Page 6 - Hattie Carmichael of the Meadow Road

ISSUE : Issue 35

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1983/12/1

would bother with a man taking a barrel in those steps. She took it in off the cart, up those steps, and into the pantry her? self. Nobody ever touched it. Oh my good? ness, what a strong woman she was. (But she still would not be asked to make a load of hay.) No, no, she never made a load of hay. (So there were certain things that a woman did.) Sure, there were certain things that a woman did, and then she wouldn't be both? ered with a man. (And certain things that a man did.) Yes, certain things that the men did that they wouldn't have the women around. Just work of their own. (Would men bake?) No. I never heard of a man baking, when I was young, I never heard tell of it. And I don't think that I would care to eat what he baked. I know there's some of them that can bake today just as good as the women. (But in those days....) No, they never thought of it. (What about cooking?) If they were starv? ing, I suppose perhaps they'd try and make a bite some way, but that was all. I'm telling you, they didn't like to bake. Or cook. In those years. (Whose job was it to take care of the ani? mals?) As far as I know, that was every? body's job. You know, my brothers, the men always fed the animals, I think, as far as that goes. Gave them the hay. The men al? ways did that. I don't remember women go? ing, unless there was an urgency, there was no man around. But the women used to go out and clean the stables and clean the bedding if there was any bedding, and let out the animals, and put them in. (Would they carry water?) Carry water? Goodness, dear, didn't we carry water all of our ' Pulp and Paper Reports: Farming the Forests Canada's bountiful forest lands provide the base for the country's largest manu? facturing industry: pulp and paper. In recent years, attention has turned to the question of how Canada can produce an adequate supply of wood fibre so that it can maintain its present share and par? ticipate in the growing world demand for forest products. Spending on forestry by governments and industry has risen sharply in recent years and much more is required. Money is invested in protecting exist? ing forests from the ravages of fire, insects and disease. It is invested in seed? lings, and in thinning and fertilizing stands of timber. The investment pays off in more fibre per hectare. To meet the growing competition in world pulp and paper markets, Canada NOVA SCOTIA FOREST INDUSTRIES Canadian Pulp and Paper Association Me m b er Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, Canada lives, carried the water in in buckets, out of the well. That's what we always did. There was no such a thing as running water into your house. (Whose job was it to car? ry the water?) Heavens, anybody could car? ry a pail of water. It wasn't left to any? body. If you found a pail empty, go and get some water. (Would the men help with the washing?) No. Are men that helpful? (Some are today.) Some men are awful good to work, help with anything. In those days, they weren't. Mon? day used to be always wash days, since I remember. If it wasn't fine weather, they'd be doing washing with a tub, with a washtub and the washboard. Fine weather, they would take the washing to the brook-- a big brook that was right near where we lived. And many's the beautiful washing we did there. Make a fire--there used to be a big boiler down there. And we'd fill it up and set fire under it, and it would be hot in no time, and we'd do a wash down there. And rinse the clothes in the brook, and put it to dry. On the grass. There was no such a thing as a clothesline. We always spread it on the grass. And may leave it there for a couple of nights. And the long? er you'd leave it there, the whiter it would get. Perhaps the dew would come on it, and then the sun in the morning would bleach it. (Would you turn it over?) Yes, we did at times. It was lovely. (What would they do for soap?) Make it. (Who made that?) The women. I made both soft soap and hard soap. The hard soap is made with Gillis lye. And the soft soap is made with ashes from the fire, from the stove. (How do you make soft soap?) Oh well, heav? ens, it's easy. You put a tub down to start with. And you put two sticks a- cross it--I remem? ber that so well-- and set a barrel on those two sticks. And you made a hole in the bottom of the barrel. And you were putting a long stick down from the top, where the top of the ashes were going to be, out in this hole, the oth? er end. Then you filled the barrel with the ashes from the stove, that you'd be saving for months, I suppose, and you poured wa? ter on it until the barrel was full. Cold water. It was never hot. Just let it sit. You didn't touch it, do any? thing with it. (You don't pull the stick out?) No, no. FOREST RENEWAL EXPENDITURES CANADA ($ MILLIONS) (Source: CPPA) needs more than modern, efficient mills. It also needs, and is developing bigger and better forests. For more information, send for "New Challenges", a free booklet from Pubhc Information Services, Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, Dept. 5,23rd Floor, 1155 Metcalfe Street, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 2X9. (6)

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