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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1958-10-16, Page 2Grandma Liked The Subway My first visit to New York was under Grandma's capable, energetic auspices. Thanks large- ly to her, it remains my most memorable exposure -to the charms of the metropolis, a town with which I have long been on intimate terms. Our intensive inspection of Gotham -the nickname favored by the local paper -was made at the invitation of my aunt and uncle during a summer vacation. Their letter suggesting the so- journ had been delightfully in- definite: "Stay as long as you can," I asked Grandma how long that meant. "Oh," she replied casually, "maybe a week, maybe two or *me. Depends on how we like it down there. , , , You may get homesick," she- chuckled. Well, I couldn't imagine so un- usual nusual a situation, and decided to base my preparations on the assumption that we might stay a very long time -all our lives, perhaps. I started a list of things to take, giving high priority to the items indispensable to a boy's standard of liveig. When I allowed Grandma the inventory she read it carefully and smiled. "Ball and glove," she said thoughtfully. "Now I'm not sure you'll need 'em. Boys in New York don't have much room to play ball, I guess." That was strange. 'But even stranger was Grandma's sugges- tion that marbles might not be useful equipment, either. After all, they had sidewalks in New York, didn't they? Yes, but probably there wasn't any room on them. She also firmly ruled out fish- ing tackle, assuring me we'd be miles from water and that the only fish I'd see would be in the Aquarium. When she explained what that was, I decided it sounded even more interesting than my favorite piscatorial haunt, Quinn Creek, although perhaps I could not exercise my angling skill in so choice a loca- tion. We travelled to New York by train. It was my first important excursion into the world beyond our Mohawk Valley, and the ex- citing hours it took were the longest I had ever experienced. Despite the new scenes that filed past the car window - Albany, the Hudson, and the Catskills, a couple of great bridges, the High- lands, the Palisades, West Point -I impatiently awaited my first glimpse of the City. Of course we eased into it, and I remember hent; disappointed when I asked Grandma how soon we'd be there and was told we were there. New York, I decided, differed little from Plougkeepsie or other communities en route; there was just more of it. My runt and uncle Iived in the East Bronx, a rather vague location, half rural, half metro- politan, with residual trees, a miscellany of business buildings and scattered apartment houses with the bloom of masonry still on their walls, writes John L. Cooley in the Christian Science Monitor. Our relative= residence was a live -.tory mass of brick and glees: quite the largest house I had ever entered, and the meet glamnrc,us, too. The hall -I was to'd to call it a lobby -had mar- ble pi' :era, a mosaic floor like that in the chancel of St. Mar- garet's Episcopal Church at home, and nserole stairs. As you went ins e faced a huge mirror; in front r it a table supported two stiff. ten e:rourislied palms that stared at themselves in the glass; what they saw was riot particularly complimentary to their genus, I am sure. I could only compare this .room to the picture of a palace in my edition of Arabian Nights. It will be impossible, of course. to recount the adventures Grand- ma and I had during our month in New York; many of the mem- ories are now blended with sub- sequent impressions. But let me assure you that I recall visiting. with my aunt as guide and Grandma an eager companion, such major attractions as the Bronx Park Zoo, the Great White Way, the "wax works," Brook- lyn Bridge, the Flatiron Build- ing, and those centres of mer- cantile grandeur, Fourteenth Street and Twenty-third. Street, Yes, we saw the Aquarium and the Statue of Liberty, too. If we skipped places of more artistic interest, the fault was mine. As a matter of record; I was offered a glimpse of New York's old mas- ters, but traded the chance for a bonus call on the fish. But the subway, I think, con- tributed our biggest thrill. In those days New York's under- ground railroad was puny and simple compared to the intri- cate, mighty network whose threads now tie the city together. However, it functioned ,efficient- ly, whisking us uptown and down with unerring accuracy. Buying our five -cent tickets from the man in the coop below the sidewalk and dropping them into the chopper at the gate to the track platform, we waited expectantly for the train to roar in, The stations were fresh and new in those days, wearing their mosaic names proudly Aboard, we usually got seats, for people were kind to a grand- son and his grandmother. How- ever, my escort's pride often stiffened when a well-intentioned passenger °teed a resting place in a crowded car. Several gen- erous souls must have been more than surprised when Grandma said rather coldly, "No thanks. I'm quite able to stand." And stand she did. On a very hot day we'd ride in the vestibule of the first car to get the breeze and to watch the lights and shining rails rush at us, Occasionally we got a glimpse of the motorman who, from a stool in the steel com- partment beside us, rationed to the motors the electricity carried in the dingy but fascinating third rail. So proficient did we beeotle at finding our way around the city that soon it was unnecessary for my aunt to accompany us. This independence, characteristic of my grandparent, gave us a chance to browse and to revisit places of particular interest. Thus, in addition to the Aquar- ium, I paid numerous calls at Bronx Park and became ac- quainted with several keepers. Indeed, I once had the honor of feeding the raccoons and the coatimundis in my favorite build- ing, the small mammal house. Grandma's fondness for sub- terranean travel gave the rest of us a scare, She had gone down town alone that afternoon, ex- plaining she had some presents to buy and didn't need company. Suppertime came, but Grandma did not. My uncle arrived from the office; she was still missing. We had decided to put the police on her trail when the front -door buzzer whirred. There she stood, clutching her bundles, hair awry, face animated, "Where in the world have you been?" exclaimed my aunt. "Now, now," soothed Grand- ma. "give me time and a bite to eat and maybe I'll tell .you " When those conditions had bean met, the -tory unfolded. Grandma, her errands done, had boarded thetrain for home, found a seat, and thoroughly en- joyed the ride uptown, part of which was above ground on ele- vated tracks. When she reached her station things were going so well she decided to stay aboard. At the end of the line she crossed the platform, took a downtown train, and had the homeward trip all over again. She hadn't I realized it wuold take so long. "You know," Grandma added with a twinkle, "a person could ride that subway ail day for one five -cent piece." CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 3, Judean hint; 1 Humid 3, Convene,} n. ",7.1.1,111 of the 4. Free tirltets 5. One of three equal parte 0, Geological formation 7. Abandons 5. Superlative ending 1 Malayan coin rs. T.a.Qty eonfn?ed 13. Garden tools 14. Norse sea 12oddexs 35. Tangles le. Teach 38. Frolic CO. Duck genes 2r, COW again 24. Palling water Get up ;. Melodies no. Tavern 31. Geometrical sond 33. Lubricate 34. Renovate again 30. Spear 30. American engineer 37 ecamo .nneeloes of 40, Merit 42 rating utensil 44. Something nri„laal 46_ 410 deierlMJ 6o 'Cite ,•a 01. :Boom: '..an 72Dl,cent rarr,a1grass 81 itaehlne for n' 7e' cloth I.- ' LYNN t. 4V ,•lr 8. Projeetlna cannam Uivotn oa, a 10. W h,5 .'0;- (1:11,.- �_. ::1. Inset ,' 17. 3Iindn pr014te (War,) ^ 35. Made aslight sound 21, hoar (Scot.) 21, Eagle 23. bloat genuine 25.1lraeelet for . 3. write the upper aro, 43 01rrtde 27. Tran�:•res- epa, c'r'y in 35. Winter '• rahi 1a .i'1, GI :,tin„ W ±. ood of the. genii-) trey. 1' Pale '1. More rat h,n al 49, 11wsri1,,r1 41. V Deal solo 3, Theater box Aunt (M'an.) 47. Lyric, 7. 4 5 6 YrS 9 I0 II 12 13 ie 16 f>; 17 14 it 10 14 21 22 21 26 30 31 20 25 32 27 33 282 34 35 38 39 36 37 40 41 42• 4 fd Ffe':s�f,: 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 83 :ea 55 9.6 Answer elsewhere o this page. CROP HATS - All topped with fancy "party hats," these stacks of wheat in a field near Kehl, West Germany, are In the drying - out period. Rainy weather locally forced the farmers to the novel method. To safeguard her enviable re- putation, Canada is allowing only top quality apples to be exported to the United Kingdom. This restriction comes in ad- vance of an international scram- ble for this year's limited United Kingdom quota. Countries on both sides of the Atlantic will be competing for a share of the business. * * is Fruit and Vegetable Division,. Canada Department of Agricul- ture, will approve export of only "Canada Extra Fancy" and "Can- ada Fancy" grades of all vari- eties except Golden Russet and Yellow Newton, which may still be shipped at the minimum "Canada 'C'" grade. * * *. This is the second consecutive year the restriction has been put into effect, The United Kingdom has an- nounced an import quota of 3,750,000 bushels of apples from the Northern Hemisphere -leav- ing the door open to Canada, United States, Italy and other European countries. Last year the U.K. set a separ- ate monetary quota for North America, It totalled $3,500,000. Canada shipped 700,000 bushels, worth $2,100,000. * * * A strong overseas export mar- ket for Canadian apples dwin- dled during World War II and petered out altogether for some years. It was revived in 1949, but it was only four years ago that volume sales restuned. This year's national crop is expected to total close to 15,- 500,000 bushels. United States, too, is looking for a bumper har- vest and the European crop, a failure last year, also appears headed for a successful season. * * * Chani;es in seed certification procedures have been announced by the Canada Department of Agriculture. Beginning with this year's crop, department inspectors will no longer seed corn and person- ally affix a tag and seal to each container. Instead, the processor will be issued certification tags and will be responsible for grading and affixing the tags to containers of seed. * * * Reason: Plant Products Divi- sion was unable to cope with the increasing demand for seed cer- tification without additional staff and facilities. IN 1;1 The change was agreed to by the Canadian Seed Growers' As- sociation and the Ontario Seed Corn Dealers' Association. It affects certification of all hybrid and open pollinated seed corn from inspected crops. * * * Plant Products Division will continue to inspect field crops and the Canadian Seed Growers' Association will issue crop cer- tificates ertificates when inspected crops come up to stipulated standards. The processor must swear an affidavit that official tags are used correctly and that he will be responsible for labelling the correct grade of the seed on another tag, The only trade names are either Certified No. 1 or Certified No, 2. For these grades a minimum germination of 90 and 80 per ,.cent, respec- tively, is required. * * °* Samples of the labelled geed will be taken so that the Plant Products Division may be able to determine correctness of grads in respect to purity and germina- tion. To cheek any misuse of official tags, a system of growing tests will verify purity and vari- ety, * * Seecl found to be incorrectly labelled will be subject to de- tention and any processor found guilty of deliberately misusing official certification tags may be denied further service. * * * Officials are confident the new procedure will adequately safe- guard the interests of all con- cerned, and Canadian certified seed corn in the future will carry the same guarantee of high quality and variety identification as in the past. If this new system Is found to be satisfactory and practical, it may be extended to other crops." * • The 1958 Canadian honey crop is expected to fall considerably short of last year's 32,051,000 - pound total, aceording to a Can- ada Department of Agriculture forecast. Seven out of nine provinces report a smaller crop, Prince Edward Island and New Bruns- wick, two of the smaller honey - producing provinces, are alone in predicting good returns. Golden Wedding Wives of great men oft convince tis They did make their lives sublime, Helped their husbands leave behind them Footprints on the sands of time. • The young man in the top hat and cutaway coat looks very much like any young Londoner on his wedding day a half cen- tury ago. The young woman, dressed voluminously, looks like any young woman of her class after a St. Margaret's wedding, All their lives the man and the woman will find themselves be- ing photographed, often separ- ately. But many years later veerybody will think of them as always in the same picture. They are the Churchills, who make as characteristic a picture sitting by their fireside together as either makes when perform- ing some act of statecraft or public service, People who know only of the energy of Sir Winston -a man who when carrying the burdens of the British Prime Minister- shi.p, writing an enormous his- tory of the English-speaking peoples, and painting at a rate that would provide full-time occupation for most men, was also reported as "feeling frus- trated" because he was not real- ly using all his capacity -will ale() be glad to know that he was conscious of being happy, especially in his family relation- ships. His references to this happiness are an unusual tri- bute to the woman who as Clementine Ho z i e r accepted what often must have seemed as much a challenge as a proposal, Looking back on their finest hours, and trying to measure the Churchill contribution to world freedom, may it not be said that never before in his- tory did so many depend in such measure on whatever bal- ance, serenity, and sympathy a wife might add to a husband's. resources in times of crisis and opportunity? At this moment it is the housewifely stateswoman- ship of Sir Winston's lady that the world thinks of, sure that Sir Winston shares a certain general feeling of. awe for the gentle subtleties that could match (perhaps outmatch?) his steelier talent for grand mane- uver.-From ane- uver: From The Christian Sci- ence Monitor. The librarian was surprised when a small lad chose "Advice to Young Mothers" as the book he wished to take out en his card. On questioning him he ex- plained: "You see, I'm collect- ing moths." ISSUE 41 - 1958 Upsidedown to Prevent Peeking ME SG OM JSI;N By Rev. It. B. Warren, B.A., B.D. The Messiah - Fulfillment of Hope; Luke 2:25-35 Edward Tuck w- rote: "Age is a quality of the mind: If you have left your dreams behind, If hope is cold, if you no longer look ahead, If your ambitions' fires are dead, then - You are old. But if from life you take the best, And if in life you keep the jest, If love you hold no matter how the years go by, No platter how the birthdays fly, You are not old. Simeon may have been old in number oe years but he had a great hope. It had been reveal- ed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death, be- fore he had seen the Lord's Christ. When he saw Mary and Joseph presenting the baby Jes- us in the temple he knew that this child, just 40 days old, was. the fulfillment of his hope. He took him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, "Lord;• now lettest thou thy servant de- part in peace, according to thy. word," He continued in the words of our Memory Selection, "Mine eyes have seen thy sal- vation, which thou hest pre- pared before the face of all peo- ple; a light to lighten the Gen- tiles, and the glory of thy peo• ple Israel," Luke 2:30-32, The spirit of prophecy was on Simeon. He saw that there would he opposition to Jesus. He would be for a sign that would be spoken against. There would be anguish of heart for Mary, also. A sword would pierce through her soul. This was especially fulfilled when she saw her Son hanging upon the cross. The happist old people I know are those who for years ha: ebeen true disciples of Jesus Christ, They realize that their strength is failing but the kingdom of God which they love and for whose advancement they have laboured, will endure. They have a hope, not only for a heritage of their own in heaven, but a hope in the great and ulti- mate triumph of the kingdom of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. "To the only wise God our Savi- our, be glory and majesty, dom- inion and power, both now and ever. Amen." TEXAS FASHION - Yves -Mathieu Saint Laurent, 22 -year cad successor to the late Christian Dior as one of Paris' leading couturiers, gets a taste of Texas tradition during his first visit to the United States. He stopped off at a cattle ranch near Dallas, was presented a Texas -style hat and got a look at a real longhorn. CARVING OUT A HOBBY -Sidney Paine, 70, retia ed textile mill executive, looks at his nearly finished wood carving of "The Last Supper:" Mpre than 1,200 hours went into the work, which was carved from a 415 -pound block of white oak 76 inches wide. Paine took up wood carving several years ago in anticipation of retirement and became so proficient that now he teaches the craft. Only cost to the students is their promise to carve for their own churches.