The Wingham Advance-Times, 1967-06-08, Page 9Sorry to See You Go
THE TOWN HALL took on a much improv-
ed appearance on Monday night as mem-
bers of the Wingham Horticultural Society
installed their window boxes and cement
flower pots around the building's main
entrance. Seen during the planting are
Roy Bennett, chairman of the projects
committee; Ed. Fielding, society president,
and Howard Sherbondy, director,
—Advance-Times Photo.
ingbam Atiteurtz/Zimie
Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, June 8, 1967
SECOND SECTION
News Items from Old Files
The departure of Doctors Corrin and
Klahsen from their medical practice in
Wingham has, filled many in this communi
ty with understandable consternation.
There is a widespread fear that the doctor
shortage will create some very unpleasant
hours for those who find themselves in
need of medical services.
These personal fears have, to some de-
gree, obscured the gratitude which hun-
dreds of patients must feel toward two
men who have served them so faithfully
over the years.
A country doctor's life, at best, is a
pretty rugged experience. On call 24 hours
of every day and most days in the week,
it takes a very patient and dedicated man
to serve without becoming short-tempered.
Interrupted sleeping habits, and the often
paltry complaints of demanding patients
require something above average in the
make-up of the family physician. We all
expect the doctor to be sympathetic, atter),
tive and skillful whenever we require his
service, despite the fact that he may have
There are approximately 975,000 vet-
erans of Canada's wars living today—and
most of them will be kept mighty busy
from Sunday, June 11 to Saturday, June 17.
By royal proclamation this period has been
declared Veterans Week, with June 11 as
Memorial Sunday, and a busy program of
events to celebrate the occasion has been
arranged across Canada.
It is fitting that during Centennial
year we should honor the men and women
who, by their sacrifices in times of war,
and their good citizenship in times of
The age-old enmity between Arabs and
Jews has brought the whole world to the
brink of destruction. The war which has
broken out between the Israelis and the
United Arab Republic is the gravest crisis
to face mankind since World War II.
Britain and the United States have al-
ready declared their support of Israel and
the Soviet Union has announced it will
back the U.A.R. The stage is set for a
global conflict which could embroil the
total forces of mankind.
It seems unlikely that any sizeable war
in the Middle East can be confined to the
limited proportions of another Viet Nam.
From both the economic and military
standpoints the Western powers cannot
The centennial birthday of St. Paul's
Church, and the occasion it created to
think back to the days of the founders
brought to our mind the significance of
religion to the early settlers of this country.
It is a notable fact that in almost every
Canadian community, large or small,
churches were among the first buildings
to be erected, second only to the con-
struction of the first rough homes.
We wonder if the same spirit of de-
votion would be apparent if the people of
of own. generation were faced with similar
pioneering conditions, A hundred years
ago the average man and woman felt a
deep-seated need to worship God and to
seek His help as they faced the gigantic
task of hacking homes and livelihoods out
of the raw forest. Today there is a pre-
dominating tendency toward the belief that
we are quite capable of looking after our
own problems without depending on the
Almighty for assistance.
Personally, we don't condemn this at-
titude with the vehemence which is com-
mon to many of the fundamentalists. It
is possible that we have matured to some
degree and that an understanding Creator
knows that the time has come for the hu-
man family to solve more of its own prob-
lems. Whatever the case may be today,
One cannot help being amazed at the re-
ligious zeal which fired our forefathers,
not only in this land, but in the countries
Of Europe. Such tremendous edifices as
Westminster Abbey, the cathedral at Col-
ogne, or any of the hundreds of great
churches which stand in the old lands,
are monuments of such magnitude that we
fall to fully appreciate the sum total of
human in eh and labor required to
Yi iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
been hard at work during most of the
hours we were fast asleep.
It was a rare occasion indeed when
either Dr. Corrin or. Dr, Klahsen exhibited
any sign of their fatigue to their patients,
It was customary with them to brush aside
any apology for late-hour calls with a
simple statement that such inconveniences
were part of their job. Amid the rush of
over-size practices they found time, too, to
be good citizens of the community and to
rear families which have been a credit to
the town in which they lived.
Of course these attributes of faithful
service are not peculiar only to Drs. Corrin
and Klahsen. They are to be discovered in
the vast majority of family doctors who
have devoted their lives to country prac-
tice.
Despite the anxiety which prevails here
at present, we would all be ungrateful, to
say the least, did we not say a heartfelt
thank you to these two men for the un-
selfish service they have given us, and wish
them well in the work they have chosen
to pursue.
peace, have played a major part in build-
ing the Canada we know today.
Veterans have been asked to wear their
discharge button during the week and this,
in itself, will lead to much frantic activity
as many may have trouble finding "the
badge of honor" which they have not
worn for more than 20 years.
As we pay tribute to the veterans who
live, there will be a special thought for
those who died—more than 112,000 who
made the greatest sacrifice of all and are
buried in 70 countries around the world.
afford to permit the Soviet domination of
the trade routes and oil fields of the East-
ern Mediterranean area.
Although it is believed she Israeli forces
may be superior intrait, and quality to
those of her Arab neighbors, the weight of
superior numbers leaves the Israelis in a
desperate position. Surrounded by Syria,
Jordan and Egypt, she faces a war on
three fronts. The Sudan, Iraq and Algeria
are adding their weight to the Arab throng
beseiging the Jewish state.
Mankind once again stands on the edge
of self-destruction--in an age when we
are so enlightened we can send a space
ship to the moon.
erect them. Built in a period long before
there was any scientific knowledge of
engineering as we know it today, they rep-
resent such a mountain of human labor
and determination that we gain a new re-
spect for the people of long-gone centuries,
Remembering that there were no power
cranes, no power tools and often no wages
for the workers, it is amazing that a com-
paratively primitive people were able to
achieve so much. Their buildings stand
to this day as masterpieces of human de-
sign. They still represent, as they were
intended to, the yearning of man's spirit
for the heavenly rewards which awaited
him in eternity.
We do not believe that because man
no longer undertakes such back-breaking
tasks in the name of religion he is neces-
sarily impoverished in spirit. Today's
cathedrals are being constructed by the
achievements of the human mind — the
cures for disease, the efforts which are
poured out to alleviate the suffering of
society through poverty and misfortune;
the untiring work on all sides to make
life a little easier for those who have no
opportunity to improve their own lot.
Despite the pessimistic predictions that
we are approaching the day of bitter
judgment because man has turned wholly
to evil, we are far from convinced that
human beings are on the road to ruin.
There never was a time in the long story
of mankind when so many people were
devoted to the assistance of others, Ev-
erything is done on a big scale these days,
and though evil may be presented to us in
large doses, it is also true that the oppos-
ing forces of decency and compassion are
also massed in force for the building of
a better world.
ii ii "
JUNE 1918
A large number of Wingham-
ites, motored to Goderich on
Monday evening anal took in the
moonlight excursion on the
Greyhound.
Mr. Frank Anderson of town
has purchased 50 acres of pas-
ture from Mr. Bosman of the
Bluevale Road, and he intends
moving his thoroughbreds to it.
Mr. Robt. Trench, Teeswa-
ter, has shipped his string of
race horses to Cleveland where
they will enter in the races next
week.
On Wednesday evening,
June 5th, the home of Mr. and
Mrs. D. S. McTavish, 10th
Con. Culross, was the scene of
a very pretty wedding when
their eldest daughter, Myrtle J.
and J. Rennie Wightman of
East Wawanosh were united in
marriage. They will take up
residence on the groom's farm
on the 12th Con. East Wawan-
osh.
Ptes. Percy Merkley, Alex
Harvey, Casburn Austin and Roy
Cruikshanks spent the week-end
at their respective homes here.
JUNE 1932
Miss Gladys Ireland, teacher
at the Junction School, was re-
engaged by the school board
last Friday without reduction in
salary.
Mr. Charlie Mason, former
manager of the Dominion store
bete, and in Chesley, has been
appointed manager of the Do-
minion Store on Wharncliff
Road, London,
On Saturday evening, June
4th, a number of relatives and
friends of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. 0.
Thornton, gathered at their
home, the occasion being the
twenty-fifth anniversary of their
marriage.
Wingham Lacrosse Club play-
ed their first home game in the
T'ri-County Lacross League last
Friday evening, Harriston were
the opposition and were no
match for the local boys who
won with a score of 11-1.
RECEIVES DIPLOMA
Mr. and Mrs. Cletus Rettin ,r
get, formerly of the Wingham
area, received word that their
daughter, Sister Mary Steph-
anie, obtained her Diploma in
Nursing Service Administration
from the University in Windsor.
Graduating exercises took
place on the campus of the
Windsor 'University on Saturday,
June ird.
Wingham team; Goal, Wild;
defense, McLean and Van-
Wyck; centre, L. Brown; rover,
M. Smith; homes, R. Smith
and B. Brown; alternates, R.
Rae, Carr, Williamson, Groves,
Gurney, and H. Mitchell.
JUNE 1942
John Cruickshank, CKNX
sports announcer and Andy Scott
have joined the Provost Com-
pany at London. Other enlist-
ments are Frank H. Collar, Jas.
W. English, A. Bruce McLean,
Ward A. Cameron, Gordon F,
Lediet, R. G. Casemore who
is training at Kitchener has
joined the active force also.
Twin sisters, Misses Rita M.
King and Loretta R. King,
daughters of Mr, and Mrs,
Michael King of Culross, were
among the 20 nurses who re-
ceived their diplomas and pins
at the annual graduation cere-
mony of the Guelph St. Jo-
seph's Hospital nursing training
school.
Miss Betty Louisa Collar
graduated at the London Bible
Institute on Tuesday of last
week. She is planning to take
a missionary course in nursing
in Toronto commencing this
fall with a view of going to Af-
rica.
Mr. Adam Robertson an-
nounces the engagement of his
second daughter, Agnes Yuill,
to Gordon Ross, youngest sonof
Mrs. McBurney and the late
Samuel McBurney of East Wa-
wanosh. The marriage will
take place quietly the middle
of June.
JUNE 1953
Bernice Crawford of Dobbin-
ton; Mildred Wagner of Dobbin-
ton; Lois Fells, of Staffa; and
Mr. Shynkar, of Windsor, have
been engaged as teachers to fill
the vacancies at the public
school next year.
Ward Allen, well-known
Wingham man, was chosen
grand champion fiddler of
Western Ontario at a contest
staged by the Chamber of Com-
merce in Hensall last week. A
recording of his fiddle playing
was made immediately after
the contest to be sent to Queen
Elizabeth as a belated Corolla-
ticm gift.
The house of Rev. and Mrs,
John Pollock, on John Street,
was judged to be the best dee ,
orated house in town during the
Coronation celebrations last.
Week and Mt. and Mrs. Frank
Hooper's residence on Patrick
street, received second prize,
in a popularity poll amongst the
citizens of Wingham for the
house with the best Coronation
decorations.
Spent a week in the old home-
town recently, and, as usual, it
was anything but a rest, The
weather was perfect, but the
hospitality was exhausting.
It's not really my hometown. I
didn't grow up there, physically.
But I spent a decade there in
the newspaper business, and
maybe I grew up there in other
ways. Anyway, when you walk
down the main street, and every
second person stops to shake
hands and ask about your fami-
ly, and tell you what their kids
are doing now, it's your home-
town.
A smalltown changes and yet
remains the same. A few busi-
nesses have changed hands.
Some of the stores have new
fronts, The paint on the hotel
h a s been changed from
passionate purple to ghastly
green. The shady, tree-lined
street on which you used to live
has been raped: the stately trees
cut to ugly stumps, as the street
is to be widened.
But the biggest changes are in
the people. The young men you
used to work and play with are
grizzled or as bald as eggs. The
young women you used to look
at with some interest because of
their big eyes are sagging and
dentured. The lovable kids that
your kids used to play with are
hulking adolescents, some of
them delinquents with police
records. And your old partner,
once apparently indestructible,
is taking eight different colors
of pills.
Despite the changes, there is
continuity as comfortable as an
old fishing hat. The Chamber of
Commerce is still fighting over
store hours. The Industrial
Commission is on the verge of
announcing a huge new indus-
try. The fire brigade races per-
iodically to the town dump,
where the incinerating process
has got out of hand because the
caretaker has bogged off for a
beer.
Some of the local characters
have gone to their reward, but
many are still around. The local
lawyer still plays his electric or-
gall between clients. The local
millionaire- still slugs bags of
salt and feed into the back of
his '66 model and lugs it nut to
feed his cattle. The barber, With
Each year the MoPhails
elude a personal letter with
their subscription to the Mel'
and we usually pass along some
of the information to our read*
ers since the McPhail family
made many friends in the years
they lived in Wingham. This
letter is one we will share with
our readers:---
0-4-Q - -0
3050 West Capitol Ave„
West Sacramento Calif.
Dear Barry:
We are all well here in Sac-
ramento, and that includes
Mary Ellen in Southern. Califor-
nia and Bob in Viet Nam, Mary
Ellen is concluding getting her
Associate of Arts degree from
Orange Coast College, and next
fall she heads for Switzerland
where she will stay for one year.
Bob, still in Viet Nam, will
be home about July 22 after one
full year in the largest steam
bath in the world. He will be
stationed for the balance of his
service at Tavis Air Force Base,
that is about .33 miles from
here :to we should have him
home for week-ends. He has
had a pretty quiet time, except
for the screaming jets that
bomb the pals directly behind
where he is stationed, and of
coarse the occasional raid that
so tar has fizzled our before it
could amount to anything. He
ha: staved av av ''too,, the small
towns surrounding the base, as
the little old men in black
pyjamas are not to be trusted;
sometimes their water jugs turn
out to be bombs. He had a
wonderful vacation in Manilla
for 10 days, and really enjoyed
the city.
We have had a nice winter
here, with the temperature
staying around the high 60s but
the mountains about '70 miles
from here have got more than
their share of snow. I am en-
closing some newspaper clip-
pings of the snow and you should
note the date, of course as late
as two weeks ago it was still
snowing at the 7, 000 foot level.
We have already had a hot
spell and the temperature got
up to 104 for about three days in
a row, but for the last two
weeks it has been just lovely in
whom you once shared a riotous
Legion zone rally, still quips
with his customers, though he
went off to fight in a war over
50 years ago. The canny Scot
chortles as he tells you his
shore lots are now going over
$4,000. The same waiter insults
the same customers, in the pub.
The same beer barrel in human
form sits in the same seat in the
same pub.
The same people still come to
the same cottages. Except that
the pregnant young matron was
a skinny kid in bare feet last
time you saw her. And the
handsome young chap who
works at the summer store was
a tyke called Johnny-Cake last
time you saw him.
However, it's good to get back
for a visit. And it's never unev-
entful.
Kept my hand in by writing a
few news stories for the paper.
Took the family to the Indian
reserve; same beautiful view
and easy-going inhabitants.
Dropped in on old friends and
got all the latest dope on who
was going crazy, and who was
running around with whom.
Had a beer at The Cedar Rail,
most unique bar in the country,
and with the best prices. It's a
shed on a farm, full of tools and
baled hay. A cedar rail extends
across the front. You stand
there with your farmer friend,
lean on the rail and look at the
lake down below. We've seen
deer anti bear from there, and
covered local politics and talked
rattle.
Got stuck in the sand at the
beach, to the rage of my wife.
She Went flying off to find a
tow truck, in a friend's car.
While she was away, I was
pulled out easily by a man With
no arms, who had a chain in his
trunk, a wife to drive his car,
and a gaggle of kids to help
push. Sounds like fiction, but
it's fact.
It could only happen in or
around the old hometown.
The wedding ring is usually
worn on the third finger of the
left hand because many people
once thought a vein or nerve in
this finger ran directly to the
heart.
the low OS and high q0s.
We still enjoy getting your
paper and seeing the pieturesof
people we knew when we lived
there. tour last issue carried
the picture of Harold Victor
Pyre and his family. Well, I
have to admit lack leoks older,
he used to be our neighbor, but
Harold Victor looks just like he
did 20 years ago, and I can't
figure Out why he is quitting.
lie should be good for another
20 years. He certainly must
have found the fountain of
youth, and his wife shared the
cup.
Mary is still working five
hours a day for the Macy Com-
pany and enjoys it very much.
Last November I went with the
Retail Credit Company and have
been with them since that time,
I have moved through the in-
spection role from life and at
the present time I am specializ-
ing on property inspections,
with pictures. The insurance
work was easy but that photog-
raphy business took some time
as I was used to using a Brown-
ie, e- you know, the square
box with the little lever on the
side, But if I do say so myself,
my pictures look pretty good
now, Of course warehouses,
garages and restaurants are not
very glamorous subjects but
once in a while a stenog with a
miniskirt will accidentally get
into the picture.
It is wonderful to hear that
you are still adding to the high
school. As far as I can see,
you far outshine anything in
high schools around here. It
looks as if Canadians will turn
out to be the best educated peo-
ple in the world yet.
It was a little sad to hear
that our old home had been a
victim of the bulldozer, but
progress must go on, and now
with the new wing replacing the
original hospital you should
have a very modern hospital.
I see where Golden Circle
School will have to enlarge in
the near future, and that of
course must mean success in
that direction, or it would not
be enlarging. As you know I
played a minor part in that
venture, and it sure has my best
wishes and prayers.
Sincerely,
Mike and Mary McPhail.
Dear Mr. Editor:
I am quite sure that you
would write this much better
than I, judging by the excellent
editorials which appear in your
columns.
However, I have a few things
I would like to suggest for this
Centennial year, but I will give
you the right to correct me on
any point.
We are all proud of ourpros-
perous town, and the progress it
has made in the last few years.
We have our wonderful CKNX,
new high school, hospital and
public school on the hill. We
have roller skating, artificial
ice, bowling alley, curling
club, lawn bowling green and
the new Hanna Memorial bridge
has improved that section of
town. The river bank park is a
vast improvement, with its
swimming pool and bath house,
and farther up a picnic area
equipped for camps or trailer
accommodation.
Now we hear of a new post
office, Legion Home, and club
house at the golf course.
Not one word have we heard
of the citizens who have paid
taxes in Wingham for the last
50 years and whose parents paid
taxes for the 50 years previous
and all these people helped
bring the town to its present
state of prosperity.
We elderly people would
like a few things too, which
would not compare in price
with those already mentioned.
We would like a ladies' test
room at street level, that would
be comfortable and attractive,
with facilities at street level
too -- no squeaking stairs to
climb. May I suggest that the
building formerly occupied by
the late Mr. Art Adams is an
ideal location.
Also we would like some
comfortable benches, placed in
convenient spots, on back
streets, where we could rest,
when necessary. I think it is
Paisley that has them enscribed
with "Side a Wee". Isn't that a
kindly thought for elderly folk
who have rib cats and find the
walk down town too far? We
are shut in, in winter and would
get a great deal of pleasure in
being able to CHOOSE our own
groceries, fruit and Vegetables,
when the weather is good.
Is this asking too much of
our town?
Clrie. rif Oro man,,
TO TM EDITOR
Veterans' Week
Grave Threat in Middle East
Deeply Religious Society
THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES
Published at Wingbarn, Ontario, by Wenget Bros. Limited.
W. /wry' Werigea, I3retident Rebate 0, Wenger, Secretary-'Treasurer
Member Audit Bureau of Clreulation
ivferriber Canadian' Weekly lkleiVatiatiers Atieciatieri.
Rtithorlied by the peat Office Department as Second Class Mail and
for payment of postage fn dilish.
Bubieription Bate:
1 year, *5.00; 6 Months, $1.15 in advance; t1S,A., 006 per yiic; foreign rate, OA per yr.
Advertising Itritea On application.
SUGAR
AND SPICE
by Bill Smiley
A Visit To The Hometown