Page 45 - Danny Mike Chaisson, Belle Cote

ISSUE : Issue 54

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/6/1

out of them in a couple of days. Which I don't believe you can do. (When you were growing up--whether or not you believe in ghosts--there were stories that they used to tell. I believe your un? cles used to tell stories.) Oh, yes, yes. J. J. (Chiasson.) My father's brother. (And. do you remember what--the stories they used to tell?) No, not too much. No. (See "Old Tales of Sorcery Remembered" in Issue 30 of CAPE BRETON'S MAGAZINE.) To tell you the truth, I never heard too many things. But now and again, you'd get one who'd tell something that didn't make any sense.... My mother used to tell that something hap? pened on this place. People that owned this place before my father bought it--I guess it was kind of a hard old lady. She lost it for debts to a creditor, to a mer? chant. And (she) said whoever bought this...would never have any luck. And that's certainly what we were. My father was up against it the first few years. I don't know how many horses, how many cows --animals would die for no reason at all. Probably today they'd have a different way of doing things, but anyway.... Apparently that's what the old lady had said. She had lost this place for debts. And she said whoever would have it would never have any luck. And apparently that's what my father was up against, after he bought this place, for a number of years. I don't know if that was the reason or what. There were probably a lot of other things that today would be explained in another way. (Yes, I understand what you mean. But you are someone who believes in prayer.) Oh, yes. (Do you believe in miracles?) I be? lieve there is such a thing. They're not every day, though. I believe there's such a thing. (Has there ever been one in Belle C6te?) No, not in these parts. None that I know of. Probably there's some happening every day, that we don't notice, but.... But, you know, a lot of those things--in olden days, well, they had not too much outside communication. You know, they be? lieved a lot of things. Stories they made up. And then some more would take advan- tage of that kind of stuff. An old fellow going around looking for handouts. You'd say, "Too darn lazy to work," I'd say. And if he'd ask for a loaf of bread--I remem? ber old people would say that if you didn't give him something--a loaf of bread or something--the Evil Eye or whatever-- something, you know, you could have bad luck. Some people were scared--old people were scared of those guys. There were a couple I remember that were going around. And if (they) didn't get it. gee. some? thing real bad was going to happen. But then, I remember a fellow down here on the road, he was living with his mother. And she was scared to death. One of those fellows came in. And this fellow (her son) went aboard him. Called him some hard names. He said. "Now. you sign that witch? craft" --they used to call that witchcraft. "Oh," he said, "I can't, because you're not afraid of me." He said. "You're darn right I'm not scared of you. I'm not scared of you. And you'd better haul your frame out here, and I don't want to see you any more." He just told him that. Ap- ISYDCO FUELS Serving Homes and Businesses throughout Cape Breton Furnace Oil Stove Oil Diesel Fuel Gasoline Lubricants 24-Hour Emergency Service Distributor of Petrocan 3 BURNER SYDCO FUELS in. 38 Lewis Drive, Sydney River 539-6444 Ncrth Sydney/Hall ' Starcade Peoples Store Schwartz Guys & Gals Pipes & Things Jean Gallery Carlton Cards Workout Fashions 794-4997 With Over 23 Shops and Services Super Touch T's 794-8330 Island Fashion 794-4997 Nova Scotia Liquor Commission 794-4917 Co-operators Insurance 794-4788 Shoppers Drug Mart 794-7211 Cape Breton Video 794-7783 Sherry's Treats & Beverages 794-8274 794-4900 794-3567 794-4409 794-8305 794-8244 794-7151 Ubbe>Gr?' Strings Agnew Alteens Zeilers Sears Sobeys Maher ports Den 794-4240 794-3429 794-3513 794-7206 794-3610 794-8088 794-3963 794-8810 116 King St., North Sydney, N. S. B2A3R7 Phone: (902)794-4703 or 794-4704

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