HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1955-08-26, Page 2,- HURON EXPOSITOR
Elitalshed 1860
A. Y. McLean, Editor
Published at Seaforth, Ontario,
-every Thursday morning by McLean
Subscription rates, $2.50 a year in
advance; foreign $3.50 a year. Single
copies, 5 cents each.
Member of Canadian
Weekly Newspapers
Association.
Advertising rates on application.
PHONE 41
Authorized as Second Class Mail
Post Office Department. Ottawa
SEAPORTH, Friday, August 26
Beef Producers Help
Themselves
Following many months of discus-
sion, the Ontario Beef Producers'
Association will introduce a plan to
promote improvement in, the mer-
handising, marketing and produc-
tion of beef. The plan 'will be fin-
anced by the deduction of 10 cents
per head on cattle and 5 cents on
calves sold through public stock-
yards, or to packing plants, begin=
Hing Monday, September 26.
The plan is voluntary in that any
producer whop feels he does not wish
to contribute, can obtain a refund of
the/lull amount of his deductions by
contacting the Association Treasur-
er within 60 days and giving full de-
tails of the transaction. However,
the Association feels the number of
such requests will be few, since
there is little a beef producer can do
for the small amount of the deduc-
ttion which- can, in the long run, pay
such good dividends.
The move is typical of an aware-
ness on the part of anincreasing
number offarm graups of the neces-
sity of promoting interests peculiar
to the group. Beef producers—that
is the farmers who produce commer-
cial beef cattle—like other groups,
have come to realize they must take
steps to further improve their pro-
duction, marketing and merchandis-
ing methods, if they are to ' compete
successfully with other branches of
the food industry. The beef produc-
ers feel it is time they themselves did
some "tooting" for beef, and this plan
is intended to help them do just. that.
"Bonnie Place To Live"
The Clinton News -Record, in a re-
cent issue, comments on the Seaforth
Reunion:
"Our neighbour Town of Seaforth
has come bravely through the ordeal
of its Centennial, when hundreds of
guests and past Seaforth residents
came to see the town as it now is, and
reminisce over her as she once was.
"Blessed with the good fortune of
a catchy pair of ,slogans and an es-
pecially attractive emblem, the ad-
vertising campaign and invitation
letters sent out prior to the celebra-
tion days, did their work well. The
Scotch face which appeared on all
pieces of publicity, bore a remark-
able resemblance to the face of Sea -
forth Mayor Dr. E. A. McMaster.'
The slogans, 'A Bonnie PIace To
Live' and 'A Canny Place To Shop',
met approval of merchants and
townspeople, and 'a co-operative en-
thusiasm for the project seemed
strong in all Seaforth people.
"The parade, which combined old
vehicles and new ones, old people and
young ones, old Canadians and New
Canadians, was one• of the best ever
seen in Huron County and band mus-
ic livened the holiday atmosphere
throughout the Centennial period.
"Certainly A. Y. McLean, (editor
of The Huron Expositor), who was
chairman of the Reunion, and the
many committee members who con-
ceived, planne7 and executed this
event, deserve the commendation of
their townsfolk, for an excellent pro-
motio ; of Seaforth, 'A Bonnie Place
To Live'."
More Heat—More Canada
This district during recent weeks
has had an unusually 'extended heat
wave. Limited showers on occasions
have brought temporary relief which
invariably has been ' followed by
More hot, sticky weather.
►hire the weather made possible
the earliest harvest in yenars, it ' al-
rea ;Urig problems for the cash
crop farmer.
According to the weekly crop re-
port of the Huron Agricultural .te-
presentative, turnips, corn and sugar
beets will be below average crops:
White beans are ripening too fast
and too uneven, and a. considerable
acreage has been pulled. While some
fields that were planted early are
yielding up to fifteen bushels an
acre, many yields are as low as five
bushels. .
But there is a long range advant-
age to the record heat. The hotter
it is, the more Canada will grow, the
Ottawa Journal says, and explains
why.
At present Canada claims the land,
not the ice and water, to the North
Pole. This means that Canada leg-
ally ends at the tip of Ellesmere
Land. Where this tip, this land's
end, is located is not readily estab-
lished because of the ice -shelf which
covers it projecting far northwards
from the rugged rocks.
Now from Mr. G. Hattersley -
Smith of the Defence , Research
Board, writing in the magazine Arc-
tic, comes word that- the ice -shelf
along the North and Northwest
coast of Ellesmere is probably no
older than the Christian era, and con-
tinual mild seasons, like that, of 1955,
would cause the whole of the present
mass of the ice -shelf to melt in about
80 years.
WHAT OTHER PAPERS SAY:
Why We OverEat
(Hamilton Spectator)
There lingers in mankind, almost
like an instinct, a fear of starvation
and it is probably this which plays
an unconscious part in compelling'
the over -eating habits of many. But
in the midst of the abundance of a
modern civilization, starvation is re-
mote and cannot be confused with
the 'real condition in which the dread-
ed knowledge that food cannot be ob-
tained plays upon the , mind and
wreaks havoc with the body.
Busy People
(Sydney Post -Record)
Summer might be the season of re-
laxation one hoped for, were ' there
noteso many strenuous people around
keeping us hot and bothered: Chaps
determined to cross the Atlantic on
a raft needing a lot of help in the
push -off, 'teen-age girls looking for
another body of water to test their
endurance to the breaking -point in
swimming across, reckless boys driv-
ing cars in a way certain to lead to
disaster, tots toddling to 'the brink
of swift streams into which they
tumble. And 'people talking wildly
about' flying to the moon.
Ther last thing many people seem
willing to do is .just take it easy.
On Beating the Heat—Or Trying To!
(Wall Street Journal)
There are a good many schools of
thought about this business of beat-
ing the heat.
There are those who urge dispens-
ingkfwith the undershirt in order to
let any cool breezes in and,,there are
those who claim one' is essential to
provide a surface for evaporation
and .to keep the . perspiration from
tickling.
Then there are the .hot bath and
hot drink fanatics. Presumably they
operate on the theory that if you
will just get yourself hotter than the
outside 'air then the outside air will
feel cooler. These are the people
who profess a dim view of air condi-
tioning. We prefer cool baths, cool
drinks and refrigeration on the
pragmatic principle that a brief re-
spite is better than none
And of course there is the up or
down window controversy. There
probably is something psychological-
ly cooling • about a drawing room
dark from the drawn curtains if you
don't mind not being able to breathe.
'At any rate, it gives you an excuse
to sit around deshabille, with or with-
out undershirt.
But we are still inclined to think
that the best. advice came from ' an
old sow of our acquaintance. While
every other hog in the pen worked
up a lather chasing the shady spots,
with intermittent runs to the water
spout, she would park herself in the
morning and do absolutely nothing
all day not even move. Further-
more, she wouldn't discus's it.
It's a system we've been advocat-
ing fore -years. But unfortunately
nobody around here will let us try it.
SEEN IN THE COUNTY PAPERS
Speed Dam Project
Ausable River Conservation
Authority officials are attempt-
ing to speed up the preliminary
nenegotiations in connection with
the Ushorne dam -bridge, Secretary
Fieldman H. G. Hooke said this
week.—Exeter Times -Advocate.
Deny Day
Rain did its best to try to spoil
the Derry Day celebration held
here on Saturday, but Royal Black
Knights. of Ireland Preceptories
and Ladies' Crystal Lodges from
all parts of Southern Ontario and
from Michigan braved a heavy
drizzle to stage their annual par-
ade and program.-Goderich Sig-
nal -Star.
•
Still Having Dump Trouble
There appears a strong possi-
bility the case against Exeter
dump will never reach court:' At
a special meeting Tuesday night,
council authorized a start on the
sanitary land fill practice recom-
mended by Huron , County Health
Unit. They also ordered the ex-
posed garbage in the dump cover-
ed.—Exeter Times -Advocate.
New Hospital Wing
A tentative date of Wednesday,
October 12, was set, for the for-
mal opening, ,of the new 50 -bed
chronic wing of the Wingham
General Hospital, at a meeting of
the hospital board last week.
Board members were told at the
meeting that the building was ex-
pected to cost in the neighborhood
of $400,000. — Wingham Advance -
Times.
Chance For New Industries
Goderich has an opportunity to
attain new industries by providing
good waterfront sites, C. W. West,
of Ottawa, member of the St.
Lawrence Seaway Authority, said
in an address prepared for deliv-
ery Friday night at the official
opening of the Kinsmen Club -spon-
sored Goderich Trade Fair at Ag-
ricultural Park.—Goderich Signal -
Star.
Bowlers in Clinton
Goderich rinks took three of the
prizes at the "House of Hobberlin"
tournament here Wednesday. First
spot and a new suit of clothes
went to Roy- Sparling and Cliff
McManuse with three wins, plus
35 and an aggregate of 66. Fifth
place went to .B. F. Christie and
Frank Sill, Seaforth, with two
wins, plus 18 and an aggregate of
53, This tournament drew the
largest turnout of the seasowith
60 bowlers competing. Bowlers
were on hand from London Sea -
forth, Strathroy, Exeter, Goderich,
Mitchell, Wingham, Teeswater,
Listowel and Clinton. — Clinton'
News -Record.
Big Reunion
The fifth annual reunion of the
Kalbfleisch family was held on
Sunday, August 14, with approxi-
mately 120 persons in attendance.
Members were present from Chi-
cago, Detroit, Farmington, Mich.,
and other poiants from the. U.S.A.,
as well as many points. in Canada.
Due to inclement weather condi-
tions, the meeting was held in the
Community Centre, instead of Ced-
arbrook Camp, as originally plan-
ned.—Zurich Herald.
Flower. Show
Guests from Ripley Horticultur-
al Society paid a visit to the an-
nual Flower Show which was held
by the local society last Saturday
in the Town Hall, Clinton. The bus
load of 15 were met by the presi-
dent of the 'Clinton group, Rev. D.
J. Lane: ' Top prize winner was
Mrs. C. H. Epps, wife of the di-
rector of this zone with the Horti-
cultural Branch, Department of
Agriculture. She walked off with
10 prizes won in the. 17 adult class-
es.—Clinton News -Record.
• Close Call
Mr. Albert Walsh, of Blyth, was
assisting his son, Jim, to prepare
a plew for the approaching fall
plowing season. The plow was a
three -furrowed and Mr. Walsh was
lying underneath it, working on
the centre plow, when in some
manner it accidentally tripped,
dropping with its full weight on
Mr. Walsh's right cheek. He was
held helpless until Jim lifted the
heavy implement so that he could
crawl out to safety with nothing
more than a badly scraped right
cheek.-BIyth Standard.
Area Fire Truck •
A meeting of representatives of
the municipalities in the Wingham
district fire area was heldin the
Towo ,Hall on Monday' evening to
discuss an equitable distribution of
costs on maintaining rural fire de-
partment equipment and fighting
rural fires. Town Clerk W. A. , Gal-
braith suggested that . iniirifeipali-
ties in the area could share the
cost of this deficit, and that in
future cost of out-of-town fires
could be billed to the municipali-
ties on a $25 per hour _basis for
the fire truck and eight men.—
Wingham Advance -Times.
11,
FARM NEWS
Develop New Breed of Bacon Hogs
Seven years of thorough' testing,
selection, and a moderate degree
of inbreeding, have'., produced a
new breed of bacon hogs at the
Canada Department of Agriculture
Experimental Station, Lacombe,
Alta. It is a white breed with flop,
ears, which distinguish it from the
Yorkshire, and contains the blood
of the Landrace, Chester White and
Berkshire breeds, but not of the
Yorkshire.
Work on the new breed started
as a result of recommendations
by a committee appointed by the
Canada Department of Agriculture
in 1946, to study the swipe breed-
ing situation in Canada and the
work of the Department in relation
to swine breeding problems.
After investigating the work then
in progress in Canada and visiting
severalleading swine research sta-
tions in the United States, the Com-
mittee recommended extension of
research and the improvement of
the Canadian Yorkshire, and urg-
ed development of a white bacon
breed,' with no Xorkshire blood in.
its foundation, suitable for cross-
breeding with the Yorkshire. The
latter approach was -suggested as
an effort towards utilizing hybrid
vigor which has been demonstrat-
ed in many crosses between breeds
differing in genetic background.
In 1947 the Lacombe Station
which is in the centre of an im-
portant hog producing area where
crossbreeding_is a common prac-
tice, obtained ten high-quality
Berkshire gilts from breeders in
Ontario. These were bred to two
Landrace-Chester White boars,
one from the U.S.D.A. research
centre at Beltsville, Maryland, the
other from Washington State Col-
lege, Pullman:
Offspring of these crosses were
backcrossed in 1949 and 1950 to
three other Landrace - Chester
White boars obtained- from the
Central Experiment ^Farm, Ot-
tawa. In 195f two pure Landrace
boars were obtained from the
United States Department of Agri-
culture to provide for the inclusion
of more Landrace breeding in the.
project.
The foundation of the new breed
therefore consisted of 10 Berk-
shire, five Landrace-Chester boars
which carried between 47 and 71
per cent Danish 'Landeace blood
and two pure Landrace boars. All
animals selected were of good bac-4
on type.
Since 1952 the• herd has been
closed and matings have been
made from selections based on lit-
ter, individual, and litter mate per-
formance. Tests following stand-
ard Record of Performance prac-
tices were . conducted with litter
groups of four pigs fed in a pig-
gery maintained at Lacombe for
the purpose. These tests' provide
records of feed used, rate of gain
and an appraisal and scoring of
carcass quality or leanness based
on measurement and weight.
At the same time the remaining
pigs in each litter were raised as
breeding stock and selections made
from them on the basis of the
growth and type of the individual
the litter size and weaning weight.
of the litter from which they came
and the carcass quality, rate of
growth, and feed efficiency of their
,i i
four tter mate test pig,'. Be:
cause the numbers involved were
large, only: individuals 'from lit-
ters of above, average performance
were retained as breeding stock.
Special attention was given 'the
number of tests, with 14 the mini-
mum for selection.
In 1954, the average contribu-
tion of the foundation breeds was
estimated at 55 per cent Landrace,
23 per cent Berkshire, and 22 per
cent Chester White.
Inbreeding has been held to a
minimum, the present level being
at, approximately 12 per cent.
Throughout the development of
the breed it has been compared
under identical conditions with a
high quality strain of, inbred York-
shires ' developed at Lacombe. In
1953 the comparative testing of the
Yorkshires and the crossbreds of
the two breeds was extended to, the
Experimental Station at Scott,
Sask., which maintains a York-
shire herd somewhat different than
the one at Lacombe. In 1954 the
test was extended further by es-
tablishing a unit of the new breed
at the Experimental Farm at In-
dian Head, Sask., for' a further
comparison of the new breed with
another sample of Yorkshires.
From an analysis of the tests
made at all three Stations, the
present evaluation of the breed is
summarized by J. G. Stothart and
H T. Fredeen, of the Animal
Husbandry Division at tiro La-
combe Station, who have done
most of the work on the new breed
as follows: -
It appears that the litter size of
the new breed, as measured by
number of pigs born alive per lit-
ter, is about the same as the York-
shire.
The average birth weight of pigs
of the ,new breed is about one-half
pound greater than for Yorkshires.
Average weaning weight of pigs
of the new breed is some five
pounds greater than' for York-
shires.
In rate of maturity, the new
breed has a decided advantage.
Average carcass score is very
similar for the two breeds with a
slight advantage for the Yorkshire.
The crossbreds of the two breeds
appear to be equal or superior to
either breed in all important econ-
omic traits.
Pigs of the new breed have good
temperament, and the sows are
good mothers.
Additional co-operative tests are
in progress with commercial
breeders by supplying them with
boards to which half of their sows
are bred, while their remaining
sows are bred to their own boars.
Results from these tests are not
yet available.
tl
f
YEARS AGQN'E
interesting Items picked"-'•
from The Duron Expositor, of
25, 50 and TS Tears Ago.
From The Huron ,Expositor
August 29, 1930
The Seaforth Collegiate Institute
will open on Tuesday, September
2, with two new teachers on the
staff. G. A. Ballantyne, M.A., for-
merly , of the St. Catharines Col-
legiate Institute and Vocational
School, will be the , new principal,
and head of the Department ° of
Mathematics. Mr. I. H. Weed-'
mark, B.A., formerly of Sir Adam
Beck Collegiate Institute, London,,
will be head of the Department of
Science and supervisor of boys'
sports.
Recent visitors in `Walton and vi-
cinity included: Basil Wilson, of
London, with Mr. and Mrs. R. W.
Hoy; Edwin Miller, of Vegreville,
Alta., with his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Fred Miller; Mr. and Mrs.
Lockhart Johnston and baby with
Mr. and Mrs. George McTaggart.
Mrs. Albert Rivers, Egmondville,
announces the engagement of her
younger daughter, Margaret, to
Mr. Helmar Snell, Seaforth, eldest
son of Mrs. Humphrey Snell,' Lon-
desboro, and the late umphrey
Snell, the marriage, to toe place
early in September.
Visitors in Dublin at pres t in-
clude: Miss Mary McGrath, at her
home; Miss Jean McConnell at her
home; Mrs. %Brown, Chicago, ac-
companied by her two daughters
and one son with her brother, Jas.
Krauskopf; Mrs. Brown has been
away from the locality for forty-
one years; Mr. and Mrs. John
Kenny, Detroit, with his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. F. Kenny.
$
Canadian Livestock Prices on
North American Economy
Canadian cattle prices are on a
North American economy, accord-
ing to officials of the Livestock
Division, Canada Department of
Agriculture. Obviously the United
Statesis our best outlet for sur-
plus cattle and beef.
If there are less cattle -being
marketed in Canada than are nor -
(Continued on Page 7)
•
From The Huron "Expositor
August 25, 1905
Mr. William Ivison, of New York,
accompanied by his bride from
Toronto, are spending a few days
in Kippen with Mr. Ivison's par-
ents,, Mr. and Mrs. William Ivison
and other friends. On the comple-
tion of their visit they will return
to New i.' ors, where they will be
fpllowed by the good wishes of a
large circle of Kippen friends.
The Misses Chapman, of Lon-
don, had a masquerade party and
taffy pull on the b'each a few
evening's ago, which was much
enjoyed by a large number of
guests. •
The County Council: of Huron
maintains bridges of 20 -foot span
and over, small boundary lines,
An engineer, paid by salary, sup-
ervises all county work. Bridges
are about 100 in number, and are
being rebuilt with steel and con-
crete. The county is remarkable
for the fact that not one of the
townships has communted or 'abol-
ished statute labor. Gravel is, as
a rule, plentiful and is fairly well
distributed,. but broken stone has
been used •to a slight extent. Con-
crete is very largely used through-
out hte county for culverts and
small bridges.
Mr. 'T. D. Pinkney. ,Seaforth, is
having a new combire'tion hot' air
heating apparatus placed in the
Royal Hotel.
Mr. George Cardno returned to
Seaforth the end of last week af-
ter a trip to Manitoba.
Mr. D. D. Wilson, of the Domin-
ion Bank, Wingham, spent Sunday
with friends in Seaforth.
Mr. ' W. N. Watson has disposed
of the residence on East William
St., Seaforth, adjoining his own
property at the present occupied
by Mr. C. Aberhart, to Mr. John
Downey.
The White Star Line of Detroit.
will this year run a fall excursion
from Goderich to Detroit for one
dollar. The magnificent steamer
will leave t oderich Thursday
morning.
I
mnumaiht.`.
TO THE EDITOR:
SUBSCRIBER 65 YEARS
Hensall, August 4, 1955.,
Editor, The Huron Expositor:
Dear Sir: Just a line to acknowl-
edge -my §ubscription has expired,
se I am renewing same again.
This will be my 64th or 65th year.
I fully expected to. have been
out to . the Reunion, but circum-
stances ,didn't just fit in„ Forty
to 60. yars ago I was"one of the
good athletes of the district, but
one of the worst cripples now. .
But surely I have had a great
life and no pain now, unless• I make
it. A fractured hip is at the, bot-
tom of my trouble. I had it ixed
up, but rebroke it 'again about 16
years ago. Since then I have
made. about 100 extension ladders
and sharpened many hundreds of
saws, and put in many handles of
all kinds. And this, along with
my Shorthorn cattle and great
seed 'grain business kept me busy
for many years. I sent grain to
eight ' Provinces, the seed -grain
winning championships: I have
about 100 letters and cards re-
porting this. One man in Quebec
wrote saying the seed barley he
received from me tested the high-
est in all Quebec. ' He said it test -
,ed 983/2 points; the others 88-92.
Yours,
JOHN ELDER
}y
•
From The Huron Expositor
August 27,1880
Every day now brings evidence
of the activity of the Fenians. A
few nights ago over 200 men were
discovered drilling along Spee
Canal, Muster -County. Upon the
constabulary's approach, the pick-
ets of the drilling party gave the
alarm and the men fled.
Hensall streets. are beginning to
present a lively appearance once
more, and businessmen report
trade brisk. New grain is being
rapidly brought to market and, as
of
yore, finds ready purchasers
and good prices.
It is rumored that the members
of St. James' Catholic Church, Sea -
forth, are negotiating for the pur-
chase of the handsome residence
of Mr. Thomas Coventry, for the
use of their pastor.
Seaforth merchants have "big
stocks of cheap goods, and all who
want to make big purchases come
here to spend their money. Sea -
forth has larger and better mer-
cantile houses than any other town
of its ize in Canada.
Mr. enjamin Smillie, of the
Lo do Road, between Kippen and
He ll has baderected
this sea-
son on his beautiful farm, a -hand-
some and commodious brick resi-
dence, which, when completed, will
be one of the finest of the many
handsome residences along that
road.
Mrs. Counter and Miss Thomp-
son arrived back in Seaforth on
Monday, after having spent a cou-
ple of weeks with their brother at
Prince Arthur's- Landing.
Mr. Stoddard, Seaforth, left us
an apple last week which measur-
ed over 14 inches in circumfer-
ence.
' SUBSCRIBER 49 YEARS
Edmonton, Alta., July 22, 1955.
Editor, The Huron Expositor:
Dear Sir: As a McKillop "Old
Boy" and a graduate of the Sea -
forth Collegiate Institute, I would
like to express my appreciation for
all the efforts the ,home citizens
are putting forth to make the com-
ing Old Boys' Reunion a memor-
able one. I fully intended to be
present for the occasion; but find
it necessary to postpone my trip to
the East till a later date.
I am enclosing cheque for my
renewal subscription to The Ex-
positor for they current year. I
have been taking The Expositor
here for 49 years, which is a long
time. As you are aware, Alberta
is celebrating its Golden Jubilee
Anniversary on the 1st of Sep-
tember.
According to the statement at
thehead of your 'editorial page,
The Expositor was established in
1860. T may inform you that early
in the century I met the late W.
F. Luxton, formerly editor-in-chief
of the Manitoba Free Press, and
to the best of my recollection, 1Vl'r.
Luxton told me that he and the
late George W. Ross, later Pre-
mier of Ontario, had founded The
Expositor, and that after a couple
of years they disposed of the paper
to the McLean family, who now
have "carried the torch" for al -y
most; a century.
with best wishes, I am,
Yours truly,
WILLIAM REA
Toronto, August 5, 1955.
Editor, The Huron Expositor:
Dear Sir: My hat is off to The
Expositor — also to that Owen
Sound coroner's jury—in recom-
mending that provincial legisla-
tion be introduced setting an age-
limit for tractor drivers, in deal-
ing with the death of a three -and -
a -half year old..bby "run over by
a tractor" driven by his five-year-
old brother.
To my mind, the above sad-
not to say horrifying—scene gets
complicated by the dual facts that
t..
there 'was T "immaturity at the
helm," if one may say so, on the
tractor and in the home, alike.
'Believe it or not', as a noted
columnist might put it, I seem to
see a grim analogy between the
above parental lunacy and the po-
tentialities for global' agony in
having the H-bomb in the trigger-
happy hands of adolescent MAN!
Apparently, we are at the point •
of no return, at which, coincident
with,' the universal decay of the'
religious sentiment in many coun-
tries, it is now feasible for a group -
of purely amoral or sensual pow-
er-hungry individuals to destroy'
not only themselves, but everyone -
else.
I am opposed to 'child labor'
either up in the city or down on
the farm. Of course, I realize that -
the brightest feather in thecape•
of organized union labor is tile-
fruit of its implacable hatred of"
any employer daring to turn the.
enthusiasm of ..the little folly, into,
profits. Up in the city (i.e.
atanyrate in most western lands)
this latter ugly operating idea has
largely vanished, but the above-
editorial spotlights the need for
protective legislation running out
into the countryside also.
Is there, I wonder, . a link be-
tween the above apti-social pat-
tern and the perennial demand for•
"cheap food" by well-paid off -the --
farm . workers, "who really don't
feel the food -price pressure, but
are harried by money needs, for
television, '55 model cars and al-
coholic beverage requirements.
A.B.C.
$ $
MISSED OLD BOYS
.Galt, August 1, 1955_ •
Editor, The Huron Expositor:
Dear Sir: I greatly regret hav-
ing missed the announcement of"
the coming 'Centennial of Seaforth..
Beingan Old Boy, I should like -
to have been included in the cele-
bration.
We left Seaforth in March, 1884„
for Galt, Ont., where we have liv-
ed ever since. I was 10 years old:
at that tmie and only recall being:
back three times in all those-
years—once to attend the funeral:
of Mrs. Janet Gordon, and another •
occasion to watch a football game
between Galt and the Huron, and. -
two or three years ago for a day'
to see the old town. •
This last visit I looked up Jack. -
Bell, with whom I had played
while there, and foundhim atthe
euchre club on Main St., watching,.
a game. I asked if Jack Bell were -
there, and he spoke up, saying he'
was the guilty party. ' We had a
good talk of old times' and old'
friends, many of whom had either:
left town or passed away.
I well remember D. D. Wilson,
why was superlioc„aent "or -me- -
Presbyterian 'Sunday School, who,
offered $2.00 to any boy or girl,, -
under 10 years, reciting the first:
25 questions in the shorter cate-
lchism. In those days $2.00 looked
ike a fortune, and I set •my heart.
on winning it, and studied hard,.
and on Saturday morning was an.
but ready to collect, but had dif-
ficulty with 'the 118th question, but.
could get with a a little prompt-
ing from mother, who heard me:,
recite just before leaving to col
lect my $2.00. She said if you
say it over all the way to Sunday
I School, .by the time you get there•
you should know it perfectly. I
tried, but on arrival: Mr. Wilson.
called me forward and only asked
one question:- "Wherein consists.
the sinfulness of that estate where -
into man fell?" which was none
(Continued on Page 7)
CROSSROADS
(By JAMES SCOI'T)
" DAMN "
A week ago. Sunday, after a tele-
vision program on .rhe C.B.C,,
where I am supposed to be the
-moderator, the telephone rang for
a steady two and a half hours
after the show went off the air,
while viewers—most of them irri-
tated—called in to tell us -what
they thought of us.
The source of their irritation was
one of the members of the panel,
who not only, showed that he did
not think much of this country,
but said, and these are exactly his
words, that he "didn't give a
damn."
As far as I 'could 'gather, this
man's major sin was not so much
that he didn't like Canada, as that
he swore over the air. •
Now that set me thinking.
As I listened to one angry voice
after another asking what do' we
mean by allowing people to use
profane language over the air, I
couldn't :help wondering how many
the peoplewhowere complain-
ing
oin lar -
of p n
ing could say that they themselves -
never used a swear -word in their
lives.
.I knew perfectly well that there
are people in this. country who,
have never, ever said "Damn". I
also suspect that about ninety per
cent of our total citizenry, at one
time:er another, when the provo-
cation is' sufficient, let off a little
steam by uttering a few cuss
words.
,As far as I'm concerned; a damn
is a pretty harmless thing. It is
not breaking any 'commandment,
and is not taking the Lord's name
in vain. It has no obscene con-
nection whatsoever. It is merely
a good, strong word to express
exasperation.
As a matter of fact, I have heard
people say "darn" or "shucks"
with just. as nasty 'a tone of voice
a$ "damn": To me it is not near?
Iso so much what word you say, ad
how you say it that makes the
difference.
And yet, the very people who, oc-
casionally, say a damn or two are'
- "Why didn't you marry?" in-
gtfired the young ,man of the old
bachelor.
"Well, yob see," replied the
single one, "when I was quit;
young I resolved that I •wouldn't
marry until ' I .found, the ideal
woman. After many years I found
her --- but she was looking for the
ideal man!"
often the firt people to protest
when they hear somebody else us-
ing the word.
Actually, the worst feature about
all this is not whether or not it is•
right to say "damn," but the
hypocrisy involved on the part of
those who pretend to be shocked:
by a word which they themselves
sometimes use.
Now I am not suggesting for a
minute that the people who phon-
ed that Sunday night were relib-
erately acting like hypocrites. I
do not doubt the sincerity of their
protest. All that happened is that
they forget that they, too, are
sometimes guilty.
This, of course,; is the common-
est of all human failings. Every'
day of our lives we condemn some-
thing in the other fellow which we
sometimes do ourselves. It's just
that we don't seem to see our
own faults nearly so clearly as we
see the other man's. And this
has been going on a long, long
time. It was one of th things
which Jesus talked about long ago
on the shores of the Sea of Galli -
lee.
Meanwhile, we continue to be'
human. I suppose as long as the
species homo sapiens endures we
will be blaming the other fellow'
for things which we ourselves are
sometimes guilty of too: And I'
suppose, from time to time, we'll:
be uttering a cuss word or two
without realizing ,it.
It is possibly true that words
like "damn" are no ornament to
the language, and maybe things
would -.sound better without such
words. But human nature being
what it is, we still need an outlet
for our feelings, and it seems to
me that a mild cuss word is a lot
sifter and better than some of the
other Ways a man might take to
relieve his feelings. -
Maybe that chap on the TV was
a coundrel, but not, I think, be.:
cause he said "damn" a couple of.
times.
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