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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1938-05-12, Page 3THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE THURSDAY, MAY 10th, 103a I ♦ * Igg |g|| s? 'W ,*V Some other suites upholstered in Tapestries, Repp, Velour and Homespun very special prices from $54 TO $141 3 PIECES Many persons have taken advantage of these wonderful bargains With our very large stock we still have a good assortment to choose from . 4 Living Room Tables, Occasional Chairs, End Tables, Radio Tables, Desks, Lamps of all kinds, Studio Couches and Mirrors Greatly Reduced in price to Clear Quickly £11 SALE POSITIVELY ENDS MAY 14 SJU E. R. HOPPER Furniture Dealer, Exeter, Ont. We Deliver. Phone 99 Open evenings until 9.30 fcEEfX WM :£•; ’■ r: 7 & iijl •■Ji* Other Dining Room Suites in 8 and 9 pieces priced from $73 to $117 Our Bedding Stock | is Going Fast. | Don’t miss these opportunities i 50 YEARS AGO Slay 10, 1888 % *Mr. Wm. Drew and family, who have spent' the winter in Los An­ geles, Calif., are expected home this week. Mrs. Oeorge Moir, of St. Marys, formerly of Exeter, was the guest of Mrs. Jas. Dignan for a couple of days last week. At the annual meeting of the Exeter Mechanics’ Institute held in the library on Monday evening the following officers were elected: President, Rev. W. M. Martin; Vice- President, Rev. S. F. Robinson; Treasurer, Mr. D. Johns; 'Secretary, F. W. Collins; Directors, G. Sam- well, A. G. Dyer, J. A. Rollins, Robt. Spicer, R. H. Collins, C. Lutz, M.D., A. C. Denovan; Auditors, G. 'Sam- well and C. Lutz, M.D.; Librarian George Kemp. Mr. Thomas .Fitton is building several houses throughout the vil­ lage this season. Mr. Fitton is pub­ lic spirited. Mr. A. Cottle has almost com­ pleted the erection of his rake and cradle factory. It is a good build­ ing and has an inposing appearance. The new walk from the market to the North End will soon be com­ menced. When completed Exeter can boast of having the finest walks of” any town in Canada. Wurtz-Moatz-Jn iStep'hen, at the residence of the bride’s father Hy. Moatz, on the ,26th ult., iby the Rev. D. M. Kennedy, Mr. John Wurtz, to Miss Henrietta Moatz, all of Stephen Pollock-Mollard-At Grand Bend, on the 25th ult., at the Methodist Church, by the Rev. D. M. Kennedy, A. Pollock, of McGillivray to MisS Emma L. Pollard, of Grand Bend. 25 YEARS AGO May 15, .1013 Mr. J. J. Tilley, of the Department of Education, Toronto, on Friday purchased Mr, A. Hasting’? residence on Andrew street. Dr. Arnos will reside in the house and Mr. Tilley expects to live in Exeter Several months of the year. , Mr. A. J. Ford, who has been con­ ducting a butcher Shop in Exeter for over twenty years sold his busi­ ness to Mr. Frank Wood, who took charge on iMnday. Mr, Win. Heidemaii left Monday morning for 'Toronto whore he will take a position in a hardware Store. Miss Lena (Stacey, of Chicago, has been visiting friends in and around Exeter, the guest of 'Miss Maude .Harness. Mr. Wm. Birney, who has been bookkeeper for Messrs. Harvey Bros, has resigned' his position and left Tuesday for a visit to Chatham and Windsor, prior to going to Winnipeg where he intends remaining. Mr. Ed. Bissett an Exeter old boy, but now of Winnipeg, was among the successful competitors at the big dog show held in that city last week, his dogs having captured a number of first and second prizes. Mrs. Birk, Mrs. Phillip and dau­ ghter Miss Hilda Phillip leave .Sat­ urday on a tji’ip to England. Mr. Richard Phillip intends leaving for the Old Land in July on a short visit. Mr. Fred H. Bayley, of London, died in St. Joseph’s Hospital on Sun­ day evening as the result of a kick from his horse on Saturday. Mr. Bayley was a native of Exetei’ and lived here with his mother and brothers for a number of years. Mrs. Ern Davis, of Chatham and sister Miss Edna Brock arrived here Monday owing to the illness of their father. 15 YEARS AGO May 10, 1923 On iSunday xnornng last while Mr. and- Mrs. George Ferguson and their two grandchildren were attending church, fire broke out in their home on the second concession of Usborne and completely destroyed the build­ ing. Arbor Day was observed in Exe­ ter on Friday. Volunteer effort suc­ ceeded n levelng up the ground around the Carnegie Library. Al­ together 76 young trees were given out by the Horticultural Society and planted in the parks. Mr. VClafence Heywood has pur­ chased the residence of the late Mrs, Jane Fisher on Sanders St. and has, already moved in. Mr. >0. L. Petty, of Concession 2, Hay Township met with a serious accident when the team he was driv­ ing ran away attached to the roller. Mr. Petty had one leg broken and was injured internally. At the Quarterly Official Board meeting of the James .St. Church it Was decided to engage Mr, Roy Goulding of ’St. Marys as organist to succeed Mr, Gray. Young Man-—"I'd go through any­ thing, dear, for you!” Gweet Young Thing "Fine. Let's start on your bank account.” Books Left in Manuscript Form by George McLoed Prove Valued Addition to History of Huron < By Edmund J. Wethey in the London Free Press In 192’2, when James Green, of Exeter, purchased from the widow of George McLeod, Jr., the home in which he now rseides, there were in the garret, covered with dust of generations, the books of George McLeod, pioneer store-keeper and agent of the Canada Company, near­ ly 100 years ago. The new possessor, wh0‘ as a boy of 10 in 1873 drew gravel along the Lake road and who had met many of the settlers of the Huron Tract, saved the books. There are four of these volumes containing hundreds of pages seven inches by 12 of closely-written manuscript and a number of store accounts, the prices in which seem amazing today. In the copies of the reports he' sent to Goderich in his capacity as agent for the Canada Company he recounts his daily activ­ ities, which took -him through Us­ borne, Hay, Stephen, Biddulph and more remote townships, and even on special trips to Sandwich. George McLeod, was a native of Sutherlandshire, Scotland. He ‘kept school’ at Achtomling, migrated to Canada and for 25 years was ship­ builder, ship owner and magistrate in Pictou, Nova Scotia. In the late thirties and early fourties, a series of misfortunes made him determine to travel and he saw many parts of Canada and the United States, He went to the Huron Tract in 1843 and was appointed agent of the Can­ ada Company. His great-grandson R. G. Seldon, well-known business man of Exeter,- states the old Mc­ Leod homestead was the present Cann farm, the second north of Ex­ eter. In dating a letter to a friend, McjLeod gave Halfway House, Lon­ don Road, Huron Tract, Canada, as his address. He tells his school boy friend in Scotland, after enumerat­ ing the places he had seen in Scot­ land, England, the United States and Canada "... and did I know that such a country as this existed, I would not have remained in either of the above-mentioned places or Scotland.” Wanted Scotsmen .In another letter he speaks of his wife and 10 children and of his son, "under my direction,” receiv­ ing a large consignment of goods purchased on both sides of the At­ lantic. He urged one friend to send Scotch settlers so that they could form a parish, and offered 10,000 acres of the company land at ■ 12 shilling and sixpence per acre, with the option of additional adjacent land. Soon after nis arrival in the Hur­ on Tract he wrote to Victor Dunlop M. P., Parliament, Kingston, regard­ ing the postal service, saying that a post office "is indispensible.” In the postscript he says: ‘‘One great griev­ ance subsists in the two petty post offices of this tract or London, road, viz: Though a person do deliver a letter to the courier, say, here, he, the postman, delivers the same m the next postoffice, where it must re­ main until, he comes on his next trip.” Inclosed in the books is a map dated 1854, showing the survey of the village of Francistown, which sprang up close to <Mr. McLeod’s home. It was the beginning of the Village of Exeter, of which it now forms the northern part. Great things were predicted for the vil­ lage. The provincial surveyor, J. McDonald, .states: “When the tune comes for the division of the Coun­ ty of Huron Francistown must from its position become the new county itown, as will readily, appear by a glance at the plan of the Huron Tract,” and inset in a map extend­ ing from Goderich to London and from ’Lake Huron to Stratford. There is no mention of Exeter, Marystown was the name applied to Lucan. Be­ side the map of Francistown he says "To the Town of Goderich 30 miles, to the Town of London 80 miles.” A whole block was set aside as the site for a market. .Elginfield, fre­ quently called by the older genera­ tion as Ryan’s Corners, was called by its present name. * Cost of Travel A sample of his expenses in July, I1855t may prove interesting, Where , he gives stage or car fare more complete examination makes it clear that single fare is charged. The stage fare from Francistown, to London was 8s 9d; cars to Wards­ ville, 5s 7£d and to Chatham, 4s 4£ pence. Conveyances on Talbot rd. 7s 3d. St. Thomas home (48 miles) 11c 3d. He examined lands in the western district, Euphemia, Dover, Chatham, and the north and north­ west part of townships from Chat­ ham to Sandwich. Guides cost him 17s 6d. Personal expenses for 20 days, including a few meals for guides and other refreshments at times, £8 16s 8d. In 1S60 he seized pump wood, etc for the company. He tells of legit­ imate sales, too, when an American Smith by name, purchased 1,000 logs of walnut from the inhabitants of Bosanquet, West Williams, McGilliv­ ray and West Stephen. The MciLeod store books tihrow interesting sidelights on the times. First, with respect to names, there are many that are intimately con­ nected and have been so for over 100 years, with the .progress of this part of Huron County. James Willis, of Usborne (the Willis family were here first); George Westcott, of Tucker­ smith and ^another George of the 2nd of Usborne, and William, of Usborne George Westcott, former reeve of Usboinie, is a grandson of the second named. There are numerous des­ cendants of the Stanlakes, ’Suttons, Snells, Sims, Salters, Sanders, Sweet Scotts and Smiths. Thomas Oke and John Oke were customers as were the Mitchells, and Murray, Murdocks Monroes and Moodys. WilliUm May of Usborne, has a namesake in the past chairman of Exeter’s Board of Education. Elijah Morgan’s name reminds us that Archie Morgan is Usborne’s clerk. At that early date there were several families of the Bissets and the Bells, while the Balkwills San claim James, of Us­ borne; Hugh, of Usborne; William, of Francistown; Richard of Stephen John Balkwill, Hugh’s son, of Us­ borne. Today William BUlkwill and his son William reside on John st., Exeter. Under the name Case there were John, Thomas, William and Joseph, The third man, buried in the Exeter Cemetery, was the grandfather of Ben Case, who resides a mile and a quarter to the north of Francistown. Of Isaac Carling, tanner, there are descendants in Exeter and a great grandson in London. John and, William Essery, of Stephen, and John, of Francistown, are represent­ ed today, Then there were many other names common here today.— Dicks, Fraynes, Fishers, Glavin, Green, Hawkins, Hodgins, Hustons, Hicks, Hedden, .Holman and Hand­ fords, Richard, John and William Johns. In 11 months, between December 9, 1843, to April lil, 1*845, the store bought 16 8 gallons of whiskey, costing in all £46 4c l^d., being about 2s 6d a gal. A few years later, at the change of currency to dollars and cents, the pound was at par, $4, or 20 cents to the shilling. 'The wh.skey was made in Stephen Twp. and evidently wholesaled ait 5 0 c. a gallon. A man with a yoke of oxen received 10 shillings a day, and in 1865 he hired a clerk. Thos. Rodger, at 50 cents a day “and found.” There have been repeated urging? at the meetings of the Huron County Council to have the history of the pioneer days and the activity of the Canada Company published in book form, while material it still available and should this be done, a writer would find in the McLeod books a veritable mine of “high grade ore.” STEPHEN COUNCIL "I’ve got a ihost wonderful family tree,” said the languid young man. "Really,” drawled the girl, "and what are you—the sap?” The Council of the Township con­ vened in the Town Hall, Crediton, on Monday, the 2nd day of May 1938 at 1 pan. All members were pres­ ent. 'The minutes of the previous regular meeting held on the 4th of April and the special meeting held on th 12th day of April were read and adopted. The Clerk read a letter he had received from the Department of Highways stating that on and after the 13th of April, the road lying easterly of the Blue Wafer Highway and known as the Town Line be tween the Township of iStephen and Hay and extending easterly to the westerly limit of the Township of Fullarton in the County of Perth, is assumed as The King’s Highway and to become vested in the Crown and under the control of the Depart­ ment of Highways. Moved by Mr. Edward Lamport and seconded by Mr. Thomas Love: That the 1938 Assessment Roll as filed with the Clerk .by the Assessor be accepted and that he <be paid his salary and postage amounting to $127.10 and that the Court of Re­ vision for hearing complaints against the Assessment Roll be held in the Town Hall, Crediton, on Thursday, the 26th day of May 1038, at 1 p.nu Carried. Moved by Mr. Edward Lamport I I PICOBAC pipe:; ' _______TOBACCO______ FOR A MILD,COOl. SMOKE and seconded by Mr. Edmund Shap- ton: That the following Pay-Sheets and Orders be passed: William Rollins, road 3, $6.38; Harold Turner, S.B. 19, $1.60; Har­ old Turner, road 19, $4.40; Joseph Regier road 11, $6.85; George Eil- ber, iSupt., salary for April $30.00; George Eilber, Supt., pay sheet, road 26, $10.50; George Eilber ditto rd. 8, $5.00; Peter Eisenbach, road 25, $64.94; George Eilber, Supt. pay sheet, road 6, $7.00; George Eilber, ditto, road 15, $2.00; George Eilber ditto, road 16, $3.50; George Eilber ditto, road 10, 44c.; Placide Des- jardine, road 16, $1.80; total $144.- 41. 'Orders—Dr. C. C. Misener, acct. !re Kinney and Appleton, $5.50; E. Guetfinger, acct, re Cockwill $9.60; Canadian Bank of Commerce, cash­ ing cheques $2.20; F. J. Wickwire, printing acct. $19.50; Municipal World, supplies $5.38; Charles Zwicker, lelief to Waghorn, $8.00; County Treasurer, Hospital acct, re Neven $2.60; Treasurer Township of Hay, Relief re Jackson $26.96; Wm. Kleinstiver, salary as Tax Col­ lector and postage $127.10. Carried The council adjourned to meet again for regular business -on the 26th of May 1938 at, 2 p.m. Herbert K. Eilber, Township Clerk Backache Bother You? It May Warn of Kidney Or Bladder Irregularities* take A Diuretic For The Kidney* Be Sure And Get DOAATf A T. MILBURN C0„ LTD, PRODVCT