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Clinton News-Record, 1974-09-19, Page 4In Canada's pioneer period, the dangers the average Canadian faced Were much more personal and Individual than they are 4oday, A pioneer could perish by being lost in the forest, by freezing to death in a blizzard, or he could face extinction when living con- ditions deprived him of sufficient food, clothing and the necessary warmth to sustain life, Today we have little to fear from such threats to our physical well-being, thanks to the creature comforts, which are primarily the result of mankind's technological progress in the past cen- tury. Yet, ironically, we suffer from the by-products (as we might describe them) of our industrial progress. Apparently, every technological advance is accom- panied by a new threat to our safety and well-being. More cars and speedier ones increase the incidence of death from ac- cidents. A man in a pioneer woodland was less likely to face extinction from a dangerously enraged bear than his modern counterpart does in trying to cross a street in the face of swift motor traffic. Even in his bed, man isn't safe. Recen- tly developed petro-chemicals, like the urethene foam, commonly used to stuff mattresses and sofas, when accidentally ignited gives off hydrogen cyanide, the . gas of the Hitler death camps. Even our cup of tea can induce lead poisoning from water boiled in .lead,spIdered tea kettles, These are the dramatic exam- ples. Yet their effects are minimal in comparison to the increasingly widespread air pollution from industry, the threat of dangerous radiation from nuclear fallout, pollution of seas, rivers and lakes from chemical wastes which pose threats, not only to mankind, but also to animal, plant and bird life. Moreover, these modern dangers are not the individual ones which the early pioneer, by taking care, could probably evade. These modern threats to our well- being cannot be resolved as individuals but only through group action — first on a community basis — in other instances, as through radiation threat, through in- ternational action and co-operation. It is important to remember that we are much more dependent today upon one another than earlier mankind ever was. (Con- tributed) Sugar and Spice/By Bill Smiley PAGE ERICH NEWS-RECORD, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1974 :Editorial Comment Mow Our threats are mass ones Celebrations not needed ITIIE CLINTON NEW ERA Established 1865 Wienber, Canadian Community Plemipaper Association HUB OF HURON COUNTY Amalgamated 1924 Published NMI Thursday at Clinton, Ontario Editor - Jamas E. Fitzgerald General Manager, J. Howard Aitken Second Class Mail registration no. 0017 THE HURON NEWS-RECORD Established 1881 Member, °night", Wieldy Newspaper Aleedation „SHE bf ItADAII IN GAP:AbA" cliri CN A How I love September The Jack Scott Column MI From our early files . . . • • C • The way to youth If I were a young fellow, star- ting all over again, I would try to finagle myself into a job where I could take my holidays in September, preferably stret- ching them to about the middle of October. These are the golden months, in this country. I know. I've lived here longer than I care to remember. October is beautiful, but September is bountiful, beneficent and blessed by a Higher Power, And I don't mean the Hydro. The other so-called summer months are a pain in the arm. June is hot and humid and mosquitoes. July and August are impossible: stifling when you're trying to sleep, or raining when you're trying to camp. November is fit only for Remembrance Day, when even the birds weep because the overhead (clouds) is so low they can't even fly. December is a hectic, com- mercialized mess, when you don't know whether you're going to have a "green" Christ- mas, meaning dirty and sloppy and slushy, or a "white" Christmas, meaning up to your navel in snow. January is a long, forbidding month, something like a long, forbidding school teacher, with a drip on his nose, frozen, It promises nothing, threatens much. February is shorter, but sneakier. It snows and snows and it gets colder and colder. And you get the 'flu and you get sickening cards from friends who have gone south for the winter. January and February, un- married, spawn March, which is like something illegitimate borne by a drab in a ditch. Oc- casionally it turns out to be a beautiful child, but nine times out of ten, it is retarded. April. Browning, writing from Italy, said: "Oh to be in England, now that April's there." Maybe England. But another poet, T.S. Eliot, must have been referring to Canada when he said: "April is the cruellest month." There's not much snow left, except in the woods and shadowed corners, but that's about all you can say about it. • Then, as most of us know, comes May. Ah, May, the burgeoning of Spring, the little tender shoots coming out on the trees, the sun warming up, the trout running, summer just around the corner. Girls who have been named May must be very capricious. May can be glorious, warm, a thawing of the frozen Canadian soul, a realization that you have once again got through a Canadian winter without com- mitting suicide. This year, May showed her other side. I know a place not too far away where anglers, on opening day, were casting 'their lures onto a thick skin of ice, not water. And the trout were running, alright. Right under- neath the ice. There is no evidence that any of them smashed up through the ice to snatch at a lure. This year, even the crows had a phlegmy rasp in their throats when they cawed. Well, that about takes care of the Canadian calendar. I've already dealt with the so-called "summer" months. Tourists and mosquitoes in about equal proportions. The tourists get their blood sucked, and the mosquitoes suck our blood. If I had to choose between a tourist,• who kicked sand in my face at the beach, tail-gated me on the highway, and crowded me off the golf course, and a mosquito, who merely wanted a quiet four ounces of my blood, I'd have a hard time choosing. That leaves only September and October. No tourists, no mosquitoes, no snow. Just yellow sunshine, a bountiful larder of the harvest, warm days, cool nights when sleep is deep and sweet. Everything is green, still, in September. can ,,visualize, a fishing camp, good food,' a chilly swim, a fire and sweaters, good conversation with good friends, a game of chess, early to bed and up early for a try at the fish, some books, no telephone, no wife, no kids. If this sounds like male chauvinism, it is. This is perhaps one of the things the more strident feminists in our midst absor- bed, Once in a while he must get away from his woman. He's not trying to prove his manhood or anything psychological like that. He's merely trying to save his sanity. He's sick, right to the heart, of hearing what Mabel said to Marjorie and what Marjorie is going to do about Jack, who drinks too much, and what Mabel is going to do about her kid, who is smoking pot, Maybe I'm a male chauvanist, but I'm not a pig. I've changed diapers, done dishes, scrubbed floors, fed babbies, fong before Women's Lib became fashionable. But once in a while I have to get away from my woman, with the other braves, and exchange male fopperies, foolishness and far-out stories. Today we take a sauna bath. I'll bet that a hundred years ago. Bull-With-The Buffalb's- Bum and Sneaky-With-The- Beaver took off for a month's hunting and fishing when they could no longer stand Myrtle White-Father and Mary Six- Babies gossiping about their babbles. And I'll bet they took it in September, Another way to liven up a dying soiree is to pose the question: "Do children keep you young or age you prematurely?, This worked diit rather welt at our place the other night. While we were unable to in- duce actual fisticuffs, some of the participants were moved to take arbitrary, unreasonable positions, which is the joy of argument, and a husband and wife left glaring at each other. So the evening was not entirely lost. Anyway, you'll quickly find some good red meat on the bones of the subject, though what can be done about it, short of infanticide, is another matter. The argument in favor ,of children as a means of combat- ting their parents' age centres, of course, on the supposition that some of the zest and ideas of youth will naturally be tran- sferred, like lint, to the lapels 10 YEARS AGO Sept. 17, 1964 Fred McClymont of Varna walked away from this year's Western Fair at London with a wide range of honours in the agriculture division. The classes in which he was judged winner were small white beans, white oval potatoes early. and late and many others. Representatives from the Clinton Kinsmen Club, Clinton Lions Club and Canadian Legion Branch 140 told coun- cillors and Mayor W.J. Miller that there should be a new arena built as the old one on Mary Street is about ready to collapse. Mr. and Mrs. William Lobb gave a surprise party in honour of the former's parents 45th wedding anniversary. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lobb were married Sept. 9, 1919. The grain harvest in Clinton is about complete as a result of the good weather during the past two weeks. The torn crop in many localities suffered frost damage the past several nights and the quality of corn - as a result - may be greatly reduced. Bryan Fink of Hensall was given an award by Labatts. The award was for a "musky" he caught at North Bay, The 51- inch-long fish weighed in at 32 1 /2 pounds and was the largest reported caught in that area for two years, hayfield Harbour is being dredged with an estimate of 21,000 cubic yards of silt to be removed, This would bring the depth to a uniform seven feet and would provide adequate of those who are constantly ex- posed to it. This supposition may seem sheer lunacy to parents in- ie 2 feedings or Vise who may have it Sniall son or daughter going through the teething period. But generally speaking it is true. As a father of three I found that a number of pur- suits I enjoyed would not be things I'd normally do unless I could savor, by proximity, the response of my kids. • Going to the zoo, for exam- ple, or attending the circus or building a monumental sand castle on the beach in summer or flying a kite were not oc- cupations that might interest me too much could I not share them with the young. This, of course, can be carried to ludicruous extremes. Mothers who dress up in rib- bons and bows to match the costumes of their small water depth for commercial fishing tugs and pleasure craft. . Ephriam Snell and son of Clinton, placed well in many classes of sheep judged at the Western Fair. 25 YEARS AGO Sept. 22, 1949 Bean harvesting is general throughout the County Fields, that have been threshed, have turned out relatively well, Mrs. W.D. Connell was given an afternoon tea and surprise party by her daughter Mrs. Fred Tyndall. A very pleasant evening was spent at the home of Mr. and Mrs, Robert Turner, on Tuesday evening last, when a surprise party was held in honour of' the latter's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Arkell on the occasion of their 24th wed- ding anniversary. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ritchie motored to the village on Saturday. On their return to Elmvale on Sunday, they were accompanied by the latter's parents, Mr, and Mrs. George Xing, who will spend a fort- night with theta. Origin of a south American, beaver which was killed oh.J.A. Sully's Rosny Farms, South of Goderich, Monday, is a mystery. It Was first seen eating food front the dog kennels, and the 30, pound animal attacked one of the men who approached it, Clinton Public School Board, at its September meeting ap- pointed Orval M. Lobb to fill the vacancy on .the board caused by the resignation and removal to Brockville of Gor, daughters or fathers who turn out to coach their sons at Little League baseball games are sometimes made to appear a great deal ,older than they ac- tually are and sOmb, indeed, may approach senility. I think it true, however, that the average parents involved in the day-to-day hurly-burly of raising kids are kept younger than they might be without them. It is an occupation that leaves no room for loneliness or for that sort of self-centred existence that causes the years to show so conspicuously. One of the ladies involved in our little discussion suggested, not unkindly, that many famous Hollywood couples might demonstrate this theory. For all their riches and fame many seem curiously unen- viable and certainly show the ravages of time though they may possess everything 'that makes up the raw ingredients don R. Ross. Trustee Lobb will sit for St. George's Ward until the end of 1950. Mr. and Mrs. Milton Cook, Sarnia, formerly of Clinton, are lucky that they are still alive. They were aboard the ship, the S.S. Noronic in Toronto Har- bour but got off to spend the night with their niece, During the night, a fire swept the ship with a known 149 dead, 50 YEARS AGO Sept. 25, 1924 W.J. Symonds has shipped a carload of barrels to Thedford where Messrs. Cantelon and Johnston have bought up a large quantity of apples, S.S, Cooper has sunflowers in his garden which are over 14 feet tall, Hewitt Williams has been transferred back to Clinton by the Molsons Bank. He has been stationed at Delhi. Clinton Kiltie Band provided the music at the Bayfield Fall Fair on Wednesday. The Home and School Club held a reception in honour of the teachers of the town at the home of Dr, and Mts. J.C. Gan- dier. Receiving with Mrs. Gan- Bier were Mrs. Walter Manning president, Mrs. P.A. Axon and Mrs. G. Aitken. Several around town have Started talking of having an Old Home Week next year when Clinton will celebrate its 50th anniversary of being incor, porated toWti, Miss Jean McMurchie has been asked to give the first lee- ture at the Toronto Conser- vatory of Music next week. Dear Editor: Last week you did it again. Spanked us for failing to mob a meeting of the Clinton Centen- nial Committee, Quote: "If last month's poor attendance is any indication, there doesn't seem to be much interest in the celebrations next year." I'm so glad it has finally dawned on somebody involved in this project, that a lot of people in town aren't too thrilled at the prospect of next year's festivities. Of course this is blasphemy, and the collective wrath of assorted indignant persons shall descend on my head; nonetheless, I shall cling to my view even as they have clung to theirs. We've been regularly castigated in the "Worst Column" of the News-Record for our lack of interest in a cen- tennial celebration. Or rather, for our lack of participation. Apparently the "interest" is taken for granted, Who did the survey of public opinion? Who asked the citizens whether — not how — they wanted a centennial bash? Eh? Someone assumed since we were having a birthday, we wanted a party. And the ab- sence of people from the meetings was therefore inter- preted as anything but an in- dication of majority sentiments. Someone has his heart set on a centenary, and that is that. I hear squeaks of rage from the perpetual Champions of Causes in Clinton, but I don't hear any reasons for holding a celebration. Why do towns, villages, and crossroads declare this annual binge of festivities across the land? Has any place of youth-giving happiness. Everything, that is, except the companionship and purpose of a family. That children mean certain sacrifices' goes without saying. "Children age ybu because they anchor you," said a man. "They take away your freedom and your independence and that means taking away some of the bloom of youth," (He was the husband I mentioned earlier who left exchanging glares with his wife.) But I wonder. For freedom to a childless man may be simply aimlessness and independence can't mean much if it is simply the luxury of existing for oneself alone, It doesn't hold in real life, either. The Gypsies, who live the most nomadic and apparen- tly irresponsible of lives, are imbedded in children and devoted to them, but unhin- dered in the wandering they love. Wednesday was the last half holiday of the season. Harry Shaw left this week to take a professorship at Dart- mouth University. 75 YEARS AGO Sept. 21, 1899 Mr. John Lasham of Lon- desboro returned on Monday night from his three weeks' sojourn in Manitoba. He left Winnipeg at 11 o'clock Satur- day night and reached Clinton just forty-eight hours later, which includes a three- hour stop in Toronto. Mr. Swallow has decided to retire from the grocery business, in which he has been engaged for eleven years. Previous to that, he was for several years employed in the grain trade, a residence in all of eighteen years in Clinton. Mr. Arthur Cook of Cook & Cook, apple dealers, who from long experience in the business is able to size up the situation as well as anyone, says that this season's apple crop will be the means of putting into cir- culation in this county alone the tidy sum of $300,000. Mrs. Bouie of Denver, Col„ has sold two pieces of her Clin- ton property, Chief Wheatley having bought the quarter acre lot at the corner of Victoria and William streets for $200 and Mr. William Mennell the dwelling occupied by Mr. Koine for $500. A terrible rain and hail stotin passed over this neigh, borhood on Tuesday last, breaking window panes in the school. There Were pieces of ice as big as alleys. in Canada actually had a one hundredth birthday and let it pass quietly? We must be the confetti-throwingest; candle- blowingest nation in the world, Once in a while, some hamlet turns the century without realizing it; then, coming to its senses, it flings together a hasty carnival entitled "Burpey 102" or something cute like that. Such shameful heel-dragging at least serves the useful purpose of giving other towns advance warning, which leads to those little announcements in . the papers — "Summers Falls Plans Big Splash in '85", and "Sleepy Hollow To Hold Siesta '93!" The quickest way to kill a project that requires a spirit of fun and spontaneity is to take 37 times as long to prepare it as is necessary. People 'have a short attention span; they like to do something and be done with it, Calling the organizing meeting a year and a half in advance is ridiculous, Few people are interested then. And, as with nearly all projects in this community, the handful of grabby early birds seizes con- trol of the worm market. By glaring comparison, time after time, the same names pop up on many lists. It is satisfying 'to know that certain persons take an active part in the affairs and organizations of their town. But if they would not jump in with both feet so soon, perhaps others would be encouraged to get involved, If a number of zealous individuals decide to run the whole show, all they need do is call a very early meeting to set up committees. No one else "is interested" (read "interferes") at this stage, and if any one attempts to join later, he finds things have been rather effectively "sewn up." Maybe he' is allowed 'to sell programs or carry chairs, if he is very, very enthusiastic, just so long as he remembers his place. Upstarts will not be tolerated. I really think that supposing only two individuals showed up at the first meeting for a cause, they would go ahead with it.1% One would be chairperson, and the other would be assistant chairperson; each would head 37 committees, all of which would hold , weekly meetings with capacity of one (1); once a month the chairperson and assistant would hold a general meeting, open to the press, at which it would be announced that things were coming along nicely, and the Methodist Young People would be having a carwash at thd beerstore on Saturday next, to raise funds for the Misled Advertising Committee. Such comments as the preceding may discourage the Clinton Centennial Committee. I surely hope so. But I know better. As the saying goes, there's only two sure things in life — death and centennials. Well, if we must have a celebration, why does it have to be one of these sluggish affairs that go for a dime a dozen all across the country? I nearly puked when I read in the paper that Clinton was going to feature a beard-growing con- test. Why don't we have a wart- growing contest, or an unwan- ted-hair growing contest? How about a pot-belly contest? A pimple contest? A smelly feet contest? A bad-breath contest? A cold-sore contest? Oh, the possibilities are truly endless. Yet Clinton will do a wonder- ful thing, an original thing, a thing never before dreamed possible, a verily marvelous thing — a beard-growing com- petition. Positively de rigeur. Like, too much! Oh, go ahead. Have a centen- nial. Whatever you do, don't let it be anything imaginative or untried. Use the dirty, ragged bunting banners, the silly booster buttons, the idiotic bumper stickers, the cheap red and white pennants. Really cut loose. You've got a whole year to make fools of everyone in town. Might as well really do a job on them; they're at your Mercy, Make this a centennial nobody can ever forget! Since this bash is to follow a familiar pattern, I offer the concerned residents and , of- ficials a suggestion: save a lot of time and expense by ob- taining slides of other centen- nial festivities, and show them some night in the Town Hall. There should be plenty of room for all interested citizens. And then we can simply dispense with the actual jam, boree altogether, Many Happy Returns. Yours candidly, Reginald Thompson, Clinton,