The Huron Expositor, 1970-10-29, Page 2Txpositor tuton
Since 1860, Serving the Communzty Pint
Published $a SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, every Thursday morning by McLEAN BROS., Publishers Ltd.
ANDREW Y. McLEAN,, Editor
Member Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association
and Audit Bureau of Circulation
Newspapers
Subscription Rates:
Canada (in advance) $6.00 a Year
Outside Canada (in advance) $8.00 a Year
SINGLE COPIES — 15 CENTS EACH
Second Class Mail Registration Number 0696
Telephone 527-0240
SEAFORTH, ONTAR IO, October 29, 1970
End of An Era In Huron and Perth
From My' Window — By Shirley 4.
Never in my entire married motherly
life was I so grateful for a large roomy
house as I was the other evening when
my children and their friends converged
on us.
As you may have guessed by this time,
our home is the meeting place for the
masses. That wouldn't be half so bad if
our children and their friends had similar
interests . . . but then, I wouldn't have
material for a column if things went that
smoothly at our house.
You see, to begin with, it was the
evening of a big high school dance - the one
when the girls invite the boys.
"They used to call it a Sadie Hawkins
dance, I think," explained our teenage
son, "but now they've updated it a little
and named it a Suzie Q HOP."
At any rate, the boys were getting all
spilled up to meet the girls. The meeting
place was our house and the livingroom
was the exact spot. That's where the
best record player in the house is situa-
ted s o naturally, it was the only room in
which you could invite company to recline.
In the adjoining room, the diningroom
separated from the livingroom by a pair
of very see-through glass doors, my
nearly-teenage daughter was the hostess
for a very posh party.
It was a surprise birthday party for
a friend with two other very special
girl friends invited. Even though the
guests wore blue jeans and sloppy sweaters
and clacked away on wads of bubblegurn,
the affair called for crystal water glasses
and sherbets, delicate china dessert
plates, linen, flowers, table napkins, the
works.
Need I explain the kind of picture
these two scenes presented - one room
f illed with suave young men about to
embark on their almost first-time dates
with enthusiastic young women who had
solicited their attentions and in the next
room, a group of giggling girl-gluttons
who were devouring a chocolate birthday
cake and mounds of ice cream with about
as much grace as an elephant turning
in a pansy patch.
Need I remind you of the blend of
dissimilar odors - the stench of too much
after-shave lotion and the heavy smell
of chocolate cake, chocolate sauce and
grape fruit punch?
And need I explain the exchange of
conversation between the two rooms -
the boys shouting insults like "How old
are you punk?" and "Who baked the
cake? Broom Hilda?" and the girls re-
torting with things like, "Mom, why can't
I ever have a party without him interfer-
ing?"
In the back room, cut off from the
rest of the house, our youngest child was
entertaining some of his friends.
"Where's your brother going," asked
one lad.
"He's going to school 'cause a girl
told him to," answered our son in all
honesty.
"Why?" came the natural question.
"'Cause that's what boys do," in-
sisted our son. "My daddy goes when
my mom says to."
"What's your sister doing?" was the
next qtlestion.
"She's having a birthday party," he
responded. "But it's not her birthday.
It's the other girl's birthday. But the
party's here 'cause my sister made the
cake."
"'Cause that's what girls do. Make
cakes and junk. Andgtggle. And whisper.
And yell at boys."
Our youngest son is only four years
old, but sometimes he has the wisdom of
a sage. The very questions his father
and I had bee n asking as we watched the
performances of the two older kids from
our vantage point in the kitchen were
explained so easily by our pre-schooler
while he built a castle of blocks with his
pals.
Out of the mouths of babes, I thought,
oft times come gems that even parents
cannot deny.
by Bill Smiley
OUR BACKYARD WAS THE CHURCH
In the midst of the terror and panic
induced by the F.L.Q. kidnappings, it was
therapeutic, to say the least, to experience
a few minutes of peace and sanity and
beauty in a world that seems to be steadily
steering a path toward chaos.
Sorry' you weren't able to share in
this pleasant interlude, but -then you
weren't invited to the Baha-i wedding in
our backyard.
When I was in the newspaper business,
I loathed writing-up weddings, with their
interminable details of the bride's
costume, down to the last, lousy stephan-
otis. Not this one.
It wasn't all smooth sailing. My wife
insisted that the lawn be raked. I in-
sisted that she was going to spoil the
natural setting of golden leaves the couple
wanted.
It rained all week, and I thought I
was home free.. •But -the day before the
ceremony, it dried up, and my cook was
goosing me to get to work. She is a
better, or more persistent, insister than
I.
With a herculean effort and the aid of
two small boys, I got the hedge trimmed,
the lawn raked, the„dead weeds pulled
and a pile of fresh i leaves covering the,
old sand-box which, serves • as a com-
bination compost-heap and garbage-dump.
The groom came around and asked what
the point was of raking the leaves.
During the night, naturally, it rained
and blew, and by morning, the lawn looked
exactly as it had when I'd started the
day before. My only satisfaction was
going around. all morning mattering "I
told you so."
Tension increased as the day wore on.
It was pouring. The girls' dresses and new
shoes would be ruined. People would be
tracking mud into the house. The neigh-
bors, who'd been looking forward to the
spectacle for weeks, would be deeply
disappointed should the ceremony be
moved indoors.
As the Saturday morning passed, and
the drizzle held, no word from the bride.
We phoned, and her mother, with supreme
confidence, said it was going to clear by
noon. At noon, I took a little sashay
out to check. The sky was like the inside'
of a tar barrel and the Scotch mist
showed no signs of abating.
But those Baha-i's ' must have
something special going for them. By
one p.m.,it had stopped raining. By two
it was cear, and a number of guests
had arrived. (Typically, the bride had
issued invitations for two p.m., the groom
for three p.m.)
By three, it was one of those beautiful,
warm, autumn days, with the ,sun catch-
ing the highlights of the maples, the
grass almost dry, and about 80 guests in
a variegation of colors that made even
the full glory of the fall foliage lodk a
bit dim.
They piled out of vans and cars and
moved into the yard. There was every-
thing from blue jeans to smashing maxi
dresses, buckskin jackets to white shawls,
colorful headbands to cowboy boote,ultra-
mod tweed jackets to gaucho hats.
The principals were not to be outdone.
The bride, with long, sleek golden hair,
wore a full-length hand-crocheted off white
dress with matching hood. The groom
was no less imposing, with beard and A fro
hair style, his dark, full-length cape
covering a white tunic with black hand
embroidery. Only a few old squares,
like the principals of the parents and WI,
wore "ordinary" suits and dresses.
Ninety per cent of the guests were
under 21, happy and excited, but mute and
reverent during the ceremony.
The service itself was charming in
its simplicity and sincerity. Friends
and relatives read selected prayers.
There was no ritual as such, no ser-
mon. The couple was attended by a
Witness, who did just that - witnessed.
The only music was a modern song,
with the refrain, "See the, touch me, hold
me, heal me", soft and lovely, sung by
our Kim and friend Mike Hanna*
Then the bride and groom pledged
themselves to each other and. to God,
kissed emphatically, and it was
all over.
They can have a Baha-i wedding in
my backyard any time. t Xcept February.
I will be barbecued before I will shovel
three feet of snow out. of my yard for
anything except the Second Coming.
Sugar and Spice
POPPY DAYS
In Seaforth and District Commence on
Monday, Nov. 2nd
BUY POPPIES FOR
REMEMBRANCE DAY
The nublic is invited to visit the
Remembrance Day exhibit of service sou-
venirs and nictures on display in the
store between Klings and Larones, which
will be open on Friday, November 6th.
itimmINIMM•*101111••••=1111m•MIONI.Momilarmormirsr.•••••11.11•1111..m1.110.MMIMINIIMmem.7..........••••••••••••410.....61
Seaforth Branch 1,56, Royal Canadian Legion
Cleave Coombs Archie Dobson M. Storey
President Secretary Treasurer
George D. Hays, Chairman Special! events •
The end of an era that had its begin-
ning more than a hundred years ago
comes Saturday. The last passenger
train will pass through Seaforth as the
recently announced decision of the
Canadian Transport Commission comes
into effect.
While it 'is true we have made little
use of local trains in recent years, we
continue to think that had there been'
a greater interest on the part of CNR
management in encouraging passenger
traffic, the trains would have been bus-
ier.
It is hard to avoid the thought that
CNR planners during most of the post
war years have concentrated on work-
ing towards the events of next Satur-
day. Certainly the railway gave every
evidence that it was prepared for the
decision and that it came as no surprise.
Costs of transportation are relative.
The railway contends it lost money and
probably, based on its accounting
methods, it did. But is this in fact a
loss when it is considered in relation to
the loss which the public sustains as it
pays through taxes the cost of provid-
ing highways and airports to serve
other means.,nf transportation?
NOVEMBER 2. 1945.
The board of Scott Memorial Hospital
has appointed Miss Marian J. MacKinley
of Sarnia as superintendent. She has
recently completed her work in Newfound-
land and has returned to Canada.
Capt. Frank Archibald, M.C. who re-
turned from overseas on the Queen Eliz-
abeth, is spending a few days with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. R. Archibald.
He saw action service in France, Germany,
Holland and Belgium and was through all
the heavy fighting in Italy, where he was
awarded the Military Cross with Bar.
The residences of W. G. Wright on
Goderich St. West and Charles Reeves
on N. Main Street are nearing completion,
while excavations have been made for
the apartment house of Dr. E. A. Mc-
Master on West William Street and
the two residences to be erected by H.E.
Smith on James Street opposite the Hospi-
tal. '
The hot goose supper held at St.
Andrew's Church, Kippen, was a grand
success. Between 900 and 1000 persons
attended.
Mrs. Mossop of Varna, who has dis-
posed of her general store in company
with Mr. and Mrs. Harold Elliott, have
moved their effects to the farm recently
purchased from Gordon Horner.
Grant Turner of Hayfield has returned
from the service and has taken a position
in the Westlake Garage.
Miss Norma Deitz, of Hensall, while
cranking a car one day had the mis-
fortune to break her arm.
Tpr. Geo. Case, son of Mrs. E. C.
Case, who has been in the Armed Ser-
vices for five and a half years, returned
to his home.
Messrs. G. D, Ferguson and A. W.
Corby were in Essex County this week
for the opening of the pheasant shooting.
Mrs. A. M. Barton, for many years
a widely known and esteemed resident of
Seaforth, died suddenly at the home of
her daughter, Mrs. C lendon 'Colbert.
James Jordan, the oldest resident
of Dublin, quietly celebrated his 89th
birthday. He was formerly post master
at Dublin and clerk of the Township of
Hibbert for 30 years.
At the auction sale of the farm and
effects of the late Edgar E. Butt, the
farm was purchased by R.M.Peck. The
price was $8,000.
James McNairn has purchased the
property owned by Mrs. Gertrude Keene,
of Egmondville.
OCTOBER 29, 1920.
Mrs. E. Walters of Tuckersmith had
a sale of her stock and implements and
intends moving to Clinton. She and her
family will be much missed in the
neighborhood.
Bags of beech nuts are being stored
away these days at Beechwood.
The manse in Kippen is undergoing
a general repairing all around so as
to be in order for the new minister.
Milne Rennie, of Herman, while pick-
ing apples, fell from a very high tree
and fractured three ribs and broke a
sinall, bone in his wrist.
Quite a number from Hensall motored
to London to hear the celebrated Edward
Johnston, said to be Canada's own Caruso.
The town council have awarded the
contract for the soldier's 'memorial to
be erected in Victoria park to the Thomp-
son Company of Toronto and work has
already been commenced. The base will
be grey Canadian granite.
We don't think of tax dollars direct-
ed to highway improvement as pay-
ment of an operating loss on highways.
Of course neither did governments of
100 years ago regard payments to rail-
ways as a loss. Rather, like payment
for our highways today, the money was
to provide an improved transportation
service.
Somewhere through the years this
matter of service has become a forgot-
ten element in railway thinking. It is
not something peculiar to Canada how-
ever. In the United States proportion-
ately fewer passenger trains are run-
ning and Congress now is considering
a plan to rescue some semblance of a
passenger service.
Despite the long drawn out discus-
sions concerning- passenger runs the
fact that only a few days remain in
which it will be possible to ride on a
local train ,only now is sinking home.
The result has been a boon in passen-
ger business as schools arrange trips
to Goderich and back and others, who
for years perhaps have shunned the
railway, climb aboard for a last ride.
There is not much time left. It will
be all over on Saturday.
Mrs. J. G. Scott of town had-the mis-
fortune to fall downstairs 'and fracture
her thigh.
Russel Allen, young son of Mr. and
Mrs. Sylvester Allen, met with a serious
accident. He was accompanying R. L.
Clark in his delivery wagon and jumped
into the rig before Mr. Clark and the
horse started. He was thrown out when
the horse ran away and had his leg frac-
tured at the hip.
During the storm a chimney on the
residence of J. J. Merner M.P. was
struck by lightning and knocked down.
What might have been a serious ac-
cident, occurred to Mr. Glenn, his wife
and two daughters as they were descend-
ing Fairbairns hill, near Chiselhurst,
when the car struck a washout, causing
it to leave the road and going down a
steep bank. They escaped with a severe
shaking up and some damage to the car.
NOVEMBER 1, 1895.
John Decker, 9th concession of Hay
Township, has sold his handsome young
driving mare to Thos. Bissett Sr. of
Exeter for the snug sum of $150.00.
The vote for an additional member of
session in the Egmondville Church re-
sulted in the election of John McLellan.
Mrs. H. Mason of Egmondville has
purchased the cottage in the rear of the
Egmondville Church, formerly owned by
Mrs. Modeland, for the stain of $400.
Mr. and Mrs. French, manager and
matron of the House of Refuge at Clinton,
have been fully installed into their new
position, in order to receive the first of
the residents on the 11th of this month.
James McMichael, president of the
Seaforth Bowling Club, intends enter-
taining the members of the club to a
complimentary supper,at Flanagan's hotel.
Wm. Lockhart of "McKillop, raised a
parsnip out of his garden which measured
3 feet, seven inches.
D. D. Wilson of town is shipping large
quantities of eggs to the old country just
now.
Mother earth has presented quite a
wintry appearance for several days, being
Covered with snow and the weather was
intensely cold.
•
Broadfoot's school was re-opened this
week, as a large number of scholars
' were kept at hom e with the whooping
cough.
Peter DeCoursey, near Staffa, has
purchased 25 acres of the Roach property
on the Huron Road and west of Dublin
and is moving there this week. The price
paid was $1,200.00 cash.
While excavating at Hayfield on the
site of Mrs. Walmsley's new house, the
skeleton of an Indian was unwounded.
It is thought that possibly it had been
buried some two hundred years.
Wm. McDougall of Egmondville, was
injured when his horse ran away at Hay-
field. Dr. Stanbury dressed his wounds.
The first match of the season for the
Haugh cup will be played on the recrea-
tion grounds between the Collegiate In-
stitute and the Berlin High School teams.
Geo. Watt, of Hullett, vice president
Of. the MCKillop Mutual Fire Insurance
Company was appointed president in the
place of the late Mr. Donald Ross of
Stanley Township.
In the Years Agone