HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1959-03-19, Page 3Get Warm Twice
from .Smile Wood '
"Cutting en the halves" came
up the other day, and no doubt
certain of the elders will smile
at this dredging -up of a phrase.
Back along, when our little farms
Were supporting their livestock,
an extra woodlot was a common
acquisition. We had one, over in
the Bowdoin grant, and we work-
ed it by the simple expedient
of a yoke of oxen and six miles
of road, Fuel was a wonderful
thing to have on a cold night,
and wood was our fuel. The
home farm was mostly in pasture
and hayfields, and partof the
wood was timber; so we had to
look elsewhere for the hardwood
that went into the shed.
There was more toit than
that. Folks in town and city still
burned wood, and after he'd cut
bis own supply a farmer could
pick up some cash by hauling
a few loads of cordwood to them.
And there developed the custom
of "cutting at the halves". I
• t.ave done it, and at least in
reminiscence it was fun.
You hunted up somebody who
owned a woodlot, and if he
agreed to do business with you.
you went to cutting wood on
his land, piling It in two equal•
piles as you went, He took half;
you had hwas a way for
a wood-po -lf r"ner to get his
fuel, and "i Wrae•M1also a• wayan
unoccupied' Man could suport
himself, for wood was always
saleable. And the landowner got
wood to burn and wood to sell
without lifting a finger.
There used to be a good
natured Swede had a farm near
us, and the back end was pepper.
ed with new growth hardwood,
stuff between three and six
inches on 'the stump, and he re-
marked one time that he'd like
to find somebody to cut on the
halves. My dad took him up on
it, and the, year I was eleven or
twelve we spent almost every
Saturday up there cutting Yim's
wood. His lot was closer than
our own, and cutting was easier.
Three or fourwhacks with an
ax, and you'd have one of his
trees down, but in our woodlot
we had to saw and saw to get
the bigger birches over. Besides,
we had to saw our birches in
four -foot lengths to handle them,
whereas 'Yim's wood could ' be
handled in ."sled lengths". Eight
feet long or better. You u could
rack it up faster.
It does seem a little odd to
SUPERHEN - Janelle Dunn, 6,
shows what' a hen can do when
she puts her mind to it. The.
lass holds a normal-size egg
in her right hand. The one in
her left hand is a whopping
six and one-half inches in cir-
cumference.
talk about some such boyhood
deal as this, and find myself pro-
testing that, it was fun, The
Whole thing is so far gone,.
pleasure at working an ax sounds
ridiculous. But 1 used to sit in
school all week looking forward
to Saturday, and I'd be up bright
and early to get the chores done
so we could strike out.
There were some mornings
that winter it was altogether too
cold to try and we didn't go, but
if the thermometer was anything
above zero we'd hike out right
after breakfast, carrying our
tools and lunches. We always
tock a bag o1 apples from the
cellar, and we'd eat the whole
bag during the day.
First thing to do on arriving
is kindle a fire. Not a big one,
but a little blaze against a stump
to keep the lunches and apples
from freezing, and to work the
frost out of the wedges and axes.
Well -tempered steel has been
known to crack against frozen
wood, but the better reason was
the action of cold metal on the
trees. If you try to drive a frost-
ed wedge into a kerf (we called
it a scarf) it may bounce back
and brain you. But if you leave
it by the fire a moment, it will
cling in the crack andhold true,
But we'd have had a fire any-
way, because it does something
to the clearing. It is good to
smell smolt e• never went to
sit by this f3"except at lunch
time, but it " 1 hid of made a
central pdint 'fdr operations, and
we kept aware of its location as
we worked. As the winter wore
on, we moved our fireplace along
as the piles of wood accumulat-
ed
Chopping wood is not really
hard work. Many ordinary farm
jobs are much harder. True, a
man who doesn't know axes and
trees can bounce his heart out,
and many experienced choppers
have fought the grain all their_
lives. But a good chopper relies
first on sharp tools,, properly set
and honed, and then he finds the
proper balance and rhythm.
I've heard mensay to "put
your back in it!" This is wrong.
If the axe is swinging true, with
good balance, there should be a
slight but deft twist of the wrist
at a particular point in the arc,
and it will do more than a strong
back, Most of all, a man needs
to know how the grain of is tree
is • laid up, and work with it.
Too, he needs to be . pinpoint
accurate. Thumping "like an old
woman" is bad. Some women
have been excellent choppers,
but mostly they "chew",
To make every stroke easy
and accurate is the way, and rf
you can do that with 'balance
and grace, you can chop all day
and be back tomorrow. Oh, this
doesn't come easily - but when
you've got a Pa who does it, and
you are eleven or twelve and
the thing is fun, it comes soon
enough. You don't do his work,
for you haven't the height and
the spread, but you do get the
balance and the strike.
Then lunch, and in the twilight
we'd douse the fire and start
home. On a good day we'd put
up two or two and a half cords,
and half of it belonged to Yim.
And how good supper smelled
when we got to the house! Half
of the wood, of course; was ours,
and it would warm us a second
time a year hence when it was
dry and the night was cold.
Seems, too, as if it has . warmed
me many times since as I recall
it, but it's been a long -lona
time now since I've heard of
anybody cutting wood at the
halves.' -By John Gould in The
Christian Science Monitor.
"If one and one make two, and '
two and two 'm'ake four, how
much do four and four make?"
the teacher•asked little Johnny.
"That isn't fair," came. the re-
ply, "You answered all'the easy,
onesyourself 'and leave the hard
one for me!"
CROSSWORD
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Answer etsewhree on thin page
TAKING,NO CHANCES One one -point landing on ice -glazed
streets sa »' sough for Walter Stultz. He's shown on his second
trip, milk, bottle lashed before him, making his 'way with aid
of two spiked sticks.
TllFFA1N FRONT
JokilQL4.
Although rabies is causing
concern in Ontarip, it is signifi-
cant that less than three per-
cent of all confirmed cases last
year were dogs.
They were practically all farm
dogs.
Vaccinating dogs establishes a
buffer of immunity between In-
fected wildlife and the human
population, explains an official
of the Health' of Animals Divi-
sion, Canada Department of Ag-
riculture.
In recent months 95,000 dogs
have been vaccinated at about
340 clinics throughout Ontario.
Out of a total of 2,024 cases
of rabies in Canada . between
April 1 and December 31 last
year, (only 57 were dogs - a
mere 2.7 per cent.) There was
not one case of transmission of
rabies from dog to dog.
Should rabies become estab-
lished among dogs, it would
create a serious problem be-
cause of the possible exposure to
humans.
While vaccination is important
in the fight against rabies, even
more vital is the control. of
canine' movement .in infected
areas - particularly strays.
* * *
Health of Animals Division
veterinarians quarantine dogs
which have been bitten by other
infected animals, such as foxes.
Quarantining is authorized un-
der the Animal Contagious Dis-
eases Act and imposes a six-
month confinement.
Owners are instructed to keep
their dogs confined inside a
building away from all persons
except . those responsible for
feeding and caring for them.
If necessary the dogs should
abe tightly secured. When dogs
are badly bitten owners, are urg-
ed to .destroy them.
"Vaccination is an eiificier:t
adjunct in the control of rabies,"
says ane veterinarian, "hut it is
`elt that the regulatory control
measures of dog quarantine play
a vital part in rabies outbreaks."
'* * * ..
What lies ahead for Canada's
daily products? Will production
continue to outrace consume.
tion?
: * *
These questions west para.
• mount in talks by D. •G Good -
Canada Department el
Agriculture, to Western Canada
dairymen.
He felt that "there is reasor,
to believe" milk production will
be slightly lower, because (1)
There- are fewer cows; and (2)
No improvement in reed and
producing conditions are fore.
seen.
Mr. Goodwillie . predicted a
levelling off trend in the fluid
.milk market would continue. He
said, too, that competition is
slight between fluid, evaporat•
ed and dry skimmed milk, and
that the use of all three products
in the home probably increases
consumption of milk,
* * *
He looked for less butter this
year, after 1958 saw production
34 million pounds higher than
Ever before, but he cautioned
that "it looks as though we may
have a butter problem the same
as a few years ago, which will
not be solved until the economic
factors are adjusted according-
ly..
'Production of cheese should
be the highest in several years,
he said, with consumption at
least maintained. The export
picture appears better but the
current high prices are not ex-
pected to hold for the year.
Exports of evaporated milk
may be higher than for some
time and this, coupled with an
anticipated maintained or some-
what higher domestic usage,
suggests production should be
moderately higher than last
year. * * *
With dry whole milk, the
export market is all-important.
"The first company or country
, to develop a satisfactory instant
dry whole milk will have a tre-
mendous advantage in export
markets - markets which to me
will be more important than
our home market for this pro-
duct"
While consumption of dry
skimmed milk ha's doubled in
six years, added Mr. Goodwillie,
it will be years before consump-
tion can approach present pro-
duction capacity. Last year's
production w a s 186 million
pounds.
Britain's Lords
Hear Note Of Faith
A new poem by Soviet poet
Boris Pasternak describing his
"agony of mind" at being pre-
vented from accepting the
Nobel Prize for literature has
just been quoted in Britain's
House of Lords.
The occasion for the quota-
tion was as debate on nuclear
disarmament in which power-
ful voices like those of Earl
,Bussell (philosopher Bertrand
Russell) advocated that Britain
should set an example by uni•
laterally renouncing nuclear
weapons.
jecThetion Brofitissuch h GoVeg f liplx;ntheuip rt's rswait•
given by the Earl o4 Dundee on
the grounds that4;ljhvre is no
evidence as yet of any change of
Soviet policy or actions.
But Lord Dundee ended on a
note of hope by quoting thio
new poem of IsIr. Pasternak, He
said, "It is the voice of one
Russian who loves his country,
who wants to be loyal to its
present government, and who
does not believe that war be-
tween capitalism and commun-
ism is inevitable, If more of his
countrymen could be persuaded
to believe as =eh as that, then
there would be a real hope of
world peace,"
This is the Pasternak poem
quoted by Lord Dundee:
I am lost like a beast in an
enclosure.
Somewhere there are people,
freedom and light,
Behind me is the noise of pursuit
And there is no way out.
Bails forest by the shore of the
lake,
Stump of fallen fir tree,
Here 1 am, cut off from every-
thing.
Whatever shall be is the same
to me.
But what wicked thing have i
done?
1 the "murderer," and the "vil-
lain,"
I, who force the whole world to
cry
Over the beauty of my land.
I am near my grave, •
But 1 believe the time will come
When the spirit of good will
conquer
Wickedness and infamy.
, Lord Dundee spoke of the posi-
tive course which the British
Government seeks to follow in
breaking down the cultural and
intellectual barriers of the Iron
Curtain. -
This is known to be one of
the objectives of Prime Minister
Harold Macmillan in his 10 -day
visit to Moscow. Mr. Macmillan
believes that, whatever else may
or may not be achieved by his
personal visit to the Soviet Union
and his contact with the leaders
and people there, it should be
possible for him to help in break-
ing down barriers, writes Peter
Lyne in. The Chirstian Science
Monitor.
This is how Lord Dundee de-
scribed the British Government's
purpose, "What we want to do
is not just to have controlled
visits, some of which are prob-
ably for the purpose of propa-
ganda sponsored by one govern-
ment or another; we want to
have. real freedom of intercourse
between the leaders of educa-
tion, industry, and science, and
between ordinary travelers and
tourists; we want censorship to
be abolished; we want the Rus-
sian people and our own equally
to be able to read each other's
literature, to visit each other and
talk to each other."
Lord Dundee deplored the fact
that the people of the Soviet
Union under communism had
been indoctrinated with the idea
that war between communists
and capitalism was inevitable.
But he said the British Govern-
ment believed that through
establishing better contact with
the Soviet people the old mis-
understandings and misappre-
hensions
isapprehensions could be resolved "be.
cause the Russian people are as
amiable and as capable of love
as any other people in the world."
In the meantime, however, the
British Government's answer to
Lord Russell and other unilateral
-disarmers was, "We will not low-
er our guard."
'GAY satoo
LESSON
By Rev R. a Warren, B.A., B.D.
Wliat Will You Do With Jesus?
Mark 15:1-15
Memory Selection: He was op-
pressed, and he was afflicted, yet
he opened not his mouth. Isaiah
53:7,
We make many important de-
cision in life. Choosing our voca-
tion and our companion for mar-
riage are among the most signi-
ficant. But life's most important
question is, "What will you do
with Jesus?" Each of us must an-
swer this question for himself.
We can't remain neutral. We are
either for Jesus Christ or we are
against Hhn. Before Pilate an-
swered this question he had a.
private talk with Jesus. His con-
clusion was, "I find in him no
fault at all.." John 18;38, It we
carefully read the Gospels we
reach the same conclusion. Sure-
ly, here was the perfect man, We
may find fault with many who
profess to be Christians. Their
daily living may be' out of har-
mony with their profession. But
Jesus lived what he taught, There
is no fault in Him ,.,... , "
Pilate tried to e`Cide making
a definite decision by sending
Jesus to Herod. But Jesus came
back. Pilate had to take his
stand, Then the Jews cried out,
saying, "If thou let this Man go,
thou art not Caesar's friend:
whosoever maketh himself a king
speaketh against Caesar." Pilate
recognized that this was a veiled
threat to report him to Caesar
and Pilate's record would not
stand up under the keen scrutiny
of the Emperor. That settled it.
Pilate decided to protect himself •
rather than do what was right
concerning Jesus. It's that way
with us, too.
The case simmers down to
choosing for our sinful self or
choosing for Jesus. Jesus said,
"If any man will come after Me,
let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow Me."
Matthew 16:24. We must say "No"
to self and forsake our sins and
surrender our will to Jesus
Christ. Saul did just that when
he met Jesus on the road to
Damascus. He said, "Lord, what
wilt Thou have me do?" Acta
9:6. He yielded his will to Jesus.
And what a life he lived.
The trial of Jesus was a farce.
Pilate knew that the priests hated
him because of envy. But he him-
self, through selfishness and
cowardice, issued the death sent-
ence. But Jesus will have the
last word. One day the priests,
Pilate and every one of us will
stand before the Great Judge and
it will be, Jesus Christ. We should
accept .of His great salvation
now, that we . find life at its
richest meaning, and stand be-
fore Him in the last great day,
Upsidedown to Prevent Peeliine
ISSUE 11 - 1959
LEFT HIGH AND DRY
- The Wabash River rose to flood height, froze and then receded,
leaving this large chunk of ice hanging on a slender sapling in Wabash, Ind, In two ,days,
the river dropped five feet from a 251/s foot crest, highest since 1913,