Stories and Stuff (II): Spaniard's Bay NL

              STORIES & STUFF ( II )
SPANIARD'S BAY NL
Wesley Gosse May 2008
STORIES & STUFF (II)
TOPIC
School I More
Pigs & Trivia
Houses & Back Yards
Noder Cove Flood
The Sinners' Bench
Table of Contents
A One Time Resident Comes Home
Surnames of Spaniard's Bay & Trivia
The Labrador Fishery
St. Andrews by the Sea
A Funeral Chant
Adventure Shows
Goddenville
Lassy Point Fights
The Princess Theatre
Horses
A Lerry of Stuff
PAGE
1
2-3
4-6
6-8
9
9
10-12
13=15
16-17
17
18-19
20-21
22-23
23-24
25-28
28
STORIES 6: STUFF (II) SCHOOL I MORE Pagel
I mentioned earlier how classrooms were heated - here's more about that. Boys from
about Grade Seven onward looked after the fires. Usually there were older boys in charge.
Lighting the fire and maintaining it all day sort of enhanced your 'growing up' and manly
behaviour, something you hope didn't go unnoticed especially by the girls. The day began
around 8:15A.M. with our arrival at school with a bundle of 'splits' and paper or wood
shavings. When pupils arrived for the 9:30 opening the classroom would be warm and
fairly comfortable, the . Dixie stove red hot and the funnels too. A sure sign that the
classroom was sufficiently warm and comfortable was the appearance of big hibernating
house flies as they droned aronnd the warm Classroom. Coal for the fll"e was stored in the
'coal pound' in the back porch and was brought in as needed.
It often concerned me about the directions we were given and which we enthusiastically
followed regarding our comfort, health and welfare. After school on Wednesdays girls
swept the dusty classroom floors sometimes without the use of any dust control. Boys
routinely brought dusty slack coal from the 'coal bin' into the classroom.
We had morning health inspections. Pupils would place their hands palms down on the
desk and older girls would check fmger nails for proper cutting and cleanliness and palms
up for clean hands and wrists.
Around our classroom there were health posters two of which I can recall: EARLY TO
BED, EARLY TO RISE, MAKES A MAN HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND WISE and WHEN
YOU COUGH OR SNEEZE OR SNIFF BE . QUICK MY LAD WITH YOUR
HANDKERCHIEF.
This ail seems very contradictory to me now. But that's how it was!
*****
A rather unpleasant but nevertheless fact of school life was the presence of head lice - 'nits
and lice' it was called. They multiplied and grew profusely on the heads of their hosts imd
easily transferred from one person to another especially in school where children worked
and played in close proximity to each other. Public Health Nurses sometimes visited
schools, assessed the problem and distributed medication. Head lice were stubborn
creatures and were terribly bothersome causing itching, scratching and general discomfort
to their hosts. Treatment at home was important to getting rid of the parasite. Mothers
combed children's heads with 'fme tooth' combs removing the lice. Usually a piece of
brown shop paper was used to corral them and they were more easily seen and destroyed.
Heads were then washed with some special solution.
What I've described was not unusual and in fact is still prevalent today, though not so
frequently seen.
This is not intended to reflect on any individual or group. Simply put, that's the way it was!
STORIES & STUFF (II) PIGS Page 2
It was not uncommon for families to purchase from local breeders one or two newborn
pigs in late spring, feed and raise them until late fall at which time they would be killed and
become part of the family's winter food supply. Usually one pig would be sold thus
covering the costs for both.
Young pigs were kind of cute creatures and tended to bond easily with their new
caregivers. After being .weaned from their mothers the piglets were put on a diet of 'pig
starter' generously saturated with water, a kind of messy food and they loved it. Before
long the animals begin to show their independence, aggressiveness , impulsiveness and
greed. It wouldn't be long when the now half grown pigs, using their size to advantage,
would be nudging their keepers aside. Their diet by now has changed again. The staple
food is now Purina Pig Chow. This powdery grain, etc. is mixed with boiled potato skins
and/or small potatoes and spiced up with a generous helping of dried salt caplin portions.
It's little wonder that this was a pig's favourite. They also got left overs from the table.
Two pigs in the same . 'pound' usually didn't work out. The more aggressive of the two
tended to be stronger, bigger and healthier while the other, the 'runt', was considerably
smaller and a bit squeamish. Another reason for these differences was health. It was fairly
common for pigs to develop teeth and gum problems, especially the weaker ones. This often
resulted in eating little if anything. The owners tried various ways of treating this problem
one of which was providing small lumps of soft coal to the animal to help harden the gums
and strengthen its teeth. Falling this the owner would remove some of the pig's teeth,
painful though it must have been. The fmal step in solving the problem was providing a
separate living area for each pig.
The Pigs's Pound - Healthy pigs grow to be big and strong. They are stubborn and t9ugh.
It seems that the more havoc they create and the messier their surroundings the better they
like it. Pigs' living quarters have to be strong and secure, not in any way fragile or flimsy.
The animals' use of their weight and their constant desire to root and dig would put an end
to a weak.structure quickly. The 'pound' walls, aside from the building outer walls, were
three to four feet high allowing easy access for providing water and food. Pigs are not very
athletic and high walls were not needed.
Bedding for pigs was usually sawdust obtained from local sawmills. The sawdust base was
often covered with var (fir) bough tips and/or dry hay. Hay wasn't used a lot because of its
sale value and tree boughs were difficult to get unless they were near or on a neighbour's
property. The most suitable material was the vine evergreens that grew in abundance
lacing the mossy mounds of partridgeberry patches. This stuff was ideal. It was easily
obtained, light in weight, soft and velvety, was reusable and had a woods' fragrance.
Containers for food and water were special. Both were made from the bottom portion of
pork or beef watertight barrels about eight to ten inches high. On opposite sides of the
wooden troughs ( trows we called them ) tWo staves ( outside wall siding of the barrels )
were left a little higher to provide handles for easy moving. The troughs were quite heavy
STORIES & STUFF (II) PIGS Cont'd. Page 3
and were not easily tipped over or pushed around thus preventing the mess of wasted food
and water. Feeding the animals and cleaning the pounds took some expertise and
sometimes required two people to do it. A bit of 'pig psychology' helped. Scratching and
petting 'chook' ( the universal name for pigs ) took the pig"s attention while the other
keeper looked after the food, water and cleaning. Incidentally, pigs had a keen sense about
their domain and almost without exception 'did their business' in the same comer of the
. _pound.
It's now late fall and 'chook's final days are approaching. Food and drink are more
plentiful than usual and the last two to three weeks of 'fattening' are showing. The owner
has arranged everything for the event, the children have arranged not to be home and large
containers of boiling water will be available to facilitate the hair removal and general
clean-up. The most noted experts at this process were Mr. Llewelyn Jones and Mr. David
Barrett. There were others too.
Snow and frost seemed to come earlier than now and keeping a large quantity of meat
didn't present much of a problem. Some of the meat was pickled - knucks, fatback. jowls.
Hams were brined and/or smoked and the remainder was hung in the coldest place
available. In our case we had a room called 'the middle part' where the temperature was
always low. On occasion the pig's head was left intact and became the prize for a card
game.
The entire event has now unfolded and families enjoy the fresh frozen pork. It seemed to be
more sncculent and taste different then.
*it.***
YOUNG MOSE was from Tilton. He was only 84!
Do you know what is meant by " ADDLED " RAFTED
"BUBBLY BALLS "HANDY ABOUT "A SWEET
"ROUND ABOUT
*BEENTO
"TAFFY
Two older gentlemen were discussing life matters at the kitchen table while the women
attended a church meeting. The question of dying young and dying old came up and they
talked about this a long time. Finally Uncle George said to his friend Tom that the only
explanation he could give was this: ' Some get it over quick while others wait til the last
minute'.
*****
It's. Saturday evening and shop closing time. The Parish Priest came by and wondered if
father was going to church in the morning. Father was a little hesitant and non committal.
The Reverend Gentleman said, 'Jim, we're having hash tomorrow'. What did he mean?
*****
STORIES & STUFF ( n) HOUSES & BACK YARDS Page 4
Tbe houses of Northern ( Noder) Cove in Spaniard's Bay were typical of those elsewhere in
the community and indeed tbe Country. We're talking about Newfoundland prior to
Confederation with C::;anada. Here we'll discuss types of houses and their construction,
some aspects offamily living and other matters of interest.
Salt Box, Story and a Half, Bungalows and Two Story Peak Roof Houses were common in
the nineteen forties. They were usually built on low rock foundations and as near to the
local road as possible, some exceptions. Salt Box Houses - The main stringers, sills and
floor joists were generally chopped round timber, dry and very strong. Some of the better
off people could afford materials from local mills. The exterior walls were framed witb
similar but smaller materials whicb extended to the second level and whicb were boarded
up with straight edged, and sometimes tongue and grooved boards both inside and outside.
The outside wall siding was local spruce clapboard painted the colour of choice. The
sbeatbing board in most cases was one inch thick pine and reached widths of twelve inches
or more. Most if not all material was local. Roof materials were the same and
waterproofmg was done with 'black jack' felt and tar. Peak roof houses in some instances
had wooden shingles. Windows were of various sizes and shapes with tbe most common
being the rectangular four pane type. Some windows were more decorative depending on
the affiuence of the owners. Thick pine boards were used for flooring and there were two
such floors in some homes. All the interior partition walls were sbcathed up on both sides
with the same type of material, straight edged boards usually. Second level flooring was
local pine as welL Interior and exterior doors were locally made. The interior doors were
fitted with brass or glass knob passage sets. Many of the doors had keyed mini stock locks
fastened to the door itself with a metal catch attached to the door facing or frame. Most
homes had a single interior chimney, others had two. Interior chimneys didn't deteriorate
easily and the warm chimney was a good source of extra heat The porch or 'back house'
was an ' add-on' feature. We'll talk about that later.
In the salt box type houses the ceilings were low and were supported with fully exposed mill
finished beams. The areas between the beams were often coveted with a thick paperboard
product, usually Donna Couna or Johns Mansville, and painted with flat white oil paint.
Another popular product for ceilings and walls was wainscot, a decorative locally made
wood sheathing. This was painted, sometimes varnished. Tough Board, another
compressed paper board, was used for ceilings as well. Exterior walls and partitions were
covered with various combinations of . materials mentioned above. A less expensive
material, sheathing paper, was frequently used for wall covering. It was glued to the raw
boards, sized and then painted. Very often this material cracked easily with the slightest
movement of the building.
Back Yards were special, housing the stable! storel shed, toilet, chicken ( fowls' bouse )
coop and pen, wood pile and chopping block, clothesline, wbeelbarrow, etc., etc. If tbe back
yard was big enough there was a mini vegetable garden there too. Tbe stable was usually a
two story structure with upstairs storage for hay mostly, the lower part for animals
notably the borse, cow and pigs with a separate place for the hens at night.
STORIES & STUFF ( IT ) HOUSES & BACK YARDS Cont'd. PageS
Entrance to the house was through the 'back door' located in the 'back house' or porch.
The front entrance was seldom used except on special occasions and then only for special
visitors. The back porch contained a locker where extra wood was stored and other items
were kept out of sight. Some houses had water barrels and the porch was a good place to
keep it. Just inside the door was a rag mat and a broom to brush off excess snow in
wintertime. Later when running water was put in, the porch housed the electric water
pump. Otaco and .Southern were the most popular brands. There was a home made storm
door whicbwas opened and closed with a 'thumb -latch'. The door sometimes hilda small
rectangular glass. The back porch was the main entrance to the large eat-in· kitchen. I
don't recall seeing a storm door at the front. The front entrance sometimes had a manually
operated doorbell. There weren't many of them. The door opened into a fairly wide
hallway which housed stairs to the second leveL The 'front room' was usually to the right
side, another general purpose room adjacent to it and the hallway led to a the kitchen.
Some houses had a fireplace, sometimes two and a patterned rug on the floor in the front
room. This was not typical of most homes. The main kitchen furnishings were the stove,
table and chairs, a couch or locker and rocking barrel chair. A sideboard with glass
inserted doors was prominent too and displayed the special dishes owned by the lady of the
house.
I remember vaguely a cast iron black/grey stove. A polish called 'Nonsuch' was used to
keep it spic and span. There were no 'gil guys' as they say, just a plain old stove. Later the
word 'stove' was replaced with 'range' and the new eye pleasing ranges took over. There
was lots of chrome, nicely painted and coloured doors and food warmers, These 'new'
kitchen appliances were not airtight. Burning was controlled by mechanisms on the
appliance and funnel keys. Some of the popular name brands included: Merit, MaUl of
Avalon, Gurney, NAFCO Special, Findlay, Etc. When kitchen ranges came on the market so
did some friendly arguments about who had the best range and particularly which could
'draw' best. Lincoln and his wife had purchased a new Merit and Lincoln is reported to
have said that theirs could 'draw' best. 'The cat got the canvas tore off the floor trying to
hold on'. There were bedroom stoves too, among them the popular Queenie and Our
Franklin. The vast majority of homes did not have central heating. Warm Moming hall
stoves partially solved this problem. Most people extinguished the fires before bedtime. Still
later Duo Therm and other brand oil space heaters appeared and, of course, central heating
followed. Most of the stoves and ranges in our area were purchased from Isaac Sheppard,
local agent for the Great Eastern Oil Company and James G. Baggs of Bay Roberts. Both
sold stove parts such as flI"ebox backs, ends and grates, etc.
The upstairs level was basically a four bedroom sleeping area. Night lighting was usually
from a fifteen watt bulb suspended from the ceiling by a piece of braided green wire and
attached to a bakelite rosette fastened to the ceiling. If there was a spare upstairs room it
was generally used for storage and doubled as a bathroom of sorts for night soil storage.
An outdoor toilet, often called a 'privy' or 'linny' was for daytime use.
STORIES & STUFF (IT) HOUSES & BACK YARDS Cont'd. Page 6
The children's bedroom was immediately above the kitchen. Warm air from a hole in the
kitchen ceiling directly above the 'range' kept the room comfortably wariD until the
children were in bed. When morning came it was cold as evidenced by the curled up
canvas. We hustled downstairs as quickly as possible to the half warm kitchen. Parents
now had the water bucket ice thawed and we were ready for hot cocoa and breakfast and
off to school. Here we are talking about winter conditions only.
The ~con~mic boom whi~h followed the end of World War Ii saw a significant increase in
new house construction. Most of the newly built houses were bungalows, few if any
basements. Different materials were now used and were purchased from local businesses.
There was indoor plumbing and upgraded electrical systems. Central heating, vinyl siding,
municipal water and sewer services, etc. were still some years away.
*****
THE NORTHERN (NODER) COVE FLOOD
This story is somewhat personal and is told from that point of view .Personal references to
family and friends can be transferred to those of the reader and this would be understood and
very welcome. The events and the underlying reasons for their occu"ence rest with the people
involved and the interest and efforts they put forward as adult volunteers to provide
wholesome and fun activities for high energy and enthusiasiic children. The events while
somewhat unique unto themselves, were not unique to Spaniard's Bay. Really they were
reflections of activities all around this great Province. I trust you enjoy the reading and it
revives pleasant memories of growing up in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Our parents Jim and Loretta Gosse owned property at the intersection of Baker's Hill and
the Conception Bay Highway, just south of the blacksmith forge. The dwelling house and
attached shop bordered on a fairly large stream which carried water from the cove area to
the harbour waters via two lanes of thirty-six inch concrete pipes. Further south of the
brook were two open fields owned by Mr. A. R. Gosse and Mr. Bert Gosse.
Father never played hockey but he was, by his own admission, an addict of the game. This,
coupled with his intense desire to be a good community volunteer fuelled his hockey
passion. This fanaticism soon translated into action and having two soon to be teenagers
did little to diminish that drive. There were others who shared this enthusiasm. Most
notable among them were Lincoln Mercer, Victor Sheppard and William Hutchings. There
were others too who provided encouragement and help.
Jim's first attempt at hockey organization, management and coaching came in the fall of
194(; when he along with several other hockey enthusiasts called a meeting of interested
players and the Eagles hockey team was born. The follol\ing January there was a meeting
of other teams to set up a schedule of games. Here's a quote from father's diary dated
January 11, 1946: " First hockey meeting tonight. All teams present. J. Gosse, Chairman".
r
,
STORIES & STUFF (II) THE NORTHERN (NODER) COVE FLOOD Cont'd. Page 7
January 20,1946 diary quote: "Amateur contest tonight in aid oftearn". After the break­up
of the Eagles a new team of younger players emerged called the Rangers with father and
others very much involved. This information is given purely to show the liking that Jim
and hockey friends had for the game and their desire to provide fun and enjoyment for
young people.
The winter of 1946 was not a good one for hockey. There was lots of frost and snow but
very little rain and mild weather spurts. Aside from the ponds, there weren't many places
to skate and play hockey especially for younger children. We were not allowed on Northern
Cove or Brazil's Pond. The water was deep and the brook currents were strong. Grace's
Marsh, our favourite place, was not up to its usual standard. Mint Cove Pond was the
domain for older boys and hockey games between the Eagles and other communities
regularly took place there. We were relegated to the less attractive areas on the pond. Back
Cove Marsh was more of a skating area for boys and girls and was not really good for
hockey games because of protruding rocks, grassy knobs and some deep water and
unfrozen spots. Our last resort was Rocky Pond on New Harbour Road. But it was too far
away from where we lived.
Lewis and I, our friends of ten to twelve years of age and some older boys too were in a
dilemma, We had no place to play hockey and our disappointment showed. Dad, Lincoln
and Will decided on a wild and somewhat ill-fated scheme to provide us with a place to
play in 'Nader' Cove. Remember the brook! Let's go back to the fall of 1946 briefly.
The 'Nord Easters' of November, 1946 were more frequent and devastating that usuaL The
heavy pounding seas had eroded the shoreline, especially in Northern Cove and all the way
to the Back Cove area to Green Head. The road way around Lassy Point, Mint Cove Beach
and Main Beach was damaged considerably The brook adjacent to our parents' property
was blocked with beach rocks, sand and other debris making it practically impossible for
water to get to the ocean.
It was under these circumstances that father and several friends embarked on this suspect
project. Somehow or other they dammed the culverts leading to the ocean with two old
storm doors which very quickly were frozen into place, backing up the water flow and
flooding the nearby garden. We had the perfect rink! Every day from January to late
February, except Sundays, we played hockey. The sliding shop window provided the view
of the games and dad 'announced' them from his 'gondola' using our favourite l'\'HL
player names, My guess is that others gave the colour commentary and game analysis.
Everything was great until a major problem occurred.
It was late February when the weather abruptly changed and we were hit with two days
and nights of strong south east winds, higher than normal temperatures and a downpour of
heavy rain. Father seemed concerned and mother seemed unconcerned about any possible
or impending problem.
r
STORIES & STUFF (II) THE NORTHERN (NODER) COVE FLOOD Cont'd. Page 8
Saturday Night and Hockey Night In Canada. Dad, Lewis and I were on the couch listening
to the Toronto Maple Leafs' game on CBA Maritimes Radio. Lewis noticed the cat licking
up water under the kitchen stove. Mother thought it was water from our drying mitts or
boots. Father said nothing, got up and opened the back porch door. He was greeted with
an avalanche of water. His first and only comment was, ' Loretta, we've had a tidal wave'.
There was water everywhere stretching from Uncle Kenneth Gosse's property to that of
.. Mr.Roland Gosse. The water was deep and shimmering, the wind had subsided but the
rain continued. Father said you could sail Billy Barrett's boat in the cove tbat night.
By now cans, various types of debris were coming in the back entrance and floating out the
front to the ocean. There was mud, coal from the 'pound', etc. all through the house as the
water level reached two steps up the stairs. Across the road Uncle Eliol Yetman's shop
resembled a boat sailing into the wind with water splashing against the front and cascading
along the sides to the sea. Uncle Eliol lived some distance away and was unaware of this
event and would have had some difficulty getting there in any case.
Some fIfteen to twenty men and women were quickly mobilized and began moving
perishable itelUS and others off the shop and house floor, About this time Lewis and I were
despatched to the home of Mose and Isabelle Gosse and their son Nathan. We remained
there for a day or so before returning home. Sometime during the night Lewis returned to
the still flooded house and rescued the cat as he jumped from the table to other dry places
in the kitchen.
An image that sticks closely to Lewis and I is of dad standing almost to his shoulders in the
icy cold water trying to punch holes in the storm door .dam so that water could get to the
ocean. We were told next day that father was fortunate to have survived. Apparently when
the opening was made the pressure form the backed up water was so great that he was
close to being swept into the small pipes and into the sea. His physical strength and
determination stood him in good stead.
But that's not the end of the episode. A strong north west wind, snow flurries and bitterly
cold temperatures followed. Despite this the clean-up continued and soon we were back
home, our rink was restored and our hockey games continued. What an adventure for
everyone!
This is, of course, what had happened. The dammed oJfpipes and heavy rainfall andfathers'
intent on 11IIlking a rink for us had gone awry and a self inflicted flood occurred. There are,
I'm sure, tales of similar events all around this Province. Adventures of this sort probably
strengthen our character as a people,11IIlke us resilient, kind and helpful friends and
neighbours.
*****
STORIES & STUFF (II) THES~RS'BENCH Page 9
The area at the intersection of Baker's Hill, the Conception Bay Highway and Casey's
Lane was, as far back as I can remember, a 'gathering place'. There 'on the corner' older
and younger men and occasion older teenage boys met and discussed events of the time,
spread rumours, told tall tales and reminisced. The hottest topic was usually politics and
government. The teenagers and younger men generally listened to the yarns that were spun
and learned from the veterans what to say and how and when to say it. The nature of
discussions reflected the style and temperament of those present. Agitators, the reserved
and those of few words, some who spoke oui whether they were heard or not, and others
managed to get a word or two in before the evening was over. Sometimes a visitor from
another community would drop by. One such visitor was well known as a 'prodder' or
'stirrer upper' and he described his role like this: " This world is but a boiling pot and ye
are the doughboys, and I am here to stir ye up".
UncIe Mosey's Rock was a prominent feature of 'the corner' and it was understood to be
the exclusive domain of the older folk. r know of one man whose visits weren't always
regular. He explained it this way "I don't deserve to go 'down on the corner' tonight
because I haven't done a good day's work". Others felt the same way.
Over time the numbers dwindled. Eventually the road was widened, Uncle Mosey's Rock
was removed and Stan's new fence wasn't used so frequently to lean on. Someone in the
early silcties placed a wooden bench 'on the corner' that over time and through
conversation came to be called THE SINNERS' BENCH. While this name carried a
negative meaning, it really had no special significance. It was merely a name with a special
flare. THE SINNERS' BENCH doesn't exist any more but hopefully will grace 'the comer'
soon.
*****
A ONE TIME RESIDENT COMES HOME
This story is centered around THE SINNERS' BENCH, those gathered there and the
return home of a one time resident. I have changed the names to be fictitious. There is no ill
intent meant or implied. I trust the reader understands.
Background - Jim and Harry were great friends as teenagers and even though they grew
up some distance apart in Spaniard's Bay they shared many common experiences
attending school together, picking berries, catching tom cods, etc. Really their bond of
friendship was remarkable. Jim, two years older than Harry, was more outgoing and
always itched, in many ways, to be different than many of his friends. Job opportunities in
Newfoundland were few and Jim felt the need to leave home. At age eighteen he decided to
go to Toronto to seek his fortune, maybe get married, raise a family and come back home
on occasion and renew some of his old acquaintances. That was his ambition and that's
what he did. It was a sad day indeed, especially for his long time friend Harry, when Jim
left. It would be thirty-five years or so before Jim would return to Spaniard's Bay for his
first visit home.
STORIES & STUFF (II ) A ONE TIME RESIDENT COMES HOME Cont'd. Page 9 (a)
While in Toronto Jim married a mainland girl, raised a family of three and by his own
reckoning did very well financially. After his retirement Jim had a longing to visit his home
town. Newfoundland was now a Province of Canada, things were rapidly changing and the
Smallwood era of ' develop or perish' was evident. The days of machine plants, rubber
factories, leather tanneries and chocolate factories were upon us and even thougb this was
temporary it created a lot of optimism at the time. Roads were being tarred ( paved ), some
of the larger towns had street lights, fire trucks, etc. This didn't go unnoticed by people
who left home IIillny years ago, and especially Jim. The stories of THE SINNERS' BENCH
aroused Jim's curiosity and he promised himself that when he came home he would visit,
se", and hear first hand what this was all about.
It was a late June evening, sunny, calm and warm, small boats seemed tu move silclltly
around the harbour, the 'gathering place' and 'bcnch' were full, the usual crowd. There
were several teenagers who listened to conversations they weren't supposed to bear, some
younger inCii and, of course, the older folks several of whom were World War 1 Veterans.
Also among those prescnt was Jim's friend ofycan ago, Harry. He had just arrived 'on the
corner' from his 3lIrden where be had been spreading caplin and trenching his potatoes. It
was against this background that Jim visited THE SINNERS' BENCH.
The Story - Jim arrived 'on the corner' about seven o'clock. His attire was different to say
the leas!. Wearing a nic~ charcoal colour straw hat, a pair of light gabardine trousers,
sporting a colourful loose fitting shirt, what appeared to be expensive sun glasses, a pair of
open saudals, wrist wakh and several rings and finally carrying a cigarette case and
extended cigarette holder, Jim seemed out of place. You might say, h!: dido't fit.
Nevertheless, Jim was undaunted and introduced himself in a kind of energetic way
describing his financial and other successes in life in coDside. ..". ble dei!liL Moot were not
"impressed with the acquired 'thick' accent and the one sided conversation.
The. teenagers and most of the younger men were passed over and one by one he spoke
with the older men. Practically no one said anything. Some nodded, gruJitro,iludgcd each
other, spit out tobacco juice and sometimes gave a knowing gbncc as they iilll.'.d their pipes.
J"IDI was now feeling very uncomfortable and didn't know anyone. The last pers:)J' he
greeted was his long time friend, Harry. He didn't shake Harry's hand as he did with the
others. The dialogue went something like this:
Harry: Welcome 'home' Jim. My son, I'd know you anywhere. I could pick you out of a
crowd. You haven't changed a bit. How long have you been gone Jim?
Jim: Young man, should I know you? And, by the way, my 'home' is Toronto now, not
Spaniard's Bay. I've been gone just over thirty-five years.
Harry: Jim, you should know me of all people. Sure you and I went to school together,
caught trout and we even courted together sometimes and you don't know mel I
find that some queer, boy.
STORIES & STUFF (IT) A ONE TIME RESIDENT COMES HOME Cont'd. Page 9(b)
NOTE: Jim was becoming increasingly frustrated as the conversation went on and tried his
best to smooth things out.
Fun: I really feel sorry I don't' know you. Give me another good reason why I should.
Maybe then I'll remember you.
Hal7J!: Jim, you've been gone_something likethirty~five years. That's a long time, Jim ...
But you still should know me, your best buddy growing up. Sure [ never left
Spaniard's Bay at all!
The crowd 'on the comer', THE SINNERS' BENCH, nodded, gave lIIIother g/once of
approval and a subdued chuckle. Jim went home early to be with his family and friends.
*****
STORIES & STUFF (II) SURNAMES .oF SPANIARD'S BAY
1921 Census
RYAN
HUTClllNGS
FINN
DUGGAN*
GREENLAND
LEARY*
BARRETT
FLEMMING*
BURSEY'"
PHELAN'"
CAIN'"
PEDDLE
CURRIE'"
GOSSE
COOMBS
BARRY*
DELANEY*
NEIL
BUTT
SHEPPARD
KENNEDY
GUILFOYLE*
VOKEY
BLANDFORD*
CHIPMAN
REID
YOUNG
SMITH
COSTELLO*
MERCER
BAGGS*
NOSEWORTHY
BROWN*
MENCIllONS
BLUNDON"
DWYER*
GOSLING*
MURRIN
COLLINS
QUINN"
FLYNN'"
F1TZP ATRICK*
PORTER
THOMPSON'"
BRAZIL
ANTHONY
ROBERTS
WHELAN
SEYMOUR
GODSELL
GOULD"
BYRNE
STRICKLAND
KENT
CALLAHAN
SNOW"
YETMAN
PIKE
SQUIRES'"
CLARK
FROMEWAY*
CLENCH'"
BISHOP
COMMON'"
POYE*
EADY"
CLEARY*
WILLIAMS*
SAUNDERS
JEWER
DEVLIN'"
HAMMOND
SEWARD'"
* Surnames no longer in Spaniard's Bay - May 31, 2008.
Page 10
STORIES & STUFF (II ) SPANIARD'S BAY SURNAMES Page 11
A riot took place in Mint Cove on Sunday, September 13, 1813. A court session followed at
Harbour Grace Monday, September 14, 1814. It appears tbat grudges were held against
Robert Gosse and Jonathan Sheppard, resident constables, regarding judgements and
decisions they had made during the summer. It is probable that the matters were fishery
related i.e. shoreline property for stages, etc.
Those charged for behaving 'in a riotous' manner were:
JOHN ROBERTS .. . WILLIAM ROBERTS-JOSEPH
FOSTER* JOHN GRELY
DAVID PHELINE*
JOSEPH DEER'"
MICHAEL FARRELL'"
There were others involved and were not charged but were summoned to court as
witnesses.
WILLIAM GOSSE
HENRY SHEPPARD
JOHN GOSSE
TIMOTHY COLLINS
DAVID PHEALINE ( Jr. )*
FRANK GOSSE
GEORGE COLLINS
THOMAS SMITH
All those charged were fonnd guilty and received various sentences.
·Surnames no longer in Spaniard's Bay - May 31,2008.
*****
Spaniard's Bay has a lot of 'new' surnames. Many have moved here in the last few years.
Here are some of them.
LYNCH
TRAINOR
WALTERS
BULLEN
0' NEILL
ABBOTT
NOFTALL
mSCOCK
WOOD
LANE
LITTLEJOHN
MUGFORD
SNELGROVE
ALLEN
WELSH
KLEINWORT
BASSETI'
DYCKSON
LUNDRIGAN
ADAMS
HEDDERSON
TmSTLE
BUCKLAND
MITCHELL
BUDDEN
WOODFORD
OSBORNE
CHURCmLL
COMPTON
HARRIS
ASH
MOORE
MULLETT
RALPH
HILL
POTHIER
NORMAN
WONG
STUCKLESS
ELLSWORTH
DEERING
PAULS
wmTE
CORMIER
KEATING
ROSE
GARLAND
LAWLOR
ANDREWS
BARTLETT
BOONE
STORIES & STUFF (n) SPANIARD'S BAY SURNAMES
HYNES
NUGENT
SPARKES
BOWERING
CAMILlERI
KAVANAGH
MAHONEY-MARSH - .. -
SULLIVAN
ROBINSON
EZEKIEL
COADY
GIFFORD
LOVELESS
SKINNER
FOLLETI
HODDER
MCCARTHY
GREGORY
IVANY
POWER
PARDY
BURRY
GEORGE
JANES
OSBOURNE
TILLER
TROWBRIDGE
THOMPSON
COISH
HAYWARD
PARSONS
DAWE
GLAVINE
NEWELL
EVANS
CRANFORD
*****
SPANIARD' BAY SURNAMES WHERE SPELLING HAS CHANGED
JEWER
MENCHIONS
NOSEWORTHY
NEIL
JUER
MENCHINTON
NOSERY
NEAL
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
TRIVIA
VOKEY
PEDDLE
YETMAN
HUTCHINGS
Page 12
MILLER
SHORT
WINSOR
BUTLER
GUSHUE
MORRIS
REES
NEWMAN
WELLS
HAIRE
KIRBY
LANGER
VAIL
DYKE
SMALL
PERRY
VALLIS
FOWLER
VOCUEY
PIDDLE
YITMAN
HUTCHINS
A drunken man refused to leave a CEWA 'time' in the Parish Hall. The lady boss 'glamed'
the man and removed him from the Hall.
A scale off Uncle Mosey's Light Beaver disagreed with the twelve year old boy.
Give me a 'severe tug' or a 'severe puff' or a 'severe draw'. What was meant?
Backey was 'cut' or 'shredded'. Why?
Jim, can I have two 'fags' please? Blends are OK. What is meant?
They're 'squiled over'. Meaning?
STORIES & STUFF (n) THE LABRADOR FISHERY & SUMMERS AT HOME 13
Writer's Comments - The writings here are based purely on memories of growing up in
Spaniard's Bay most of which I have personal knowledge of and some I have been told by
friends and relatives. None of the material has been researched in any way. These are my
remembrances and are true from that points of view. Others may recount the same events
and their recollections may be very different than mine but are no less true or accurate
from their viewpoint.
BackgrollDd - The Conception Bay North area is steeped in the traditions of the Labrador
Coast Fishery. I am somewhat familiar with the area from Brigus to Carbonear generally
and particularly the community of Spaniard's Bay. Consequently what I have written here
is local in nature and on occasion names are given to highlight an event or circumstance.
Here is the schedule I have followed.
Preparation for the Labrador Fishery
Home Preparation
The Labrador Trip
Down on the Labrador
Summer at Home
Home from the Labrador
Fall Activities
The long winter days are busy times for the Labrador skipper, his sharemen and older
boys in the family as they prepare for the fishing season on the Labrador Coast, still
several months away. Worn nets have to be cut and repaired, new ropes and floats
attached, some discarded and replaced with new which are made ready for the upcoming
season. Some fishermen whose boats were brought home last fall will do the necessary
repair work later in the spring when the weather is more suitable. This will involve plank
replacement, new caulking, painting, engine overhauling and other general repairs.
Materials for 'rooms' and stages wiD be procured and stored and will be shipped to the
Labrador when the crews leave. All the preparation is made less burdensome with the help
of fishing friends whose help is freely given. These are usually people whose work is done
and almost daily 'lend a hand' to the busy folk. The work day takes on a social event
atmosphere as all gather in a shed or store loft amidst the smell of tarred nets and twine,
smoke from the roaring wood fire and Holiday pipe tobacco. This is mixed with all sorts of
stories, news and the like to the enjoyment of all and the work gets done. The business side
of getting ready is left IlDtillater when arrangements are made for supplies of fuel, salt, etc.
and fish prices are set. Sometimes fish pricing is not done until after the fishing season is
over and market conditions are more stable.
Home preparation is a priority too and much has to be done. Some women and smaller
children will remain home this summer and homes will be made weatherproof, safe and
secure for them. Considerable time will be spent repairing and replacing fencing, gardens
will be tilled and planting done. In some caseR one or two pigs wiD be purchased to be fed
STORIES & STUFF (II) LABRADOR FISHERY Cont'd. Page 14
and cared for during the summer and into late faD. An adequate supply of dry firewood
was cut and stored, arrangements made with the local shopkeeper for food supplies, etc.,
until the fall when the bills will be paid. Probably one of the last things to be done is putting
the horse to pasture. Sometimes this is left for a friend to do or he may keep the horse for
his use during summer. By late spring preparations are well in hand , some odd jobs
remain to be done and people wait for the steamers and the trip to the fishing grounds of
Labrador.
The Gerald S. Doyle Bulletin and in later years the DOSCO News heralded the departure
of the steamers from St. John's to ports in Conception Bay and other ports along the
coastline, across the Straits to Labrador. Port calls in Conception Bay were usually Brigus,
Bay Roberts and Carbonear. Along the way there were calls at Lewisporte, Twillingate and
St. Anthony. Two steamers usually travelled together with one carrying the fishing boats
and heavier freight and the second carried passengers and lighter freight for quick off
landing at the imal destination., The Kyle, synonymous with the Labrador fishery, was
always the main carrier, the Glencoe and other boats accompanied the Kyle. Often the
illlhing crews after loading their freight ( for example at Bay Roberts ), would spend
another night at home and board the steamer at the next port of call ( Carbonear ). Travel
costs were not overly expensive. The was a travel subsidy for fishermen which covered part
of the passenger and freight expenses.
The voyage to the Labrador Coast took the better part of a week and this varied with
weather and ice conditions. The boat trip was not always pleasant and especially so when
the steamer was crowded as was often the case. Finally the steamers arrived dropping off
crews and freight at the various fishing harbours including Battle Harbour. Indian
Harbour, Emily Harbour, Horse Harbour, Smokey, Sandy Islands, Black Tickle, etc. Now
on land the fishing crews began work repairing the living quarters, stages and fish storage
facilities and generally getting ready for what they hoped would be a busy fishing season.
They had the skills, knowledge and judgement to handle whatever the Labrador weather
and ice conditions threw at them. Sometimes there were serious mishaps and tragic events
but with the help and support of others in their own and neighboring fishing communities,
the difficulties were overcome. This was not an easy life, make no mistake about it.
The weather clear and the ice gone signalled the beginning of fishing. When fish was
plentiful the work was intense. Crews were on the grounds at daylight, returning to 'clear
away' the catch, something to eat and if time permitted make another trip. Salting the fish
was left to those on land, the skipper's wife and father or the girl who was hired for the
summer to do the washing, cooking and other house keeping. The main part of the fishing
was pretty well over by mid August and 'making' the fish got priority. This meant washing
and drying the fISh. The entire crew worked at this. Once completed the fish merchant
arranged for the pick up of the dried cod which would be readied for marketing later.
STORIES & STUFF (IT) LABRADOR FISHERY Cont'd. Page 15
Earlier in the summer time was found to catch and salt some Labrador Atlantic salmon. It
was cleaned and heavily salted in large wooden barrels to be taken home early fall. There
was no market for fresh salmon then. Labrador bakeapples was a real treat and often
bottles of preserved berries were bought home. Cured fish to be brought home was caught
in late August and early September. Much of the fish was for the personal use of the
skipper and his crew. However large quantities were sold to friends and provided a source
of ready eash while waiting to get 'straightened up' with the fish merchant. Much of the
- slllt salmon was sold too as well as salt drie<Icods heads and sounds; There was a great
market for this at home.
It should be mentioned that all during the long and somewhat lonely summer there was
regular communication with those at home. Conversation was mostly about the weather,
fishing success, the health and safety of everyone, etc.
Family members at home had very different experiences than those on the Labrador Coast.
It was obviously a much slower pace. The daily routine centered on caring for family and
maintaining a schedule of daily chores which included the following: tending the gardens,
bringing in water and wood for the night, regular checks at the post office and keeping up
to date on news from friends and neighbours, making sure the pigs and chickens were fed
and kept clean and comfortable. Of course priority was always given to the security, safety
and happiness of younger family members. Berry picking time came mid August and lasted
well into September and families harvested the many kinds of berries available for
preserving and to sell to the local buyers. The money earned would go a long way in buying
special clothing, school books and supplies for the school year soon to begin.
Activity at fishing communities on the Labrador was slowing down as efforts to secure
buildings, stages and boats were ongoing. By early to mid October most of the 'fish voyage'
had been shipped except that kept for personal use. The steamers soon arrive, everything is
loaded and the much anticipated trip begins for home ports. A week or so later the
Labrador boats arrive home with everyone safe and sound and in good health and
hopefully with a successful fishing season behind them. The unloading process doesn't take
long and soon things are back to the regular routine. The owners soon reclaim their horses
from the hillsides, the lodge is open, the blacksmith forge is going full tilt and the
conversations about fIShing, the woods, community gossip, court house news, politics, etc.
begin all over again. The cycle is now complete and January will see its start again.
Here are some Labrador Fishermen whose names I recall There are doubtless many others
including a long list of crew members: Llewelyn Jones, Lincoln Mercer, Jesse Smith (Sr.),
William Hutchings, Hayward Hutchings, John Arthur Hutchings, James Smith, Duncan
Collins, Edward Collins, John Fred Sheppard, Don Sheppard, Fred Smith, Jesse Smith,
Waiter Barrett, Reuben Gosse, Lee Pye, Theodore Gosse, William Chipman, John Arthur
Hutchings (New Hr. Road), Lewis Sheppard, Richard Sheppard, John Mose Seymour,
Mose Gosse( Casey's Lane), Edward Chipman, Arthur Seymour.
STORIES & STUFF (II) Page 16
ST. ANDREWS BY THE SEA & THE BEACH GROVE HOTEL
Yes, there was a first class hotel at Spaniard's Bay! I have been unable to determine who
constructed or owned the original hotel which was known as ST. ANDREWS BY THE SEA.
The information I have suggests it was built in the early nineteen twenties or maybe a little
before then. The building was a large two story structure similar to the current Spaniard's
Room whiclI was formerly the home of Mr. Mark Gosse and his family. It was located on
Main Beach just westof the l'llilway track -and east of-Muddy -Hole -Road, then called
Victoria Road and· had a beautiful view of the ocean. The land is now a used car sales lot
and the home of several other business. The hotel was in operation just a short while
before being purchased by a Mr. Arch W. Chambers from the St. John's area. The hotel
name was subsequently changed to the BEACH GROVE HOTEL and a large extension was
made to the west end and major renovations were made making it a first class facility.
About the building - The newly extended and renovated building had twenty-five well
appointed guest rooms and first class dining facilities for some thirty-two people. There
was a fairly large ball room and dance floor and licensed lounge area. There were three
pianos including one grand piano. Music for hotel guests was often provided by the guests
themselves and often by local musicians. It is fair to say that the BEACH GROVE HOTEL
was one of the better places to go at that time. The hotel grounds were well kept and
beautifully fenced. The building was heated with a hot water radiation system, very
unusual at that time.
The entire operation was managed by the owner, Mr. Chambers. There was, of course a
large staff including Mrs. Emily (Harvey) Chipman and Miss Agues Ryan. Mrs. Chipman
was the chief cook and was very well known for her skill and artistry in food preparation
and presentation. This was well acknowledged by the hotel patrons and was an important
part of the business success. Miss Ryan together with the owner looked after the lounge and
ball room area.
The hotel itself was somewhat exclusive and catered in large part to local people from the
surrounding communities who were financially well to do and many business people from
the St. John's area who visited on week-ends just to get away from city life. The St. John's
clientele usually came on the train on Thursday mid-day and remained at he hotel until the
Saturday afternoon. The train made special stops for hotel patrons. Incidentally, the
accompanying picture was take from the caboose of the train.
The BEACH GROVE HOTEL closed permanently in the late nineteen thirties and was
purchased in uineteen forty- one by Mr. Albert Mercer, who had recently moved from Bell
Island. The Mercer family converted the hotel building into a mill where coffins and
various furuiture items were made and an adjacent sawmill operation was set up. The head
carpenter was Mr. Al Bowering from Bay Roberts. Mr. Jim Gosse, Spaniard's Bay and
Mr. Baxter Mercer, Shearstown ran the sawmill section.
STORIES & STUFF (II, Page 17
ST.ANDREWS BY THE SEA & THE BEACH GROVE HOTEL
The entire mill except the sawmill was totaDy destroyed by fire May 6, 1950 and since that
time there have been several businesses on the site and continues to be so. Remnants of the
hotel and mill foundations are still visible.
..... . Most of the information in this article together with tbe accompanying pbotograph were
provided by Miss Agnes Ryan.
*****
A FUNERAL CHANT
It was not unusual in the early nineteen hundreds for hymns audior chants to be sung at
funeral processions. Mr. Johnatban Gosse, late of Spaniard's Bay , composed a chant
which he requested be sung at his funeral as it moved from his home to the Cburch. Here's
what he wrote.
Singfrom the chamber to the grave
Thus did the dead man say
A sound of a melody to hear
Upon my burial day.
Bringforth some tuneful instrument
And let your voices raise
My spirit listened as it went
To music of the skies.
Sing suitably as you travel on
And keep the funeral slow
The angels sing where [ am gone
And you shall sing below.
Sing from the threshold to the porch
Until you hear the bell
And sing you loudly in the Church
The Psalms [love so well
*****
STORIES & STUFF (ll) RADIO SHOWS 1940'S PAGElS
ADVENTURE SHOWS
This article is about memories and reminiscing and is somewbat nostalgie, particularly for
boys who grew up in the nineteen forties and were ten to fourteen yean old at the time.
Boys are fascinated with stories of adventure and danger and the skills and actions of their
heroes as they bring crimmals to justiee. Here is a schedule of radio heroes, some
baCkground to their 2dventures and bits of trivia JIlost will find mteresting:
Cisco Kid Lone Ranger Batman
Green Hornet Mandrake the Magician TheShadoHl
Supemrtln
Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid and his partner Poncho Gonzalez were open nmge and western
small town crime fighten. Their style was not always seriOl.! and was generously sprinkled
with light hearted comedy. Their shows were less adventuresome than most but always
worth hearing. Often in our boys' games of 'cowboys' we imitated Cisco's and Poncho's
antics.
Lone IUnger The Lone Ranger and his partner Tonto were our true 'cowboy' or prairie
range heroes fighting for law ~d order. We were taken up without question with their
exploits in putting the 'bad guys' in jail Tonto's horse was Scout anC: his urging of Scout
for more speed was heard in ' Gettum up Scout'.
Silver , the Lone Ranger's horse, was the class of radio and movie screen as well The
opening of the show is a good example. It. goes: ' A fiery hone with the speed of light, A
cloud of dust and a hearty Hi Yo Silver, The Lone Ranger rides &gEin'. And at the end of
the show as the Lone Ranger and Tonto rode into the sunset we heard,' Hi Yo Silver,
Away', and one ofthe admirers on the ground would say,' Who was the masked man?
Batman Batman's crime fighting sidekick was Robin. Bruce Wayne was the alias of
Batman. Batman and Robin were big city crime fighten. Batman's famous ear was the
Batmobile which was equipped with the latest technical crime fighting aad other devices.
This appealed to the imaginatiolll and desires of young teenagen. Batman and Robin was a
great show.
Green Hornet The Green Hom.et and Batman were similar. Both were dressed in special
suits, were masked , fought. city crime and had very special can. The radio show began
with its theme music of The FIi~'ht of the Bumble Bee. When .. call eame about a crime, the
Green Hornet and his valet and compatriot Kato would board the famous' Black Beauty ,
and at the Green Hornet's direction of' step on it Kato " they would speed off to the crime
scene. The Blaek Beauty was equipped with a 'rocket' engine. This was a special and
attractive feature for boys. We were really fascinated with and enjoyed the show a lot.
STORIES & STUFF RADIO SHOWS 1940'S Cont'd. PAGE 19
ADVENTURE SHOWS
Mandrake tlte Mal!ician There was a mystiqne about Mandrake, the tone and confidence
of his voice as he and his partners sought out in unusual ways the criminals of the day.
Lothar, the slow spoken gentle giant of the group was the enforcer and his physical abilities
were often used in dangerous situations. Princess Narda gave Mandrake sober second
thought and sound reasoned elq>lanations as the mysteries of crime plots unfolded. The
radio shows didn't attract the attention of big audiences probably because of fewer
broadCIISts and less frequent adventure action. Nevertheless, it was in my opinion, a classic
and interesting radio show.
The Shadow "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows". This
line followed by. a knowing nasal sounding laugh, was recited by Orson Wells as an
introduction to the next episode of The Shadow. Margo Lane and The Shadow moved in a
qu!et and inconspicuous way as they too helped solve the crimes of their time. This show
had a wide fallowing among ~eenage friends and was of'te!l • topic of our conversations.
Superman This was the show of aU shows, THE SHOW.
"Faster than a speeding bullet, More powerful than a locomotive, Able to leap tall buildings in
a single bound. Look! Up in the sky, It's a bird. It's a plane, It's Superman I THE
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN.
Superman was a fietitious chal'licter created of kryptonite fitme , the 'man of steel, X-Ray
vision, able to fly and possessed super human powers. His purpose in life was to help people
in times of danger and disaster and prevent and solve crime. Superman, alias Clark Kent,
was a reporter for the Daily Planet, a city newspaper, The lady reporter was Lois Lane and
Jimmy Olson the 'boy reporter'. The Daily Planet boss and editor was Perry White.
Together they searched out wOlllld be criminals and brought them to justice. Superman's
real identity was not known but Lois Lane, the lady reporter, always had her suspicions
knowing that Clark Kent and Superman were never seen togethe~.
Among Superman's criminal enemies were the following: The Penguin, Laugher, Joker,
Scarlet Widow, Fingers and the most hated of aU, The Atom Man.
The Atom Man was Superman's nemesis. He possessed super powers and especially the
ability to reduce Superman's powers. But Superman always won out in the elld.
The radio show was half hour dllmltion, five days a week and no one missed so episode!
All seven radio shows we've talked about were of fictional characters. There was an
abundance of adventure and action but very little, if any, real violent scenes of death and
use of weapons. Yet, the entertainment was good and very enjoyable, very different than
today. The reality is, times have, changed and not necessarily for the best .
•••••
STORIES & STUFF (ll) GODDENVILLE PAGE 20
The road leading from the Conception Bay Highway ( near Restaurant 99 ) and
intersecting with the road from TUton at Little Pond is currently called New Harhour
Road. Some years ago it was commonly known as the 'Slid., Path'. It was a narrow gravel
road and the access to good wood cutting areas of the Old Track' and 'New Harbour
BarrellS'. The section of the Slide Path from Second Pond near the Sheppard and Snew
properties to Bonyer's Road ran through an area called 'Thle Yellow Marsh', called by that
name because of the abundance of juniper trees. The Path was corduroyed and was
parallel to the 'New Line Brook'. The region north from Bonyer's Road to Little Pond was
known as ' Fall Pond Ridge' because of the well forested hill and mountainous terrain to
the west flnd Fall Pond to the east. The east side was forested too but not to the same extent
as the west side.
During the mid to late 1800's !"aU Pond Ridge was inhabited by many local residents. The
numbers were such that there was a need for a church and schooL The single tower chureh
was tom down around 1955 and most of the artifacts were destroyed or taken. Included
was a complete set of wall mounted brass oil lamps as well as various chureh
accoutrements. The organ ,as far as I know, is now stored at Holy Redeemer Chureh. The
one room school was sold and taken down about the ~lI.me time and materials were used for
house coustruction.
The reasons for settlement of Fall Pond Ridge are unclear. My guess is that close proximity
to good wood cutting, the abundance of small game and the attraction of the quiet
countryside were favourable considerations.
Reverent J. Godden became the resident clergyman of Holy Redeemer Church in 1894 and
remained until 1896. During his tenure at Holy Redeemer Rev. Godden ministered to the
peeple of Fall Pond Ridge. There was widespread respect for Rev. Godden and his name
became intimately associated with the community, so much so that even though there was
no formal declaration, the community became known as Goddenville, the name its bears
today. Goddenville, the once vibrant yet sleepy little community west of Spaniard's Bay no
longer has any residents. Fall Pond Ridge or Goddenville is now just a place but people who
once lived there have fond and vivid memories offamily and friends who are buried in the
refurbished and beautiful cemetery and whose names are prominently inscribed there.
These names are listed at the end of this writing as well as the names ofthose who taught at
Goddenvilk's one room schooL
The 1940's - I recently spent some time talking with a former resident of Goddenville and
we rambled and conversed about a wide range of topics. Our conversation can be
summarised as follows: The population of the area in 1945 was approximately twenty to
thirty. Several men worked in the mines on Bell Island and elsewhere more or less on a
seasonal basis. Fall and winter were taken up with wood cutting, raising one or two cows,
some goats, sheep and heus. Curiously no one reared pigs. Life was quiet IUld relaxed.
Older people played cards at night, the school was not used for any social functions.
STORIES & STUFF GODDENVILLE Cont'd. PAGE 21
Most houses were located on the east side of the .oad with the church, school and cemetery
opposite. There are remnants of building foundations, cultiv&ted trees and root cellars still
visible.
The daily life of chil.dren was uneventful. Teen age boys caught trout and trapped small
animals especially wease~s and muskrats. The fur pelts were sold locally that is until the
price was too low and after that were sold to Ewing Furriers of St. John's where they
fetched S 2.50 to S 3.00 each.
The abandonment of Goddel!ville was complete in the late forties and early fifties and the
area is now reserved as part of the Municipal Watershed for the Town of Bay Roberts. No
fIShing, hunting, bUilding ,wood cutting or any other kind of development is permitted in
the area.
Here are the names of several people who taught at the Goddenvme school:Julie Barrett
Julie Barett Llewelyn Neil Ina ( Legge) Smith Fred Murrin
Here are the names of peop!e buried at Goddenville cemetery with year of death and age in
years. The letter!!! indicates age in months, .!!..days,J! hours Name spelling is taken from
headstones.
William Murrin 1897 3 m; AdiIad Barrett 1897 8 d; Mary Murrin 1897 3 m; Mary
Drover 1898; Juley Hutchings 1898 24; Richard Murrin 1898 3 m; Mary Barrett 1899
45; Julia Noseworthy 1899 12 h; George Murrin 1901 7 y.; William Murrin 1901 87;
John F. Barrett 1902 2 Y. m; Annie M. Higgins 1904 12; Albert Higgins 1904 24;
Deliah Higgins 1905 6 d; Levi Barrett 1905 52; Hannah Barrett 1905 9 m; Archibal
Barrett 1905 52; John W. Barrett 1906 2; Loucis Peddle 1907 21; Louise Barrett 1907
52; George Smith 1908 19; Mary Smith 1908 52; Henery Higgins 1909 1; John T.
Higgins 1909 6 m; Hannah Higgins 1909 10; Julia Barrett 1910 5 m; Rubin Higgins
1910 1 h; Sarah Higgins 1910 35 Sarah A. Higgins 1911 1 m; Sarah Barrett 1912 1 h;
Voilet E. Higgins 1913 22 m; Roland Higgins 1914 1 h; William Higgins 1914 80;
Gladys Higgins 1914 2 m; WlIIlter Higgins 1914 4; Cathrin Clark 1916 30; Fredrick
Clark 1916 5 m; Henery Barrett 1917 45; Mary J. Smith 1918 27; William Higgins
1919 2 d; Mary Higgins 1921 3 d; William Higgins 1921 46; John Higgins 1923 26;
May Higgins 1923 6 d; Tholl~as Barrett 1925 93; John Higgins 1925 53; Alfreda
Higgins 1929 58; Enid Higgms 1935 2; Isedera Barrett 1936 61; Annie Higgins 1939
35; Mary Higgins 1939 4; Rubin Higgins 1939 70; Gertrude Higgins 1940 31; Rubin
Higgins 1941 36; CharIis Higgnis 1947 5 d; Sarah Noseworthy 1950 82; Johnathan
Noseworthy 1954 88; Linda M. Higgins 1955 18 d.
** •••
STORIES & STUFF (II) ,LASSY POINT
LASSY POINT FIGHTS
PAGE 22
Lassy Point - Backgrou£d The section of the Conception Bay Highway at Northern
(Noder) Cove which stretches from A-I Convenience to the Stone House is generally
regarded as Lossy Road and that part from roughly the Orange Lodge to a distance half a
kilometre west of the Royal Canadian Legion Building is cdled Lossy Point. I have been
unable to determine precise dates but my guess is that the original construction and
widening of the narrow pathway occurred in the nineteen thirties. My information is that
the roadway was constructed to provide an easier route for horse drawn traffie rather than
the stecp hills on both sides of Holy Redeemer Church.
Building the roadway was a major underteking. It was necessary to have a sturdy sea wall,
a retaining wall on both sides as well as the road itself. There were many men employed on
this project and with few exceptions an were paid with various foodstuffs most notably
moues. Hence the name Lossy Point or Lossy Road.
The Fights - The courting days of young people often lead to jealousies, disagreements,
rumours, skirmishes and sometimes plain aggression and fights. That's :lot to say there
weren't other reasons. Every community had its' macho' types, those who liked to fight
whether they could or not and they didn't really need a reason. There were others who
were the quiet kind, the slow to anger, the ones best Jeft alone. They were the 'unknowns' ;
we'll talk about them later. Tine commwlity 'heavyweight macho' kmd usually let their
intentions be known before any confrontation took place. This information was spread by
rumour and gossip and soon reached the ears of the younger and older teenagers and the
stage was set for the Sunday Night match-ups. The stories were promoted by groups who
encouraged their heroes to right supporting them verbally mainly because they had a
'friendly fear' of their idols themselves.
Sunday Night - The events described here occurred in the mid to late forties and early
fifties. Holy Redeemer Church had an evening Service while Saint Anne's Roman Catholic
Church and the United Church Services were earlier in the day. It's now 8:00 P.M. and
Church Services are over.
It's a nice July night, warm with a full moon, the paved roild is dry and Lossy Road is
blocked with teenage boys and girls for the social event of the week. Boys from other
nearby communities would be tIilere but seldom were there any 'outside' girls. Some people
did not accept boys from outside 'stealing' their girls. This was a built in jealousy which on
occasion led to disagreements. There were exceptions to this. If the 'outsider' was a trusted
friend, was not a trouble maker and well liked, he would be quite welcome. The main
reason for the Sunday Night gatherings was courting. The other reason was the
anticipation of a Sunday Night main event! There are no street lights, practically no motor
vehicle traffic, quiet and a beautiful summer's night for boys and g:rls to meet, greet and
renew special acquaintances. Indeed, the kind of night tfult has fond and last'.ng memories.
STORIES & STUFF LASSY POINT Cont'd. PAGE 23
Earlier I spoke abOld the 'quiet, siow to anger' types every eolllmunity had. They never
went looking for tro~ble but were always present when the less belligerent were pusbed
around and bullied. Their mere presencll brought stability to many social gatherings and
for this they were tnJ.sted and respected.
Often those who anticipated the Sunday Night challenges were disappointed when the
rumoured events didn't occur. It sometimes happened that the eombatants didn't show or
wiser and sober beads prevailed. As well girls were not overly impressed with the 'macho
IUltiC!' Itnth for that reason alone the 'advertised' tights never occurred.
*****
THE PRINCESS THEATRE
A group of St. John's businessmen built a number of theatres at various locations in
Newfoundland in the mid to late nineteen forties. Three were built in Conception Bay, the
Avalon at Kelligrews, the Bond at Carbonear and the Princess Theatre at Spaniard's Bay.
Yes, there was a first class hotel ( Beach Grove) and a fairly large, wellsppointed movie
theatre here as well! Let me tell you more about it, its location, bistory, etc.
The Princess Theatre was built around ninetecn forty- six on land which was originally
part of the Porter Estate, then owned by Mr. Nathaniel Porter. The property is directly
across from the res~dence of the Late Mr. Lawrence Murrin at the intersection of the
Conception Bay Highway and Back Cove Road North. The theatre building was
approximately one hundred feet long, thirty feet wide and thirty feet high. The roof was
flat and the exterior siding was slate grey asbestos shingles. The interior was well appointed
with a slanted floor from north to south, wall mounted low glow lighting, ceiling house
lights and comfortable seating. There was a stage and dressing room aree at the south end
snd the movie screel!. was loc&ted there as well. The main entrance was off the highway and
housed the box office and a large upstairs movie projection area and two ground Door
washrooms. The building was heated with hot water radiation. There was canteen service.
The fIrst manager-projectionist was Mr. Nathan Barrett. Miss Audrey Crane (now Wilson)
operated the box office, Tickets were collected by Mr. Harry Chipman and the
janitor/caretaker wzs Mr. Max Roberts. The projectionist, Mr. Barrett, worked at the
theatre for two years aad was, succeeded by Mr. Bernard (Barney) Noseworthy, other
workers remained the same. The theatre was closed for seversl years until Mr. Gordon
Pike took over the operation and continued showing movies espeeially the popular westerns
oftheday.
During its earlier years of Op4!ration movies were shown twice weekly with a matinee
showing Saturday afternoons. Prior to the movie easy listening music was played.Among
the movie ("lIms I recall were the following: The Lone Rider, My Wild Irish Rose ( Dennis
Morgan and June Allyson), Jesse James ( Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda ), The Return of
STORIES & STUFF (II) THE P~CESS THEATRE Cont'd. PAGE 24
Frank James ( Henry Fonda). Other fUm features included a serial called The Clutching
Hand and a NewsreeL I recall particularly during Mr. Barrett's time as projectionist when
it was widely advertised that the Joe Louis-Jersey Joe Walcott fight would be shown. The
interest in this special event was unreaL The theatre was sold out and people came from the
entire region to see it. The film sihowing, which was part of the Newsreel, lasted all of three
minutes. What a disappointment!
The Princess Theatre hosted some live performances as well the most notable being Hank
Snow and the Rainbow Ranch Buys. The show had a variety feature performer in Billy King
who did some acrobatic stunts. The magician Furze also performed to the delight of a fairly
large crowd. Another group out of St. John's, The Dipsy Doodlers ( formerly The Happy
Valley Gang ) gave a musical and singing performance as well. The show starred Don
Randell on the fiddle.
Mr. Joe 0' Neill and his wife Teresa purchased the property in nineteen sixty and after
major renovations made it into the SHOP' N SAVE Supermarket. As wen an upstairs
apartment was built and further extensions were made. The entire property is now the site
of 0' Neill's Gardellland and L~lwneare.
.****
STORIES & STUFF (II) HORSES PAGE2S
Introduction: Ian Tyson is Canada's Cowboy Singer. A line in one of his songs, in part,
reads" This country is penned on horses .•. " This is very true of Canada's Prairie Provinces
and is applicable to Newfoundland and Labrador to a far lesser extent. Prior to the
nineteen fifties the use of horses in Newfoundland was quite evident. The primary reason
for owning a horse was for home related work - tilling the ground, getting wood, etc. There
were other reasons including , just having a horse', children's pet. pleasure and
transportation. The advent of pick-up trucks and other means of transportation changed
this considerably and the reasons are more for pets and pleasure now.
Horses come in various colours, sizes and temperaments. There are tall and slim horses ,
heavy set draught type, Newfoundland Pony kind, and many in between. Colours range
from white, chestuut, black. dirty grey, multi-coloured, ete. The 'personality' and
temperament of horses vary considerably too. Horses can be stubborn, moody,
cantankerous, sensitive, 'laIess', laid back. friendly and co-operative, of good temperament,
etc. There are other words that aptly describe horse behaviour.
I made the comment in an earlier writing that horses often are reflections of their owners
in behaviour and temperament. That's not always true but is very noticeable in some
instances. The stories which follow provide some evidence of this.
Mr. Caleb Anthony ( Sr.) was a strong willed, high energy and adventuresome man. His
love for big, strong and aggressive horses was only surpassed by his desire to always own
an animal of this type. Mr. Mose Gosse's Forge was the meeting place for horse lovers from
Spaniard's Bay and surrounding communities. Mr. Anthony was a frequent visitor there
not only to have work done but to meet friends of similar interests , to share in 'horse
trading' news and show off his own pride and joy.
Pal was the favourite horse of Mr. Anthony. In addition to Pal's work life of hauling coal
from Coley's Point, wood from the country, caplin from the wharf and beaches, harrowing
and tilling the ground, hauling hay from gardens to home, etc., I have another very fond
memory of PaL Mr. Anthony's son Bill inherited his father's passion for horses. New
Year's Day and the Orange Lodge Parade is schednled. Bill and Pal make up the tandem
for the parade and their performance is, as always, spectacular. Pal's sideway dancing and
prancing through the ranks and his flat out speed are something to behold!
Mr. Selby Butt, who lived a short distance from Mr. Anthony, owned a small horse,
probably a Newfoundland Pony. The pony was very docile and wasn't capable of heavy
work and treated accordingly by its owner. Mr. Butt almost daily drove his small pony to
H.W.Sheppard's mill for 'chaff' or locally called 'foo faw'.
Mr. Simon Coombs' taste for horses was unique. He had a fondness for retired race horses
which probably came from Prince Edward Island or Nova Scotia. The horses were fast but
were also very temperamental and didn't adapt well to the 'working horse' type here. This
explains, in part, why they weren't in demand in Newfoundland. Let me share a memory of
Mr. Coombs' race horse escapades.
STORIES & STUFF (II) HORSES PAGE 26
Mr. Coombs often took hi~ race horse for a run along the Conception Bay Highway. This
meant having to go directly past the blacksmith forge. Sometimes there were several horses
at the forge. Without exception Mr. Coombs' horse would not go past the forge and the
owner and horse returned home.
Mr. Ned GodseU was a typical Irish Farmer who loved living off the land. He owned cows,
tilled and cultivated the land and was passionate about horses. Mr. Godsell's chestuut
horse was mid size, slow deliberate and obedient. My fondest memory of Uncle Ned and
his horse was this: Saturday morning and Mr. Godsell and his horse are doing the rounds
of Northern ( Noder ) Cove. The buckboard is covered with a white cloth covering the
underneath roasts of beef, fresh churned butter and glass bottles of fresh milk. Each roast
is priced with a wood chip marked with a lead pencil. It's unlikely this will ever be
repeated. H anyone has related picture please contact me ( 786-2398).
'Old Nel' was owned by Uncle Mose Gosse ( Grandfather ). She was a stubborn and
somewhat unpredictable mare. Her life was one of' tell me what to do and I'll do it'. Nel
hauled fish barrels to Bay Roberts, plowed and cultivated the land, provided
transportation, etc., etc. More often than not she was loaned to friends and relatives for
various reasons. Nel had this uncanny knack of running away. It seemed that if for any
reason Nel felt she wasn't being noticed and could escape, she did exactly that and showed
her ingenuity by being hard to catch. Friends and neighbours knew Nel's behaviour habits
and often assisted with her recapture.
Tim Collins' Frank was a Newfoundland Pony, quiet and laid back. Frank was average by
Newfoundland Pony standards and his working life was sporadic and he was more of a pet
of sorts giving his owner something to do daily. Grandfather Tim and Frank seemed to
have a special bond, a bond that suggested they knew each real well.
Uncle Ken Neil had many horses his favourite being Charlie. Mr. Neil had a liking for
average to big and strong working horses. Charlie fitted that requirement to a 'T'. There
was a rather unique story about Charlie and Uncle Ken's good friend Tim Collins, a
known practical joker. Mr. Neil, it appears, was a Coaker supporter but didn't want any
publicity about his support. Tim was well aware of this and in the cover of darkness found
his way into Uncle Ken's stable and painted COAKER on Charlie. Next morning at
daybreak and some distance in the woods Mr. Neil discovered Tim's handiwork. He knew
Tim was the CUlprit. Their friendship remained as strong as ever. Charlie didn't see much
woods' activity that winter. Mr. Neil and his horse worked daily maintaining the gravel
road we call' the New Line', the road that extends from First Pond to Bonyer's Road near
Goddenville. Filling potholes, fixing wooden bridges etc. was the daily work of the tandem
team of Uncle Ken and his hard working horse.
STORIES & STUFF (II) HORSES PAGE 27
Mr. Lee Pye was a man of average build, physically strong and aggressive, not one to be
found idle. He loved the challenge of horses that were big, strong and were on the cutting
edge of being wild, stubborn and independent. He never backed off from that challenge
and the horses Mr. Pye owned surrendered to his strong will.
As children of ten to thirteen or so we spent endless after school hours sliding on Baker's
Hill. Around four-thirty or so all sliding stopped when Mr. Pye came in sight at the bottom
of the hill, onboard a load of wood no other horse could carry. The big horse didn't
struggle as he climbed Baker's Hill, the sharp shoes taking scallops from our well groomed
slide path. Mr. Pye's attention was fixed on his wood and horse and was too busy to pay
much attention to us and in the process keeping us out of danger's way.
It would be nice to have pictures of this.
Mr. Gus Neil owned many horses over the years. He had a liking for big, slow to move,
heavy hoofed, hard working and quiet well tempered horses. Mr. Neil himself was very
much physically handicapped but despite this never backed off from a challenge. He was a
very strong willed, physically tough and strong person. The horses he owned had to have
similar qualities.
The decade from nineteen forty to nineteen fifty was an extremely busy time in the
Conception Bay Area and particularly on Bell Island. The world demand for iron ore was
strong and the influx of people and transient workers to the Island saw the construction
industry prosper. Just about every kind of building material required had to be brought
by boat to the Island. The consequence was a boom in almost every sector of supply and
services.
Mr. Neil and his horse Prince and other horses he owned were very much part of this.
Together they scraped, loaded and carted probably thousands of tons of sand from the
sandy strands of Bay Roberts and Spaniard's Bay to Green Head public wharf. The sand
would then be taken to Bell Island for use in the construction industry. Similarly loads of
lumber were brought to the wharf from Mark Gosse & Sons, lumber which Mr. Neil had
earlier helped transport from the schooners of Bonavista Bay to the mill for refmishing.
Work did not end there. After supper it was not uncommon to see Mr. Neil plowing and
tilling the many gardens and more times hauling coal from Avalon Coal at Coley's Point.
The man just never stopped working to provide for his family.
Mr. Gus Neil and his many' Princes' are symbolic of the type of work they did and their
prominence on the roads, gardens and beaches of Spaniard's Bay.
A friend of mine kindly shared with me the various items of horses' tackle. The list
includes: eoUar and pad/safe, hames, straddle and pad, winkers ( wiJlr eyes cut out for forward
vision ), reins, swingle tree, belly band, bridle, bit ( two types) halter, traces, and breechins.
STORIES & STUFF (II) HORSES PAGE 28
Here's a list of equipment drawn by horses:
dray box cart slide carriage sleigh
hearse four wheel and winter sleigh
*****
A'LERRY'OFSTUFF
MEANING: A 'Ierry' refers to a long list of seemingly endless stories, usually personal,
told by someone generally a bit long winded. The stories may be interesting or boring, truel
false, long! short, etc. We may conclude that what we've heard was a 'Ierry' of stuff. Here's
a short 'Ierry' of stuff.
It was late July evening and I was returning from my grandparents' home at Mint Cove.
Darkness was closing in, ominous clouds were evident and the moon 'on its back' It was
kind of a spooky evening and I was alone. There were no street lights then. As I
approached the crest of Church Hill and almost to Holy Redeemer Church I saw a tall
white figure sitting on the cemetery steps. Terrified, I climbed the wood rail fence and
found my way south of the Church to Baker's Hill. My parents wondered what was wrong.
I said nothing, didn't have my nightly snack and went to bed early. I found out some days
later the Aunt Selena Hutchings nightly walked the area and dressed in her layers of white
petticoats usually rested on the cemetery steps.
*****
A lady from Casey's Lane visited my parents' shop. Father was sitting on the counter. She
lit into him like you wouldn't believe. "You, sitting on the counter like you own the world.
You should be like the other men who work away from home ten hours a day, six day a
week. You ought to be ashamed of yourself". That said the lady bought a block of Green
Label butter. Several days later she returned and this time said," Jim, can you 'mark
down' a can of Borden's Milk until Friday when I get my money". Not another word was
said.
*****
A regular shopper at Gosse's Grocery, this lady would buy two bottles of coke, bring them
home ( full ) and complain they were too heavy to bring back ( empty ). Bottles were
returnable then. The same shopper bought a half pound of bologna. Father had to cut off
the rind because her husband had trouble swallowin2. " My, Jim", she would say, " We
don't get as much for a half pound as we used to".
STORIE$ & STUFF (II) UNCLE MOSEY'S ROCK ( AGAIN ) PAGE 29
Uncle Mosey Chipman and Uncle Willie Gosse were good friends, shared a lot of common
experiences and loved to reminisce about them from time to time. Their nicknames were
'toasie ' and' fish ' respectivcly. Both were roughly the same age altbough I believe Uncle
Mosey had the' gains' ( older) on Uncle Willie. Mr. Gosse lived just down the main road
from us, a little north of the blacksmith forge at the foot of Brazil's Hill. Mr. Chipman
lived about halfway up Baker's Hill about the same distance from us except in the opposite
direction.
Let me tell you about Uncles Mosey and Willie purely from my memories of them,
memories I gained from being in their presence for hours on end, listening to their
conversations about their adventures and escapades growing up, their opinions of
community events, the successes and failures reported as World War II was raging, and
many of the light hearted stories of fishing, cutting wood, courting, etc.
Mr. Chipman was a rather laid back person, a man of few words who spoke only when
appropriate and then with careful thought and insight. We often wondered what his life
work and experiences were. The conversations I witnessed and the thoughts Uncle Mosey
expressed convinced me, even thou2h I was only seven or ei2ht at the time, that he was no
ordinary man.
Uncle Mosey and his wife Aunt Milley were very friendly and approachable people and I
often went to their home from school for a drink of cold water and was always made
welcome. My friendship with Mr. Chipman grew as did my trust and respect for this older
gentleman. I was never afraid of Uncle Mosey and was comfortable in his presence.
Mr. Gosse, Uncle Willie, was very different than Uncle Mosey. He was somewhat
aggressive, abrupt and direct and spoke his mind in that fashion. In the eyes of a young boy
Uncle Willie was hard to know. He had special quality of character, reserved at times and
other times very outspoken. Mr. Gosse wore a scruffy whisker highlighted by a long rigid
hair that protruded from the jut of his chin. Most of us were afraid of Mr. Gosse and for no
particular reason except for his look and tbat we felt he didn't like little boys. Underneath
though Uncle Willie was a friendly, generous and nice man.
Here's a little story about him in which I was directly involved. It was a mid August
afternoon, very warm and' calm as a clock' as people would say. Most of my friends
weren't around that day and I decided to go ' down on the comer' to Uncle Mosey's rock
and listen to the truthful and tall tales that were often told by older folk, something I loved
to do. Some cloud was building and I could hear clearly the ominous rumbling sounds of
, debth chargers ' exploding in the deep waters off the Bell Island shores, explosions being
used to deter the German U Boats from torpedoing tbe iron ore boats and loading piers of
the Island. By now the light south west wind was making' cat's paws' on the calm harbour
waters, a sure sign of rain. Sitting there alone I was somewhat lonely, a little uncomfortable
and a bit afraid as a seven year old. That is until Uncle Willie arrived. We all knew that
you never spoke to Mr. Gosse fU'St. After a minute or so Mr. Gosse asked me how old I was.
STORIES & STUFF (II) UNCLE MOSEY'S ROCK (AGAIN ) PAGE 30
I told him proudly I was seven. He then asked me my father's name. "My father is Jim
Gosse", I replied. "So you're Jim Whiten's boy". "Yes sir", I answered. Sitting on Uncle
Mosey's rock Mr. Gosse asked me to 'pluck' this long stubby, 'barbly' hair from his chin.
This was a new word for me although I thought it had something to do with removing
feathers from a chicken. Picking the hen was what most people said. Mr. Gosse's eyes
watered and he drooled generously as I tried unsuccessfully to remove the hair.
Soon Mr. Chipman arrived after toddling down the gravel road of Baker's Hill. Uncle
Willie vacated the 'rock' and Uncle Mosey sat down on the 'rock' everyone said he
'owned'. Many times I had gone to the shop for Mr. Chipman and today was no exception.
He asked me to run up to Uncle Jesse Gosse's and get a plug oflight Beaver pipe tobacco. I
soon returned but before doing so I removed a scale of tobacco to see how it tasted. The
tobacco had a sweet aroma and temptation got the better of me. I swallowed the juice and
the tobacco before I returned to Uncle Mosey. Needless to say I was sick for days. I never
did like light Beaver after that.
*****
THE WINDY CITY
Many Newfoundlanders often went to mainland Canada and the United States in the
nineteen forties to places like Boston, Toronto. Montreal, Sydney, etc. in search of work.
Uncle George went to Chicago, Illinois, the Windy City. First let me tell you about the man
himself. Uncle George was a mountain of a man, strong and fearless. I personally didn't
know him very well but the stories I've heard from many of his friends, notably my father,
compel me to share them. Mr. Sheppard lived just west of Green Head, Spaniard's Bay. He
was a quiet and tolerant man who possessed a volatile temper, the kind of man you left
alone. Uncle George loved to tell stories of his working days in Chicago, most of which he
embellished a lot, and he punctuated what he said with uh, ab, hey, boy, what, etc.
Two Short Stories- Mr. Sheppard lived on Blow Street which was just off Lake Michigan. It
was, as Uncle George said a very windy part of Chicago. He tells this story: When walking
the street and your cap blew off you didn't look for it. Instead you put your hand in the air
and took another one down!
Here's my favourite story about Uncle George, one he told his good friend Jim many years
ago. His style of story telling, his hesitations and punctuation are left to the readers'
imagination. George, as he was known among his working colleagues and friends, had just
finished a hard week's work and was on his way home to his boarding house on Blow
Street. George carried his well stuffed pay envelope in his buttoned up shirt pocket. It was a
hot but breezy late Friday afternoon and George, as was his usual practice, stopped at a
local establishment for a refreshment or two. He felt somewhat uncomfortable as if he was
being watched. George had not gone far when he was accosted by a man' at least as big as
STORIES & STUFF (II) THE WINDY CITY PAGE 31
me'. The man demanded George's money, something he was not about give up. He tried to
take the money and according to Uncle George, "I strnck him, but not very hard". The
man fell down and didn't get up. Next morning the boarding mistress asked George if he
knew anything about a man found unconscious near Blow Street about the same time he
came home yesterday and she showed him the police news. Uncle George said nothing. The
newspaper article read, "Man found unconscious near Blow Street. He is in serious but
stable condition. Police and paramedics presume he was struck by a truck". I didn't strike
him that hard, Jim.
*****
FRANKUM
All summer long Al Hutchings and Will Butt trucked logs from the Colinet - Markland
area to H.W.Sheppard's mill at Spaniard's Bay. The logs would be stockpiled behind the
sawmill area and in close proximity to the cooperage or barrel making shop and later in the
fall would be sawed into various sizes for building materials.
It is mid fall and several of us would visit the cooperage shop, usually just before quitting
time when a 'clang' of a hammer on a discarded saw would end the day's work The shop
was a warm and comfortable place and we had no trouble getting in especially if our father
worked there. Before going to the cooperage shop, most of us met and talked with Mr. Az
Vokey (he was known as Big Az). Mr. Vokey loved talking boys' talk and that always made
us comfortable in his presence. But he was more than that. Using his !XL pocket knife he
often cut some frankum from the well seasoned spruce logs ( sometimes var/fir trees) and
gave it to us as a treat.
FRANKUM - It's the solidified, pale pink dried up tree sap that accumulated usually on
the tree knots and where the branches have been cut. It was a brittle and extremely hard
substance, glassy in appearance. This was a special 'chewing' gum and had a flavour of the
wood it came from with a mixture of wintergreen. The first haH an hour or so was pure jaw
labour. After that the texture changed somewhat and you could chew the frankum
endlessly. It had its own special quality too- it kept your teeth squeaky clean.
*****
SHOPS
Ever wonder about certain items we could purchase at community shops, things like Solo
& Green Label Butter, York Lunch Tongue, Banquet Potted Meat, McConnichy's Steak &
Onions, Victory & Morse's Tea, Horsey Orange Juice, Caravan, Puff, Butterfmger & Baby
Ruth Chocolate Bars, Common Candy, Banner Caramels, Union Squares, Fudgie Yellow
& Chocolate Rats & Mice, Spur Cola, Scratch, Nonsuch, Old Dutch Cleanser, Rinso, Duz,
Gillette's (jillous) Lye, Hood & XL Thigh & Knee Rubbers, etc., etc.
STORIES & STUFF (II) CONCERTS & MORE PAGE 32
CONCERTS
Most Community Concerts in Spaniard's Bay were held in the old Holy Redeemer Parish
Hall, some were held in the Orange Lodge as weD. The venue we'll talk about is the Parish
Hall because of my familiarity with it. The ground Ooor contained the various school
classrooms. The hall itself was upstairs and housed the CEWA kitchen, two fairly large
storage rooms. The porch entrance had an up top movie projection platform. There were
four supporting pipe posts and kids enjoyed swinging on them before and after the various
events. The Ooors were made of softwood and were well worn, especially in the 'square
danee' area. Knots in the Ooor weren't worn much and protruded espeeially on the dance
Ooor. The stage was on the north east end of the building with two ante rooms, It could be
accessed from either side via short sets of stairs. The stage curtain was unique in its
operation. Firstly, it was made of a heavy red coloured material and weighted down with
lead cast net 'bullets'. That in itself presented problems at times. Controls, made of heavy
and strong 'bank line' were in the south ante room and required a fairly strong person to
work it taking into aecount the heavy weight of the east net bUllets. The stage curtain
opened vertically rather than horizontally. There were many problems with the curtain
opening and closing. At times the curtain didn't rise and/or fall evenly and following some
manipulations it came down with a shattering sound on the stage Ooor. As children we saw
this to be a special feature of the concert. Later on the curtain was redesigned and opened
horizontally. A fixture in the Hall was a large upright black piano.
Concerts were good community events and fun for children and adults alike. They weren't
frequent events, maybe three or four spread over the entire fall and winter. The
'announcer' for concerts was usually the clergyman ( for Chureh sponsored events ), school
principal or a person involved with the organization. Concert items included, among other
things, individual and group singing, step or tap dancing ( women and men ), and short
dialogues ( in most cases uo words were spoken ), music ( especially accordion and fiddle ),
recitations, boxing match, ete.
Here are recollections I have of various concert items with comments. The items are not
specific to anyone concert.
• I'm the Boss of the Band - The curtain is raised and Mr. William Chipman walks
onto the stage dressed is outlandish garb and rolls over the CEAA big drum and
announces the he is ' Boss ofthe Band'. The curtain comes down.
• Reuben and Rachel - Mrs. Freda Pike and Mrs. Annie Drover often sang this song
which depicted 'what a queer world this would be, if the men were all transported
far beyond the northern sea'. Sometimes Mrs. Myrtle Dwyer took part as weD.
• I'm going back to whe,e I came from; The Half Doo,; Give me a Nail and a Hamme,;
The Lilac Bush - These were songs which were made popular loeally by Mr. David
Pike, his most popular song being The Liiac Bush.
• Step or Tap Dancing - Several men I remember are Mr.Stan Gosse, Mr.Richard
Noseworthy, Mr.Robert H. Gosse, Mr. Hector Noseworthy and Mr. Charles Gosse.
STORIES & STUFF CONCERTS & MORE PAGE 33
CONCERTS CONT'D.
• Step 0' Top Dancing - Women step dancers were popular in concerts too.
Among those I can recaII were Emmie Barrett, Susie Hutchings and Emmie
Hutchings. Music for step dancing was usually provided by Mr. George E.
Drover on the fiddle.
• Music - Spaniard's Bay had and continues to have many very talented
musicians. Notable at the time we are considering are: Mr. Absolom Gosse,
Mr. George Drover, Mr. Wiliam Chipman, Mr. Ivan Chipman, Mr.
Malcolm Chipman, Mr. Nath Chipman, Mr. Nath Drover. There were
many others.
• Hauling Wood - H ever there was a classic dialogue, this is it! The stars of
the dialogue were Mr. William Chipman (Bulger) and Mr. Johnny Vokey (
the painter). They were the best of friends. The curtain rises and this is the
scene. A lone mature black and crimson rooster is tackled to a small sled
partly loaded with bireh alders. The rooster is expected to haul the load of
wood across the stage with the encouragement and persuasion of the lead
man and his helper. They appear on stage and the show is on with Mr.
Chipman at the front and Mr. Vokey at the back. Mr. Chipman shouts and
cracks the whip though never hitting the rooster. Mr. Vokey pushes from
behind. The frustrated and angry rooster squawks and hop scotches his way
across the stage. Mission accomplished. No words were said and the curtain
falls and to the delight of the audience.
• The Boxing Match - One of the highlights of concerts I saw was the
friendly boxing match between good friends Seward and Jim. It was a
scheduled three rounder and the referee was Richard Noseworthy.
Everything went fine until round three when an errant blown offended on
of the combatants. Teenage pride took over and the two 'boxers' stood 'toe
to toe' for a brief period until the curtain came down and ended the match.
The friendship continued.
• The Operation - The internal specialist is Richard, his assistant is Seward. I
don't know the patient's name. The patient, fully clotbed, is stretched out
on a large card table in the operating room. The two doctors have prepared
their instruments, crude as they were, a splitting knife, pliers, ete. After the
patient is put asleep, surgery begins. The specialist makes a huge incision
from the belly button down, most people couldn't watch. He then removed
a six foot pieee of chain from the patient's stomach. The wound was sewn
and the surgery now complete. The 'doctors' left and the patient walked to
the ante room for reeovery.
* ••• *
STORIES & STUFF ACCENTS & SAYINGS PAGE 34
Newfoundland and Labrador has accents and sayings galore. There are some who say we
talk queer ( meaning strange) and funny. There are people who have spent years 'away'
and over time acquired sayings and accents that are different. Some accents particularly
are exaggerated and a little 'thick'. Nothing wrong with that and yet little fun is made of
their accents. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have developed and to a degree
'customized' words and meanings based on our culture and heritage, our trials and
tribulations, sea tragedies and happy events, etc. over a period of five hundred years. our
accents and sayings are treasures of our past. This article talks generally about the accents
of regions of our Province and later we'll discuss 'sayings'.
As mentioned there are many regional accents in this Province and many that are
noticeably different and unique from place to place. I can think of one community where
there are four accents which are very evident. Probably the accent/dialect of the Southern
Shore is most prominent especially to visitors. and it has not significantly changed over
hundreds of years. In my view this is the nicest accent/dialect we have. Other regions have
treasured accents as well including the Bay de Verde Peninsula, Trinity South, Burin
Peninsula, etc., etc
I have heard and used some of the quirks and quips told here. Many I've been told by
others. I trust you enjoy them and that they are sources of fond recollections and
reminiscing with friends.
Ah, c'mon now! I I can't believe that I smarten up I you don't mean it I must be something
wrong I you sure you know what you're talking about I be serious, etc.
Straightened up. I The Labrador fisherman went to his local fish merchant to get his
financial accountant 'settled'. This can also ineangetting out of a 'crump'. Other meanings
too.
You can whip a top on the 'Old Track'. I The Old Track road is in excellent shape. ·
What's it like outside tonight? I 'Right warm'. I The word 'right' is often used as 'very'.
'right' dark I the TV is 'right' loud. The list is endless.
My friend Jack got 'upstrapless' last night. I he lost his temper, patience
I'll be home 'the once'. I I'll be home very soon. I'll be home soon suggests a bit
later.
I'll see you 'bye and bye'. I I'll see you in a while (hard to say how long).
John said, "A barrel of money is no better than a barrel of rocks if you don't spend it".
Bold as a Jay IBlue Jays are notoriously bold and aggressive.
STORIES & STUFF ACCENTS & SAYINGS PAGE 35
I got some 'fleecin' at the card game last night, lost every game and the few cents I had in
my pocket.
So you bought a new car last night. How much did they 'soak' you for it? What? They must
have seen you comin!
Harry sometimes felt he was not getting his money's worth when he bought a two cent
'winter keeping' apple for school recess. This time he went to Jim's, his father's friend who
owned a small grocery store. The aroma from the apple barrel was irresistible. Finally
Harry said,"Uncle Jim, how much are your two cent apples"? Jim koew that Harry really
wanted to koow how big an apple he could get for two cents. Harry was told to pick out the
biggest and best apple he could find in the barrel. He brought the apple to the counter. The
price was two cents! At school the cry was 'save me the stump'. A good portion was eaten
recess, more lunch hour. By day's end Harry had enough and the apple was now turning
brown. He gave the 'stump' to his friend of the day.
Last night I got into a fight over a girl and I got some tannin, some lacin, some trimmin,
some lickin, I got oiled, pounded, skinned. All meaning, I lost the fight badly.
THE EARLY DAYS OF TELEVISION
Sarah and her grandfather were watching te/etoon on TV. There was a commercial break
and the fwe year old sitting on pop's koee and holding the remote said inquisitively, " Pop,
tell me a story about the 'good old days' when you had to walk across the living room floor
to turn on the TV or change the channel or turn uP . the sound". The response Sarah
received was probably like this but told to her in the language of a five year old.
Television came to the St. John's area around 1955 under the call letters CJON and
primarily through the efforts of Geoff Stirling and Don Jamieson. The TV Station was in
the Buckmaster's Field area. The television signal was free in that there was no
subscription fee as in satellite or cable TV today. That free service is still available today
through channels six and eight. Programming was limited six to eight hours per day
usually beginning at 5:00 P.M. with a test pattern ( this allowed TV owners to make
adjustments and fme tuning of their sets prior to the evening telecasts ). Programming
usually ended around mid-night with God Save the Queen.
Some personalities I remember from the early days of television include Don Jamieson,
Bob Lewis, Jerry Wiggins, Aubrey Mac, Harold Morris, Ted Withers, John'O Mara.
Programs include News Cavalcade, Danger Man, I Love Lucy, Wyatt Earp, Have Gun-Will
Travel, Ed Sullivan Show, Late Show, Life of Riley, Wrestling, Don Messer's Jubilee, Perry
Como, Dean Martin Show, Jack Benny Show, Jackie Gleason Show, World Series Baseball,
Bat Masterson, Leave it to Beaver, Bewitched, Big Valley, Rawhide, Tommy Hunter,
Rifleman, Wayne & Schuster, Gunsmoke, Here comes the Bride, etc.
STORIES & STUFF ACCENTS & SAYINGS PAGE 36
THE EARLY DAYS OF TELEVISION
Probably the most popular show on television, especially among men was Thursday Night
Wrestling. In the mid nineteen fifties there weren't many television sets in the community.
Thursday night many of dad's friends would arrive in time for the 'rastling' matches. The
favourite was always 'Whipper Billy Watson'. There were many others including Pat
Flannigan, Pat O'Connor, Bo Bo Brazil, Little Beaver, Don Eagle, Lou Thez, Bernie Burke,
Bad Boy Gene Kineski, Yukon Eric. Lord Athol Layton, etc. The ring announcer was
usually Jerry Hiff.
Another favourite program was News Cavalcade on CJON featuring Don Jamieson. He
would recite the day's news ( no teleprompters then) and do the commercials as well, the
most notable being for Hickman Motors Ltd. and Chevrolet cars with their 'massive grill
and wrap-around windshield'. Mr. Jamieson also advertised Fleetwood TV's.
*****
A POLITICIAN'S NIGHTMARE
Mr. Donald Jamieson led a political party known as 'The Party for Economic Union with
the United States'. The people of Spaniard's Bay were mostly Liberals ( formerly
Confederates and followers of Joey Smallwood ). There was also fairly strong support for
the Progressive Conservative Party ( formerly Responsible Government led by Major Peter
Cashin).
The Party for Economic Union with the United States arranged for a political rally at the
Orange Lodge but first had to pay the rental fee in cash and in advance. Party members
arrived around 7:00 P. M. They were, it seems, unaware they were walking into a political
lions den. They were greeted by a less than friendly crowd. The concrete and rock wall
stairwell was lined with protesters and politicians had much difficulty reaching the
building as they were jeered, jostled and insulted all the time holding on to briefcases and
hats. The atmosphere inside was just as bad, maybe worse. Mr. Jamieson tried introducing
his party members but was bombarded with questions. Finally several men went on stage
forcing the politicians to leave the stage and building. The angry scene was repeated as the
politicians left. As a young bystander I can clearly recall watching Mr. Jamieson and his
entourage hustling and tumbling their way down the steps, collars turned up and hats
flattened, and into the waiting vehicles which were now being rocked violently. Soon they
sped away toward Bay Roberts. One politician who was there. wrote ill hi~ Memoirs that it
was the most frightening time of his political life.
*****
Q. Why did you do that, Jack? A. The reason/or why is because ...
The load of wood sidled off the path.