Page 2 - "The Time We Had for One Another": The Curtis Family & Songs

ISSUE : Issue 55

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/8/1

there (to our house), listening to them. and I just loved So, on their way--he was bidding goodbye to us at our home, and telling us, well, "See you in the spring again. God will? ing." When they were going into Rose Blanche--that's where they belong. It was sails they had then, it wasn't motors. And the squall struck, and took the main boom off her and struck him and killed him, go? ing into their own harbour to their home. I almost died when I heard. The dear, oh, the sweet man. And he was so kind and nice. One of the best fishermen, you know. He sang, and the boys, and the songs! That "St. John's Girl" and some of those oth? ers --"Going Down to Newfoundland" and "My Own Sweet Newfoundland." All those songs, I learned it from his sons. They were all singers, yeah. You hardy sons of Newfoundland, I hope you'll pay attend; And listen with attention to these few lines I pen. Don't ever leave your happy home, for to some foreign land; But stay at home and do not roam from your own sweet Newfoundland. • from "My Own Sweet Newfoundland" Helen: And then after their poor dad was gone, they came up then, one of the other boys, with a boat of their own--quite a large boat. Dave Clarke. And her name was the Diane--1'11 always remember. (Did they continue to visit at your home?) Oh, yes. And then, this Dave, he got married, and CA-CAPe SEA-CAPE MUSIC LTD. P. O. Box 357 Sydney, N. S. B1P6H2 (902) 562-2233 Proud to Offer These Quality Products: CAPE BRETON CEILIDH THE CAPE BRETON SONG COLLECTION The Nova Scotia Song Collection BUDDY MACMASTER "Judique on the Floor" ~ in stores everywhere, or direct from Sea-Cape Music -> "Portrait of Cape Breton History" greeting cards I note cards Full-colour reproductions of Lewis Parker's paintings of Cape Breton history his wife died. He had no children by the first wife. Then, he married a widow wom? an- -her husband had died or was drowned at sea or something. And he had a son by her. So she died. So he started coming back--he had stopped coming into White Point for a number of years. I think he fished out of Gloucester for awhile. So then, in later years, here not too long ago--he only died here about 3 year ago. And he died over at his girl friend's--a girl that he used to go with. You know, he started going with this girl. (Here in Cape Breton?) Yes. Right home--down at White Point, where we lived. And he met this girl--she was a cousin of mine. And he was going with her, and really fell in love with her. But then he'd go back home in the winter, and be only (back here) in the spring. So she met another man and married him. And poor David didn't get the girl. So he used to always come up to visit her--her and her husband and their children. So, he came visiting them one weekend. He had relatives in North Sydney, so he thought he'd come down. He took a heart attack and died there that night. But he was a sweet man--they were so nice. And the songs! When I went to St. Paul's Island, to cook over there for the men (at the lighthouse in 1921), it's on (Dave Clarke's) boat I went. The boats used to go out there then. A lot of the Newfound? land boats used to fish around (St. Paul's). And then when the weather got bad they'd come in to White Point for shelter. Better harbour. It was a very rough place, St. Paul's. Oh, it's a rugged spot. (Why did you go out there to cook?) Well, there was no work for me. You know, there was nothing to be done. And I worked in the (lob? ster) factory that year--was right at the shore, right handy to my home. It's right at the water, where my old home was (at White Hertz 24 HOUR SERVICE - 7 DAYS A WEEK 539-1538 539-5623 1430 George St. Sydney, N. S. Sydney Airport • FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE • FEATURING LATEST MODEL CARS, TRUCKS, & 4-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES • LOCAL PICKUP and DEUVERY To Reserve a Car 'r'ir,Ei!"....: -800-263-0600 The #1 way to rent a car.

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