Page 26 - A Visit with Max Basque, Whycocomagh

ISSUE : Issue 51

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1989/2/1

cause we liked Millview, "Why did we leave Millview?" He said, "Because they were go? ing to put you boys in St. Patrick's Home because you fellows weren't going to school." He says, "We couldn't send you to school in Bedford." He said, "The people in Bedford, they said they didn't want you. Some bigshots from Halifax that live in Bedford, they said, 'I won't let my children go to school with no Indian kids.'" I guess they were the big money? makers for that school. But they wouldn't have no more to do with that school if these Indian children went to school. "So," he said, "we had to come back to Shubenacadie." So we came to Shubenacadie. And we farmed. In 1927--because, Mrs. King was the teacher. And they put us in primer grade. They asked us what grade we were Morrison's Stores "' nnlitod'. Home Hardware General Merchants Celebrating over 100 Years of Service ST. PETERS RICHIViOND COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA BOE 3B0 ACADIAN DEPART ARRIVE SYDNEY HALIFAX 8:45 AM. 5:10 P.M. STRIPS DAILY BETWEEN SYDNEY & HALIFAX TRIP 52 - Pick ups in: NORTH SYDNEY. LITTLE BRAS DOR, BIG HARBOUR, BADDECK, LflTLE NARROWS, WHYCOCOMAGH, PORT HASTINGS. PORT HAWKESBURY, & others TRIP64L - No other Cape Breton picl< ups 10:30 A.M. 4:00 P.M. TRIP62L - Pick-ups in: NORTH SYDNEY, 11:00 A.M. 5:40 P M. LrniE BRAS D'OR. BADDECK, WHYCOCOMAGH. & PORT HAWKESBURY TRIP 54 - Via St Peter's - Pick ups in: SYDNEY RIVER, 2:15 P.M. 9:50 P.M. BIG POND. ST PETER'S, GRAND ANSE, CLEVELAND, PORT HAWKESBURY, & others TRIP 76 . Pick ups in: NORTH SYDNEY, BADDECK. WHYCOCOMAGH. PORT HAWKESBURY (SUNDAY TO FRIDAY ONLY) PARCEL EXPRESS Same day service to most Maritime points Collect shipments now accepted * Excess insurance availaUe to $500.00 "Priority Pak" our new 12"x16" waterproof envelope with a flat rate throughouUhe Maritimes for $4.00~sokJ 10 for $40.00 GRAYLINE SIGHTSEEING TOURS June 1-October 15 See IGQstxnicHali&x;/Peggy's Cove We depart fiom most hotels for these tours. ACADIAN UNES LIMITED 6040 Almon Street, Halifex, N. S. B3K 5M1 CALL TOLL FREE 1-454-9321 for further information 26 in. And we didn't know anything unless in primer. We just said primer. But we were only there for a little while, then the teacher said, "We'll have to put you in first grade." She said, "You fellows can read and write through the primer grade." Because my sister Nancy and Mum used to make us read and write, could sign our names anyway. And we kept grading every year. Not only once a year, but whenever Mrs. King thought we were fit for the next grade. So by the time Richard died just a few years after we started going to school, we were in about 7th grade. In 1927, just before I was 14, I passed the Grade 9 examinations. And I couldn't go to school any more. Mrs. King said, no, she only had a license to teach to Grade 9. She said, "You're in Grade 10. I can't...." So I went to school only for a little while, but she never paid no attention to me. And then I went hunting. I really loved hunting--something like Richard. I shot a moose on the first day of the season; I was 14. I shot 3 that fall. ... "Three moose!" I said, "Yes, but," I said, "not an ounce of that went to waste." Even though we had no deep freeze or refrigera? tors. And moose meat won't salt very well. I know my father couldn't--corn it, you know, make corned-beef pie. He said, "It always don't turn out right." It'll keep. But it's never very well--don't taste like corned beef. He used to corn that. But my mother fried a lot of it, and put it in this 5-gallon creamery crocks, and lots of fat. Put fried, and put it there with fat. And then after it was full, cover it with some weight. And, it'll keep. 'Cause it's all cooked and in fat; you just take a bit of it out. I shot one the first day of the season. I had no license, I was only 14. And then my uncle and I wounded another one 3 weeks af? ter. And I went back home and my Uncle Hen? ry Sack, he used to hunt moose but he didn't get good money for it. And I told him about wounding this moose with a great big set of horns. And we followed next day. 'mj'Bll'ms 0!FL01' kiiC' John D. Steele's Sons, Limited ROUGH STOCK, SAWED AND POLISHED SLABS, FINISHED 32 William Street MONUMENTS 794-2713 NORTH SYDNEY, N. S. (after hours: 794-2002 & 794-3171)

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