The Hastie Carpenter Shop

It seems that I could write a million stories about the Lang Village. The more that I attend functions there or complete days of volunteering in the Carpentry Shop, the more I learn. Over this holiday weekend this has become more evident for me.

As I sat in the Hastie Carpenter Shop the sound of children playing a little ways down the lane came through the large wooden doors. Mixed with the sound of kids were the birds singing their hearts out in the little meadow just outside the shop’s door. This little world is one of peace and tranquility.

The Hastie Family came to Lang Village in 1856 from Scotland to build a new life for themselves. They operated the Carpentry business until 1938 -1939 – when it closed after three generations provided their wood working skills to the area. In a shed not far from the Hastie Carpenter Shop you can view the carriages, cutters and sleighs that the Hastie Family produced in their shop.

While sitting in the shop and carving on an axe handle a large but soft sounding monster came towards the shop. It was progressing slowly down the street toward the building I was in – along Hastie Lane and then turning right on to Hope Street – right in front of the shop. It was a Sawyer Massey Steam engine from 1921 – made in Hamilton, Ontario. It is massive and slow but complete power in every way. It appears almost gentle as it moves with grace past the shop. The only time it sounds noisy is when the operator pulls the chain to blow its shrill whistle. As it moves away down the street a low coughing sound is heard and a small stream of water has been laid on the dust below.

Past Time just moved by me slowly.

It was quiet again. That is quiet until the four little pigs in the pen not far from the Carpenter’s Shop began to squeal with delight. It has gone from complete quietness to turmoil in a moment’s time. As I looked on, a lady dressed in a long dress with her white bonnet on walked towards the four little red pigs. They thought she had food in her pail and were anxious to get something more to eat. Then it was quiet again.

There is a pulse of quietness in the village. It pulses between silence, with little or no sound except for the birds, to small soft sounds of other people doing their tasks of life. I heard a small clanking noise and looked out to see the lady across from the shop carrying her watering can to water some of the vegetables in the garden. Then it was quiet again.

To explain better what I am talking about you really need to visit a pioneer village in your area. If not – I have included the resources for photos and general information about Lang Village below.

To another time…
In the middle of the 19th Century another family came from Scotland as well and established another Carpenter’s Shop. Actually the man was a farmer that began by carving an axe handle for his own axe. It was done so well that he realized a possibility of making some extra needed money for his farm – so he carved more and sold them to local farmers in a local market of Bowmanville, Ontario. He realized his own skills with wood and dreamed of doing more. After studying an old carriage catalogue he decided to make horse drawn sleigh of his own.

As the farmer worked on his project, a neighbour asked if he could buy the finished sleigh. The farmer offered to make another just like it. From that simple beginning Robert McLaughlin continued working on this dream until he opened the Oshawa Carriage Works and then expanded even further to other communities to sell his carriages and sleighs.

Two of his sons, Sam and George, went for a ride in a horseless carriage around 1901. They were so excited that they tried to convince their dad to consider producing a horseless carriage in their own Carriage Works. After some wheeling and dealing, together with contacts of business the first 154 automobiles were produced in 1908.

From axe handles, to sleighs, to carriages, to a horseless carriage of their own – it is the story of one of the world’s greatest automobile company called by the name of GM – General Motors. All of it began in a small carpenter’s shop that needed an axe handle.

This all took place less than 60 miles from the quiet village of Lang and the Hastie Carpenter Shop 100 hundred years ago.

There definitely is a sermon illustration in this story. There is a pattern here to be looked at by Business Motivation People. Two decisions – two different directions – produced two completely different results.

Pause…
The contrast between the GM factory in Oshawa, Ontario today – situated beside the very busy 401 highway(with thousands of GM, Ford and Chrysler products zooming by each hour) and the Hastie Carpenters Shop is too great to imagine.

Today’s Hastie Carpenter Shop is very quiet and bathed in peace. GM is covered in Unions and smothered in security. It is forced and contrived to maintain its world presence as King of Automobiles – King of Horseless Carriages.

Now we zoom along high speed highways in horseless carriages to take in a wee bit ‘o peace in a pioneer village. Drained of our quietness and lost in our own thunder and lightning of normal life – we are shocked by the stillness of a carpenter’s shop.

Guess what…
Today I am going to just sit in my own Carpenter’s Shop – my garage. I will carve a little. I may do some wood burning(Pryography). I will likely listen to the cardinal that comes to visit just outside the shop doors. In the last few times in there a kitty that comes to look me over brush against my leg. The crows are a noisy mix with some sea gulls that complain from time to time.

This is my place of peace. This is my Hastie Carpenter Shop. I love it.

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~

Lang Pioneer Village
The Story of GM