27

Interview with Arnold Trask
1976
Lighthouse Road, Digby, Nova Scotia

28

Interview: Arnold Trask
Interviewer: Karen Trask

Life In Digby In The 1930's

I chose for the topic of my History paper this term life during the Depression of the 1930" in our area, and I asked Mr.Trask for an interview because he grew up in this period. He was about nine when the stock-market crashed on October 29,1929, and therefore he could tell of it from the point of view of a young boy, not too many years younger, and in the last part of the 30's, the same age as my classmates and I, which would make it all the more interesting. Neither Mr.Trask or myself were very anxious to tape the interview, and so we agreed on my writing down his replies to my question. Here are the results of our labours:

Q: How old were you when the Depression started?
A: I was about eight or nine when the Depression started.

Q: What was it like to grow up during the Depression?
A: I didn't realize then what it meant, I don't really remember that much about it. I do know that we had to do with out things we had before like we used to have bananas quite often- bananas and cream- it was a real treat to have them in the 1930's. People couldn't afford, couldn't earn money to buy the things they wanted. Grown men were getting a dollar a day. We made out a little better, we had our own cows, chickens, mom used to churn our butter. We sold milk, cream, eggs, raised our own pigs. We didn't have too much in the line of new clothes, the oldest would get new clothes, and as he outgrew them they would be passed down to the rest of us. Mine were made form old clothes Mom cut down and remade to fit me.

Q: Did you have to find a job to "help ends meet" at home?
A: Yes, I started work when I was ten for a florist- Mr.Harris at the Racquette Gardens- mainly hired to weed his garden. I helped him build a greenhouse- paid $0.50 a day, and worked form 8 o'clock in the morning to 6 o'clock at night. I eared enough money the first summer I worked to buy all my new clothes for the next year-almost the first new clothes I'd ever had.

Q: Did you mind having to work?
A: Not really, it gave me something to do in the summer- I would have to work at home anyway and this way I got paid for it. I was lucky because I was allowed to keep this money for my own use, they kind of kept an eye on me to see that I didn't waste it. It was easy to save because there weren't things to buy. My first suit cost $9.95-two pains of pants, a vest and coat. It was almost 4 weeks pay. (I was getting three dollars a week).

Q: Do you think you missed out on a lot of the fun and other things usual to childhood by growing up during the Depression?
A: I don't know I did because when I was in school I had time to play with the boys- recess, noon hour and sometimes after school. Dad would take us fishing in the springtime when trout season opened, and in those days we did things we'd seen grownups do- tapping trees, we built a camp in the woods. I don't think I missed out on anything. I think the Depression taught me the value of money.

Q: Do you think it would be good for Canada to have another Depression?
A: No, don't ask me why, but no.

Q: What about the young people to-day, do you think they could cope with life during a Depression, without all the luxuries they're been brought up with? Do you think they'd make it?
A: Yes, sure they could. They'd find it hard but they could do it. Young people today are just as resourceful as we were when it comes to making and saving money, many more so. If they want to earn money they're not scared to work. They have ideas on how to earn money.

Q: Did you mind growing up in the 30's? If you had a choice, when would you prefer to be a young boy growing up-during the depression or now?
A: The 30's belonged to me. Now belongs to you. Right? I enjoyed growing up when I did.

Q: Were the later years of depression as bad as the first? History books say that around 1934 was the time when things started getting better (slowly).
A: It started getting better around 1934. Things didn't really get good until after the war really, although they weren't as bad.

Although Mr. Trask didn't really say anything about it in the interview, there were a lot of good times in the depression, laughing times, incidents that weren't funny at the time, but are now. Like the time Dad had to tend the furnaces at the greenhouse one winter night- they had to be stoked at 9 p.m. and at about 3 in the morning. Well, he thought that if he put in a lot of coal, he wouldn't have to get up at 3 and put in more. So that's what he did. The furnace got red-hot and blew up.

Then there was the time Dad's sister Marion was dancing on the barrel of salt mackerel pickled down, and she fell in. Or the time she decided to ride the black mare, who was quite fast and flighty. She got on bareback and was sitting too far back. Dad told her to move forward because she was sitting on the horse's kidneys, and Marion dug in her, leaving poor Aunt Marion in Mid-air, for a while, anyway!

So as you can see, although the Depression was tragic, and hard to survive, it had its good times too. It brought people closer together, families were more of unit than they are today. People were pleased and amused by the little things- a neighbour giving you a bar of soap or some poataoes if you had non, and small incidents like those few mentioned above, helped ease the pain of having to do without the other, more costly things of before, and made those people appreciate those things a lot more.

29

Interview: Monika Treleaven
Interviewer: Michelle Treleavan, Grade 9
February 2004

Question: What is your name?
Answer: My name is Monika Treleaven.

Question: How old are You?
Answer:I'm 51 years old

Question: How long have you been living in Digby County?
Answer: I have been living in DIgby for the past five (5) years.

Question: Where abouts, in Digby, exactly do you live?
Answer: I live on Warwick Street across from Sobeys and Canadian Tire.

Question: Right in town?
Answer: Well, it is a little bit out of town, it's not considered to be downtown but yet, it is still in the town, in the town of Digby.

Question: Why did you move here?
Answer: Because of work.

Question: What appeals to you about the town? What's your favourite thing that made you decide to move here?
Answer: Well the favourite thing was manly the work, we have our own business, and that caused us to move to Digby, but uhh, also the ocean, the sea is very attractive.

Question: And uhh, what is it exactly that you do?
Answer: I'm a motel manager.

Question: Are you active in the community?
Answer: Yes, I am.

Question: How so?
Answer: Well, I'm doing alot of volunteering in the church. I'm doing chaperoning for high school children on their trips and I am also a member of the Glee Club.

Question: Tell me a little bit about your family? Ummm your parents or uhhh, do you have any family in Nova Scotia?
Answer: No, I don't

Question: So what were your parents names?
AnsweR: My parents names were Theresa and Rudolph Concensni (?) and they are both German people, as well as I am. I was born and raised in Germany and immigrated to Canada thirty (30) years ago.

Question: Well, that's a long time.
Answer: Uhhumm.

Question: Are you married?
Answer: I am married with one child and two stepsons.

Question: So ummm, do you live with your whole family right now or...?
AnsweR: No, I, I, the boys, the two stepsons, they live in Ontario, they have their own family and our daughter is living with us here in Digby, and she is going to Grade nine (9) in Digby High School.

Question: So, originally you are from Germany?
Answer: Yes, I am.

Question: Is Germany and uhhh, and Digby the only places you ever lived or where have you lived before?
Answer: I also lived in Ontario, in Ottawa, as well as in Toronto.

Question: Does anything of DIgby remind you of your hometown, or the places that you lived before? Any simularities or...?
Answer: There are some simularities, especially to the people in Germany, like uhh, this here, Digby is a small town and everybody knows each other and that basically was the same in my home town. Because I was born in Frankfraud which is a big city, but yet every district, ummm, has its own Municipality, and they have their own activities and, ummm so you basically keep close to the district that you are living in and you know each other there and everybody goes to the same shopping mall, and you meet always the same people at the butcher or the bakery. Thou it is some sort of a small town, ummm, image that you have over there as well. And that reminds me a little bit of Germany when i'm here in Digby. I did not have that in the big cities of Toronto or of Ottawa. Everything was melted together.

Question: Did you miss it? When you were gone? The fact that you knew everybody, or...?
Answer: Yes, I did.

Question: So you didn't like seeing strangers everywhere you went? It was nice to familiar faces?
Answer: Yes.

Question: So, are you planning to stay in Digby?
Answer: So far, yes!

Question: So do you find it easier to live in a small community like Digby or in a larger one like Halifax? What are some of the differences? Like the biggest things that you notice that you prefer or you dislike a little bit?
Answer: I like the smaller communities because its very easy to get around. Especially when you have smaller children you don't have to worry about driving them long distances all over town like it was in Toronto. Like if you want ot go to a special program or a special childrens activity then that they were sometimes spread all over the town. We had to travel all over the town which meant probably about an hour from uhhh, uhhh, from the house that we lived, and this, the nice part about here in Digby is that you can basically walk to it, all the activities and uhh, you don't waste so much time being on the road.

Question: So you have had some experience having children growing up in different communities. So do you like...What are...I'm not sure how to say this... Is there anything that's good about raising a child, other than the fact the distances aren't so great, and it's easier to manage to be able to go to all the activities in a small town? Is there anything else that stands out?
Answer: With regards to raising children?

Question: Raising Kids? Yeah.
Answer: I don't know, there is an other factor, which is the security. I always find that in the bigger cities you have to street prove them, You have to do that here in Digby as well, but it is much easier to let them walk in a group to school. Where in a big city usually the parents went with the child to school. There was more supervision required. So yes, it is easier to raise children in a smaller town.

Question: Less worring?
Answer: Less to worry. I don't know what will happen during the teenager, teenage time because (LAUGHTER) I think uhhh, then some worries come up with regards to driving a car and in the country but I will deal with that when it comes.

Question: So, what are some changes in live style that you have noticed when you moved to Digby? Like is there a difference in how you do things here in Digby versious how you did them in Toronto?
Answer: The main thing is shopping cause here in Digby there is hardly any clothes shopping available. And if you want to buy something special you have to go to Halifax or to Kentville which was out of town and uhhh that was a certain change of lifestyle that I under-went. I really had to plan my shopping trips, while living in Toronto I didn't have to plan I just went off to the mall. And the same thing with movie theatres, you just went to a movie theatre, a movie, whenever you felt like watching it, but now we really have to make an effort and plan it. So it is quite a lifestyle change.

Question: So, ummm, what about memories? I mean you must have lots of memories of Toronto and all these places you lived in and since you have been here for five (5) years you must have quite a few of Digby. Is there anything that really sticks out in your mind? One of you favourit memories and your best time.
Answer: I would say the friendliest of the people in Digby. And the peace out here, it's somehow a combination of the ocean, the water, and uhhh, it's a certain serrinity in this area that I really, really enjoy , away from all the hassle and bassle of a big city.

Question: So it's more layed back, more relaxed.
Answer: It is more relaxed.

Question: Less hectic?
Answer: Ohh, no hectic at all.

Question: Is there something you remember doing maybe when one of your childrens, or stepsons, or another member of your family or friends came to visit you. Is there something you remember doing with them that ..., somewhere you went maybe or something you saw that just really sticks in your mind?
Answer: Well, I think what we always do is we tell them, show them the town, show them the marina, show them the Pines, the Golf Course, and the lighthouse and the beauty of the nature and of course some trips out to the beach on Digby Neck or even a little bit further down Yarmouth. Uhhh, it's always very fasinating for people that are coming out of a big city just to enjoy the nature of this area.

Question: What about the area around Digby? Do you find...Do you travel quite abit around and out-and-about?
Answer: Yes, we do quite a bit of travelling and we don't mind travelling. Ummm, our, our live does not end in Conway, we, our live bascially is between Halifax and Yarmouth and that's the area that we move around, that's the area that we have a lot of friends and we visit back and forth and go to theatre outside of town as well.

Question: Great! So I think that's it. Thank you very much!
Answer: Thank you for having me!

30

Digby County: A Journey through Time with Family

Interviewed: Bonnie VanTassell
Interviewed By: Michael VanTassell, Grade 9

Question. Where did you come from?
Answer. I was born in Bear River, Digby county, N.S.

Question. Why did you choose Digby?
Answer. I trained to be a nurse, and came to Digby General Hospital to work in Feb, 1959.

Question. What is your descent?
Answer. I am a mix of Irish and Scottish.

Question. Did you live in town?
Answer. I have lived here for 45 years.

Question. What kinds of clothes did you wear?
Answer. Before the 70's all girls wore dresses, and skirts, hats, gloves, and seamed stockings.

Question. What was life like?
Answer. When I was growing up we had a radio and we played outdoors. We went to a community school (2 grades each class room) everybody knew everyone and the whole community looked out for each other. We walked practically everywhere we went. On our street only the minister had a car. I was 9 years old when we had our first telephone. I bought my mother and father their first television.

Question. What chores did you have?
Answer. My brother and I had to saw the wood and fill the wood box, do the supper dishes on the weekends, we all had to clean and do the cooking.

Question. What jobs did you have?
Answer. The jobs I've had in my life time are nurse, social worker, and raising a family.

Question. What kind of education do you have?
Answer. I have a diploma in nursing, and I am registered with the N.S. ASSOC. of social workers.

Question. Do you have any stories to tell?
Answer. The snow storms that we have had the past 2 years are typical of the winters I experienced as a child, We would build snow forts and tunnels, go sledding, and skating on out door ponds. Our lives were less organized and more relaxed when I was a child.

31

Name: Kathryn Vroom
Interviewer: Katelynn O'Neill, Grade 9

Born May 4, 1938 in the Digby Hospital, she lived with her mother Gladys Buckler and her father Atlee Buckler in Bear River. Kay, as she is called by friends and family, had two younger brothers and a younger sister that she looked after while she grew up. She had a busy childhood, her mother made her family's clothes. Her family was poor, but there was always a lot to eat.

Kathryn went to school at Bear River school in a one room school house, grade one to grade seven. One teacher taught all the students in the school. From grade eight to grade twelve was a different school called Oakedean. She went to that school for three years. She traveled to school by taxi everyday. Kay quit in grade 10 and started to work at the Harbourview, cleaning cabins.

Kay and her family didn't travel to Digby often; they shopped in Bear River every Sunday evening. Her only memories of Digby are Margolian's Clothes and Footwear (it was where Mr. Bargain's is now). And a place called the Cornwallis Café (where the House of Wong is now). Some of the stores are the same as they are now.

Kathryn married a man named Edwin Bruce Vroom, and they had three children. They lived in Deep Brook for most of their life. In 1990, Kathryn's husband died from cancer. She moved into Digby where she lives happily.

32

Interviewed: Mrs. John Walker
Question: "Your Mrs. John Walker?"
Answer: "That's Right."

Question: "And when were you born?"
Answer: "September 4, 1899."

Question: "Were you born here in Digby?"
Answer: "I was born in Rossway."

Question: "When did you first come to Digby?"
Answer: "Well, I didn't come to stay permanently, but my two Aunts lived here in this house, and I use to come and visit them when I was just a child."

Question: "And what were their names?"
Answer: "Miss Ella Robbins and Miss Janet Robbins. I use to spend all my summer vacation with them. Nearly every year. After I started school I did. I really remember more of them probably from the age of 10. But I do remember being here before that. After Christmas was over, my sister and I would spend Christmas together, and after it was over I would come up and stay over New Year's with these Aunts. My mother said they spoiled me so, that she'd have hard time when I go home.

Question: "I Was told this house was called Acacia Cottage."
Answer: "Yes, Acacia Cottage was the name of it. My Aunts ran it as a boarding house."

Question: "Oh, I see. And why was it called Acacia Cottage?"
Answer: "Because there are two Acacia trees out front. And at one time, there was a hedge around front, Acacia trees."

Question: "I never heard of Acacia trees?"
Answer: "Well, it's the same as Locust, Honey-Locusts."

Question: "Oh, I see. Yes."
Answer: "Well, you know, Acacia Valley out here, well that's where that came from. It was just loaded with these Locusts trees."

Question: "So, about how many boarders would they take in?"
Answer: "Well, there were four bedrooms. And possibly in the summer my Aunt would have at least three of the rooms and possibly a couple with a child with parents in one room because they were big enough for a double bed and small bed. And she also at that time owned a house next door and that, she had just for bedrooms, and they all ate their meals here."

Question: "So did they provide the meals?"
Answer: "Oh, yes. That was one of the main things. We were quite famous for our meals. And at that time certain people came and stayed for several weeks at a time. You see there was no motor traffic, as there is today and people came for at least two weeks and possibly more."

Question: "Where did they come from?"
Answer: "They came mainly from the New English area, New York, and I would say after world War 1, I would say the majority would have come from Montreal and Toronto areas."

Question: "Oh, that's quite far away?"
Answer: "Yes, it is. She said at one time she use to have the whole CPR office force, they'd come from Montreal for their vacations. And they'd come back year after year. So they really got to be friends. And I grew up every summer with a lot of those people. And I do remember some very lovely people who came from New York and other areas of the United States."

Question: "Do you remember any French people?"
Answer: "Once or twice, but the majority of them were British and Scotish people."

Question: "When you would come up and visit, how would you come?"
Answer: "Oh, my father would drive me with the horse & carriage. And he also drove me back & forth to high school on weekends."

Question: "So did you board here than?"
Answer: "Yes, I stayed here those three or four years, I went to high school."

Question: "So what grade did you start high school, Grade 7?"
Answer: No, nine. Grade 9, 10, 11, 12

Question: "So was that at the red school?"
Answer: "Yes."

Question: "So where was Grades primary to nine. Was that also there too?"
Answer: "That was there too, at that time. It wasn't that large. It was just for the town at that time. It wasn't a rural high school like it is now."

Question: "So it wasn't as big?"
Answer: "Oh, no."

Question: "What was it like inside?"
Answer: "Well, there were two floors and the high school rooms were in the upstairs rooms. Now Grade 7 and 8, would be Junior high now, they were in one room. And 9, 10 & 11, were in another room. I said four years, but when I went to high school they didn't have Grade 12. You had to go somewhere else for that."

Question: "Do you remember any of your teachers' names?"
Answer: "Oh, Yes. Mr. Powell, was the principal and he taught English and Mathematics, Grade 9, 10 & 11. Possibly other subjects but I mainly remember English and Mathematics and he was a marvelous teacher. And the, Miss__________, who was the Vice- Principal, when I in high school. She taught us English-History, as I recall. Ancient History in Grade 11, we had in our own room. And after Mr. Powell left, we had a substitute teacher, I think he became ill, and we had a substitute teacher for part of the year, and I don't remember his name. But than Mrs. Elizabeth McWhinnie came as Principal, and she was there when I was finished and she was also very good.

Question: "Everyone seemed to respect her?"
Answer: "Oh, Yes."

Question: "I was wondering if there were any conflicts, changing from a male principal to female."
Answer: "No, not that I remember. She was also very efficient and a very good teacher. And by the way, as far as I know, she is still alive and lives in her own home in Port Wade. At least she there when I came back from Florida 9 years age. Now, possibly, of course I did inquire for her. Someone told me she was still there."

Question: "Do you remember any special rules, anything special you did in the morning? Like now some school have O'Canada?"
Answer: "I don't remember that we did in high school. If we did I don't remember."

Question: "So you went to Elementary school in Rossway? Where was the school?"
Answer: "It was at the corner of the Digby Neck Road and the Gulliver's Cove Road. And it is the building that is now the Community Hall in Rossway. That was the old school house. And it was a one room school."

Question: "And how many grades would be there."
Answer: "Sometimes nine. With one teacher. But I don't remember just how many pupils there would have been."

Question: "Was it pretty well filled?"
Answer: "Yes. It would have been. The smaller ones up front and the larger one in the back. And I don't know why the little ones didn't freeze in the winter time because it was heated by a wood stove, and that was all the heat there was. But I don't ever remember being really uncomfortably cold there."

Question: "What were your desks like? Were they just benches?"
Answer: "No, They weren't. They were regular desks."

Question "Did they have one for each one?"
Answer: "No, some of them were two and some of them were one, as I remember."

Question: "What date was it that you first came to high school here in Digby? Do you remember the date?"
Answer: "1914."

Question: "I', going to change the subject here. I was told that you were related to Robert Tempany?"
Answer: "Yes. Mr. Robert Tempany. The first loyalist to settle here."

Question: "He was one of the 1st settlers?"
Answer: "Yes, he was one of the first loyalist settlers. He was granted land on Digby Neck.

Question: "In Rossway?"
Answer: "Yes. That's right, because my father's farm was part of the original grant of land. My father's mother was a Tempany. And my father's people were also loyalists, but they came I think to Yarmouth County, and then it was my grandfather who came from Yarmouth County to Rossway. And he bought from one of the Tempany, his farm, and it was part of the original Tempany land. He married Hanna Tempany."

Question: "Where did this Major Tempany come from? When he first came here, where did he come from?"
Answer: "I'll tell you Wilson's history. I think he came from Pennsylvania. But my father's history says he was born in Northern Ireland. And the name of the town is on his gravestone up in the churchyard. There's quite a long bit of where he was born etc. But my father told me that he came from Virginia to New England and than Pennslyvania, or wherever it was. But my father says New English, but he may be wrong. But originally he was suppose to have come from Virginia at the beginning of the revolution, because when he came to Digby he brought with him, several of the old slaves from his plantation in Virginia, and their graves are in the fields down near the first home. My father showed them to me once. It's all grown up to pasture by now, but my father did show me where those graves were."

Question: "Could you read anything on them?"
Answer: "No, there were no marking on them of any sort, but my father knew where they were. He was always greatly interested in any family history and apparently his grandfather or some of his relatives had showed him where they were. And when I was a very small child, I remember going to see the remains of the first old house that was built. The first that Robert Tempany built. Some of it is still standing and why on earth they didn't preserve it, I'll never know. I remember going into it with my father and being amazed at the size of the fireplaces in it. They were perfectly huge."

Question: "Now, they were, I suppose made of stone?"
Answer: "Yes, they were stone."

Question: "What were the farms like? Were they large farms?"
Answer: "You mean the original one?"

Question: "Yes"
Answer: "Oh, it was a large grant of land. I couldn't tell you exactly how much it was, but it was quite large. And as far as I know it went from the St. Mary's Bay shore up to the main highway, I suppose that was the main highway afterwards, I don't suppose there were any roads when they first came there. And they built their homes near the shore. And when the main road was built down through Digby Neck, then there was this long lane we always called "Tempany Lane" and it's still called that now. It's marked. If you drive down there you'll see it. And it's where the original Tempany home was. There are still several houses down there, of course, they're occupied today, and one of them, I don't think there is more than one of them that is still in the family and that would be a great, great, I don't know how many greats, a great-grandson of the Tempany, and his name is Thibault, George Thibaets, because his mother, Rose Tempany married Frank Thibault and he was French and his family came from Brittain. They were very, very blond and Rose, his wife would have been my father's own cousin. But her father had built a home on part of the Tempany grant and some of it sold on the other side and as I said, my fathers' father had pert of it and my father's farm was part of it."

Question: "It must have been quite large."
Answer: "Oh, Yes. It was a large grant of land. And of course, it was all wood."

Question: "They must have had quite with it at first."
Answer: "Well, yes, I would think, because they's have to clear it all out."

Question: "Getting back to Digby, most of the people that would have boarded here would have been tourists?"
Answer: "Yes, except in the wintertime. There would have been a few school teachers, or possibly one or two, either men or women who worked in the bank or something of that sort."

Question: "Would you think that the tourist industry than, was larger then it is today?"
Answer: "No, I don't think it was larger, but of course, it was entirely different. People came by boat and train, and stayed much longer in one place. And there were several large hotels that were offering at that time. There was……… Lodge, Manhattan, Myrtle House, Columbia House, which was a year round affair, it was up in back of where the Post Office is now. And The Pines, of course, it was always there. And ever so many small private boarding houses, like this one. And usually all pretty well filled up."

Question: "What about business in town? What was it like? Pretty well built up?"
Answer: "Well, there were two banks, as long as I can remember. There were more grocery stores."

Question: "Can you remember any names?"
Answer: "Well, there was A.A. Shortliffe and than H.T. Warren, A.R. Turnbull, South End Grocery and I think it catered more to the fishermen, than the regular grocery store. I think it was owned by a Sproule. There was a wharf down there by that name, 'Sproule's Warf.' We use to fish off it for smelts. I can't think off hand, any other grocery stores."

Question: "Well, that's quite a few?"
Answer: "Oh, there were several. There were one or two, I think smaller ones, that carried a few groceries, along with what I call odds and ends."

Question: "What about clothing stores?"
Answer: "Yes. There was……………Which was suppose to be the best one in the town, I would say. It was afterwards, "Wreghts", but when I was growing up it was…………….. Then there was J.L. Peter's and afterwards was Roop's. And there was two Jewellery stores. Where Sauunders is, was Keen's Jeweller Store and a Mr. Charles Lynstrom had another very nice jeewellery store. He also did watch repairing etc. And several meat markets. But I remember just one good old reliable fish market, A.J. Stoddard. He had the best finnan haddie you ever ate. Just wonderful."

Question: "What were the winter like?"
Answer: "Oh, just about like they are now, I would say. As far as weather is concerned. Some years we'd have more snow than others."

Question: "There were some years you had snow as high as the buildings?"
Answer: "No, I don't remember snow like that in Digby. I do remember on winter I was still going to school in Rossway, when we had a terrific amount of snow. There was actually tunnels in some parts of the road. So you had a roof of snow over you head when you went through it. And I can remember coming home from school and climbing up the snow banks and standing with our feet over the telephone wires. That was a lot of snow. Now I just remember that once. And heaven help you if it got a little soft and you sunk down in it. The other boys and girls had to come and pull you out. And I do remember going to school in the spring and there was ice and snow on the road, we walked a mile to school, and it came a sudden thaw or a warm rain storm, you'd have to wade your way home and some of the older boys would pick you up and carry you over the deep, deep puddles."

Question: "Do you recall the 30's
Answer: "I wouldn't have been here than, I was married in 1920 and left here."

Question: " Did you? And where did you go than?"
Answer: "I went to Massachusetts. Brookline, Mass."

Question: "And how long did you stay there?"
Answer: "Oh, a couple years, I guess. Than we went to New York. My husband was an engineer, and electronic engineer, and we moved nine times, during my, we had one daughter, and she was 19 different schools before she graduated from high school. We were transferred all the time. We lived in Maine, we lived in New York and back & forth."

Question: "Which did you like the best? New England states, or Digby?"
Answer: "I likes them both. I loved New England. I like the Boston area particularly. It always seemed like home there. Because off and on I was there perhaps, as much as I was anywhere. And my husband died 9 years ago and we would have been married 50 years that winter. I was just 21 when we were married."

Question: "So what the depression like in the states?"
Answer: "Well, it wasn't very pleasant. My husband was working for RCA in New York. He was stationed at long Island, in New York. And he & several of the other engineers were let go."

Mrs.J.Walker Part # 2 October 3, 1979

Question: "So he didn't have a job?"
Answer: "He didn't have a job. No. But he worked for radio station, temporarily in Boston. We left Long Island, came up to Mass., and I think one of the main radio stations, I can't remember the name of it, but worked there temporarily. And than he finally took a job as a radio operator & went to sea, in order to have something to do. And we had just one child, as little girl, and we were staying with his father & mother at their home. And she was in school and I worked off and on at one or two different department stores in Boston. Were ever I could get the extra work."

Question: "Was you husband from the states?"
Answer: "Yes, he was, but his mother was born here. WE use to play together when we were small children, in the summer. His mother would come from Mass., in the summer. She had her old home up here and I was here with my Aunt and that's how we met."

Question: "Entertainment as a child? What exactly did you do? Would you have many toys?"
Answer: "We didn't have a lot of toys but my sister & I were always very happy together. She's two years younger than I. We had dolls. We had a cat, but no dogs, because my father didn't like dogs. We had two boys about our own age, who lived very near us, next store in fact, with whom we grew up and played a lot with those two boys. We made our own games I guess. But we had Croquette and we played card games like in the winter. Of course. We had to study, because we had homework. We always had homework during the school year. And apart form that we had church and Sunday school."

Question: "Were there any organization or clubs?"
Answer: "Not that I remember in Rossway, No. Not when we were small children. I don't think so."

Question: "When you were small, did they have a cinema here in Digby?"
Answer: "I don't remember just when it came. But I do remember going when it first was here. When I would be here in the summer was when I was allowed to go. Because in the winter I wouldn't be allowed. But I do remember going. I can't remember what it use to be, Comedies I think. Little short films that you were suppose to laugh at. But I do know that when I was in high school, that was the period when they had this serial that we went to every week. We didn't want to miss an episode. I can even remember the name of one. It was 'The Broken Coin'. And we would walk through snow-drifts or pouring rain to go down to the Odd fellow's Hall, which was the theatre, to see that week's episode of the serial that was running."

Question: "How much would it have cost you than?"
Answer: "I don't really remember. Usually your boyfriend took you. So I don't really recall."

Question: "Were they silent movies?"
Answer: "Oh, yes. Well, talking didn't come in until, oh, it must have been about 1930, maybe a little before."

Question: "Did, you go skating?"
Answer: "Oh, Yes. We went skating a lot in the winter."

Question: "Was that on outside pounds?"
Answer: "No. I learned to stake out of doors when I was small. But we skated at the rink. They had hockey matches etc."

Question: "When would they have built that? Do you know? Or was that before you can remember?"
Answer: "It was a roller skating rink originally, and there was an English man who came here, a Mr Walker, and they flooded it in the winter."

Question: "What were the skates like?"
Answer: "They were boots like hockey skates, but heavier. You put them on and laced them up. And we use to go swimming in the summer."

Question: "Where abouts did you go swimming?"
Answer: "We use to go down in the Racquette when the tide would be in. there was a regular swimming place down at the South End og town. Right near where the lodge was. There was a sandbar."

Question: "Was it near the Yacht Club?"
Answer: "Right around there, I think. Of course, there wasn't any Yacht Club then. but there was some bath house there, where you could change, and you only went at high tide because there was only water when the tide was up."

Question: "What about the hockey games? You said they played hockey?"
Answer: "Oh, Yes. They always had a Digby Hockey team."

Question: "Can you remember, did they wear a helmet?"
Answer: "Oh, no."

Question: "Much padding?"
Answer: "No, very little. I don't think they maybe played as rough as they do today."

Question: "About how many would be on a team?"
Answer: "Well, I'm not sure."

Question: "Were there a lot of people that would go to the games?"
Answer: "Oh, yes. And we use to have a skating carnival once or twice in the winter. Everyone would go fancy dressed. There'd be a prize for the best costume. That was lots of fun. I remember one elderly lady, Miss Clinton, who had a candy shop here in, for years and years. Her and her sister started in having and ice-cream parlour years back and they served the most gorgeous ice-cream that anybody ever could imagine. Homemade ice-cream & they had a candy shop in connection with it. And if I remember rightly, they had the first soda fountain. I think they had the first one in Digby. Then both the drug stores got them, I remember that. I don't remember when they went out of business. But this little Miss Clinton, she was a beautiful skater, a good figure skater. She had been a nurse, and R.N. in New York, and she always had a lovely costume for the carnival."

Question: "And what would the costumes be?"
Answer: "Oh, I can't remember anything in Particular."

Question: "Were they comical ones?"
Answer: "There were funny ones, and pretty ones, all kinds."

Question: "Did you ever win a prize?"
Answer: "No, I never did. I'm not a very competitive person. I was just happy to be able to go and have fun."

Question: "Do you remember of anything else? Did they have ballroom dances?"
Answer: "They were having dance classes here, someone was teaching ballroom dancing and I remember going to that. And then I remember the dances they had, way back, World War 1, for the service men."

Question: "Where would they be held at?"
Answer: "Usually at the Oddfellow's Hall, or I remember going to one or two at the rink. I don't remember what we had for music though."

Question: "Well, That's about all the question I had. Is there anything that you can think of that may have happened in Digby?"
Answer: "I use to enjoy the summer very much, before I was married and went away. There were more things to do for tourists right in town because, of course, there had to be, because people stayed, two weeks, or longer at a time and they had to have something to do while they were here. I mainly remember the nice boat trips they use to have. This was just small boats, that use to take parties out. There were several of them and according to where the tide was, they'd go to Bear River and back and Annapolis. Way up in the Joggin when the tide was in, and to Point Prim, Port Wade, Annapolis."

Question: "About how long did these trios take?"
Answer: "Oh, two or three hours. A better part of the afternoon or morning, whenever the tide served. And someone from the boat would call and let you know when they'd be going out. And you'd congregate down at the slip by the Manhattan Hotel, which was where the IGA is now or down here at Fishermen's wharf. And they often use to take fishing parties out. You know, just line fishing. Then there was a man from New York, who came down here several summers, and he had a small ship and he use to take parties. He use to go maybe all day. He'd go all over. And it was a lot of fun."

Question: "You had lots of entertainment then?"
Answer: "Oh, yes. I can remember they had a cricket team, I remember going to cricket matches."

Question: "What was it like?"
Answer: "Well, it's that famous English sport. You play it with a ball and bat. I I don't think they play it much now.'

Question: "Do you remember any other sport?"
Answer: "No, I don't recall."

Question: "well, that was very interesting interview. Lots of information. Thank-you very much."

33

Interview: Mrs. Edith Wallis
October 29,1979
Subject: Digby Courier

Digby Courier & Wallis Print Ltd.

Question: "When did the Digby Courier begin, and when was it first published?"
Answer: "Well, I'm very pleased that you had asked me for this interview about The Digby Courier & The Wallis Print Ltd., but before anyone is mislead by me doing this, I should like to say right here, that Mr. Roy Mailman of Bridgetown, is now owner of the Digby Courier & The Wallis Print Ltd. He purchased the business from myself, Edith Wallis, & my two daughters, Janet Garnham & Ruth Chapell in 1973. Mr. Mailman also owns the Bridgetown Monitor & The Annapolis Spectator. However, now that we have that straightened out in our minds, why we can go back to the year 1874. That was the year that The Digby Weekly Courier was established. The Digby Weekly Courier, by the way, was not the only, nor first newspaper in Digby town & county. The first weekly newspaper was The Weekly___________, which began publication about sixteen years before The Courier. It was in the year 1858. Of course, The Courier was the only paper in the county which survived any great length of time, yet it is now 105 years old. I do not know how long The survived, but records seem to say that he was forced to discontinue because of insufficient subscribers. Then there was The Acadian, started in the same year as The __________. It was started by Ingram Gidney of Sandy Cove, & Albert Dobbs, of Annapolis Royal. But the plant for The Acadian was destroyed by fire, so after that was The Weekly Examiner, which lasted for about two years from 1865- 1867. And the for seven years Digby County was without a weekly newspaper, up until this 1874 when R.S. McCormick started The Digby Weekly Courier. The Courier was an independent paper under Mr. McCormick, but under the Editorship of W.T. Ford, when he came to take over the Editorship, it became a liberal paper, showing liberal support, so the conservatives had to find a paper, so they put out The Canadian, edited by J. Lee Jones, who was a medical doctor, and Charles Herman. But The Courier, of course, turned independent again and it has remained independent all the years so far. For awhile, The Courier carried a column in French. It was supplied by the Rev. E. Holme, I think it was, Pastor of the St. Vincent's Church in Salmon River. Editors of The Digby Courier, as you mentioned there through the years were, Mr. McCormick who started it, ford with whom I mentioned & Aubrey Fullerton. There was Oakes Dun, George Chisholm. There was Eugene Stratland, R.C. Mill, J.J. Wallis and myself.

Question: "When did you first become the Editor?"
Answer: "It was 1955 when I became Editor, after the death of my father-in-law, J.J. Wallis. Through these years, there had been different owners of The Digby Courier, for example, there was Clarence Jamieson & Frank Jones, a lawyer. And it was about 1931, when Mr. Wallis became the principle owner of the paper & that is nearly fifty years ago. But I should like to mention my late husband, James McNaughton Hurbert Wallis, who was associated with his father in business and was associate Editor until his death in 1949. It was then when I became associate Editor and later became Editor after the death of my father-in-law in 1955, which would be exactly 25 years ago in March of 1980. However, I had started working at the Courier in 1947, when my husband took ill."

Question: "Did you obtain any particular training or education for the special business or profession?"
Answer: "No, I'm afraid not. Unless school teaching prepares you for that type of work. I taught school, elementary and high school, for about ten years. And after I was married I rarely helped at the office, although I was willing to do so but my husband and my father-in-law, felt that taking care of two children was enough for me to do. In fact I knew so little about the business before 1947, when I started to work there, that when I was in Saskatchewan the ______________ wrote me off as one of the Editors who didn't even know the circulation of her husband' paper, which by the way is now, approximately 4,000."

Question: "Where did the name Courier originate, or why was The Digby newspaper called The Courier?"
Answer: "Really I wouldn't know, except that the word means 'a carrier' or 'a messenger' and the newspaper carries the news and delivers the message. There are several papers by that name or the name Courier included in the title."

Question: "Can you explain what procedures were like concerning the printing and editing of The Courier when you first became acquainted with this Wallis Print Ltd?"
Answer: "Well, when The Courier first began, the type was set by hand. Each letter, just a little tiny stick of metal with the letter inscribed on it and every letter for all the words in the whole paper, usually eight pages of it, had to be handled individually and out into place. Then came along the linotype, the most complicated machine. It is operated similarly as you would operate a typewrite. This process made half metal slugs which would be set up fresh for each issue of the paper, and could give the paper a much cleaner appearance and beside, it saved an awful lot of time. If you can imagine handling one little letter at a time to make up all your words in the newspaper. But, you'd have to see the linotype machine operate in order to understand at The Courier. Maybe somewhere in the late 1920's or the early 30's. and other linotypes have been added since. However. Linotypes are used very little. They are just about out of style. The Courier is now printed with that we call the offset method. This uses cameras as the basic process and for that purpose, for the past five or six years the paper has been printed in Mr. Mailman's plant at Bridgetown, The Mailman Publishing Co."

Question: "There certainly are some changes that have taken place through the years. Was the office of Wallis Print Ltd. always in the area it is now?"
Answer: "No, it wasn't. When I first came to Digby, The Courier office was on Water Street, the main street of Digby, about where the Kaywin Restaurant now stands and the job printing plant, The Wallis Print Ltd., was in a small building on first Ave. That would have been right back of the other place where the newspaper was printed. That building is still standing there. The building here at what use to be know as _____________, was purchased by Wallis Print Ltd., from MacDonald Motors Co., and had been built by the late Reginald Weir, originally. And just within the last few weeks, Mr. Mailman has purchased the building next door on the north side of this building. He purchase it from Jack King. It used to be known, I think, as the Willbur Vantassel place. And Mr. Mailman has made two fine offices, one for the editor here, and the building is still undergoing renovations for some of the commercial printing machines will be moved to that part of the connecting buildings too."

Question: "So it must be quite an expansion coming?"
Answer: "Yes it is. It really is."

Question: "How many people were employed at The Wallis Print Ltd. when you began working in this business?"
Answer: "Well, I remember when our staff numbered thirteen. A fair size industry for a little town. At that time of course, we printed the paper on what we called a flat bed press, which printed four pages at a time. You went through the same process for printing the next four pages on the other side of the first four that were printed and you kept that up until you had printed eight pages or ten pages or twelve pages or more. It's just according to the amount of news and advertising space that had to be accommodated that week. And that took quite some time. The press was slow and now that the paper is not printed at this plant, you see, there will be fewer needed in the staff, so we have about ten, I thin, I counted on staff. The news is gathered here and a copy is sent to Bridgetown to be said & the pages are printed and mailed out from there so there's not a need of so great a staff."

Question: "What were some of the earliest prices that you can remember of The Courier and how they raised through the years?"
Answer: "You asked about the early prices of The Digby Courier. Well, the subscriptions at first were $2.00 per. year and some places I've read they were $1.50 per year, but on the first volume of The Digby Courier. I noticed the price was $2.00 per year. We have different prices now for local and for foreign subscriptions, because of the high postage. Local rates are $7.50 a year, which is far from $2.00 and the U.S. for instance is $15.00. as with everything else you see, the cost and the wages have gone up and so must subscriptions and advertising and printing prices.

Question: "It's not as high as I would expect it to be, you know, $2.00 how was The Courier first financed and how is it financed now?"
Answer: "Well, I suppose you mean by that, form where does it get it's Revenue. Subscriptions alone you know, will never support a media in survival. You must have the advertising revenue or you'd never live. But there is a relationship. Advertisers want to reach a good segment of the population so the greater your subscriptions the more advertising you can demand. So generally the method of financing in 1874 was the same as 1979. But quite frequently in the older days too, a bag of potatoes would pay for a subscription to The Digby Courier or some other commodity would be exchanged for a subscription. This does not happen at all today."

Question: "In it's early days, how far did The Digby Courier circulate? Did it go to Bear River, Barton and the Island?"
Answer: "Yes, it went that far for sure. It took in the area to Weymouth, the Islands, Clementsport, Bayview, Victoria Beach and places in between during all the years. Few householders in areas do without the weekly paper today. We, however, have some circulation in the Annapolis Valley, Halifax, Meteghan, Ottawa, Toronto, and other Ontario cities and the U.S. Especially the New England states. People travel or are formerly from here and they want to keep in touch with their home by subscribing to The Courier, so we have circulation in wide areas. However, our concentration is really around the advertising areas which Digby County itself, you see."

Question: "How did you get news from the different areas in Digby County?"
Answer: "Well, strange as it may seem, the earlier scenes of The Courier had very little local news except for some around the Digby neighbourhood maybe. The whole front pages were filled with news from N.B., the U.S., London, Eng., and other foreign sources. Features were on front pages, and fiction stories were there. I suppose there was a lot of the lack of means of communication that kept them from being able to get the local news. But today, nearly every village in Digby County and the Annapolis area has a representative correspondent supplying the news to The Courier. Seldom do we use world news mow. Unless they have some bearing on this area. But we try to fill in the news gap which the radio, the T.V. And the Daily's do not cover in which we know the people want to hear about around here. We have I would say about fifty faithful correspondent's who send news to us regularly each week. Then we have, of course, staff reporters who cover the town,"

Question: "Is there any other information that you would like to add? That's all the question that I had thought of. Now we were once talking about if there were any other newspapers. What do you know about this? Other newspaper existed in Digby County at that time."
Answer: "Oh, Yes. Besides The Digby Weekly Courier, there was The ______________ and the Canadian, The Acadian and the Weekly Examiner, which I already mentioned in this interview. And in 1887, Valentine A. Langry and a man by the name of A.A. Corn, published The Evangeline which continues to live today, by the same name but it lives in Moncton, N.B. It had amalgamated with another Digby County Weekly, The Weymouth Times, Which began in 1888, under publisher Eugene Hangar. Then there was The Weymouth Free Press, started around the same time which ran until 1904, and as I understand, the staff problems in the Weymouth Free Press resulted in splitting that paper into two other papers, known as the Sissiboo Echo and The_____________. That was about 1900, but they died in 1901. Then there was The Telegraph established in Digby by John McBride. And the record in Weymouth from 1908-1909, so you see, we had a lot of different papers and then there is The Weymouth Gazette also, from the years of 1906-1909 and some 22 years later The Gazette was again revived, but it lasted only then from 1931-1934. But we must not forget about Bear River papers, because Bear River is in Digby County too, part of it at least. There was The Telephone in Bear River, established in 1896 by a man by the name of Fred Malhowe, in Lawrencetown and later this paper was acquired by The Bridgetown Monitor. And there was also The Bear River News. Many people have heard of The Tiny Tattler, I suppose you have. That was published at Central Grove on Long Island and it was founded by the late Ivan Shortliffe
When he was about 15 years old. It was said to be the smallest weekly newspaper in the world. Ivans' father, over 90 years, still lives in Central Grove. And before we finish this story on the newspaper in Digby County, more generally, of course, The Digby Courier, we would be amiss not to mention the publication put out by The Digby Weekly Courier in 1897. There was one edition only. It was known as The Digby Weekly Courier Illustrated Magazine. Few copies are available, but of the few which are around, some are being used right now by the industrious people in Bear River who are utilizing the information contained within the magazine pages to keep in mind some history of their own scenic and historic village of Bear River."

Question: "I think that was very interesting and I never realized there were so many smaller newspapers. I was just thinking that The Digby Courier would be the main one throughout the whole Digby County, and I didn't even realize there were a lot, you know, smaller papers. But they didn't last that long did they?"
Answer: "No, they didn't. And The Digby Courier is the only one that really lasted any length of time at all, of course, we also have now another newspaper and last few years. Operates from Yarmouth and it's in this area too. It's Not totally a Digby paper, it's the valley paper, so we can't classify it as the Digby paper."

Question: "That's very interesting and a lot of information you know, that, which I know a lot of people wouldn't know of, and we are very pleased to have it anyhow, and I thank-you very much."
Answer: "Well, you are quite welcome. I'm really happy to do it. I'm sure there's a lot more than that to be learned about Digby."

34

My Acadian Neighbours
By Ruth Woof

Introduction

Just as a litte bubbling brook
Winding its way to the sea
Changes its path in the course of years
It's the same with you and me.
On the road of life
Sometimes by hurry, sometimes by worry
And often times by strife
Perhaps as we study the causes for change
One reason we'll find in the end.
That the greatest cause for change in a man
Is found in the life of his friend.

This is a brief count of the life style of an Acadian family who lived next door to me when I was growing up and of the changes that took place over the years in their attitudes and values due to the influences of the environment in which they lived.

One daughter in the family was just my ago. She became my first playmate and friend. Through my association with her I gained Incites into their attitudes and values; also into the changes which in their lives over the years.

Mr. & Mrs. Melanson were at home to their family and friends on Oct.22, 1961, the occasion being their forth-ninth wedding anniversary.

Settling in a mixed Community
After being married for about two years Mr.& Mrs. Marius Melanson with their little son Leo came to settle in Marshalltown. Were they purchased a farm from grandfather.

The environment into which they settled was new and strange to them. This community did not provide a close association with Acadian people as they had been accustomed to having. Half of the population of the village as English, representing different religious faiths such as Baptists, United Church of Canada and Anglicans. Some of the population had no religious affiliation, while the remaining part was made up of such names is Robicheau, Comeau, Doucette, Dugas and Deveau. These were Roman Catholics who Carried Acadian names but had lived outside of an Acadian environment until they had lost most of their Acadian values.

It was in this setting that an Acadian family came to start their life bringing with them the life style and values of Acadians. Needless to say, adjusting to such an environment was not easy for the Melon because such a community presented many for them.

Problems Presented by the Community
When the Melansons moved to Marshalltown perhaps they not for-seen the problems that would face them as Acadians. The three outstanding ones were the English element, language and religion.

English Element
Upon their arrival their first association was with an English family. Having purchased their farm from my grandfather, circumstances necessitated then to move in before my grandparents located elsewhere. For several months the two family lived together. As a result the Melansons got acquainted with English families who had a close connection to my grandparents. My family, who lived on the adjoining farm, brought a further association with this Acadian family. These were new experiences for the Melansons. R . Melanson had grown up in an Acadian community just two miles away from where my mother was growing up-yet they had never met until they because neighbours living side by side. Due to the barrier of language and culture there was little association between their respective villages.

English influences were not really desirable for Acadians. In such a community there was always a danger of assimilation through marriage. This in turn could be a factor in bringing about a change in religious fait of the children as they grew up.

Language
Closely associated with the English element was the question of language. Mr. & Mrs. Melanson spoke French fluently. Naturally they wanted their children to learn their native tongue. This community, however provided no opportunity for them to continue speaking French nor for helping their children to learn it.

Loss of a Language
The English element in the community offered no assistance for teaching the French language to their children. Upon arrival in the community French had been the means of communication for Mr. & Mrs. Melanson. They had started teaching their language to their young son Leo. Now every association with neighbours brought only the English languages to them. As time passed there was more association with English speaking families. More children were taught by English teachers and from English text books. The children had English speaking friends and found little need for learning the French language. In spite of environment Mr. & Mrs. Melanson put forth ever effort to teach the French language in their home. However, they met with little success as only Leo, the oldest son, got any knowledge of their long age. Consequently, Mr. & Mrs. Melanson used less French and more English language as time passed by.

Religions
Furthermore there was no Roman Catholic Church in the community although there were several families of that religious faith. The Melansons has been accustomed to regular church attendance. What would they do in case of emergency? The nearest priest was several miles away and there was no quick means of transportation or communication at that time.

St. Theresa's Roman Catholic Church, Marshalltown.
This Church was built on the property of Mr. Marius Melanson. The land was donated by him. Some of the materials used in the building of the church was donated by Mrs. Melanson and other interested citizens. A great deal of the labour was volunteer help.

Church Problem Solved
The Church problem was less difficult to solve. Since the Melansons owned a specious house, there was ample room for them to provide space for holding church services in their home. The priest came quite frequently and this practice continued for over ten years. It was not entirely a satisfactory arrangement and entailed extra work for Mrs. Melanson. Finally Mr. Melanson offered a donation of land as a church site and proposed the construction of a place of worship. This met with the approval of other Roman Catholics. As a result St. Theresa's Church was built in 1930 just a short distance from Mr. Melanson's house.

Devotion to Family Life
Mr. & Mrs. Melanson were very much devoted to family life. Their family consisted of eight children and their hospitality extended to Mr. Melanson's bachelor brother. Both were industrious and resourceful. They worked long hours each day to provide a comfortable clean home and good home cooked food for their children. They both spent extra hours providing religious education and entertaining friends that the children brought home.

Role of Father
Mr. Melanson was the figure of authority for the family. In his quiet way he taught the children to respect and obey him. He seldom raised hi voice around the house except when called upon to discipline the noisy children who had gotten out of hand. One shout of his voice calmed the noise and sent all the children present scurrying to a chair.

He worked his farm in a small way. His grated concern was to produce enough food for the family. In such case as there was a surplus, it would be sold at the market. He kept cows to provide them with milk, cram, butter and beef. A small flock of hen provided them with eggs and poultry. Since his farm contained quite a large acreage of timberland, in winter he worked in the woods cutting timber or pulpwood for sale firewood for fuel. Whenever possible he hired out as a carpenter and in his later years this became his full time occupation.

His working day usually started about six o'clock in the morning with chores at the bar. At the end of the day work there were barn chores again. After work was finished in the early evening he sat in his favourite rocking chair by a kitchen window reading the daily paper or rocking the baby. After the younger children were tucked in bed often joined some remaining family members or neighbours in a game of auction forty-fives. Playing cards was his winter pastime. If a party was being given he would set on the flour with a group of teenagers to play hat stocking. It seemed that he was never too tired to join in the social activities of the family. He liked fun and parties. He kept the activities running orderly but did not deter the teenagers of our day from having wholesome fun.

He did no put a lot of emphasis on the boys getting an education beyond public schools. At the age of fifteen they left school to start working with him in the woods; this pattern continued for them until World War 11 when the three oldest boys joined in the armed Services.

Role of the Mother
Mrs. Melanson was a hard worker. Each day brought different duties for her. It took good organization to clean, cook and wash for large family. On wash day the water had to be carried form the well, heated in large wash boilers on wood burning stove and the washing done by hand over a wash board. Ironing the clothes was time consuming and tiresome job, especially in the summer because the irons had to be heated. In order to boost the family income she also did the washing and ironing for their family doctor. For several summers she took a job working in a hotel although it was quite uncommon for housewives to be working outside the home.

She relied on the girls for help with the homework. Needless to say they were taught to help shoulder some responsibilities for household duties at an early age. As a result they grew up to be competent housewives like their mother.

Many of her evenings were spent in knitting mittens and socks for the family. Another popular evening pastime was piecing together patchwork to make quilts. This was big interest of the community. Often a quilting party would follow. All the woman could make it attended. They would share experiences as they quilted and have supper together. In the evening the husbands would be invited to join the gathering where all would enjoy a game of cards. On such a special occasion Mrs.Melanson would probably have a favourite dish to serve at end of the evening- a rappie pie, which she would have prepared for the event.

Role of the Children
At an early age the children were taught by their parents to participate in easy jobs around the house. The girls were reminded often by Mr. Melanson that their mother could do with some help. They were taught to wash the dished, make their beds, help with the cleaning, to iron clothes and prepare vegetables for the meals. This was good training and the girls grow up to be competent housekeepers like their mother.

The boys had chores to do that would help their father. They would gather the eggs, feed the cattle, help with the gardening and carry in wood and water, in case their parents were absent form the home.
New Baby in the Home

The arrival of new baby in the home was a very important event. The new baby immediately became the center of attraction. All members of the family invited their friends in to see the new arrival. The baby received much love and attention. Much concern was shown for its health and development. Mr. Melanson would use French words when speaking when it was big enough to being smiling. However, this seemed to continue only until the next child arrived. At such time the previous youngster seemed to take its place with the other children who were considered to have outgrown the baby stage.

The Children Grow Up
Following the Acadian life style the boys left school at a fairly young age and stared working with their father about the farm and in woods. Later they found jobs close by. The girls got married soon after leaving school.

Leo, who was the eldest, was the first to get married. He lived most if his married life at home. When Hugh got married he bought a house just a short distance from his parents. Both Howard and Charlie built a house side by side on the land that belonged to Mr. Melanson. Lucy's family located also on her father's property but later moved in with Mr. Melanson when he became ill. Only three of the girl moved out of the community. Consequently many of the grandchildren are still settled around the homestead.

Devotion to Religious Life
The Melanson family were fully devoted to religious life. They exercised their duties faithfully as Roman Catholics. Religious pictures and crucifixes took prominent places on the walls of the living room and bedrooms. The whole family was out on Sunday morning for Mass. They carried a rosary and prayer book. Observance of the Lenten season and special holidays were strictly kept. Rarely did any member of the family attend a Protestant church. Occasionally did go beyond church rules to attend a wedding or funeral of a Protestant friend.

On one occasion Mr. & Mrs. Melanson consented to be attendants at a wedding of a Protestant couple who friends of theirs. For such involvement they were severely reprimanded by the parish priest. Mrs.Melanson took offense and made threats to leave the church. This incident was forgotten by both parties and in the short time everything was straightened out again.

Interview
On January 30,1975 I spent the evening with Estelle. It brought back memories of many happy experiences we had shared together during the past. We discussed the changes that had occurred in her life and that of the family due to environmental influences. She also expressed her feelings regarding such changes. Our conversation fell into three main topics, namely the reason for her parents settling in a community which contained so many English influences, their language and religious problems.

My first concern was to find out the reason for Mr. & Mrs. Melanson leave an Acadian environment to settle in a community which was greatly influenced by English people. She could give me no certain answer because they had never discussed this issue with her at any time. Her own idea was that her parents were anxious to locate on a main road and quite near to a town. She was sure they had no regrets about making this move and recalled her mother saying on many occasions that no amount of money could entice her to return to her home community. Mrs. Melanson had brought fears and superstitions which took some years of adjustment to overcome. In later years Estella remember her mother laughing about the times she spent hiding in the pantry, with the door braced, when she was alone in the early morning or evening. She was afraid it might thunder or that a stranger might knock at the door. She felt safer where it was dark.

The problem of language was an important one for the Melanson. They both spoke French fluently and Mrs.Melanson could also read and write it. Estelle recalled that her mother always had trouble pronouncing some English words correctly whereas her father had a more correct English speaking vocabulary. She told me that Leo was the only one of the children who had a knowledge of French. He could not speak it but could understand it quite well. She felt this was because her parents used their French more in the home when he was learning to talk. The rest of the family did not learn French because of outside influences. There was nobody in the community for her parents to converse with. They used their language only when relatives came to visit or in speaking to each other. As the children got bigger they began to feel that Mr. & Mrs. Melanson spoke French when the conversation was something they did not want them to hear. Consequently there was more English and less French language used as the children got older.

Estella feels now that she would like to be bilingual as it's an asset to anyone. She did not have this interest until recent years; however, she doesn't think that she will learn in now even though other adults are doing so. Due to the language barrier she say she has lost contact with most of her cousins. As a child she accompanied her parents on several visits to see relatives. It seems her cousins could understand why there was no means of communication during their visits. As she got older she preferred not to visit Acadian relatives. It seemed useless, they had no common interests.

We talked about her interests as an Acadian girl who had to mix with the English people of the village. She told me that she never gave it a thought at the time. She felt accepted at school and by the English families. Of course there were the usual quarrels when an English child would call her a Frenchman and she would retaliate with some the name. She pointed out that she had few playmates of her own age except among the English children. When there was a wedding or party naturally she invited these friends and vice versa. She knows now that these associations with the English did take something away from her culture but she was not aware this was happening at the time. In fact, until I pointed it out to her she did not realize that she no longer carried an Acadian name. Then we discovered that all of her sisters except one had lost their Acadian names through marriage.

When discussing the subject of religion Estella told me that during the first fifteen years in Marshalltown her parents provided a room in their house for church services. The priest came periodically form the Plympton parish. It was during these years that she made her first communion in her own home. As the children got older, Mr. & Mrs. Melanson felt there was need for a church building so they offered a piece of land for a church site. Other Roman Catholics in the community loaned in the project. They raised money by holding card parties and suppers, until finally the church was constructed. Mr. Melanson always kept the key and helped with repairs on the church as needed. She recalled him taking wood across the field in a wheelbarrow to make the fire for Sunday Mass. He continued this practice until later life when he became quite ill. I wondered if he ever received special thanks from the other church members for the time and effort he put into church work. Estella thought his effort were appreciated by the other members, in their own way, although no outward expression of thanks given him. I asked her if she still retained a strict devotion to religious life. She told me that she had lost interest in her religion and did not attend church any more. She feels that that Roman Catholic religion has changed so much since the time she was growing up that it's hard to know what to believe now. She commented on the strict rules of the church which had to be observed especially the Lenten observances. Many of these rule have since been relaxes so that now she's on her own she just keeps away from it.

As for the other members of the family she is sure her oldest sister attends church regularly while other members attend part of the time. Her youngest sister sends her children to a Protestant Sunday School but Estella is not sure whether or not she attemds any church. She suggested that maybe getting away from attending church was just a trend of the times.

Our Acadian Neighbours

I'll say it again as I've said it before
We had wonderful neighbours living next door.
They were cordial and kind and great people to meet
The Acadian family who lived down the street.

There lived Mr.& Mrs. with children eight
Getting there an occasion was really great
We'd have rappie pie or boil corn to eat
With the Acadian family who lived down the street.

From all over the neighbourhood, teenagers came
In the evening to play a favourite game
Or to dance French eights; and new faces to greet
At the Acadian neighbours who lived down the street.

Those days have passed and no more.
For Mr. & Mrs. who lived next door
Have left this real- but a daughter you'll meet
If you call at their house- just down the street.

An Acadian Playmate

The earliest playmate I recall
Was dark, curly headed and rather small.
She lived just one house down the street
And every day we JUST HAD to meet.
To romp the fields and play with dolls
To tease older kids and run off with their balls
To ride our bikes and go for hikes
Only the DARK and could keep us APART.

At seven school called us come each day
Together we walked two miles of the way
Great fun we had in those care-free years.
Though some misunderstandings often brought tears
Put all usually ended with a smile
And our friendship continued all the while
'till teenage years passed beyond our grip
And into adult life we took our trip.
This tore us apart- we went separate ways
But fond memories remain of those childhood days.
Our backgrounds were different, that's plain from the start
But it took more than Two Cultures to keep us APART.

35

Interview: Susan Margaret Young
Interviewer: Brad Young, Grade 9

Question: What is you name?
Answer: Susan Margaret Young

Question: When were you born?
Answer: 1954

Question: Where were you born?
Answer: 1954

Question: Where did you life during your childhood?
Answer: Conway and Brighton

Question: What were your childhood houses like?
Answer: Two-storey wooden houses

Question: What was your childhood like?
Answer: I was the youngest of four children. I was babied a lot. I grew up during the 50's and TV was fairly new and it seemed that whenever anything good was coming on the TV would break. All the phones were party lines so you had to be careful what you said because someone could be listening. Cars were huge and no one thought about seatbelts. I learned to drive when I was ten on the back road in Marshalltown. We didn't worry about getting caught back then.

Question: What were your parents like during your childhood?
Answer: Mt mother was from England so she was different from most other people in the neighbourhood. She had different perspectives on Canadian living. We kept close ties with our relatives in England and went to visit them a few times. My father was born and raised in this area. He met my mother n England when he was a soldier during World War II. They got married in England and came to Canada when the war was over. My mother was one of those "war brides" who arrived at Pier 21 on the Queen Mary in 1946.

Question: What kind of jobs did your parents have when you were young?
Answer: My father was a fire fighter at CFB Cornwallis. My mother worked part-time as a cashier at the old Met and at Conway Co-Op. She also worked at the Diary Treat across from where the bowling alley is now.

Question: Did you have strong religious beliefs when you were young?
Answer: I guess so. We al went to church on a regular basis. All six of us piled into a truck and went to Marshalltown. Later on we went to church in Digby.

Question: What did you do for fun when you were young?
Answer: We went on many picnics to Porters Lake with our friends the Applejohns. In the summer we went down to the beach and swam with the older kids. We used to swim in the Basin. We walked down where Mary Dory's house is and down along the train tracks to get there. We had to watch out for the trains because they came down by there quite often. We went to lots of movies at the old Capital Theatre in Digby on Friday nights. On Saturday nights there were dances at the Knights of Columbus hall that we regularly went to. In the winter we would skate on the big pond down the road or go to the rink. Both of my brothers played hockey so we went to a lot of hockey games.

Question: Did you have many pets when you were young?
Answer: We always had at least one dog and one cat and at one time we had about 50 rabbits.

Question: What was Digby like back then?
Answer: It was a lot busier because the ferry docked downtown and the trains ran through on a regular basis. There were no traffic lights. Downtown was similar to today except the movie theatre burned down and the boardwalk wasn't built. The grocery stores were smaller and we had no mall.

Question: What was school like back then?
Answer: I went to school at the Digby Academy until grade 6. It was creepy in the basement where the washrooms were. I went to the original Digby High School. I'm not really sure that it was the original high school but it was built around 1948. There was a separate Junior High School. I actually started school at the white building on Mount Street that we called the Chicken Coop. Strapping was still legal back then. I didn't get it myself but I saw someone get it and it scared me. Back then the girls still had to wear dresses and skirts to school. We had to wear these awful blue bloomer-type outfits in gym class.