Page 72 - A Visit with Frank & Margaret MacRae

ISSUE : Issue 46

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1987/8/1

age pension.) That was what they were get- ting--$12.20. Margaret: And there were 6 of us here in the family then. And that was the only mon? ey that was coming in each month, and what little Frank would pick up doing some odd jobs. There was an elderly couple living out the river, a man and his sister. They'd want him to go out in the fall, and make the hay in the summertime, and do some fencing in the spring, and put out the manure and things like that. And they'd pay him a dollar a day. Frank: Or two dollars. Two dollars a day. I used to fish smelts, like the boys are doing down there (Raymond, Donnie, and Jackie Smith--see "Smelt Fishing on the North River Ice" in Issue 40 of Cape Bret? on' s Magazine) . Their father,, John Angus Smith, and myself, we went 50/50 on a trap. It was a smelt trap, you know. I think the trap was $60. It was my sister from Cali? fornia that gave me $30 to buy it. And he paid another $30. (Did you fish the same way that they do today?) Oh yes, exactly the same way. But one thing--you see, in the fall (be? fore the ice), we were kind of anxious to make money. We used to have what they call a float, you know. It was open--about the size of that hole that you see today. (The long slot cut in the ice where the net (72) First There is margaree windows And now there's Liffie Brother WINDOWS What's the Difference? Margaree Windows ?? Lifetime Warranty ?? Heavy Duty ?? Competitively Priced ?? Custom Finish ?? Superb Quality with 50% More Wood For more information contact us at: margaree windows g) P.O. Box 691, ';;' Sydney, N. S. Bl P 6H7 /' Little Brother Windows I One Year Warranty I Lightweight I Lowest Price on Market I Custom Finish I Competes with any Window • except Margaree!! SYDNEY 562-3220 HALIFAX 861-1500 AN EMPLOYEE-OWNED COMPANY goes down?) That's right. About 18 inches. And the rest (of the float) was about 3 feet wide on this side and 3 feet wide on the other side. You had to peel your logs in July. And they'd be nice and dry. There were 6 dry logs--quite a size--iflaybe 6 inches at the small end. And it used to be about a good 30 feet long, those logs. (What you have there is.a floating hole to drop your net through.) We had to have a cable wire from the float in to the shore. Hold your float there. The float stays out there. And sometimes you were so close to the shore you could have a walk. You know, a couple of sticks maybe 15 or maybe 20 feet long. And you'd put a couple of boards on it, so you could walk out to the float. But you couldn't do that everywhere, because you'd be too far out. But I'm going to tell you this. We were fishing smelts--whole bunch of us. The men fishing smelts, and we were getting smelts. Then in North Sydney, they wouldn't take any more. And John Angus Smith and I--I forget how many boxes we had--we got a fel? low from Murray (an American pulp-cutting company based at the Murray Road, St. Ann's--see Issue 7 of Cape Breton's Maga? zine) . He wired to the States, and they gave us the price a pound, by shipping the smelts to the States. We went to it, you know. We'd send the smelts up to New-York. And a fellow showed us how to put the smelts up. We had to chop the ice a little bit and then pack the smelts, you know, like that. Margaret: Heads and tails. Frank: Then put a double coat of ice on her. And do the same thing to the (whole) As The Seasons CHANGE- It's been a great summer but it doesn 't go on for ever. Before you know it there will be cool days and frosty nights. Make sure your driving skills are ready for the trip through autumn into winter. )( Wet Leaves Are Slippery Along with the refreshing days of autumn come rainy days too. VVhen wind and rain deposit wet leaves on asphalt, the result can be extremely slippery. Bridge Decks Freeze Early Even before there is a chance of snow, you can encounter a taste of slippery winter driving. Because they are surrounded by cool frosty air, bridge decks can be glazed at night or at dawn as early as October. Be Alert To Bicycle Traffic Who wouldn't want to take advantage of our fine weather to take a bicycle trip to see the beautiful autumn colors? As you're driving be ?? alert to bicycle traffic; tap your horn and give them plenty of room when you pass. Watch Out For Pedestrians Remember children are back to school in September and may be preoccupied with friends, sports and other activities • forgetting their . safety skills. Also be watchful of seniors who may have slower . reaction times when dealing with traffic. Animals Sometimes Share The Roads Too Late autumn is hunting season. Be alert to the actions of hunters along country roads and the movement of deer and moose near the ?? road. Prepare Your Vehicle For Autumn Driving Vehicle condition affects your ability to control your vehicle, and your ability to see and react to the actions of others on the road. Don't wait for the first snowfall to winterize your car. Department of Transportation

Cape Breton's Magazine