HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2016-11-23, Page 5Photos by Justine Alkema Clinton News Record
The BIA Beautification Committee has put up holiday decorations around Clinton.
ristmas
Red and green doors are in several places around town including Library Park
pictured here.
The first signs of Christmas are showing around town with the arrival of Christmas
decor.
Wednesday, November 23, 2016 • News Record 5
'Victory and Peace' November 11, 1918
The official notice that
hostilities had ceased
between Germany and the Brit-
ish Empire was telegraphed to
Huron County at about 4:00
am on Monday, November 11,
1918. The Great War was finally
over and a cause for jubilation
in Huron County.
Exeter was, perhaps, the first
Huron County town to get word
of the war's end. In anticipation
of the news, a certain Miss
Sanders, the local telegraph
operator, stayed at her post all
night awaiting the bulle-
tin. When the telegraph
arrived, Miss Sanders had little
difficulty getting the news out
because by daybreak all of Exe-
ter was rejoicing. The ringing of
the town's bell announced the
news to the countryside. The
Reeve declared a public holi-
day. The town's people were
called to an open air meeting in
front of the library for an after-
noon service of Thanksgiving.
The town, however, did not
wait until the afternoon. A pro-
cession of 'gaily decorated
automobiles' drove up and
down the main street. Horns,
tin whistles, band music and
the 'rattling of pans and kettles'
kept up a discordant but joyful
noise throughout the day and
far into the night. Exeter's cele-
brations ended with a giant
bonfire at the town hall.
In Wingham, the town's bells
began pealing about 4:30 am.
The 'Wingham Advance'
reported 'rejoicing people,
blowing horns, beating tin pans
and singing' throughout the
day followed by a civic cere-
mony, parades a concert and
bonfire at the town park.
About 7:00 am in Goderich,
the town 'went wild with enthu-
siasm' as people took to the
streets. An civic and religious
Thanksgiving service was held
at Courthouse Park followed by
'an endless parade' of automo-
biles and wagons. A bonfire on
the Square at night drew a
crowd estimated at 5 000 peo-
ple who cheered when the Kai-
ser's effigy went up in flames.
In Clinton, at 8:00 am, the
town's bell began ringing. They
did not stop until past 10:30 at
night. The streets took on a
'lively appearance.' The 'Clinton
News -Record' reported that
'women dropped their wash-
ing' and workers took to the
streets as 'people laughed and
cheered, stores and dwellings
were quickly decorated and
everyone who could get one
carried a flag.'
When he donned his top hat
and best coat, Clinton Mayor
Charles Thompson had ample
Huron History
Dave Yates
reason to be thankful as he pre-
pared to address his town at the
afternoon's 'Peace Demonstra-
tion: Both his sons whom he
had sent to war in October 1916
would be returning home alive.
Private Ernie Walton, who
happened to arrive home on
leave on the morning train,
found himself the object of the
town's adulation. He was
paraded on horseback through
the town's streets by a thousand
people who dropped him off at
the bandstand for the civic cer-
emony. Crowds thronged into
Clinton from the countryside to
take part in the celebrations. A
torch light parade and sky rock-
ets ended Clinton's day of
jubilation.
The `Seaforth News' pro-
claimed that `never did the
word Victory sound so good to
the world: All morning, Sea-
forth's Main Street was crowded
with people. Flags and bunting
sprouted from nearly every
shop and home. Father Goetz
of St. James Church delivered a
homily at Victoria Park 'on the
years of agony' that the country
had borne. Out of respect for
the fallen, a dance at Cardo Hall
was postponed.
Celebrations in Hensall and
Bayfield involved gunfire as
shot gun blasts rent the air
throughout the day. The Bay-
field correspondent expressed
relief that the high price of
ammunition limited the gun-
fire. In Bayfield, the Orange-
men led the parade while the
St. Andrew's `church bell rope
was tested to its limits: It rang
until after a bonfire on Clan -
Gregor Square burned itself
out. Tragedy marred Blyth's vic-
tory celebration when Reeve
Neil Taylor was killed in a car
accident when he lost control of
his automobile on the way
home.
The Kaiser had a particularly
hard day in Huron. Every
town's celebration ended with
his burning in effigy. In Wing -
ham, the Kaiser was given the
added indignity of being
dragged from the rear of the
Mayor's car before he was
burned.
Celebrations were dampened
by the knowledge that the war
might be over, but the dying
was not. The same papers that
carried such vivid descriptions
of the joyous Armistice day
events continued to bring news
of the war's dead and
wounded. Wingham High
School graduate Private Dan
O'Toole was killed in action on
October 28, 1918 as was Private
Charles Coultes of Cranbrook.
Private Harold Bissett of Exeter
was reported killed on Novem-
ber 1, 1918. Corporal W. E.
Hicks of Goderich died of
wounds on November 3. Pri-
vate Herbert Bond of Wingham
died of gunshot wounds to the
head on November 6. Lieuten-
ant DeLemme Millyard, the son
of the minister of Exeter's Main
Street Methodist Church, was
reported missing on September
30 and confirmed dead in the
first week of November. Private
Russel Woods parents in Blyth
received a telegraph informing
them that their son was killed
the same day as they learned of
the Armistice. For these fami-
lies, the war's end brought little
comfort.
News of the Armistice
extended a three week holiday
for children whose schools had
been closed since mid-October
closed because the Spanish
Influenza was ravaging the
area. Students at the Clinton
Collegiate and public schools
were instructed to be 'in their
places so that lost time may be
gained' due to the flu. It was not
until mid-November that
church services resumed. In
Wingham, 14 'serious cases' of
the 'floo' were reported in the
'Advance.'
The names of flu's victims
were listed in the local papers
along side the names of the
war's casualties. In a reversal of
fortune, Private J. Gorbutt of
Clinton survived the war but his
nineteen year old wife, Irene
Gorbutt, died of the influenza
on November 6. Despite the
pestilence, Huron County gath-
ered in large crowds to cele-
brate the Armistice. The 1918-
1919 influenza outbreak killed
nearly as many Canadians as
the Great War.
Never again would Novem-
ber 11, 1918 be a day for cele-
bration. As soon as the war
ended, every town, hamlet and
village paused to reflect on how
best the living can honour the
memory of the War Dead.
Her younger brother died just
three days before rials and cen-
otaphs were not enough. In
1919, by command of King
George V, November 11 was set
aside as Remembrance Day. It
has become Canada's most hal-
lowed observance and a time to
mourn the nation's dead and be
eternally grateful for their
sacrifice.