From the Archives - July 1914 - Tillsonburg Observer
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
Tillsonburg Observer - July 2, 1914
CADET CAMP
Cadets and officers of A and B companies of the Public School Cadets here will journey to London to attend cadet camp there from July 6-11.
Camp regulations will be strict and the use of liquor or tobacco will be prohibited. No bathing in the Thames will be allowed, except under supervision. The YMCA has offered gratis the use of their swimming baths to cadets, when under the care of their supervisors.
Cadets attending camp will receive free transportation to and from camp, rations and camp equipment. One rubber sheet and three blankets will be provided for each cadet.
Each evening there will be a good program of entertainment, while baseball, racing, jumping and other games and sports will be in progress during the afternoons.
Training of the boys will include physical as well as military drill and will be modified according to age. There will be about 1,600 cadets in camp.
All those attending should take with them the following articles: enamelled cup, enamelled plate, knife, fork, spoon, soap, towel, running shoes (if possible), change of stockings and of underwear and shirt, a tooth brush, hair brush and comb, bathing suit, and sleeping apparel. A civilian suit or extra bed clothes not needed.
Suitcases should be plainly labelled "Cadet _____ 'B' Company," Tillsonburg, P.S. Cadet Corps, No. 236. Training Camp, London, Ontario.
NARROW ESCAPE WHILE GOING TO A FUNERAL
During a terrible electrical storm here yesterday afternoon, Undertaker W. Hunt and his driver R. Copeman had a remarkable escape from being killed by lightning.
They were on their way to the funeral of John McKeller (Belmont), who was found dead in bed on Monday, and seeing the storm coming up, drove the hearse and team in between two large trees to escape the shower.
There was a vivid display of lightning, and within 3 minutes bolts struck both trees beside the hearse. Both horses were thrown to the ground and considerably shocked. Mr. Hunt and his driver were slightly shocked. Both, while badly frightened, escaped serious injury. They were able to get the horses up again, after some minutes, and as soon as possible proceeded on their way to the funeral.
Tillsonburg Observer - July 9
EXCURSION TO PORT STANLEY
The Tillsonburg Electric Car Company's employees will have an excursion to Pt. Stanley on Saturday, July 18. A special train on the M.C.R. will leave Concession Street at 8:30 a.m. There will be music and dancing and a program of sports.
Everybody is invited to go on this excursion. Fare: $1, half fare 55c. Tickets may be had from B.D. Burns, W. Russ, J. Chandler and J.W. Barnard.
BOY SCOUTS
The Ingersoll Boy Scouts, in charge of Commissioner J.G. Gibson, passed through town yesterday, headed by their pipe band. The corps looked very nice and created a good impression. They marched from Ingersoll to Port Burwell last week, where they camped for a few days, then started back on Tuesday, camping at Eden and Mount Elgin.
Two Tillsonburg Scouts were with them. Walter Gibson met them at Culloden on the way down to the Port, and James Devlin joined them later. The corps was about 30 strong.
BASEBALL
A game of baseball between Otterville and Tillsonburg took place at the fair ground yesterday afternoon. The score was 13-10 in favour of Tillsonburg. There was a large attendance of spectators, many ladies being among them. The Tillsonburg team will play at Otterville next Wednesday afternoon.
VOTED AT 95 YEARS
When the polls opened at Otterville for the recent (provincial) elections, H.A. Titus, the oldest voter in South Norwich, was on hand to cast the first vote. Although 95years of age, he walked to the polls and cast his vote for the Liberal candidate. Mr. Titus was a voter many years before the Confederation.
Tillsonburg Observer - July 16, 1914
LILA BRIGHT INJURED
On Wednesday afternoon Miss Lila Bright, daughter of Mr. F.J. Bright of the Royal Hotel, was injured in an accident.
She and her sister, Miss Olive Bright of Toronto, and guest Miss Funston of Hamilton, were driving and stopped at the sulphur spring, where they all got out. Miss Bright was standing next to the rig with the lines in her hands, when she accidentally dropped one. The horse turned and the rig upset on Miss Bright, injuring one of her knees and bruising her severely.
The horse fell on the cement curb and received some severe bruises and the buggy was badly wrecked.
CARNEGIE LIBRARIES
At a meeting of the National Education Association in Minnesota last week, Philander P. Claxton, US Commissioner of Education, announced that Andrew Carnegie has under consideration a plan for the establishment of libraries that would call for a contribution of between $75,000,000 and $100,000,000 from him.
"I talked conditions over with Mr. Carnegie," said the commissioner, "and told him of the need of libraries in county districts. From what he said I have reason to believe that if counties make the proposition to him that cities make, they buy the lot, he will erect the building."
CADET CAMP 1914
Cadet Camp 1914 is over and the boys are home again.
Things were carried out in military style. Each company had to pitch its own tents. The smartness and correctness with which the Tillsonburg boys accomplished this, their first essay in military camp pitching, drew warm praise from the Battalion Sergt. Major.
Tent pitching was followed by the drawing of equipment, and this by tea.
Here, let me say the meals were excellent, both as to quantity and quality. I heard only one 'kick' the whole camp through. That was over tapioca pudding – not a very solid foundation for a kick.
One or two boys had to visit the hospital, but it was generally in consequence of over-indulgence in the ice cream and 'pop' purveyed at the YMCA tent.
Two inspections of the Tillsonburg corps drew unqualified praise from the officer at the saluting base.
In the shooting competitions, several possibles were made by the Tillsonburg boys in the teamwork with the sub-target gun; and high scores were made in the individual shooting.
Two things were lacking to make our Corps line up in efficiency with any other on the ground. They are an issue of rifles from the Militia Department and a bugle band. Next camp should certainly see those defects remedied.
PROMPT ACTION TO CHECK HOG CHOLERA
Dr. Tennant of London, Government Inspector, last week quarantined 20 places in Dereham where hog cholera was discovered. The outbreak, which was serious and had caused much loss to farmers, has, it is believed, been got under control.
The investigation concluded Saturday when the official announcement was made that in three days between 380 and 400 hogs had been killed. In all cases they were shot.
The hogs destroyed included all of a shipment of animals brought into the district recently from Western Canada. One farmer had 40 hogs killed. Persons whose premises have been quarantined will not be allowed to keep hogs on them for three months.
Fifteen dollars is the maximum valuation allowed by the Government for any one hog not pure-bred, two-thirds of which is paid to the farmer. In some cases large sows, valued from $50 to $60, have been destroyed, and the loss to the owners is therefore heavy.
Places near Mount Elgin, Zenda, Dereham Centre, and Springford are quarantined.
RECOUNT
Much interest in this town and throughout the South Oxford (provincial) riding is centered on the recount of ballots cast in the recent election, in which Mr. V.A. Sinclair of this town and Mr. T.R. Mayberry of Ingersoll were candidates. Mr. Sinclair had been declared elected by a majority of four.
The recount was made after ballots were scrutinized. Forty doubtful ballots were sifted out, and one additonal ballot that had been inadvertently been omitted, reducing Sinclair's majority to three.
Many of the ballots were imperfectly marked – not a few contained just one stroke without the other stroke to form the cross. Others were marked with a dash, with another stroke detached. One ballot for Col. Mayberry contained a cross between the candidate's initials and his surname. One ballot had a number on the back.
Several had been marked correctly but with a fountain pen instead of the pencil provided, and another was marked evidently with the voter's thumb nail.
It will be left for a judge to decide whether they should be considered perfectly good ballots.
Tillsonburg Observer - July 23, 1914
FAMILY PICNIC
The fifth annual picnic of the Howeys, Ostranders and Stilwells and Buchners will be held on Aug. 6th, 1914, in the woods of the late Ebenezer Buchner (same place it was held last year). Come with well filled baskets. Everybody welcome.
FRACAS
Two young men got into a fracas on the street last Friday evening and one punished the other so severely that the victim had to spend several days in bed. Chief Patten locked up the victor and an assault charge was laid, but this was afterward withdrawn and the matter dropped.
HORTICULTURAL SHOW
The Tillsonburg Horticultural Society's sweet pea show will take place Saturday, July 25. The flowers will be exhibited in the windows of Mr. A.E. Raynes' office. Exhibits are to consist of collections of six colors, five sprays of each.
HONEY CROP FAILS
The honey crop this year promises to be a failure. Mr. Robert Young, who keeps an apiary south of town, and other beekepers report a very short crop of clover honey. Last week Mr. Young had not extracted any honey, while in other years at that time he had thousands of pounds.
ARMY WORMS
The dreaded army worms, whose ravages are reported in many sections of Oxford and other counties, has appeared in Dereham. At first the reports were that great damage had been done to pastures and grain by the pest, but later reports received over telephone this morning are that the worms are not nearly so numerous as was supposed.
Farmers are hoping the worst is over, but are keeping a close watch. It is believed they are on nearly all the farms in the district in small numbers.
MILLIONS OF ARMY WORMS DESTROY CROPS IN OXFORD
Eat fields clean – Farmers fighting the pest – Trenches dug and worms destroyed with burning oil – Hogs turned in some fields to check the plague
A very serious outbreak of army worms has occurred in Brant and Oxford counties. Millions of them were working near the line between Burford and East Oxford townships.
The worms are like ordinary caterpillars, dark gray in color, and when full grown measure 1.5 to 2 inches in length. They are seldom heard of in this country, but are usually found in South America and in southern parts of the United States.
The reason given for the invasion is that the wet weather has wiped out the enemy of the worms.
Tillsonburg Observer - July 30, 1914
SHIPPED TWO FINE CARS TO ST. JOHN'S
On Monday, the Tillsonburg Electric Car Co. shipped two cars to St. John's, N.B., for use on the street railway in that city. They are double end, pay-as-you-enter cars with 20 foot bodies and turtle-back roofs. The lower sheeting is finished in Hessian red, and the upper part in chrome yellow. The lettering is in gold, shaded with green.
The interior finish of the cars is of inlaid cherry and the seats are covered with rattan. The cars are equipped with automatic ventilators and are mounted on brill trucks, being thoroughly modern in every particular. They were shipped via the C.P.R.
SINCLAIR'S MAJORITY IS FIVE
Deputy Judge J.G. Wallace handed out his judgement in the South Oxford (provincial election) recount. The result is that Mr. Sinclair is given a majority of five (2,586 to 2,581) over Col. Mayberry, who made the application for the recount. Col. Mayberry has to pay the costs of the recount.