Click on photos to enlarge.The ever-popular midgets, seen in action above, drew more than 1,400 wrestling fans to Midland Arena this week. Heading the card Monday night will be a match between two “villains” no less, as Hardboiled Haggerty takes on Gene Kiniski. Dick Hutton meets John Foti in the semi-final and Don Jardine wrestles Karl Kulaski in the opener. 

Aside from the midgets, the most popular wrestler to visit Midland is undoubtedly Whipper Billy Watson. “Whipper” is seen above, besieged by youthful autograph seekers, prior to a recent bout with Don Leo Jonathan at Arena Gardens. 

This is all that remains of the farm home of Robert Mosley Sr., Con. 1, Tay Township, following a recent fire. Mr. Mosley, a widower, was having supper at his son’s farm nearby when the fire, of unknown origin, was first noticed. 

These “Indians”, decked out in war paint and deer skins, added an authentic touch of atmosphere to Midland Y’s Men’s Indian Village Friday afternoon. Upon closer inspection, the redskins turned out to be paleface members of Dr. Wilfrid Jury’s summer school of archaeology. 

These youngsters, from Girard Ohio, near Cleveland, lost no time “wetting their lines” when they stopped off briefly in Midland last week. Under the direction of Rev. Gerald Curran, parish priest, the boys and girls, ages 8 to 15 are on a 27-day trip which will take them as far as the Maritimes. The party of 28 youngsters is travelling by bus. 

USS Daniel A. Joy, a destroyer escort attached to the Great Lakes Squadron of the United States Navy, just after she had made fast to the berth at the CSL Elevator on the afternoon of July 24. Word of her arrival quickly attracted a crowd, including many tourists from Little Lake Park. 

This stop sign at Perkinsfield has come in for a lot of criticism from motorists hauled into magistrate’s courts in Midland and Penetang in recent weeks. Court officials agree that the visibility of the sign isn’t all it might be and have requested county authorities have the new red and white stop sign erected, at the proper location. 

Although he popped out to short in this turn at-bat in the first inning, Midland’s “Buzz” Deschamp later garnered three singles as the Indians downed Collingwood Lions 3-1 in the opener of their best-of-seven group finals here Monday night. The teams meet again in Collingwood Tuesday night. 

Still, a center of tourist activity in the North Simcoe beach area, Balm Beach drew large crowds during last week’s heatwave. The picture above shows only a portion of the crowd which dotted sands and water one afternoon. 

One of the most popular spots in town with the younger set is the new drinking fountain installed at the corner of Bay and King Streets, Midland. Four of the town’s younger crowd is seen above around the new fountain, which replaces the old “horse-trough” at that point. Another fountain is to be installed elsewhere later. (The “horse-trough” mentioned is now located outside Huronia Museum, but for safety reasons is not operating. And a lack of horses.) 

Former sergeant in charge of CPR police at Port McNicoll, John S. Clarke and Mrs. Clarke were honoured by former fellow employees when they returned for a visit last week. Mr. Clarke, now an investigator for the department at London, was presented with a five-year clock and his wife, the former Bernadette Lefaive of Port McNicoll, with a coffee percolator. S. F. Malin, steamship superintendent (right front) made the presentation on behalf of the employees. 

• County Herald headline of July 22^nd, 1959; Water Resources Group Meets Penetang Mayor. A delegation from Penetang has reported a sympathetic hearing from officials of the Water Resources Commission at Toronto, Tuesday. Purpose of the meeting was to discuss plans for a sewage disposal plant for Penetang. Mayor Jerome Gignac, Deputy-reeve B. St. Amant, Engineer V. G. Bardawill and Clerk-treasurer W. A. Argue made up the delegation which explained to the Commission what steps had been taken to date by the town toward the disposal plan. According to reports of the delegation, the possibility of establishing a lagoon type of disposal system was broached, and Commission engineers were sympathetic to this proposal. It is understood geological surveys will be made to determine the feasibility of such a system. Lagoon disposal, according to information available could be introduced at considerably less cost than other types of systems. In the lagoon system, effluent is turned into huge lagoons where nature is left to work on the solids through oxidation. The system has proved both practical and efficient in other centres.
• Midland Free Press headline of July 29, 1959; Two Girls Listed Missing, One Believed Drowned. Tiny Township police are faced with the task of locating two girls missing from the beach areas, one of whom is believed to have drowned Monday night. Missing, and believed drowned is Mimi Demuile attractive 22-year-old young lady whose home is in Saskatchewan. Miss Demuile was reported missing about nine o’clock on Monday evening when she failed to return from a swim. The missing girl’s clothing was found on the beach, about half-way between Balm and Cawaja Beaches. She had been seen earlier, about a quarter-mile from shore. The water at that point is shallow enough for bathers to wade out a considerable distance without going beyond their depth.
• County Herald headline of July 31^st, 1959; Planning Board Council, Meet Ontario Officials. “If your planning board doesn’t have at Ieast one good Donnybrook with the council within three years, then it isn’t much of a planning board.” So said John Pearson, of the Ontario Department of Planning and Development, at a joint meeting of Midland Planning Board, PUC and town council Tuesday night. Mr. Pearson had been invited to attend the meeting to give some guidance in the future relations between the two bodies. Admitting that the board was not functioning too ably at the moment, Chairman L. H. Taylor said at the same time there were no members of the board not anxious to have it function properly. In reply to a question from the council, Mr. Taylor said he did not know at this time whether the board needed more members or not. “It all depends on how much work we can get out of the present members”, he said.
• Rector of St. James on the Lines and All Saints parishes for the past four years, Rev. Beverley Brightling will assume new duties at the Church of the Resurrection in Toronto, early in September. Mr. Brightling said his new charge is on Woodbine, north of the Danforth. This is a large well-established congregation in a residential area of the city.
• At a meeting held Tuesday night, Midland council confirmed the appointment of Arthur Ambeau as a constable with the Midland police force. Mr. Ambeau has had previous police experience with the OPP including a period at police college, James Mackie, police chairman, said. Mr. Mackie said 15 applications had been received, and these had been narrowed down to four for final consideration. Mr. Ambeau had been the first choice of the police commission and was also recommended by acting chief George Wainman, the chairman told the council.
• New patients, waiting to see Dr. M. Charlesbois, DDS, have surprises in store. Not only is the white-coated dentist a woman; she’s young and round and pretty. On her desk are freshly-cut flowers. The operating room is decorated in pastel colours with dental equipment painted a pale blue. So reads the first paragraph of a personality story which ran in the Toronto Daily Star. Dr. M. Charlebois is better known in Penetang as Maryanne Charlebois, the comely young daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. A. Charlebois. Maryanne grew up in Penetang and got her early education here before going on to seats of higher learning.
• 
• Plant superintendent for Imperial Oil Ltd. at Midland for the past three years, Paul Mooney has been appointed Imperial Esso agent of the Midland – Penetang area. At the same time, it was announced that William Logan, a veteran employee of the company and member of the council and public utility commissions for several years, will in the future work out of the Barrie plant. Mr. Logan will, however, continues to reside in Midland. An Imperial Oil official said this week the changes are designed to give the firm’s customers in this area “better, personalized service”. Mr. Mooney, 30, was born at Goderich and attended schools there and at Pickering College. Made plant superintendent at Midland in June 1956, he has been with the company 12 years. Since coming to Midland, Mr. Mooney has been active in the chamber of commerce, the Rotary Club and St. Mark’s Anglican Church. Once an oarsman with the famed Argonauts of Toronto, Paul still retains a keen interest in rowing and does his share of fishing in local waters.
• Births – ADAMSON — To Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Adamson, 330 King St., Midland, at St. Andrew’s Hospital, Saturday, July 25, 1959, twin daughters. (One stillborn). CURRY — To Mr. and Mrs. Morris Curry, R.R. 3, Penetang, at St. Andrews Hospital, Midland, Monday, July 27, 1959, twins, son and daughter. FAGAN —To Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Fagan, 155 Sixth St., Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, Friday, July 24, 1959, a daughter. NICHOLSON — To Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Nicholson, Honey Harbour, at St. Andrews Hospital, Midland, Saturday, July 25, 1959, a daughter. PAUZE — To Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Pauze, Orr Lake, at St. Andrews Hospital, Midland, Saturday, July 25, 1959, a son. PRISQUE — To Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Prisque, Honey Harbour, at St. Andrews Hospital, Midland, Wednesday, July 22, 1959, a daughter. SCOTT — To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Scott, 362 Bay St., Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, Tuesday, July 21, 1959, a daughter. STRONG — To Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Strong, 270 Russell St., Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, Saturday, July 25, 1959, a daughter. (Baby died)
• 25 Years Ago This Week – John Dillinger, a Midwestern gunman of some notoriety, was shot down by 15 peace officers in front of a theatre on the north side of Chicago. * * * The projected Wasaga Beach to Baghdad flight of “The Trail of the Caribou” was postponed because of unfavourable weather conditions. Distance involved would have been 6,500 miles. * * * Penetang Kiwanis’s carnival was scheduled for August 1, and Midland Kiwanis’s carnival for August 6. * * * Large pilgrimages were reported as visiting the Martyrs’ Shrine, some from as far distant as Minneapolis and St. Paul. * * * Midland tourist camp had 324 tents over the weekend and camp attendants reported a quiet weekend with no mishaps. * * * Two dozen men from Midland and Penetang were attending a 10-day camp of the Simcoe Foresters at Owen Sound. Other units in the camp were the Algonquin Rifles, the Northern Pioneers, and the Owen Sound Greys.  * * * Editorial comment of the week “One tourist” at Park Lake Camp said he came here for a rest, but the fighting qualities of the big bass in the lake kept him all tired out during his visit. * * * News item: “Seagulls are getting so tame in this district that motorists are sometimes compelled to stop their cars to prevent running over them.”
• It is more than half a century since “Shag” Crosson left Midland to seek fame in the hockey ice lanes, but he still retains an interest in Penetanguishene where he was born, and in Midland where he grew up. Now 71, a veteran of both World Wars, and recently retired from the Government of Saskatchewan Printing Bureau, where he had been employed since 1948, Mr. Crosson recalled many Midland families and local landmarks. “My Dad was an engineer for the Playfair’s, and when I was making a dollar a day as an apprentice printer at the Free Press, which was then on the main street upstairs, next to Peter’s Hardware, he was making $11 a day, which was pretty big pay then,” said Mr. Crosson. “Our family built the first house on Frederick Street,’’ he added. After leaving Midland, Ernie Crosson became something of a traveller as he plied his printing trade in the 48 states and most Canadian provinces. A member of the Beck Millionaires who won a Canadian hockey championship, Mr. Crosson found his hockey-playing services much in demand, by 1911 he was playing for a Weyburn, Sask., team. From there he went to Joseph Missouri, to pitch professional baseball. His hockey and baseball careers, along with the printing, took him to many cities, and it was not until 1935, when he was 47, that he finally laid down the bat and ball. Having just retired from the printing trade, Mr. Crosson told Mr. Chittick that he looked and felt much younger than his age and that in a few days he was flying out to Vancouver to join his nephew. They were going on a flying tour in the United States, in the latter’s own plane. 

The Midland Free Press July 26, 1939 

• PENETANG—Fire of unknown origin, breaking out about 3.50 a.m. on Thursday morning, completely destroyed C. Berthelot’s blacksmith shop and a chopping mill owned by Art Durnford, both housed in a large wooden building at the rear of Tersigni’s store. Stock, belonging to G. Tersigni stored in an adjoining sheet-metal warehouse was also partially consumed. Completely ablaze when the fire brigade was called, the men finally subdued the flames after a two-hour fight and saved nearby buildings which were in imminent danger. The building occupied by the blacksmith shop and chopping mill was owned by Art Durnford. Loss, divided between the blacksmith shop, chopping mill and Tersigni’s warehouse is expected to total about $3,000.00 dollars. Neither Durnford nor Berthelot carried insurance. The fire, the worst so far this year in Penetanguishene, attracted many spectators. Mr. Berthelot stated that he had shoed the last horse of the day about 4 p.m. on Wednesday and that the fire in his forge would be well out before the blaze commenced. The chopping mill has not been operating during the past two years.
• PENETANG—Two young girls, one only eleven years old, the other seventeen, were arrested in Midland on Monday evening by Provincial Constable Hugh Gibson and the older charged with stealing a quantity of cigarettes from Hunter’s Drug Store, Penetang, and Parker’s United, Midland. The girls were apprehended when they attempted to sell the cigarettes in a Midland restaurant. They will appear in Penetang police court tomorrow.
• Five hearts have been broken in Midland during the past month by a gang of thieves for whom we have little sympathy. An epidemic of bicycle thieving has hit Midland, and no less than five “wheels” all but one of them practically new, have been stolen from boys whose families’ hard-earned money had gone to provide their sons with the bikes. In some cases, at least, it means that the boys will not have another bicycle for many years, and police and citizens generally are incensed. No trace of any of the five machines has been uncovered. On Saturday afternoon from the yard back of Jory’s Drug Store a blue C.C.M. bicycle, serial No. 3A 1191, belonging to Fred Hack, and a red Universal machine No. 500372 were taken. One of the bikes was locked and the other unlocked. Two weeks ago, a twenty-year-old chap by the name of Benson, working on a farm near Victoria Harbor, purchased a wheel with his pay, and the next day. it was stolen from him at Little Lake Park. Three weeks ago Jack Ayres, who uses his cycle for delivering papers, had it stolen while he left it momentarily to watch through the window at the dance revue at the Midland Arena. It was not left unguarded for more than five minutes. A dark maroon C.C.M. bike, serial No. X27496. with a carrier basket, was stolen from the son of Thos. Scott Midland, on July 18 while at Little Lake. Anyone able to identify any of these bicycles by serial number or by description should notify the Midland police immediately.
• Nearly 2,000 people, the largest crowd of the summer, attended the community sacred song service in Little Lake Park on Sunday evening. All the seats around the grandstand were filled, and hundreds sat on benches below the roadway and in the scores of cars which were grouped around the stand. The singing was heartily entered into. Walter Auld of St. Paul’s United Church was in charge of the service, and he was backed by a large choir composed of members from all the Midland choirs.