Cape Breton's Magazine

asked me if I'd tow the cow around the wharf. They'd tie it, they'd give me the rope, and they'd tie her by the horns, see. So they opened the gangplank. And the cow was right by the gangplank and they just gave her one push and she went head first right over the side of the boat! She came to, and I just rowed. I had the rope and I just took her ashore, that's it. That's what happened. But they had to push her (off the boat). I done the same thing with my ox on that island over there. It was her husband (Ce? cile 's husband) here that had the job to cut pulp wood. And he hired my ox and we had to make him swim across about, oh, it was about twice as far as from here to that house. I had the boat and, oh, he was swimming like hell! Weighed about a thou? sand pounds, the ox, you know. So we left him there for a whole week. We made a fence and we put him there and we brought COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL G. Landry's Vacuum Service Ltd. SEPTIC SYSTEMS CLEANED INSTALLED & REPAIRED BACKHOE BULLDOZER RENTAL PORTABLE TOILET RENTAL & SERVICE Front Lake Rd. Sydney 564-8413 - / SERVING ALL OF CAPE BRETON ~'- You Can Pack Everythini Into Our Weekender. And we don't mean just a suitcase! Avis has a full range of late model vehicles from sports sedans to minivans to help you get away for a great weekend, at Special Weekend Rates. At Avis, our "We try harder" service helps turn your weekend getaway into a memorable mini-holiday! Chevrolet Lumina APV Call Today For Full Details and Reservations. Sydney-Glace Bay Hwy: (902) 564-8341 Sydney Airport: (902) 564-8265 ?? 1993 Aviscar Inc. Ay IS We try harder.? him something to eat. And I was hauling the pulp to the shore. Another fellow had a horse in the same way. And that's the big storm that I was telling you about that they (lost the wood and they) were left with just the boom. That's the same wood, the same job. (Were oxen common here?) Ox? Oh, yeah. Oh, yes. Years ago I seen them training cows to haul their wood. I had a big ox, I used to take a half a cord of wood to a load. When the roads were beat up, you see. Sometimes you'd have to go two miles. It wasn't like a horse, they weren't running, you know, they'd have to walk. But they were good workers. I used to do a lot of farming with that ox, too. We'd plow and harrow. They were slow but they'd make a wonderful job. Very good work.... We weren't travelling to Arichat with it, not very much. I'm gonna tell you what I'd do. Some of the big stores was in Arichat, and sometimes I'd go with my mother to Ari? chat with the ox. And she might buy about, perhaps, 60 or 70 or 80 dollars worth of stuff. At that time you'd buy stuff in the fall that would last most of the winter, see. You would have a couple of cows, you'd kill one. You know, you had sheep, and you had a pig, and that's how you'd live. You see, you'd have to help yourself. I remember my father killing a cow. Well, he might sell 1/4, and then we had 3/4. And when we wanted a piece of meat it was on a (hook), so the rats wouldn't get at it or something. It would be frozen, see, then you would cut a chunk and you'd chew that. When you'd come in March--March thaw--they had a special barrel. And they'd cut (the meat) in chunks and salt it. And then you would have salt chunk in? stead of fresh meat, perhaps for a month. That's the way they used to live. You'd ItirfliwgPhaf's M/KI'J'' For all your cellular & paging needs. phone one of our convenient locations! WE COVER ALL CAPE BRETON 1-800-565-5451 • No Money Down • NOW WITH 4 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU' ?? 'S'- - • • 2 NEW LOCATIONS ' j RakeRd rTS&r.; 794-7655' NS '..: 564-2255 ESb'aJ .... 849-1944 90