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ha S 'st way. 1907 . 1957 "All That Matters" "ALL: THAT MATTERS" is a novel based on the life of JF Samuel Farmer, We hope to print the book chapter by chapter as we have time and space in the following year or so. We would like it to be clearly understood that it is a novel, that many of the events in it happened to Samuel Farmer but the people are heces- sarily fictional. Resemblances to folk in the district may be discovered but they are not those people. Mr. Farmer left partial by) notes of his life story. The author of this book has had to fill many gaps and to'improvise a great deal. This is always the work of the artist. The spirit of the book is true to the spirit of the man as the author knew him. It is true to the spirit of other men " like him who struggled and worked in Canada at the turn of the century. It is a heritage of which we should be proud. We may lose it for lack of the telling. Our children know very little of this life. It is the hope of the author that something of import- . ance in this heritage may be preserved by being written down. Introduction to the book follows here. ii "ALL THAT MATTERS" Sammy sat beside the fire roasting chestnuts. At least he wasn't actually doing the roasting, his eldest brother Jim was superintending the job but to all intents and purposes Sammy aged seven was doing it too. Their father would come in for a few minutes and sit and talk with them for awhile before they went to bed. He might even read a little if he were not too tired. Quite often he was too tired. Sammy's father was a journey- man printer by trade. He had to get up very early in the morning in order to make the long trip from the modest suburb where they lived to busy bustling London where his office was situated. Most of the time it was dark when he left and dark again in the evening when he returned. The boys were quite used to this. It was a treat to see Father, a treat they waited for all day. Since Sammy's mother had died when he was a week old they had had one housekeeper after another. Jim and Ross remembered their mother just a Be bit Sammy had never know what it meant to have a mother at all, - = i " There had been an interlude, it is true in which a second wife had appeared and brought forth a little golden-haired girl called Louise but something had gone amiss and the young mother died. Louise was almost two now and the boys loved her in their own The baby could not walk yet but the boys did not realize that there was anything strange in this. To-night as they were waiting for Father's step they had for- gotten all about their little sister. As a matter of fact Jim was telling Sammy all the wonderful things he meant to do very soon when he woud leave home to get work on his own. : Sammy listened wide-eyed to his older brother's display of courage. To go out into the great world alone was more than "he could imagine. He had just started to school in the company of his brothers and found the experience of being beyond the gate one of thrills and horrors. He dreaded losing his way and yet was intensely curious about every street that wound away from the place where he was supposed to go. Some day he meant to tackle them and satisfy his curiosity but not just yet. Presently Father arrived and sat down .in his chair. Ross brought his slippers and Father slowly unlaced his boots. He was a grave man with a full auburn beard and pale fine skin. His silken hair curled naturally about his temples. He had beautiful dark blue eyes spaced wide apart beneath his high forehead and rimmed with long laghes. : ; As he stooped to.undo the shoes Sammy found himself watching his father's long fingers which trembled a little as they wH | struggled with the laces. He watched the heavy blue viens ripple Co across the back of the palm and remembered how he had noticed these strange veins in his father's hands before. Father had built a little church once and they had looked on breathlessly while his ' delicate fingers had fitted one tiny piece after another into its proper place. The little model with tiny stained glass windows : and carved pulpit inside stood on the mantel above their heads. Lo Sammy had to get up and stand back in the room and look at it because it 'was up so high but he did so whenever he happened to think of it because he loved it so much. It made delicious little shivers run up and down his spine, it was so right, so beautiful, "Tt had taken a long time to build the church and the boys had sacrificed their reading time with father because of it but it had been worth the effort just to watch it grow. : Father forgot to be stern when he was absorbed in something of this kind and it was then his boys loved him best. Most of the time, because he was not well and much too tired he seemed to be very far away from them. His manner was distant and often cold. He gave a curt order and it was obeyed without question. Like most other English Fathers of his time he delieved that to spare the rod was to spoil the child. He felt responsible for their morals and behaviour and yet was unequal to the task much of the time. No wonder then that the: boys loved him best when he forgot to be Father and just tried to make up a bit to them for the loss of their mother or better still simply became himself fully alive with his own creative activity. Sammy remembered one other time when Father carved some- thing on heavy white cardboard with his pen-knife. He did not draw a line with a pencil at all but just worked away silently with his little silver knife and somehow butterflies complete with tiny patterned wings and roses and ferns all came out and stood up from the surface of the cardboard, He finished it with some beautiful writing done the same way. When Sammy had asked what it said his father had replied that it was a scripture text: "My God shall be my strength." It hung on the wall opposite now in a gold frame with a piece of glass over the picture to keep out the dust. Sammy didn't like it as well as the church but it was pretty, especially the cunning little butterflies. . Suddenly Sammy realized that Father was smilling and speak- ing to them. He looked happier than usual and he said: 4 "Come here boys. I have a secret to tell you." "What fs it?" cried Jim. R "Oh, I know", called Ross, "We're going out with Mr. Hoyle to fly the big kite." "Wrong", Said Father. "It's something better than that." N : "We're going on a picnic excursion to the country." spoke up Am again. "No, something better still", replied His father. "We give up", Ross said. 'Tell us." : "Well", said his father, "How would you like to have a new mother, a real mother?" "That would be nice" said Ross. "We could get her to read to us at night when you were, too tired, Father." "She is a lovely person and I want you to be good to her and gnake a pleasant home for her." ~¥ "We will", said the boys altogether, and they meant it. Sammy's father, John, really loved Mary Brown. She was a fine Sunday School teacher with a model class to show how clever she was. Her propriety was unquestionable and her knowledge of Bible facts excellent. John felt that this time he had chosen a woman who would be a good mother to his boys as well as an , asset to himself. Altogether his martial history in the past had not been too fortunate he felt this time he had made the right -| rung on the day after-Halloween. choice. , Mary was much stronger than the gentle fair-haired mother of Louis had been. She also had two fine looking sisters who had done well in their marriages. Yes, this third marriage must be right, thought John. Sammy did not say much after his father had made his pronouncement. He had a great deal to think about. There were times when he had imagined what it would be like to have a mother, a real mother. She would be like Peggotty in David Copperfield he was sure. Father had read some of David Copperfield to his three boys as they sat around the fire in the evenings. Little Sammy had struggled to take it all in as his brothers appeared to do. One thing he had had no trouble absorbing was the part about Peggotty. It satisfied a deeply felt need and so became a vision as clear as the three-dimensional Peggotty herself would have hzen if she had actually existed and as far as Sammy knew she did. - v ; Presently the boys were sent off to bed one by one beginning with Sammy because he was the youngest. When Jim had finally bidden,his father good night John still sat on.in his chair reading a small volume of essays or gazing into the flames as he felt in- clined. He pulled out a bit of pencil after awhile and composed a little verse "To a Rose" in Mary's honour. Yes, indeed this was the right course. It would be such a relief to get rid of the paid housekeeper and have his own wife again. Besides he could not afford to go on paying the woman at the rate she demanded. This was by far the better course. He put persistent small thoughts of the two coffins that had already gone out of his house out of his mind as well. Sammy's face too had bothered him. He was a dear little fellow but this was nonsense! He was getting bridegroom jitters. Sammy and Louise especially needed a mother. He tried to compose another line or two of verse but it would not come and he.threw the pencil down in disgust. When Louise cried out in her sleep he went to her, a' thing he almost never did, but the housekeepr would not be in again until morning and there was something in the child's cry to-night that cut him Aensingly though God knows he had been helpless enough through a is . Sammy was awake when he went in to Louise. He was simply lying still staring at him as he attended the baby. When Louise was quiet he spoke up. "Will she be really nice, Father ?"' he said. "Our new mother, I mean?" : i Yes, Sammy she is really nice", said his Father, "Good-night now", { ~ Sammy closed his eyes. He trusted his father completely. (Watch for chapter two) Letters from Friends and Former Citizens Ottawa, September 1, 1957 THE TOWN HALL BELL The bell had little character in itself. Its tone was flat and unmusical. But it was big enough to be heard all over the village and beyond it, and that was its purpose. It had two tunes. It rang solemnley to mark the intervals of the ten-hour working day --at 7 am., 12 noon, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. And it rang an exciting staccato, usually at night, to announce a fire and summon the volunteer fire brigade. It was rung also to celebrate great oc- casions. One of my earliest memories is hearing the town hall ho Hig gia the chorus of church bells to celebrate the victory [e} . The bell hung in the tower of the old town hall and was rung by a rope which dangled down into the entrance vestibule of the hall. Since the hall was open much of the time, the temptation for young boys was irresistable. One good tug on the rope and the soul-satisfying boom from above was well worth the risk of heing caught. And if the risk seemed too great one could climb up into the tower and ring the bell there, escaping over the roof and down the "fire-tower" at the other end of the hall. The bell was the target for many Halloween pranks. For years the tower was scaled by one route or the other and, the clapper. muffled, tied or removed so that the bell could not he The authorities countered this routine in time by ringing the bell-in what was then the Methodist church just across the road. To meet this challenge, the boys rigged- a wire between the two belfrys, tying the two clappers together so that neither bell could be rung! The thing ended badly for the boys were caught and fined for interfering with the fire alarm system. : About 25 years ago the town council decided to stop the daily ringing of the bell. Mr. Nesbitt, Chief of the police force, which consisted only of himself, was instructed accordingly, and after so many years the bell remained silent. About this time Ivan Wallace and I, returning from college for the summer vaca- tion, decided that this old tradition should not be allowed to die without a protest. For two days the old bell was mysteriously rung at the accustomed times. The first day was easy but on the second day we had to use all our knowledge of the hall and belfry to ring the bell and avoid Chief Nesbitt who had now been posted to apprehend us. We learned that most of the citizenry was amused but that the Council took a dim view of this flouting of authority. The latter opinion was made amply clear to us the next day, when, preparing to ring out the noon summons to din- ner, we were ambushed by no less a personage than the Reeve himself, Mr, Harold Archer. : I am a bit hazy about the sequel to this incident. But I have the strong impression that after a time, the daily ringing of the bell was reinstituted and: continued for some years. Naturally 1 assume too, that this was done as a result of our effort to awaken the Sonseipi seg of tradition in the people of Port Perry. At any rate, that's the way I've told the story for years and I will not welcome any dull statistic to the contrary! ' Beverley N. Smallman. Brandon, Man., 1126 - 7th St., Dear Friend: It is an honor to have this opportunity to congratulate the Port Perry Star on its 60th Anniversary. There have been many changes during these years, new homes, schools, Hospitals, parks, many cottages built on the lake attrac- tive to tourists, thus making an attractive town. In the early days there were several hotels. They have gone out of business and it is a pleasure to think there are no liquor stores, We always look forward every week to the "Star". We enjoy the Editorials, Church reports, District Churches, and gen- eral news, always find many items of interest. It is a pleasure to extend our sincere congratulations, and best wishes for g progressive and prosperous future for the Star. ~ Sincerely, . Mrs. James I. Moffatt. AS AL24) 5 Sau Fd Bd Vtisg FF * +3. oaarty Aa hed Ade 3 Leary by balk Fr August 15th, 1957. ¥ PORT PERRY STAR HISTORICAL and MEMORIAL EDITION--Page 5 NEWS ITEMS of PAST 50 YEARS The Year 1919 Reeve--J. Stonehouse, Council--G. R. Davey, Jas. Ward, Jas. Swan, Allan Goode. in JAN,--Word received that Cpl. W. Spence was killed in action shortly before the close of the war; also Pte. Jack White. -- Graham's Limited closed turnip evaporator. FEB.--J. Bowerman & Sons, repair shop opposite Farmer's Union Mill Co. MARCH--Sarvis Bros. Bakery sold to White Bros. of Coldwater, (H. S. ite). -- Mr. A. E. Rogerson, Tor- onto has bought the St. Charles Ho- tel. Mr. and Mrs. Fielding to man- age. The house will be remodelled and will be opened in April. -- Union Church services, which were started because of the fuel shortage, will end March 80th. APRIL--The 116th Btn was accorded a splendid welcome home. -- Cpl. A. W. Allin has been discharged and ac- cepted the position of caretaker of the schools, -- Listed killed in action, Lt. E. D. Wallace, Lt. A. B. Doubt, Lt. R. Soper, Sgt. Gord Hood, Pte. H. White, Pte. E. Hooey, Pte. Thos. Raines, Pte. Art Clark, Pte. J. Dob- bin, Pte. A. Jeffrey. -- Dr. W. A. Sangster will resume his dental prac- tice having returned from overseas. MAY--P. G. Morrison has purchased the drug business of Mr. Orval Byer. --John Roach, dealer in Briscoe Cars. AUGUST--Jas. McKee has taken over the Ford Business of W. U. & H. Car- negie. OCT--Vote to retain Ont. Temperance Act. -- High School War Memorial Flag Pole unveiled. Is 79 ft. high, Bronze plaque, supplied by I. R. Bent- ley, has honour list. NOV.--Jas. McKee Garage becomes McKee & Hood. -- Hydro - Electric Power Commission send engineer to look over the situation with view tol coming here. : DEC. -- Storm~"brings front wall of Beare's garage down on three people, Augustus Raines, his wife and sister- in-law Miss Hazel Griffin. Mr. Hugh Lucas, a few steps behind escaped without injury. Immediate help re- waved the debris and found that Gus Raines had suffered a fractured skull and other severe injury resulting in death. Mrs. Raines and Miss Griffin were severely bruised. Gus had been married only three weeks. -- Other places suffered severe damage as a result of the same storm. The Year 1920 JAN.--The Star has moved to the Jessop. Block. -- Only four votes against Hydro Power. FEB. -- C. O. Clay opens Electrical Store in Blong Bik. APRIL--Bowes Co. Ltd. of Toronto, have purchased the egg warehouse of Flavelle & Clemes and expect to op- erate it as a nut shelling factory, and the manufacture of syrups for soda fountain use. -- The Aura lee ice cream parlor is being remodelled. APRIL--Mr. A. E. Rogerson prop. of St. Charles Hotel has bought the Mil ner Farm between Pettits Point and Seven Mile Island. He plans to make provision for summer campers, with launches, skiffs and canoes available for pleasure. Mr. Rogerson also plans to add ten rooms to the present hotel. JULY -- C. Switzer, Massey Harris Agency with his blacksmith shop. --- Greatest Auction Sale on the contin- ent, Drydep-Miler sale at Brooklin realizes $130,000. -- Jas. McKee, man- ager, Farmer's Union Mill. SEPT.--Mr. W. H. Doubt, Tailor, has $6,000. of cloth stolen--Night Watch- man Appointed. -- Messrs. Van Ski- ver & Richardson intend to operate a flax mill in Graham's Evaporator. OCT. -- Bert MacGregor has bought R. A. Fitchett's butcher business. - -- Folger & Boe, Delco Light, Beatty Bros. products. NOV.--Three German Guns have been received in Port Perry. -- A. E. Ro- gerson has bought Mrs. Porter's in- terest in the Sebert House. DEC. -- Prof. Graham Christie, new head Engineering Dept. John Hop- kins University, U.S.A. The Year 1921 Reeve--Jas. Lucas (acc.) Council--W. W. Crosier, Jas. Wad. dell, C. A. Rundle, Wm. Real (acc.) JAN. -- Robert Callacutt has opened livery business. -- Council grant per- mission to Imperial Oil to erect tanks and warehouse at corner of Water and North, next G.T.R. -- Jas. McKee (Jeweller & Stationer). FEB. -- $7,000, subscribed for P. P. Rink. -- Mr. and Mrs. John Rolph celebrate 64 years married. MARCH -- Rev. John Harris dies in 81st year. For many years he was Methodist minister in this area. -- Ralph Fitchette opens butcher store in Manchester. APRIL--Port Perry Votes "dry" by good majority. -- H. G. Hutcheson, for 2% yrs, manager of Standavd Bank, Oshawa, has been transferred back to Port Perry. -- Utica Store totally destroyed by fire believed to be started by lightning. MAY--Dr. C. N. Johnson, formerly of Port Perry, tendered dinner by gradu- ates of the Chicago College of Dental Surgery. -- Golf Club formed. Nine hole course on fairgrounds. -- The farmers Union Milling Co. Ltd. ad- vertising Ice for the season. -- Sale of Reserved Seats. (Remember when the seating plans for concerts were at the drug or jewellery store?) JULY -- A new bridge at Cawker's Creek on the Manchester Road is be- ing completed. SEPT.--D. Corbman is selling out his phonograph business. -- Work is started on the long looked-for rink, -- R. A. Fitchett loses barn, butcher shop, garage and house in an early morning fire. Only the heroic efforts of the bucket brigade saved the rest of the village of Manchester, as the strong wind carried sparks to many nearby buildings. -- The afternooii]}. train is being removed. OCT.--Mur. James Carnegie died. Was a resident for 30 years. -- St. John's Presbyterian Church is re-opened af- ter extensive renovations. Church was built 66 years ago. -- A, L. Me- Dermott announces that he will open funeral service rooms in the Ebbels Block. NOV.--C. 0. Clay is leaving town and is selling his complete stock of elec- tric fixtures. ;= Curling Club is or- ganized. -- Citizens asked to conserve their lights so that the rink will not | be deprived of sufficient light, parti. cularly on Saturday Night. The Year 1922 JAN.----The Radial By-laws voted on in Toronto on Monday both carried as follows: Toronto Suburban, and Radial Railway to Bowmanville. It is hoped that branches to various municipali- ties will be built from the Bowman- ville line. This includes Port Perry. ~The new Skating rink is one of the finest. -- The Farmer's Union Milling Co. announceg that P. Figary has ta- | ken over their Coal Business. | FEB.--Port Perry definitely in favour | of Hydro Electyic. : MARCH--John Rolph, 93, and still goes to business. -- Mrs. Tindall, Mil- linery, spring opening. -- Harold R. Archer, Hardware, moved from Leo- nard Blk to St. Charles Hotel Bldg.-- The German Field gun presented by the Canadian War Trophies Depart- ment has arrived and is now on view in front of the Post Office. -- John Ross. Roach named one of the great- est goal tenders in the world. Only 125 lbs. nevertheless he has shown that he has nothing to fear from the best sharp shooters. JUNE--Hugh Lucas is moving his up- holstering business from the Leonard Block to IKbbels Block. AUGUST -- New Street lights to be installed. -- Port Perry Business Col- lege, C. W. F. Price, Principal. SEPT. -- Hydro turned on. Special | ceremony in the Town Hall. John Rolph, nonegenarian pressed the but- ton. OCT.--The Star the first to have its motors run by hydro. NOV.-- My. Sims of Peterborough has purchased H. S. White's Bakery -- Jeffery Harness Factory complete ruin from fire. > Two of the Boys Who Gave Their | | SGT. PILOT Wm. R. WILLARD son of Mr, and Mrs, H. Willard was killed in action on July 2, 1943, The Year 1923 °° Reeve -- P. Figary. Countil--Geo. Jackson, Allan Goode, J. Stonehouse, H. G. Hutcheson. MARCH---C, A. Rundle moves his im- plement shop to the building on Perry St., formerly used as a market. MAY--D. Corbman announces he will sell fruit. -- J. Peel & Son delivers fresh accredited milk before break- fast. -- J. C. Cockburn is raising Arc- tic Silver Foxes, JULY --Chautauqua. -- Methodist and Presbyterian churches to hold Union meetings during holidays. AUGUST -- Owing to the ill health of Mr, Sims, Mr. White has resumed the bakery business. -- Jas. McKee and Son will open their foot wear stove in the St. Charles Hotel building (The Palace Shoe Store). SEPTEMBER -- A thousand people visit Mr. F. A. Kent's grounds to see his daliahs. There are hundreds of blooms. - Beechcroft will be closed to the public Oct. 15 until spring. NOV. -- Decision has been made to have the War Memorial take the form of a library. The Year 1924 Reeve--Philip Figary (acc.) Council -- Jas. Stonehouse, H. G, Hutcheson, Neil Sweetman, Geo. Jack- son. JAN.--Col. J. E. Farewell, dies. Was Crown Attorney Ontario County over fifty years. -- Geo. A. McMillan, the Reeve of Reach, named warden.--Jack Miner visits Port Perry. He will ad- dress the children in the afternoon and a public meeting in the evening. --Alex. Naples Fruit Store damaged by fire. -- $25,000 to be spent on Port Roads, construct 20' road from Queen St. along Perry to railway (north) from railway on Queen to Town Hall and on Water from Queen to railwuy (S.) MARCH--Oshawa became a city on March 8, 1924. -- Horticultural So- ciety organized. MAY -- Street watering has started for the season. -- Harry S. White sells his bake shop to G. M. Gerrow. -- Dr. [J A. Murray, dentist has been prac- 'tising in Port Perry H8 years. -- Pre- sentation made to Geo. Stohe, retir- ing after forty years in Port Perry High School.. JULY--Over 2000 people visit Kent's i Rose-Garden on Sunday. Sidewalk urgently needed for the pedestrians.-- New cement roads officially opened Aug. 7th. AUGUST Wick Presbyterian Church celebrate 756th anniversary. SEPT. Jas. Stonehouse died in North Dakota, on holiday trip. --- Mrs. A. R. Wilson, Seven Mile Island, made a gift of uniforms to the Port Perry Band. OCT. Miss Estelle Bull, music tea- cher, has decided to return. toler former home in Bloomfield. NOV.--Mr. John Rolph is retiring from harness business. -- L.O.1.. Hall at Purple Hill totally destroyed by fire. -- Bert MacGregor's slaughter house burned to the ground. -- Mr. ~ Allan Goode will move his creamery to the Ice Cream Factory. Mr. Nor- man Ewers has carted a fine new churn from Peterboro and it is to be installed in the new creamery. -- Mr, John Harris and Mr. Douglas Lucas called to the bar. FLYING OFFICER T. Wm. LEAHY son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Leahy who was killed on active service over- seas on December 31st, 1944,