seaforth Lions Cliffs and served
as the club':s second president. Still a
member .of the directorate, he derives
a tremendous amount of 'enjoyment
from his service clulb work. The Lions
swimming pool in Seaforth was first
suggested by Mr, 'Duncan as the
curb's initial major activity and he
was chairman of the special. commit-
tee which had charge of •constructing
the ppol, (Opened eleven years ago,
additional improvements have been
made to the pool sinee then, and it
has offered much pleasure and fun to
the youngsters of Seaforth. There are
new two Duncans in the .Lions Club,
as �Mr. Du ncan's eller '3olt, Basil, be-
came a member two years ago.
Mr. Duncan is 'a past ,president of
both the Bowling Club and the .Curl-
ing Club, and is vire-president of the
Seaforth Athletic Association. He is
also a mist president of the •old Sea -
forth Hockey Club. He was a member
of the Seaforth Library Board for
nine years and has been on tine dir-
ectorate of the Scott Memorial . Hos-
pital since if was opened. He has 'heed
secretary of the Separate School
Board for 'just twenty years this
month. Mr. Duncan is a ,member of
the St. 'James' Kuoni Catholic
Church and 'belongs to the Holy
Nance Society anal Kilroy Council,
Knights of Columbus,
Mr, Duncan'sfavorite hobby is
fishing and when the trout season
open, on May 11 the factory will have
to .get along w•ithnut him for a few
day.e at least. Curling and 'bowling
rank next in order among' his hobbies.
'Lacrosse was always ,his favorite
sport and he regrets that it is .no
longer played in this ,part 'of the prov-
ince, Mr, IDhtncan takes a keen inter-
est also in football, and 'hockey and it
was while he was president of the old
Hockey Club in 1,953, that he •origin-
atecl the Duncan Cup series, Seaforth
school boys still compete annually 'for
the now famous Duncan Cup.
Two. ,little .girls were-paaying !rouse
together when the little brother of
ane of then Game along and ,desired
to play with them.
They did not want .Hint, bit the
grownups were insistent,
".Ail 'right, then," they said, 'you
can be the little boy that got lost and
never came aback."