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The Huron Expositor, 1976-12-16, Page 19• I attract more m the future. this past week she also attended a conference in Toronto sponsored by the Canadian special Olympics and the Ontario Association for the Mentally Retarded. The conference was to discuss the direct approach to the development of sport, recreation and physical fitness programs for the mentally retarded throughout communities in Ontario. 3574414 Remembering , ‘• • Saturday :cis both ns t41 (By W. G. Strong) The table had a red checked cloth.. The oil lamp gave geed light ... The shiny cookstOve threw out heat To make the room so bright. (Evans) The farm kitchen was often the largest room in the house. Of course there was the front room or parlour which was all too sparingly used and then' for such special occasions as a wedding ceremony, a christening, a pastoral visitation by the local clergyman or a funeral service for the deceased, Oh, yes, it might be the scene of family gatherings especially at Christmastime when the tree with all its trimmings was set up. The ample kitchen served as the' dining ream where the family gathered regularly at meal-time, where visitors were entertained . and dined and where neighbours gathered for threshing and wood bees. Off this central room was the pantry in one corner and adjacent thereto were the steep stairs leading to the second storey, the family sleeping quarters, while another set led to the basement area. Often the kitchen was entered through a summer room with its adjacent woodshed. 6" Pine In the older houses the flooring was made from six-inch pine boards sawn at the local mill from logs on the farmstead. In due time the surface was worn down by busy feet and frequent scrubbing until, here and there, the knots protruded. Scatter rugs were strategically placed. The. one immediately inside the door was worn thin by frequent use. Another was.placed in the vicinity of the stove where the family dog delighted to slumber. "There's something in an old hooked rug Spread out before the hearth Of honest, fundamental things As solid as the earth." (Jaques) Located to one side of the kitchen, usually near the pantry, was the cook stove, now a passing commodity rarely seen except at an auction sale, in a rural setting. They are now beconiing quite popular by those who own summer cottages and desire to conserve electrical energy. All too often they are picked. up by a local scrap iron dealer. Can you recall the early mornings when this monster had to be wakened into action? There was the clanking of the front lids as they were moved back, the scraping of the long-handled poker across the grates, the rumble of the shaker as the ashes were shaken down into the ash-box. Scraps of paper were fluffed into an airy ball 'and placed on the grates. Pine or cedar shavings freshly cut with a pocket nife fell on top and to these were added dry, finely split kindling which had been placed in the woodbox for this very purpose. In the gloom a hand reached„ up to the tin matchbox where-theoultihne-tmatches were stored. A match was drawn shartily across a stove lid or on a pant leg and applied to the silent, awaiting mass. The lids were returned speedily, the dampers adjusted. When the kindling had ignited and burned brightly for a moment or so, wood thumped and banged as it was pulled from the ever-present woodbox, As the stove door was opened to receive some maple, beech or hickory, flying sparks from the blazing kindling crackled in the air and some smoke was emitted to mingle with the metallic smell of hot iron. The' dampers were partially closed and the man of the house placed the chipped gray granite tea-kettle, freshly filled fromthe waterpail on the kitchen sink, over one of the front lids. In due time the escaping steam started to rattle the lid and. mother knew it was time to start another busy and often monotonous day. Fresh Pork Do you recall the smell of fresh pork and eggs frying in the iron skillet at breakfast time, the aroma of freshly baked bread turned out of the pans to cool, the fragrance of fruit and vegetable concoctions at preserving and pickling time or the sight of the golden bubbles rising from the soupbone as potatoes, carrots and turnips, home-grown, were dumped into the iron pot? What a sight to see the Thanksgiving turkey emerge from that cavernous, steaming' oven or the plump, native-raised goose at Christmas! The broad surface of the woodburning stove supplied a wide range of heat. A perfect spot, at just the right temperature, could be found for every pot or pan to cook or warm. The warming oven, too, was a prized convenience. Bright pot-holders dangled under the matchbox within easy reach. Nearby was a rack with horizontal bars where dish-towels could be hung for drying. The sink along a sidewall n ear a window sported a wash basin, a soap dish, aww -7 pail and dipper. Some kitchens boasted at iron pump which drew rain water from the cellar cistern. Nearby was the roller towel: A mirror hung immediately above the sink and beneath the looking glass , was a short shelf whereon was displayed the shaving mug and brush and straight-edge razor in its case. From the door-knob hung the leather strap which served for more than one purpose as many an erring child can recall. From up on a shelf the pendulum clock bonged out its muffled message each passing half hour. Here too kerosene lamps were aligned. Under this shelf might be found a pipe-holder, a pin cushion or a pair of scissors suspended on nails. A newsrack was always in evidence where the local paper and Eaton's and Simpson's catalogues were stored. There, too, was Dr. Chase's almanac which was studied for weather predictions and, in many cases,were as accurate as modern forecasters. Calendars issued at Christmas by the grocer, the baker, the buthcer, the dry goods merchants, the hardware dealer, ,the insurance agent or the local bank ifareu were a customer adornecithe+ papered walls. A careful. scrutiny of one of these, especially the one with the largest figures , revealed such facts as when the gray arrayed In Winter? In: summer such garmentS were tismdly ,,relegatedto the back kitchen., winter the .stove was. 'hardly. recogi4a1710 the gloves,, mittens; A90048 caps drying in the warming oven while wet .overalls. and. Johns were draped 01000 baCk h. dry. N andiess to say, the ,atmosphere :around. M e kitchen in the evening f?ftett left`much to be desired. 0.4Y woollen socks lay 04 OS OPen 0Y04' deer while rubber boots found place with the' toes extending, nder, the front clatylp?r. When two pairs of socks were 4000 'Of , winter lto keep one's feet warm, the services of the boot jack were called into play when removing . the boots, This homemade article was 'asPAY stood in a corner behind the deer. In reminiscing about farm kitchens, one must not overlook the installation of the telephone early in the century. Of course there had to be party lines, each subscriber on that particular circuit had to have a different call signal; a -long and a short, a long and two shorts, two longs and a short and other ' combinations. At first whenever the telephone rang, all subscribers cocked their ears to hear if it were going to be their ring. All the neighbours knew each other's number and knew who was getting the call. To get the gossip, most everyone would listen in at one time or another. One could almost tell who was listening by the background noises. Children had to stand on a chair to talk into the mouthpiece. To call central one pushed a button on the side of the phone box and turned the handle once or twice. When there was an emergency such as a local chimney fire one long, persistent ringing was sufficient to alert the neighbours who rushed to the scene. — An old song comes to mind, the words of which ran somewhat as follows: "Hello, Central! Give me Heaven my Mamma's there, You will , find her with the angels On the golden stair. She'll be glad it's me who's speaking, Call her, won't you please, For I want to tell her We're so lonely here. When the girl received this message Coming o'er the telephone, How her heart throbbed in that moment And' the wires all seemed tar moan. I will answer just to please her, "Yes, Dear Heart, I'll soon be home." "Kiss me, 'Mamma, kiss your darliing O'er the telephone." Now we have 'gleaming, orderly, efficient kitchens with electric ranges, tea kettles, frying pans, toasters, mixing bowls, blenders and sundry other gadgets. Understandably few housetivives would wish. to return to.the Wdoff-burning stove but fortunate are we who have memories of an old farm kitchen with its black, smoking, roaring, crackling, Warmth-giving stove. mare was due to foal, when the brindle cow was about to freshen, when that next littler o piglets should arrive or when that fist batch of chickens should hatch. A calendar could/ a compendium of homely events. Storage ,t27° • The pantry adjacent to the kitchen was a convenient storage as well as work space. Here were tall cupboards with glass deers At; behindwhich, on shelves, were arrayed the family dishes. A counter top, sundry drawers and shelves- completed the fixtures. Here were displayed pots and pans, baking ingredients, patent medicines, in very truth a miniature general store. Centrally located was the extension table which could be enlarged when necessary by the addition of extra leaves. This was usually covered with an oilcloth which could be easily wiped off of ter meal-time. When company came a linen table cloth was called into use. Straight-backed kitchen chairs were in vogue and, if not drawn up close to the table, were pushed back against the wall. Immediately above the table was a hanging lamp, later displaced by an Aladdin lamp. An arm chair and a rocker were part of kitchen furniture. A lounge or sofa for tired bodies and geraniums in the window were indispensible. Saturday night was declared bath night for the younger members of the family. The galvanized washtr,b was brought in from the shed and placed on newspapers in t'ront of the open oven door. A blanket was hung over a couple of chairs to isolate the bather from other members of the family. Warm water from the reservoir was poured into the tub and cold water from the cistern added until the right temperasture' was reached. A bar of soap in a porcelain dish was set on the oven door and a bathtowel within easy reach. One had to be somewhat of a contortionist to perform these ablutions properly. Lucky was one if he did not burnan elbow or if he' happened to bend over in the wrong direction while drying himself and be burned in a less conspicious but perhaps a more tender spot of his anatomy. The ordeal over, one grabbed and donned warm night clothes and dashed upstairs. In winter some merciful soul'had been there before you and as you slid down under the thick quilts your. feet touched a warm brick or flatiron wrapped in a towel in the centre of the bed. You curled Up like a human pupa in a nocturnal cocoon and soon you were borne in the arms of Morpheus to Slumberland. Hooks & Nails Do you recall the hooks and nails along the wall behind the door where the clothes were Hope to integrate handicapped community MAIN CORNER LI NTON, 402.032 • gAummv======AvAwevA-wevA For the man on your list.. ,•Alimv•vgAtmeAmmmiumt immu A' Provincially funded program aimed at integrating mildly retarded children and adults into existing community recreation programs co-ordinated by Jane Netzke will soon Begin program operations. Miss Netzke, working under a Ministry of Community and Social Services Grant, has been active since September contacting parents of retarded adults • and children and attempting to co-ordinate programs and volun- teer services around their interests. Jane announced that a floor hockey league is presently being formed in the area for mentally handicapped adults and children. She hopes that a local team will be formed to participate with other teams in a league involving other centresin Huron and Bruce counties. She has also scheduled activity days for the mentally retarded during the Christmas holiday period. The program, which will include such activities as crafts, games and sports, will be held December 28-31 and will employ the services of six volunteers. The program will be run at one of the schools in Goderich. Jane recently attended Lorne Avenue Community, School in London to examine their night school program for mentally handicapped adults and hopes to establish a similar program in the area. It is hoped that such a program may be incorphrated into the existing night school program in co-operation with the Huron County Board of Education. Every week more and more people discover what mighty jobs are accomplished by low cost Huron Expositor want Ads. Dial S27-0240. DRILLING; Water Well W.13. Hopper arm Sons 4 MODERN ROTARY .MOS PHONE Noll 527.1737 Out(62V-0820 Slim 527.0716 Now 9091 AAA* Oroo• olio. Woo too* &Or orio wolf She also hopes to conduct a special volunteer workshop in the middle of January utilizing the services of area resource people. She has enlisted the services of six volunteers and hopes to that are sure to please! Make sure all the men on your list get fashionable fits. from Campbell's Men's Wear. It's a sure way to please and it's bound to make him look better, GIFT SUGGESTIONS for the men on your list SHIRTS PYJAMAS ROBES SWEATERS SLACKS SOCKS BELTS LEATHER COATS JACKETS Gift Boxes Gift Certificates Win a Trip far two to Florida One ticket with each 55 purchase Sponsored by Clinton Retail Merchants. OUR REGULAR PRICE OF ANY NEW I 1976 MODEL JOHN DEERE, MODEL SNOWMOBILE PURCHASE (EXCEPT' OFFER EXPIRES NI 31 DECEMBER 1976. - ] JOHN DEERE ;AM 1C,:)111412 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 1111 11111 um. BIG JOHN SPECIAL FINANCE WAIVER Now you can buy a brand new. John Deere snowmobile the easy way.. Between now and 28 February, 1977, you can buy a new John Deere snowmobile . . . and no finance charges will be imposed until 1 June, 1977. On 1, June 1977, you may either elect to pay the remaining principal balance owing on your snowmobile or continue the financing agreement with your John Deere dealer. FRED McGEE AUTO ELECTRIC LTD. WINGHAM Sales backedby Service sr