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The Acton Moo Doc mi Not a world of peace Ours is not a world of peace and good wilt In Africa rival races of blacks and whites struggle in the open and In secret with and without violence for dominance In the Middle East great powers escalate each others armament bids Fighting has become so commonplace in some places that newspapers hardly report it any more Viet Nam Northern Ireland Cyprus And the repression of an entire continent is ignored in South America an unofficial alliance of military regimes tightens the screws on a hundred million poor And in Bangladesh and India the Sahel and who knows how many more centres of suffering millions more die the slow agony of starvation There seems to be something incongruous about celebrating Christmas in such a world For Christmas speaks of kindness and love peace and goodwill Yet we should remember that the first Christmas was not a peaceful one The baby Jesus was born into a world of tyranny of hate of vicious dictators and treacherous politicians In an effort to destroy that child a pitiless Herod slaughtered all the children of Bethlehem Nor was the life of Jesus particularly peaceful He was always under suspicion always under attack His life was a conflict with forces of evil forces which eventually brought him to the Cross So in celebrating Christmas we should see in the one called Christ a challenge not only to the Herods of 2000 years ago but to those of every day of every nation That was the hope of Christmas then It is still the hope of Christmas today But we need to work harder to realize that hope Unchurched editorials A Christmas heresy A Christmas cartoon showed a hut bathed its a halo of light The mother bent her child in a manger approached from the fields men from the deserts and the night sky was Tilled with angels And the father came rushing out shouting Us a girl It s almost unimaginable In this age of enlightened theology a number of broad minded Christians have managed to convince themselves that God might indeed be female as welt as male Or perhaps neither or perhaps both But to conceive of the Christ the Messiah as a woman How ridiculous After all you say if Christ had been a woman there would probably have been no great preaching journeys through Palestine no going out in the boats with the fishermen no driving the moneychangers out of the temple There would probably have been no trial and no crucifixion The great world changing ministry of Jesus might have been restricted to a Whither goes the mail The Free Press was happy to liear that on Acton Free Press was delivered to a home in Agincourt on a Thursday just one day after publication But how about those papers that don get to Campbellville until Tuesday The ways of the mail are Of this and that Nothing is quite so annoying as to have someone go right on talking when you re interrupting It has always been a little depressing to newspaper journalists to think about what people might be using their news papers for after they are a day or two old The thought of all those lovingly crafted sentences being wrapped around whats left of the fish or pushed hurriedly under the single small town an association with other women perhaps a generation or two of children Jesus a woman Hah Heresy If the thought of a female Christ horrifies you maybe the heresy is yours Certainly the Bible says that Jesus was male The heresy may be that because of Hebrew social standards God had no choice but to send a male Messiah That makes God subject to human customs It denies the limitless power of God Surely the real message of Christmas is not what did happen but what can happen What could be more absurd than one child one unsophisticated carpenters son in a troublesome little back water of the Roman Empire setting out to change the world even challenging death on a cross If anything should be considered impossible that should be Even for God But thats what happened Christmas says to all of us then and now With God even the impossible is possible strange Most Acton mail now apparently goes to Georgetown for forwarding elsewhere After Christmas when the rush is over the Free Press would like to hear from people good or bad tales to tell of the delivery of their hometown weekly papers other towns and cities puppy was just too dismaying to contemplate But n this area of Western Ontario it cannot go without comment that government researchers in Japan have come up with a new wrinkle for old news papers They pour molasses over them and feed the mess to Holstein milk cows to provide a sixth of the animals daily food So far the cows are still yielding good milk Of course How could anyone have expected otherwise St Marys Journal Argus The Christmas beat guess they II lock me In the Clink To spend the Christmas Day re safe for sure when secure There is no other friendly pal will pick up drive me to the cell With the coffee cup I It sober up The rest Is sad to tell 1 Just the usual Chris is Drunk That ruins Christmas Day To save the pains from They take my car away You ought to thank the Boys In Blue Who keep me off the street They their folks to pick up soaks Around their Christmas beat They know that I not capable of Caring for my self foggy brain will cause no pain Tucked up on the shelf Now when they pull mc over l be calm as I can be I II tell my tale full detail Cause they re protecting me They have a busy Christmas day Just sorting out the punks To save our lives they leave their wives To tuck away the DRUNKS Christmas is a coming THE AUDIENCE at Speyside Schools Christmas Concert was delighted with the kindergarten classes rendition of Christmas is Wendy Thorn son camera caught the enjoyment of the song on the little faces Robert Noble and heirs played prominent part in Norval history aswe know it today developed from the pioneer enterprise of John and sons Scottish settlers who cam from Vermont in In fact the village was called McNabvlile until when the first post office was opened in the community James a son dammed the Credit River and built a frame grist mill In 1828 which was later replaced by a brick structure and once stood near the entrance to the Credit Valley Club originally known as the Riviera The mill was always Ihe hub of Norval industry Several descendants of mill employees still dwell in the village James McNab met with an unfortunate accident soon after the mill s A mill stone slipped and crushed his leg and it had to be amputated above the knee The mills were then leased to John in 1830 but were sold to a General Adam son in Adamson son In law Col Mitchell ran the mills From to 1859 the grist mill was leased to and Worts of the famed distilling families Robert Noble of Carlisle England reputed to be the last miller in Canada with faith in the old stone grinding system bought the grist sow and woollen mills In 1868 from the Bank of Ontario which had control of the property by this time Robert Noble was well with the grist business in England He apprenticed in and eventually worked In mills at and in managerial positions He arrived in Canada In 1853 For more than years Robert Noble and his son Col Alexander Noble steadily Increased the flour mill reduction until the names and Norval became synonymous In Canada flour industry In rebuilt the mills and in 1839 changed to the modern roller system Some grain was purchased from the prairies but the main supply came from local farmers It was not unusual to sec a string of wagons filled with groin awaiting heir turn lo weigh in on the scales at the Noble Flour Mill The neighbouring Hollywood Hotel would be a welcome site could be had for which included a thick slab hot After IBM the mill was serviced by the Grand Trunk Railway which had its station about miles above the Milage A group of land owners asked too much money when plans for the railroad route were being made Both parties held out so the railway was put through on the present CNR line north of the ullage The station was a shipping point for the Noble Flour which was mainly sold throughout the Quebec and Maritime regions England and Scotland and even the West Indies Noble had two elevators used for storage of grain one at Georgetown and another at Acton railroad stations Grand Trunk Station was closed on July 12 1326 port j because focal farmers had changed their business from grain growing to dairying or stock raising By Ihis time modern trucks could be the means of trans porting goods right from the farm to market Had it not been for the bargaining stalemate bet ween landowner and the GTR the railroad would have passed closer to the village thus inviting more industry In this regard in potential certainly suffered he Toronto Suburban Railway which run just south of on the hill had a siding which ran directly to the dour mill Radial freight cars began shipping carload lots of flour from the time the first car passed through the village in April was to have been the new site for Upper Canada College during the 1910 Over acres were from the Noble but the outbreak of World War I prevented plans to relocate the college in 1914 It took some time to recover from the effects of the war but the intention was to move once more in This time the stock market crash put an end to the plans In two residences were added to the Upper School in lf36 a large gym and pool were built Along come World War in 1939 By the time it was over much work was done on the old existing building in Toronto Sen centered around it so the plan was changed to utilize the property as an outdoor educational facility and a re fores ion area To this day senior boys of Upper Canada College spend ALEXANDER NOBLE and family in an old photograph Sitting on her fathers knee is Mrs Marion Reed who still lives at and seven monthold Ethel is on her mothers knee The picture was taken in Halton sketches by John McDonald a week at time on the which were once a part of the old Noble Farm With the large volume and the integrity of his business Robert Noble provided a banking service for customers until 1907 when a branch of the armors Bank was established in Norval However it closed in a short time A branch of the Metro politan Bank was opened on at the request and with the in fluencc of Robert Noble With the decline In business after the sale of the Noble Flour Mill to J Campbell Ltd in plus the fact Upper Canada College decided not to relocate the bank closed April 1931 It had then amalgamated with the Bank of Nova Scotia The former bank building now houses D Groceries at the village The lovely Noble farm house which still stands across the river was built by Alexander another son of John the original settler The residence was rebuilt by General Adamson In the mid IBOOs The front portion was added to house the guests for his daughter wedding and is now a complete apartment for Robert Nobles grand daughter Mrs Marion Reed In 1934 Alex Noble and his family leased the house and farm to the United Church which established hostel for boys on the premises Young men between the ages of and 19 were brought over from England Scotland and Wales to work on farms In Ontario and were housed there until placed with a farmer When the depression set in during the 1930 a the United Church could no longer main lain the scheme ana the Alex Noble family returned lo the farm in 1934 Julian Reed a grcit grind son of Robert Noble now a popular entertainer has spearheaded the recent fight to keep school open He still lives on the old Noble farm and is present making plans to become completely self sufficient b producing his own hydroelectric power from the Credit River which wanders through the firm He is also raising livestock and growing fruits vege tables The arm near old mill pond were the centre Old timers can still recall local farmers cutting blocks of Ice from the pond deep In winter and loading them onto their sleds to take home for storage under sawdust In the Noble Hour Mill sold to Browne and Co of Toronto by the Bank of Nova Scotia which had taken possession through the failings of J Campbell The mill burned in January The Noble family and the flour mill have both played roles L name Noble for pastry flour King s Choice fur breid flour were known throughout the Dominion and overseas Robert Noble also served on Ihe local school board as secretary and was a trite Hi- son Alex Noble a nod us 1 1 Colon il of the Rifles which is now known as the I Scots played an important role in keeping the new Presbyterian t building inside the village when it was reeled in as opposed to hiving It located on the hill outside the village It is interesting to note how the village of thrived at one time compared to Its present commuter status Other aspects of the history of are forthcoming in this series I The Free Press Back Issues 20 yeais ago Citizens prominent in municipal affairs in County and other centres were last Thursday evening of Warden J Stewart at the Annual Warden Dinner in the Windsor Room of the Royal Hotel in Discussion prior to first reading of a by law to provide some IIS for sewer ex tensions into the Cobble Hill and Wool Combing subdivisions centered heavily on means of apportioning assessment on all costs Involved at the final regular session of town council Monday evening The entire slate of 1954 officers and committee members in the Acton Citizens band was returned for next year Wed nesday evening when the band gathered for its annual meeting Bandmaster A who conducted the election was un anlmously returned lo his position as was assistant bandmaster Presbyterian Peonies members from Campbellville ana Andrews church Gall were entertained by Knox church Acton P at a Christmas group party on Saturday December 18 After carol singing Joe Jany led in gam At iheir annual meeting the Men of Knox elected Charles Klrkncss as their president for Other officers are vice- president Stanley Norton secretary Clarence Coles treasurer Russell Pat pianist Ted Hansen A fine sheet of ice in the arena made possible the first skating of the year last night 50 years ago Taken from the free December 192 The hardest worked people In town Ihe past week have Post Office staff Under the capable superintendence of Mr J Chester Matthews the enormous volume of mail matter has been skilfully handled with ability and promptitude Courtesy has prevailed under exceedingly trying con ditions and the public has been served with general satisfaction The Warden s dinner tendered by Reeve Barber of Acton at Milton on Wednesday evening in the County Council annals of the week Thedinnerwasheldat the Milton Inn was highly spoken of Warden Barber invited guests from Acton were Chief Mc Prison Officer J Municipal Clerk Farmer Forbes Thomas A Morton John W W D Anderson Beatty Arnold Atkin son Hiram John J McDonald Frank Holmes James Anderson and J Patterson On Monday the residence of Mr Basil Johnston second line had a narrow escape from destruction by fire A quantity of ashes from one of the Stoves had been emptied in the snow at the side of the wood shed The high wind which prevailed blew sparks against the walls of the shed it Is supposed ignited The fire burned through and got into the wood piled in the shed This blazed up and when discovered had nearly reached the living quarters Mr Johnston and the neighbours who were summoned by telephone were able to subdue the flames before more serious damage had been done 75 years ago The Commercial hotel was thrown into confusion on Sunday evening by an fortunate accident occurring to Miss Mabel Thompson one of the maids who swallowed a large pin Mocdonald and were called but the pin had des into the esophagus to within four or five Inches of the stomach and it was found impossible to remove it She was taken to the General Hospital in on a freight train to bo operated upon but Just the surgeon was about to commence operating the young lady who was on the operating table was suddenly seized with a soetl which fortunately resulted in dislodging the pin and bringing it up She has since returned home and feels no serious effects from the accident mat popular annual event the George town Fire Brigade s Ball and Supper will take place on Friday December No doubt Acton will be well represented The annual Christmas entertainment of the Baptist Sunday School will be held on Wednesday evening Inst A musical and literary programme of interest will be rendered by members of the school and the choir of the church The admission fee will be ten cents The prices of brooms will shortly be advanced about per cent to meet an advance in manufacturers prices AN UNUSUAL shot of the Noble flour mills and Hollywood Hotel The hotels front was taken off when Highway was cut through the village THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office Copyright