HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1959-12-17, Page 3Good Nellglhbors
And Fences
.ver since Rural Free Deliv-
ery was , established, .our neigh
bors across the street have
shared our mailbox post, so we
met on the site the other morn-
ing to discuss repairs after a
gale -wind blew it down, The
post is on my side of the road.
because the route Comes down-
hill, and the Post Office Depart-
ment still requires that the box
be located for the convenience
of a horse -and -buggy seat,
We found the post had rotted
away at the base, so it would
have toppled soon anyway, wind
or no. Bud, our mailman, had
continued down the road when
I- heard the thump. Before I
could get out, the rain had
soaked the mail, and I dragged
elle post and boxes onto the
lawn out of traffie.
These two boxes were new
when the RFD system was
started, which was in 1898. Be-
fore that, farmers had to go to
the village for mail, and usual-
ly anybody making the trip
brought back the letters for all
the neighborhood. The new ser-
vice was cheered, and before
i
the first driver made the route
everybody had to put up a box.
Manufacturers embraced the op-
portunity, and there first ap-
peared the phrase; "Approved by
the Postmaster General,"
Although the two boxes on
our post are unlike, they were
both approved, and neither is
like the common box of cont.
memo today, which has an end
opening. Ours are originals,
antiques. Moreover, they are
made of heavy gauge sheet, well
galvanized, and each weighs at
least three times what a modern
RFD box will Perhaps ten
times, if you get aluminum,
My neighbor and I surveyed
the damage and he said, "I've
got a post, spruce." "Let's try
spruce," I' said. "This one was
fir." So. I got a screwdriver and
wrench and- he got hispost-hole
auger and cleaned out a hole.
He came lugging the pole, and
with a few swipes of the double -
bitted ax he beveled the top, and
hewed a flat place to attachthe
boxes. He shoved the post in the
hole, tamped in ,the dirt, wob-
bled it to see if it were tight,
and said, "There." He picked
up his tools and went home.
I've often thought Robert
Frost's poem about mending wall
was thoroughly outside my own
experiences. It may be a differ-
ence between Maine and Ver-
mont. Seems to me the poet and
his neighbor approached the
thing with an indifference, real-
ly, and were doing as an obli-
gation or duty something that
could' otherwise.have•been a good
deal more fun. Every time I do
anything with my neighbors, I
have fun, The fun alone is worth
the trouble, and- the work is al]
dividend.
Frost's neighbor was pitching
his fidelity on an aphorism, was
mending wall simply because.
"good fences make good neigh-
bors." I think the exact oppce
site is far more desirable, main-
ly: "Good neighbors make gotid
fences." I think neighboring is
an opportunity and a delight, not
a duty to be approached mech-
anically. like whipping a boy
"for his own good." I think it's
possible to bring the' boy up on
fewer adages, and still find him
useful. Anyway, my neighbor
and I didn't quote any old saws
or investigate the common law..
When he said, "There," and
went home, he signified that the
work had been fairly divided,
and his part of the job was done.
As soon as I attached the boxes,
we'd be in business again. His
division was unchallenged, and
I was satisfied. Actually,. he had
done the hard work. He'd reamed
out the hole, and he'd shaped
the post. Putting up the boxes
wasmuch easier,
It turned out that this wasn't
exactly so. For an interesting,
reason. What he had done, more
muscular, was within easy reach
of a maty equipped with only
two hands. What he had left for
me, the easier part, required
a man with four hands, which 1
don't have. I found, at once, that
I needed two hands to hold up
a box, and two more to start and
take up the screws. I grinned
to myself, and wondered if he'd
thought of this, We'll never
know.
I made out all right. I had to
do a little rigging. I used the
broken -off post as a prop, and
got the first box into position
and steadied, Then I center-
punched for the screw holes, and
by teetering on one foot and
using the off knee I was able
to both hold and twist. The see-
ond box, his, went up the same
way.
It would have been so much
easier if he had hung around
long enough to hold the boxes•
for me while I got the screws
started, but as I fussed and jug-
gled I could hear him pounding
on a ,leak in his henhouse rooL
He was satisfied that the amen=
ties of mending wall had been
met, and that if I needed fur-
ther assistance I would resort to
the other part of neighboring,
which is "calling on," It is all
right to "offer," but not when
the situation is predicated on
"calling, on." And, naturally, I
didn't call on. This problem was
on my side of the' line, and he
was busy.
I took all the lagscrews up
another quarter turn, to make
sure, and laid down the tools. I
grasped each box and wobbled
it, to see if it were tight. They
were tight. Solid and secure.
Ready for Bud when he would
come the next day with more
bills and fliers. Approved by
the Postmaster General, they
were now approved by me, flu,
and seemed to be justthe right
height for a buggy • seat, as re-
quired. I said, "There!" and
went into the house, - By John
Gould in the Christian Science
Monitor.
Bann! Went The
Natives' Cash
By inventing their own version
of the European banking system,
some natives on Simberi Island,
in the Australian -administered
territory of New Guinea, have
run into serious trouble.
They set up, recently, as
money kings or local bankers,
seeking to exploit the "Cargo
Cult" superstition, According to
this belief, favoured tribesmen
could set aside special offerings
and then, one day, they would be
rewarded by the arrival of a
shipload of white man's goods
All the merchandise aboard.
would be theirs.
The exploiters said they had a
better system to conjure forth
this .desired bounty. So they in-
vited villagers to entrust them.
with money and goods, saying
these would be boxed' and kept
in specially built houses, known:
as,"hoose bang bangs"
"There," they told the gullible
natives, "your treasure will •
grow." Many were deceived and •
handed over money and,goods.
Now this primitive banking
system hasbeen brought to an
abrupt halt and the ringleaders
have been arrested.
Meanwhile, district patrol oft-
cers are'trying to undo the harm
caused• by ,these swindles.
OH! MY ACHING HEAD
Have you ever noticed how
much noise christmas tree nee-
dles make as they dropto the;
floor on New -Year's morning?
CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
ACROSS
1. Ship's officer
3. Guide
13. Afternoon
performance
14. Stupid
15. On top. of
13. Cl arets
(slang)
13. Turn right
10. First decimal
number
20. Assistant
minister
22. Abraham's
nephew
88. Piano
compposition
27. Bailing
11:Milkweed
fluid
02. Black
33. blournfui
85, Dig coal
36, Baffle
as. Decapitates
40. Firecracker
42, Chum
98. Planet
'46. Not hos )thy
148. windmill sail
03. Border on
52. Vocal solo
fib, Wise man
80. Church
of floors
57. Spartan slave
53, Jewish
ascetics -.
DOWN
1: Sooty matter
i 2. Type of
recorder
9. Jacket
12. Plpo fitting 00. 51r, Hunter
17. Vapor of the movies
20. Quill for -84. Appoints as.
winding silk an agent
87. Itinerant
21. Glossy 80, Possesses
surface 41. Light touch
22, Four- wheeled 44. Unclothed
4, (lain the carriage 48. Press
vletory 40. Cerd
5. Indefinite 24. Slater of 47. Maiden
article Julius Caesar 48. l5mber
6. Disproves 25. Incline 49. Misery
7, Beloved 26, Chopping 50. Building
8. Small firearm implements addition
9. Among 27. Chirp 02. FlYing expert
10. Fall behind' 28. Capably 24. Yellow -tufted
11. Constituting „22. overwhelm mono
awhoIe Ing defnof SR while
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Answer elsewhere en this page
THE HOLLOW MAN - Left over from Halloween, this character showswhat he thinks of
that "frost on the pumpkin" line,
IILFARM FRONT
Jahn
l.- - elan -
Steers from a cross of Char -
bray bulls `•• and Hereford' cows
outranked Hereford steers in
many respect in tests supervised
by the Lethbridge Research Sta-
tion.
Results - Crossbreds . were
heavier at weaning; they gained
more per day on feed ;• and they
returned higher hot carcass,
weightwith greater eye of lean
area.
Hereford steers. topped Char -
bray crossbreds'. with a higher
proportion of choice carcasses.
* * *
There was no significant diff-
erence between the two groups
in dressing percentage; total
digestible nutrient consumption
per pound of liveweightgain;
average muscle fibre diameters
' of samples taken from the chief
loin muscle.
In these tests,; Hereford bulls
and bulls of •Charbray 'breeding
were turned out with a com-
mercial herd of Hereford cows
in southwestern Saskatchewan.
The cows were bred at random,
* * * .
At weaning; 25 crossbred
steers and 25 Hereford steers
were selected at random. They
were weighed, removed to a
commercial feed lot and fed in
two groups to slaughter finish.
* * *
Successful crossbreeding for
hybrid vigor involving British
beef breeds is not new to west-
ern Canadian cattlemen.
Nor have the possibilities of
improving the, beef breeds with
other imports been ignored,
The 'purebred 'Brahman, for
example, is not too adaptable to
western range conditions but
When crossed with any of the
main. breeds„ anoffspring re-
sults that has certain advantages
over Herefords,
The . introduction of Charolais
and Charbray bulls' to this coun-
try is also being watched with
interest by the industry for its
potentialities lar crossbreeding.
* *
Sunflower seed oil meal ranks
high as a major protein supple-
ment for laying hens, judging
from experimental results from
the Canada Department of Agri-
culture, * * *
In rations containing. 2.0 or 2.5
per cent fish meal, the complete
replacement ' of other supple-
mentary protein sources with
sunflower seed oil 'meal had no
influence on:
-mortality.
- egg production.
-egg weight.
- body weight Snaintenance.
However, when meat meal
was replaced by its protein
equivalent of sunflower seed oil
meal, and by an equivalent
amount of mineral supplements,
feed consumption tended to be
higher.
Since low dietary energy is us-
ually associated with high feed
consumption,it appears that the
sunflower seed oil meal diet was
relatively low in energy.
* * *
These experiments involved
324 pullets confined to individual
cages and 630 • pullets . in floor
pens,
• e *
At Belleville, Ont,, scientists
of the Canada Department of
Agriculture's Entomology Re-
search Institute for Biological
Control are discovering ways of
controlling weeds by using the
insects that attach them,
* *
Toadflax is not a serious prob-
lem in Ontario, where the seeds
are attacked •by a beetle, but it
is increasing rapidly on farm-
lands in the prairie provinces,
where this beetle does not exist.
Beetles collected in Ontario
were liberated at Marsden, Sask,,
and Codesa, in the Peace River
district of Alberta.. They died out
at Marsden during a severe win-
ter, but they have increased and
spreadin the Peace River district.
* * *
It is too soon to say whether
or not the beetle will reduce
the spread of the weed in Ai-
berta. It is not expected to wipe
out existing stands, as the weed
spreads by underground stems,
which are not attacked by the
beetle, as well. as by seeds.. '
Because of this, a search is
being made in Europe for insects
that will attack the stems and
roots. If found, they will be test-
ed intensively under quarantine
at Belleville to ensure that they
will not attack crop plants. Any
that survive may be: liberated
in Canada.
* * *
Attempts to control St. John's
Wort in British Columbia by
liberating three kinds of beetles
obtained from abroad have been
only moderately successful, and
a search for other suitable insects
is in progress in Europe.
A leaf -eating caterpillar is be-
ing tested at Belleville to see if
it is, suitable to controltansy
ragwort in eastern. Canada and
studies on the insects that at-
tack Canada thistle are in pro•
grecs both at Belleville and in
Europe.
Do You K
nOW.9
BON -BON is just baby talk.
From the Fr e n c h word for
good, it is just what a child
might say of something tasty:
"Good -good,"
* * *
CLAM is so named because his
shell snaps tight together. Clam
was riginally "clamp" - and two
of then made a pair of pincers.
* * *
FILBERT, the nut, was nam-
ed for an obscure Bergundian
saint, It happens to get ripe
about the time of St. Philibert's
Day Aug. 22 - whichis the
A GUILTY CONSCIENCE
Two men were seated in a sub-
way train. One of them noticed
that his friend had his eyes
closed.
"What's the matter, Bill?" he
asked. "reeling ill?"
"No, I'm all right," answered
Bill. "It's just that I hate to see
all these ladies standing."
Upsidedown to Prevent Peeking
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ISSUE 50 - 1959
MAY SCHOOI
LESSON
glee it 11'art:les Warren,
ti t. 15 D
Good News for the World
Luke 2;8-14 Acts 11:1946
Memory Selection; I bring yet
good tidings of great joy, whiel
shall be to all people. For ant*
you is born this day in the cite
of Devitt a Saviour, which d
Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11,
The poet said,
"'Twes great to speak 4
world from nought,
'Twas greater to redeem."
If that be true, then no won•
der that beginning of the visible
act of redemption should call
forth an angelic choir to an-
nounce It. No wonder that Satan
and his servants sought to des-
troy the Christ child.
Much of the beauty of :thi
Christmas story lies in its simpli-
city. Anyone can understand it
The fact that Jesus was born is
such humble circumstances help*
us to realize that He is for us
all, With Him there are no bar-
riers of rank or wealth, The good
tidings of great joy is for all peo-
ple.
The second part of our lesson
tells of this good news reaching
the Greeks in the city of Antioch.
Many of them believed on the
Lord Jesus. When word of this
reached Jerusalem, the Jewish
capital, Barnabas was despatched
to the scene. He wasthrilled to
see that Greeks as well as Jews
were sharing in the benefits of
this great salvation. Under his
ministry many more turned to
the Lord. Then Barnabas went
to Tarsus to get Saul whom he
had earlier befriended in Jeru-
salem. Saul came and together
they pastured this church for s
year. It was during this time that
the disciples were first called
'christians'. It was very approp-
rlate. Disciples are people who
believe • in Christ and by His
grace endeavour . to follow His
example in their way of living.
Over 1900 years have passed
since the Good News came on
that first Chirstmas morn. Still
there are millions who haven't
heard. There are millions of
others in our so-called Christian
lands, who have heard but
haven't heeded, What are we do-
ing about it? Are we witnessing
by our lives? David said of his
being lifted out of the mire,
"Many shall see it, and fear, and
shall trust in the Lord." Psalm
40:4. He gave a verbal witness,
too. He said, "I have not refrain-
ed my lips, - I have not con-
cealed." I have declared thy
faithfulness and thy salvation."
Are we passing on the Good
News?
Architectural Contrasts - - 1730, 1960 - - -
These examples of architecture areseparated by some 230 -years in time but onl}
30 miles in distance. You won't find this house, above, in a suburban subdivision.
It's the Hendrick Hendrickson farm house, built in Holmdel, N.J., in 1730. Since no
"improvements" such as heating, plumbing or electricity have been made; the
Monmouth County Historical Assn. was glad to accept the house from Bell Telephone
which owns the land. Below is a sketch of the United Nations library which will
rise soon on United Nations Plaza in New York City. The marb'e and glass con-
temporary building, which will hold 400,000 volumes, was made possible by a
$6,200,000 gift from the Ford Foundation. There will be three stories above ground,
three below.