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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1947-11-07, Page 3,Atl.CHEN • AX. Tilt ,IQFIIV OPOPAT FARM'. Ot'lil. ill, ,a Series)' In 1820 in Kirkcudbrightshire, Sect: .Sand, John Sproat wits tern, and over «one hundred' years later one of his' irrepressible Canadian 4eseend'aut0 was to write a Poem beginning:' "I)). Scotland the family of Sproat, Waxed strong on the crags with the goat" -and so on for many verses. There were five brothers ii thds branch of the family, and these fin 3shed their education at Borgue Acad- emy after the usual day schooling was . over. These were the days when thrilling tales were told of great forests and lands in far-off America, so in 1847, J�phn Sproat set sail for Canada. When the 'Canadian shore was reach. ed then began the long trek inland, towards Lake Huron and the Huron Tract. The little Village of •Egmond, vibe, with its winding, Stream and its woods, looked good to the young traveller, and here he decided to make his home. ° Another brother, Thomas, also be - When ,your BACK ACHES... Backache is often caused by lazy kidney action. When kidneys get out of order excess acids and poisons remain in the system. Then backache, headadle, rhewnatic paint dis- turbed rent or that `treed out' feeling may soon follow. To help keep your kidneys working properly --use Dodd's Kidney Pills. Time- safenon-habit-form- ing. t form - tested, popular,. non-habi ing. Demand Dodd's Kidney Nis, in the blue -box with thered band Sold everywhere. in calme a. ph eer of the^I•+ulien t isxr dt,, w. efie ao7t4e i� h f.. ,ily 11, TWO* Miss pfliTgp,. 1704 ll?�g school pfiin- opal, thgre ;,ter' flay . years,. Tu. Sgglond:.•lle, ohn • $Frost decd •ed tat a blah with. ,s}top, was needy d h s ed, aal.4 settle$ axile 'a gogd educa- tion he soon : Was selling hand mat e nails and horseshoes in exchange, of- ten; for butter and eggs and maple sugar,which was used then in place of cash, and at,"ops time Mrs. Sproat said that she had so many large mounts of maple sugar sitting around they began using them for footstsols. This blacksmith shop was on the • cor- ner just above the river—the present Henry Weiland property. This ' busi- ness was later taken over by Fulton Bros„ and later still by ^Sandy Ross. In 1848 --his second year in Can- ada—John Sproat made an important trip to Hamilton to meet his bride- to-be, 'Jean Ross, who was arriving from Scotland. After the brief cere- mony the wedding trip was back to their little home in the village. Later they joined the new' church of Eg- mondville built in '1850. In the meantime the young couple were on the look out' for a suitable location for the farm and home they had planned on. This was finally chosen, southeast of the village, Lot 6,' Concession 4, Tuckersmith. In 1854 they, moved out to their new log cab- in in the woods, beside the same stream—the Bayfield River. Now followed the clearing of the land and plowing by oxen. Soon, a young orchard was set out'and a log barn or 'byre' built. In the cabin, with its low -beamed' ceiling, was the usual big fireplace, fuel being plenti- ful, logs were piled high, and the warm glow from these made a cheery. spot on wintry evenings, along' with the light from home-made candles • Dead and Disabled Animals REMOVED PROMPTLY' PHONE COLLECT: SEAFORTH 15 EXETER 235 DARLING AND CO. OF .CANADA, LTD. sissamoir Saturday, Nov. 8th will be the end of the One Cent Sale ROBERT :C!IAPM4N & SON MITCHELL, ONTARIO Esicept for a quantity°of Remnants (Room Lots) Beginning MONDAY, NOV. 10th our New 1948 Styles vtnll be on display, con- sisting of a new line kit- chen paper, much dif- ferent to anything., we 'have had before. Thanking you for your patronage. WE HAVE HAD A WONDER- FUL SALE! .h>Yrlq':of tie•, °apiUui #10,010: 3'1au Ross $pr at:'proYed, i>� he• t)`picall pioneer 0040as ladusta+fol a+ azliau per b0rly a.Ooarl r lady way' tar r41)4Pn0,d a Ong,' she" w'oid .ago to, It that 1 was Waxily 0040 an+ well4ted bethre , starting, oz Nils way. There Were. other members of .this Itce ' faMilY who parte Overfrom, $eo llz ...41 . o nei settle= ?n ter smith. apo ma.proat was fondly spoken of as 'Auntie Jean; Grandpa 'Ross Made: his home with her and took - charge of the garden. Soon the°little path leading to the river, was edged with flowers and fruit bushes. (This Ross family, it is said, had a bit of Irish in their blood, Jean's mother being a Kennedy, of Irish des- cent. As the story goes, back in Ire- land, a young Kennedy had once tak -•en part in soma lively skirmish when suddenly he decided to leave the. Em- erald Isle at once and forever. No boat being at hand, he just dived, in- to 'the chilly waters of the great North Channel, and' swam across to' the shore of Scotland, later becoming kin to the' Ross ,family). His descendant, Jean Ross Sproat, had plenty'•'of courage too. One day on their new land, „as she was walk- ing through the clearing, a big 'deer swooped: out, caught her up on his antlers, and carried her--rswiftiy through the thickets! She was soon thrown off, but with, a deep gash in her leg. This she later stitched up, unassisted, with a darning needle. Many a trip 'she made through the woods to market in far-off Harpurhey. Like so many women of her day, she did a bit of nursing now and then, and crossing fields and creeks by lantern light was nothing. unusual. No nursing fee was expected in those times; instead, some little gift was taken to the patient. But John Sproat •had discovered a certain type of clay on his land, a specimen of which he had sent back to Scotland to be analyzed. It was found to be good material for the /Snaking of brick and tile, and thus started a little business which gradu- ally grew into a busy centre. In time, the sons, Jelin, Jr., and James took charge, .while in the house plentiful meals were served. Later a boarding house was built and a cook employed. Those were the days of big kitch- ens with roaring wood fires, smoked. hams hanging from ceilings, great rounds of home-made cheese brought from the milk cellar, Window screens had not yet come in, but flies HAD! llIowever, if the flies got .in they could also get out! And those also were the days of certain seldom -heard -of - now foods, such as hot potato scones, dripping with butter,' boiled apple dumpling With slathers of cream and maple sugar. Therewas maple syrup made in a black kettle in the bush— luscious sctou P s and un -purified! At the brickyard a bunk house was built on the river bank for the men, and the bridge close 'b.y'was the cen- tre of the stage when evening came. No movies or cars to lure folks away, so local talent flourished: By now the Town of Seaforth, af- ter, a late start, was fast liooming ahead, and loads of brick and tile were being delivered to supply the d emancl. A large brick house had now been built on the Sproat homestead in place of the old log cabin. It •was named 'Auchenhay' and it has always remained . in the family, James Sproat's son,' William M. Sproat and family, now residing there. Also the brick and tile works conducted by W. M. Sproat is still a busy and go- ing concern. This 'home, built about 75 years ago, with it's durable slate ro9f, is still in good condition. %'The builder in charge was William Copp, well-known in Seaforth, while John Scott, also of Seaforth, designed and built the winding staircase. Mr. Scott later became noted as an expert stair builder in the City of Chicago. During the building of Auchenhay a young and able assistant was John Sproat, Jr., who had considerable ability in that line. • Adjoining the homestead more land' was bought up, and soon the Sproat farms were in the• midst of a' lively and friendly neighborhood. A, brick school on the corner—No. 5 Redan or Sproat's School --had replaced the old log .school. Mrs. Sproat 'was so anx- m CANADA Did You Pay Income Tax For .1942? l ; If so, read this carefully! The Government of Canada will repa the REFUNDABLE' SAVINGS PORTION of 1942.Inco a Tax by March 31st, 1948. If you are one of, those who have refundable savings a cheque will be mailed to you BUT - Your correct present address is essential! Correct addresses are a'ailable for most of those entitled to repayment, 'buta large number of taxpayers are constantly moving and others marry and their names chan•'e. Cards on which to report changes of addrss or name are being sent to all householders in Canada/'These are being distributed at the present time. Additionehcards are available either at your /district Income Tax oifi a or your local Post Office. Do nothing/if you live at the s me address• and have the same nave as in 1942. If you are Milled to Refundable Savings on 1942 Income Tax and you have changed your address or name COMPLETE AND MAIL YOUR CARD AT ONCE! DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL REVENUE Taxation Division 'Ottawa Hon: James J. McCann Minister of Natiorwd Revenue (Qap:t0hut] gain Rage 2,), B4. .4%, vote Ofi a 4'001atiokt for the Work of the cat'etaicer, Mr. Whoa. 'l . Wood, and oleo to t1>e ladles for their co-operatlpn, . an14i ,;i,9si!ctanee was ea, - ried,–.•Exeter TImest dvocate. Perth Caltnty ;garaged operators, numbering sixty; gathered at the ROOY- al Motet here Tuesday night for a dinner meeting when they heard an excellent address by,a Toronto speak- er who dealt with apprenticeships and other matters pertinent to the auto- motive industry. C. W. Leeson, of Stratford, president df the county or- ganization, presided and after dinner three comic entertainers were heard. —Mitchell Advocate, Honored on 78th Birthday Frank Davis, 78 this week, and in splendid health, was guest of honor at a surprise .birthday party on Sat- urday ,night when 49 relatives from Detroit, ' Windsor, Kitchener; Strat- ford and Mitchell, gathered to extend congratulations. James Spence,, of Stratford, read the address of good wishes and great .grandchildren pres- ented him with a signet ring and other gifts. Cards were played during' the evening which closed with a delic- ious lunch including a' fine birthday , cake brought from `Detroit, bearing the inscription: "Happy birthday, Grandfather," and life-size roses and candles as decorations, Mr. Davis was born in England and came to Mitchell thirty-six years ago next March. For the past 33 years he has been caretaker at Mitchell public oo1, and as a result is known by. all` the kiddies about town and many who have long since grown up.— Mitchell Advocate. bus that her family should receive a good schooling that she offered to .board- the first teacher for a year, free of charge. This sire cheerfully did! Many young men 'came to work at the^ 'brick and tile.' Even night duty and the ,burning of the kilns' was often a jolly affair. Between the .fir- ing -up many a tale. was told, many' a song' was sung; and a bright spot was always hot coffee and lunch at midnight. In the earlier days one ,of these -'Bill Nichol' (William Nich- olson), a war veteran, was a hero to the gang.-. For had he not cros ed the border and fought for the frig of the slaves! • • Although many are gone or scat- tered fat, some still remember Hal- lowe'en in the '80's and 90's, when horses were 'borrowed"and galloped, 'pet goats kidnapped, and every home in the district serenaded. What hunks of butternut taffy and pumpkin ,pie were consumed! At one time in Sproat's bush Lived a large Indian family, and some of the neighbors decided to pay them a friendly visit. As they .neared the cabin a big dog came rushing out, barking furiously, but in a moment out dashed a slim, barefooted Indian boy and with a wild., whoop leaped. upon the -dog's back, andturning him aside rode him off, like- a trooper, into the woods.. 'Th ,vdsitors were then invited.into the cabin and given a hearty welcome. At the school affairs—concerts, de- bates, etc.—a packed house could al- ways be counted on. The platform, or stage, being- small, an occasional performer fell off,, to the great de- light of a cheering audience. One never -to -be -forgotten evening was the one when tall Bill C— adjusted a pair of horns to his head. and rose behind the drawn cyckaitis. .Peering and pointing a long Busing finger at •a noisy heckler in, -the ,back seat, he hisser% a hoarse warning: "I'll git you yet, Tory!" And for once, Tory was speechless. Sunday School was held in the schoolhouse too, Mrs. Archibald, Sr., being ,librarian. The .library books were stored in a wooden chest equip- ped with padlock. This old chest• is still in the Sproat family. Winter, too, was a busy time with the 'wood and brick hauling," some of the best teamsters -being kept on for this work. One of the larger brick bees was from the Brodhagen district for the building of their substantial farm homes, Some pf the young far- mers from there brought along their. violins, and after the sleighs were loaded and dinner over, a musical 'hour was spent, with the Sproat or- gan, and later the piano, as accom- paniment. Of course, ,music was always plen- tiful around, with the Tyndall violin, the Chesney orchestra, and in the still darker days, the musical Cowans on the fiddles. During these busy .years Mr. Sproat twice journeyed back ' to the 'Auld Countrie' in '79 and '88. The second time he was accompanied by his daughter, Mary. His wife, Jean, had passed away a.nd lett a bereaved fam- ily. At this tithe the family was still living in the. old home nearby. It consisted of three sons and three daughters, and were as follows: John, James and Thomas (a son, (Hugh, had died at 16 years of age), and Jennie (Mrs. Robert Jones), Mary (Mrs. Adam Hay's), and Angie (Mrs. Jack Hays), of the well-known Hays ,family of McKillop. John had mar- ried Barbara. Ellen McGee and James, Margaret Ann McGee, daughters of Jacob McGee from Tipperary, Ire- land, also a pioneer. Thomas was never married, •This first. generation has now all passed on with the exception of Mrs. James Sproat, who lives among her family in, the 'home district, enjoying her friends, her reading and, radio. She is now in her eighties. The Sproat descendants are located in Alberta,.. Northern Ontario, Strat- ford, Toronto, Waterford and Niagara Falls, and many in the Seaforth 'dis- trict.- Others are in the U.S.A., in Detroit and California. A number were represented in World Wars f and II, both in the Canadian and American armies. Their pioneer ancestor, John Sproat, Sr., was 'aye -a pian of few words' but of sterling char'aeter,' and we will conclude this History, with a favorite verse of his: He that is down need fear no fall, He that is low, no pride; He that is htinble enter shall Have Cod to be his guide. r r• lge' ' oral ' o tie7l r", i?, orOgarl gs g1lai ed rn 4040atrate'a Court a Strstferd' do 9-'u:P,e4 ay 'ttW 40.4 1; With intent e ilk` bodily ba)rM iu, ,aw aftermath to the alisged:' eboating •ot one of a group.;o Halkewern PraMPIF stars eft his 1?Fopert3R. 1i`ridey Fergus McKellar, also of Cromarty is ,being „treated in Scott Memorial,. Hosp$01, Saabsrrth, ;For a wound in his right thih .caused by a shotgun. :pellet, Provincial unstable Douglas said a number of the alleged pranksters will -also face court charg es. Kenneth McKellar reported to Con. - stable Douglas about midnight Friday that a gang of young men was 'both ering him. It is reported that it was after he had warned the youths to leave his property that the ,shotgun blast was loosed pn the crowd. A grain binder in one cif the 'fields was turned over and damaged. eenstable Douglas reported another: Cromarty resident, Duncan McKellar, told of a group of boys plastering the front of his home with rotten eggs and brown paint on Friday Right. A third Hallowe'en report to Con- stable Douglas was from. Seth Brown, 78 -year-old ' farmer who lives near Staffa. Hisnew buggy, he said,' was removed from the driving shed, tow- ed to a'sideroad'and smashed beyond repair., A wagon owned by Mr. Brown was found tipped over in a 1.0400t culvert. It Ls believed the same group participated in all three inci- dents, Constable Douglas said the pranksters in this instance were juveniles. " My Week" (R. J. Deachman) The world is full of illusions in regard to saving, thrift, the cost -of living, and many other things. Some of these problems are so sim- ple that the average man could with difficulty err, therein. How many stories of the Scotch sense of thrift have you 'heard? I am quite sure they will. be numbered by thousands. Now strange to say the Scots are not a niggardly people; they are extreme- ly kind and generous; they do not pinch pennies-, but they abhor waste. An old friend of mine who long since has passed into the land where there are no price controls, once told me that ,in his awn city of Aberdeen he .saw three workers light their pipes with one match. He pointed this out s to his wife, and added: . "You see, there's proof that we are once more back in our native land," A friend of mine, a bachelor, who likes to make his own toast in the morning, objects—and i'ightly so—to the size of the Canadian loaf, Thou- sands feel the same way about it. A loaf that weighed a pound instead of the eurrent twenty-four , ounce, size, would,:be helpful to theye people. Ill might not decrease consumption; it would avoid waste, and that is bighlY important. The obits ' of bread left Iltm• the restaurantplates are not of much use.. It is quite true that if these were in Germany or Russia they might be saves},, but in countries where the standard of living is.:de- centiy high,'no one .wants to eat ieft- ever screps'of bread from restaurant tables. I heard another protest the other day which, in my humble judgment, has no validity. A ebap I know, and he is a very bright boy, protested against merchants raising their prices an flour in hand as wholesale prices went 'up. He thought they should wait until present stocks were ex- hausted. I venture to suggest that you would do the same thing if you were in .his place. The merchant should raise his price as soon as heoknows that there has been an increase in price. He shouldP his price o s as soon as he is notified of the decline regardless of the fact that he has some flour in stock. Ing the first place, he would; make some money on it; in the sec- ond, he would have flour on • hand which cost him more than the' pre- vailing price. The gains in the first case would be offset against the loss- es in the second. The grocer should regard himself as a merchant, not a gambler, in commodities. Few mer- chants who gamble make money. That is the only fair way to carry on business. Let yourr prices rise and fail with the market. That is the means by which merchants maintain their friendly relationships with their customers, add what' is equally im- portant, it is the right way to do business. Prices have been going up for, a, long time. 'They did that in the First Great War. Then they went down for a long time. This will happen again. There will always '.be a few very few—who get out at • the peak,but the man who stays in business and makes money is the one who treats others as he would have others" treat him. C.ia�ac ty Testes ode at the flei#t... wgotsil' Farm, ' ittaWa oho' horse Can pull til to 1 its weight and travel 20.., without 'nape, fatrgue; load for a, 3X(00,00184; i.. 369 pounds; for three4torses,;, 640 pounds; and ,for four 14.4.4".t to 720 pounds.. Al team can. 0,4J to 85 per cent ot their Weight t few feet. r len'm ',omen . llv r', Feel Weak, !Worn, Old? Want Normal Pep, Vim, Vitality? Does weak; rundown; exhausted rendition mate' you reel fagged' out old? Try ' °strer. Coptaius` general tonics,etipullanta. often needed atter 30 Or 40. Supplies iron, .calcium, phosphorus, vitamin Bi. helps you get normal pep, vim. vitality. Get ostrex Tonle Tablets. Two economical sizes Yet sale at an good drug stores everywhere. BEANS &B UCRWAEAT The harvest is en. , 1 am hay- ing for Thompson of Hensall. Give us a call before you sell. WE HAVE BAGS ON HAND We will endeavor to give you service. I' WM. • M. -SPROAT • ' PHONE. 655 r 2 . Attention! HORSE ' DEALERS We are buying Old Horses - as usual, .. Write or "phone for prices William Stone Sons, Ltd. Phone 21 — Ingersoll 1 • Dickie scoots Daisy ska±ts on lighttouglw aluminum BEEN. in a top shop lately? Or a hardware store? Or a sporting goods department? Then you have noticed the amazing number of things now being made with Aluminum — skates and scooters, knitting needles and clothes pins; cook- ers and cocktail'shakers and curtain rods. Aluminum is today one of the four most widely used metals in the world ... for a lot of reasons. It has brought new beauty into architecture and into the kitchen. Its _lightness 'has made work easier — and enabled planes to fly higher and faster., It has the strength to build bridges — and to take the beating a two-year-old gives his toys . 4. Itis tie metal of the Tweptieth Century. One hundred years ago Aluminum was more valuable than gold. Today its low cost creates thou- sands of everyday u At Arvid°, Canada, the largest Aluminum smelter in the world can produce two million pounds of ingots g day. Result: (1) Alumintfm casts less in Canada than anywhere else in the world; (2) nine out of every ten pounds are available for export. Today Canadian Aluminum. is sold in every, country in the world — is a major factor in - providing Canada with needed purchasing power abroad. ALUik tJ ujTh NT ftP CANADA, iTt Producers -and proamoil of AMtwiiMitei fee Cw Utile rgdOitry oast: world,tatt't. t . AONTIIAL • QtiEtte ..tOIQt4T_Q 4:-VANCOY•VEit ► vim:654a ny' fk; �1