Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance Times, 1935-12-05, Page 614 FIRST INSTALMENT The valley was as dry as powde and as hot as the top of a stove: It lay between barren hills, the nak- ed summits of which were blackened, doubtless by volcanic fires, although one could easily . imagine that the ceaseless rays of the vertical sun had burned them brittle, The sandy plain separating the two ranges was cov- ered with desert vegetation queer misshapen growths, most of eshich were blunt and limbless. Some of the trees were mere stubs, others -were shaped more like gallows, st ill others bore clumsy limbs of a sort and a sparse covering of tiny leaves out of . all proportion to the size o the trunks against which they clung. There were cacti of many varieties, of course, huge ribbed ones forty feet tall t hat resembled tremendous can- delabra, others that were smaller and more grotesque in shape with hund- reds of fleshy upright ears or with melon -like knobs and protuberances upon their extremities. An occasional shrub or clump of bushes upthrust it- self between n th e la r ger trees, e s, bu t e v- ery growing thing was somehw dis- torted; all were twisted by the heat, . or bent by discouragement, perhaps: likewise every growing thing, from the tiny cucumber cactus, half buried in the sand, up to the tallest gallows tree, was covered with spikes and spines, with dagger points and tal- ons. All these thorns were poison- ous, all made festering wounds when flesh came in contact with them. Vir- us tipped their points. It was in truth a place of many poisons, a valley of pain, for what discomfort the cat -claws and the dag- ger points failed to inflict, the blist- ering sun and the irritating dust ac- complished. At night when the weedless, grass less surface of the earth had flung off most of the heat stored up dur- ing the day, it was possible to breathe without gasping and to move about withoutstreaming sweat; but this re- Iief was short acid it merely served to intensify the suffering that came with the ardent rays of the morning sun. The days were hideously long. It was not a fit dwelling place for man, and why nature had gone to Buell lengths caf devilish ingenuity in devising means to discourage him was hard to understand. Gloria Fisk often asked herself that question. Probably it was because of the oil, 's"he decided. Oil was precious; the getting of it always entailed hardships and suffering. It seemed to her, how- ever. that Nature had outdone herself WINCH. AM ADVANCE -TIM iS T dry, blood -thinning heat. Bandits; Dred by a, breeze; it attest perforce however blood -thirsty, were better rock and jolt slowly through a su£fo- than dust day and night, dust borne citing smother that coated a driver's oft every breeze, dust kicked up by lungs as thickly as his skin. Like a hciofs and wagon Wheels and truck trail of smoke ignited •by some in Pis - tires,' dust that got into one's food, one's cl6thing•,' one's eyes and ears and lungs; ever-present dust from ible brand, this dust streamer wound closer until Gloria made out her hus- band at the wheel of his rattle trap which there was no escape. Insects, flivver. fevers—almost anything was better All Gars were rattle -traps six weeks than the maddening monotony of after they were put over these roads; these rainless clays during which no- this one complained loudly, its limber thing, absolutely nothing, happened to fenders clashed, a jet` of vapor rose divert one's thoughts from Dice's:Mies'from its radiator' cap,: Its tonneau cry, was piled full of rope and tackle. All There were still outer oil countries, autoniobiies at El Centro carried sim- of course, where one could lite in ac- ilar cargoes. Veering drunkenly ar- tual contfort, where ane could meet ound the corner of the house, it con - white people and speak English and ",shed once or twice'as if clearing its hear running water .and see green one lung, then with a long drawn sigh grass- 1 of escaping steam it came to rest. Green grass! Cool ii aters! "Hello, honey!" Donald Fisk ;LIxs. Fisk with a languid _sigh gent smeared the sweat, and the dust from to the open window, parted the dusty bis face and kissed his wife. 'He was curtains, and peered out. The glare a robust young giant, but the desert was blinding, heat waves caused the had fried the fat out of his frame and distant derricks to dance and to wav-. left' it spare. His skin was burned. al - There was a dryness in the air most black, and when he grinned his caused her throat to contract so teeth gleaned forth at white as doin- that Like the other me nofE1C en- c ''n e.. Ll. when lie t a seemed to rustle . that it • Pet -spire- . srvallo�vad. It was a sn Witched street tro, he shelled always s of p r p —a roadway, almost incandescent at `than. t r'told this hour of the day—and it ran • ." My, but you're dirty -.1., Gloria through a sprawling village of flimsy 'him. "You look too funny— She unpainted ptpainted houses all hacrily slapped laughed outright at the expression ed. "Good Lord! And it's ten days .yet before we go!" "1 know—but T couldn't wait, Ob, Don, you don't know how I hate this place! You just haven't the faintest eoneeption how absolutely I hate it." Mrs. Fisk was still laughing, but there was an hysterical catch.. in her voice. "That's all that ails me -this desert! Now I'in going home. I'm going home—I'm going ,home!" She sang the words and her eyes sparkled. "Well,' you're not going to take all that trash when we go. Not if, I can help' it," her husband declared; but she interrupted her vigorous protest by saying: "Maybe not, but it's such fun to get ready -and I haven't anything else to pack. I can't sit still and merely wait! I've packed and Unpack- ed a half dozen tines. When I get it all in, 1 pretend I've forgotten something important and there's bare- ly time to throw it out and repack. Oh, Don, little shivers and tickles run over me every time I think of it! Home! I'm going to pack every Clay. That `telegram about the stateroom has done more to cure me than -than anything. I ani well! Don't you think T.: am well?" Gloria's voice quavered, broke; her face was briefly contorted and tears appeared upon her lashes. "Sure, you're well. Just played out with the heat and the confounded monotony, that's all. Waittill you begin to, breathe thegood salt air," "And ourstateroom is on the shady ' side of the ship!" "I made sure of that. What's'more, those fruiters pump cool air into the cabins.', Oh, it won't take *long for. you to pick up! I want youto have hour old pep and your old color back when we Ian%. You've got to have it or—well, . the family will make it deuced unpleasant for me" A furrow appeared between Fisk's dusty brows. He stared about the sparsely furnish - "Now $'m going borne—I'm going, home'ghome," together out of boards and corrugat- lent by the muddy streaks of sweat. ed iron hauled in from, the coast by "You're feeling better, aren't you?" rail. Sun like this demanded thick he demanded, quickly. "Jove, Gloria! 'dobe walls, of course, but there was That's the first time you've laughed here; that she had been more cruel neither clay here at. El Centro nor es ages." when we get there," Gloria said, mus- ehthan necessary. She could have econ- t , _it.No the "I'... feeling wonderful! 1 m well!" ingly, "but the roses will be coming in. The ramblers on our place are wonderful. Think of it, Don, roses, green grass, running water! That brook and the trout pond! Won't it seem heavenly to be cool and clean again? I'm going to roll in the grass and bury my face in it." "Same here! And the first time it rains I'm going to stand out and take every drop of it. It seems to Inc that every last pore in my body is thirsty.". "How is the new driller getting along?" Mrs. Fisk inquired. `;McKay? Oh, fine! All I'm afraid. of is 'that he may work too fast. These hustlers are apt to be careless, you know. 1-Ie's at twenty-six hund- red and fifty—right on top of the structure. We'll be ready to shoot. day after to -morrow: I've ordered the nitro and it will be out tomorrow. Be- lieve .me, e-lieve.me, I'm not going to lose a min- ute." "If it conies in big--" Gioria began.. "It will. That well is going to live up to its name, ':Homestake Number One'." Fisk made the assertion , pos- itively. "It's bound to be a five - thousand -barrel well—or better. Can't help it, in that location." "I wish I had your confidence," his wife said doubtfully. "I guess. I'm too tired to be enthusiastic any more. I meant to ask if it will mean delay. Will you have to 'stay and see to it?" "No, not Everythittg's arranged. Once I bring it in,; Nolan can take charge. "I'd die if we missed that boat. The well should have been in a month ago but"—Gloria sighed- "something al- ways steins to go wrong it this bus- iness. Just at the last moment. Dis- appointment, heart-break--olt, 1 hate it! Hate it! I'm so nervous I could scream--" "She's just a tired, sick little kid." Fisk spoke comfortingly and stroked his wife's hair with a mother's touch. "This 'torrid old desert has worn her out, but it's going to make her well and happy and --rich. We've made a hardfight, honey, bat it's nearly over, A little more courage, a little more patience!" (Contintted Next issue) atb INSTALMENT OF MISS CURRIE'S TRIP (Continued from 1',tt,e Seven) knees, moaning . to the. godsof the water and of the shark for Morey sake, the one to spate the ship and the other, the unfortunate passengers, 13y morning the Lady was slipping through, the -Serpents Mouth coating into author off Port-of-Spaitt. I ata glad she had to anchor well out and left in the dark. I could not endure saying "goodbye. to the Lady Nelson and all on board, Even now it seems she Must be a little white phantom ship beating its way north among picture islands; • that it can't be real and.: never was real. I have spent my time here so far frantically catching up on my correspondence. So far any sociability has been mere- ly the ladies looking me over from my bead to my feet, and the men re-, versing the process. I think likely I shall go over to Tobago' (Robinson Crusoe's Island)° for the ween -end. Then I shall come back` and explore Port-of-Spain and Trinidad, I hope' you will be interested in the result.. TIM IS OUT . tON THE FARM To the Edituur av all thim Wingham Paypers. Deer Sur:—. - Lasht wake our bye out on the farrum wanted . to attind the ' harse show in Toronto, so the otild man wint out to do the chures, an play checkers, an talk pollyticks wid Sandy Banks, an, be rayson av his not bein in town, av cborse he didn't bother wid his litherary wurrk. Loike •the resht av the min lie kin only tisk, av wan jawb at a toime, whoile us wimmin hev to tink av a dozen ,tings at wance. • This wake Tim is shtill out on the farrum an cudden't aven git into town ed room, then he said, earnestly: of vote on Monday, be rayson av havin catched a cold that sittled in his back: Mebby it wud be a disha- pointmint to him that he cudden't be liere to till me how I spud vote, but, fer svance in me loife 1 voted as I. plaised. Av coorse it didn't make much "You've been a game kid to put up with this. It was worse than I ex- pected; yes, worse than ,your people said it would be. If I'd realized just what it was like here, I'd never have brought -you. But say"—his face 'ighted again—"won't it be great to rut it over them?" differ, fer theer wus nobody in the Gloria nodded. Her brief enthusefield but min, an, no matter what' asm had left her limp; so she sat councils we elickt, we same to beagit- 3own on the edge of the bed. She tin wurse an wurse all the toime, an managed' to summon enough anima- tion to agree. "Yes. They are so Smart—they knew it all, didn't they' ft will be nice to crow.7. "Mighty nice for me, anyhow. You lust go ahead playing at packing and unpacking your clothes, but when we 'eave we'll throw them all away. I'll buy you new ones—the moat expens- ive one on Fifth Avenue. I'll buy W. A. CRAWFORD, M.D. Physician and Surgeon Located at the office of the late Dr. J. P. Kennedy. Wingham Phone 150 you more than you ever had—twice g as many as your dad ever gave you! �1 Yes, and we'll drive, out to the Is- land' in our own limousine. I'll get you a couple of them." "It will be too late for the peonies omized on at least half of her dis- comforts and still have left the place a Gehenna. The heat and the glare alone were intolerable; why add the dust and the drought and the poisons and the maddening isolation? Why pour out all her hatred upon this place? Other oil fields were notutterly bl tolive in the coastal water, too, came by rail in hot steel "Seems like a month at least since tank cars, most of which were foul. you laughed. What is it?" Not a yard, not a fence, not a vine, "Come! I'll show you," Playfully not a bush, not a patch of green, met Gloria took the thumb of his right Mrs. Fisk's weary eyes -nothing but hand in her fingers and led him ac - the melancholy buildings, the road an- ross the floor. She fairly danced kle-deep in a choking gray powder ahead of him to the door of the bed - that coated roofs and walls and even room, where she bade him look. the scattering desert vegetation round "There! I've been bubbling over ever Impossible — about the town itself. since I heard about our reservation." fields, for instance, were bad enough, Where the road came into view ov- Donald peered into the ci aamber; but they were infinitely more livable er a low knoll,there appeared a roll- what he saw was an open st a er than this. One could endure damp ing cloud created by the wheels of trunk and a half-filled suitcase p an approaching car. Roads around El the bed. The room itself' was strewn heat or tropic fevers and stinging in pP g 1kid.! sects—even the depredations of ban- Centro were so rough that seldom with articles of clothing."Why, lits -more easily than this eternal, could a car beat the dust unless fav- You've begun to pack!" Gloria riiodd m - ROYA I.. BABY LEAVES FOR CHRISTENING. IIIIRMIMPromnalmeo The infant son of the Deka and Duchess' of Kent being ,iriven to Buckingham palace on Wednesday of last week with his father and another to be christened Edward George Ni- •rise,n,eco,' Se WE EVa Thursday, December 5 1,935, WIDENING WAVE CIRCLES', Old` THE JVi ILES* OF THE "LAST SPIKE" The reverberation oR the driving of the last spike of the "world's greatest . transportation enterprise has not yet ceased encircling the world in the interest of Canada and humanity in general. A. G. Racey in the Montreal Daily Star, Nov. 12. ,1935. loikely finer will be 'no change fer .`Fair to middlin', sah," Mose ans- the betther until we hev some winewered, as he continued ; to minister to his nettle. , „ tie he went t yermt M can dson, , suddenly, "has wo'kect foh you -all sixteen yeahs." "Well, well," said the contractor,. "and I suppose you are both pretty highly valued. Mose, eh?" "H'm," said Mose, "the both of us,. was took tick last week, and they got a 'doctah for the mule but they just docked ;tiah pay." min.. hilpin 'to run the town's bizzy nils. I do be wroitin this jist befodr goin down, town. to look at some tings to give :the grandchiider fer Christmas, an to attind our winsmin'sclub fer. the "Total Supprishtun av Man:" I don't want to'say•annyting about tine new council, fer they do be el eckted, an I suppose we 'can't hilp oursilves., Annyway I; guessed roight in tree cases out av the tin," so that wussen't too bad. Wan ting I know is that if we can't hey wimmin in the council we spud at laist hev Irish rain, an thin the town wild be run properly. Thine Hoigh School byes toughs they -cud do as they loiked'whin theer wus no man in the house, so they shtarted comin in late at noight, an `gittin up late fer brekfast, but .I soon put_ a shtop to that by telling thim if they wussen't in be half pasht noine iviry nioght they wud6foind the dure locked, an they cud go doevn an shlape in the Town Hall wid the tran- shents. ts. That sittled thins,' an I had no more thrubble widthim fer they know that whin I say annyting I mane it. Wid besh.t respickts, Mrs. Timothy Hay - "Well, Mose," said the contractor to one of his men, "how goes it?" " She seemed like a good sensible girl." "Yes, she wouldn't pay any atten- tion to me either." John: "Great heavens! The engine. is terribly overheated.' ' She; "Then why don't you turn off the radiator? MONUMENTS at first cost Having our factory equipped with the most modern machinery for the exe- cution of high-class work, we ask you to see the largest display of monu- ments of any retail factory in. Ontario. All finished by sand blast machines. Weimportall our granites from the Old Country quarries direct, in the rough. You can save all local deal- ers', agents and middleman; profits by seeing us. E. J. Skelton & Son at West End Bridge-WALKERTON Professional Directory J. W. BUSHFIELD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. Money to Loan. Office — Meyer Block, Wingham Successor to Dudley Holmes. R. S. HETHERINGTON . BARRISTER and SOLICITOR Office - Morton Block. Telephone No. 66 H. W. COLBORNE. M.D.' Dr. Robt; C. REDMOND PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Medical. Representative D. S. C. R. Phone 54. Wingham he bap- r f recie. cholas fait; I atrick, The King and Queen Victoria had made for t Queen were among the godparents, tisol of King: Edward. Wate Queen and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the River Jordan was used. assisted by the Bishop of I.,ondoe, baptized the baby at the font which, A.R.&F.E.DUVAL CHIR °TRACT ORS CHIROPRACTIC and ELECTRO THERAPY North,Street -- Winghani Telephone 300. M.R.C.S. (England) L.R.C.P. (London) PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON 1 F. A. PARKER . OSTEOPATH All Diseases Treated. Office adjoining residence next to Anglican Church on Centre St, • Sunday by appointment. Osteopathy Electricity ' Phone 272. Hours, 9 a.m. to 8.p.m. I J. H. CRAWFORD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. Successor to R. Vanstone. Winghain • Ontario • DR. W. M. CONNELL AND SURGEON' 'PHYSICIAN Phone 19. J. ALVIN FOX Licensed Drugless Practitioner CHIROPRACTIC - DRUGLESS THERAPY -. RADIONIC EQUIPMENT Hours by .Appointment. Phone 191. Wingham Business Directory ADVERTISE IN THE ADVANCE.TIMES THOMAS FELLS. AUCTIONEER REAL ESTATE.' SOLD A Thorough knowledge of Ii a>rskt Stock. Phone 231, Winghant, Wellington Mcit teal Fre , Insurance Co. Established 1840. Risks taken, on all classes 'of insur- ance at reasonable rates. Head Office, Guelph, Ont, ABNER COSENS, Agent. Wingham. It Will Pay 'You to Have An EXPERT AUCTIONEER to conduct your sale. Ste T. R. BENNETT At The Royal 'Service Station. Phone 174W. HARRY FRY Furniture and - Funeral` Service LESLIE GORDON Licensed Embalmer and Funeral Director Ambulance Service. Phones: Day 117. Night 109. • THOMAS E. SMALL LICENSED AUCTIONEER 20 Years' Experience in Parra Stock and iniplententS. Moderate Price-, Phone 331,