Along the Shore Line

Schreiber Women's Institute Scrapbook 1, p. 15

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Schreiber March 1957 Thirty Years of Community Service Outlined in Minutes Of Schreiber Women's Institute The important part played by the local branch of the Women's Institute can be realized from the following resume of its history as presented by Mrs. Russsll Macadam at a recent meeting, recorded from minutes of the association. The Schreiber branch was organized in 1927, with Mrs. R. Smart as president and Mrs. G. Reid as secretary-trea surer. In 1929 Mrs. J. L. Bryson was President with Mrs. Forbes Macadam as secretary-treasurer and Mrs. Alex McGregor vice president. In that year a donation was made to the building fund of the Rossport Hall, and the Schreiber meetings were held in the Elk's Ball. In that year the Institute were in charge of the Poppy Day canvass and continued it and the Navy League tag day for many years. That year, too,, was when the layette was first provided by the Institute, and has since been gratefully accepted not only by the Schreiber mothers but also by mothers travelling by train who were forced to break their journey at Schreiber. They also provided a hospital kit for public use. In 1929 they used their fund to provide toys for needy children and in January 1930 sponsored, a miscellaneous shower for a family who had lost their home by fire. All through the years various courses were sponsored, dressmaking, cooking, leather craft, and home nursing. In 1931 another shower for a burned-out family was given. In 1932 a wedding gift was presented to Harry Welbourne in appreciation of his kindness while secretary and manager of the Elk's Club,. In that year the municipal council requested the Institute to appoint a member to act with them on local relief commission and Mrs. J. Corbett accepted the position. That year they sponsored a play produced by the Gloom Chasers, the proceeds of which were diverted to care for the needy in town. In 1933 the town council granted the Institute the use of the town hall for their meetings, since the Elk's Hall was being closed. In 1934 a donation of $25.00 from the council and $5.00 from the war vets was given to aid in caring for the needy At the September meeting Mrs. Harris was invited to give a talk on her trip to Ireland. In December Mrs. B. F. Daniels received a silver platter in appreciation of her work with the W.I. as member and president for many years. At the social on this occasion Mrs. Alex McGregor received the prize for being best artist, her subject the Daniels as bride and groom. In this year the first donation to the Cancer Fund was made when money was sent to Lady Bessborough. In May 1935 an amateur concert was sponsored to raise funds, and during the intermission candy was sold by Helena Duncan, Joyce Macadam, Betha Corbett and Willa Scott. Two hundred cups and saucers were bought to be rented out, and a cheque for $30.00 from C. D. Howe was received to help with the work of the W.I. The firm of Crawley--McCracken donated kitchen utensils for use of the W.I. at meetings; A donation was received from D. M. Hogarth to aid in the work. Britain Fund. In the same year the members were asked by the Red Cross to meet twice weekly to make surgical dressings. In 1944 E.V.Kelly attended a meeting to ask the members to assist Victory Bond drive,- and the of $2,500 was later sold. Donations to the Children's Aid were made regularly.$4,350 were sold in the 5th Victory Loan drive. At the April meeting Mrs. O'Connor received a vote of thanks for the beautifully set table she arrange each meeting (and still is doing). In May 1944 Mrs. R Smart received her Life Membership pin from Mrs. B. F. Daniels, Dist. President. All through these years a Christmas Cheer fund was dispensed. $8,500 of bonds were sold in the 6th Victory Loan campaign. The institute sponsored a Milk for Britain Fund in the form of Hallowe'en campaign. In November 1944 $35.00 war raised in a tag day for the Children's shelter. A letter from TJ& Duncan thanked the members for their continuing support of the Victory Loan drives, and gave special mention to Mrs. Roy Bailey who had sold $5,300 worth. $202.00 was sent to the Port Arthur Kinsmen for their Milk for Britain Fund and a benefit dance was held for a needy family. At the April 1945 meeting; donations were made to Russian Relief, Jam for Britain, Seeds for Britain and the Red Cross. Mrs. Forfbes Macadam had brought the Book of Reembrance up to da aand it was passed between mr bers for inspection. In Jan. 1946 Kinsmen asked the W.I. to catfer for their banquet but owing to rationing this could not be managed, In April 1946 the Blue Cross was first proposed to the members and the town council bought the first New Year Baby Cup, for presentation by the W.I. that first one given to Mrs. Charlie Boon for her son Norman. In Sept. 1946. a prize of $5.00 was received from the Lakehead Fair Board for drapes made by the W.I. for windows in the Thrift Cottage. In Oct. 1946 a dinner was served in honour of wives of servicemen who had married overseas, six couples were present, and a small gift to each presented Mr, Rob Harris was given the honour of cutting the beautiful wedding cake which centred the table. In February 1947 Mrs. B. F. Daniels was presented with her life Membership pin and in May plans were made to handle clothing and food for flood relief victims and in June 785 pounds of canned goods' and clothing were sent to the British Flood Relief Campaign. In January 1948 the baby scales (still, in use) were purchased to add to the layette supplies and in March a donation was sent to the Appeal for Children Fund. In February 1949 a drive for clean, used clothing for the United Emergency Fund for Britain was sponsored. C. D. Howe spoke at the District annual convention held in Schreiber in June of that year. Also in June a turkey dinner, donated by Allan Lee, of the Blue Lagoon restaurant, was served by the W.I. and the sum of $246.00 realized for the Winnipeg Flood Relief Fund. Through the Burning of a home no further minutes are available until June 1940, when it was noted the Schreiber branch had won a prize at the Lakehead Fair. Each year the members had gone in a body to the Cenotaph and Nov. 11th of this year the wreath was made by Mrs. Riley sr. In Jan. 1941 the W.I. held a dance to raise funds to furnish a ward in a Canadian Hospital overseas, and of note here is the cost of the orchestra $9.00. In April 1941 a dance was held to raise -=funds for the Queen Elizabeth Air Raid Fund for bombed-out persons, and at the Christmas meeting instead of a gift-exchange the members brought parcels to be sent to these unfortunate people A dona' 'n was also sent for seeds for in Britain. nations of money and made to the Russian and the Jam for In December 1953 the W.I. requested the municipal council to have the names of the Schreiber boys killed in World War II inscribed the cenotaph. In February of 1955 a donation was sent to the Mental Health fund and another to the W.I Scholarship fund. Many memories are connected with the names of the fine officers presiding through the many years but it is through their contribution to public welfare that the W.I. has become the respected association it is, second to none in our community. Train Orders Dating Back To 1880s SCHREIBER (Special) - It makes sense that Alex Krystia, the son of a railroader and a rail main himself, shouild own a small collection of railway memorabilia. His collecton of which he's inordinately proud and greatly values, is of train orders dating back to the 1880s. Mr. Krystia grew up with railroading, as his father worked 49 year's with the CNR. Alex, however, started his career with the CPR as an assistant agent in Terrace Bay in 1948. He moved about quite a bit: Franz. 1951-57; Missanabie, 1958-59; Heron Bay, 1962-65; and Schreiber. 1965-72. At each posting, he served as an agent-operator. In 1972. he was promoted to mobile .supervisor. Up until his promotion in Schreiber, he was an oddity on the payroll as a "relief" rain dispatcher, employed on full-time basis. In another curious quirk, luring his time in Franz he was employed with both the CPR and the Algoma Central Railway, so becoming the only gent to collect from two railways during the Firemen's trike. As a dispatcher, Mr. Krystia interested particularly in the inning of trains, and one of is proudest possessions is a Election of train orders used i 1888 for this division. The rders, for the east end out of hapleau, were all signed by Superintendent C. W. Spencer of Chapleau. The orders are perfectly leg-ibie, and for the most part are for work trains. One order which astounds rail men today gives a work order extending from Monday at 5 a.m. to Saturday at 6 p.m.--a full work week. Of the names on the orders, only one--Hartley of Chapleau --is recognized or remembered. Only a few of the orders bear the engine's number--a must on a modern order. In those early days, the onus was on the crews to recognize oncoming rail traffic. To identify opposing trains, the engineer would lean far out of his cab window and the conductor would hang perilously on his cab steps for a hasty glimpse of each other as they sped by. TRAIN ORDER FROM, JULY 1888 # , , perfectly legible Some of the old orders read as follows: "Cowan's Special will cross Young's Special at Otter instead of Missanabie--ahead of No. 1 to White River." "Cowan's Special will keep clear of work train at Dalton' "No. 2 will cross Cowan's immigrant special at Dalton," dated July 1, 1888. One particular order leads to conflicting opinions between train crews and operators as to its necessity--"Wake up operator at Pardee." One thing about the orders which puzzles Mr. Krystia and others who see them is how, when carbon paper was unknown, the extra copies still remain so clear. Not only are they clear, but they're in copy book writing. Some people suggest a certain stylus or pencil was used, but since no one has seen one or can describe one, the mystery remains unsolved. These old orders vividly show the difference in the control of train movements then and now. With centralized traffic control installed in the Schreiber station, traffic is controlled on the Schreiber division which stretches some 500 miles from Cartier on the east end to Current River on the west. Centralized traffic control is defined as a system in automate block signal territory under which train or engine movements are authorized by block signals. Thte control panel in Schrei-ber at which the train dis-patchers work has a miniature diagram of the entire system. All traffic is located on this diagram by lights. From this control panel, the dispatcher sets the route and the signals at all passing sidings and trains proced on the basis of these signal indications. Modern rail traffic even affects the construction of simple sidings. Today's longer trains have forced the construction of new sidings, and the lengthening of old ones to facilitate their pasing and meeting.

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