The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1942-12-24, Page 1Subscription, $2.00 per yearEstablished 1873
GREETINGS
May you have a happy Christmas—and we
sincerely hope that 1943 will be much
brighter for us all.
We extend to all, our very
wishes for
A Merry Christmas
Jones & May
EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 24th, 1942
closed Boxing Day, Saturday, Dec. 26
Even though the past year has been one of
trouble^ and anxiety the Christmas Season
is here and we want to express again our
sincere appreciation of your friendship
towards us, and to wish you and yours the
very best.
J. A. TRAQUAIR
THANKS AND GREETINGS!
The officers and members of
the Exeter-Hensall. Branch No.
167 of the Canadian Legion wish
to extend our appreciation and
thanks to the public for their fine
cooperation in all our activities
during 1942.
We wish- you the compliments
of the season and trust that 1943
may be one of mutual benefit to
us all. May our war efforts be,
maintained and kept at the high
standard we have attained and
our service work for all men and
women in the Service he the best
wish We can give.
“They serve till death! Why
not we?”
R. E. Pooley, President
K. G. Clarke, Sec.-Treas.
Residents of Exeter and district
j reminded that Saturday' has
been proclaimed as Boxing Day in
Exeter, -Crediton and Hensail and
that all places of business will be closed, jjfhis me^ns that it will be
necessary today (Thursday) to se
cure enough provisions for a thrOe-
day holiday week-end. This, together
with last-minute Christmas shop
ping Will no -doubt mean ,an extra
busy day for all retailers, espec
ially those handling groceries and
provisions,
MRS, GEO. MAWSON,
FORMER EXETER LADY
DIED IN LONDON
Mrs. George Mawson, a resident
of Exeter for thirty years, died Sat'
urday at the home of her daugh
ter, Mrs. Elmore Tuckey, 17 Lynd
hurst Place, London, in her 74th
year, Mrs. -Mawson had been ill
for about six months with a heart
condition. Her maiden name was
Mary Alice Dauncey, Bprp In Grey
Township near Brussels, she was a
daughter of William Dauncey and
Margaret Bennett, Forty-five years
ago on Christmas day she was un
ited in marriage with Mr. Mawson,
Following her marriage she lived
near Parkhill and later near Cre-
diton before moving to Exeter. For
many years Mr, Mawson taught
school at Sexsmith and in Usborne.
Mrs. Mawson had resided for the
past few months with her only
daughter1 in London and was a mem
ber of 'Calvary United Church. Don
ald Tuckey is an only grandchild.
The funeral on Monday afternoon
took place from E, R. Hopper’s fun
eral chapel conducted by Rev, D.
McTavish, The bearers were B. W. F.
Beavers, Eli Coultis, B. M. Francis,
C. E. Tuckey, Richard Welsh and
F. J, WickwirA Interment took
place in the Exeter cemetery.
NARROW ESCAPE FOR
TORONTO AIRMAN-
WELL-KNOWN HERE
■ A special despatch from Montreal
to the Toronto Globe and Mail
Tuesday tells of the thrilling exper
ience of Harry Griffiths, of Toron
to, grandson -of the late James Hand
ford of Exeter; .
“A finger-tip grip on the edge of
his plane as he dangled 4,0'00 feet
above the ground, and the quick
witted thinking of the pilot, Capt.
John (Sid) Gerow of Wayzata, Minn.,
saved Harry Griffiths, .3 8 Sorouren
Avenue, Toronto,; 20-year-old mem
ber of the R.A.F, Ferry Command,
from almost certain death.
Capt. Gerow skilfully brought the
Boston fighter bomber, flying at 180
miles an hour, down within a few
feet of frozen Lake St. Louis, west
of Montreal, and Griffiths was able
to drop info the snowdrifts.
The young compass adjustor, rest
ing this morning at Ste. Anne de
Bellevue Hospital, close to the
scene of the almost miraculous-^es
cape,' .fell through, the emergency1
hatch when, the door suddenly flew'
open while* he was making compass
tests in the bow of the plane.
With his pilot, Griffiths had just
completed a test flight and was
heading back to headquarters at
Dorval airport near Montreal.
First inkling. 'Capt Gerow had
that something was amiss was a
gust of cold air flowing from the
front of the plane. Unable to con
tact Griffiths, Capt. Gerow cut the
engines to lose altitude and it was,
then lie heard Griffiths’- shouts.
When the plane was just skim
ming the surface, Griffith’s dropped.
He picked himself Up, and after
stumbling along for a distance, fell
unconscious and was removed to a
near-by farm house and then to the
hospital through the efforts of a
farmer Who witnessed the incident.
• He is suffering from frost-bitten
hands and shock.
Capt. Gerow related how he man-
(Continued on Page 4)
FAMOUS EXETER
PHYSICIAN PASSES
AWAY IN 100th YEAR
Single Copy, 5 cents
Dr. J. W. Browning
Dr. J. W. Browning, whose long
and useful life has elicited a nation
wide interest, passed peacefully
away at his home early Sunday
morning in his 100th year. Up un
til a week before his death Dr.
Browning had been daily at his of
fice, having continuously been in
practice in Exetei’ for over 75 years.
During the latter years he was
brought to his office in a wheeled
chair and was returned to his home
at night.
Dr. Browning was born in the
Glastonbury district of Somerset
shire, England, on November 21st.
1843, and came to Canada with his
parents at the age of two. He spent
his boyhood days in Markham where
his father was a watchmakei’ and
in whose store the telegraph office
was situated and operated by Dr.
Browning’s older sister. In his
early teens Dr. Browning mastered
the key while watching his sister
at work. Secretly he-learned the
Aicode and mastered it so complete-
.............. was
ago
Dr.
old-
was
MEMBERS NAMED TO
LOCAL RATION BOARD
■ Members of the local ration board
for Exeter and district, will 'hold their
inaugural meeting at -the Town
Hall, Exeter, December 30, at 8 p.m.,
states Benson W. Tuckey, chairman
of the Board. These members have
volunteered their services to Don
ald Gordon, chairman of the Wartime
Prices and Trade Board, as their
contribution to the national war
effort.
As rationing affects every man,
woman and child in the community,
local people with local knowledge
are now. empowered to handle lo
cal consumer rationing problems,
and the Board is now ready to deal
with these matters. It is further
ly that up until, the last he
proficient at it. Three years
■at the Edison Centennary
Browning was honored as the
est living telegrapher and he
presented with a gold key.
In his youth, although in
health, his ambition was to become
a doctor and at the age of 23 he
graduated from Victoria University
and at his death was the oldest liv
ing graduate froth that institution.
In 1866'he came to the Township of
Hay to open up a practice and the
following year, three days -after
Confederation, he hung out his
shingle in Exeter. Along with his
.practice he conducted a drug store
and this foi' a number of years has
been conducted by his son, Percy.
In his. early years he was a cease
less worker, in his office by day
and doing much of his travelling
by night. Night after night in all
kinds of weather, winter and "Sum
mer, Dr. Browning travelled many,
miles behind old dobbin and many
are the stories he could tell of hard
ships endured to bring aid to the
sick and the suffering. His was a
typical country practice and dur
ing his long years, to say that he has
brought over two thousand babies in
to the world, is underestimating,
rather than overestimating the num
ber. The conditions under which
many of those babies were brought
into the world in the early pioneer
ing days would make most interest
ing reading. As many as Tour gen
erations have come under the care
of Dr. Browning.
One son, Dr. William J. Browning,
owned and operated a very success
ful hospital in Minnesota and pre
deceased his father a few years ago.:
Surviving are three daughters,
Mrs. Mahaffy, of Red Deer, Alta.;
frail
wiin rnese matters. it is iurtner_«<>„„ Mrs. G. A. Hawkins, of Exeter anaJZniS; »>?• 9- H. Becker, oi New Hamburg;
for the handling of commercial or
institutional -ration problems.
Classes of instruction for these vol
unteers .have been held at most
points in Western Ontario by train
ed members of the Regional Wartime
Prices and Trade Board staff, who
outlined general board information
and discussed problems of consumer
rationing common to every com
munity.
People should remember that the
local ration beard is their own per
sonal board and has been set up to
assure'the local community of their fair share of all rationed'commodi-.
ties.
Members of the local board are as
follows: Benson W. Tuckey, chair
man; R. N. Creech, vice-cliair.man;
C. V. Pickard, secretary; Laird
Mickle, Mrs. R. Middle-toil, Archie
Morgan, tir. R. H. Taylor, H. K.
Eilber, G-. Armstrong, Mrs. R. E.
Russell.
and three sons, Dr. J. Harry Brown
ing, of London; Percy H.t at home,
and Earl B., of Kingston, Mrs.
Browning, whose maiden name was
Elizabeth McDonell, predeceased him
in April, 1931, Two grandsons are
serving with the Canadian armed
forces -Overseas, Lieut. Gail Brown
ing, with the Canadian Dental
Corps and Lieut. Bob Becker, with
the R.C.A.F.
V"X private funeral service was held
from E. R. Hopper’s funeral chappl
Tuesday afternoon conducted by
Rev. N. J. Woods of Main St. United
Church and assisted by Rev. J.
W. Down. His sons and members
of the family -acted as pallbearers.
Interment was In Exeter cemetery.
Mrs. J. G. Cochrane has been ill
for the past week in -St. Joseph’s
Hospital, London. Hex’ many friends
will hope for her speedy recovery,
Ghmtmafo 1942
Joy# glad joy# there is in Christendom this
Christmas-tide. Our nation has not lost its soul.
Her sons leave business and home with glad
hearts to meet a foe whose triumph would mean
the loss of all worth living for. Sisters and
sweethearts and mothers take up the duties the
sturdy manhood of our broad land were proud
to perform? Business men carry on amid diffi*
eulties unprecedented in our history. Rationing
of many necessities is accepted with gladness
when by so doing the battles of freedom may be
the better fought. Every post is heavy with mes
sages of hope centred in Him whose life is the
light of the world, Heaven is seen to be as near
by sea and in the hitherto unexplored heights,
as by the solid land. The brave and duty-doing
are known to belong to the ages. While we do
not hear the beating of angel’s wings nor hear
their glorious antheming, we know that the
Unseen is the real and in this knowledge Christ
endom finds her Christmas joy,
—Rey, James Anthony, M.A.
LOCAL CITIZENS
OPEN SUBSCRIPTIONS
TO RUSSIAN RELIEF
In recognition of the magnificent
fighting spirit of the Russian Army,
and of the untold -suffering of the
women ana children of that country,
and of the fact that we in Canada are
in much more favorable position than
we would have been but for the
great effort of the Russian people,
we deem it but just and right,that
the people of Exeter and District
should join the rest of Canada in a
real effort to raise $1,000,000 for
Russian Relief. Please acknowledge
that you owe much to Russia by
making a really generous effort to
help this fund. Contributions to
the fund may be deducted from your
income tax in the same way as con
tributions to the Red Gross. All
contributions will be acknowledged
in the Times-Advocate and you will
be sent an official receipt from To
ronto for all amounts of $5.00 or;
more. This appeal is being spon-1
sored by the president, treasurer and
secretary of the Exeter and .District
War Time Committee until such
time as a meeting of the Committee
will be asked to endorse their ac
tion. Make contributions to Pre
sident Dr. R. H. Taylor, Dashwood,
Treasurer D. C. Size, or Secretary
R. N. Creech, Exeter. They will
save you a temporary receipt for
the. amount of your donation,’ no
matter how large or small. Smaller
amounts will be just as thankfully
received as • larger ones—but the
sponsors simply ask you to give ac
cording to your ability.
The following contributions are
acknowledged to date:
Dr. R. H. Taylor ...........$1'0.00
R. N. Creech ..............:.. 10.00
D. C. Size .................... 5.00
Lebanon Masonic Lodge ... 10.00
Mrs. R. N. Creech .’....... 5.0'0
J. M. Southcott ............ 10.00
Fred A. May .................. 1’0.00
T. O. Southcott ............,. 5.00
H. O. Southcott ’...;........ 5.00'
Ulric Snell .................... 5.00
A. O. Elliot .................... 5.00
James Hembly ................ 2.00
•Miss McAnsh ................... 1.00
GLEDHILL RESIDENCE
THREATENED BY FIRE
What might have been a serious
fire had it got a few minutes’ more
start, took place at the new house
belonging to J. W. Hern, corner of
William and Sanders streets, at pre
sent occupied by Wing Commander
J. W. and Mrs. Gledhill. Fire, was
discovered at daybreak Monday
morning in the cellar just beneath
the fireplace in which a fire had
been burning the previous night,
few pails of water _ ’ .
ered the flames. It was a close
„ - A
quickly smoth-
call.
Congratulations to Mr. and
Richard Davey, of Centralia,
on Monday,* December 28, Will ob
serve them 50 th wedding anniversary.
Mi’S,
wlio
With nominations only a few days
away there is very little stir in muni
cipal politics. We understand that
Reeve B. W. Tuckey is definitely in
the field for re-election and will
be in the running for the Warden
ship of Huron County if returned to
office.
Skating at the rink has been
well patronized during the past
Week. The ice is in good condition.
The Air Force trumpet band from
No. 9 S.F.T.S. visited the rink on
Monday evening and forming up on
the ice, played for about fifteen min
utes. This was followed later by
several selections from the newly-
organized pipe band’ from the same
station, all of which was greatly
appreciated. The hockey team from
No. 9 has been doing some practis
ing, getting ready to meet Seaforth
in that town on Tuesday evening
LOSERS PROVIDE
CHICKEN DINNER
FOR EXETER LIONS
It was a chicken -dinnerIt was a chicken -dinner for the
Exeter Lions Club at the semi
monthly meeting in Trivitt parish
hall last Friday evening. The win-;
ning two teams in the selling of
tickets for the Lions Club frolic
were feted by the two losing teams.
Lion Jake Sweitzer was toasted for
selling the greatest number of tick
ets and Lion Ulric Snell, as chairman
of the winning team. It was a
sumptuous dinner put up by the la
dies with pumpkin -pie hnd whip
ped cream for dessert. Lion presi
dent Dr. Dunlop was in the chair.
It was decided to sponsor hockey
for the juveniles at the Exeter Ar
ena Saturday mornings with Prin
cipal Waghorn of the public school
in charge. It was also -decided to
loan the Lions iClub sweaters to the
local team in the Cyclone League
should -one be organized. The com
mittee appointed to consider a
Christmas entertainment for the
children reported that with the scar
city of confections ’the entertainment
be dropped for this year. It was
decided to hold ladies’ night about
the middle of January if *a suitable’
place could be secured to accommo
date the increased number.. Lions
E. R.'Hopper, Les. Robertson, Har
old Sturgis, Gordon Lamport and.
J. M. Southcott were appointed a
committee to .make the necessary
arrangements. Dr. Harry Seldon, of
the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.,
who iS holidaying with his parents,
was welcomed to the meeting. Dr.
Seldon complimented the club on the
Work Lionism is doing. He spoke
of Premier- Mackenzie King’s recent
visit to the United States and of his
broadcast to the nation* of Canada’s
war effort. He -also told of the in
creased work the Mayo Clinic is
doing in giving additional courses
to doctors connected with the fight
ing forces, of the number of doctors
who have left the Mayo Clinic to
enter the service and of the increas
ed -duties of the present staff.
-FROM -
|yO 0 SERVICE FLYING TRAINING SCHOOt
This is the day before Christmas
and everyone here at the Airport
realizes it full well. Those who
were fortunate enough to have their
holiday’s leave at Christmas are
using every available means
transportation to speed -them.
of
on
their way to their homes and loved
ones. On the other hand there are
large groups whose duties are
keeping them at their posts, during
Christmas and they can
their New Year’s holiday.
As we write we can see
in a hundred and One
homes. Many people will be seeing
tlieir families for the first time in
many months, and What a joyous
time they will have -talking over
their varied experiences and plans
for the future.
Yes, iChristmas is truly a great
period of the year. When one is
loo old to enjoy Christmas and all
that it means, life holds very little
for that person,
us -how much more
is when it
others.
Our wish
this district
a nierry Christmas
year ahead may see
the end of this world struggle so that
we all may return to our homes and
families and turn our thoughts once
more to the arts of peace.
(Continued on Page Three)
think of
reunions
different
is lived
Christmas shows
worthwhile life
in service for
for all
is that
our friends in
you may have
and that the
a hastening of