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Editorial Page ONE OF THE MORE RUGGED scenic areas of Estjuesing is in the northern end of the township all along spots like these on the Ninth Line The Niagara Escarpment rises majestically on both sides of this valley with wooden spikes of trees evergreens and birch making brush marks on glistening snow Staff Photo Sugar and Spice by bill smiley Its one of those wild Canadian nights with the wind howling like a pack of wolves on an LSD trip and snow seeking out every My wife came down today and found a little kid trying manfully to shut our front door which had been blown open There was about eight Inches of snow In the vestibule and the furnace was grunting like a hippo with a hernia Its the sort of night when you think with awe of our ancestors In their draughty log cabins and their sod houses on the prairies They were giants compared to us pampered doughy creatures who whimper and get sick at the thought that we might not be able to get the car out of the drive in the morning We simply can imagine up at five in pitch dark lighting a lamp building a fixe breasting It through three or four feet of snow to the barn or lean to to see whether the animals have survived feeding them numb to the bone and coming back in to make porridge A tough life but in some ways we must envy them They have to worry about too much cholesterol In the eggs too much fat in the bacon didn t have that demon of today the alarmclock to tear their tender morning nerves And maybe because they geared to the clock they missed some of the Joys of f modern We They didnt have ulcers Because they had to do something about their problems not Just worry about them They t constipated because they have time In that cold Their women weren t so neurotic because they t have time to worry about nerves cancer gray hair and wrinkles Itwnsahard But were they worse off than we Maybe their kids had to walk three miles to school through the snow But when they got there there wasn trying to convince them that sniffing nail polish was the Most of our kids today couldnt raise guinea pig without the help of two parents and a veterinarian I am presently trying to convince my daughter that the freeenterprise system has Its points She has some piano pupils She thinks it Is atrocious that she gets only half the fee the kids pay a mere a half hour while the studio owner takes the other half I point out to her that he picks her up and delivers her home that it is his studio his piano his advertising his overhead Nope It Is a clear case of vicious capitalistic exploitation of the young And the same kids when they hit their teens were young men and women capable and independent My grandmother died at 3J Fatigue and child bearing common enough In those days There were nine children And my mother the oldest girl reared the lot of them writing this as the southbound Kapuskaslng Toronto Special glides through the heart of this province north Outside the air is crisp a few degrees below zero The landscape as we thunder towards Cochrane is flat relieved by trees and a few fields with fence posts peering out of walsthlgh snow It doesn vary much as the miles go Surprisingly though it is never really monotonous There always the chance you might glimpse a deer moose or bear in the bush or piss through a small northern town the streets glistening in the morning sun and the Inevitable snowmobile tracks cutting patterns in the snow The train Is slowing down Someone ahead in the coach familiar with the north says It s Cochrane That was a signal for activity Out of the train tumbles a bearded bundle of bombast wrapped in bulky buffalo coat topped by a bright orange touque fingering a trumpet Behind him in file are a troupe of followers in gay mighty gay spirits They line up on the station platform at Sunday morning The man In the buffalo coat lifts his trumpet and shatters the crisp northern air with a fanfare that would do credit to a royal house Then while railwayroen along the station platform grin be breaks into the old favorite I ve been on the railroad That breaks the ice if you pardon the pun The whole scene lights up Revellers five abreast parade down the platform to the delight of faces pressed against the frosted windows of the CN and Ontario by hartley coles Northland special that is returning over newspapermen women wives husbands and a few kids returning from two days at There the were wined and dined visited bush camps paper mills and sampled the north at its best in the winter We arrived on the vanguard of a thermal blast that gripped the north with icy fingers for three weeks sending the plunging to a chill factor of degrees below the zero mark Naturally prospect of two full days and three nights at the Kap with the same enthusiasm we would have for Florida at this tune of year But when we stepped off the train after 14 hours on board the mercury had regained its balance They were having a heat wave degreecs ABOVE zero It was the first encouraging word for the news media since the mass media report told Canadians the newsrooms of the nation were the The special had one nightmarish quality it arrived at the Cinderella hour while most northerners rather than in the balmy breeze were sawing wood in bed Somehow 1 had always pictured the real north to be a facsimile of lots of trees hills and rocks with lakes thrown in to provide picture postcard scenes It s not There are spots like that but around the it is almost as Oat as Bill billiard tables There are lots of trees dominated by the spruce family which is the mainstay of the pulp and paper industry Main feature of the topography In the north is muck Although frozen in winter during warm months It varies in depth from We are the losers News that the John Ambulance Brigade In Acton would be disbanded and amalgamated with Milton is almost an indictment of disinterest on the part of nil of us living in Acton district It is a sign that we dont know or care enough about worthwhile organizations to support them financially morally and with enough recruits to keep them healthy Surely no one knows better than we do the tremendous amount of work the St John brigade has done in Acton in the past They have been a fixture at nil community events kept the sports scene well protected with trained men and women and conducted training classes for those interested in learning the rudiments of practical first aid In 1968 the community honored them collectively by bestowing on them the Citizen of the Year award It is ironic that in three yeara later they have to fold up their equipment due to Interest financial troubles and a tendency on our part to take their important community role for It that we didnt appreciate them Their figures were at all events where there might be some sort of physical risk It was comfortable knowing trained help was immediately available in the event of an emergency We are Informed that teamed with Milton remaining members will still be able to attend events In Acton but with nowhere the scope they worked with previously Perhaps It is not too late to redeem ourselves in the eyes of the dedicated men and women who wore the black with white trim the unmistakable mark of St John man or woman A little humble pie Man after walking on the moon and achieving other scientific marvels during the past halfcentury tended to become blase and very much satisfied with himself Modern living has its advantages but there is a growing awareness that technology is destroying a very important aspect of living in that man tends to isolate himself from other men True he may belong to clubs and so forth but in his inner self modern man lives very much unto himself It follows that in many respects a battle with the elements such as area residents experienced last week is not as bad as it appears on the surface there was suffering but at least it gave those of us who bother to think a little a chance to once again realize that we are but humble pebbles when the forces of nature decide to take hold The essential goodness of the human race deluged and partially smothered by mass media good living and fast travel broke once more to the surface as harried travellers were welcomed into shelter under strange roofs stranded school children were eagerly accepted into many homes and as hundreds of persons beat every effort Personal interest gone And my mother hitched up the buggy or and drove all over Calumet Island and half of Countv giving lessons at cents an hour And drove the long dark lonely road home It not the money Half a buck then was probably worth more than four dollars today It the attitude There nobody to be blamed They grew up in an era of comparative peace when a strong back and a strong will gave you a life that was rewarding We grew up through a depression and a world war and sought security Our kids ore growing up in an era of violence and fear and rapid change and insecurity And perhaps the last are more Idealistic than any of us closer to the truth with their slogan of Love and Peace Geographically the Kap is at the centre of the province but it is still only ISO miles from James Bay name that sends shivers down the backs of most Canadians The town is dominated by the Spruce Falls Power and Paper Co and rotund Rene whom we dubbed Rene the Peach mayor and publisher of the Kapuskaslng Tunes a genial and hospitable host named by the Indians after a bend in the River is a model town built in the design of a wheel around a central hub on which the business section is located Veterans of the first World War pioneered the area and farmed clay left by retreating glaciers of the ice age Few were successful and the area around the Kap is a real of broken farming dreams Abandoned farms with falling barns and empty shells of houses dot the countryside testifying to hopes of the early settlers Now the economy is dominated by pulp and paper with a few agricultural areas still functioning and looking fairly prosperous Two das is hardly enough to become an expert or very knowledgeable about the north but over the next few weeks I hope to write a few of my impressions about it while in its real element winter Editorial notes Growing old is simply a question of mind over matter If you dont mind it doesn matter Money does make a difference If you have two jobs and you re rich you have diversified interests If you have two jobs and you are poor youre moonlighting Although there are probably some astute business reasons for the policies of school boards and government hiring contractors in place of caretakers to maintain and clean schools and public buildings such as post offices there is growing recognition among the public at least that quality of service sometimes leaves much to be desired Phasing out of individual caretakers with strong personal interest in their work in favor of impersonal cleaning firms can possibly be defended In the financial statement columns where quality is measured in dollars and cents but we wonder if they are as complimentary in the nitty gritty of everyday maintenance Many caretakers of the past took pains to provide clean shining buildings with complementing well manicured grounds If extra work or hours were needed they didnt hesitate to provide them Perhaps this would only mean replacing a door lock a drop of oil on squeaky hinge or a wiping a light bulb which periodically needed cleaning It might be simply keeping the sidewalk clean and free of snow In winter or could entail major repairs of the heating system which they often nursed along in addition to other duties Those were all services the public took for granted although sometimes they were provided by an overworked conscientious workman If caretakers fashioned along these lines they wouldnt last long at the lob Then along came the new improved business methods Cost accounting showed that hiring firms to do the Job of caretakers could shift a substantial balance of cash from expenses required for maintenance These firms have modern efficient machinery which does away with the drudgery of the job and also eliminates the necessity to buy new equipment Since they were formed in the Acton division has constantly demonstrated qualities of good citizenship The Order of St John goes back to the crusades when knights from the Christian countries of Europe were so impressed with the care given to the wounded by the Brothers of St John of Jerusalem that many of the crusaders joined the Order Others endowed It with gifts of money and land to enable the Order to extend their care for the suffering Maybe we dont pay enough attention to crusaders these days Certainly we dont with heir modern equivalents Perhaps they will forgive us for our folly We will be the losers not the brigade toward helping those in need due to the fury of the elements Perhaps as modern times march along their course the incidental lessonsofnaturemaybeglntotakea firm hold once more We may regain that compassion for our fellow man once the outstanding characteristic of our pioneering forefathers At any rate a little taste of humble pie serves to drive home the fact that man may not live for bread or money alone We hope the lesson has not been wasted Marys Journal Argus With their equipment and men and women hired at a figure not much beyond the required minimum cleaning firms were able to almost eliminate the individuals who once staffed buildings But now the chickens are coming home to roost Machines may be efficient costs lower but the little extras once taken for granted are no longer being provided They may not be In the contract Or if they are workmen on a small wage are not as likely to bother about frills as the caretaker who once conscientiously tried to fulfill his Job There are exceptions of course Unless there Is a sudden change of policy among the decision makers of school boards and government we are more apt to run into more of their depersonalizing Influence which laudable as it may seem for the public purse strings has some hidden drawbacks years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press of Thursday February 8 The tall green vine growing on the platform of the town hall auditorium early this week had the title role in the public school pupils operetta The Magic Beanstalk pre sen tea there Monday and Tuesday evenings of this week Chairmen for the evenings were Tom Parker The music was under the direction of Miss Linda Stewart and the dialogue under Miss J Staging was directed by Mrs Gamble and Mr Ron as Jack Jerry White as the wicked ogre and Frances Oakes as THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office Jack mother had the main speaking parts and handled them with ease Others to be commended are George as the announcer Robert Parker as Captain Kidd as the fortune teller and Herb Dodds as the magician An amusing tap dance by Martin Marks and Ron Sheppard as a cow delighted the audience he dance of the five beans was charmingly done by Patricia Barr Linda Judy Halllday Faye McEachem and Pat Moyse Mrs Peter Smith of Main St observed her 90th birthday High School news Grade put on the literary program There was a play with Jack Davidson the S delegate John Ware a Russian delegate Don Dawkins a Canadian delegate and Rod Force as secretarygeneral Trigvie Lie Taking part in a debate on homework were Mr Robbins and David McVey against Miss and Lorraine Mullui Others on the program were Pat Terry Marjone JoAnn Fred Euringer Chris Lamb Joyce Lambert and Frances Fletcher Crawford Douglas played Dorsey Boogie Bumble Boogie and others Vic Alger passed away suddenly at his home on Arthur St He was born in England and came to Canada years ago 50 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press Thursday February 1921 The entertainment given at the Soldiers Community House under the direction of the Women Institute was well worthy of the large patronage accorded it Rev M Meyer presided over the program Mrs Leonard Worden piano selection Miss Marguerite Symon piano selections Mr Andy Frank violin numbers little Miss June Frank vocal Scottish numbers Miss Betty musical recitations Mr Fred Coles vocal solo Mrs A T Brown readings Miss Lily vocal numbers selections by Messrs Mann McClure and Smith solos by Rev W L and Mrs Frank Holmes The Hydro Commission are planning to renew the transmission lines from Acton to shortly To accomplish this the current will be cut off for eight hours per day for seven days This will militate most seriously against those who use power In town E J Nelson has purchased the medical practice of the late Gray Better get in your stock of ice now an early spring Is predicted Quite a few of the tannery workers are cutting fire wood on the neighboring farms while the tanneries are shut down 75 years ago Taken from the issue of the Free Press Thursday January 30 1S96 Acton Horticultural and Agricultural Society Is in a very flourishing condition The annual meeting held in the town ball Wednesday proved this to the entire satisfactlonofthedirectoni The secretary report showed a cash balance on hand of after paying all prize money and accounts The following were elected for the coming year Jno Duff President Alex 1st VicePresident Thos Wilson 2nd Vice President Geo Secretary and Treasurer Jas Matthews auditor directors Jno Williams Geo HaviUe J H Matthews Thos Harding Wm Geo Hitching Jno Black Ktrkwood A silver wedding was celebrated at Homedale the pretty and comfortable brick home of Mr and Mrs George Dills Mr Dills and his interesting family came to Acton from two or three years ago An event of the evening was the photographing by Artist of the company by flashlight Mr David Mills lost a tine team horse last Friday through With persona and family illness Mr Mills la afflicted to an extent which calls forth general sympathy In Toronto people are being fined for not having bells attached to their rigs when driving through the streets AntiConsumptive Syrup stands at the head of the list for all diseases of the throat and lungs