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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-00311X.- 2—Markham'Economist and Sun THURSDAY, SEPT. 19, 1963 I fooffiPIN1,31 Established 1856 Pubiished every Thursday morning by the Markham Economist and Sun Limited J. P. Whetter and M. Williams, B.A., Managing Editors Member of Ontario Weekly [Newspaper Association and C.W.IN.A Subscription Rates $3.50 a year in advance — $5 in U.S.A. -- $4.50 Elsewhere. Pate to which subscription is paid indicated on address label Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa. STORRY STORIES it By Second Storry j MAN BEHIND THE SCENES Last Saturday hundreds of people came to our village to see "History in Action" — the theme of a demonstration 'of old machinery, of early arts and crafts, and exhibits of pioneer days. A tall, quiet man stood on the museum grounds where the demonstration was held, unnoticed by the crowds who `: milled around the old steam engines, the gas engines, the threshing machine, the sturdy team of horses, the drag .aw, the hewer of logs, the old, cumbersome, incongruous tractors, the buggies, the .cutters. He listened with hap- piness to the toots and whistles, the hisses, rumblings, groans, screeches of engines. He paused to see how the but- ter making was coming, and had a word with the bonnetted women who turned the thick white cream into butter. He walked through the buildings to see how the quilting bees j -v,;ere progressing, and to watch the men and worsen and children studying objects in cases, on the walls, and all over the place, that took them back into the pioneer past of early Ontario. He glanced at the weaving, the rug making, the old rope bed; at the baby who perpetually slept in the cradle of the past. This was Robert Miller's dream fulfilled. - It was in 1959 that the village school celebrated its 100th birthday. Robert Miller was on the committee to plan the celebration, and it was his will and determination that -filled the old school, which was vacated that year for a bigger school, with relics of the past. The success of the occasion led him to work towards the establishment of a museum on the ground. He worked, figured, instituted meetings, telephoned, wheedled, walked, drove, rummaged thzougli barns and attics, put his hand down deep in his pockets. He negotiated, dickered and horse traded. He became someone who was just seen by his wife, Fern, and five children, at meal times — and not always then — at the substantial brick house of his ancestors. I'EW WORDS, MUCH ACTION He didn't work alone, of course. He had the Historical Fociety behind him, the Township Council, and _ a lot of people who said "No" but invariably changed it to "Yes". A slow talker, a man of few words, he is. He would come to see you, and after an unbearably long pause, would utter a brief sentence or two, usually asking you to do something — something that was within your scope or talent. Even when you told hi1n you didn't. 'have time, were absolutely too busy, you knew you would do it when you saw his tall, lonely, yet undisturbed form striding out of the driveway. You might even forget, but soon he was back to remind you. And back again . and again. He always remembers to say "Thank You", abd insists that everyone who helps, even in the littlest things,�are paid suitable tribute. Endurance, patience, tenacity, determination, strength, - .and sheer stubborness are his qualities. Patience to wait, strength to heave and lift and load and push. Endurance to engineer a seemingly impossible feat of bringing to the site a century old log barn, which looked So settled, solid and substantial in its settlement in the forest at least 150 miles away, that it seemed to have deep roots in the soil. It came down in three tractor trailer trips. Much sweat was spilled — and blood, too — many words were used and eloquent, long hours volunteered, in its transition and re - erection. EVEN THE CAT I heard someone say the other day, `Bob Miller is still the best pitcher around here." j Bob, who is only slightly on this side of the half cen-k tury mark, pitches in the softball games. With the same tenacity of the spirit that built the Museum, he was the force behind the establishment of the comlrnunii y park; with lights, and amid many obstacles and setbacks, brought this project to fulfillment — a project which is conspicuous in such a small village as ours. He works six ways a week in his "Mendit Shop", welding and repairing, cleaning grain, and in between, dick- ering pleading for more artifacts for the Museum. He is a mixture of strength and gentleness. You can see him every morning striding along the street towards the shop, with his little dish of food for the cat, .not only on the six working days, but on Sundays, too. The cat eats seven. days a week.