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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1953-09-24, Page 2Page 2 THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 24, 1953 - .. .. . J!....! L .unm n. . . ,, . . j|., . ... ----—. — - ffV .... .-.I., ' T*.*!'-T?!"1*"'*"1111”!,1!' ! ■' .. ! . This journal shall always fight for progress, reform and public welfare, never be afraid to at­ tack wrong, never belong to any political party, never be satisfied with merely printing news. THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 24, 1953 Time For Action Town Will Expect Active Ice Season Good Day Congratulations to Group Captain W. W. Bean, O.B.E., C.D., commanding officer of RCAF Station Centralia, and to the -station personnel for the excellent display they pre­ pared for the public on Air Force Day. Although rain hampered Saturday’s ac­ tivities, the crowd was relatively large and definitely pleased with the program. It was well-staged and showed considerable effort and planning. We thought the air show was the best we had seen, even though we had to con­ stantly wipe the rain from our glasses. The fact that so many braved the elements to watch the exciting aerobatics indicated the quality of the flying exhibition and the in­ terest in the RCAF’s prowess in the air. We also thought the indoor displays were excellent; they showed much talent and* imagination and proved a colorful cross­ section of the activities on the Station. Everything considered, RCAF Station Centralia’s “fall fair’’ was tops. There To Assist Last week’s zone recreational confer­ ence in Exeter indicates growing interest in leisure time activity. This new organization, including towns in Huron, Perth, Bruce and •Grey counties, is striving to promote inter­ community cooperation in the recreational field by which all towns will benefit. The fundamental service which recrea­ tional councils offer is that of financial and leadership help to people who desire to take part in some avocation, be it sports, hobbies, crafts or entertainment. Persons interested in these activities should seek assistance from their council. Common Ailment The St. Marys Journal-Argus expresses a common ailment in able terms: It almost seems old-fashioned to urge the enforcement of a by-law concerning the riding of bicycles on the sidewalks, but if some action is not taken periodically many of our teen-age bicyclists will apparently come to feel that tjiey have equal rights on the sidewalks with pedestrians. We know that bicycling is a dangerous business on the roads these days but the law is there and it is still a sensible one—and bicycle riding on the sidewalks is not with­ out dangers to pedestrians. Sport enthusiasts in Exeter should start shuffling their feet in preparation for the coming ice season. The thousands of dollars spent to re­ novate the arena, install artificial ice and trap rock floor must be justified. Town and district will expect plenty of activity in this, the first full season with the new facilities. Main concern, of course., is the town’s hockey entry in the Cyclone league. Efforts to organize a club are being made and the support of all fans, young and all, is ne­ cessary. Similarly, leadership and assistance is needed in the minor sports program which must be active if a hockey future is to be assured. Parents should be interested, too, in the formation of a figure skating ^plub so that girls may take advantage of the facilities. Operation costs of the arena are high and a good promotion plan is required to meet the heayy expenditures. The community centres board, the to w i council and the recreational council should be concerned with arena activities now. School Safety We’re still concerned, as many parents must be, with the safety of young public school students who must cross Main Street on their way to and from school every day. The traffic hazard is great, and we must consider ourselves lucky that so few have been injured in the past. Because we have been lucky, however, is no reason to neglect the safety measures which can be taken to eliminate the dangers. Council has aided the situation by au­ thorizing warning signs for the Victoria street crossing. This could be abetted by periodic appearances of police at stategic corners to enforce the regulations. Another excellent measure is the organ­ ization of safety patrols, which the school has conducted in the past. This activity im­ presses on the children the need for caution. One school safety program, which has been popular throughout the province, is “Elmer the Safety Elephant”. It has proved its effectiveness many times. This same problem exists in other com­ munities, particularly smaller ones like our own. In the cities there is very little toler­ ance of bicycles on the sidewalks. Regular cautioning by the police, parents and school authorities will help control these bad bi­ cycle manners. YOU Could Be Killed yo w time • not your life! = Getting where you’re going in a hurry, isn’t nearly as important | as getting there in one piece. i And we prefer thinking of you as a warm-blooded person rather f than a cold, harsh accident “statistic”. | Hence we say, think twice as you drive this fall and winter! = Think twice before you get behind the wheel of your car . . . | think twice while you’re driving . . . and think twice about the other driver | who wants to live, too! | DRIVE CAREFULLY . . . the life you save may be your own! Time* Established 1878 Amalgamated 1924 Advocate Established 1881 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Ah Independent Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of the Town of Exeter and District Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa Member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association Member of the Ontario-Quebec Division of the CfWNA Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation 6 Paid-;n-Advance Circulation as of March, 1953 —■- 2,494 SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada, in advance, $3.00 a year — United States, in advance, $4.00 a year Single Copies 7fl Each Melvin Southcott - Publishers - Robert Southcott THE OLD HOME TOWN ....... By STANLEY liiiiiiiiiHiiiiaiiiiiuiiiiitiiiHiHiHiinutiuiiiiiiiiinHiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiniiii As the "TIMES" Go By iiiiiiitiitiiiUHiiniiiitHUiiiiniitiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiliiiiiliHitiiiHitHnieiuui 50 YEARS AGO The death is announced in In­ gersoll of Rev. Solomon Peter Hale, a well-known colored mini­ ster who has made frequent visits to Exeter in the days gone by. He was believed to be 8 8 years of age. His early years were silent in slavery. The house of refuge commit­ tee of County Council met at Clinton to consider the enlarge­ ment of the house to accomodate the increasing number of resi­ dents. Plans for a 40 by 60-foot addition will be presented at a future meeting. On Wednesday afternoon the fin© barn belonging to Mr. Wil­ liam Penhale, was totally de­ stroyed by fire. Threshing opera­ tions were going on when the fire was discovered. It is be­ lieved to have been smouldering for some time. Two thousand bushels of grain and all the ma­ chinery were lost. Most of the stock was saved. The fall and winter millinery season has opened and the finest collection of Paris and New York fashions were displayed in the various show rooms of Exeter during the week. 25 YEARS AGO In spite of the fact that every attempt was made.to guard the crop of Mr. James Horne, south of Winchelsea, the Gorvett threshing machine has again been wrecked by the placing of a sulky rake tooth wrapped in canvas, into one of the sheaves. It evaded the threshers and went through the machine breaking the concaves. Seven young people from Lon­ don were seriously injured three and a half miles south of Exeter while returning from Grand Bend to London. Fine weather which prevailed for Exeter Fair, brought out a crowd which packed the grounds and buildings. The livestock ex­ hibits were above the average. The pennant for the Huron County baseball league was won from Clinton by Exeter in a sen­ sational finish on Friday evening when Exeter broke a 3-3 tie in the last inning with two men down. New Fire Range A new firefighting range where the fighters at RCAF Station, Clinton, practice new techniques recently has been opened. The area of 40,400 square feet has facilities for practice in extin­ guishing all types of fires. One concrete pit 20x10 feet and one foot deep is used to train new firefighters against oil or gas fires. Another pit ten feet each way is used to practice pumping technique and for testing new equipment. The pit, full of water, can be emptied in a few seconds by modern firefighting equip­ ment. A mock-up of an aircraft will be introduced at a later date so practice can be had in extinguish­ ing this type of fire. (Clinton News-Record) Staffa Creamery Wins At the Canadian National Ex­ hibition Staffa Creamery carried off high honors, winning first prize for July-August creamery solids; second prize for creamery prints and third prize for June creamery solids as well as two special prizes for best finished solids. (Mitchell Advocate) Distribute Fund The St. Marys Tornado Ftihd, Which Was subscribed to. by local and district citizens to the extent of ovef $5,000 is to be distribut­ ed to tornado victims within the bounds of St. Marys High School District sometime this fall it Is expected. It is anticipated by those in charge that a Provincial Government grant will apply to The canning factory this week shipped a large order of peas to France. 15 YEARS AGO The inauguratal meeting of the Exeter Chapter O.E.S. was held in the town hall September 16. Many distinguished guests were present for the initiation of 21 charter members and the in­ stallation of Mrs. Ida Sanders as W.M., Mr. E. M. Dignan, W.P., and their corps of officers. Rev. Ernest Grigg is home on furlough from Burma and is visiting his sister, Miss Mary Grigg, and niece, Miss K. Mac- Faul. He has served as mission­ ary of the American Baptist For­ eign Missionary Society for ’ 45 years. Mrs. Joseph Senior, a life-long resident of this community, died in her seventy-fifth year. Mr. Grafton Cochrane, a grad­ uate of Western University, left this week to attend Osgoode Hall in Toronto. Mr. and Mrs. George Hicks of Centralia celebrated their silver wedding anniversary on Septem­ ber 17. IO YEARS AGO At a joint meeting of the pub­ lic school staff and the ministers of the village, arrangements were made for the teaching of relig­ ious knowledge in all grades of the school this year. Word has been received that Jack Johns, son of Mrs. John Johns, formerly of Elimville, has arrived overseas. He is a mem­ ber of the Queen’s Own, Toronto. Lieut. Ted Taman of Listowel, member of the 100th Battery, RCA, for the past year, has re­ ported to Military District No. 1 Headquarters, London. He ex­ pects to be sent to Brockville for a training course before being posted for duty with the Army Pay Corps. Mrs. C. H. Sanders, Mrs. Jack Green, Mrs. J. A. Traquair, Mrs. John Ferguson and Mrs. M. Tel- fer, of Parkhill, are attending the Eastern Star convention at the Royal York in Toronto. The district’s objective in the Salvation Army Home Front campaign is $500. ■IU41I411I Illi II11 tl HI III I 111 Iil II IIIKIII1HItjlll||||l||l||11l|j|tltl*|llllllllllll’IIIIIHIIi miiiiiiiiiiiiitiitiiutiiHiiiftifiiiiiittiiiiniiiMitiiiiniiitiHitiiiittittiiiiiiimiiiii News From Our NEIGHBORS this fund as has applied to simi­ lar other funds in Western On­ tario. The trustees of the fund, made up of several local men and. a committee of reeves from neighboring townships, are hope­ ful of getting the fund in readi­ ness for distribution in the' near future. (St. Marys Journal-Argus) Seaforth Captain Ted Scott, captain of the stOrm-tossed dredge, Howard M. Jr., which was towed to safety Monday in Lake Superior, is a former Seaforth man. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Scott and a brother of Miss Jean Scott, who live on No. 8 High­ way, one mile west of here. Six men of the 15-man crew were rescued Friday evening, but it was nbt until Sunday morning that the coast-guard cutter Mack­ inaw rescued the nine remaining men. The dredge was reported safe­ ly in tow, although waves were reported to be 35 feet high dur­ ing the gale, causing the towline to break and making rescue work hazardous. (Huron Expositor) Wants To Bo Village The Police Village of Lambeth has made application to Middle­ sex County Council to be incor­ porated as a village. This would entitle them to have a reeve rep­ resent them at County Council. For municipal affairs they would have a stronger Voice since local business would be in the hands of a reeve and four councillors. At present, Lambeth is a part of Jottings By J.M.S. Many Changes In Samwell Block I have just been perusing the Historical Atlas of Huron County published by JI. Belton & Co. in 1879. In it is a picture of the building in which the Tinies and later The Times-Advocate has been published ever since I can remember. The picture shows the building was occupied by S. E. Jones, jeweller, and shows a clock near the top of the second storey. There are curtains at the second storey window indicating that the building was used both as a store >and a dwelling. The Atlas also contains a pic­ ture of the Samwell block, an im­ posing structure, of three sepa­ rate stores, known in recent years as Jones & May. While the lower part of the building has been modernized I stepped out of the office to see if there was a resemblance in the top storey and it is almost identical except that a few ornaments at the top of each store have been removed. At the same time the picture was drawn the north store was occupied by Samwell & Pickard, dealers in dry goods, groceries, hats and caps. Clothing and mil­ linery were manufactured in the building. George Samwell and Richard Pickard were at one time em­ ployees of James Pickard, pioneer merchant who owned most of the property east of Main street and who in the early years did a flourishing business catering to all the demands of an agricultur­ al community, but -who in the end placed his busineess in the hands of a receivership. Large Tailor Shop In the early days, dress-mak­ ing, tailoring and millinery were associated with a dry goods store and Samwell and Pickard em­ ployed as many as 22, both men and women, in the tailoring de­ partment. The tailor-shop was in the second storey of a building that was situated at the rear and later became a warehouse. The millinery department was on the second floor of the main build­ ing. Special showings of the mil­ liner’s art were displayed each season of the year and was quite an event. Mr. Richard Seldon, father of R. G. Seldon, had charge of the dry goods department. The second store in the Sam­ well block was occupied as a hardware store with the Masonic Hall on the second story. The store now occupied by J. If. Jones Groceries whs at that time the Exchange Bank of Can­ ada with W. A- Hastings as man­ ager of the Exeter Branch. In time the two stores at the north were taken over by E, J, Spackman, who also served his apprenticeship with James Pic­ kard. One store was used for dry goods and the other for groceries, boots and shoes. An archway formed communication between the two stores. All kinds of farm produce was taken in exchange for merchandise. A sign painted in 1899 is still visible on the north side of the building. Mr. Spackman was a successful busi­ nessman and sent his son John to Germany to study music. Bank Became Hardware The Exchange Bank goes back past my recollections and as I remember the store it was used as a hardware by Mr. Hugh Spackman and latei’ by Mr. B, W. F. Beavers. Mr. George An­ derson, a well-known athlete and ball player, was tinsmith. In 19 05, Mr. J. G. Jones, who conducted a store at Winchelsea, purchased the business from Mr. Spackman, and when the Sam- well’s estate was wound up, pur­ chased the block for the sum o'f $5,000. Mr. Jones was a master in the art of human relationships. He had a greeting for all his cus­ tomers, and as it was a truly family store where neighbor met neighbor, he knew all his cus­ tomers, their families and their trials and tribulations and took a personal interest in seeing that they were well looked after. After this cordial greeting he usually turned the customer over to on© of the clerks. In 1910, Mr. Jones was joined by his nephew, William May, of Mitchell, and a few years later by another nephew, Fred A. May. One of the clerks, James Wal­ ters, will long b© remembered by the older citizens. He was in charge of the gents’ furnishings and the boots and shoes. He had a selling technique all his own that was not in accord with present day merchandising, Jim­ my gave every customer the Im­ pression that he was giving him a bargain. “You being a good customer I’m going to let you have this at so much less” was his familiar line. One of his super-salesman tricks was to show the customer the price mark on the article, look around to see that no one was looking, rub out the price and substitute a lower price and the customer would go away feeling he had made a good purchase. Many of his customers wer© not hoodwinked but liked his line just the same. Enjoyed Eating Born in England, he and his brother Alfred came to this country in the early years of settlement. Alfred conducted a hotel at Devon corners before coming to Exeter as a shoemaker. Both were fairly corpulent men and one of Jimmy’s failings was a hearty lunch. A couple of choice, juicy ducks after the store closed Saturdays at mid­ night were often shared by Wil­ liam May during his early years at the store. Mr. Walters enjoyed a good steak and had a knack for get­ ting it. He was first at the store to open up in the mornings and was just as prompt at quitting time. After the other clerks ar­ rived he would go to the butcher shop and order his steak. When the butcher in cutting the meat came to the choice cut ordered by Mr. Walters he would save it for him. In addition to a salesman Mr. Walters had a reputation as a good buyer and occasionally went off on a purchasing trip and usually managed to make the trip worth while. He had one weak­ ness, however, and on such oc­ casions imbibed too freely. In conjunction with the dry goods and grocery business, Mr. Jones operated a seed cleaning plant which was the forerunner of the Jones, MacNaughton Seed Co. The plant was in the building now occupied by Buswell's Fam­ ily Footwear, the shoe businesss having been taken over from Jones & May. Namesake In California Famous For (ED. NOTE — Exeter council recently received a promotional brochure from the town’s name­ sake in California. Description of Vineyards with a total storage capacity of 2,300 cars of fruit under refrig­ eration. Many Packing Plants the city is reproduced here.) Exeter is a small modern city, located in California’s famous “Garden of the Sun’’, the San Joaquin Valley, midway between Los Angeles'and San Francisco, near the foothills of Tulare With 33 packing houses in the Exeter district, the harvest of perishable fruit is handled quick­ ly and scientifically, speeding the fruit to the markets of the world in prime condition, furnishing labor for hundreds of people practically the year around in this diversified area. County. It is a city having wide streets and spacious lawns; the muni­ cipality has carried out the well- laid plans of its founders, with the idea of beauty combined with utility. It is located at the foot of the magnificent Sierra Nevada range midst green vineyards and orange groves. Its parks, playgrounds, and other facilities provide recreation for young and old. Schools are modern and well-equipped. The high school group of seven build­ ings on a ten-acre plot, also con­ taining football field, tennis and handball courts and swimming pool, is a school second to none in any union high school district. Famous Grape Exeter is known for the fam- 1 ous Emperor Grape, which grows I most successfully in the district, but hundreds of cars of many other varieties are also grown, packed and shipped all over the world. Peach and plum orchards pro­ duce about 9,000 tons of high grade fruit a year. Early table varieties, ripen in May and can­ ning peaches a little later. Figs are an important crop, the fruit being shipped both fresh and canned. The district is also known for its early season oranges, where Navels and Valen­ cias are both grown on some 6,000 acres. Exeter is fast becoming known as the largest pre-cooling and storage centre in the Valley, now having 19 units of cold storage The Friant-Kern Canal, a unit of the Central Valley Project, flows through the district. The project just completed features the .greatest mass transfer of water ever attempted by man. Beef cattle are fattened on sci­ entific formulas, supplemented by the natural feed in the pastures of the foothill range east of the city and form a very important factor in the financial growth of the city. Heavy Industry, Too Heavy industry is represented in Exeter by a modern foundry, an irrigation gate and valve plant, and other items using cast­ ings as basic materials. Concrete pipe, brick and tile manufactur­ ing plants, a dried fruit dehydra­ tor, a sawmill, and a tungsten mine and mill are also located near Exeter. During the past few years, there has been increasing interest in winter sports in the moun­ tains. Excellent skiing, toboggan­ ing and skating now are being enjoyed by thousands during the open season. Pack trips into the higher mountains, away from the roads, are a favorite recreation. Huron County Crop Report By H. R. BAKER Recent rains have hastened the sowing of fall wheat and assisted greatly in the ease of ploughing and cultivation. As yet only a small percentage of the fall wheat is sown. Fall pastures which were pre­ viously quite dry have also been increased by the recent rain. In th© cash crop areas the har­ vest of beans has been the ordei’ of the day and fairly high yields have been reported, even though the hot spell of two weeks ago hastened the harvest. All corn crops have been mak­ ing excellent growth and high yields are anticipated. “Isn’t there a smarter assist­ ant available to serve me?” “No madam—th© smarter as­ sistants saw you coming.’’ Maclean’s Magazine the Township of Westminster. (Parkhill Gazette) Highway Work Starts Construction of 36 culverts has commenced on No. 8 Highway be­ tween Seaforth and Clinton by the Looby & Looby Construction Company, of Dublin. But due to the shortage of steel, work will be slowed until October 1. Completion of the work is not expected until next year. Dinsmore Construction Com­ pany, of Chatham and Windsor, are expected to start grading the highway this week. (Seaforth News) Sold Farm Mr. Herb Desjardirfe has sold his fine farm on the Babylon Line to Mr. Junior Merner who will receive possession in the hear future. Mr. and Mrs. Des- jardine will be moving to Zurich where they have commenced erecting a new residence, and when completed will move there­ in. (Zurich Herald) GIRL GUIDES SPEND WEEK IN NEW YORK — Following a tour of the U.S., 47 Girl Guides, representing countries all over Europe, participated in the Girl Scouts “World Friend­ ship Week”, held in New York. One of the highlights of their stay in the “big city” Whs-a tour of the United Nations con­ ducted by Mr. Benjamin Cohen (right), assistant secretary­ general of the world organization. —-C.P.C.