Vermilion School of Agriculture - Yearbook (Vermilion, Alberta Canada)

Page 28 text:

VERMILION SCHOOL OF A G R I CULTURE INhere Are They Now? We give herewith the present locations of some of our former staff members and students, in the hope that those who have passed through the School may gain considerable interest in those members of the Alumni of the Vermilion School of Agriculture who are making their own place in a larger sphere of life than the classroom. Miss Marjorie Alexander, now Mrs. Max B. Palmer, is living in Hamburg, Germany, where Mr. Palmer is Assistant Trade Commissioner. They are rejoicing over the arrival of a baby daughter, born in November, 1929. Mr. W. G. Malaher is to be found at the London, England, offices of the Canadian National Railways, where he is engaged in colonization work for that organization. He will be remem¬ bered as the Dean of residence during the first year of operation of the Dormitory, and as the genial instructor in English and Mathematics of previous years. Mr. W. R. Brown, former Science instructor, is at present taking post graduate work at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. M iss Feme Edwards is working toward the acquisition of her degree at Manitoba Agricultural College at Winnipeg. M r. Perrie, who taught Third Year during the 1928-29 ses¬ sion, is at present studying Theology at Knox College, Toronto. M iss Beatrice Williams is teaching grade work at King Ed¬ ward School, Edmonton. Miss Mildred Bell, now the wife of Dr. W. W. Bell, resides in Vermilion, where the Doctor is engaged in the practice of his profession. Mr. J. F. Andrew is living in Edmonton, to which city he moved recently on his promotion to the position as Assistant Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Alberta. M iss Letitia Reid, matron of the Dormitory last year, is at her home in Swift Current, Sask., and rumor has it that she is shortly to be one of the principals is a most interesting event. M r. Eric Hale, the boy from India, who was Editor of the Yearbook in 1928-29, is now engaged in office work with the C. Gordon Lumber Co., at Vegreville, Alberta. Mr. Donald Rivet, who came to the School with the British Boys a few years ago, is with the Canadian Bank of Commerce at Youngstown, Alta. Mr. E. R. Gibson is engaged in farming at Winterburn, and expresses himself as well satisfied with prospects for the future. He has been back several times to speak to the students about mountain climbing. M iss Ellen Walker and Miss Grace Shandriuk are entered as student nurses at the University Hospital, Edmonton, and are reported as being well fitted for their task. M essrs. Bill Mead, Jack Milligan, Eric Horton, Walter Stone are attending the University of Alberta, Bill Mead having recently made the trip for inter-collegiate hockey into the Provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. M r. Jack Hopkins, who graduated from V. S. A. in the spring of 1926, secured his degree in Agriculture at Varsity last spring, and is now engaged in work toward the completion of his Master’s degree. He capped a brilliant University course by winning the Governor General’s Gold Medal and the Vallee French prize. ORCHESTRA Standing—R. Daeley, E. Swindlehurst. Seated—G. Clay, Miss V. Anderson, N. Martyn. BRITISH BOYS—(Standing) J. Thom, D. MacDougall, J. Scott, 1. MacLean, I. Hamilton, W. D. Gentleman. (Seated) E. Handley, J. Hacking. E. Prodgers, O. Dumbreck, T. D. Williams. (On Floor) R. Waddell, M. Reid, J. Galbraith. [ 26 ]

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□ VERMILION SCHOOL O F AGRICULTURE cattle could not be handled so easily, unless broken to lead, and for this there was little time or inclination on the farm. Upon arrival, the cattle were tied along one side of the fence, the sheep and swine penned along another, while the horses, with the exception of stallions, formed a line of their own. When the wagons had discharged their contents, they were often forced outside the grounds for yard space, lest they should take up room that was badly needed. The arrangements of exhibits in the main building was about the same as that observed today, only now there is generally more room and better light. The crowd was distinctly rural in its composition, although there was always a fair sprinkling of town people; the business men of the towns have always recognized the value of the fair in their own interests, but also have established a fine record of financial assistance and moral support, that cannot be wholly explained on a basis of cold¬ blooded business interest. As for the people of the farming com¬ munity, they came because they had something to exhibit, because some of the neighbors were exhibitors, or because they loved to see, to criticize and to learn, although they would not readily admit the last motive. It would take the brush of a painter to produce a worthy picture of this interesting concourse of people, always moving and crowding, as they exchanged technical comment mixed with neighborly greetings. It is true that could we behold such a pic¬ ture now we would be moved to amusement, as we are moved when we examine photographs of an ancient vintage. The ladies wore hats that tended to be flat, and that seemed to be perched somewhat precariously on the top of the head, unless one under¬ stood the array of deadly hat-pins; these hats also leaned toward colorful floral display. The dresses, too, were somewhat pro¬ nounced, with skirts that swept the ground and sleeves that bal¬ looned in a manner truly formidable. To even matters, it should be said that while the men did not dress in a manner that would look so much out of place today, it was simply because men always have suffered from lack of imagination; nevertheless, they scored when it came to facial decoration, with generous whiskers to tease the wind, or at least a noble mustache, that was of rams-horn or walrus type according to the weather—one writer has said that the mustache of that day was the original cream separator. Despite all the handicaps mentioned, it must be remembered that we are looking through smoked glasses, just as people are going to look some day at the snaps we now take so pridefully and so frequently, the snaps that we send to our friends presum¬ ably as samples of the ultimate. No doubt, the men and women of the ’80s were just as conceited as the people of today; in any case, they did not suffer from any inferiority complex, so amuse¬ ment is after all out of place and pity uncalled for—take this from one who knows, one who as a lad went around taking notice, if not notes. They had a really good time at that old Cattle Show, and so far as the young men and young ladies were concerned, they behaved as they do today—were just as ridiculous and just as happy. The show was tacitly recognized as a stage for courtship, and so there was displayed to public gaze, all the age-honored “ways of a man with a maid,’’ and if the man spent 50 cents instead of $5.00, the campaign funds were expended for the same purpose and to the same effect as present-day disburse¬ ments. Should some frugal soul wish to know the reason for the lower cost of courting at that time, it may be explained that the youth did not bring the maiden to the fair, and so saved entry money; that there were no midway performances to attract the girl’s fancy; and that if she did finally steer him to a booth, the copper or the 5-cent piece were the units of barter instead of the 10-cent piece or the quarter. Many a gallant put in a perfectly jolly day with the lady of his choice without buying more than a glass of lemonade, a bag of peanuts, and six sticks of “latire,” which was the French name for molasses candy—gum was not sold over the counter because it could be obtained only from the spruce tree and was used only at home or at school. The lovers of today need feel no sense of superiority; they are seeking and probably obtaining just the same old amount of pleasure, but paying more for it, even when present money values and condi¬ tions are considered. The exhibits in the main building were just as interesting as those to be seen at present-day fairs, but some points of differ¬ ence may be noted as the following imperfect list is submitted. In the soil products, it must be admitted that quality was often sacrificed for size. The present dinky little table pumpkins would have been laughed to scorn, for one of the most popular exhibits would be a mammoth pumpkin or a gigantic squash, either almost too big to shake hands across. The same predilection for size was to be seen in the potatoes, and in the beets, carrots, parsnips, and onions; while today we associate quality with that which is medium in the matter of size, and coarseness with that which appears overgrown, the exhibits were then often judged accord¬ ing to displacement of show space. In seeds, the main exhibits were wheat, oats, buckwheat, and timothy, and for the most part there was small knowledge of the technique that would now be made in the case of one man, of whom it was said that he spent deemed necessary to a successful showing. Exception must be all of one winter hand-picking, seed by seed, to procure a sack of wheat for show, and that he showed the same wheat for five years at least, a sure-fire repeater that might well have been named Old Faithful. Sheaf grain was not much in evidence, but yellow, eight-rowed Indian corn was given a place commensurate with its importance as a field crop. As to fruit, the apple occupied most of the area allotted, and the varieties most common were St. Lawrence, Fameuse, Wealthy, Du-hess and Russett; part of this exhibit seemed to be a grim upholder of the law, who paced slowly, forward and back, before the apple bench. Among the display of farm-home products, bread in loaves and “pans,” along with biscuits and buns, occupied no mean posi¬ tion, and this collection or rather the detailed judgments con¬ nected with it, furnished material for ardent, not to say heated, discussion for many weeks afterwards. Butter and home-made cheeses also called for rather serious judgment; the factory cheeses were judged in a separate class. As to preserves and pickles, it always seemed to some of us that it must have been easy to get judges for this class—any of us would have been willing to serve. Leaving the exhibits that were eating possibilitie s, we come to the realm of what was called, curiously enough, the “fancy work.” There was always a great display of knitted goods, not scarfs and pullovers, but thick and serviceable mittens, often striped red and black, or red and white, or sturdy socks that could almost had stood alone; pity it is that so much that is flimsy and fleeting in the shape of machine-made goods could put the old home-made mittens and socks almost into the discard. (Continued on Page 42) [ 25 1

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□ VERMILION SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE □ Ronald Green, British boy, 1926-27, is at present in South America, where he is engaged in work in connection with one of the large oil companies. George Garland is holding down a good position with A. E. Kaiser, wholesale merchant in Vermilion. Miss Jean MacSporran, of Chauvin, and well known to many of our graduates, had a very narrow escape from death, recently, in a fire which destroyed a number of buildings in the town of Chauvin. Paul Syrotuck, graduate of 1928, is now in Detroit, Mich., taking a course in some phase of mechanical engineering. Miss Mabel Flaade, Donna Oxford and Gunda Gunderson were welcomed back to V.S.A. for the winter of 1929-30 when they engaged to assist Miss Storey in caring for the well-being of the student body. Mr. Peter Wyllie, of Ford car vs. locomotive fame, is in British Columbia. M iss Gladys Brockie is married and resides in Grande Pra¬ irie. Having heard so much of the Peace River country, she has decided to learn all about it, first-hand. Messrs. Wm. Suddaby is farming at Lavoy, while the Vanden Dolder boys are proving that big outfits are the best method of farming successfully at Islay, Alberta. Gaylord Taylor and Bill Craig are also engaged in tilling the soil, the former at Unity and the latter at Lone Rock, Sask. Donald Yeabsley was a recent visitor to the School, being on a visit from Winterburn to Clare White at Clandonald. Eric Broadhurst, of the same class, has blossomed into a salesman for one of the larger oil firms and has been over most of the world’s inhabited surface since entering that occupation. Godfrey Gower, another former British class student, is pre¬ paring for the ministry, in Winnipeg. Pearl and Ruby Richardson are living in Vegreville, their father and other members of the family have moved to Vancou¬ ver, B.C., to which metropolis they olan on going in the future. M iss Elsie Plummer, of Lloydminster, was a welcome visitor at the opening of the school in January. Anita Ricker lives at Ryley, Effie Johnson, at Lamont, and Elma Gudlaugson, our only girl-boy student, so far is making her home in the Peace River country, which has lately been described by Mr. Dixon (well-known as a staunch pioneer and supporter of that beauty spot) as “God’s own country, with the D-’s own people.” Mr. Tom Pulton spent last summer on the farm of Mr. Robt. Wilson at Vegreville, later going to New York, where he has been engaged in business with an uncle. He is expected back to Alberta, however, where he plans to purchase and operate a farm of some size. Miss Margaret (Biddie) O’Brien is studying music in Vic¬ toria, B.C., and may be expected to delight radio audiences in the future. Gordon Archer, of Lamont, is attending the University at Edmonton and we will guarantee that he is enjoying himself, even though he may not be taking away more than ' his share of the knowledge which permeates the air around that august place of learning. Jimmy Sharpe is farming near Edmonton and invites all comers to visit him and partake of a good meal, of his own cook¬ ing. He says the porridge pot is always on the stove and all are welcome. RAD ' O AND LITER A RV COMMITTEES—(Standing! C. Johnson. B. Kiernan, P. Howe, H. Hamilton. (Seated) A. Stanton, Miss J. Edgson, Miss E. Pearce, G. Cooper. SOCIAL, ATHLETIC AND GYMNASIUM COMMITTEES Standing—L. Murray, G. Ogston, E. Johnson, R. Bacon, W. Plummer, D. Falkins, S. Watson. Seated—Miss O. Melnyk, F. Mead, Misses K. Mainwaring, A. Walker, A. Anderson, M. Dixon. [ 27 ]