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few Winter scene in ACTON ONTARIO CANADA Photo by Jim Jennings Smiley most people who have one foot in the grave and the other foot butting out the putting them there I become increasingly averse to change Why can my wife be the way she was when I married her sweet dumb innocent and believing that my opinion was more important than hers Why cant my daughter say Yes dad instead of Look Dad Why can my ago do something besides shake his bead in agony when I expound on the virtues of hard work meeting your payments and all that It seems that the only people with whom I am still on the same wavelength are old friends Now I not going to give you an analogy comparing old friends to old wine Although I do think they should be kept in the same place a cool dry spot to be brought cut at the exact moment 1 have brought out some of my old friends at the wrong moment One in particular can wreak havoc with my domestic relations We re having a lovely barbecue for example His kids are drifting in and out And then be says something like Snuler remember the night we picked up those two And I leap smartly Into the breach and holler Oh yeah those two unusual clam shells at the beach while his and my wife exchange looks and make mental notes and prepare future thirddegrees However as they say when they dont know any other way of getting back on the track some old friends preserve not only their sanity but their sense of humor Recently had a letter from such Dave Mcintosh a toiler in the bleached vineyards of journalism He says he has been writing politics in Ottawa for the Canadian Press for two centuries This is known as under statement or litotes If you are taking English from me and t you glad you We went to University together fought mostly our way into the Regent Palace In up with the coldest woman I have ever met when ho keep a date and had mo fill in Dave wa3 the only nonfreak in North House which sounds like something out of Dickens and was A residence It sounds like a modem euphemism meaning some place you are put away Many of the inhabitants of the men residence should have been put away then and some have been since Which proves nothing The Jocks t like him because he laughed at them If you are not up on the latest slang jocks were the in those days crewcut boys who knew that the way to get ahead was to be on the team marry the right girl and kick the right people in the face as you climbed the ladder They fortunately are still with us The only dif ference is the ferocity of their sideburns as compared with the shortness of their crew- cut The aesthetes didnt like him because he laughed at them If you arc not up on aesthetes they arc the people who chuckle over the latest vicious review of a play who parrot anyone who has ever uttered a bon mot who ore seen at all the right places but write a paragraph or a scene or a poem They are the flies who buzz around a carcass Itmustbedead If it shows signs of life they shriek with alarm and retreat into generalities like Well after all lie only doing his own thing If his thing is vomiting on the carpet that fine Sorry chaps t mean to get mean have a toothache Mac and I become friendly because I was the only freak in Middle House We were talking about old friends And in his letttr Dave said something that struck me He said Weeklies are gold mini He s right A local correspondent begins Hi dears let s see what on the old swizzle stick this week A lady who has never even licked a swizzle stick I swear It all right COLES SLAW Every so often the mall bag contains some interesting controversial letters from readers about the theory of evolution which gained Charles Darwin notoriety he never invited or deserved Darwin a book The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection worked a revolution in biological science and at the same time created a giant between those who believe in the literal truths of the Bible and those who sought a scientific explanation for the origins of man Church people said Darwin was making a monkey out of them while some scientists at first skeptical swallowed all Darwins theories hook line and sinker and made a new religion out of them In between were the editors and other fence sitters who had to deal with both sides of the question as fairly as they could at a Urn when opinions were not known for their charity And the argument still goes on God the Bible says created the earth in seven days Wrong said the scientists it took millions of years I have mulled this over in my mind for decades and read countless articles and tomes from both sides of the evolution tree but 1 think one of the best Intelligent explanations on the subject I have come across yet was published in the Guide of last week written by the Rev J Allan D At the risk of competing with the Clergy Speak Out lets continue Mr Meakin says really there should be no conflict at all between religion and science because they both express the same truths in different ways One group is concerned about the origin of things while the other is tracing the nature and destiny of man The theory of evolution tries to give a scientific explanation of how life began on earth The creation stories in Genesis are not scientific treatises but rather they are religious or theological In the way they approach and interpret the beginnings of creation No matter what conclusion science may come to many age regarding the beginnings of the physical universe and how man arose in it the Bible still hammers away at central truthGod was behind the whole Ordinarily this column is not disposed to discuss such serious issues we are at one of the serious times of the year Lent and Easter when we should think bock to our origins why we are here and how we got here The theory of evolution and the second We must guard our rights too Defeated Conservative Bert Hinton took us to task for remark in a minicomment editor I IdhI week which were intended to show we feel the French language signs on offices are nitpicking and the three candidates for the Tory nomination would be belter to aim Ir ammunition something worthwhile Mr felt the comment made him look he avows is not true since close friend and members of his family whom he has a high degree of respect for arc of Gallic origin and he would not trample on their feelings for any political goal However he feels strongly that inner council of Frenchspooking s in the Trudenu government Is trying to shove French down our necks and he is opposed to it since few of us in this area would have an opportunity to use the language We agree with Mr Hinton shoving French down anyones throat is hardly the way to start a new relationship between two peoples and we oppose it just as much as he docs By the same token we would oppose shoving English down Frenchspeaking they We only why for Canada in It nil it fiiMiiri and trusting Wwwn llw two funding la on an equal footing right nil throwing nil Jill llMUjlfliMVjiwrOT and conquered Muff I hut Huh dune nothing but Ignite that way back In In We are irmly behind Canada loyal with the Queen a In of the Commonwealth of Nations In lit In a of Ihe good thing many republics lack wit net up as a partnership under the crown and we believe firmly that is where It should stay There are those in our neighboring province of Quebec who would like to do away with the Queen and all semblance of royalty just as there are people in Ontario and the rest of Canada with the same feelings Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of Canadian history realizes that War of it was certain English speaking people of Ontario who tried to set up a republic Mini Comment And that brings me to another old friend my favourite weekly Naturally its the weekly of which I used to be editor It was with great delight that I read recently a letter to the editor in said weekly Ilstitcd The former editors me were gentlemen I agree Latest issue states that Bill Smiley is a line man and great writer I think the writer of the letter thus proclaiming has either a drinking or a mental problem but I don even care Although I think it might have been a fine writer and a great man Another gem same issue Classified ad Notice Would the person who get my gloves from my car evening and left me two pounds of butter please phone Deputy Reeve Pat McKenae is right people should know how many ad tax instalments they will have to meet so they can budget more ef fectively Delay a decision can only create hard feelings This is all necessary of course because of the introduction of an interim levy that gives council capital to work with at the beginning of the year instead of having to borrow from the bank March proverbially is supposed to come in tike a lamb and go out like a lion or vice versa but this year it could go out as a wet lamb or lion with its feet snagged the snow Did you realize it is now officially Spnng by the calendar Discussing an acquaintance who W3S soon to get married three yet to- gals suggested the envied one was the kind of a girt who doesnt care for a mans company unless he owns it Permanent signs indicating where the community centre and Prospect Park are located will be welcomed by visitors to town especially when they have never been here on a previous occasion or visit only occasionally We were glad to see council go along with the recommendation from parks board Although he did not make it this time it was a different exhilarating experience to have H Bert Hinton running for political office instead of relying on people from the south of the county to represent the riding We congratulate Mr on his decision contest the Progressive Conservative nomination and trust he will try again when the occasion crops up A pnvate school intends to return to the traditional type of education is to be established in Elora this September because the founder modelled on the United States and except for widespread opposition from French Canada It might hnvc happened We believe that the majority of French speaking people still want to remain a part of Canada and will continue to do so despite the mouthlngs if the radicals If having signs in French and on post offices across Canada is interpreted as giving into the Frenchfirst faction of a Quebec lobby then we feel we are a long way from ever solving this nations two solitudes We still think that by politicians of any stripe to prejudices that exist In English or French Canada a poor way to solicit votes or support are many other more important tasks this country must face without squabbling among ourselves any more than necessary At the same time we respect Mr Hintons contention that we must always be on guard that our rights are not trampled on as we accord the same to all others behoves the new methods in education have swept away the old values and responsibilities To be known as St John College the school will have an enrolment of about 80 boys with a head for tuition fees Although attached to St Johns Anglican church the school will be interdenominatlonal Either the people of Acton arc simply not interested or they feel that George can do the job of picking out a suitable centennial project for the town since only about showed up for a public meeting Sunday afternoon to debate the issue We would nope that those who did not think it worthwhile to express their opinions do not now decide it is time to object since it will require a concerted effort on the part of the centennial commission and the citizens to attain the goal Less than two weeks until Easter creation story in Genesis have some close parallels For instance both illustrate that in the ongoing process of creation there is order and man is the peak of it The stones in Genesis do not pretend to be scientific documents They are religious and poetic accounts of the origin of things tuned to the age in which they were written Scientists of course must also be aWare that what is regarded today as scientific fact may be regarded as superstition tomorrow So although the Bible stories are not scientific does not make them untrue Man is a spiritual being and not everything about him can be weighed and measured or evaluated with a slide scale How can you weigh out a half ton of compassion Can you measure out six yards of courage Science can truthfully tell us that man is composed of cents worth of chemicals but can they explain Shakespeare Beethoven or Michaelangelo For the sake of argument we dont think most scientists do try to reduce everything to data that can be fed into the jaws of the years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press of Thursday March 19S2 St s parish hall was filled Monday evening when home color stylist Miss Betty Blight displayed the modern trend in home decoration Mrs introduced her and she was thanked by W Denny Cyril Titt of assisted in the demonstration Door prizes were won by Mrs Miss J Currie Mrs Dobic and Mrs J I well The evening was under the auspices of St Alban choir the staff of the Bank of Nova Scotia in Acton since has been transferred to Cobourg He will be replaced by C Smith of Hamilton A stuff dinner marked Mr A Dills 25 years as editor and publisher of the Acton Free Press The Tost trophy has come to Acton For the first tune Actually it come yet because the confident Smith and Stone club who played the victorious Baxter Lab team Monday and Tuesday forgot to bring the trophy to the arena This confidence was shattered when the Acton teams final score was 16 to six Bob Marshall was the bright star in the sparkling Baxter firmament Lineup Doug Coleman goal Jock Stewart Do Bob Marshall Vic Masters Mel Jordan Robinson Julian Zajac Lome Masalcs Wilf Duval Dennis Coleman Everdell Somerville and Bill Fields An article appeared in the recent issue of the Family Herald and Weekly Star entitled This Councillor is No Gentleman by Acton councillor Esther Taylor 50 years ago Taken from Issue of the Free- of Thursday March 1S22 Maple sugar makers are busy these days There are some jolly times around the camp Ores in the sugar orchards among the young folks Mr Darwin Cripps is to the fore with 11 early chickens school honor roll Campbell Ross Helen Wright Ritchie Benton Mary McDonald Jessie Norton Hazel Scott Anna Meredith Wilfred Blanche Wright Joe Me Donald Stanley Norton Frank Carter Edna Beatrice Lane Gladys Jean Givens Kenneth Arthur Scott Tarzwell Jean McDonald Arthur Knowles Jack Jack Smethurst Jack Irene Scott Violet Scott Grenfell Wright Jim DdVis Freddie Brooks Milly Margaret McDonald Billy Billy Hamilton Russell McDonald Doris Gowdy Angus McDonald There is a strike at the brick works at Milton The men have been getting cents per thousand and they want cents Forty hands are out Mr H Moore editor and proprietor of the Acton Free Press has taken a partner into business Mr G A Dills Mr Dills started as an apprentice with the Free Press 13 years ago Mr Moore has published the Free Press for U years since the retirement of his brother Rev Albert Moore Mr Amos Mason is busily engaged in THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office gelling the machinery to place in his new bulling mill At the meeting of Acton Hydro Commission last Friday evening Miss Ethel who has been secretary for the Commission since its inception tendered her resignation The commission regretted ver much this decision by Miss and expressed appreciation for her excellent services 75 years ago Taken from the Issue Free Preu of Thursday April Stephen Vestal of Rockwood who Is mentally deranged became troublesome last week and was removed to the Guelph The great strength of Harvey s dray horse Sandy who died a week ago la frequently referred to When the steam fire engine came to town two years ago this fine animal hauled the biggest load ever taken through our streets by a single horse In this draught was his loaded dray followed by the fire engine and two hose reels filled with hose The load weighed seven tons and pounds The roads are now In terrible state There is some talk at Crewsons Corners of getting the mail three tunes a week instead of twice a week At there has been considerable hustle the past week for the office of postmaster here rendered vacant by the death of Mr A considerable number of the faithful have been putting in the it claims It is expected however mat Mr Hugh Black of has as good as secured the position It is very seldom that Acton is visited by midnight mechanics but a gang called off Monday night and burglarized Schllmmei tailor shop The surroundings of a number of stable near the street in town resemble barnyard now the snow la gone Mr Wm Stephenson has invented a steam plow which will plow one acre of prairie land in minutes The same engine can be placed on a thresher He the cost to only a quarter of that for any other method of steam thresher Mr Stephenson lived to Acton but Is now fanning in Morris Manitoba Hemanufacturedpfowaformany years and took prizes for 17 years In ac cession In plowing 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