Salt Spring Island Archives

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Pioneer Families

Joe Garner

Accession Number Interviewer SSI Historical Society Address
Date Location Central Hall
Media cassette tape Audio CD mp3 √
ID 96 Length 64 minutes

96_Joe-Garner_Pioneer-Families.mp3

otter.ai

20.01.2023

no

Unknown Speaker 0:00
Give us a speech about opponent.

Unknown Speaker 0:11
Thank you, Mr. President, John Crompton. That certainly gives me a lot of leeway. I mean, at least the audience won't be expecting hardly a thing. And that's just about the way it probably turned out. But I want to say just how much I appreciate the invitation to come over and speak to this group. They're of similar age, similar background. And it just to me, it's like coming home. I just feel it's just that way. And the memories, just the memories just to drive down the roads that you were on 60 years ago, 65 years ago, and see the changes, it's absolutely marvelous. And to see the people is even more marvelous. I don't know why you would need any host survey, I think what they should do really is the houses are not that and that not that important, in my opinion. But the people who live in our and I think that's what the surveys shouldn't be about for Saltspring. Those things that must, must be the historical things of the people must be preserved at all costs at all. Expense, no matter what happens. I mean, that's just something that's the duty of everyone in this room to contribute in any way possible. To preserve the history of the people of Saltspring. Island, I do believe that. The little write up in the paper that an author was coming to speak to the historical societies a day. I don't know what you have to do to be considered a Saltspring Islander. I thought at least the paper might have said a local author would have cut was coming to speak to the audience today. But however, that be as it may, I mean, it does, it covers it up later, born here and whatnot. But

Unknown Speaker 2:10
I'm very proud to be a Saltspring Island or believe me. And I think all of you are. But what I'm going to try to do today is to pick a few families.

Unknown Speaker 2:25
I was thinking, I don't know if Mary Purdy has arrived or if she'll be here today. But I was going to first of all do the medicine the 30 families. That's the biggest family that lived down this road as you know it. The old folks when they came they came in I believe it was 18 I'll have to refer to my notes because dates or dates and names are hard for me to get along with these days.

Unknown Speaker 2:54
Samuel and his wife Emily betta thrived on Saltspring and 1884. With their daughter Boadicea son Charlie, Raisa, riffles, pretty. Emily's brother. And I do believe that Raphael is pretty was the first white man or white pioneer to teach school at this very location. The first school was here, and it was pretty that taught here. But there was another color gentleman who had bought his freedom from the slavery in the states and he taught here. Prior to that

Unknown Speaker 3:45
the parties lived there and built up, built their house at the end of Bettis Road, that's almost at the end of the right where the cushion Lake outlet comes into the sea there. And pretty helped with the building. And then he went, moved, come closer to Ganges and cleared land and built a beautiful home on the big barn, planted some apple trees. And I must say that he made some of the finest cider that was ever produced on Saltspring Island. And this went on for quite a few years. I believe that the pretty girls had cider or apple juice with their meals from the time they were very young. And they certainly certainly turned out to be healthy, wonderful people. Very interesting. Very welcome. I've been wondering if you're going to get here

Unknown Speaker 4:47
we're just talking about your place on Venice road, the home the old home. And what's your debt? What's your father did I You've more or less followed in his footsteps to become a teacher. And you taught our youngest younger brother Ali at the divide school where you and I went through the grades together. Margaret is here. And I think Margaret was, she always caught up to me in past me in school, the only marks I got that were good. Were the physical education marks or I don't know what they called it, then sports, I guess. But I got an A in that and C's and practically everything else. But I thought you'd like to be here. I would like to tell the folks about the day that all a quit school that the divided school you are teaching, they brought you a little present. He had somehow he had acquired a dime, a silver 10 cent piece. And he had hidden it in a Robin's nest away from the old farmhouse. So dad couldn't get this money and take it off them. And the day, he quit school, he brought it to you with a homemade card, if I remember correctly, the way you told it to me. And he brought this time. And he said, Miss Purdy, I want to give this to you for being such a wonderful teacher. And he gave a big smile and turned around and ran off down the road towards the Blackburn farm and passed the collinses. And then he would have to hit the trail at the bottom of the old Janeski farm, which is now Jack Webster's place. Go up over that trail past the jack Bennett's and home to the old farmhouse would be about two and a half miles from the school. And he was only 11 and a half them. But that was the extent of all these education. And I thought you would remember that and possibly verify it. Do you have anything to add?

Unknown Speaker 7:04
With the 10 cent piece, oh my gosh

Unknown Speaker 7:13
when you were fairly close all he still has a very soft spot in his heart for you. But at that age at that early age, I think the reason he quit school at that age was he already had an offer of a job from Mike Lavich who was logging about a half a mile down below the old farmhouse down towards the wakelam area. And he was going to punk whistles on this old steam pot that was there. And if I'm not mistaken, I believe there's another person in the room that worked on that same crew and that's Bobby Nkrumah. I don't know whether you're a hook tenant or slinging Reagan, but all he was was the whistle pump. I was eight years old what you were chasing while you were pretty close to all he could watch him. And that was something I also heard I am sure that Walter Janeski worked there at that times. But what I have been told, and Bob may know more about this than I do but it's only hearsay to me. But dad would go the evening before the paydays and pick up all his check. He said he would take it to eight he wanted to pick it up because all he was so young. But whether all he got the money or not, I'll never know. All he told me he didn't get too much of it. But he did get enough to buy a pair of Hudson Bay blankets somehow. And that was about that was about three years after he left school. But that was quite a life. I mean, that's part of history. I don't think that little bit of history has ever been recorded or written. But it's the truth is there. And I believe our teacher then was a very good friend. Jesse Boyd. I think you're teaching it the would you be teaching at the cranberry school? Yes. And Miss Mercer wouldn't be teaching before Mary. Miss Mercer taught us when we went to school in the old sheep shed. That was the little shack down below the school towards I don't know what it was. It was a sheep shed. We call it a sheep shed. Somebody had lived in it. It was about it was a log house with one little window about that big and when that when the school roof caved in in 1916 1917. That winter is divided School just collapsed like that. And the roofs fell in a sort of a way that it covered most of the books and the desks. But it just pushed the walls out. There was I think there was six feet of snow on the ground that year. On the level that was a lot of snow. And when they got around to round a bit so they could get over there. This was in February. And when they could get over to the school to start the repairs, or do whatever they had to do salvage what they could out of the old divide school. It was miss it was was that Miss Mercer or would that be Miss Morris that would be Miss Mercer Well, she got gathered all the good books and all the all the chocolates and pencils and all the everything they had that was left it was in the US, including the little organ, they had a little organ that they played for the concerts, and to teach the children to sing and appreciate and learn music to learn to sing really is what it was. And they took all this stuff down to the sheep shed. And Miss Mercer as it came down. She lined the desks up in the sheep shed. And prior to that they had spent the best part of the best part of the morning and part of the afternoon before they got they could get it cleared so they could bring it down. They shoveled out all the sheep manure and the hay the spoiled hay and got water from a little spring just down below there was a swamp there that the frogs always used to croak. And they were kept the young boys pretty busy just keeping a check on these frogs in the spring. But they got this cleaned out. And she went up to the school and she found a piece of the old Blackboard. The Blackboard I guess would be the Blackboard and the divide wouldn't be as big as that frame there on the front wall. But she found a piece about wouldn't be any bigger than that picture there. She brought it down and nailed it up on the wall. There was a chimney and a stove on the wall where it was next to the hay where they kept the hay for the sheep. And she put this little Blackboard over there was a they threw the hay in through they just let them eat off the floor I guess because there's quite a bit of hay to shovel out for they got it cleaned up so they could stand the smell. But they brought the old stove school down and they put a just an ordinary galvanized six inch steel pipe up through the roof and got some sand that they got some there's a shield pit just up in front of the divided school they got some shale and filled the box and put brought the old stove down and brought it there. And they built a fire and at that day they made coffee. She made coffee on the stove. And she set this up and one of the trustees were there. Abydos was a trustee dad was a trustee. I think I think I think that Mr. Purdy was the trustee. But anyway, they decided that they were going to rebuild the school or the Betis Lycabettus was the trustee. And they arranged for the rebuilding of the school. And I would say it was a month and a half to two months that she taught the full class down in that cheap shed. That is something the inspector came there. I think his name was Mays, Mr. Mays. And he came in the spring when the snow had all gone he came to see what but he'd heard about this disaster. And he came in he could hardly see when he come in, you know, you could couldn't really see until you adjusted your eyes got adjusted to even with the two cola lounge she had on each side of the blackboard. On that front wall you couldn't see. You couldn't see you just couldn't see it till your eyes got accustomed to the darkness. When he came in and partner fell over the first desk. And Miss Mercer went and got a hold of him and brought him up front and introduced him to us. She hadn't expected them to come of course, and everything was just the way it was. But anyway, she decided Miss Mercer decided that the best thing to do is to be to tell his kids to go out and play in the old school yard up above how well this inspector was there. She didn't want to discuss and didn't want to explain anything and he just couldn't possibly believe that school could be held under such conditions. And it was still cold. I mean, Mary you remember that school? I'm sure you do. And it wasn't the warmest place. We would have to get up and stand around the stove it'd be red hot practically. Standing around the snow have to get a stove to get our hands warm enough so we could write even. But then that's the way I don't know I forget what grade I was in. I guess I must have been in grade three. 16 1916 Seven no I'd be in grade two I'd only be seven years old Mary you would be six

Unknown Speaker 15:18
Oh, you came well then. You were born I shouldn't ask you this. But maybe maybe you're three years younger than I am or two oh my goodness for three whole years. You're even younger than my sister Margaret

Unknown Speaker 15:42
know you'd be in the you'd come back when the school of school was in at the at the recondition school. Well, I remember. I remember well, while we were in the sheep shed and getting ready to move back up to the other school. They bought new shingles for the roof. And the old shingles were put in the woodshed for put in the woodshed for kindling. Well, we didn't think we looked the shingles over and we thought was the Gilbert kids the odd the gardener myself, the Rogers Archie Rogers. Margaret was there we decided we were going to build our own Outdoor School our own plate Playhouse. So we got these shingles, we cut poles out of the woods. And we put up this foundation and picked up enough of the old lumber to sheath the roof. Space did about so far and pick up the shingles. And I remember so well Pearl Gilbert was there she was the oldest one. She was sort of the boss. And she was laying helping to lay shingles and nail them and they come by she was in trouble. And she called Tom and I up to have a look. And oddly, and she was shingling along this row, but somehow she had got the roof had a bit of a sag in it there. And she had 12 layers of shingles piled up in the middle of the roof, all nail down these old nails but that was of course we started with the right the low side of the roof only had about two feet of a fall in it and 12 feet that's 12 feet wide. That we played in that was that there when you were was that old Playhouse there down towards Collins's fence. Yes. So it must have stood the snows and turn the rain. Because it was the ice I'm sure it was there. I'm sure it was there when we left to go to Ganges. I know it was still standing. But now when you go by there, I don't even know hardly know where the divide school was. It's all the only way I get the bearings from that is to look across the old. The old fields we used to take a shortcut by by Blackburn's Lake, come through the fields wouldn't walk away up around and down that road. That was too far. But that's the only way I can get the location of the old divide school even the sense of the old shale pit that was there with a big stump in it is gone. And that was the first that it was a test road that came down from the divide to Blackburn's that I saw my first car. We used to call it that was a Peter Blackburn had they had bought it. And we could hear the thing. Blanton backfiring from the time it come over the top of the divide Hill to like come down past that and the smoke blue smoke would be firing going out the back. We used to all run and stand on this big stump and watch them go by we used to call it the Peter bees stink pot. And we would yell this out. And because even by when he eventually come up and got all all children after he got used to the car and took him for a ride down around the Collins down up as far as Damascus place. And back to the school again, we thought this was quite great. But that's the divided school and that's the little story about the medicines and the parties. There was three party girls. Mary is the oldest and she's here and there was Margaret, and was the youngest one. She was too young to go to the divide, I believe until later. Was that surely

Unknown Speaker 19:37
Hillary? Yes. And she went to England later. Is she really well, I must look her up. You'll have to give me her name. And I will give her a call

Unknown Speaker 19:51
know I don't know. I don't know who to go to next. See and Bob's here maybe he can give me an idea. Maybe I should tackle him and family. We were kind of

Unknown Speaker 20:07
well, maybe first then we should go to the crops and family. And the board ill they were. They were the chicken house school people. When we had that, and they also went to the jail school. That was when Jimmy Rogers had his jail at the end of Drake road. That was when that school is the school that is now a church was first built. And I ever carpet was teaching there then. And that was the first I believe that was grade eight and grade nine and the one classroom was at least it was grade eight. Margaret, do you remember? No 10 was in the chicken house. 10 was taught in the chicken house.

Unknown Speaker 20:51
Records. It was before they're being sued, they had two teachers that I didn't

Unknown Speaker 21:04
know they had only one teacher and his name was Robertson, Mr. Robertson, the chicken that's in the chicken house school.

Unknown Speaker 21:11
Catholic Church, when the second group was added, taught night, as well as

Unknown Speaker 21:18
Oh, that would be that would be after 26 Because we graduated from great town from the chicken house, Margaret, and Jim until a couple of the crossings and that is bardell Didn't decorate the teacher through a piece of chalk and hit her in the eye and she quit school right there. And that was Robert and then she went down. And I think she was the first or second. She was the first or second telephone operator in that middle telephone building, down below the optimum school. And she didn't go back to school. But she wanted to come to the reunion that we had at Harbor house. After the Eagle's Nest first come out. Maybe we should do that next. And then we can go on to these families. But this after the Eagle's Nest came out, I decided her family decided that we should have a reunion. We thought the harbor house had dinner at the harbor house would be great. And we all got on the phones. We found Robertson the teacher was still living at Qualcomm where he still lives. And he came and the Aikman and one of the girls, because Bill and Bill was there. And Tilly and Jim and Margaret and myself and Pearl was there. It was like, but it was the funniest thing, strangest feeling I've ever had in my life. We all made it, it was all the tables was all set up. And we all were to go in there at a certain time. And it was a bit casual and all of this in for the first 20 minutes around the room. They were just intermediate chitchat. People would go up and shake hands and say hello, and how nice it was to see each other again. But by the time the first course of the meal came on the table, you could hardly hear yourself think for the chitchat. And believe it or not, that would be in 52. Or I'm not 52 and 82. And we graduated in 26. In the conversation at that table, including a teacher, were everything that happened the graduation week. And we're just like, we had never been apart. That was the funniest feeling that you could ever imagine. And that was just it was just unreal. But that was that was another one of the strange things about writing a book I mean, that Well John, Gladys Bordeaux, like I had the camper and she was so ill she couldn't make it but she did send her regret. And I told her to bring her options on and I'll come and get you he can lay on the bed in the in the camper and I'll take you right to the door. And we can we can arrange to get you up to steps and whatnot at Harvard. She tried and she tried to try but she just she was just too else it just could not come to that. But

Unknown Speaker 24:39
Harry Caldwell was at UNICEF, Enid Cowell in it came up from the States. I don't think Harry was there that night. No. But there was practically the total class including the teacher at that reunion. And that was something else. I don't think that has ever been recorded in history, but I I think that as a people's thing could well be preserved. It was really something that I think we better go back that this was all at Ganges but there were quite a few of the. If you've read the Eagle's Nest you'll find that the children that went to that school, there were as many Fulford boys and girls there as there were Ganges and North Enders and they had to find their way up by Orson buggy or however, a lot of them boarded at the old Mike boarding house to go to school because they couldn't possibly the Shaw's were there Chris Shaw and two of the Shaw girls came up to go to school. And Tilly and notice Fraser Yeah. And, and the markets, Jim and I don't know whether to orcas market do you remember just one this Jim. But that was quite something that sort of broke the they used to say when you went past the if you lived in Kansas and would pack the pass the rock crusher, just out from the divide school you wouldn't be surprised if you got shot out or shot. Because the foolproof boys felt the same way if they came north past that rock crusher. We had some pretty good baseball games and pretty good soccer games. There's some pretty good fights at Eddie Lumley. I don't think he ever went to a to a soccer game unless he got into a fight with somebody somebody would kick him in the shins or he'd kick somebody and that was it. But pardon,

Unknown Speaker 26:42
score and then they watch the fight

Unknown Speaker 26:50
well, anyway, it was fun, and it was active. They didn't always win Bob sometimes. Sometimes if you look back in the records you'll find in the in the late teens and early 20s was put under a saw. Don't forget we had the Crofton boys down this started losing the Morris boys left poker game the Ganges and Ganges started. Well, yeah, well, you can't be both Maurice is on the team. And with we could use to talk your brother into the plan for us when we played the Oxfam school. The only way we could beat him was to get Jim up and pretend he was going to school. But he wasn't going to school out here. But he played center forward and we could beat the oxen. But that's the only way and they played right out. Right out and that was always about a six or eight inches of mud and down at the far end would be water all over the field in the wintertime. But it was a pretty knockdown drag out football games. But we did when Robertson was there. I just we talked it over and I just told him and school. He wondered how we could ever we we're getting beat steadily by the awesome school. I don't know where they got all their boys, but they got him I think Dermot played for them. Dermott Croft and played for them at that time. I think he went to the oxen school for one or twos turn. But once we got young we had him I don't know if Jim Jim remembers out of it, we just to get him to come off, he come up for two games and beat him both times. Just like that. And that was that made Robertson zere is teaching. But I think in this little book, there's a lot of this stuff has been recorded in a sort of a short form. But there's a lot that can be added to a lot of these stories. And there's a lot of other people that should be in a book like this. So I know somebody on Saltspring someday I think your son has done a marvelous job with the snapshots of Saltspring. As the book the snapshots of, of Saltspring. And that's quite new and then be Hamilton did quite a bit but she couldn't be Hamilton left out quite a few people. I mean, the people are the important things. She took in a lot. It's a good book. It's a wonderful book. And it's I think it's still a good book. But there's more to be done in writing. They say the power of the pen is greater than the power of the sword and I believe that it preserves it doesn't kill and that's what makes it stronger. But

Unknown Speaker 29:48
the publisher TV ad pages,

Unknown Speaker 29:52
so a lot of families weren't mentioned. That's right.

Unknown Speaker 30:05
Well, maybe that's what it is. But there shouldn't be another one carry on from that. Carry on from the photographs and maybe use this. I would be very pleased to have it used. If someone could just get with it and put a little more history down this is there's an awful lot of families left out of this believe me. In fact, it is a biography of just the one family and the people they associated with the Seymour family. Vera and Donald Seymour Wilford Veera Wolfert and Clara Seymour's children, they were brought up. They lived in the up in the old divide, area, only a half a mile from our place, maybe three eighths of a mile to a bush a trail. But to give you another idea, it mentions it in this book casually, but it doesn't really tell you. During the first First World War, I can remember I can remember very clearly, I'd only be what, not quite five years old. When the first the first world war and we call it the first world war was declared. And I can remember that Wilford Seymour, and Carl were working at Ganges on some project. And they come home by our place. That morning, they didn't even stay, they they somehow they got news to Saltspring that Canada was at war with Britain against Germany. And they enlisted they came home and told dad and mother and they went and they decided they'd have to make this a big occasion. So the first thing they did was the first thing they did was get some of John Rogers his wine and invite him down to bring it over. And some cider I don't know I think possibly there's some cider from your place. But they it was Uncle Frank who? I don't know if Bobby would remember Uncle Frank. Jim would he used to catch for the Fulford team at one time. Just remember, yeah, and dad used to pitch that's how he got on a road is only halfway down there. We could go either way. But when we moved to Ganges, we played for Ganges. But anyway, they came over to our place. This was in July. So the gardens in the orchard and everything would be perfect. The young growths were big enough and you know to so we, the kids, all the kids had to do we had to get the gross and the get the gross and the vegetables out of the garden pick some plums and wild berries and mother and Clara Seymour just put on they didn't drink. I think Mother had one sip of a brandy or something. And I don't think Clara had one sip of anything. But the men had tied on a pretty good one. In fact, it was so good that they decided not to leave that night. They would stay over and Kessel and get up at daylight the next morning and catch the launch. I'm not sure if it was last year's launch but it was or Walter Curley there was a launch running from Fulford war to Sydney and then they caught the they called it the would express the old narrow gauge train that ran from Sydney to Victoria. And Uncle Frank went down Dudley went down Dudley was only Dudley was only 15. But he was stood over six foot four and weighing over 200 pounds and is dark complexion he thought he could get in also Frank was old enough. He was over 18 But he was American citizens. But they both went as far as Victoria. And they both came back the next day but Carl and Wilford signed up for the war. And they were in it right to the very end. Carl was decorated for some bravery. I think it was at Vimy Ridge and Wolford came back very, very much wounded very much shot up. He had a silver plate in his stomach and he was very heavy hit by the mustard gas and shrapnel. And Dudley. Dudley was, he went to Vancouver two years later, he would be 17 then and he was taken in and he became one of the most famous snipers in the Canadian Army. He was also the third tallest soldier. I think he went six foot seven. At that one. He was 17 years old and weighed about 250 to 300 pounds somewhere in there. But it was quite something and He was very badly shot off and came back. But he definitely was sort of Tom and nya idol. He was one of the being a sniper in the army. I mean he had lots of practice with a rifle and lots of practice with a shotgun even when he came back he was one of the finest bird shots I've ever seen in my life. And those days you didn't have a plug in the pump and you could fire six shots without loading and six gross got up. Most often he would get them all he would shoot the wings off when they were close. It just would just be like a machine gun and the gross would all be done. It was my job to pick them up. I was about eight years old, but I'd stand right up close and watch his every move. I got so I could hit a few after a while but never anything like Dudley and they came back. They would David Dudley came back in 19 the early part of 1918 and and Wilford but Carl didn't get home until the last six months after the last of the war. And they are their families grew up they all they moved to Ganges after the biggest disaster with the with Wolfowitz, Clara and loafers. There they had built a house and dad had helped them and we had helped. And this house she came over to visit with mother very often. And one day when she went back home. Their house was burned to the roof completely burned down. The only thing was standing was an old stone fireplace and that's about all there was left in the old house was down towards the creek aways and that was still there but the woodshed had gone and all the wood was gone. Well this was a terrible disaster. So dad and dad and a bunch of the younger people got to be together. Not so much store I don't know how much they donated and all the people in Saltspring island that were around at that time gave something towards the construction of that house. And I imagine there was a there was about 50 people when they had the material there and they all come up and they took it in one day they had put that building up around the old chimney. And Clara slept in the house that night. They started it was a long day they started in the early morning I'm carried right on and they had some cleared land in there. I don't know it must have been about an acre I guess. But that thing was absolutely full to the brim with cars, wagons, horses buggies and you name it but that was the that was the thinking of the island people at that time if someone was in trouble they had time to go and help and they did

Unknown Speaker 38:08
and there was another episode that that's written in the book you can read that it was

Unknown Speaker 38:16
you should read it I know most of you have read the book that was when about the only people that had money when the war was on as the people who got their check from the army and and it was pretty hard to keep food on the table for some of the bigger families and ours was one of them I guess

Unknown Speaker 38:37
by Bob What do you want me to tell about the economy little as possible well I guess your your was it your your grandfather was the first white boy born on Saltspring first white boy

Unknown Speaker 39:01
he was the first in that grandpa was the first one here

Unknown Speaker 39:07
yeah

Unknown Speaker 39:08
wow he faltered COVID area one or two people up here at

Unknown Speaker 39:22
Valley 16 Take your goal would be to find a place where each a foreign place where he can be safe. First party after family for several years

Unknown Speaker 39:50
very close. Very close climate whenever it used to and

Unknown Speaker 39:55
yeah, well didn't he? He bought the land and then he married one of the Ladies from the bride ship and they moved on the song yeah

Unknown Speaker 40:13
my grandmother

Unknown Speaker 40:19
who did the other to marry Bob Do you know I don't know

Unknown Speaker 40:25
what's your work

Unknown Speaker 40:34
oh yeah well that was that then your dad actually set up housekeeping about 1866

Unknown Speaker 40:44
My grandmother

Unknown Speaker 40:45
Yeah

Unknown Speaker 40:49
no I treat 1863 Right now they built a lot of cabin that summer up up on the side hill back up where leaves Hill

Unknown Speaker 41:10
drive a lot of the things like power plants with his father is the same amount of seeds plant people to come and get them

Unknown Speaker 41:31
yeah well he was had a way of shipping rafting shoots I believe in potatoes they plug them into the potatoes and then wrap them up in the mail and send them that way

Unknown Speaker 41:44
yeah, he said I still have one

Unknown Speaker 42:00
about three months worth me

Unknown Speaker 42:02
yeah

Unknown Speaker 42:04
well I guess if they came in the winter if they're stuck into a potato that'd be just as healthy as could be. That was quite a quite a little scheme to get them out here and anyway. But that really mode tells me I made a mistake in the book when I said that that was I thought it was your dam that that Cougar was rolling over and the basket when or when your grandfather my grandmother Yeah, it was it was a boat

Unknown Speaker 42:44
be my my hand and Fanny who married Joe Nightingale

Unknown Speaker 42:51
all that

Unknown Speaker 42:54
nurse as a nurse

Unknown Speaker 42:59
yeah

Unknown Speaker 43:07
Florence Nightingale I suppose yeah well, that is a legend. That's, that's fairly well recorded. But Billy mullet tells me that he thought that that baby in that basket was a girl that's what Billy Moore that's Laurie

Unknown Speaker 43:41
Yeah, I thought it was a boy. I thought it was oh, that's Well, that should be corrected. I'll have to do that

Unknown Speaker 44:01
is there any questions that I could answer any

Unknown Speaker 44:08
chicken chicken

Unknown Speaker 44:11
you don't know that.

Unknown Speaker 44:19
chicken houses right over was right over behind them ahead on Hold on there where they got big high school is. And they used to Wilmore it was one of the people that they had to get permission from. That would be your father. Yeah. Had to get permission from even holder make it into a classroom because they in the sun at the time of the fairs, which was during school holidays. Thank goodness. They used us that was where they showed their chickens, their turkeys and the ducks. I don't think I never remember seeing any geese in there but there was your turkeys and chickens and geese. And that's where they were judged. That's how come that I don't know if you probably haven't read that. Well, I think it was a hangover of the chickens and the turkeys that got all those fleas on that floor in the spring of 1926. I was the janitor if we had to pay $5 a month to go to that school, and I was the janitor and I worked out for Margaret and my tuition. We were batching it down. And the big house what we call the because of Ganges and we're logging into the concert police that year. Gym and Tilikum and lift up in the little house up by well, just below the water tank. And and that's that's where they stayed. We've asked for two years to get to get through grade 10. And I think it was your who came up with a couple of good potatoes and those good meals for Tilly and Jim. When they lived in that little house Bob. Who was the who was the lady that came up and cooked for Tilly and Jim at times. That's your grandmother? Yeah. Well, she could do more for a potato in the oven than anybody I've ever seen. She'd put them in I don't know how long they stayed there. But they'd be in there for two or three days. And Margaret and I would get invited up there. Well, that's we didn't want anything was less than potatoes when we went there. That was the whole meal. But she was an absolutely marvelous cook. But these getting back to that chicken house school, it's this. It was in May, I guess early May or mid May was pretty warm. The sun had come out this day and everybody in the classroom is sitting at a desk just sitting the desk. This looks something like the room just about the size on the a little smaller. And everybody started scratching and scratching and pulling down the sock from scratch. And I took a look at the floor. I thought maybe it's something I hadn't done as a janitor to get this keep this thing. I didn't know what it was. But the whole floor was moving was black with sleeves. And I put my hand up and called the teacher Robertson was getting pretty shook up about it. He was trying to discipline the kids, when they couldn't sit still that we're just all over their legs. And I finally got Roberson. I brought him down there and showed him. I asked him to come outside. I said, I said there's something radically wrong. I don't know what to do. But I said that floor is full of fleas. That's why everybody's so jumpy. And well, he says what I said what can we do? Well, he said, What do you suggest we do? And I said, What do you use the just I do? I said I feel I'm responsible? Well, he said I said I'll let the kids out of school. This was on a Friday, I believe Thursday or Friday. But anyway, the school was up for that week. And he went over to my store and got a whole barrel of this kind of a greeny looking cleaver flea powder that was in bulk. We brought that over and give it three different coats of that for the weekend. The first two didn't have much effect but the last one had them send right down.

Unknown Speaker 49:20
The college advice is that the same Collins family here on the north end?

Unknown Speaker 49:26
They move from the divide to the north end later, but that was after we left we left in 26 it was earnest and earnest and Tom and there were three brothers. Ernest Bob and Joe aren't as Bob and John. Ernest was a hunter. He was a trapper and Hunter. Yeah, he used to he got bitten to the cooling one time and he showed us a bite until you're smart and Tom and I up we watch out for those cool and they can bite. He had that arm up in a sling put in there all winter. I guess it was the infection and from the teeth I don't know, but it was raccoons. If you get them in a trap don't put your hand there. Or if you're going to feed them don't put your count your fingers before you before you put them too close to a coon Is there any other questions? The crosses, oh my god

Unknown Speaker 50:27
Well, we had to wait. When we went to school around here we had the craziest places for schools you've ever heard about the jail and the chicken house and the old divide school the cheap shit and all that when we went to school, we had one worse than that. When you go past the man all coming this way towards Central. I used to be an old road went up there. And there's a lot of shale, but up at the top of this hill, overlooking kind of down in a flat there. There was a big old house. And somehow we ran out of schools. And we had to go I imagine we were in grade five, grade six or seven there. And Colin was there Colin was going to school and then your dad was there. And there was no we used to play Rounders or some game but you had the basketball and that went away down over the hill. And if you couldn't knock a home run well you might as well stay home. I mean, you went down the way it was the from the house that was built for review and ground slope right off down below. I think Colin bought that house afterwards. Or Gavin bought it Yeah. But that was the time the teacher there was no brown taught up in the jail one year perfect taught in the chicken department that department which taught in the jail and brown and then Robertson, but this was in between it could have been I would say it could have been brown. It could have been brown but I thought it was the lady teacher. Which you know, Jesse who would have taught up in that school up there behind the Ham Hall. When we tied up when we tied up we tied up calling and and Charlie Nelson or Charlie Nelson. Yeah, we tie them up where we're playing marbles for keeps on those are tough times. We had only a few of us had these glass I guess some put these little dough boys in the middle. But anyway, Charlie and Colin had snuck around the back and they ran in and kick these big glass AGIS right out of the ring and went down and picked them up and then ran off little desk after one caught them. And Tom was there and Dermot wasn't there. No, it was Dez and Tom and Harry Caldwell and we got this two kids and take them up, tape them up, tie them up with rope. And there was three rooms in that school one was a classroom that looked out towards over then there was a living room that looked out towards the harbor and it had a big fireplace and wood bought. So we got these two kids and we tie them up and put them on the mountain and tie them to the mountain so and gagged them we wouldn't have no more of that and this teacher whoever it was I bet you it was brand he wondered he asked everybody where these two boys were that they weren't in class nobody would say a word and finally they kicked or something and he did something that would anyway he ran them in this other room and had a look and they were these two kids tied up on the mountain the mountain was about that way tied up to the mammal and they were tied good tight but they could kick and make a noise I guess but they I don't know why they didn't smother they couldn't holler they'd no way they could holler that we made sure about that. But that's does I think then your ninja he took it as long as he could take it and then exploded. And he was the ringleader on that very call. Well, Tom and as at the time that's just another one of those things. I don't believe that's been recorded. Colin might have mentioned that. I know Charlie Nelson never mentioned it. He kept Charlie still alive over there, but he's not very well. But I mentioned it to him one day and he wouldn't admit ever kicking those marbles out of that. No way. He said that was somebody else. It wasn't him. But he admits getting tied up but now is there that's that's part of the crops. But I'll tell you those crops and boys where they were quite the athletes. I didn't remember going through the mud down here and that field back for the big high school. And Desmond was dribbling you played center for not playing center half. Wanted to play center half, you got to do a lot of run. I thought I could catch up anyway. But Durman could take that ball and I couldn't keep up. And if the fullback couldn't stop them, well then that was if he went right in and score. And that was that was the optimum school. He was practically the whole team. He was a big beams of big strong man. Dermot would be, what, seven years older than I am. And the notion of that was a lot. I mean, I'd be about 13 And he'd have to be 70 What is it you should know? What was that one was German. What was his one was he born and for I think he was the same age as ETHEL. Yeah, I think he was at seven well that might need to come February. So that would be five years and that was a lot I thought I could keep up with anybody at all when it comes to running we used to run everywhere we went I couldn't miss two I could never keep up with one was your brother Jim and the other was that big?

Unknown Speaker 56:34
were nervous, they're gonna have to be less afraid on the floor.

Unknown Speaker 56:44
Maybe what that maybe that's. Yeah. There was another thing I don't know. Margaret will probably kill me for telling this. But the Oxfam school has, has a thing. It's a bit of a bit of history. The oldest sister was working there. One of the Rosalind girls in the rosin. Ethel came home every night. We lived in the house right next door practically. But the Roslyn girl had to stay at the school and it was a boys school. And for some reason, or somehow she got pregnant and had a baby over there. And she put it in a shoebox and took it down to that little creek that runs out from Ganges. Now they had a big wall about it. You know, that little creek that runs out past McAfee shop that used to go through there. And she took it down in a shoebox and buried by the creek never said anything to anyone. But somehow that somebody got wind of it and the police I don't know. They found it. But there was never any big fuss about it that I know no one would admit to anything. Rosalind girl didn't even say it was her baby, but they could tell it was. But all I found we used to keep the capital there and I found the place where they dug it up right down by the creek, that little creek under a tree. So I imagine she must have took it down or somebody took it down and buried it there. She just had the baby and went back to work the next day. She was a big heavy, young lady.

Unknown Speaker 58:22
But that's something I don't think that's ever been recorded. But it's that's for sure that that is a true story.

Unknown Speaker 58:31
Margaret, you must have heard something about that. You're too young. I guess we wouldn't dare unless you're here to protect these younger sisters chased by a Kubrick Did you have any other problems?

Unknown Speaker 58:57
Well, the problem was people No, we never had any problems I think I worked for about everybody that was on Saltspring. Including. I didn't when I worked at Harbor house we Hall looked at but it seemed I worked for the I worked for Jack Bennett. That was my first job. It's 25 cents an hour. And when he that's when he first come back, that would be in 1990. And Evelyn and Mary were just babies and diapers. But I worked there with him for one fall, picking up the sticks and whatnot and burning them in little piles preparing land trying to burn out stumps which we didn't know much about them. But to get along with people, I would say we got along Excellent. People. I don't know they just sort of took you in and you were part of the part of the going family a huge family the way Saltspring live in those days. There was a problem. Everyone shared it and everyone wants to help. I don't know Oh, I don't think there was any ever any problem. Oh Dad and gotten into a bit of a huff once in a while with weight and I remember you Janeski got in a fistfight with it. And I remember we were hauling when we had drugged them. Hold down, Mike's done more he'll recall up from just below the water tank. Well, it snowed one year we'd cut holes all summer and took them out and pulled them up to that check where the, the vectors, the vectors moved. And it snowed about six inches. So that brought this Hayward team of Clydesdale and a coyote. We hit them up and we drove these poles right down. Ganges road right down the hill I was looking out I had to go ahead into the car wagon to get them off the road because those poles can take about a dozen at a time and then just you know, in tandems about six lines but we were going to dump them in over like that bad moist that wasn't filled in then we were going to dump them right by right on the on the west side. We had a log dump there, just roll them over the bank. Oh wait decided he was gonna dump something in there and I never forget. That's the only trouble ever saw that way he told wait to get into a horse and wagon the hell out of there are illiquid and he did give him a look and right there on the street just up from the trading company and we've never come back with his wagon on a horse. And we dumped the pole died. But Jemez Janeski when they cut that road from Websters gate up through to the old Cranberry Road that was that was when they closed the road that domestic liquid because we wait didn't want it was domestic gates and wait wouldn't close them. So we hammered him right there by his front gate where Websters gate is but there was quite a little step to there. Well, I didn't waste any time there was no there was no research done or no committee

Unknown Speaker 1:02:10
messenger message he told me that. I don't know this is I don't know if this has ever been recorded. But if you can maybe remember back I think Wait. He was a bachelor up in the cranberry somewhere near the brown splits. That Wainhouse he just down the road from where you were. Well anyway, he shuts down Natalie and her little sister to get some milk. We had a milk cow and they didn't have an on call at that time or dry or something. But he had made some passes at Natalie's and Natalie can remember she would probably be nine or 10 years old. But anyway, they ran home without milk and Mrs. Jamison got the shotgun and loaded her up and took it up there and told away he had better move he'd better get out of the out of the off the island and he went I think he cleared out the next day and settled that little episode with their daughters anyway. And there's no more problem there. But she had both barrels loaded in Amistad.

Unknown Speaker 1:03:19
Don't know I don't know. I settled settled a little thing with Harry following you. Anybody here that knows Harry Kahlo. But that was up at that damn school where you were tied them up on the mantel. That's what their dead was referenced. This was refereeing. Well, Harry was two years old and I was not didn't mean too much. In any way. Tom said you got to lick him or you won't be able to come to school. He's gonna chase you out of school. So I challenged him to the fight. And we got it going. We got it going. At recess. That was 11 o'clock in the morning. The bell rang for 1115 I thought I could look him in 15 minutes two years older but he wasn't that quick. But anyway the it was the rules were laid down does lay down the rules no kicking when they're down and no chalky. Anything else was fine. So anyway, we got down in these trees way from the school where that teacher couldn't hear us. And when he made it made it rain. I don't know who all was there. Well, Charlie Nelson was there. The urkki was there and oh, there's about 10 rounds. But anyway, we set to and just we didn't strip off to the waist or anything. And we fought from from we fought from 11 o'clock 11 Five about the time and got straightened out to get going till two until the bell rang for one o'clock to go in school. And by that time we didn't even go to school between the recess and the noon hour. So by that time our Both are so rich. And the deal was that you had to say uncle if you repeat what I have found with that Haribo heart that I didn't know why he didn't say uncle but he was so stubborn he wouldn't say on so he kept it up but my clothes were so torn and his were he don't he had hardly any clothes left. He got his bike Charlie Nelson walk home with him. And he said, I said I asked Charlie after I said, How did Harry feel it I thought I beat him pretty bad. Well, he said he was so weak he couldn't walk up that hill past harbor house he said and we'll his bike he said, I had to wheel his bike and he hung on to the seat and I pushed it up but I didn't back school Tom got me and took me home. We went up through that through pass the where the chicken house was. We had a board off that old there was a word they used to tie their cattle up for showing we used to always take a shortcut to their who had a board off done their oxen so he could come out and go right down the road we just took all the shortcuts that Tom got man we went through the bush there and we got down to he sort of run ahead to say nobody was around when I went the last bit over to the house got my clothes are gone we didn't want to be caught out there like that

Unknown Speaker 1:06:25
video editing the show you said you're gonna

Unknown Speaker 1:06:27
cost about oh, well the Woods family Yeah, we went to school with Central School. And then what else was it? We we didn't really go to school and we fought ever show that came down here is all upstairs and now that they came down? Well, Tommy and Eddie were the same age as Tom and myself. Tom was my age. Well, Tom, the first take on Eddie be fistfight mostly. And then whoever won well, then Tommy and I would have a go at it and just keep in shape. And they work for us afterwards. When FM singer, FM singer Lumber Company, a lot of people say F. M singer right. I could be corrected. FN singer, when he had all the titles here, Bill McAfee and Harry Jones, Charlie farmer. There was about a time of working on the islands at that time, and somehow serum went broke. And I was one of those saving type of peoples I guess I got it from them. But I'd saved up three, two weeks, we got paid every two weeks not save these three, two weeks checks. And finally the promise to cash his last check and then bounced, that bounced. They wouldn't cash it. There was no more money. And I carried those checks, I don't know. Kept them for 25 years anyway, hopefully might come back. But he got killed. That we were we were cutting ties when he went broke Mary. Remember when the time mill was just down the road from you and below the road? Well, that's where we were cutting ties when senior went broke. And then Macmillan bought that. Bought that out.

Unknown Speaker 1:08:18
We'll go back if he worked for him. He

Unknown Speaker 1:08:21
worked. He worked for singer but he was a Macmillan. He was one of the villains early times. And I'm not too sure that I'm not too sure that wasn't Bill McAfee working with HR Macmillan. They were very close. And Harry Jones, Harry Jones was he was the one that used to hammer the thoughts he could file them hammer circular saw so cut straight. But they were I think they were I think they were the reason that thing or went broke. And I think it was engineered by HR Macmillan, but that I wouldn't know for sure. But they were they went with HR after that. And they both had good, you know, they had markets and were treated very, very well. But the Woods's they were teamsters they were Woods family. I think there were 23 kids and all hate she was slave, a lady slave lady from the south. She had bought somehow got here. She had bought her freedom or someone had bought her freedom. And Mr. Woods, I don't call him Mr. Woods. He was Scotsman. And they just sat through and had these 23 kids. But one of those boys were pretty big, good. And one of them

Unknown Speaker 1:09:43
the one thing that I remember most about it that, first of all, is that Bobby Woods he was the he had the fattest wife I think I've ever seen. And when he had a buggy, he had a buggy, you know, kind of a Democrat when she sat on that seat and he sat on as far out as he could get, it should just about tip that thing over. But when they got the T model Ford, the fender would be dragging on that. On top of the tire. When they drove along, I hit a bump and drag the tire. But they had quite a few kids to Bobby did. But they were good. They were good citizens. Every one of those witnesses were good citizens. Eddie had a beautiful sandwich. Anyone's and Tom they were very they were, they were. They were good Teamsters and they were good musicians. And we thought of that when we left in 1920 27. We left here when the fall of 26, early 2027. They came with us to to share manners and we set up a meal there and cut ties for for for HR MacMillan Center was gone and that was one of the singers Milton McMillan bought all those mills. We took one dish manis and he had timber they're not that we cut the ties right behind what's the tremendous golf course. Back up towards that little creek beautiful timber. But Jimmy Ryan came over and Edie and Tommy woods and finally red. Red Howard came over. And I worked with red and Jimmy Ryan I ran the woods and Tom ran the sawmill. He was a Sawyer. And we were there for about a year and a half cup of timber and then we're about to mount thicker road. That's just south by Whetstone. And that's how we broken into the mill and organized. But the woods, I don't know. They just were goodness. I imagine there's still some of them around maybe quite a few. Because that was a big, big family. I mean, how many would be the most of the above children? Bob's brothers. I think most of them. Victoria. They did that? Yes. Yeah. I mean, I

Unknown Speaker 1:12:02
remember Eddie and

Unknown Speaker 1:12:05
Tom. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 1:12:06
We're leaving Gregor.

Unknown Speaker 1:12:09
Yeah. Yeah, right. There. We're good loggers. There. We're good Teamsters. They were Tommy Woods was one of the finest teamsters I've ever known. He could make a team do about anything, you know, that just he just had it. And he spent the time with us up at five in the morning on the back. Leave until seven or eight at night. You know, he'd carry them feed them make sure they're looked after he treated that he treated those a team of horses like you treat his family or better. But I don't know. I don't know. I think they're gone now. Is there any other families you want to have taken down we let we let those eCommons off awful easy. I'll tell you that. We have to leave.

Unknown Speaker 1:12:58
Sorry about that

Unknown Speaker 1:13:04
wasn't six feet high, but it wasn't six feet high. I only stood about four foot one. Two inches over my head Margaret note for the gateway. Well, that's all in the book here. Everybody that read the book. Buy the book. But that was a it was quite a sensation. But it's the truth. Just absolutely true. That Cougar was intended to catch me. But I'd been down the mall at store to buy some groceries for mother. And I had one of these tow sacks. You know, you've cut the things out and put your arm to toe sack and had the stuff in the tow sack coming home. She'd made a list of what was in the tow sack. But I had cut from County County from one Walden Norton and the bag, some black jelly beans are in it. But anyway, I had this bag of stuff. And when a pathway comes, read her, you work for love of it. When that old road and your dad built the bridge on that road, it was more or less a horse trail, you'd get up with a horse and wagon, which can narrow horse and buggy but you'd never get up in the car. But your dad in a different axle and Frank and dad built that bridge. Oh, just a run up that road. And just before he got to the bridge, there's a big stump on that side of the side of the road. And that was kind of in a draw like that. And it was steep on both sides. And I was I was hurrying along and just before dark, just getting dust. I looked straight ahead and it couldn't be more than 50 feet. And he was a huge Cougar crossing the road and he was looking straight at me. And that tail was back and swooped up in the back end of the tail was switching like that as he went across and he took a couple of stops. And I just froze. But there had been a cougar. Go after some children at college Like, that same year, and Ashburnham girl who got the medal of Canada and her husband Tony, or not her husband, but her friend, Tony, Ashraf attorney, Tony, somebody that this Cougar had attacked them and just about killed them and ripped the scalp right off the back of Tony's head. Right this scalpels laying back on his neck when they got the doctor up. So I'm up from the aspirin and the girl. She phoned me last year and she said, I wish somebody could write that story the way it really happened. And she told me that she actually, when the Cougar left her and got onto the Tony, that she actually got on its back and beat it over the head with his bridle until it was blind, it had to be blinded, couldn't see. But anyway, the Cougar got up there little dog came in somehow and the cooker got up and and chased the dog by smell, I suppose. Or maybe some sight. And they got home. They went to the doctor and I had dad had told us about this. When they saw the Cougar they turned and ran. And that's a no no, when your kids are small, you don't run away from a cougar. And apparently, I was told never to run up a medical group and he told Margaret to if you have to stand still and get to ROPs and pound them together and then try to pass the cougar and gone home. Get home if you possibly could, but don't run. So this guy, this just might just throws his hair on the back of my neck stood up. I could tell that cooker was figuring on you know, he walked across the road, not by this big stump and sat there and face the road. And the closer I got up to him banging these rocks. The more he showed his teeth and laid his whiskers back and laid his ears back right on his neck. And he was he was ready to spring he was ready to go. But I couldn't figure out a cut bend on these rocks. I got two rocks, I'd left this toe sack with groceries and right there. So I could move faster. I got by him and got half put in here to that bridge. That was the cooker consuming a lot. But I looked back and he was gone. And I could hear him going up on the other side of the Gully. And I had to go up to this bridge of about a quarter of a mile up this road to the gate right by the field by the house. Well, the minute I couldn't see the cougar and I heard him I started I threw the rock and ran. I ran up that hill as hard as I could go barefoot. No shoes. rocks didn't mean a thing on those days. You went barefoot all summer anyway. And I could hear this Cougar coming when I got about 50 feet from the gate. What we used to call Frank swimming hole. He come across the creek right at Franklin Hall Uncle Frank funnel. And I went into kind of a i It's a subconscious mind or I don't know what it is, but you quit breathing. And everything goes into slow motion. And you do things you don't know what to do, but you do what you have to do to live. I could see that cougar coming in across the creek. I could see his whiskers his teeth that could see his paws were touched the rocks under the water. And about that time I just took off up this hill. But it's a little further and from here to the door front door. And I went up that hill on the dead run. It seems to me like us going taking crowfoot jumps steps. And I looked at this gate and I knew I had to jump in somehow I paste it and I sailed over the gate. I cleared the top rail Frederick the Great, buy that much. And I could see my bare toenails, just sailing over like that. And I hit the ground on the other side and on the run and went into the field and collapsed about 25 or 30 yards ahead. And when this who had come up, I heard him hit the gate. He was at sure he had me. He hit the gate head on and then come back and jumped it and come into the field behind me. But when I was over there in the grass and there was a hay field it was behavioral nothing but a rock pile really. But the Cougar laid over there and I was over here and I finally got up I stood up and tried to stand up. And I just clapped from everything just like rubber legs were like rubber. Finally I have crawled and half got up to the house was only was only less than 60 yards from where I was and that Cooper laid there and watch me he didn't come over. But that Black Dog were in the book. I don't know if dinner. But there was a cedar tree with a route like that right there where we used to play on and the dog was tight up there. And the dog had heard all this long before I got up there and he was barking and rattling this chain and the Cougar turned off to the side So I got up to the house and Tom and dad came up. And I guess I was equated to ghosts and could hardly stand up. And Tom says, What's the matter? And I said that plenty is a matter I said, there's a cougar right down there in that field and suddenly chased me and tried to catch me at the gate. So they went and got Tom got his school called gauge and hammer gun dad got a 4570 and they went down there, turn the dog loose, and he went down in this little creek and creeks on it goes to a six range color, but it had this big pool in it below. And I'd had a pile of logs and the Cougar was under that pile of logs. And he took off and it was just it was almost dark. And they they took a shot at it but they didn't. They didn't they didn't hit it didn't kill it. And that all Cooper stayed around that foreign house for about 10 days. The dog chased him a couple of times and Cougar would chase the dog back and he'd killed three sheep and two more deer. Before the Colin boys came over and shot him they brought their they brought they had two or three hours and they brought them over in the Coover treatment I shot a five year old Tom is healthy as a horse and I'd say weighed around 140 pounds but they say it I don't know but when we went down there afterwards we went down to work look the thing over Tom and Tom and Ethel and I we took the fence down even the rail fence went from the gate was like there and the rail fence went out there and this was uphill where you got to jump it so they said you can't jump that gate nobody can jump in I said I jumped in I had to jump so he's finally we took the rail fence down and we'd run sideways and I couldn't even jump it sideways on the level ground let alone going uphill when we tried to jump it Tom couldn't jump at EPA couldn't jump so I must have had some kind of power on to get over it when I was going up that hill but when we went back down to where the where the Cougar had crossed the road we backtrack we didn't take no gunner and the Cougar was still loose mother didn't know we didn't tell her where was gone. She told us they had to stay in the house lungs that Cougars does but we backtrack and worried come from it and it just over off of that under a little lead she had a place where he was laying and 20 feet away from where he was laying was the dead sheep all covered up a full grown sheep all covered up had it opened it up I guess in taking the blood but it was laying there all covered up with sticks and moss and stuff. And that was between me and him when he crossed the road that's why he was kind of nervous I guess he thought maybe I was gonna go over there to where his sheep was

Unknown Speaker 1:22:43
but that's that's just that one conquer story there was more Cougars up there that Margaret we won over by Seymours one time is watching the cattle that you folks that gotta go friend Margaret can tell you that on the way home she went over with Tom and the dog we got that one that Black Dog put them up a tree in a shotgun with a shotgun and 4570 That's the one of the pictures in the book that skinny one of the heads of tapeworm

Unknown Speaker 1:23:14
out there most likely was around

Unknown Speaker 1:23:18
that big Tom

Unknown Speaker 1:23:21
ready to get used to people and they're not scared not scared at all. It's the islands here for the first few weeks it's always pretty wild.

Unknown Speaker 1:23:30
Yeah. Well that thing didn't care he didn't care about but kill the sheep and the deer within 100 yards of the house and eat them before Collins came over. We thought he had gone dead found this I found the dead deer the first one when dad got this he called the columns right away

Unknown Speaker 1:23:55
sheep and the sheep 150 pounds carried killed in the field and carry around second rail fences despite the lie back over and over and over and covered last.

Unknown Speaker 1:24:12
Yeah. Oh yeah. I wouldn't want to been tangled up at that gate with them. I'll tell you that.

Unknown Speaker 1:24:23
Joe, I think it was the teeth getting ready and John has asked me to go on a wonderful afternoon. The books are great all free. But there's nothing like having Dzhokhar in the rain and telling stories. And off the graduates all over the stage shot. Right before Christmas.

Unknown Speaker 1:24:49
Was the Night Before Christmas.

Unknown Speaker 1:25:03
Thank you for coming over by the way you are real salt. Spring Island

Unknown Speaker 1:25:09
down there. Find out about that paper tomorrow.

Unknown Speaker 1:25:13
Thanks ever so much for coming to join us. Thank you

Unknown Speaker 1:25:24
researching