The Wingham Advance-Times, 1979-07-25, Page 38L.." , .,
U
A
�I—Advance-11mes Centennial Edition. 1879
VETERAN FIREMEN—Jim Carr, assistant fire chief since 1967 and chief for 15 years
prior to that time is in his 50th year as a fireman. Dave Crothers, chief since 1%7, is now
Into his 40th year with the fire department.
Thos. Holmes
noted for
his speeches
Thomas Holmes was an Irish-
man. He came to Winftham in its
earliest days from Tarr eto,
where be had been engaged on
the editorial staff of The Leader,
the first daily paper in Canada
that dealt with financial busi-
ness. He took a keen interest in
the municipal affairs of the town.
He was specially gifted as an
after dinner speaker, with his
Irish wit and humor. For several
years he and a Scotsman named
George McKay, another Wing -
ham resident, were not on speak-
ing terms. Mr. McKay was
leaving Wingham for Wlmipeg
and a farewell banquet was held
in the town hall in his honor. Mr.
Holmes accepted an invitation to
be present. Laudatory addresses
were being made respecting the
activities in municipal affairs of
the town. Then Mr. Holmes was
called on. Those present sat back
in their chairs, in an expectant
frame of mind, looking for an
oratorical treat. Mr. Holmes' ad-
dress was short and certainly
was a surprise to those present.
Addressing the chairman this
was his entire speech: "When a
man dies or leaves the country,
they all speak well of him."
Brevity is described as the soul of
wit.
Potatoes 50 to 60 cents per bag;
butter 18 cents per pound; eggs 10
cents per dozen; apples 50 to 75
cents per bag. —Market prices
1888.
Two men have fought local fires
for a total of alost 90 years
Went 2200 miles in 68 hours
We do not know what the home At 1 a.m. Monday mor -
record is for amateur motor ping-2,no miles in 68 hours.
travel but we believe that They toot turns in driving.
Murray Johnson, Joe Kerr, Vic Their only letup was to refuel the
Haines of town and Norman car and get their meals and about
Baiers of Belmore must be in five hours spent in business in
there somewhere. 'they left here Fredericton.
at 5 a.m. Friday morning last and The trip was made in Murray's
after travelling to Boston and 1991 DeSoto and they averaged 33
Fredericton, N.B., arrived back miles to the gallon of gas. They
of some of the large blazes and
the surprise of some rural people
when they first saw how much
water the 1937 fire truck could
PUMP.
At one fire a house owner
bragged that his cistern could
provide all the water needed by
the firemen.
"'My cistern will hold all the
water you can pump,"' he told
Mr- Carr. "By golly, it lasted
about two minutes," Mr. Carr
laughed and said.
There have been many fires
along the block of Josephine
Street between Victoria and John
streets. The Brunswick Hotel
fire, two fires at Burke Electric
within weeks, a blaze where
Gemini Jewellers now stands and
other fires have changed the face
of the main street in that area of
town.
Mr. Crothers and Mr. Carr
often have to look back in the
records to be sure of which year a
certain fire occurred, because as
Mr. Crothers explained, "the
years never amount to anything"
when one is fighting fires.
QUE EN'S HOTEL—This picture on an old post card shows the Queen's Hotel at the corner
of Josephine and John streets. Note the sidewalks and unpaved streets.
( Photo courtesy of Murray Taylor)
went by way of Lewiston to
Boston and were in Springfield,
Mass., at the supper hour the
first day. From Boston they went
to Fredericton, N.B., and
returned home by way of Quebec
City and Montreal along the St.
Lawrence on Highway 2 to
At Boston they took time out to
write some postcards, but they
made such fast time that they
arrived home before the cards.
They surely burned up the road.
The average speed was over n
miles an hour and this includes
all the stops for gas, meals and
the five bours doing business at
Fredericton.
A -T, Aug. 31, 1939
Crawford Motors (gingham) Ltd,
wig winghar, remisuoro
on its 100th birdWay!
Gord Welwood, 28 years of service; Rich Hill, 2 years of service; Rick Smith, 8 years of
service; Ivy Courtney, 8 years of service, Len Crawford; Bob Crawford, Missing - Eric
Good, 3 years of service.
Our business was founded in 1950. We have
been happy to serve the people of Wingham
over the past 29 years - and we look, forward
to renewing old acquaintances during the
celebrations!
Phone3571111111111ABIW2
't.►.AA►.AIrAA►.►..►.,A/.►.,►..►.►.►..►.►..►.►.►..A►.►..A►..►.AA1..AA►.. ►. ►. 1. ►.. ►., ►. ►.A/. ►.. /..AAA►.AA►.►.,►.►.►.,►..►..►.►.►.►.►.►.A►.►.►.AA/.►d►.►.A►..►.►..A►., A�AAA►.A►.A1.►.AA/.►.A/.AA►. ►.A/.. ►.A A►. ►. /. ►.AAA A'-'
l
1 1
1
1 1
1 . 1
� 1
1 1
2 1
1Wngratulations
1
1 1
t 1
1 1
1 j
1 � 1
1 �
1 l
1 1
1 - l
1 1
To The Town of W 1
j 1
1 l
1 � 1
2 1
1Celebrating 100 Years l
1 1
1 1
1 1
1Of'Progress
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
� 1
1 �
1 1
1
1
SerAingW*Ingham
1
1 1
1
1 1
� 1
2 1
Since 1891 1
1 j
1 ` 1
� 1
1 j
4 1
� 1
A
X 1
A
� 1
�1
W*Ingham
� 1
1 �
1
4 Publk Utilities Commission
1
1 j
� l
A
.AAA AA A\►AAA►..AA►.AA►. \.A A►►AAAiktiViV%. 1. N N N N '. . , , C ►►,. ►►A ► A A ►A ► 1. I,AA►A►i,.►►A►AA 1. AIII AIII III III, III III, AL 1 o In I, A
1
1
The fire chief and assistant fire
FIRES IN OLD DAYS
worry that when they leave the
chief of the Wingham Fire
There have been some bad
fire department there will be no
ilo..artment remember a lot of
fires in the area over the years —
one on the department interested
+- -
nights they were called from
i A,- a/.� #1— hiuh
house fires wiu, uta,+,.,, ». __o
►, t� mnintnin the old
ca:vu6..
their beds to saves lives and
school fire, the Brunswick Hotel
records of fires and firemen
property.
blaze, an explosion at Lloyd Door
dating back to 1909. They are
Combined, Jim Carr, assistant
in which two were killed and the
both keenly interested in the
fire chief since 1967 and chief for
CKNX fire.
history of the battle against fire
15 years, and Dave Crothers,
Considering the number of
in town and are proud to have
chief for the last 12 years, have
major fires in the area there
been a part of the firefighting
served Wingham nearly a cen-
haven't been many associated
teams of the past.
tury by battling blazes as
human deaths, Mr. Crothers said
volunteer and part-time firemen.
recently. There has never been a
"You look. at those guys up
Mr. Carr is in his 50th year of
fireman killed in the line of duty
there," Mr. Crothers said,
-membership on the department
either and there are records of a
pointing to the display of old
and at 73 is still active in actual
fire department or company in
photographs of Wingham
firefighting work, though he
Wingham since shortly after its
firemen. "They were firemen."
mans the radio and telephone
incorporation'.as.a town.
Today's firemen aren't as
during most fires now.
The oldest evidence that a
quick to leave their jobs for a
Mr. Crothers, 60, is in his 40th
Wingham firefighting group
_daytime fire or their beds to do
1 year of protecting the community
existed is a horn won July 1, 1882,
battle with a night blaze, Mr.
from fire.
by the Wingham Red Cross Hose
Crothers said. Before the time of
In the old days when Mr. Carr
Fire Company at a Kincardine .
the mutual aid fire system in
joined the fire department the 14
event. The local firemen won the
Huron County in which fire
firemen were paid in quarterly
300 -Yard hose reel race with a
departments help each other in
installments the princely sum of
time of 1:03.5.
emergencies a fire department
$16 a year. The fire department
The horn is part of a collection
had to react quickly to fire calls
didn't serve beyond the boun-
of old firefighting equipment on
because if the local department
daries of the town and the
display at the fire hall. The hall
got to a blaze too late to save a
firemen ran to the scenes of fires,
also contains photos of many of
building no one else could help.
Pulling a trailer laden with hoses
the firefighters who risked their
It takes a look through the log
and ladders.
lives over the years for the safety
books to rekindle the memory of
The first fireman to learn of a
of lives and property. The photos
many of the fires in the last 40 or
fire left whatever he was doing
date back to when Mr. Carr was
50 years, but once reminded of
and ran to the town hall to ring
in his first years of fighting fires
experiences jotted down at the
the fire bell and the others came
and continue up to a 1979 photo of
time, Mr. Carr and Mr. Crothers
ming
all the firemen in their new
recall the days when chimney
%pw
In later years Mr. Carr, who
uniforms.
fires and sawdust burners caused
worked at the A. M. Crawford
Mr. Crothers and Mr. Carr
trouble. They remember the heat
garage, used the garage's
wrecker to pull the fire equip-
ment and was paid three dollars
for the use of the truck.
How to make news
In September, 1937, the fire
department missed its day of
glory when it received the first
The following, which we
reporter. "Everything is dead
fire truck in Huron County, a 1937
assume was an anecdote and not
dull."
Ford still owned by the depart-
advice to reporters, appeared in
"Of course it is! Of course, of
ment. The truck, however, didn't
The Wingham Times in 1893
course," growled the city editor.
arrive from Woodstock until 4
under the heading 'Lacking in
"And no wonder! Every man of
p.m. the last day of the Wingham
Enterprise':
you has a loaded revolver in his
Fall Fair. The red beauty was too
The city editor of the Western
desk that hasn't been fired at
late for the fair parade.
Wind sat at his desk gloomily and
anybody for four weeks, and still
The new mobility the
it was near midnight.
you claim to be efficient
firefighters enjoyed with the fire
newspapermen! You fellows
truck allowed them to respond to
"Well," he exclaimed
from the East have got too much
fire calls from outside town. The
Petulantly to rthe reporters in
education and not enough en -
first call came from Harry
front of him, "haven't any of you
terprise, sand unless something
Goudy, Mr. Carr remembers,
got any copy?"
happens in the next 10 days I'll
and the firemen rushed out of
Nobody had.
discharge every one of you and
town to put out the blaze in the
"Isn't there anything at all
employ competent men, even if
Goudy barn, saving the barn so
occurring in town"" he asked.
we do have to pay them salaries.
the threshing could be finished.
"No, sir," replied the head Mind that now.
Went 2200 miles in 68 hours
We do not know what the home At 1 a.m. Monday mor -
record is for amateur motor ping-2,no miles in 68 hours.
travel but we believe that They toot turns in driving.
Murray Johnson, Joe Kerr, Vic Their only letup was to refuel the
Haines of town and Norman car and get their meals and about
Baiers of Belmore must be in five hours spent in business in
there somewhere. 'they left here Fredericton.
at 5 a.m. Friday morning last and The trip was made in Murray's
after travelling to Boston and 1991 DeSoto and they averaged 33
Fredericton, N.B., arrived back miles to the gallon of gas. They
of some of the large blazes and
the surprise of some rural people
when they first saw how much
water the 1937 fire truck could
PUMP.
At one fire a house owner
bragged that his cistern could
provide all the water needed by
the firemen.
"'My cistern will hold all the
water you can pump,"' he told
Mr- Carr. "By golly, it lasted
about two minutes," Mr. Carr
laughed and said.
There have been many fires
along the block of Josephine
Street between Victoria and John
streets. The Brunswick Hotel
fire, two fires at Burke Electric
within weeks, a blaze where
Gemini Jewellers now stands and
other fires have changed the face
of the main street in that area of
town.
Mr. Crothers and Mr. Carr
often have to look back in the
records to be sure of which year a
certain fire occurred, because as
Mr. Crothers explained, "the
years never amount to anything"
when one is fighting fires.
QUE EN'S HOTEL—This picture on an old post card shows the Queen's Hotel at the corner
of Josephine and John streets. Note the sidewalks and unpaved streets.
( Photo courtesy of Murray Taylor)
went by way of Lewiston to
Boston and were in Springfield,
Mass., at the supper hour the
first day. From Boston they went
to Fredericton, N.B., and
returned home by way of Quebec
City and Montreal along the St.
Lawrence on Highway 2 to
At Boston they took time out to
write some postcards, but they
made such fast time that they
arrived home before the cards.
They surely burned up the road.
The average speed was over n
miles an hour and this includes
all the stops for gas, meals and
the five bours doing business at
Fredericton.
A -T, Aug. 31, 1939
Crawford Motors (gingham) Ltd,
wig winghar, remisuoro
on its 100th birdWay!
Gord Welwood, 28 years of service; Rich Hill, 2 years of service; Rick Smith, 8 years of
service; Ivy Courtney, 8 years of service, Len Crawford; Bob Crawford, Missing - Eric
Good, 3 years of service.
Our business was founded in 1950. We have
been happy to serve the people of Wingham
over the past 29 years - and we look, forward
to renewing old acquaintances during the
celebrations!
Phone3571111111111ABIW2
't.►.AA►.AIrAA►.►..►.,A/.►.,►..►.►.►..►.►..►.►.►..A►.►..A►..►.AA1..AA►.. ►. ►. 1. ►.. ►., ►. ►.A/. ►.. /..AAA►.AA►.►.,►.►.►.,►..►..►.►.►.►.►.►.A►.►.►.AA/.►d►.►.A►..►.►..A►., A�AAA►.A►.A1.►.AA/.►.A/.AA►. ►.A/.. ►.A A►. ►. /. ►.AAA A'-'
l
1 1
1
1 1
1 . 1
� 1
1 1
2 1
1Wngratulations
1
1 1
t 1
1 1
1 j
1 � 1
1 �
1 l
1 1
1 - l
1 1
To The Town of W 1
j 1
1 l
1 � 1
2 1
1Celebrating 100 Years l
1 1
1 1
1 1
1Of'Progress
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
� 1
1 �
1 1
1
1
SerAingW*Ingham
1
1 1
1
1 1
� 1
2 1
Since 1891 1
1 j
1 ` 1
� 1
1 j
4 1
� 1
A
X 1
A
� 1
�1
W*Ingham
� 1
1 �
1
4 Publk Utilities Commission
1
1 j
� l
A
.AAA AA A\►AAA►..AA►.AA►. \.A A►►AAAiktiViV%. 1. N N N N '. . , , C ►►,. ►►A ► A A ►A ► 1. I,AA►A►i,.►►A►AA 1. AIII AIII III III, III III, AL 1 o In I, A
1
1