Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1923-12-28, Page 1It' flFTY-8EVENTa Y3;AR i WHOLE NUMBER 2924 BEAFORTE, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1923. usitot :3.110 a Tear la Advance McLean Brae., Pabliahere Wish Our Many Readers . A Very Happy NewYear titv Aguirtrogurrvaorfauttok Stewart Bros. l Here's wishing That 1924 Will Be, Bighr,. Happier And More Prosperous Thaii Any Year You Have Ever Known Stewart Bros. FARMING CONDITIONS IN IN SOUTHERN MANITOBA A western subscriber to The Ex- positor has sent us the following in- teresting article on farthing condi tions in Southern Manitoba: The farmers of Southern Manitoba have to adopt a different system of culture. They have only Hobson's choice -that or nothing. That is not a theory, it is a condition. The Western States went through the wheat stage and every wheat farmer in Minnesota in the eighties went through 'this condition. He either went into mixed farming $r went bust. Mining the soil for wheat has something of the fascination of placer mining. It is a big gamble with the odds in the, farmers' favor for a time but the odds grow gradually worse. Yet the fascination of the thing makes us loath to quit even after the ground is mined out. That is the condition in Southern Manitoba -the ground is mined out. Whatthey say in Min- nesota is that the land got "wheat - sick." No one can tell just why, but the condition is that wheat farming positively does not pay in Southern Manitoba -and what is more, it isn't going to pay. We have had our eggs insane basket and the bottom has fal- len out of the basket.. I don't mean that we should quit raising wheat. They raise about as much wheat in litjinnesota as they ever did but they raise it differently. We can raise plenty of wheat in Southern Mani- toba, but we can't do it by wheat farming. We must raise it as one crop in a rotation. There is no coun- try on earth that will stand persist- ently bare summerfallowing and wheat growing. It is artificial, un- natural and contrary to every canon of good farming, and it has every- where ended ultimately in failure.. A motor trip from Morden to Min- neapolis is like a movie of the Red River Valley, the greatest wheat country ever exploited by the wheat - mining farmer. Let me try to tell what I saw on my recent trip. From Morden to the boundary is a Men- nonite countrya good deal of it .given to mixed farming but with wheat still the chief crop. It is pros- perous in the main, depending on what kind of schools they have. A- I cross the boundary, past Walhalla for 150 miles, it is a wheat district - wheat, summerfa]]ow and sow thistle � being the chief features of the land- scape. And the general report was that the crop was bad -rust had de- stroyed it. From there to Grand Forks, upwards of fifty miles, it is a country which is changing front wheat farming to general farming -there was some corn, potatoes, mangels, buckwheat, coarse grains, hay and pasture. In short the country was spotted. There w e r e alternate stretches of wheat farming with sow thistle and summerfallow, and of di- versified farming with clean ground and better buildings. Crossing the Red River into Minnedosa brought usi into a mixed farming country. For' a short distance, say fifty miles, there was an occasional wheat farm, but after that, all the way to Minne- apolis, it was a succession of farms , given over to mixed farming. There was a medley of grains --'wheat, flax, rye, oats, barley, peas, buckwheat; of cern (for grain and fodder), pota- toes, mangels, onions; of fodder crops, millet, Hungarian alfalfa, clov- er, sweet clover, and of pasture land. Nearly every farm had a silo, many, two, some three, a few four. There was stock everywhere, horses, cattle, pigs, sheep and fowl of all kinds. The general report here was that crops were fine and prices good. When wheat was asked about, they said it was rusted and poor but they always added that they didn't depend on wheat. They made the most money out of stock; beef, pork, milk and cream, then came wool, eggs, mutton and fowl, after that grain; wheat, corn and flax -then potatoes, onions, sugar beets, asparagus, honey, small fruits. The wheat country is mortgaged to the hilt the land is dirty, the outlook bad and the farmers' credit poor. The mixed farming country is mostly free from mortgage and many of the mixed farmers have money lent to the grain farmers. The Bible is the best book on agri- culture ever ..written and that first story of Cain, the grain grower, who was branded as a failure, and Abel, the cattleman, who was honored as a success, is an allegory of gospel truth. When I was a lad I was told that this story was a fact, not a par- able, and I could not understand why Cain who offered the beat he had to the Lord got turned down so cold, while Abel vias commended. it is plain enough w -it is an allegoric parable of the grain grower and the animal husbandman. Cattle husbandry develops a better type of character than grain growing and it makes a man a success economically. South- ern Manitoba is full of Cains and community. It is therefore going to be a gain all around when we turn from straight grain growing to ani- mal husbandry as we are going to do in the end in •Southern Manitoba. Let me remark just here that whe- ther the culture is grain or cattle, the park country from Morden to Min- gesapolis lays over the open country. f you go through 20 miles of park district and then through 20 miles of bald. beaded district, the park coun- try is better in every case. The change is going to come about either by revblution or by evolution as it did in Minnesota. The farmer who cannot change hie thought and his method of culture from grain to animals is going down and out, and someone else is going to take his place who will face the east. The farmer who has not developed sclerosis of the soul and can make the change will hold on and succeed. Mostly, in Minnesota,;the wheat men went bust and new men took their places. Some grain growers held out until the good Lord gave them a plot in the cemetery and their sena had a second chance. Some few were plas- tic and pliable enough to change over and these there are yet. In another 40 years, perhaps in 20 years there won't be any such thing as a wheat farmer in Southern Manitoba. A Minnesotan said to me of the pioneers They were strong able men these wheat growers, but they are all gone -some we buried, the net the sheriff cleaned out. And that will be the way here, between the pall -bearer and the bailiff, the one -basket farmer will disappear. The fact is it is tak- ing too many chances for any man, to put all his eggs into a good basket, hut when it is a poor basket, it is simply hell as Cain found out. There is no objective difficulty in changing from wheat growing to mix- ed farming; the whole difficulty is subjective, that is, in ourselves. We make excuses, we say it costs too much money. This is not true. One cow plus the cattle spirit will start a man in cattle farming. One shoat, plus the pork spirit will start him in the pig business. One ewe larnb plus the bleat idea will set him up in the wool line. Four'settings of eggs, one each of turkey, goose, duck and chicken, and four old hens, plus the feather idea will set him in a poultry yard. And there is no better stable or pen on earth for cattle, pigs, sheep or fowl than a sod one. It doesn't last very long but long enough to put a man on his feet. Again the cost of seed to raise feed for any or all of these is merely nom- inal, corns peas, sweet clover, rye, mangels. And no special machinery is needed to begin with. The fact of the matter is, anyone can get into mixed farming if he tries; that is to say, unless he is so far gone with wheat farming that he can't stay on the farm long enough to get a toe hold. We are inclined to make excuses and say that the price of milk or cream is small, and that of wool and pork and eggs, but the fact is that low or not low, the fellow that has his eggs in several baskets always gets a fair price for something. I don't like to he everlastingly rubbing the Mennonites in; but they are the best illustration I know of the suc- cess of mixed farming in Southern Manitoba and that in a district where there wasn't a tree when they settled there. The Reinlanders have many baskets. They sell wheat, flax, beans( coarse grains and seed grain of many kinds -they sell beef, pork, bacon, mutton and fowl -they sell cream, butter, cheese, wool, hides, feathers -they sell potatoes, vegetables, small and tree fruits, honey. One man sold $300.00 worth of melons alone. It goes without saying they are pros- perous, the bailiff doesn't know the road to Reinland. They don't work hard, they use their heads, they are educated, they co-operate. As I said at the beginning, mixed farming is not a matter of choice with us. We have to come to it or quit - and there isn't one single thing in the way of our doing it except our lack of schooling. The Anglo-Saxon part of the com- munity is the most stiff-necked in this respect. We are inclined to hold up our heads and say we are not com- ng down to being farm peasants and a lot more of that kind of rot. One concrete case before I stop. ] went into a farmer's house in Min- nesota to buy cream this summer, as a notice on the gate said "cream sold." He and his wife were in the stable milking 13 cows, all tl:a iean-to would hold. While the wife got me the cream 1 talked to the man. In reply to my question, this is the substance of whet he said. We are getting on flee; we have 40 acres of land, but it 15 too much as we only farm thirty- five acres. We keep 18 cattle and milk 13. We grow corn, alfalfa, and feed grain; we raise 50 pigs a year nd 700 fowls. We sell milk, cream, utter, cheese, pork, fowl, asparagus, mall fruits, honey, and we ean't be - in to supply the demand. When the hildren grow rip, we will double up ur farming operations. We are do - ng tine; this is God's country, and ny one who can't make money here sd nosne. This man was living on forty acres of red sandy soil that didn't look to me to be much good, hut he belonged to the co-operative society and they bought and sold together. And I saw thousands, literally thousands like him. And he was a native An- a v h every man's hand is raised against s them even as against the original g Cain. They are branded as failures c they are marked for economic slaugh-;n ter. It is a most interesting psycholo- i gieal study, the deteriorating effect la of gram gr wti ng as againstamst the. ap- preciating - i Prcctttn g effect of animai husbandry, Y, but that is another story. I am set- ting down the cold-blooded fact that the community devoted to animal husbandry is a better community morally, industrially, economically and socially, than the grain growing trtet44,Alv Wishing Our Many Friends and Patrons A Happy New Year Fred S. Sauvage Jeweler and Optician. Phone 194. Residence, 10.- glo-Saxon from Iowa, living on 40 acres of poor soil. But he had his eggs in several baskets. They all tell you times are good in Minnesota. We say they are bad, the fact is we are poor boobs. There are thousands of farmers do- ing the same thing in Manitoba, as my Minnesotan, but there are thou- sands who awe notwhd who have to come to it or go iowa and out. They are poor old Cains. There is one and one only way of getting out of the single basket con- dition and that is by starting in on mixed farming. Now is the accepted time, and the way is to buy a cow, or shoat, or a lamb -if one waits till spring he can start on four settings of eggs and four hens. PUBLIC SCHOOL EXAMS The following are the results of the Christmas examinations in the Sea - forth Public School: Room 1. Doreen Farquhar, 514; Dorene Hud- son, 502; Laura Mole, .500; Jack Arch- ibald, 483; Florence Spain, 4'74; Gor- don Muir, 474; F,arnestine White, 455; Bessie Marriott, 440; Ena Holmes, 432; Tom Govenlock, 427; Kathleen Calder, 426; Beatrice Merner, 419; Lloyd Dinnen, 415; Ruby Storey, 408; heslie Bateman, 408; Margaret White, 399; Elizabeth McLean, 399; Charles Stewart, :199; Jim Pinder, 397; George Charters, 397; George Parke, 389; Bernice loynt, 385; Mar- garet Beattie, 380; Sadie Hart, 360; Harold Cummings, 360; Frank La- mont, 358; Alvin Adams, 339; Joe Hart, 327; *Josephine Edge, 315; *Verne Rutledge, 259; Will Stevens, 208; Glen Smith, unable to write. -F. T. Fowler, Principal. Room II. Total, 450; Honours, 337; Pass, 270 -Elinor Burrows, 395; Borden Merrier, 377; Sarah Sheffer, 350; An- nie Hannah, 340; .lack Arnold, 336; Audrey Somers, 335; Mabel Bateman, 335; Edith Walsh, 331; Beatrice Mit- chell, 330; Tom Cluff, 328; Irene Wankel, 322; Evelyn Grieve, 309; Charlie Dickson, 201; Bessie Cluff, 288; Margaret Cardno, 285; Nelson Cardno, 279; Alvin Sharpe, 272; Mar- garet ('.rich, 270; Harry MacLeod, 260; Edith Bateman, 252; Ona Nichol! 244; Biurna Stephenson, 239; elar- cncc Hoggarth, 238; Anna Edmonds, 230; Margaret Cudmore, 223; Jack Cudmore, 220; Andrew Calder, 196 ; Mary Archibald, 186; Russell Allen, 1811-M. W. Mackay. Room III. Margaret. Drover, 347; Muriel Beattie, 332; Helen Ament, 309; Mary Thomson,302; Jack T armtt 302; Elizabeth Rolph, 290;F, • p , Elva Oke, 289; Herbert Peterson, 289• Mary Reid, 286; Jean Frost, 281; Margaret. Mc- Kellar, 265; Ruth Workman, 258 ; Pearl Reeves. 258; Madeline Hotham, 252; George Crich, 250; Margaret Mc- Lennan, 250; Mary Haigh, 245; Gor- don Rennie, 233; Margaret Roos, 232; 1 come mor bishop, the Right Reverend • Bernice Dorrance, 282- Charlie Reeves 225; Blanche Crowed{ 224; Dorothy Wiltse, 224; Charlie Pinder, 210; John Cardno, 208; Alvin Knight, 205; Har- old Henderson, 187; Fred Huiser, 182; Tom Hulley, 174; George Hays, 138. Total, 390; Honours, 293; Pass, 234.- G. G. Ross. , F. Fallon, D.D., who come/ here especially to participate in the jqb. ilee ceremonials. Great cenges have t kenlace in Windsor and in the dietriet we note know as the Border Cities, since that good man, the late Dean Wagner, built the church of St. Alphonsua. The Room IV. little town of that time has become the great city of to -day. And all Total marks, 400• Honours, 800 ; through the years St. Alphoasw hag Barbl'assour, 375;Eanor Evelyne Golding, Mary hekerpriestsministestep with the ring to the apirress of i Ian McLean, 338; Eileen Chapinan, tual need/ of an ever-growing ntem- 330; Jack McKay, 325; Bessie Edgar bershiP, teaching the young, comfort_ 311; Peggy Alexander, 310; Cecil Ad- ams, 310; Pearl Little, 289; Helen Rankin, 283; Chester Archibald, 279; Kathleen Stewart, 271; Hazel Hulley, 271; Grace Free, 269; Helen Merner, 266; Helen Mater, 269; Iva Crowell, 258; Irene Cluff, 257; Edna Storey, 255; Ruth Chittenden, 254; Billie Cudmore, 211; Jack Flett, 201; Jack Wright, 150; Jack Stevens, 149; Lila Wiltse, 146; Grace Hulley and Wilda Rutledge, absent for exams. -M, M. Hartry. 1 Room V. Total, 350; Honors, 264; Pass, 210. Mary Reid 339; Betty Southgate, 333; Elizabeth Stevenson, 329; Corinne Hothan, 323; Edith Henderson, 823; Dorothy Farquhar, 323; Elsie Drover 317; Max Hudson, 295; Morris Walsh, 295; Arthur Golding, 295; Evan Ren- nie, 286; Velma Quail, 280; Florence Knight, 277; Edna Bateman, 262; Edith Ferguson, 257; Vera Mole, 249; Jack Dorrance, 2.17; Robert Venus, 236; Lulu Hart, 23¢; Kenneth Beattie, 210; Jeannette Joynt, 193• Stanley Dorrance, 188; Mattie Edgar, 185; Ethel Hoggarth; 159; Blanche Wiltse, 59; Jean Fender, 53.-J. R. Hays. ton and his friendships know no re - Room VL ligious barriers. ing the sick and the aged, caring for the poor and needy Inti in countless' '• other ways carrying out the divine, mission with which they were_ and" are entrusted, St. Alphonsua has played a large nd im tent part in the life of incisor for half a century. In thatti do e h crumbled into dust and fora gottenness. But St. Alphonsua MOUS- forward---stronger, greater, nobler,. more powerful to -day than ever be- fore. Its work widens with the pass- ing of the years. Its field of useful- ness increases as the days speed by. Its messages of hope and truth ane[ comfort multiply . and :become snore and more far-reaching as its circle of influence takes in an ever-growing number of souls. Protestants of the Border Cities will be one with their Roman Catholic' brethren in congratulating Dean. Downey and the parish of St. • Alphow: sus on this hiippy occasion.' For the Dean the whole community has noth,. . ing but the greatest'admirationp respect. Able, forceful, sympathet he is one of the outstanding . Priests - of the diocese. His friends are leg - ma The following names are in order of merit: Senior -Winnie Savauge and Jim- mie Scott, equal; Ian MacTavish, Helen Rolph, Mary.McDonald, Lorne Sparks, Harry Sheffer, Ross Rennie, Frank Grieve, Craig Buck,' Jack Hotham, Carl Knight, Kenneth Ad- ams, Melba Mitchell, Olga McKay, Gladys Holmes. Junior r Patsy Southgate, Jean Pearson and Grace McQuade equal, Leo Joynt, Ross McNabb, Dorothy Parks, Mary Flett, IIelen Peterson, Lloyd Workman, Beth McKay and Douglas Stewart, eghal, Lillian Reeves, Garnet Free, Dorothy Drover, Meryl Holley, Nellie Reeves, Hughie Oak, Jimmie Cluff, Edgar Stevenson, Arthur Hulley. - L. H. Dudley, Teacher. SEAFORTH WATER RATES The following schedule of flat rates has been issued by the Public Utility Commission for the new water works system recently installed in Seaforth: Private Dwellings Per Annum Not exceeding 2 taps $ 3.00 Each additional tap 1.00 For first water closet 4.00 Each additional closet 1.00 For first bath 3.00 Each additional bath 1.00 Stables, per horse or cow 2.00 Each additional horse or cow1.00 Laundry tubs (stationary), first tub 3,00 Each additional tub, 1.00 Each additional tap 1.00 Stores, Offices, Etc. - Dry Goods, Groceries, Butchers, .ete $6.00 to $12.00 Forges, first fire 5.00 Each additional fire 3,00 Billiard Rooms, 1 table 6.00 Each additional table 1.00 Bowling Alleys 6.00 Offices; Drugs, Dental, Medical 6.00 Developing Pictures, extra5.00 Insurance, Law, etc: 5.00 Photograph galleries 20.01 Barber shops up to 3 chairs 6.00 Each additional chair 2.00 All the above in Class II includes one tap at same rates; add addition- al for each of the following: Extra taps, each 2.00 Water closets, each 4.00 Urinals 2.00 Drinking fountains (flowing) 111.00 A service charge of $4,00 per an- num will he charged to consumers not paying Frontage 'Vater Rates. Lawns, Gardens and Greenhousea- (Seasottfrom April 15 to October 15.) Lawns only 7.00 Lawns, with additional service 4.00 Gardens, same season limit but half rate. Greenhouses, annual, twice lawn season rates. FIFTY YEARS OF SERVICE The Border Cities Star, of Windsor, gives the following account of the 50th anniversary of St. Alphonsua church in thatcity, the pastor of which is the Very Reverend Dean Downey, an old St.. Columban boy, and a brother of Mrs. William Devereux, Sr., of the Huron Road, East.: "The Very Reverend Doan Downey end his assistants and parishioners are to he sincerely congratulated on the fact of St. Alphonsua Church hav- ing attained its fiftieth anniversary. Completely renovated and redecorat- ed at a cost of more thnn $25,000, the same chureh t.hnt opened its doors half a century ago, is holding spe- cial services this week in honor of the golden jubilee. To -night., the peo- ple of St. Alphonsus parish will wel- OLD BOYS' REUNION NOTES Secretary Sutherland has receiver& word from George L. Chesney, who says he will be pleased to act as re- union agent for Calgary end district. and will help in every wa' to make this reunion a grand success, Joe Sills says there will be a gathering of the clans from Minneapolis, and when he sees Billie Stewart he will get the St, Paul bunch. Charlie Layton says: "When it comes to class, look out for the Hamilton bunch, We are all coming and com- ing early; also help with the windup."' Former residents, who are spend- ing Christmas in town, are most en- thusiastic over the Reunion and have made arrangements for their accom- modation during the celebration, CROMARTY Notes. --The annual meeting of the U. F. O. was held in the club house. The following officers were elected for the coming year. Owing to the re- signation of Mr. McKellar, Mr. Thos. Laing was the newly elected Presi- dent; Mr. S. A. Miller was again elected Secretary -Treasurer; Mr. Jas,. Scott gave a very satisfactory ac- count of the shipment of cattle and hogs for the past year. The reports: all told go to show the society is on. a very favorable and satisfactory footing. -Mr. Calder McKaig, who• underwent an operation for appen- dicitis in the Seaforth Hospital, is at present getting along very favor- ably. -Mrs. McDonald, of Brampton, is visiting at the hame of her mother,, Mrs. Samuel Speare, over the Christ- mas holidays-Aemotor party of the - young people of Cromarty spent a very enjoyable evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Batten, of Win- chelsea, on Monday evening last -- Mrs. Tufford, who has been indispos- ed of late, left last week for To- ronto where she will receive treat- ment, which we hope will be helpful' and beneficial. STAFFA Christmas Visitors. -Mr. and Mrs - Lawson and family, of Stratford, with. their daughter, Mrs. Walter O'Brien, Mr. and Mrs. Hannon, of the Huron. Road, with the latter's parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Sadler, Miss Bol- ger, nurse, of Seaforth Hospital, spent Christmas with Mr. and Mrs.. E. O'Brien. -W. E. O'Brien, of the. Collegiate Institute staff, Owen Sound; C. F. O'Brien, principal of the public school, Ridgetown; Har- old, of Bank of Commerce, Stratford, all spent. Christmas under the par- ental roof here. -Rev, J. R. Jones and' family spent Christmas at Crediton with Mr. Jones's parents. - Mrs. Hotham spent Christmas with her brother at Galt, -Mr. and Mrs. F. Tustin and family. Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Tuffn, Jr., and family, Mr, and Mrs. Gr urge Tuffin and family, and Mr. e",l Mr, Tnfltn all spent Christmas st Firkton-hir. and Mrs. Harvey 11:'r.non and Mrs. McVey, of 2nd con- e ,ion, spent Christmas with Mr. and Mrs, W. Jeffrey. -Nomination RTrnday next and no excitement yet, although we hear a rumor that there might he an election. rhristma, Tr:, Entertainment. - The Christmas trite and play, given by the t t' t Me hrn.iat Sunc.ay School was a decided s;.ccess. The hall was crowded full till there was hardly standing room, and the play was ex- tra well put on. Every one aete& their parts so well it would be fin-: possible to make ally comment o#t any one as the star.