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l/ t Forme Wiarton Hi h School 9'9 " I I , I . bl I h d a _ principal s stories pu is e L. t ti . . ve 's face assumed. L (by Phil McNichoi) The yiryi.?w overlooked the the time. P t n of the Echo hHe was a pretty fair head," .r i For 26 years, Thomas J. nearby buildings, the roof of Harvey ato id H "I alwa s got i Murtha was on the staff of the the livery barn and the Bay. A Publishing Co. remembLarLs sai arveyL h hi tr" Y l Wiarton High School, 22 years single boom of logs lay at Murtha as a strict but ar with; w?" ")te'),,th'?t,ired that ",ll as PrincipaL-He is recalled as Winter's mill. The lumber yard teacher, and a vtryjPot) one, M l 33/28 one of the better . i a good and wellrrtsspected was a tiny affair. The business He recalled an insident whein 12l1, trout fishermen it teacher. it is also quite likely must have gone all to pieces, someone had carved his initials Spthe had his favourite spot d:'; that he will-become recognized he thought. He could pick out into a window sill. Murtha O- enden and used to get _ LL as an important Canadian the spots where eight mills had called all the boys up to the .n.ear,, it it ften .. Harve V L writer. been, The water had been front ofdthe class tll no. on: gallsdiirnlt qui e 0 , y 'li' After ears of literar ob- covered with rafts, and there would a mit to I. e poin'e . . . fl scurity A, neglect a omitting of had been the tugs, The Arthur out to Harvey that the initials Myrt1typarried a tit, a; I. I the Short Stories of Thomas C. and The Queen. Both of were his. . ' . Venita Wid_meyr$Latn He left it Murtha has been published by them had sailed out into the "t know you didn't do it they had LSIX (1:9i52reg. arentl 1'3. the University of Ottawa Press night and never been heard HarveyLLI can tell by the look Wiarton n pp y 1 TI, and is available at Readables of..." of youI said Murtha when he after a few members of the passage does come to mind I V (r_"(ii" bookstore in Wiarton. Murtha was a graduate of saw the dark look that Har- school board objected to a consistently. , 2.5L Many of his stories are as .sr. Michael s College at the ' Roman Catholic being Principal In the story "Crossed Wlth 31,11 good as any of the great short Universny of Toronto. He of the High School. Glory" an old timberman, not li, story writers, including Chek- majored .'h Philosophy, and A brief report in the April a very admirable character, Is Lil hovs. Hemingway and Can- isls.t.o .stufied, English. He was a 15, 1952 Issue of the Echo sitting in the dark in rooms f,) ada's Morley Callaghan. brilliant student and could simply reports that Murtha above a livery stable waiting {Ly} A rather reserved man, have gone o.n to do post-grad- offered his resignation at a for a friend when a fire begins iji Murtha was undoubtedly a uate .wol in _Europe before school board meeting and the below. He finds his way down ,th sensitive and perceptive ob- entering the Priesthood. SW"? resignation was accepted. the burning stairway, getting iii: server, going about town in his th.ing. happened to change his There is no explanation and no badly burned In the process. "If" quiet way. Beginning in 1926 .mir)d and he became a teacher indication that it was accepted But then he hears a dog crying 'ttL when he first came to Wiarton instead. ' with regret, although the in the room he has just left, Lit, to teach, the early years in tle taught English, Latin, resignation of the caretaker m and he goes back to rescue the iii Wiarton were lonely ones and History and Phts.i.ca.l Education that same year was accepted dog. After chasing the dog to it: he spent much of his time at the Wiarton High School. with 'Great Regret.' safety, old Mike begins his iii writing In his room at the .A news item In the June 13, ' Thus ended 22 years during second descent of the stairs: Lil. Pacific Hotel, according to his 1952 issue of. the Echo reports which Murtha hid served the "People saw him moving 2.th1 son William who wrote the on a ' 9'0th at C)liphant town and the school well. through the whirling smoke, a (if, introduction to the book. attended by the students and In his stories, Murtha por- limping, bowed figure of a man (i; Not all of the stories in the faculty of the stihool: The trays the quiet drama In the against a background of flames mit book have Wiarton as a students Presented g.ifts to lives of ordinary people. He and as soon as he got clear of a; W, background, but many of them teachers who were leaving that sees the little gestures, and the the doorway, some of the men .' t do and there is no difficulty year, .including. Murtha, who events that will never make the caught him..." (j',' identifying the landmarks of was gye.n. a spinning reel and . papers but out of which evolve In the last paragraph of the yl: ' the town and the surrounding gla,s/s fishing .rod. critical changes in people's story: il); area. For many people who ' His smiling face will be lives. He knows that fate may "The ruins of the livery barn it lived in town during the late missed around the school 'h hinge on a careless word, a with its dead horses and Its, .;;' r twenties and thirties, the the White by those he has missed appointment, a chance hidden tale of heroism sent up L stories will bring back memor- helped In the past years, meeting In the street, but he a pail of smoke that flowed " ' ies of the way things were: wrote the student reporter at does not judge. In the and, his down again in the dark over {it vision is without bitterness; the houses and the stores. The it" only understanding and com- spectators Iingererd, watching slit . passion remain. the fire, and the firemen who y He possesses the essential were playing streams on the (j: duality of the truly great artist: debris and covertly trying to in ' the ability to 's'ee' with ' souse one another at the same *1, incisive clarity, to get to the time." "L heart of the matter and Murtha has 'The Tragic l T translate what ls seen Into the Sense of Life', and that t _ _ chosen medium with a sense of pervasive feeling of melancholy 1 immediacy. His choice of that seems characteristic of ,t F words and his structuring of much Canadian writing. He Is (LL the story do not intrude. At not hopeless. Many of his :iL, his best, Murtha transcends characters are strengthened by it; words as well as any of the adversity, gain adeeper under-, 1L; ' greats and takes the reader standing, experience a rebirth, "I, . T 'right there.' He has the eye of as in the short but powerful ji, a painter, or of a great story, "The Duck Hunt." In i, . photographer. that sense Murtha's themes l', Some of the stories In the are Christian. t book arerso real and true, and - In all the stories Is a sense L. vivid that they .are at times of the continuity of being, the III painful to read. One looks UnlversaLtheme of life as the Iii away as from a light that Is too Eternal River that goes on and i ' bright. on and will endure forever. i So unobtrusive is his Iang- Besides the stories Murtha it uage that it is difficult to select wrote four unpublished novels. ( _ _ _ a particular passage as an Three of them were written it example. Murtha's captivating during the Wiarton years. t9" _ effect Is built up during the Hopefully they will also be ti course of a story; but one published. 't'L .. _ " . iii? . _ l'i __-- _ . - . beautiful homemade rug to sell Mrs. H att as al i t {Kai-,5; I 1tlllltIll " Mil" we; . - ' , ' (by lt'i.itgt',P"t) tickets on. Proceeds to go to secretary ternate press ill, 'lliliNi1aillNB,lRmlllliltllit),laMilMlillellt, " Women's Institute was held in .he roll call - '.r.ometring to mittees were elected. I . M IlMli'MMt2ir't,-'t',-i:X eff"? - the W.I. Community Hall with Improve our meetings brought it fi'tg'éi'"w 2gr/si,',fri'il . I twelve members and one some Aye responses. The -Quite a few Oliphant friends 1h ' , iiiiiiii'i'lrj'l " - visitor. Mrs. George Trafelet motéod to-operatlon was res- attended the wedding reception 3. i _ u presided and gave a resume of El?" 'fi, fl he" Mrs. Moore. for Donna and John Ward at " a _ - - f u " the year's work, a very worth- rs. es ey.. emens presided the.Wiarton Propeller Club on l [i q " 't . while year for the election of officers as Friday night last Dance m I i; Ei " . " P , T . follows: President M ' . .. usc ', 12 MIR' m ' I , We are pleased to welcomea . '. rs. was supplied by the Upris- _ LEI " ' new member Mrs Phyllis George Trafelet; Ist Vice, Mrs. Ings " The Iar a pile of m 5 . " F; w anew-:12"? _ .'rr q . ' t . Everett Arnold; 2nd Vice Mr . . g g s . I . , LraTiP2d 'mt" . wat ., Fromager and Mrs. Peter Pew, A E B h . , 8. bore testimony of the esteem , MlllitlM.IMll5 a former member. It was M. A" uc anan,' secretarY! of this happy young couple ,L, e IlllilltiilitlriiBSlllt decided to have a strawberry Ill,',','.. K an $989: treasurer, Best wishes Donna and John_' :;'I " 1liNtatl,liiiilEiiNillgllllilll tea on July 4th. We are W's-L a?" Iemens. Mrs, -We . are glad to see Mr. I I' iii'iiiailliialNiilllllll ' grateful to Mrs. Elta Hender- Hes ey gmens succeeds Mrs. Wilfred Pruder home from his a . . ' Iii-itll' __ son for her donation of a _ yatt as Istriet hired" with vacation in the sunny south. 5 _ OLIPHANT / . ' _ _-. it 5 3 bedroom cottage close to Lake Huron. Featuring very large it" lot, attached garage, full foundation and new septic system. té Priced to sell$22,900.00. . d ---------- - - r'r#_-- --F""" 7 r -7" -- - - I -__-_e_F_--e-" 7