Cape Breton's Magazine

Rev. Murdock MacRae Interviews Aunt Ruth (Murdock MacRae: First of all. your trip took you from where to where?) Miriam Ruth MgicRag Bird: From Los Angeles, California, to North River Bridge. 1917. June the 6th. (June 6th, you left....) Los Angeles. In a 1916 Ford car. (Did you buy the car new?) Yes--$619. (Now, who travelled with you?) My sister-- Mrs. Stein--and Mr. Stein--my sis? ter and my brother-in-law--and my husband. (Were you quite young at the time?) No. All about the same age. My sister's 5 years younger than I am...30's, yes. (Who suggested the trip? Whose idea was it?) My husband. He was born in California and he was just crazy to get back to Cape Breton, where I was born. (He had never been here be? fore.) No, no. He had wanted to see Cape Breton because he heard so much about my home town, and my father and mother--of course, we used to correspond. And he was interested, and he wanted to get away. And this was the spot that he decided to come to--Cape Breton Island. It was very wonderful. Mae, you know, my sister, lived in San Francisco at the time. And they came down on the boat, and we met them in Los Angeles. See life as it was in Cape Breton during the 19th century. Nova Scotia Highland Village The Highland Village shows examples of dwellings built in Scotland, the first homes built with basic tools in Cape Breton, as well as buildings that exemplify the settlers' firm foothold in the new land. More than half of the planned buildings are completed, and work goes on. Come see us grow. Rev. Murdock MacRae, with his mother Margaret Then we started out early in the morning. I think it was on June the 6th, 1917. And we drove--well, we didn't drive so far that night because we were not used to the equipment that we had. We didn't know how to set it up, and we didn't know the camp? ing grounds so well as--later on, we dis? covered a lot of things about camping.... lONA OPEN DAILY JUNE 15 to SEPTEMBER 15 MONDAY - SATURDAY 9 to 5/SUNDAY 12 to 6 The Highland Village is located at lona on Route 223 which leaves the Trans-Canada (Route 105) alDout 7 miles east of Whycocomagh. Route 223 is a scenic alternative paved route eastward to the Sydney area. Two short ferry rides provide pleasant breal

Cape Breton's Magazine