The Huron Expositor, 1968-10-31, Page 30,
;4THE HURON EXPOSITOR/ SE4F.0
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;14 1t68:
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Bell Foundciry Staff About. 50. Years Ago
Skating Popular in `9ood Old Days'
Skating has always been one the size and importance of Sea -
of the rpost popular winter re- forth should be without a
suitable place wher-e-this health-
ful and invigorating recreation,
for both' male and female, can
be practiced. -We are sure that
if a rink was opened in Seaford'.
and properly conduc-ted, that it
. would-be liberally patronized. •
Who will make the experiment?
Well, the call went un-
heeded that year, but the next
someone did -take up the chall-
enge. But the new rink was not
in the drill shed. The Dec. 8,
1876 Expositor tells: " The lov-
ers of this healthful exercise
wili be pleased to learn that
they will have an opPortunity
of practising this season, Mr.
Joseph Marshall has opened out
a skating rink on his premises,
near the drill shed. • As he has
gone to considerable expense
in fitting it up .we hope he
will be liberally paVenized by
creations. We like to think
these days of the homely scene
of families skating on an open
pond in those "good old days".
But it appears that our pioneers
didn't appreciate the open pond
so much.
, In an editorial comment
the Dec. 4, 1874 The Expositor
states: "We notice by our ex-
changes that in almost every
town and village of any note in
the Province, there is a skating
rink. How is it that for the
past two seasons Seaforth has
been without such a place of
resort? The drill shed, which
is lying idle, can very easily
be converted into a first-class
rink and it is surprising that
.some enterprising individual or
company does not make use Of
it. It is oo bad that a place of
.44
When
Seaforth
Was Young
There Was
No Choice . .
•
laundry work
meant hard work
but To -day
SEAFORTH
COIN 'OPERATED
LAUNDRY
makes
the difference
Sept. 28, 1877 Expositor.
"Mr. Lawrence Murphy5bas
purchased a lot near the flax
mill, on Goderich Street, and
intendserecting on it a large
overed—siiging and curling
rink. Mr. Murphy intends Qt„9-
ceeding with the work at once
and will have it ready for use
as soon as the atmosphere will
permit. He is determined to
have one of the largest and
most complete rinks in this
section. Whatever Mr:, Murphy
undertakes to do he does well,
and the lovers of this most
healthful and harmless re-
creation may rest satisfied that
they, will have next winter a
Expand
Implement
Business
The Robert Bell Indusdies
Limited was formed in January
1949 when shareholders of the
Robert Bell °Engine and Thresher
Company Limited approved the
sale of the company.
ln the intervening years
company production has reflect-
ed changes in machinery re-
quirements with the result that •
emphasis now is placed on heat-
ing and power boilers. The Bell
separator line was discontinued
some years ago.
The Bell Company wa§ es-
tablishe,d4444ealordi in 1903 by
the late Robt. Bell, and was the
outgrowth of a sirpilar plant
which Mr.—Be had operated in
Hensall for a n ber of years
previously. Th company ex-
panded through the years, and
at the time of its sale employed
an averap of 64 persons. Dur-
ing the First World War and to
a lesser extent during the recent
war, it was engaged in the man-
ufacture of 'shells. John Finlay-
son , who was secretary in 1949
when the new company took
over had served as -secretary
since its inception. He came
here from Hensall in 1899, and
with Mr: Bell laid the ground-
work for what four years later
became the Bell Company.
During the serious illness
of Mr. Robert Bell in 1927, his
son, Mr. Earle Bell,assumed
the active management of the
Company. Ori hitafa-ther's death
in 1934, he became president,
whichogice heheld until his
death in 1948. The late Keith
M. McLean -was named presid-
ent at that time, and following
his death in September of 1948,
his son, A. Y. McLean, became
,p•esident and continued in that
capacity until the sale to Rob-
ert Bell Industries was complet-
ed.
The president to -day is B.
R. Smith and Cliff Petrie is
secretary.
rink that will combine all: the
conveniences .and comforts
possible, on which to disport
themselves."
• The new rink was known
as the Dominion Skating Rink
and was in use for many years.
our citizens."
'Enjoyment of skating was
very high in those days. Regular
carnivals and masciueradeswe
held. A report of one ese
,
was given in the January19.
1877 issue. "The inaugural
masquerade carnival on the
Victoria Skating Rink, Seaforth,
was held on Friday evening
last. The affair was eminently
. •
successful. The evening, al-
though pretty frosty, was pleas-
ant, and the ice was in capital,
'order. There was a good atten-
dance of mAsqueraderspn the
ice, and several pretty and
grotesque costurnes. There
vas also a large attendance of
spectators, and every person
seemed to be thoroughly pleas-
ed and satisfied with the affair.
The Firemen's Band was in,
attendance, and 'discoursed
sweet music. " /'
In the fall of that year Sea -
forth gained its first, specially -
built, covered skating rink.
Plans were announced in the
.1
fliti• WI! ' •• •• • • • litords:Early Recreation
• In Seaforth billiards became
an early recreation. While
there was little mention of the
game in the paper there is proof
that by 1873 at least, billiarls
were flourishing. This shor
quote from the February 7, 173
Expositor provides the proof
"The license for billiar
tables in Seaforth for the current
year will be for the first table,
Thousands
Go West to
Harvest
Sorhething long forgotten in
the age of mechanization is
that great adventure that took
place every fall from about
the turn of the century, well
into the present century - the
harvest excursion.
In the day S before the com-
bine it took thousands -of men
to harvest the millions of acres
of grain that were the gold eg'
the west. The grain had to be
cut,; stooked, loaded on wagons
and threshed before the snow
came. Anyone'who has seen
the size of the prairie fields
knows what a task tl-As was.
So from the.cities and
towns of the East, from the
arms and factories, thousands
travelled west on special trains
to help...
"The harvesters excursion
to Manitoba and the Northw.est
on Tuesday was very largely .
patronized by persons from this
district, many of whom are
going to assist in harvesting,
while others go to visit old
friends and relatives and to see
the country. A big crowd of
people, in addition to the trav-
ellers, gathered at the statin
to see their friends off. The
train, which conveyed the
excursionists to Toronto, was
crowded furl and when it left
here many were compelled to
stand. In all about fifty pers-
ons were dcketed at Seaforth,
while in the neighbourho9d of
7, 000 left the province on
this excursion, "
$26. ; for the second $15.
The'game of billiards has
-
a long and colorful history.
Some historians claim it is
more than 2, 000 years old based
on Shakespeare's "Anthony and
Cleopatra" written about 1,607
in which Cleo says to her. lady
in waiting, "Come, let us to
the billiards."
Probably the game originat-
ed near the start of the 14th
Century. It became a popular
game among the English and
French noblemen of that time.
The first book on billiards
was p.ublished in 1665. And in
the early 1800s the game cut its
teeth as a major pastime in
'North iAmerica.
,Niolommonsolmmo,
They'aren't pool rooms any
morc. They are billiard par-
lours, complete with indirect
lighting, carpeted floors and
soft music.
Much of the changeover is
due to billiardmen who have
banded together to standardize
prices, improve playing con-
ditions and promote the game
as a wholesome famiky sport.
A recently formed associat-
ion plans to operate tournamen-
ts and leagues in the various
tys Of billiaras. And plans in- u,
clude competition againsuteams
from other centres beginning in
all probability with snooker.
Rack 'em up. It's your
break,'
0
CONGRATULATIONS
a? extended -to the citizens of the
Town of Seaforth on the.ir 100th
, birthday
from the Corporation of 6e
Township of Tuckersmith.
BILLIARDS & SHUFFLE BOARD
Tables 00eritte51 On Time
CONFECTIONERY — CIGARETTES
SUNDRIES
RUSS'S RECREATION
- (Corner of Goderich and Main Streets) -
Phone 527-0940 Seaforth
•
When Robert Bell came to Seaforth from
Hensall in 1903 and established the Robert
Bell Engine and Thresher Co. Limited he ,
brought with hi ma determination that the
products ;the new company would produce
would measure up to every test — would
create satisfied customers.
In the early years Bell Separators, Bea --
Boilers, Bell Tractor engines found a repu-
tation f ong lived usefulness not only here
in estern tario but acrqss Canada.
When Canada went to war, Bell's .ability
to produce precision work was recognized
by the munitions which the company turn-
ed out.
In 1949 Robert Belt Engine & Thresher
Company Ltd. became Robert Bell Indus-
tries Limited.
While changing times have meantshanges
in demand with the result that Bell produc-
tion emphasis now is on 4heating and pres-
sure boilers. One thing, however, that has
remained constant over 65 years is quality
and service. •
,That is why nell boilers are in d9rnand
wherever economy and long life are require-
ments.
FOR 65 YEARS
ELL
has stood
or quality
!me ibuitatnied Liaistei
SEAFoRTH
.0NTARIO
e•
•