Page 60 - From Visits with John A. MacIsaac

ISSUE : Issue 54

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/6/1

lot. I wouldn't say he was a teetotaler-- he'd take a drink, but that's all. (But you said that your family was very poor.) Oh yes, we were very poor. (What makes you think you were poor? You were working.) Yeah, but I couldn't get too--my gosh, I started out when I was pretty young, all right. About 15. Barring any? thing else, you could go and give a lot of days out--give a day out to this one and a day out to that one and a day out to some? one else. But you didn't get nothing for it. The people were very good to help one another at those times. Very good. As far as getting money, dear--no. There was no money coming in. The government wasn't spending any money. You could get a couple of days work on the road--that's all you got. You had to work 2 days for nothing. (Statute) labour. (You worked in the lumber woods ....) I'd work on construction jobs whenever I got Discover Richmond County From Johnstown to Arichat, Louisdale to Loch Lomond, an extraordinary mixture of Acadian and Irish, Micmac and Scottish traditions welcomes the visitor. The setting is the quiet beauty of Richmond County. The culture and heritage are centuries old. We invite you to take Route 4, the road that leads through Richmond County. It is the road less travelled, and it will make all the difference in yoiu: Cape Breton Vacation. MUNICIPALITY OF THE COUNTY OF RICHMOND them. I have gone on the Harvest (in the West). I think that was in '20. It was ad? vertised. They wanted people to go out there, for harvest. So there would be al? ways a big crowd. Big crowd go. The ticket wasn't too much. (You'd go off to....) Winnipeg. From Win? nipeg then you're shipped anywhere for-- what?--a half a cent a mile, I think. There must have been probably from Nova Scotia, there might have been a couple of thousand. Because that year there was an over-crowd went. And when they got out there, see the Harvest didn't start right in Winnipeg. It had started up, probably, in Moose Jaw, and west, further. So when we come to Winnipeg, gee, here they were laying around--nothing. Dead broke--nothing. So we got clear of there. We went up towards Moose Jaw.... So the next morning we were going west fur? ther. So we were down in the station. A fellow came along, he wanted 2 men. All right. He got them right there--Malcolm Bu? chanan, and a Capstick. So after a little while then--there were 3 of us. Another fellow came in, he wanted 2 men. He kept a livery stable in Pence. So that Freddie Fraser and Vincent--Vincent wanted to real? ly stay with me. Because, my God, he was only a small--he was only a kid. So I told him, I said, "You know Norman, you know Freddie Fraser, and you know Martin Cap- stick and Malcolm Buck--and they're right close to you." So all right, he went. ROUTE 4 The road less travelled! La Cuisine Acadienne 1''--' Fish & Steakhouse V'k ''Restaurant & Dining Room iJ'P- • -'' * Fully Licensed * Charcoal Steaks • Seafoods a Speciality Home Cooked Meals • Meat Pies Pizzas • Light Snacks • Chinese Food At Louisdale (902) 345-2817 Your Hosts: Lome et Val Marchand Seating 125 L'AUBERGE ACADIENNE TRADIlKAAI. l')lhCIATI KY V;A1)IAN INN OPEN ALL YEAR! Acadian Cuisine in a traditional setting Newly Renovated. Luxury accommodations in a 19th Century period setting. At Arichat on Isle Madame Call: (902) 226-2200 JOHNSTOWN Commuiiity (y'P) Development Co-operative Ltd. • Crafts Shops & Tea Room • Crafts by Cape Breton Crafts People Hours of Operation: 10:00 a.m. • 9:00 p.m. Located in JOHNSTOWN, Richmond County Route 4 on the Bras d'Or Lakes

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