Dear Editor:
Congratulations to Cobden Agricultural Society on its 159th Cobden Fair.
Having grown up across the road from the fairgrounds, I still remember as a young lad, the excitement the fair brought, which started the minute the midway rolled into town. In those days it was held in September, immediately after Renfrew fair, and, although we were back to school, there were so many students involved in 4H, and in showing livestock, both Cobden Public and Cobden High school closed for a day.
Students were also encouraged to enter projects and exhibits. One year, in the early 60’s when I was 10 or 11, a category called for a miniature pioneer village setting, with 1st prize-75 cents, 2nd prize -50 cents, and 3rd prize-25 cents. This caught my interest as I loved making things, so I set to work with scraps of wood from Dad’s sash and door shop. I made about 10 or 12 cabins using blocks covered with beaded screen mould, which had the effect of looking like stacked logs, all with a cardboard roof covered with tiny wood shingles.
I then made sheds, and even small outhouses from thin saw rippings, and after putting a coat of brown paint, glued all onto a 4×4 sheet of poplar plywood, with fields of grass clippings and roads lined with rail fences made from matchstick sized strips of wood.
I had spent a number of evenings working on the village and when it was finished, mother drove it to the school, who then delivered it to the exhibit hall. I was very proud of the finished project as were my parents, teacher and fellow students.
On the big day, I was anxious to see how I fared, but when I went to see the results of the judging, I was shocked to find out that even though I was the only entry in that category, I had only got 2nd prize
The reason? I had forgotten to put chimneys on the roofs.
Doug Schauer
Cobden
