Cape Breton's Magazine

gether. And some of the boys, you see, would be quite an age because there was that period of two or three years from the time they had come to the homestead until the school was established that they had no school. So I spent my time listening to the teacher teaching the other classes ahead of me. We had a lot of fun and played games outside. And I was, of course, the last to be chosen because I couldn't run, and I couldn't dodge, and I couldn't hit a ball like the other kids. I was the "city kid," you see... The first few years my father felt that I wasn't capable of handling a horse so I walked. But I cut across the prairie. And I suppose that it would be about two and a half miles across the prairie. But I was longing--oh. how I longed to have a horse like some of the other kids. And eventual? ly he did give me a horse. But, there were restrictions: I had to be up in plenty of time--which meant getting up before 6:30-- to bring my horse into the barn, feed her and groom her. And I was instructed that I was not to push the horse. That is, to make her gallop. I could go a very sedate trot. She wasn't a saddle horse. She was rather a heavy horse. So that was fine. The first mile and a half and I was out of sight of the house. 'Cause you had no idea how clear vision, or sight, was on the prairies. You could see a vehicle--oh, a mile and a half or two miles away and de- cide whether it was a wagon or a buggy. Danena's Restaurant and Take-Out LICENSED OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Q Home Cooked Meals * Home Baking ) 383-2118 SOUTH HARBOUR on the Cabot Trail near Cape North When cars came to the community, you could decide, "Well, that must be the Stewarts because they're driving a Chev." Vision was very clear. So the first mile and a half I was pretty much out of sight. And that's when I would give Rosie her sharp whack to make her gallop a little bit. But when I turned the corner and went a mile and a half west that brought me in vision of our house, so I slowed Rosie down to a very sedate trot. However, the charm soon lagged because if I walked to school I didn't have to get up until 7 o'clock. So Rosie stayed at home quite often.... Father built the first two schools in our district. The Caliholme School, which was our district, built in 1912; and the Pey? ton School in an adjoining school district which was about three and a half miles or four miles from us. He was in great de? mand, and had he chosen to follow this trade rather than farm he would've made a very prosperous living. He was capable-- and particularly skilled--in making speci? fications or estimates with regard to building: the amount of lumber required, the nails, the whole bit. He was a good farmer. He cared for his animals and took great pride in his horses. In fact, all the horses on our farm, with the exception of the original two horses, were raised on our farm and they were like family. They were very precious. The neighbours knew them as "Neil Morrison's White Faces," or "Neil Morrison's Clydes." With regard to the community, it grew rap? idly. Now the people were a mix. They were largely from Ontario. There were many from Britain. And we had a sprinkling of Norwe? gian. A lot of Americans, too, and these people largely came from the northern states. From Dakota, from Montana, and from the state of Washington. They were capable, hard working, and ambitious peo- Real Estate & Insurance "If you're thinking of selling your home, give us a call." Serving Industrial Cape Breton and North Victoria R. Hickey & Co. p. O. Box 96, North Sydney B2A 3M1 Gerald Brennan, Mgr. Residence: 794-4564 "And remember: No sale, no charge." 794-3119 OPEN MAY to SEPT. 12 mi. from industrial Cape Breton: Hillside Rd. Seasonal: 564-1824 Pre-Season: 564-1674 Water Parks r Cafe: Delicious Hot Meals 1 Chicken Fingers * Hamburgers * Pizza 'Drinks * Light Groceries * Camp Supplies J 86 LOVELY BEACH & DOCK • CABINS FOR RENT TENTING & TRAILER SITES - REASONABLE RATES - On the Beautiful Mira River ~ STEPHENS Building Supplies Makita Power Tools Mason Windows Donat Flamand Windows All Types of Cedar Sidings CGC Gypsum Board Plywood Iko Roofing Vinyl Replacement Windows Stanley Entrance Systems Pressure Treated Lumber Cedar Lumber SICO Paints & Stains Kaycan Vinyl Siding Fibreglass Pink Insulation 199 Townsend Street, Sydney 564-5554