Dr Karl A Hackstetter, John McClellan and Michael on overcoming hate

With a federal election looming on the horizon in Canada, and the politics of hate on the rise, not only here, but in other countries I decided to wade into the issue based on one of  the most significant events in my life. I overcame hate.

Before going any further I need to make it clear that hate of any kind is not part of my life, and other than one attempt at it when I was in Grade Nine at Chapleau High School, it has not played a role.

Those of you who have read 'The Chapleau Boys Go To War" which I co-authored with my cousin Michael McMullen, may already be aware of my "hate event" described in the chapter "Dr. Karl A Hackstetter, John 'Mac' McClellan and Michael" will be aware of it.

I quote from it as I share my story on hate.

Dr. Hackstetter arrived in Chapleau in 1954 to teach at Chapleau High School, nine years after the end of World II. I entered Grade Nine in 1955, and although Dr. Hackstetter was a most intimidating person, from the first day I planned to hurt him.

Dr. Hackstetter had been an officer in the German Army during the war and my father. Jim Morris, as many of you know was killed on active service in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943. Needless to say perhaps, I was a hurting kid, and he was going to share it ----- even though I thought he was a great teacher.

One day, it struck me how to do it. I would place a photo of my father in my binder, and when Dr. Hackstetter stopped by our desks to look at our work. he would see it. So I placed the photo, and sure enough he made his rounds. As he peered down, I moved my arm so he could see the photo of my father in uniform.

He asked, "Who is that man? I do not know that man".

Dr Hackstetter far right leaving field behind CHS

"My father, I replied. He had fallen into my trap. 

"Where is he?'

"He is dead. He was killed in the war".

Dr. Hackstetter never said a word. He looked at me for a moment, and now I was terrified. He walked over to the window, looked at me again, then looked off outside. He shed a tear and then left the room abruptly.

Dead silence in the classroom.

Moments later, John McClellan, a veteran of World War I, the school principal entered the room and said quietly, "Come with me Michael ."

We went to the office and as best I could told him what I did. He then said, "Dr. Hackstetter wonders if you would be willing to have a talk with him."

I agreed, terrified as I was, in tears as I am at this moment all these years later as I type. Dr Hackstetter and I had a great chat and then Mr. McClellan returned and the three of us went down to the landing where the memorial wall of photos and plaque honouring the 17 high school students, including my Dad was.

Ad there we were side by side: World War I veteran John McClellan, me and former German army officer Dr. Karl A. Hackstetter. We stood in front of the plaque in silence for a few minutes, and then quietly went our separate ways.  I was 14 years old and had just learned a lot about forgiveness.

From that day forward Dr. Hackstetter and I were friends, even though I was never very good in Mathematics! In fact at a school dance in June 1957, he came over to me and said, "Morris, you are a lucky ******. It is a good thing I like you,"  We both understood.

1956-57 l to r G. Mino, G. Lemon, J. Riordan, G Bowles, C Fiaschetti, Dr Hackstetter

Dr. Hackstetter left  but returned a principal from 1963 to 1966. We stayed in touch f or many years.

I leave it to Carole Futhey and the staff of CHS yearbook AD ASTRA to sum up Dr. Hackstetter

The Chapleau High School yearbook 'Ad Astra' paid tribute to departing principal Dr. Karl A. Hackstetter for setting a high standard for students and "trying to kick us over it."

The editors of 'Ad Astra', led by Carole Futhey dedicated their yearbook to Dr. Hackstetter as their way of saying thank you for setting high standards, expressing the hope that "we hope that we will not disappoint him. They were exciting years."

The tribute said that Dr. Hackstetter "terrorized and goaded us, stretched us and pushed us. The experience often left us limp, but it also left us stimulated.

"Because he immensely enjoyed every activity, he tried to teach us to find satisfaction in everything we did. He not only tolerated non conformity, he loudly demanded it.

"The greatest crime was shoddiness. the most prized qualities were originality and a sense of style."

Vote as you wish but there is no need to hate!!!!  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

As Chapleau becomes "mining town" prospectors active in the area since the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway ---maybe even before

As Chapleau becomes a "mining town" I decided to start researching the subject of mining in the area -- a subject about which I know very little, so as Philip Graham, the late publisher of the Washington Post once said about reporters, we write the "first rough drafts of history".That is me!!!

In my case, I am sharing information provided mainly by Vince Crichton in his book 'Pioneering in Northern Northern' and research undertaken by my good friend the late Harry Pellow who wrote about his family and Chapleau and area.  Vince noted that actual mining and the recovery of precious metals had been confined to the Sultan, Ramsay, and Missanable-Localsh areas. His book was published in 1975.

Vince told us that "Prospecting in the district had been carried on since the completion of the railroad, (Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885). The earliest know evidence of this activity was found in the vicinity of Stralak eleven miles west of Cartier where shafts had been blasted into the rock for a distance of twelve feet.Other evidence of such work may be found in the Greenhill River area in the township of Amik, north of Missanabie.

However Vince noted that the first recorded claims to be patented in the area were those staked in the township of McNaught north of Nemegos by the McVittie Syndicatre of Sudbury for iron ore in 1913.

Apparently the the first attempts to operate a gold producing mine were made in the area south of Localsh  in township 48. Claims were staked here in 1920.A few years later an effort was made by the O'Brien Gold Mines to extract gold from the ore which proved a failure. This property was later acquired by another group known as the Cline Lake Gold Mine which did operate and produce gold from 1937 to 1942. I believe C.A. "Bill" Pellow, the father of Ross, Bill and Harry may have established a business there as well as Hong Fong of the Boston Cafe, the father of Yen, Jean, Jimmy and Harry.

Other mines in the Localsh vicinity were Edwards Consolidatedand and the Algoma Summit.

In 1931 there was a "gold rush" into Brett and Lee Lakes  and the adjacent townships of Swazyze, Greenlaw and Halecrow. The flurry of Excitement brought three air transport companies to Chapleau -- General, Eclipse and Canadian Airways.

"So sure were some of the merchants in Chapleau that gold bricks would soon be marching to their stores like a company of soldieres that Edgar Pellow received a sum of money from the provincial government to build a narrow bush road to the gold area..."

No one was injured

At this time,  Arthur Grout and D.O. Payette of Smith and Chapple also had workers travelling by canoe. taking orders from prospectors with delivery on many occasions by plane.

Canoe travel was actually quite common, and other Chapleau merchants , including Edgar Pellow, used it in their business

The Kinty Gold Mine opened near Bret Lake about 30 air miles from Chapleau. Mr. Payette and Mr. Grout believed it would be a "prosperous town"  and built a few log cabins on the shore of Bret Lake -- one a store with living quarters for the shopkeeper, one for cooking and dining, and one as sleeping quarters for travellers and prospectors.

Then bad breaks --- the mine decided to establish a townsite some distance from their location. By 1933 the mine closed.

As I have shared in other columns about the arrival of the airlines, my father who was a student at Chapleau High School from 1928 to 1933 (I think) learned to fly planes at the Chapleau waterfront. He was really just supposed to be a dock boy but the pilots taught him to fly the planes. He thought my grandmother Lil (Mulligan) Morris didn't know but she did. Mothers always know. I am pretty sure my grandfather Harry Morris knew right away.

My Dad Bush pilot days

Renabie Mines Ltd. was founded in 1949 north of Missanabie. It did become a producing mine. There were other attempts but none really took off.

Growing up in Chapleau I was aware that some of the citizens were prospectors. and the one I recall best was Earle Sootheran, who was also the optometrist and jewelry department manager at Smith and Chapple. I would say hello to him almost every day on my way past his house on Birch Street. One day he invited me into his house to see the "angels in the rocks" There were gold flecks in the rocks in his collection!!!!

I will continue my research into mining in Chapleau and area. I welcome information. My email is mj.morris@live.ca