The Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-02-06, Page 14•
IA,GE 6A----GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1975
Y tl •
4
ry
TA
Forrest:leperous
,s
, .._
one, then you'll know 1 �am bellowed like the prob.ervial SW hen Dad gave me mare
COPYRIGHT BYand mare res onsibilit Bill
W. E. ELLIOTT ready . to sign my. firsts' bull in .a china shop. p y,
papers'." . ",rust b€fore they sent for resented -my authority, even
William L. Forrest, 'famed ,
'A Paul Bunyan at War. the local policeman, who though it never exceeded his.
"giant of a man • whose• -. didn't want, anypart of the Bill •fi>lally asked for a
►memory is still green with John Berminham, ,,,,.
uatejtfront naen, originally whose notes,,, have been job of arresting, him, a tiny dissolution ' of the part -
adopted a wide brinned preserved and made waitress, about five feet tall nership. Their ancient verbal •
Stetson hat to Make him up available for this narrative, and 105 pounds, who was agreement was that Dad
had a second' career as an, quite' a favorite of Bill, would provide the' capital,
as "Johnny Canuck" and officer in World War II'. approached him at his table look after the, office end and
re
repulse U.S. immigration Thirty years ago this month and said: 'Now; look here, do the estimating, while Bill
officers WhoU'.S were trying to the ,Toronto Star carried a Bill Forrest, rani' you.. behave carried out the work, and did
Fore U.S. citizens
FmO
orof ,. three-colu' heading, yourself and go to your room the hiring and firing. What
rest and other Canadians
"Smashes Throtigh Red and sleep it off, and if you they both failed to realize
working on a, dock job in. Tae like Tank . Through a don't coo so I'll beat the tar w,as that over a period of 25
Port Huron. The hat, or one Rock FGarden." •The 'article, out of you.' Bill burst out years they had, acquired a
like it, was part of hiss by John Cla,k,..be an as laughing and said, `You large amount of new con
normal garb for the' rest of follows: - 'p know, I think you could do' struction equipment which
his working life. ° "Col, C. J. (Spike) Ber- it.' He went like a lamb to was owned on a one-third -
the incident is recalled_ tmingham is a Paul Bunyan his room, and next day paid two-thirds basis, and then
the memoirs of John Ber-- g
mingham, whose father, in red -tabbed„ battle dress, generously for the damage." five 'years previously „ they
William, was a partner with gone to war with a slide -rule ..Other stories in this . had bought two dipper
•Forrest in the rnariti`e and a bulldozer instead of treasure chest are about the dredges, four .dump scows
construction business. John the legendary blue ox. He is building, of the tug W. L. and a rock -drilling scow
a legend in the Canadian Forrest, about. the schooner from ,a man named' Horton
(Spike) Bermingham sue army _ overseas — a legend Azov, "Reddy" MacDonald from Goderich, who had died -
ceeded his father in the
business, which is headed. 'that rests on the substantial •and Captain Maxwell and left the `business to his °
reality of tons of -dirt moved Clairmont. .. , , widow, They had each put up
today by his son, William. S0 ercent of the purchase
The firm is based in and bridges flung across p�
Hamilton. rivers under shellfire and Talked Across Harbour price."
"Bill almost invariably buildings put .up so fast that Forrest possessed a voice
•
(The' "man named
they seemed to spring strong ,prc3pdrtionate to his, size and Horton"• almost certainly
''' wore a Stetson hat," -Mr.
Berwas William Lancaster
and swift from the earth strength.
notes, and one recalleed ,in his itself. Whenever the going "When Bill bellowed," Mr. Horton, eldest son of Horace
notes, and time told me gets tough and they need a ,Bermingham recalled, if (continued on page 8A)
why. With four other •
Canadians, he was working construction -job" done fast, was. something to hear.
• in Pert Huron on a dock job someone with a lot of brass There was only one man in
and commuted daily by orf his hat will probably Goderich who, could match
ferry boat from Sarriia.`At shoat , for Spike Ber- him, and he was an cold'
that time, the U.S. ;im- mingham." retired schooner captain
migration authorities were Joining'the army.Ltn 1939 as named Carr, who occupied,
soliciting Canadians to' a 'captain in the. Royal an unused construction.
,...be .....citizen,s.-".-and_,,Canadian _Engineers, John shack on the big, sandbar
Bermingham served until that forme` .the sir of the
the War ended in Europe, harbor. Bill had: given him
when he held the- rank, of the shack, and they were
colonel. After a year or, so, great friends: I have heard
with his 'father's help, . he- the two 'of them holding .a
started tip again as Ber- conversation acrossthe
m'ingham Construction in , harbor, a distance of about
1947, incorporating in 1949. one-third of a mile.
In his stories • about "While I was growjng up,
Forrest, he recalls that Bill from 'about seven years old
never married. Once, . to after college, when I went
however,, he nearly did; the to work full time, Bill taught
wedding date was set... ... me everything he knew,
"She,was a lovely girl, because, as he used to say to'
about hlf his age. Shecame Dad, `Some day Jack will be
.from a'very poor family, and running .this b,usiness and it
' I think was swept off her wouldn't do any harm if he'
h feet by BiIl's attentions and knew something about
constructiotn work " besides,
his college education.'
frequently .vi'sited Bill's' job
at ..noon hour to. entice the
Canadian men to take out
their `first papers',. All the'
' other. four ,did so, 'but Bill
refused. The immigration
officer persisted, in his
persuavive efforts:
"Bill saw in Sarnia "'•a
billboard advertisement for
the,. Canadian National_ Exhibition, depicting Johnny
C'anuck with anopen-necked
--shirt, a sheaf of wheat under
his arm, and ' a wide -
brimmed high Stetson hat
with four dents.Bill went to'
a Port Huron hat shop and
paidwii?rat was then a' expensive -- gifts.. They
fabulou's price, $10, for a became engaged, ,but about
.. '" a month before the wedding
__s-imtlar hat, which : he _ .. _ �
jammed ' on his bald head she ,'broke the engagement.
and' waited for the.next visit ,.Bill was. living in one of the
of the U.S. officer. Goderich hotels, and when
"When he arrived, Bill he was turned down got
said, 'Look here, little man, •• himself really drunk; and
I'm a Canadian, and don't ' belligerently/so. He wrecked
you forget it; but' the first ..the dinding-Nom, cleared it
time you . see me.. wearing -of 'terrified°customers, broke
'any other 'kind of hat but 'this dishes and furniture, and
This photograph of Bill Forrest, complete with'Stetson,
,was taken in December, 1936, when he was about 40
!minds under his usual weight. ,The original is in
possession of �Mr'. .William Bermingham, 'head .,•pf
Bermingham Construction, ' Limited,, Hamilton.
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Protectyour children against
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This is what Ontario is .doing
to help you.
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Immunization protects against polio,,
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141
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Communications Branch
Ontario Ministry of Health
Hepburn Block, Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1S2
Ministry of -Health
Frank Miller, Minister
agtaN....19=
Government of Ontario
Williar>I`I Davis, Premier
nr