Posts in category: Interviews

[fwdmsp preset_id=”9″ playlist_id=”3″]

Listen to the entire interview with Wilfred Oxford by Louise Janes or select individual segments of the interview from the list. The Audio Player appears at the bottom of this screen. It will remain visible as you scroll down the page.  Click the Menu Icon on the Audio Player to choose the segment that you would like to hear.  Then, follow the conversation by clicking on its link in the columns below.
.

[one_half padding=”0 5px 0 10px”] 01: Wilfred Oxford – Full Interview
02: On Coming to Reidville
03: On School
04: On Tramway and More School
05: On Life in Reidville
[/one_half] [one_half_last padding=”0 10px 0 5px”] 06: On Marriage and Birth
07: On Junction Brook and Various Topics
08: On Daily Life
09: On Working
10: On Farming
[/one_half_last]

(Wilfred Oxford – Full Interview.)

Wilfred Oxford: Interview by Louise Janes, September 16, 1988
Louise: This is September 16, 1988 and this is Louise Janes. I’m speaking with Mr. Wilfred Oxford in Reidville. Mr. Oxford I wanted you to give your permission for us to use this tape whenever we want to use it.
Wilfred: Yeah

Back

On Coming To Reidville

Louise: Thank You. Now then Mr. Oxford when were you born?
Wilfred: Ahh, June 4th, 1931.
Louise: And when were you born…where were you born?
Wilfred: In Deer Lake.
Louise: In Deer Lake. And ahh, when did you come to Reidville?
Wilfred: Ahh, about 1938…39? Around there.
Louise: And why did you come?
Wilfred: Well…. I guess there was.. we had invitation from Herb Reid, I think, or Dad did that ah, well Reidville was only just beginning and he wanted people here so he told Dad (William

Oxford) if he’d come he would give him a piece of land. (Oh) That’s the reason why we came here.
Louise: Oh, I see. And that was in 1930??

Wilfred: Around 1937 I dare say he asked.
Louise: So how old were you when you came up here?
Wilfred: Ahh, ‘bout eight years old, I’d say
Louise: Eight Years Old. Where did you settle then?
Wilfred: Ahh, up here, up in Reidville.
Louise: Not in the same spot you’re in now?
Wilfred: No, not now. Up this far, up there.
Louise: Past the school?
Wilfred: No, just up there where that old barn is too.
Louise: Oh. I see. Up there.
Wilfred: Yeah. (Oh yeah).
Louise: And how many of ah, how many were you in the family?
Wilfred: Ahh, there was four, four of us in the family at that time.
Louise: Four children (Yeah) and your mother and father. So you all moved up. How did you get up here?
Wilfred: Well, walked I guess.
Louise: You walked?
Wilfred: We ah, lived in the Old Tramway see, before that.

Louise: Oh, I see. Where’s that now?
Wilfred: That’s in ah, well in the old Tramway, you know where Wilf White lived down there? (Oh Yes). Will in, ‘bout a mile in past that, in the old Tramway. Ah, Dad was workin’ in the camps in there and ah, went in there and build, build a house in the old Tramway.

Louise: Build a house in there?
Wilfred: Oh yes, we lived in there for ah, perhaps two or three years, I guess. (Did ya?) Before we came here. (He was workin’ there?) He was workin’ in the camps in there. (Yeah).
Louise: And how many people lived in there?
Wilfred: I think there were three families in there at the time.
Louise: Who were they?
Wilfred: Ah, one I think was Tim Reid, I don’t know if you know old Tim Reid, you don’t know him? They was from Bonne Bay and I don’t know who the other family was, for sure, I know Mom would know.
Louise: And and you, you .. Your father built your house there?

Wilfred: Dad built a house in there, well a log cabin, you know. (Yeah) Das all ‘twas dem days, a log cabin.
Louise: And where did you go to school then, not from there, did ya?
Wilfred: No, went to school up here, after we moved here.
Louise: There was a school here?
Wilfred: Yeah, I didn’t start school ‘afore I was nine. (Is that right?) Yeah. Cause there was no other school, eh. (Yeah, yeah)
Louise: But you’re not the oldest in your family, are you?
Wilfred: No, Margaret, poor Margaret.
Louise: Oh yes, yeah yeah, and ah, so then why did your father move away from the Tramway?
Wilfred: Ahh, well he just came here to, you know, he got the piece of land and he could his farming, you know just for our own.
Louise: Oh you did some farming, did ya?
Wilfred: You know, just for our own use, well he did sell, you know, some stuff. (Yeah)

Louise: So what did he grow?
Wilfred: Ah, potatoes, turnip and carrot, everything you know that you need. (Oh, I see. And ah) Sheep ‘en goats and all that stuff, eh. (Did ya?) Yeah.
Louise: So Mr. Reid gave ya the land?
Wilfred: Yeah, he gave, he gave poor dad the land, yeah. (Yeah)
Louise: And how much did he get?
Wilfred: Ah, I think it is ‘bout seven acres, altogether.
Louise: Oh yeah. Yeah. So did he use all that for farming?
Wilfred: Well, not all of it, no. Just , you know, what he needed, so.
Louise: Yeah. And did your father do anything else besides eh..
Wilfred: No that’s all just work in the woods, and eh, did a bit of farming.
Louise: Was the land cleared?
Wilfred: Not when we got it. No. (No) That was all timber eh when we came here. (Yeah)
Louise: Now how many people were living here then, when you came here?
Wilfred: Eh, it was ‘bout four families, I guess.
Louise: Is that all?
Wilfred: Das all.
Louise: Who were they?
Wilfred: Ah, Doug Reid, Herb Reid, Sandy and Stead Reid, their brother they lived across the river, over there (oh yeah) and ah, that’s ‘bout all I guess at that time. (Author’s Note: William Thomas and Mary Ann Reid with their youngest children were also here at that time.) I think Mr. Rumbolt, Zeke Rumbolt, he came here after.
Louise: Oh yeah. And ah, what was it like when you ah, you walked here you say?
Wilfred: We walked here from, you know, the old Tramway when we came here, we walked here, just old trail das all.
Louise: Now, your house wasn’t built?
Wilfred: No (No?) Well poor dad built the house, you know while we lived in there he built this one ‘nough to move from one to the other. (Oh yeah) Yeah (yeah)
Louise: So what was it like now when you came here?
Wilfred: Well, was all, all woods you know you couldn’t see anywhere, just when we moved here just a little spot big enough to build a little log cabin, das all they had that time. Log cabin you know. (Yeah) And ah, all this down here this was all woods, trees. (Now.) We were right in the forest.
Louise: Now, these people who were living here, were they near you?
Wilfred: Oh yes. Right alongside, Herb Reid was there and Doug Reid on top of the hill there.
Louise: Now where did these people come from?
Wilfred: Bonne Bay.
Louise: From Bonne Bay, and how long had they been here?
Wilfred: They were only here ‘bout ah, no more than a couple years I guess, before we came here.
Louise: I see. So did they farm too, or did they work at..
Wilfred: They didn’t. You know, just their own you know farm for their selves. (Oh yeah) ‘nough to ah get you through the winter.
Louise: Yeah. Did they work in the woods to or ah?
Wilfred: They worked in the woods too; everybody worked in the woods (Yeah)

Back

(On School)

Louise: So ah when you came here now there was no school? (No) No, so how soon now was the school built?
Wilfred: ‘twas only another year after we got here.
Louise: Yeah, and was it the same little school ‘tis there now?
Wilfred: No, it was a different place, ‘twas over ah, over this way farther. It was a little, ‘twas only a old shed like, das all ‘twas, poor Uncle Tom Reid had there eh. And he turned into a school. (Oh, I see.) Five or six of us das all.
Louise: That’s all there was?
Wilfred: Yeah.
Louise: And who was the first teacher?
Wilfred: Ah, ah I can’t remember but ah,I think it was ah, forgets he’s name now, he’s from Deer Lake, was it, not Tumey was it, no wife knows his name, I forgets now. Yeah, I think it was Willoby Thomas, not sure you know.
Louise: Now, were there all the grades in that school?
Wilfred: Ahh. Yes well was only ah, you know grade one at that time, cause we was all young you know.
Louise: Yes, so you didn’t need grade eleven.
Wilfred: No, we didn’t need grade eleven. (No) Starting off, you know.
Louise: Who were the, can you remember who the first few pupils were?

Wilfred: Ah, yeah well, was me and Margaret, my sister, and ah, Lorne Reid, and Willis Reid, and I think a little later was Garfield Rumbolt and Zeke, Scott and all of them eh.
Louise: Oh! They all went to school here too? (Yeah) yeah.
Wilfred: So ah, wasn’t that many, you know.
Louise: Yeah, and ah, so this man Mr. Thomas, he taught all the classes? (Yeah) yeah.
Wilfred: He taught all the classes
Louise: And what was the school like?
Wilfred: Well, it wasn’t (Chuckling) it wasn’t in good shape. You ah, you only use same thing now fer, use fer a barn. Das all, you know. ‘twas only old shed like eh?
Louise: And how did you heat it?
Wilfred: Jest stove, wood stove.
Louise: You had to ah, bring your own splits?
Wilfred: Bring your own splits and wood, take turns lightin’ the fire. (Yeah) The older ones, like eh.
Louise: So did you start school like in September when..?
Wilfred: Well, I’m not sure (Yeah) I imagine we did.
Louise: You went right through?
Wilfred: Yeah
Louise: And ah, what did you use for seats?
Wilfred: Well, jest old tables made up, das all, chairs, you know, old desk made up.
Louise: Yeah. But the government now, paid the teacher?
Wilfred: Ah yeah (yeah).
Louise: And ah, what kind of subjects did you take, can you remember that?
Wilfred: Well ah, just Arithmetic and stuff like that.

Back

(On Tramway and More School)

Louise: So now when your father moved here did he bring all he’s furniture an’ dat from the other house? Like his stove. (Yeah) and what happened to the houses there, back out there?
Wilfred: They were just left there, and rotted away, das all.
Louise: Oh I see. So how long did it take you now to walk from the Tramway where you lived to here? Can you remember that?
Wilfred: Uhmm? Take us a good hour I guess.
Louise: Did it?
Wilfred: We had to walk out from in the Tramway and then walk up from down here.
Louise: Now what was the Tramway used for?
Wilfred: It was used for Bowaters, for ah tran… for transporting ah, goods into their camps eh.
Louise: Oh, I see. And ah, was the public allowed to use it?
Wilfred: No, well sometimes, you know, if they wanted to go in, like me and mom now, when I was young, we used to go in and get off in on the barrens go blueberry picken’ eh. And on the way back then they’d pick us up again.
Louise: Oh, I see. Were lots of berries?
Wilfred: Oh yes.
Louise: Whadda you mean now, the barrens? Where would that be?
Wilfred: Blueberry barrens, das in the Tramway, up towards Cormack, now eh, Tramway used to pass through Cormack, see.
Louise: Oh, did it? Oh yeah.
Wilfred: Yeah. You know where the co-op store was in Cormack, (Yeah) well the Tramway used to pass right down on the back of that, go on up through eh, up through right up to Eddies (Aides) Lake.
Louise: Oh, I see. And it was for the wood was it? Transporting the wood or, or anything?
Wilfred: No, no just for the men, trans.. takin’ the men to the camps and portage and you know like.. (Oh) das right, you know.
Louise: You didn’t use the wood on that?
Wilfred: No, no didn’t use for haulin’ wood.
Louise: Oh, was just for the men, getting’ them back and forth.
Wilfred: Das right, getting’ the men back ‘en forth ‘en portage, you know.
Louise: I see. So how long did you go to school now?
Wilfred: Me. I went to school until I was fifteen.
Louise: Yeah. And what grade did you get then?
Wilfred: I went, I took grade nine but I never, never wrote my exams. I had to go to Deer Lake an’ write exams and I was shy, I wouldn’t write ‘em. (Chuckling..)
Louise: And ah, did you still go to the same school?
Wilfred: No.. A little while after, they used that one for ‘bout two or three years, I guess, and then they built one up on the, where this one is up on there now.
Louise: And was it always a two room school?
Wilfred: Yeah
Louise: Oh I see. So who.. you don’t remember the teachers who were.. ?
Wilfred: No I don’t.
Louise: And you can’t really remember the year can ya?
Wilfred: No, I don’t remember the year. I know we had one teacher, a girl teacher name Sadie Baker, but ah, we had different teachers. Mr. Budden (Bugden), I don’t know if you know Mr. Budden (Bugden), we had him. (From?) He was from? I don’t know where, but he teached in Deer Lake after.

Back

(On Life In Reidville)

Louise: Oh yeah. Mr. Oxford was there any roads here when you came?
Wilfred: Ah, no. No roads. Our only transportation was ah, in winter time the dog team and summertime we had to use boat, row back and forth in boat. Down to Pine Tree it was called, at that time.
Louise: Oh yeah. Would that be motor boat?
Wilfred: Nope. Row boat.

Louise: Just a row boat?
Wilfred: Just a row boat. Yeah.
Louise: And ah, so if you wanted to go get groceries was there either store here?
Wilfred: No store here.
Louise: So you had to do everything in Deer Lake.(Everything in Deer Lake) And you went back and forth all the time.
Wilfred: Das right.
Louise: Same thing if you wanted to mail a letter I sup.. Was it?.
Wilfred: Same thing. Go to Deer Lake.
Louise: Did you go very often?
Wilfred: Not very often, ‘bout once a week.
Louise: Once a week. (Yeah) yeah. Would that depend on if the weather was good or?
Wilfred: Oh yes, if the weather was good.
Louise: Yeah. But Deer Lake was practically settled then was it? (Das right) When you were in..? Yeah. And now if you wanted to go ah, like how close was your nearest neighbor?
Wilfred: Ah, uhmm, the nearest one was ‘bout ah, three hundred feet, I guess.
Louise: Oh, Das all?
Wilfred: Douglas Reid up on the hill there. (Yeah) Cause he had a little log cabin there too. We had a log cabin there. An’ only right alongside, eh.
Louise: So the four families who were here they close together?
Wilfred: Right close together.
Louise: Yeah. So now I suppose they visited back and forth all the time?
Wilfred: Oh yes.
Louise: Yeah. And ya had good times did ya?
Wilfred: Good times, ya.
Louise: Did the women a, did the women a .. quilt together or do things like that; knit together?
Wilfred: Well not really. No, no.
Louise: Were the women busy in the gardens?
Wilfred: Oh yes. (Yeah) yeah. Well the women I guess did most of the gardens because you know, the men was away most all the time, workin’ in the woods.
Louise: So the farming wasn’t ah, a way of living. (No, das right.) It wasn’t your livelihood.
Wilfred: No it wasn’t our livelihood, jest the winter food, like eh.
Louise: So did.., how did you keep your food then?
Wilfred: Well we had a cellar, built a cellar, you know.
Louise: Yeah, I see. And what did you do for water when you came here?
Wilfred: Well, we had to use River water first. When we came we bring it from the River, eh, but little while after Mr. Reid, Herb Reid, he had a well and we used to bring it from there, eh.
Louise: Did he dig the well himself?
Wilfred: Oh yes.
Louise: Yeah, did he dig it by hand?
Wilfred: Dig it by hand.
Louise: Yeah. Now how far did you have to go for that?
Wilfred: Oh, I guess ‘bout a thousand feet, I guess, had to bring water.
Louise: Is that right? So did you people then get your own well, eventually?
Wilfred: Oh yes, yeah.
Louise: Yeah. Your father?
Wilfred: I dug one here, handy ‘bout here where I lives to now.
Louise: Oh, I see. You dug it by hand too?
Wilfred: By hand, yeah.
Louise: Now, but you didn’t have running water in the house?
Wilfred: Oh no, no running water, no hot water, nothing like that.
Louise: No, and a bathroom?
Wilfred: No bathroom, well just a outdoor.
Louise: Yeah (yeah) So there was no roads, and ah, ah now how would you get, you would just go through the trees would ya?
Wilfred: Das right, just a trail, das all, you wanted to go anywhere.
Louise: So you were really close to your neighbours?
Wilfred: Oh yes.
Louise: What about Christmas now, what was Christmas like?
Wilfred: Well, ah, you know was quiet, janneying and all this stuff, you know. (Yeah) Always janneying, that was the real thing then, dress up an’ go out janneying. (Yeah) You know, wasn’t many people so you only get four or five come in to a time.
Louise: Yeah, I suppose you played cards and things like that did you?
Wilfred: No, ‘twas no such things as cards in them days.
Louise: Was there either church here?
Wilfred: No church here.
Louise: Was there ever a church here?
Wilfred: No.
Louise: No
Wilfred: The only way we used to have church here was ah, the Anglican Minister come up the school, eh.
Louise: Oh I see.
Wilfred: Have a church service.
Louise: How often would he come?
Wilfred: Well, I think he used to come once a week. (Is that right?) One time.

Back

(On Marriage and Births)

Louise: So now ah, how long were you here then before you got married?
Wilfred: Ah, well I came here in (19)39, and I got married in (19)52, I believe it was.
Louise: Oh, so you were here ‘bout thirteen years.
Wilfred: Thirty nine….Yeah (Yeah and how..) longer than that wouldn’t it? I was twenty-one when I was married.
Louise: ‘Bout twelve years I’d say. You were nine when you came here. (Yeah) yeah.
Wilfred: (Muffled) nine, ten…. Thirteen.
Louise: And ah, how’d ya meet your wife?

Wilfred: Well, met her in Deer Lake.
Louise: In Deer Lake? (Yeah) You’d go back and forth then a lot would ya?
Wilfred: Go back and forth then, well at that time I met her I had a pickup then, eh.
Louise: Oh, the road was through?
Wilfred: A while after that they put the road through.
Louise: Oh I see.
Wilfred: Well Bowater’s had a road up so far as the Tramway down there.
Louise: Yeah
Wilfred: And then a little while after that they connect the road up to Reidville.
Louise: I see. And ah, so you met her in Deer Lake?
Wilfred: Met her in Deer Lake.
Louise: Yeah. Where was she from?
Wilfred: She was from, well she came from Kitty’s Brook to Deer Lake, (I see.) and she lived in Spillway. (Yeah.) She was up town one night and I was down town and we met.
Louise: What were you doin’ now up town, er down town?
Wilfred: Well, just down around (To the stores or just) with the crowd. No just with (Bummin’ around?) down, bunch used to go down foolin’ round Deer Lake. (Yeah) Lookin’ fer a girl I suppose. Ha, ha. (Yeah, das it I guess.). (Chuckling).
Louise: And so ah, how long did ya go out with her before you got married?
Wilfred: Ah, ‘bout two years.
Louise: Yeah. Did you have a wedding?
Wilfred: Oh yes.
Louise: Where was that?
Wilfred: Down to her Mother’s.
Louise: Oh I see.
Wilfred: Had a get together down there.
Louise: Had supper?
Wilfred: Had supper, yeah.
Louise: And so then you moved up here did you? Moved back up here?
Wilfred: Moved back up here.
Louise: Yeah. And so where did you live then first?
Wilfred: Ah, first when I got married we lived down with Henry Reid, he used to live down the road there farther, eh. (Oh yeah.) We lived with him until I built my house, then we moved in here. I think it was in (19)54 I think we moved in.
Louise: I see. So was there very many people living here then?
Wilfred: Ah, there was a few, there was ‘bout, at that time I guess there was ‘bout ah, ten or fifteen families, I guess.
Louise: Oh, is that all, in 1954?
Wilfred: That’s all. Wouldn’t very many.
Louise: Now was the water through then? There wasn’t a town council or anything then was it or community council, I mean?
Wilfred: No water then, we just had our own well in under the house at that time.
Louise: And you had it comin’ through?
Wilfred: Comin’ we had a pump then, a hand pump at that time. (Oh yeah). Until we, then we got the electric pump.
Louise: So now, what about the scho.. when your wife wanted to have her baby did she go back and forth to the doctor or did she have a midwife, or what?
Wilfred: A midwife first.
Louise: I see. And who was the midwife?
Wilfred: Ah, Miss. Tracey.
Louise: Oh, she not here now, is she?
Wilfred: No. And Mrs. Young, Mrs. Johnny Young, in Spillway, she was midwife too eh.
Louise: Oh I see.
Wilfred: She born a couple.
Louise: Did she? Here in the house?
Wilfred: Ah, down to her mother’s house.
Louise: Oh yeah, and would you have to pay her now?
Wilfred: Ah, yeah I think we did. Yeah
Louise: You don’t know how much?
Wilfred: No I don’t know, somewhere ‘round ten or fifteen dollars.
Louise: Oh yeah. And now if you wanted to have it Christened or whatever, you’d have to go to Deer Lake, would ya?
Wilfred: Have to go to Deer Lake, yeah. Or get the Minister to come up.
Louise: And there was never ever a church here?
Wilfred: Never ever a church. Well I never mentioned about the Salvation Army. They used to have church over in Mr. Feltham’s house, over in Junction Brook.
Louise: Oh yes.
Wilfred: We used to go over there to church, see.
Louise: Oh, you went across the River?
Wilfred: Went across the River and walked over the church.
Louise: Now would that be every week?
Wilfred: Ah, practically every week. Yeah.

Back

(On Junction Brook and Various Topics)

Louise: Now there were people living across the river too.
Wilfred: Das right.
Louise: Now, how many people were over there, how many families?
Wilfred: Ah, I guess there was eight to ten families first when we came here, er just after we came here.
Louise: Yeah. Now ah were they there before you?
Wilfred: I can’t remember, but I think they were. (Yeah) Harry Janes, and like I said, Feltham, Mr. Sam Feltham, and Harry Janes, Abe Feltham and all ‘dem, they lived over there.
Louise: I see. So did you visit back and forth there very much?

Wilfred: We used to go back and forth.
Louise: Did ya? (yeah) yeah. Had good times like that or..?
Wilfred: Oh yes, yeah.
Louise: It’s not very far across was, is it?
Wilfred: No, not that far. It’s ‘bout half a mile over to Uncle Sam Feltham’s. No when we were younger we used to go across in boat and winter time we go across on ice, over an’ chasin’ the girls, you know. (Chuckling)
Louise: So they had a church, they didn’t have a church, they had church in someone’s house?
Wilfred: In their house. Yeah.
Louise: And ah, what about stores now?
Wilfred: No, no stores.
Louise: Nothing here at all. (Nothing here.) So everything you needed, well you had your own vegetables (yeah) and you had your fresh milk did ya?
Wilfred: Yeah. My mother had a store, but I don’t know what time she started the store, could be in the early forties, could be ‘round forty-five (Oh yeah) she had store.
Louise: So how did you get your land now when you wanted to build your house?
Wilfred: Will this land here, I jest moved here and build on it. Will Herb Reid you know saying he told me, it was his land, to build here, so I just build here, das all.
Louise: So did you have to buy it or anything?
Wilfred: No, no.
Louise: You just got your grant.
Wilfred: Well I haven’t got the grant, not yet, you know, not for this.
Louise: Haven’t you?
Wilfred: Not yet, but it is in process now.
Louise: I see. Yeah (Uhmm). And your house was the same very same one we’re in now?
Wilfred: Yes.
Louise: Yeah. Well after you got married?
Wilfred: After we got married, yeah. Same one.
Louise: So your children go to school here now?
Wilfred: They did, yeah.
Louise: All ‘dem.
Wilfred: Ahh, yes, I think they did.
Louise: Now did either one ‘dem get their grade eleven or did they?
Wilfred: Oh yea, most all of them got their grade eleven.
Louise: Here, in this school?
Wilfred: No, not in this school, in Deer Lake.
Louise: Oh yeah.
Wilfred: Yeah, they went up here ‘till grade five or six I think and then they went to Deer Lake.
Louise: Yeah.
Wilfred: I said all of ‘em went to school but I don’t think the last two I don’t think did.
Louise: Not up here?
Wilfred: No, I don’t think so. Then again they started in Deer Lake.

Louise: Oh did they? Go back and forth..
Wilfred: I’m not now, ah, ah, but I think they did tho’. I guess they had to get their grade one en’ two up here, three.
Louise: So now ah when, you came here at nine years old there were people livin’ across the river then?
Wilfred: Yes.
Louise: So did you go back and forth very much?
Wilfred: Not at that time.
Louise: Not at that time.
Wilfred: When I got old enough, you know.
Louise: Yeah.
Wilfred: We wouldn’t allowed out thro’ the gate ‘till I was goin’ into fifteen years old.
Louise: Is that right?
Wilfred: No. I don’t know why, but I guess when you are growing at that age you have so much, when you come home from school you never had time to go anywhere.
Louise: So now, what kind of chores now did you have to do?
Wilfred: Well, we had to bring water when we came home from school. Bring our barrel of water. Then we had to get our splits in, our wood and time we got all that in ‘twas supper time. (Yeah.) And after supper we had to do our homework and go to bed, that was it, you wouldn’t ‘llowed out, like the young ones are today.
Louise: Did you have any special social evenings you know, in the community, now that you remember as a young boy. What would be a special evening for you, anything that..?
Wilfred: Nothing, no.
Louise: No?
Wilfred: No. But for the older ones you know at their Reidville (muffled??) they used to have a few dances up here. Old time dances.
Louise: Where would they have those?
Wilfred: In the school.
Louise: Yeah (yeah.) Now was that a, ah integrated school or just a denominational?
Wilfred: Just a Denominational school.
Louise: Oh was it? Who owned it then?
Wilfred: I suppose the Anglican, I guess.
Louise: Oh I see. So there were more Anglicans here than any other.
Wilfred: Das right, just ‘bout all Anglicans.
Louise: So now ah, were there many animals around, like you know, moose and rabbit.
Wilfred: Oh yes, all the time.
Louise: Yeah.
Wilfred: Yes. All kinds of moose, rabbit and others.
Louise: So did you hunt very much?
Wilfred: Ah, after I got up like twelve or thirteen, you know I used to go rabbit catchin’. Teacher I told you ‘bout, Mr. Budden (Bugden), me an’ him used to go set a few snares eh. (After school?) After school.
Louise: Did you get rabbit?
Wilfred: Oh yes, yeah.
Louise: There were lots of rabbits?
Wilfred: Lots of rabbit.
Louise: Did you have to have a license then?
Wilfred: No, no license.
Louise: What about berry picking now. Did you do much berry picking?
Wilfred: Oh yes, yeah, We always, every year you know, you get your raspberries and blueberries, get your jam fer the winter, each winter.
Louise: The raspberries now they were around here, were they?
Wilfred: Oh yes.
Louise: Yeah, but the blueberries, you ..
Wilfred: Yeah, we had to go, well across the river mostly, on the barrens over there eh.
Louise: Oh you go and ..
Wilfred: Specially over there where the airport is, over there on that side.
Louise: Is that right? Lots of berries.
Wilfred: Loots of ‘em, yes.
Louise: You’d go up in boat?
Wilfred: Go across in boat, there where Garfield Rumbolt used to live, walk in through (I see.) and pick away.
Louise: And ah, what about.. did you make butter or anything like that?
Wilfred: No. I don’t think, nothing..
Louise: And what about soap? Did your mother ever have to make soap?
Wilfred: I don’t believe.
Louise: No. What about the clothes. Did she make all the clothes or did she, could you buy it or..?
Wilfred: She made, she made a lot of it, you know. (Yeah.) Yeah, knit our own mitts and socks.
Louise: Yeah, and ah what about the barber, things like that. Would you (Well ah..) Who cut your hair?
Wilfred: My father always cut our hair.
Louise: Did he?
Wilfred: Yeah. He always did, yealp. And when my boys was growin’ up I cut, I used to be their barber eh (Yeah.) cut their hair you know.
Louise: And what about policemen now, if you needed a policeman what would you?
Wilfred: Well, Deer Lake you know.
Louise: Had to go to Deer Lake?
Wilfred: Had to go to Deer Lake das the only place, Rangers then. (Yeah) Yeah.

Back

(On Daily Life)

Louise: So what year would you say now that there was.. that Reidville really started?
Wilfred: Uhmm, I wouldn’t know. I dare say in the early fifties you know, it was getting, buildin’ very good then.
Louise: But you came here in ah, (19)36 thirty??
Wilfred: No ‘bout thirty eight. (19)38.
Louise: Thirty-eight was it?
Wilfred: Thirty-nine, ‘round there.

Louise: And it wasn’t ah,??
Wilfred: No it wasn’t anything then. No.
Louise: No. What kind of tools did you use now, or equipment did you use in your farming for your gardens an’ that?
Wilfred: Well ah, jest a horse, and horse and plow, and ah, das ‘bout all I guess. Jest horse an’ plow.
Louise: You planted by hand, did ya?
Wilfred: Planted by hand yeah.
Louise: Now where did you get your seeds an’ dat?
Wilfred: Well buy it all in Deer Lake. (Oh Yeah.) Buy seed in Deer Lake, an’ fertilizer
Louise: Used all that, did ya?
Wilfred: Yeah. Used to bring our fertilizer up in boat. That was 125 llb. sacks then. Used to have da bring it from the River up to our garden on the handbar we used to call it then.
Louise: Yeah. (yeah) What about fishing now. Were there lots of trout in the river were they?
Wilfred: Oh yes, thousands of trout. Yes.
Louise: And salmon?
Wilfred: Salmon. Well I didn’t salmon, not then ‘cause I didn’t know anything ‘bout salmon, but ah you know, trouting well we was always at that.
Louise: That right? (yeah) Yeah. Did you ever make rafts or anything?
Wilfred: Oh Yes. Always made rafts.
Louise: But the river now up.. wasn’t all that rough here, was it?
Wilfred: Not here. No
Louise: So now, when you moved here did you ever go to Corner Brook for any reason or anything?
Wilfred: Not, no not first when we moved here.
Louise: The road was through tho’ was it?
Wilfred: To Corner Brook?
Louise: Yeah.
Wilfred: Oh yes.
Louise: But it wasn’t paved?
Wilfred: No just a gravel road.

Back

(On Working)

Louise: Yeah. Did you ever go in the woods now and stay, you know, did you cut wood for a living after you were married?
Wilfred: Ah yes. (Yeah.) Camps, you know.
Louise: And you had to go and stay all week did you?
Wilfred: Stay yeah, fer two weeks (two weeks?) two an’ three weeks, winter time we stay ‘bout three weeks.
Louise: Yeah. And ah where was that now?
Wilfred: That would be up in the White River area and ah, Goose Arm.

Louise: How would you get up there?
Wilfred: Ah, walk winter time.
Louise: Oh, I see. And what would you use snowshoes?
Wilfred: Snowshoes.
Louise: How long a walk was that now?
Wilfred: The longest walk we had winter time was eleven miles. We used to walk from ah, well we go up Cormack Road, then park our machines there and we walk in White River Road, eleven miles on snowshoes.
Louise: How long would that take you?
Wilfred: Oh, ‘bout two hours, two and a half hours.
Louise: Is that right? (yeah.) What were the camps like then?
Wilfred: Well, they wouldn’t very good. (no?) No, camp at that time, camp was just build around with poles and just canvas on the poles. The one that we stayed it – bunkhouse. (I see.) And ah, just a old oil drum for a stove and that a go out in the night time, ten o’clock, and then ah, used to have a cookie on and ah, he come out ‘round five o’clock in the morning and light it up again. Be awful cold then.
Louise: Yeah. (yeah) What were the bunks like?
Wilfred: Well we had our springs and mattress you know, at that time, but first when I went in the woods we had only jest the board and the boughs to lie on. First. It was hard.
Louise: That was when you were young? Young fellow?
Wilfred: Yeah that was ‘bout (19)47 forty-seven, I guess.
Louise: What was the pay like?
Wilfred: It wasn’t very good. (no) No. First when I started was I got ah, six-eighty a day ($6.80), when I started off first.
Louise: And what would that be for now, so many cord of wood would it?
Wilfred: Well we were working on wages, on wages you get $6.80 a day, das fer ten hour days.
Louise: I see.
Wilfred: Wouldn’t much at all, was it?
Louise: No. Now what would, what were the meals like?
Wilfred: Well, the meals were good fer that time.
Louise: How long would you be up there now before you come home?
Wilfred: Two weeks. (Two weeks.) At the most.
Louise: You’d have to walk back then too, would ya?
Wilfred: Walk back. Yeah
Louise: Just stay one night?
Wilfred: Stay home.. you came home on Saturday, and stay home Sunday, you go back again Monday morning.
Louise: I see.
Wilfred: Just one day home.
Louise: I see. What did you do now in the evenings, after you came home and had your supper? Like from in the woods when you were in the camp? You had your supper, what would you do then?
Wilfred: Well all we do then, at that time was play cards, I guess.
Louise: Play cards.
Wilfred: Play cards all night long. Until, well you go to bed nine o’clock, half past nine.
Louise: Yeah
Wilfred: You had a hard days work ahead of ya next morning so couldn’t stay up too late.
Louise: I suppose you told stories?
Wilfred: Told stories, yeah.
Louise: Sing?
Wilfred: Well, some people did, you know.
Louise: Yeah.
Wilfred: They had the guitars, the violins, and the according, all that stuff, you know.
Louise: I see.
Wilfred: Specially fellers from Bonne Bay, they had, they were good singers.
Louise: Oh they were from..ah, from..
Wilfred: Das right, people from Bonne Bay
Louise: Yeah. And ah, did you ever hear tell of the Woodland Echo?
Wilfred: Oh yes, we listened top that every Saturday night, I believe it was.
Louise: Saturday Night? Yeah.
Wilfred: Oh yes, every Saturday Night we listened to that.
Louise: Yeah. What was that like?
Wilfred: Well that was.. it was alright you know, was singing.
Louise: All singing?
Wilfred: Singing yeah. (yeah.)
Louise: And was it the sort of thing that more or less reported on the woods working or anything like that?
Wilfred: Oh yes, yeah. That’s right.
Louise: Could you make request or anything?
Wilfred: I ah, I’m not sure. I don’t think you could.

Back

(On Farming)

Louise: So now you never ever sold any, your father never ever sold any of his crop did he?
Wilfred: Oh yes, he used to sell potato
Louise: Did he? Where did he go?
Wilfred: Well, to Deer Lake.
Louise: And how’d he get it down Deer Lake now?
Wilfred: Well I guess winter time take it down on dog team or horse.
Louise: Would he take vegetables in the winter still?
Wilfred: Well, he could take ‘em down, could wrap ‘em up and ah take ‘em down.
Louise: I see.
Wilfred: But mostly in the Fall of the year, you know, he’d sell it before it get too cold, eh.

Louise: Yeah. And what would he, did he have a truck or any , how would he get down?
Wilfred: Well like I said, in 1949 we bought our first truck.
Louise: In 1949?
Wilfred: Yeah. ’48 Ford he had then.
Louise: Yeah.
Wilfred: And then we used to use our truck, eh.
Louise: Yeah. How much did he sell a sack of potatoes for?
Wilfred: At that time, I’d dare say ‘bout $1.50 – $2.00 , I guess.
Louise: Yeah.
Wilfred: Like I say, we had sheep, and goat. We used to sell goat meat (Did ya?) and mutton, stuff like that you know (Oh I see.) lamb.
Louise: Now who would you sell that to? Down Deer Lake or?
Wilfred: Down Deer Lake, yeah.
Louise: Cause I suppose everybody up here had their own?
Wilfred: Das right, everybody had their own.
Louise: And there wasn’t very many ..
Wilfred: People in Deer Lake, you know.
Louise: How much would you sell that for now? Can you remember?
Wilfred: I can’t remember.
Louise: Did you sell milk? The goats milk?
Wilfred: No (no). Drink that our selves.
Louise: Drank that yourselves.
Wilfred: Had lots of milk.
Louise: Did you have cows? Or anything?
Wilfred: Never ever bought a cow. (no) Horse
Louise: What about hens?
Wilfred: Had hens. Had our own hens all time. Yeah. Never had ducks or anything like that, just hens.
Louise: Yeah. Turkeys?
Wilfred: No.
Louise: What were the winters like then?
Wilfred: Well, I guess, handy ‘bout the same as we are getting now, only it didn’t look the same cause everything was snowed in and ‘twas no roads ploughed. We had lots of snow. Cold.
Louise: So how’d you clear the land now?
Wilfred: With a horse.
Louise: Horse?
Wilfred: Cleared it with a horse. Hook the horse on the stumps and haul them out. Sometimes you’d have a, what you call a capsom made up eh, go round and round with the horse (yeah) big stumps you haul them out that way. Everything was done with a horse.
Louise: So now ah, are you pleased, are you happy with your move here, to Reidville?
Wilfred: Oh yes, yeah. (yeah) I wouldn’t leave it now, for the world. (Yeah.) No (no)
Louise: Do you have anything else now to tell me?
Wilfred: Not really. (no) I guess there’s lots to tell if I could think about it (yeah)
Louise: Thank you.

Back

[fwdmsp preset_id=”9″ playlist_id=”2″] Listen to the entire interview with Florence Reid by Louise Janes or select individual segments of the interview from the list. The Audio Player appears at the bottom of this screen. It will remain visible as you scroll down the page.  Click the Menu Icon on the Audio Player to choose the segment that you would like to hear.  Then, follow the conversation by clicking on its link in the columns below.
.

[one_half padding=”0 5px 0 10px”] 01: Florence Reid – Full Interview
02: On Coming to Junction Brook
03: On Conditions At Junction Brook
04: On Getting Married
05: On Original Settlers
06: On Having Children
07: On Getting Groceries from Deer Lake
08: On School
[/one_half] [one_half_last padding=”0 10px 0 5px”] 09: On Neighbors & Food
10: On Christmas
11: On Making Clothes
12: On House, Lights & Water
13: On Services in Reidville
14: On Gambo to Reidville
15: On Cars, Travel & Government
[/one_half_last]

This interview is missing the initial opening and begins with Florence talking about why she came to Junction Brook.

(Florence Reid – Full Interview.)

(On Coming to Junction Brook)

Florence: Well ah, her husband died and she (Rhyma Collins), and like they were on the welfare, on the government now you knows what the government was, not ‘nough money to keep you going, eh (Yeah) so eh, Uncle Sam Feltham lived over there in Junction and he’s wife was dead ‘en he had children ‘en dat, so he went da work ‘en phoned out, er whatever he y’know (Yeah) I don’t know if there was any phones den, but anyway he got holt .. and she came in here, so we came in here. (Yeah) and she went da work fer ‘en eh. (Yeah)
Louise: Now, what time of the year did ya come?
Florence: Well, I come in here in the Spring, in April.
Louise: And you were twelve years old were you?
Florence: Yeah, yeah.
Louise: Now, how did you get here?

Florence: Ah, we come by train. (Yeah) and was nuttin’ in Deer Lake not dat much, Deer Lake was just like a Ghost town. (Is that right?) Oh yeah, was nuttin’ build up in Deer Lake er nuttin’ only jest a few houses down there en dat. ‘twas one hotel there, down there t’wards the station, eh.
Louise: Who’s hotel was it?
Florence: Dat was Easton’s. (Oh yeah) Easton’s Hotel, eh, en dat down d’here. And maid, we come up ‘en well I made me home here, I s’pose.
Louise: Yeah. Now where did ah, where did Mr. Feltham live now?
Florence: He lived over there in Junction. Junction Brook (At that time?) Yeah. In Junction Brook.
Louise: Now, what year was that?
Florence: Well eh, (You was born in 1921) Yeah. I don’t know what time he come in here da live. He, he’s long da Wesleyville, see (Oh yeah). Mr. Feltham was long da Wesleyville. And I don’t know how he come in here. (Yeah) En dat he was here, he musta been here, ah well I don’t know now de culd been here three, four years er perhaps five years er sumthin’ like dat ‘fore we come en here eh. (Yeah) ‘en dat.
Louise: But, he was livin’ up in Junction Brook then?
Florence: Yes, en he had his daughter, he’s daughter was married over there too. One was married to, ah, she was married to Bill Parsons (Oh yeah) en she had, she had children when I come en here.
Louise: So now when you came you can remember, can you, when the train stopped? Can you remember that?
Florence: Oh yes, stopped in Deer Lake, yeah.
Louise: About where it stops now?
Florence: Yeah, down there by the old station. (Yeah). Dats where the train stopped, down there, yeah. (Yeah)
Louise: Now ah, who was there to meet you, was it just you or you and your Aunt?
Florence: No ah, ‘twas jest me and me Aunt but ah Uncle Sam Feltham was there da meet us. (Yeah) an’ bring us up.
Louise: And how did you get up from the Station?
Florence: Well we came across da, d’here ah old Bonne Bay road with Uncle Billy Normore on ah, he had horse d’here en ah cart eh. (I see.) An’ we come across the old Bonne Bay wharf (Yeah) an’ he had ah boat, we came up in boat.
Louise: Just a little motor boat, was it?
Florence: Well in wasn’t small, but you know it wasn’t big. Came up an’ went on up, went up in Junction and got out over there in Junction Brook, dere. (Oh, I see.) Yeah I lived over den til I got married. (yeah)

Back

(On Conditions At Junction Brook)

Louise: Now ah, how much did it cost ya to come on the train? Can you remember that?

[fwdmsp preset_id=”9″ playlist_id=”2″]

Florence: Well, naw maid , I can’t remember that, das so long ago, I don’t know how much, I don’t think ‘twas dat much den, dem days you know (Yeah) but I really don’t, you know, what.
Louise: Now you just brought your clothing with you did you? (Yeah). Did you have any problems, like on the train or anything like that on your way? (No) no, (No) no.
Florence: So Mr. Feltham was there to meet you? (Yeah) and you came up to his place. (Yeah) yeah.
Louise: Now, what was his house like?
Florence: Well, he only had a log cabin, d’here.
Louise: Was it big?
Florence: Ah.. ‘twas ah, he had three bed rooms an’ a big ketchen, no living rooms or dinettes er nuttin’ den days. But he had a big ketchen, y’know en he had three bed rooms , well he didn’t have any , he had outdoor toilet. (Yeah) Stuff like dat y’know what I mean. (Modern) nuttin’ modern.
Louise: What did he have on the walls?
Florence: Ah, he had, I think he had sheetin’ paper, dat y’knows sheetin’ paper on the walls.
Louise: Now did he have it painted or?
Florence: Well he had it ah, he had it outside kind of like ah like shellac, he had all da buddies, y’know (Logs) logs all dat rinded en dat an’ like shellac on the logs outside, like dat eh. (Yeah) en dat, das da way he had it.
Louise: And ah, what was on the floor?
Florence: Oh white floor. Nutthin’ only the board (Board) Just the board, yeah, yeah (I see). Had da get down an’ scrub dat den. (Is that right?) yeah.

Louise: Now, what did you do for water?
Florence: Oh we used da get it from the river, right d’here on side the brook, the brook was runnin’ out d’here.
Louise: Now, would that be round about where the airport is now or not quite as?
Florence: Yeah well da airport goes right up in the Junction Brook now,(Yeah) yeah, goes right up in Junction Brook. (Yeah, So) You never been up there?
Louise: No, not really, not when the houses were there. No I’ve been there since the houses were all taken out of it. It’s all growed up now of course, isn’t it?
Florence: Yeah well ah I haven’t been over there fer years now, (Yeah). Not up in Junction Brook, not fer years (Yeah) now, but was a big brook runnin’ out, I don’t know where he from, used da run out pass, and used go out in the (the River) out in the River eh. Das where we used to get the water, jest go down d’here and dip it up with a bucket en bring it up eh, like dat.
Louise: Never dug a well or anything?
Florence: No (No). No.
Louise: Now, did he have children?
Florence: Ah yes, he had children. He had ah, was Abe, and Bessie, well Abe was married and ahh I don’t think Bessie was married I don’t know fer sure ‘cause tis too long, y’know. And he had Dan Feltham, and he had, and ah Mamie was the youngest when we came in. (Yes) Mamie was seven years old I (Oh yes) think when we come in.
Louise: Now so, you stayed there with your aunt (yeah) and ah, did you go to work anywhere else?
Florence: I ah, I was over, when I was fourteen I went da work with Frances Reid, over d’here on da, over d’here on the bank, over d’here y’know d’here on da river out on the other side d’here. (I see).
Louise: So you didn’t go to school up there?
Florence: I didn’t go to school after I come in here.
Louise: Now what was it like at the Junction, where, where Mr. Feltham lived?
Florence: Well ‘twas pretty good I mean you had da get out, ‘twas no roads, had da get out in boat, en dat. You had to go down Deer Lake in boat one place n’nother.. (muffled)
Louise: Now, Who else was living there, how many families were there?
Florence: Well ah, he’s daughted was livin’ on the other side, over on the other side, his daughter was livin’ over d’here and he’s son, Abe, was livin’ over d’here den. (Oh yeah) en dat.
Louise: And now, what kind a work did he do, or was he retired?
Florence: Well he was workin’ with Bowater’s (oh I see) yeah. (Yeah) He worked with Bowater’s an’ so did hes ah boys er if he had any work eh, en dat.
Louise: So how long was it you were here before you got married?
Florence: Ah I come here when I was twelve an’ I got married when I was fifteen. Wasn’t en here dat long. (yeah) en dat. Den ah I shifted over here on dis side

Back

(On Getting Married)

Louise: Yeah. Now how did you meet Mr. Reid?
Florence: Well met en y’know like here, like here on Reidville eh. (Yeah) en dat. Yeah I met en over here on dis side y’know en dat.
Louise: Over here on Reidville side? (Yeah) No ah, where were you, outside or in someone’s house visiting or?
Florence: Ahh, I used to come over to he’s brothers d’here over on the other side y’know, en dat, yeah (Yeah).

Louise: And ah, you had a wedding?
Florence: Yeah, well we got married en Frances’ house over d’here and we had a, we come over den to he’s mothers en had a cup of tea. We never had a big wedding. (Oh, didn’t you?) No.
Louise: Who was the minister?
Florence: Now your asking me somethin’ now. Oh ah, ah Captain Coles, down d’here, Max Coles’ father.
Louise: Oh yes, he was in the Army, was he? (Yeah) Now there was neither church over there, was it?
Florence: No, no no, (No), no only in Deer Lake (yeah).
Louise: And who stood up for you now?
Florence: George Reid and ah, and my cousin ah, Mrs. Harding. (Oh yes, ah Aunt Susie) yeah (Oh yes.) yeah.
Louise: And ah, what did you wear?
Florence: I wore a pink, kind of a blue dress, somethin’ like dat, y’know. (Yeah). So long ago y’know you can’t ‘member dat much eh (Yeah) en dat.
Louise: So you were married in the house. (Yeah.) And the minister came up there? (yeah). Now where did the minister come from.
Florence: Deer Lake
Louise: Oh, he came from Deer Lake?
Florence: Yeah
Louise: And how did he get up now.
Florence: Oh, de went down en got him in boat. (oh, I see) brought en up in boat, yeah. Das the only way you could, das the only way da, I mean you get back and forth, was in boat,eh, en dat (Yeah). Y’know. (Yeah) yeah.
Louise: And ah, ahh so you got married there, over cross ah, over across the river, the Junction (Yeah.) And did you come over here next day or. (That night) that night (Yeah). Now did you have a house already built?
Florence: Stayed with he’s mother. Mrs. Reid en de had a house over here.
Louise: Now who is his mother?
Florence: Mary Ann Reid, ‘longed to Bonne Bay. (Oh, I see) yeah.
Louise: They were already living here? (Oh yes, de de) Now , now what year was that? Was that in 1926? (well ah..) No 1936?
Florence: 1936, (yes, yes) he come in the Fall and I come in the Spring.

Back

(On Original Settlers)

Louise: Oh yes. ‘Cause you had your fiftieth anniversary there what two years ago? (Yeah) Yeah, so it was in 1936 that you got married. (yeah) There was someone living here then, was it?
Florence: Oh yes (was it very many?) Ah, ah Sandy’s brother, Herb Reid was living over here (Yeah). And he’s mother (and father) and Mrs. Tim Reid an’ de was living over here on this side den when I got married.
Louise: Yeah. Now how long do you think that they settled here? What year do you think? How long were they living here then?

Florence: Well they came here jest after I came here.
Louise: Oh I see, so they were only here ‘bout a couple years? (Yeah) Now why do you think they settled here in Reidville?
Florence: Ah maid I don’t know de, was no work in Bonne Bay, de said en dat, so they came over here ‘cause Bowater’s was, I mean, Bowater’s had contract and (Yeah) and de went in the woods cuttin’ wood eh (yeah) y’know. (Yeah) en dat. So I s’pose das the reason why de shifted over here.
Louise: Now how did they get their land?
Florence: Well de just come an’ just come and de took it. (Squatters rights) Yeah jest come, I mean den days was y’know, the land, you could take your land, I mean I s’pose dem days an’ de come over here an’ de settled down (Yeah). But ah Mrs. Tim Reid en dem wasn’t here dat long. (Weren’t they?) No. (No) ‘Twas Mrs. Tim Reid an’ d’here son Roy, de lived here, en dat. (Yeah) An’ ah ah Uncle Frank Major, das Mrs. Reid’s brother he lived here. (Yes) Uncle Zeke Rumbolt en he lived here y’know, den de start comin’ den eh, after year after year y’know de start comin’ livin’ here den eh, en dat. Well ah dis was called Upper Humber den when we was here dat time. (Oh was it?) Yeah. But ah, after that den well once de start da get school here en dat an’ y’know everythin’ got straighten’ away an’ de got d’here land an’ one thing an’ ‘nother de went da work an’ den they put Reidville on it. (Oh yes, yeah) yeah, y’know.
Louise: Now when you came over here there were only three or four families living here. So now, what, what was it like? (well) There was no road or anything?
Florence: No, no ‘twas all woods (Yeah). ‘twas only jest a little trail like da walk thro’ ‘cause I lived with Mrs. Reid fer ah, almost ah well ‘bout six months I s’pose. Den Sandy build a cabin, a log cabin down over the hill d’here. (Oh down here?) yeah, down over the hill here. (Oh yes) An’ ah I lived down d’here fer a year er so an’ den he build ‘nother one down over da hill a little farther. Down by the river eh. (Yeah) y’know (yeah). ‘twas only jest trails goin’ back en forth. Well he had most all the wood cut up in here en dat, y’know (Yeah).
Louise: So Bowater was cutting here then, were they?
Florence: Yeah, yeah Bowater’s was cuttin’ de was …..(muffled)
Louise: So now when you went to build your house now you just took your land same as everyone else did or did you have to buy it from Bowater or anything?
Florence: Well ah Mr. Reid (William Thomas Reid) had the land den I think, now I don’t know if he had wrote in like to ah da government or anything like dat and got it like dat, but anyway, well he took so much land (Uhhmm) an’ he give he’s boys then what, (Uhhmm) y’know (So much to build on) (Yeah)
Louise: Now ah, did you have water in your first cabin, or did you have to bring the water?
Florence: No, I had to lug it from the river. (Yeah)

Back

(On Having Children)

Louise: How many children did you have?
Florence: I had thirteen. (Thirteen?) Yeah (Yeah) yeah.
Louise: And when time came now for you to have your children, ah, would you go to the hospital?
Florence: No, I used to go to Deer Lake.

Louise: You went to Deer Lake? (Yeah) And who would you have there?
Florence: Well, ah Mrs. Pelley she was a nurse down d’here, there goin’ in High Street d’here (Yeah) I stayed d’here. But my first child I had I was up, I went up the track up d’here, in Deer Lake. Up da track, I was up the track. (Oh yeah) Up on the hill d’here I had me first baby. (Yeah.) An’ the next baby I had, den I had en d’here, right d’here by Jack Gilleys, where Jack Gilley lives on da hill d’here where I had en d’here (Oh Yeah). An’ the next one I had, I had en down over Chapel Hill. (Ohh!) y’know you had da, I mean you had da get y’know somebody da take ya in. (Yeah). En dat. ‘Cause ‘twas no roads goin’ da Corner Brook, ‘twas a roads but ‘twas really really bad. ‘twasn’t done er nuthin eh. (Ahh!) Jest a gravel road. (Yeah) yeah das all ‘twas d’here den. (Yeah). An’ ah.
Louise: Now did you have to pay the mid-wife?
Florence: Oh yes. The doctor, (Oh, the doctor?) ole’ Doctor Green was d’here den.
Louise: Did he born all your babies?
Florence: Ah well, som-of-em de was born before de got d’here. (Oh yes.) But he come an’ tend to me eh. (Yeah) an’ dat. And I had two born in Mrs. Pelley’s house d’here (Oh yeah) Mrs. White (Wight??) she was a White one time but she married a man, Mr. Pelley, (Yeah) call her dat. An’ ah den I had two boys, den I had two boys born in d’here on High Street in d’here where Ron Thomas lives to now. (Oh yes, yeah) in d’here y’know, yeah.
Louise: Now how much would you have to pay? (What fer??) Pay the doctor or the nurse or whatever?
Florence: Oh ‘round twenty dollars, I s’pose som en like dat dem days, y’know, wasn’t like dat much eh. An’ the mid-wife ten dollars or som en like dat, y’know.
Louise: So how long would you stay with the mid-wife now?
Florence: Ahh, nine days, de wuldn’t let you out’a bed fer nine days.
Louise: And then you’d come back home? Now how did you get your clothes and that for your babies and that, y’know? Could you buy it or what did you do?
Florence: No, I ah, you had da make it, most all of it eh. (Yeah) Like diapers an’ stuff like dat, y’know. (Yeah). En dat, ya night dresses, ya had da make your night dress fer ‘em ‘ en dat cause den night dresses dem long night dresses and diapers ,’an y’know like dat (Yeah).
Louise: And ah, there was no shower or anything like there is today?
Florence: No, ‘twas no showers, nitthin’ t’all like dat.
Louise: Yeah. Now what would you do when you wanted your babies christened?
Florence: Oh well, we used d’here a, go da Deer Lake (Oh Yeah). Get ‘em christened to da, ‘til da minister start comin’ up here den the school was here den the minister used to come up an’ have church every Sunday.
Louise: Oh I see. Now what minister was that?

Back

(On Getting Groceries from Deer Lake)

Florence: Well, thinkin’ was Gosse, er whatever somen he’s name was an’ eh, an’ eh minister, an’ das Church of England (Oh Yes, yeah) an’ ah, oh my, I don’t know we had so many ministers up here y’know, in Deer Lake I can’t ‘member em all eh. (Yeah). I can’t ‘member ministers we used da have en dat.
Louise: So now you were married in (19)36 and there were only three or four families living here then?
Florence: Yeah, well when I came over here was jest he’s father and he’s brother en dat (Yeah) over here (yeah).
Louise: So now you had to go to Deer Lake for everything, did you?
Florence: Oh yes, (Yeah) yeah. I had ..
Louise: Now, you used a boat in summer, would ya? (Yeah) And how would you go in the winter?

Florence: Horse.
Louise: In a horse? (Yeah). So now what did you burn in, how did you keep your house warm, heated?
Florence: Oh we had jest a wood stove, one of dem y’know wood stoves, burnin’ wood en dat y’know.
Louise: And what about when you had to wash your clothes?
Florence: Wash it on da board, y’know, tub an’ board en dat, eh. Scald it on the stove in jealous lye.
Louise: Did you make lye?
Florence: No we used da, you could buy it to da store, can lye, you could buy it to da store eh, (Yeah.)
Louise: Did you have to make soap or anything?
Florence: No, I never did, no. (No.)
Louise: And did you have your own gardens?
Florence: Oh yes, (Yeah) maid we had gardens, we used to have cabbage an’ turnips, (Yeah) potatoes an’ stuff like dat, y’know. An’ we had horses, an’ we had sheep, hens an’ pigs an’ (Oh yeah) y’know, we used da have it all den eh.
Louise: So you were fairly self-sufficient?
Florence: Oh yeah.
Louise: So sort of things you have to go to Deer Lake for?
Florence: Oh well ah like groceries en dat, you had da go da Deer Lake. Well ah me an’ Mrs. Rumbolt, she’s dead an’ gone now, poor soul, (Yeah) she ah, we ah used da get up in da mornin’ an’ dress da couple youngsters we had, er I only had one dem, she had two, an’ eh, we go da work an’ paddle down Deer Lake in canoe, down to Bonne Bay Wharf, (Is that right?) Yeah an’ den we used da walk across, walk over da Deer Lake, go across down d’here (Children a walk too or would you have to carry them?) Well we had da lug da children an’ ah go across on Uncle Billy Normore’s Farm d’here an’ we used da go out ,go out road dat way. White’s road (Yeah)
Louise: Now ah, Mrs. Reid where was this Bonne Bay wharf?
Florence: Where he’s at now, where da bridge is to.
Louise: What do you mean?
Florence: D’here by Prowse’s, where you comes across..
Louise: Oh, that was Bonne Bay Wharf. (Yeah) Oh yes, yes, yeah, (Yeah) yeah. And you’d have to go down there then? And walk down there?
Florence: We used da have da paddle down from here in canoe, an’ go down d’here an’ get out an’ walk da Deer Lake.
Louise: Now which store would you go to?
Florence: Well ah was, ‘twas only ah, ‘twas only one er two stores in Deer Lake den. Small stores. You knows where Coleman’s is at now? (Yes.) Well Uncle Sam Feltham lived d’here, dat was hes land (Ah, Oh that’s where he lived?) Well yeah after he shifted of a Junction. (Oh yes, yes yeah.) Yeah. I used da go down take da baby down I used da put her off , well I used da caller mom den ‘cause I mean, she reared me up when I was a infant eh. (Yeah, right) An’ go an’ do me work den (Yeah) y’know, den we get Uncle Billy Normore er Uncle Jack Neary bring us over den, bring our groceries over to da river, an’ ah perhaps be dark be time we get up here. (Yeah). En dat y’know. Dat. Da’ was a long ways den see maid (Yeah) y’know.
Louise: Now, would you go every week or every month or what to get your groceries?
Florence: No we used da paddle down most every week like, y’know (Yeah) en dat, because I mean dem days den ‘twas rationed out. (Oh was it?) and old Company store down d’here you used da have coupons fer dat (Oh yeah) Used da go ah, when da Compression , when the War was on, compression den, we used da have stamps den an’ you get so much like five pounds of sugar do ya fer a month den, y’know (Yeah)
Louise: You use much Molasses?
Florence: Well we used da use a nice bit den.Den days, y’know. (Yeah)
Louise: Now of course it was during the Depression that you got married, wasn’t it?
Florence: Yeah.
Louise: Now what was Sandy working at?
Florence: Ah he was cuttin’ pulp wood. Y’know. Working with Bowater’s (Yeah) en dat.
Louise: So ah the Depression was almost over was it ?
Florence: Well time we all, time we got married it got little better, eh. (Yeah) en dat. I think Sandy, I don’t know for sure, but I thought he said he cut wood fer ah, like cords of wood fer ‘round $1.50 a cord, er some’en like dat eh. Y’know (Yeah) wasn’t much, den days (Yeah) en dat.

Back

(On School)

Louise: So ah, when you wanted to go to church you had to go to Deer Lake?
Florence: Oh yes.
Louise: And what about the children now, when they got old enough to go to school?
Florence: Well de went da school up here.
Louise: Oh they had school up here then? (Unison) They had a school up here.
Florence: Time, Effie, das me oldest girl, time she got old ‘nough de had a school up here den see.
Louise: Now who owned the school? Was it a government thing or did..?
Florence: Yeah, well no wasn’t the government all t‘gether ‘twas more I mean we got it more like ‘cause we was years an’ years tryin’ da keep da school goin’. We used da have times an’ we , an’ we cleaned da school an’ keep it clean an’ one ting ‘nother like dat fer the children da go, eh. (Yeah) en dat y’know. An’ we used da, kids used da go da work an’ in da mornin’ take d’here splits en dat, take it over da school, fer da teacher da light da fire with an’ stuff like dat.

Louise: Well, now who built the school?
Florence: Well Mr. Reid (William Thomas Reid) en dem an’ what was here, like Sandy’s brothers an’ dem, de helped build it.
Louise: They got together and built it? (Yeah) Now who was the first teacher?
Florence: Mr. Morgan.
Louise: Mr. Morgan?
Florence: Yeah. He was da first teacher dat was ever here, eh (Yeah)
Louise: Now, ‘bout how many children would be in the school?
Florence: Well maid after de ah, after de people shifted here en dat I mean de had a, well it started down a, de had their school down over da hill in Mr. Reid’s log cabin. Das first startin, eh. (Oh yeah) Used da have church down d’here an’ den de , de went da work an’ de build a, y’know a, it wasn’t a big school but, well after ah, after Mr. Janes shifted on the river, en dat, hes crowd used da come, hes children used da come up d’here an’ go da school. (Did they?) Jessie an’ I think , an’ ah an’ I don’t know ‘bout Rol an’ dem now but I knows er ah all Mr. Janes like ah y’know, Winse an’ all dem, I think, I believe de used da be goin’ da school, I’m not sure now if Winse went da school but I knows da girls used to go da school.
Louise: I know Wince was nine when he moved down Deer Lake, y’know, so.
Florence: De used da come up in boat. (Oh yes) Come up en, come up here an’ go da school in boat, eh. (Is that right?) Yeah.
Louise: Now was it a one room school or a two room school or what was it?
Florence: Well, ‘twas only a one room school d’here.
Louise: But could you get your grade eleven?
Florence: No, (No), you ah well de went right up to ah, I don’t know now how long now, ah I knows after Eugene an’ de start teachin’ here, after de got up, de got their learning here. Eugene an’ dem did eh. (Yeah) An’ ah, well after de got up big ‘nough, I think de was up ‘round, perhaps ‘round nine like dat, som’en ‘nother like dat, how high da grades was (Yeah) den de start taken dem in Deer Lake when they got in grade four.
Louise: Oh yes. And they’d go on the bus, would they?
Florence: Well maid now, I s’pose de did, I don’t know fer sure now, I can’t b‘member now what de used to go down on. Den I don’t know if de used ta go in boat er on da bus er what. No
Louise: How long was it now before you got the roads Through here, y’know?
Florence: Oh, ‘twas a long time ‘fore we got the roads thro here.
Louise: And the only connection you had with Deer Lake was to go on the river?
Florence: Yeah.
Louise: Yeah. Now when was that bridge built? There on Mr. Prowse’s, do you know that?
Florence: That bridge? (Yeah) Sandy cut, ah Sandy and Henry cut, and Doug cut sticks for dat when Effie, was a baby. Now Effie is fifty, Effie was fifty-one her birthday. Das fifty-one year almost fifty-one years ago da de started dat bridge d’here. (Is that right?) Yeah, yeah. De start that down Nicholsville, not the one d’here in Bonne Bay Wharf. Not the one d’here Bonne Bay Wharf.
Louise: By Mr. Prowse’s.
Florence: No not dat one. Da one down Nicholsville.
Louise: Oh yes, yeah.
Florence: Yeah, Effie was a baby when de started, when Sandy an’ hes brudder Doug an’ Henry an’ dat cut logs fer dat. (Oh Yes) Yeah. (Yeah)

Back

(On Neighbors & Food)

Louise: So now, ahh, you had neighbours? (Oh Yes) Yeah. And how close were you now to your neighbours?

Florence: Oh we were close. We used to ah, y’know, go ‘round, y’know place to place like up here, we used to after dinners used to take our knittin’ an’ go out , dress the children up an’ go out fer a hour or so with your next door neighbor,en dat, like Mr. Rumbolts, er Mr. Reid er Aunt Elsie over there, y’know (Yeah) en dat like dat y’know.
Louise: Did you make quilts together?
Florence: No, well I do all me own. I used to have sheep, I used to, like inSpring of the year shear me sheep an’ was me wool an’ den in the Fall I used da card it an spin, in the Winter I used to Spin it meself. (Oh did ya?) Yeah, I had a spinnin’ wheel and I had, we had it all then. (Yeah).
Louise: Did you make Butter?
Florence: Yeah, I made butter. (Yeah) We used da have cows an’ dat, I used da make butter. (I see.)
Louise: And ahh, now I s’pose you did a lot of preserving, did you?
Florence: What, puttin’ up, putting up Jam, Oh yes.(Yeah) yes we used da put up ‘round a hundred and a hundred-fifty bottles of jam a year.Y’know, fer..
Louise: Yeah, What kind of jam would be?
Florence: Well, raspberry jam, blueberries y’know en dat.
Louise: Would you have to go very far now ..?
Florence: No, ‘twas right here long side ya. (That right?) Yeah, right here, y’know (yeah) jest up there over the hill, up there like y’know. (Yeah) tis right ‘long side.
Louise: Did you get together any special times with your friends, with your neighbors or? Any special times?
Florence: Well, we didn’t used da have any times den, y’know, not for, ah, we got our children reared up den an’ den we used da have times over in da school fer da try da get money, make money to keep the school goin’ en dat y’know (Yeah).

Back

(On Christmas)

Louise: Now Mrs. Reid, what was Christmas like? You know like the first year you were married? Y’know, what was Christmas like?
Florence: Well ahh, ‘twas, I mean you know, we used to ah put a tree up fer da children. We used da go da work an’ put apples on the tree an’ (Put apples??) Yeah well ‘twas no decoration, nuthin’ dem days, we used da put apples on da tree and those suckers, y’know, with sticks on ‘em an’ stuff like dat. (Would ya?) Yeah, dats what we used to have da put on the Christmas tree, like dat y’know. Well de thought dat was wonderful dem days, y’know (Yeah). And de wouldn’y touch ‘em, not like da youngsters those day, no maid de wouldn’t touch ‘em, not ‘fore the tree come down. (That right?) Uhmm. Now y’know ‘twas I had Effie an’ Hazel an’ Stead an’ Marion den, y’know. (Yeah) Comin’ up den y’know. (Yeah) I had a little boy an’ a little girl, well de died. Little boy was five months when he died, an’ little girl was three weeks. (Oh Yeah.) Well den, well den ah, well den me daughter I had, den the baby I had was Marion. Well she was seven years old when I had me next youngest. (Don)
Louise: Now would you have, do anything special at Christmas time, y’know, would you, would you have turkey for dinner?
Florence: No, he didn’t well we only jest had like I mean mutton er lamb er whatever ya might call it, y’know. (Own animals?) er chicken er some’en like dat, y’know.(Yeah.)
Louise: No such thing as turkey.
Florence: No. Not den days den.
Louise: Now ah,would you go Jannying or anything
Florence: Oh yes, we used to go Jannyin’. (yeah) One time we went Jannyin’, we left here, an’ me and Sandy’s brother and hes wife an’ ah we used to go down dress up an’ go down Mr. Janes, down cross, down Mr. Janes down d’here, en dat an’ .
Louise: You mean across the river?
Florence: Walk down the river (Oh yes) Yeah, walk down the river an’ Sandy’s brother Herb he had a, used da have a bag with old fishes in it, take en on his back an’ go off with it, y’know, en dat. We had some, we had some old times tho’ maid dem days, y’know.(Yeah). An’ we used to go over Mrs. Reid’s, (Mary Ann Reid) , one time we was over Mrs. Reid’s an’ ah, Sandy’s mother, and Mr. Reid (William Thomas) was all out d’here fer fun eh, (Yeah) he used da get the split an’ get down an’ diddlin’ cross hes knee, y’know (Yeah). An’ we get out dancin’ (Yeah) an’ one time she had ah, ah crock of beans, y’know like she had fer breakfast in the mornin’ an’ we start dancin’ my dear, an’ she had en out on old stove, you knows what the fender on the stove ‘twas now, she had en lodged down d’here, she had em baked en dat, we up sot ‘em.
Florence: She got mad
Louise: Did she, yeah!
Florence: Yeah
Louise: She took off?
Florence: Yeah. Oh we had good, we used to have very good times (Yeah) Yeah, you know Christmas and dat. Matter fact, better den wot tis now. (Yeah)
Louise: Now ah, was there any special time of the year that you would look forward to? Apart from Christmas, well Christmas was different, you know, would there be anything special like Easter or Orangeman’s Day or Rememberance Day or anything like that?
Florence: Well, like Easter we used to have a little bit, you know, but I mean we never had no times or nuthin’ cause was nuthin’ to have any times for en dat, eh. But I mean, you know we knowed when Easter come and one thing ‘nother en dat. Like, if I could afford it, I’d go down and get somethin’ for the children en stuff like dat, you know. But it was good many times I eh, my girls wore the flour bag dress.

Back

(On Making Clothes)

Louise: Is that right?
Florence: Yeah well we used to get the flour in big flour bags like. Like eh hundred pound sacks, you know, (Yeah) and then I used to wash dem out, bleach ‘em and you know and then I used to go da work make ‘em and I used to go down and get some dye and dye ‘em (Oh, did ya?) if they want ‘em (another color) or whatever color because white was too dirty (Yeah) you know. And eh, yes maid I used da, ‘de used to come home den from school when de got big ‘nough and I used to take it off ‘em and wash it out for next day and I’d iron it up and put it back on ‘em again now das how I mean the Compression was,(Yeah) you knows what that was, and dat.

Back

(On House, Lights & Water)

Louise: Now eh, Sandy was always workin’ though was he?
Florence: Oh yeah, well I mean he wasn’t makin’ jest ‘nough da keep us goin’ an dat you know. (That’s right) He had a sawmill, he used to saw, used da saw lumber, pailings en stuff like that sell it down around Deer Lake, like dat y’know. (Oh yes, Yeah) . An’ dat, ‘gards for money we didn’t know what that much was. (No.)
Louise: Now when you were in your log cabin you never had.. you had to bring the water. (Yeah) Now how long have you lived up here in this house?
Florence: Oh, well this house was down over the hill, he build this down over the hill and he ah, he hauled this up here. (Oh, I see). Yeah.
Louise: And how old is this house? About?
Florence: Ah, this house is ah, this house is ah maid, me see ah, Don, yeah Don was a baby, Don is thirty, Don is thirty eight, I think, around thirty eight years old this house is now, I think (Yeah) you know, around there. (Yeah)
Louise So how long have you had it up here?
Florence: Oh, we had it up here ‘bout ah twelve years, I suppose. Som’ en like that I s’pose. (Is that all?) Yeah, ‘round there, perhaps might be little longer, I don’t exactly know hardly, you know but..(Yeah) ‘en dat.
Louise: So when did you.. when did people start moving in here to Reidville?
Florence: Oh maid, ah, after the road got here and the lights ‘en dat.
Louise: Now how long ago was that now?
Florence: How long the road.. how long we shifted up here we didn’t have lights, we shifted up here, after we shifted up here we, Sandy bought one of them Delcos fer da run the lights (Oh Yeah) and we had that fer couple years, I s’pose en dat y’know.
Louise: You mean only fifteen years?
Florence: Ah, I s’pose maid perhaps might be twenty years, that’s ‘bout all I s’pose (You’ve had lights?) I don’t exactly, you know, know, you know ‘en dat (Yeah). Well we was the first ones that, that, Herb was the first one that had a Television here and we was the second one that had a television here ‘en dat. (Yeah).
Louise: Now ah, the water was through the Town then when you came up here? (No.) No?
Florence: (pause) ..shifted up here Sandy went da work went down da Gullage’s and he bought ah, he bought there five hundred dollars worth of hose and put ‘em in over the hill in there, Sandy in d’here he had a dam in there and he put ‘em here fer Cal and ders Stead and me, dats where he put the water in fer, three of the houses, eh.
Louise: What did he dig a well, er?
Florence: No he made a dam in d’here. Way inside in d’here. He made a dam, you know he dug out and made a dam and put the pipe in it.
Louise: What do you mean, in the back of here? Back of where you are living now? (Yeah) Way in?
Florence: Way in on the back, in d’here.
Louise: What water is in there?
Florence: Well see, in d’here it ‘twas like a spring in d’here eh, and he went in d’here and dug a big hole d’here (Oh I see) Yeah.
(Note: Lorne and Pearl Reid, Sandy’s brother lived very close by and when Sandy installed the Delco Lorne was also connected to the generator, getting lights at the same time. Likewise, when the water line was installed Lorne contributed to the labor and expense and connected onto the water at the same time.)

Back

(On Services in Reidville)

Louise: Now then, were there any other kind of people here, like were there Jews or French people or Arabs or anything, no one moved up here? (No.) Now there was no stores here? (No.) No?
Florence: ‘twas no stores when we came here, ‘twas nuthin’ here den, ahh Mrs. Oxford ‘en dem after, de was in the Trout Brook, de lived in there ‘cause Mr. Oxford worked in d’here with Bowater’s ‘en dat. And we was eh, well I couldn’t tell ya s‘exactly what, I mean ah what time they shifted out here but I mean ‘twas, we wasn’t here dat long when de shifted out here. So after dat den she got a little candy store and den from dat she went you know, den she had tin stuff and one t’ing en ‘nother like dat en apples en you know, stuff like dat, you know. She had.(Yeah) Well dat was the only little store was here den fer a while. (Yeah)
Louise: Was there a barber or anything here? (A what?) Barber? (No.) No? So you had to go to Deer Lake for everything?
Florence: Oh yeah, well..
Louise: You wanted your hair cut then you’d cut it yourself, would ya? (Yes, Yeah) Yeah. Now was there any kind of a, you know any thing that wiped out the community like a fire or a flood, or some disease or something?
Florence: Not since we come here, ‘twas ah, I mean we had a fire but not that bad, I mean you know (Just a family?) Yeah. Just a family, you know.
Louise: And there’s no disease or anything here. (No) no special TB or anything like that was there?
Florence: No, no my’dere. ‘twas nuthin’ like dat.
Louise: Now ah, what about. Can ya? You had a radio did ya?
Florence: Oh yes. (Yeah)
Louise: What did ya have, you have a battery one?
Florence: Yeah, we used da have a battery radio, we used to put a pole up, put you know the wire down from it get the news en dat eh.
Louise:Now can you remember the program, “Woodland Echo”? Did you listen to that?
Florence: I can’t ’member that but you know en dat.(Can’t remember it, no)
Louise: Now how did you get your mail?
Florence: I don’t think was any mail dem days then. (Wasn’t it?) No. (No?) I don’t think was any mail m’ dere, I, I can’t ‘member any mail dem days, you know. ‘En dat like dat. (Yeah.) Well we was just livin’ in, I mean you know, day by day, and was nuthin’ you know like that I mean, no mail or nuthin’ not dat dem days, like dat.
Louise: Now did you have to pay school fees? (No) Didn’t have to pay school fees?
Florence: Not den.(No) Not ‘fore the government took it over ‘en one thing ‘nother den, you know. Dat.

Back

(On Gambo to Reidville)

Louise: Now Mrs. Reid what did you think of when you came to Deer Lake? When you got off the train, what did you really think of it?
Florence: Well it didn’t matter to me I s’pose dem days because I mean when I was livin’ out home, das what I call it, it wasn’t too much there. (Wasn’t it?) No, I mean you know (‘Twas a small place was it?) ‘twas a small place I mean but ‘twas more people de what was here just da same but ah, and ah..
Louise: Were there streets out there? Were there cars or anything, you know?

Florence: No, no was ah, was nuthin’ like that, no cars (cart) ‘en dat but I mean was a church d’here one thin’ ‘en ‘nother and a school d’here right. (Oh yeah) You know, and well I mean wasn’t dat much, the government, well I mean was feeding people like if de couldn’t you know, get any work ‘en dat, like me I used to get only five dollars a month from the government. Fer ah, time I get a pair boots then the next month I have to get a dress or som ‘en like dat, you know. (Yeah) Ah hem, way back in dem days, I mean what I calls paugraphy days (Yeah), way back in dem days was nuthin’ den (Yeah), you know. I mean I’m not that old, I mean I’ll be only sixty-seven me birthday but I mean ders people older could tell you more I s’pose, you know.
Louise: And who are they?
Florence: Well d’here, well d’here dead now. (Yeah, Yeah right) Well I say d’here dead now.
Louise: So you’ve got to do your best to help me along. (Chuckling)
Florence: Yeah, well I mean ah, the way it be out d’here, out home, well I mean I was sent in here ‘cause I mean ‘twas Bowater’s or whatever they had out d’here, AND or whatever it was you know den, well…
Louise: Now what large community was near your home? Was Lewisport or Glover Town or either one of these? What ?
Florence: No. Gambo
Louise: Oh, Gambo. Oh yes you were out that way, yeah (Yeah)
Florence: Gambo, we used to live down from Gambo, see. (Oh Yeah) ‘Twas Gambo and Hare Bay then Dover, eh. (Yeah) You know.
Louise: So what was your maiden name?
Florence: Pickett (Oh Yeah) Yeah.
Louise: Now what else can you tell me, what was the weather like back then, like you know, when you lived down in the log cabin over the hill was the road like it is now? Was it built up like this, high?
Florence: Well this was still high like this (Yeah) this was still high like this but down over the hill was same as down d’here now. You know, wasn’t no, no difference in Reidville I mean regard of her, only just de put the road through here, das all. (Yeah)
Louise: And of course more people settled and cut out the trees and everything (Yeah) yeah.
Florence: After de got here den de got land from the government, one thin’ ‘nother what, you know, and den de build and you know.
Louise: Was there any kind of organized sports or you know, what would you do for an evening, you know like before you were married now? What would you do for an evening after you had your work all done?
Florence: Before I was married? (Yeah) Nothin’g just go out, just go out nighttime just sit around and one thin’ and ‘nother das all, you know, ‘twas nuthin’ not I mean no entertainment er nuthin’ like dat, you know. But we thought ‘twas wonderful dem days, den. (Yes I suppose.) Yeah well we used to, well I mean winter time when snow come we used to get the bob sleighs en one thin’ ‘nother and go ridin’ like nighttime en stuff like dat eh. (Oh did ya?) Yeah. I, I think its too much in the world fer the children now. You know.
Louise: They haven’t got time to be children?
Florence: No not ‘gard de haven’t got time fer children, but children’s gone too far now I mean tis too much fer ‘em eh. De wants more en more en more eh? (That’s right.) Where my kids, when I was rearin’ dem up, ah, I mean de ‘ardly knowed, de get a apple once a month er like dose big suckers used to be once a month somen’ like dat de be ‘appy. (Yeah). De be ‘appy. De thought de had.. you know, en dat. (Yeah)

Back

(On Cars, Travel & Government)

Louise: So now when was the first vehicle here? First car or truck? Can you remember that?
Florence: Maid, I’m not sure, but I believe Sandy’s brudder, Doug, had the first one here.
Louise: Now, how long ago would that be?
Florence: Oh, das way back, ahh?
Louise: About thirty years or thirty-five years?
Florence: ‘bout ahh, ‘bout thirty?? ‘bout thirty-six or ‘bout thirty-seven years I s’pose. Somen’ like dat ‘cause ah, I think, I’m not sure, I think dat ah when I had Larry I believe Sandy had one he boughten down da Deer Lake den. Old truck. (Emm.) And I think he’s thirty-seven now he’s birthday er somen’ like dat. (Yeah) Somen’ like dat, das when the first trucks come here. (Note: sounds about right: 1988-37=1951)
Louise: Now, could you go to Corner Brook then?

Florence: Ah, well ah, you could go da Corner Brook, ya could, but take ya all day. Time ya leave in the morning, den go da Corner Brook, en get back be dark, take ya all day, the roads be so bad eh. (Yeah) ‘cording to the roads like dat you know.
Louise: Now when you lived down on the river, down her first when you were married or first couple years you were here, did you ever go fishing?
Florence: Oh yes, we used to go trouten’ down d’here, you know. We used to ketch trout and one ting en ‘nother, you know.
Louise: Get lots of trout?
Florence: Oh yeah, used to get lots of trout.
Louise: What did you use now for a rod?
Florence: Well, we used to cut a alder or somen’ like dat and go ‘en dig worms.(Yeah) You know, ketch the trout like dat eh. But it ah, I mean ders not much to tell maid, I mean way back den, I don’t know, en dat.
Louise: There was lots of hardship?
Florence: Oh yeah, lots of hardship, dem days (Yeah) yeah.
Louise: Now when we joined Confederation you still had young children then, did you in 1949? (Yeah). Yeah, so that must have been a big help, was it?
Florence: Well, den yeah well after that den used to get money from the government, like used to go to school eh, en dat. I had Effie and Hazel and Stead den, three of dem used to go eh. Like dat den, you know (Yeah). Confederation come here what? ‘bout thirty-eight years ago?
Louise: Was in 1949 so is almost 40 years ago.
Florence: Fourty years, yeah I guess somewhere ‘round d’here. (Yeah.) Yeah. Well wuldn’t much excitement getting here ‘cause we still had to go down Deer Lake in boat (Did You?) get groceries and stuff like dat. (Even then?) Oh yeah, yeah. If you want your hair done you had go da Deer Lake get your hair done den, ‘cause ‘twas like you know, just one, you know fer da do your hair eh, one hair dresser down d’here, das all.
Louise: Who was that, now?
Florence: (pause)
Louise: Love McClellan? (No maid.) Bennett girl?
Florence: NO, she used to live up d’here pass the highroad, what was her name den? MY God I forgets her name now, but ah, there was only one in Deer Lake, anyway, eh. (Yeah) en dat. My dear, Deer Lake wasn’t nuthin’ when we come in d’here, was just like a ghost town. (Is that right?) Yeah, all thro’ main street d’here, en dat.
Louise: What stores were there then, can you remember that?
Florence: Well, ‘twas ah, I don’t know, ‘twas a couple stores but I ‘twas so long ago, the people eh, you know the names en dat was d’here, was only those, wuldn’t very many stores.
Louise: Were the streets very big or were they just cow paths or ?
Florence: Well, just paths just fer the horses, like horse en’ cart goin fer stuff like dat, you know. Was no pavements er nuthin’ like dat, just all gravel and stuff like dat eh.
Louise: Now, were there any animals around, wild animals, moose or bear or?
Florence: Up around here was. (Was there?) Oh yes, up ‘round here I mean ‘twas still like tis now, eh, you know the animals and like..
Louise: Would they come out near the houses?
Florence: No ah, Effie now when she got up big ‘nough she used to come up here over the hill, when we used to live down there, she used to come up here and just go in d’here and set her snares en dat, er set traps en dat, she used to ketch rabbits en dat. (Is that right?) Yeah. She used to ketch her rabbits en one thing ‘nother en dat.
Louise: I suppose there were lots of Rabbits were there?
Florence: oh yes, there was lots of rabbits here. (yeah) lots of rabbits.
Louise: Did you ever go to Corner Brook now for anything, you know? For a trip or anything when you were younger and your children were small?
Florence: Oh yes, we used to run the Corner Brook every now and then, you know. (On the train?) No we go down when the start trucks got goin’ (muffled) (When the highway got done) yeah. You know we used to go down en dat.
Louise: What would you go down just to shop or for special visit or?
Florence: No, we used to go down and shop around like and ah, Sandy used to go down, went down, we had that furnace there, oil furnace from Gullage’s en dat, you know. He had that it now twenty eh, twenty-six years now we had that oil furnace in from Gullage’s (Oh yeah). She (Sandra?) was two years old when we put that in. (Yeah, oh yeah.) yeah, still using it. (Yeah) yeah.

(A slight pause in the tape and the conversation has switched completely)
Florence: And he’s sons lived over there and he’s daughter.
Louise: Did they live there all the time or did they eventually move back, move down? Now like Mr. Janes and these moved up the River there. (Yeah) Now was that near you?
Florence: No, that was ‘bout half mile down the River, de was, ‘bout half mile down the river. Cause ah, see where Mr. Janes en de lived the Base is there now, see.
Louise: Oh yes, so that wasn’t really in Junction.
Florence: No. No, not down there (Yeah)

Back