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Memories
By Jack and Ethel McCowan
Transportation
A nice horse and buggy ride on the dirt roads
A cutter ride in the winter on the sideroad or in the fields.
Backing up hills in the Model 'T' because the low gear band was worn.
When four-wheel brakes arrived -- the older cars with two-wheel brakes couldn't stop
nearly so quickly.
The whistle of the old steam engines on the trains at each crossing.
The occasional aeroplane was worth a look.
Speaking of flying... the thrill of hearing a flock of Canada Geese honking as they flew
in formation, Spring and Fall.
Household Appliances
Dumb waiters were used to lower food to the basement to keep cool.
Then our first refrigerator. We could now keep ice cream – a pleasant luxury.
The old washing machine with a wringer to squeeze the water out of the clothes.
The "Dryer" was a clothes line outside or in the basement.
Communications
The old independent telephone with the crank on one side, the
earphone on a cord on the other and the mouthpiece on the front.
The first radio -- an old crystal set with earphones.
Then a more modern-looking radio with a speaker on top.
Television was something else -- imagine sitting in your own home watching a show!
And Now...
Computers have taken control of our lives. They are everywhere and
in everything.
It used to be that, when you made a phone call, if you didn't get a busy signal, you
actually spoke to someone. Now you speak to a machine that informs you to leave a message
or asks you some questions. What happened to the people?
And now, as the year 2000 approaches, we are informed that these computers may not
co-operate and accept the millenium.
We have seen many changes in the last 75 years. It is hard to imagine what the future
holds.
Cheers to the Millenium.
From The Scarboro Heights Record
V6 #1
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