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NOW LET'S MEET ARCHIE THE POET...
TROUBLE SHOOTER'S HYMN Praise the Lord, there's no more ammunition For .22's to disrupt our
transmission; Inner-tubes are also now on ration, Lessening the
sling-shots once in fashion. Praise the Lord for these two
compensators In favor of preserving insulators.
This is a parody on a popular song of the second world war, Praise
the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.
Telephone wires were looped around glass insulators, which made
popular targets for kids with slingshots and 22-calibre rifles.
Whenever a rock or bullet found its mark Archie would have to climb
the pole and replace the insulator. Wartime rationing restricted the
manufacture of sporting ammunition and innertubes for slingshots and
reduced Archie's workload. In honor of rationing he wrote: Praise
the Lord, there's no more ammunition.
QUESTION: What was the purpose of the insulator?
EVEN BIGGER QUESTION: What has happened to all the telephone poles?
Archie wrote this poem about one of his favorite seasons, when the
days were warm, roads were dry and driving was easy.
INDIAN SUMMER
Comes a time in the fall that is sweetest of all --
It's the Indian Summer time;
When the hill-sides are warm with color and charm
And the air's like a mellow old chime; When the mornings are kissed
with a silvery mist
And the noon-time is drowsy and still, When a sweet dreamy haze
cloaks the autumnal days
As it hangs over valley and hill.There's a legend that says this autumnal haze
Is a wraith of the long long ago,
When the Red Man laid claim to Alberta's domain
As he hunted with arrow and bow; That at this time of year he would
slay many deer
To tide him through winter's long spell,
And with craft and with skill would cure all his kill
With wood-smoke he understood well. Dotted over the land the wood fires were manned
By the women of the nomad tribes; Burnt orange and red the sun
overhead Set in splendor no mortal describes. And so to this day the
old hunters say The haze and the air's mellow chime Is the
ghost-smoke of fires and the past that inspires
The Indian Summer time.
WHAT HAPPENED TO ARCHIE'S MODEL-A Archie laughed about it,
although the joke was more on him than on Wilf Horrocks' sisters. When the car burned up they were not so much
in the line of fire as in the line of water. It happened on a Friday
evening when Wilf appeared at Archie's door asking for a ride to
Hazel Bluff. Wilf worked for AGT in Edmonton but liked to go home to
the farm on weekends. The Ford's engine began to clank and sputter
as they bounced over the pioneer road in the darkness, and as they
rolled into the farm yard and up beneath the kitchen windows the
motor shut itself off. Wilf's two sisters came to the open window to
watch and give advice as Archie probed for the trouble, and if Wilf
hadn't decided to give Archie more light it would never have
happened. Wilf held the lantern too close and the car erupted
inflame. Wilfs brother Albert came rushing to the rescue but skill
is required to aim a pail of water. Albert swung the bucket with
amateur enthusiasm and the contents went over the top of the car,
through the kitchen window and drenched the sisters. Even with his car burning up Archie just couldn't help laughing.
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