Cape Breton's Magazine

Charlie and they were all terrified of him. I'll make the story as brief as possible. Father Fiset was in the Glebe House and he had built a barn, he used to keep cattle and sheep, and he was the first one to buck the Jerseys by forming a sort of coopera? tive in Cheticamp and he gave (the people) a break. And on this particular night the servant girl looked out and she saw this Charlie, the arch-wizard of the Jersey peo? ple, going in the barn. She knew that Char? lie was up to some evil and she went out to the barn. He was throwing hay in front of the cattle or something like that. As soon as she went in the barn he sort of disap? peared. But she was seized with some kind of a strange spirit. She came in the house and didn't know what was wrong and she went to bed. The servant boy got up that night and he saw that her room was on fire and the priest's room. Father Fiset's room, was on fire. He went to yell and put the fire out and suddenly there was no fire and none of them felt any effects or (saw any evi? dence of) burning. But he knew then that Charlie's magic was working. So he asked for permission from Father Fiset to get rid of Charlie in his own way. 'Experience a New World of Shopping" A collection of Maritime handcrafts, Canadian pine, woolens, folk art, country clothing, gifts and accessories. Major Credit Cards Accepted A Cape Breton Country Store OPEN DAILY (902) 295-2868 Chebucto Street Baddeck Now this is the strangest. What did he do but build a snowman--now this is right in that book. He built a snowman as closely to the pro? portions of Charlie as possible, and (af? ter he did that) he moved away from the snowman about 90 feet and he had an old- fashioned gun, it sprayed buckshot or whatever it was, and you'd say well, he'd shoot there--but he didn't. He would walk three steps and he'd stop and he'd make this little incanta? tion or prayer, what? ever it was, and he'd walk three more and go back a step. And do that until he was within a short distance of the snowman. And when he was within a short distance of the snowman he fired--but he fired at the side of the snowman and took the side right out and moved away. Now, okay, a mile-and-a-half away Charlie was in his own home when he was suddenly seized with a pain in the side and he had to go to bed. The day the snowman--this was in March--the day the snowman was melted Charlie was dead. Now, this is Fa? ther Anselme Chiasson's story and it's in his book and it's told as the truth. A tradition that comes to us from Scotland and it reaches us in Cape Breton and it's in Cape Breton to this day. And it's a story more or less of a superstition--a combination of a superstition, a forerun? ner, and the result of it. In the old days in Scotland, and it came over to this country: If you were going to battle your wife was supposed to get up and get you breakfast without you ask? ing. And above all things, she was to put butter on your bread. Now, the night before the Battle of Culloden, the chief of the Mac- Leans who was known as Hughie of the Little BOARDING & GROOMING for DOGS & CATS (INDOOR/OUTDOOR RUNS) lAMS*- 'UIS' Pet Supplies Techni-Cal MACAULAY'S FORD MERCURY SALES LIMITED BADDECK • 295-2500 PARTS LEASING 1'' BADDECK, N.S. 75 km. west of Sydney on Route 105 ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK July 1 to Aug. 31 • 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sept. 1 to 30 • 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Oct. 1 - June 30 • 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. BELL THE MAN * BELL THE EXPERIMENTER * HYDROFOIL HALL Beautiful, Intelligent and Peaceful Children Can Build & Fly a Bell Kite Special Evening Presentations Inquire 295-2069 for Times CanadS Baddeck: Beginning and End of the Cabot Trail