Timmins High and Vocational School - Porcupine Quill Yearbook (Timmins, Ontario Canada)

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19 - The PORCUPINE QUILL i'lw- Interlude fbi: THE FAMILY RE-UNION 25th Anniversary Discovery of the Porcupine Gold Mines The celebration of the 25th anniversary of the discovery of gold in the Porcupine Camp began on Wednesday, May 23, 1934 and ended on Wednesday, June 6. Two weeks of colour- ful, unforgettable pictures of the Porcupine Gold Camp, in its youth and as it is now, were presented. This great celebration took place in the Timmins Arena lsituated on Balsam Street, near the Goldfields Theatrel under the guidance of Reverend Father C. E Ther- iauit and with the help of several committees -General, Reception and Mines. The cele- bration was both a great success and a great tribute to the town of Timmins, which is fast progressing. The celebration was ofiicially opened on May 23rd by the Honourable Charles McCrea and the Honourable J. E. Perreault, Ministers of Mines for Ontario and Quebec. Their pre- sence was indeed a great honour to the Por- cupine Camp, especially to the citizens Of Timmins, who feel proud that they can boast of having one of the greatest gold mines in the world. Their enthusiasm was clearly shown on the opening day, when they thronged into the Arena. The inside was like a beautiful garden, for eve1'y compartment. small or large, Was de- corated in the finest, bright colours, bright lights glittered everywhere. The leading manufacturers displayed their wares in a most effective and interesting way. Samples of their different products were given to the onlookers. Grocery stores also made beau- tiful showings of choice and delicious foods, domestic and imported. But best of all was the display, in the mining section. of the yellow ore which has made the name of Timmins a word on the lips of every- one. This section was organized by the leading mines of the camp. Mining imple- ments used as early as 1909 were shown. They consisted of helmets, candles, which were later replaced by the so-called miners' lamp, drilling machines, dynamite caps and various other gadgets. Only by looking at the changes in tools can one realize the great progress the mines of the Porcupine Camp have made. In addition to these dispiays, there were large photos of underground workings, crews of men and machines, there were pict1u'es of the first Hollinger shaft- and merely to look at it would make one tremble, it seemed so dangerous and threat- one shaft sprang the It is as Premier Henry ening. Out of that great Hollinger Mines. said, Twenty-five years is a brief period in Interior of a Gold Mine a country's history, but it is a long time in the career of gold mining in this province. These displays by the mines outlined clearly the history of the Porcupine Gold Camp. While the souvenirs of former days were being displayed in the arena, the Crescent Amusement Company's big midway on the grounds next to the arena was in full swing. It provided laughter, entertainment and thrills for the throng of old-timers. One could not fail to see the light of gaiety and enthusiasm in their eyesg for old memories were being reviewed. There were competi- tions of first aid crews who demonstrated the use of first aid equipmentg there were miners' drilling contests which involved the setting up of a complete drill. There were pie-eating contests, bagpipe competitions and fashion shows. On June Sth the celebration of this twenty- fifth anniversary ended. But in the two weeks the development of the Porcupine Gold Camp was relived. The history of 'limmins is short, but eventfulg we, as citizens of Tim- mins. realize that: We live in deeds, not years, In heart-throbs, not in figures on a dial? - LOUIS GUOLLA

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18 The PORCUPINE QUILL i FREIGHTING INTO PORCUPINE. 191i Courtesy of A. Tomkinson Interlude tal: THE SERVANT INDISPENSABLEU I like to see it lap the miles And lick the valleys up, And stop to feed itself at tanks. What the Terniskatning and Northern Ontario Railway Means to the North Few people in Northern Ontario realize the immense value of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario railway to the North Most people. if they think of it at all. think of it as a joke: they have even originated the nickname. based on the initials: Time No Object. Despite all this derision the T. and N. O. plays an important part in Northern life. The service that it gives to the mines afone is sufiicient reason for praise. Almost every day in the week. mine machinery and sup- plies are brought in by freight. This mach- inery might be brought in by trucks. but trucks would take a longer time: and it would be an unsafe mode of transportation when dynamite and blasting caps were being shipped. The railway co-operates With the mines when serious accidents occur. such as the Hollinger disaster of 1928, when it rushed north a special train carrying rescue equip- ment, Without this railway the mines simply could not carry on. The Temiskaming and North-ern Ontario Railway is very important in the every-day life of every Northern town, because, with the exception of four months in the year. all sup- plies must be brought in by train. Food, clothing, furniture tools and everything ne- cessary for the comfort of the inhabitants is brought in by the railway. Without it. Nor- thern Ontario would be a vast, densely- wooded region, with a few trappers, and with no towns or means of communication with the outside World. Early this year. the T. and N. O. inaugur- ated a new train service for the North. NOW, Timmins. rather than Cochrane, has become the terminal. an arrangement which does away with the necessity of changing trains at Porquis Junction. The northbound train leaves Toronto each night at ten minutes after eleven, which gives the traveller time to go to a theatre, a hockey game, a lecture, or a concert. And yet, despite the fact that he has almost two hours more to spend in To- ronto. he arrives in Timmins forty-live min- utes earlier than under the old schedule. This change in the time-table is sufficient proof that the authorities fully recognize the value of this railway to Northern Ontario. BASIL HOWSE

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Z0 - The PORCUPINE QUILL ' i' Act II The Mine Scene I: NCROWDING THE CAGE Ah, the glory of the day's work, whether With hand or brain! -Walt Whitman quoted by Sir William Osler f .frrrctta tim e if Q iiaootallif f r h To give the readers of The Quill an idea of the number of races and nationalities repre- sented in our school, We have asked a number of students to write for our columns an account of the schools from which they or their parents have come. In Scotland Although Scotland is famous throughout the world, for her centres of learning and her system of education, Ontario's schools corn- pare very favourably with hers. In Scotland, because of the strict disci- pline, the teachers do not seem to be human and the pupils are shy and diflident with them. In Ontario, the teachers appeal more to the student's sense of justice, and severity is seldom necessary. In Scottish schools the pupils are taught vocational as Well as cultural subjects. Girls are taught sewing, knitting and cooking and boys, manual work. If he makes an excep- tionally good piece of work, some lucky boy will receive the Merit Certificate from Buck- ingham Palace, and his work will enter the London Museum. The other subjects of the curriculum are similar to those taught in Ontario. The chief sport in Scottish schools is foot- ball, which all boys are compelled to play. The next in importance is swimming. Every day the boys and girls are taken to the public swimming pool, where they must learn to swim. Headball, softball, and cricket are among the other games played. There is less stress placed on the Entrance fEditor's Notel or Qualifying examinations in Scotland. This relieves the pupil of the nervousness so common in Ontario at the time of the de- partmental examinations. A medal called the Dux Medal, is given to the head of the class each week, and the pupil who keeps it longest during the term is given a prize. At the end of the Christmas term, books are given to pupils who have obtained a certain standing, These prizes arouse the spirit of competi- tion, which is very common in Scottish schools. The Scottish people have a great system of education-one that the Scottish lads and lassies should be proud of-just as We in Ontario are proud of ours. JAMES VEITCH. American Public Schools The schools in my home city of Detroit diiier from Ontario schools in several ways. There, the primary or elementary schools take one to the sixth grade. The intermediate school includes grades seven to nine. Then come the high schools, or grades ten to twelve, which correspond to Canadian secondary schools. The advanced schools are called Universities as in Canada.