Cape Breton's Magazine

Johnny Allan MacDonald of Enon (Tell me your name, and where you were born, and when you were born.) Right here. John A. MacDonald. 1890. (You were born-- "right here" is where?) I believe it would be in the other end of the house! (Johnny Allan laughs. What do they call this commu? nity?) Loch Lomond, they called it. But really. Loch Lomond is in Richmond County. But this is in the neighbourhood of Loch Lomond. Pretty much the same people anyway, down in Loch Lomond and here, Enon. (Where does the name Enon come from?) It came from the Bible. And Salem Road was over across the lake--Salem--"and many wa? ters there." It states in the Bible some? wheres. I wouldn't be able to turn it up for you, but it's there, anyway. (And there was a place in the Bible called Enon.) Yes. Enon near Salem. That's how the Salem Road Post Office was called. It was my father that named it. And then he got a post of? fice right here, in this house. (And did he put the name on this place as well?) Yes. Enon. (Who was the first of your people to come to this place?) My grandfather, he was the first. John. (Did he have a longer name in Gaelic?) Oh yes. Iain Mac Ghilleasbuig. His father would be Archie--Gilleasbuig. So I'm iuwii-o ..iv..c;t. u Jii Lue ucielic than I am in the English. Though I never went to school very much. (Where did you learn your Gaelic?) With my grandmother here, when all the rest would be out. My grandmother, she didn't have any English, And I'd be left in with my grandmother, see, and the rest would be scattered all over the place doing something. I used to get her mad sometimes, too. But she was very good, she was kind. Yes, I'd get picking at her. One time we were a- lone--oh the rest, they went away some? wheres. And after awhile, "Well," she says, "I guess it would be all right for us to have a cup of tea." And I went--and I used to make the tea anyway, you know. This time I thought I'd put a lot of tea in the tea? pot. And I put, I suppose, a half a pound in it. Well, I don't know whether she no? ticed anything or not. But she said, "That's the best cup of tea I had since I left the old country!" Oh, it was awful strong--must have been!... (You'd be alone with your grandmother, and she spoke only Gaelic.) That's all--Gaelic. She didn't know any English. (Did she sing songs or tell stories to you in Gaelic?) Ach, yes, stories, yes, always told stories CAPE BRETON'S MAGAZINE, NUMBER FORTY-EIGHT WRECK COVE, CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA SECOND CLASS MAIL -- REGISTRATION NUMBER 3014