Page 17 - Wilfred Creighton & the Expropriations: Clearing Land for the National Park, 1936

ISSUE : Issue 69

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1995/8/1

park." I had the same feeling. (I try to put myself in your posi? tion. You had to do this job. You weren't making the decision to estab? lish the park.) No. The land was ex? propriated. It had been taken from the people. But they would, some of them, would turn on me. I was the one robbing them. (You would be the butt of their bitterness.) Yes, I was the one. There was one old fellow--Kenny Timmons--at Pleasant Bay, he had a little store. And Kenny had a little piece of land--it was better woodland than anybody else had. And I wanted to give him more, but I knew if I did then I was in trouble with the oth? ers. So, I wouldn't settle with him, I'd just tease him. I'd come around and Kenny would say, "What are you gonna give me for my land?" I'd say, "Fifty cents an acre, Kenny." "You go to hell!" I'd come by again, he'd come up, "What are you going to offer me for my land today?" "Forty-nine cents an acre, Kenny." "Agh, you offered me fifty cents last time." I said, "I know, but last time the sun was shining, today it's raining." "You go to hell!" So eventually, when I got eve? rybody else settled there, I offered him twelve dollars an acre. Hand shot out! My relations with the people there (Cape Breton)--! had friends in all three plac? es, and afterwards I went back and visited some of them and I was welcomed back. Fa? ther LeBlanc got nasty with me. I don't know why he did. He entertained me, I was there and he was nice, you know.... I think, possibly, he tried to dictate to me and I was taking my orders from someone else. I don't know. I really can't tell you, but he got very nasty. One time I came up and took the mail at CONNORS COLOR PRODUCTION & LAMINATING (Division of Connors Office Centre) 350 Charlotte St., Sydney, N.S. B1P 6H2 "Let Us Display Your Ideas" * Picture Quality Posters & Laminating • 36" by almost any length * Color Scanning ' Color Laser & Computer Generated Photo Copies * Oversized Photo Copies * Back Lit Signs * Personal & Custom Display Signs * Vinyl Signs & Letters * Traffic Signs ' Mounting Open Men, to Sat. 9 ?? 5 • Phone 562-7900 • Fax 567-1593 Little Bras d'Or--took the train out from Sydney to Little Bras d'Or--went with the mailman. We got through--that's the only time all winter he got through the one trip. We left Little Bras d'Or at 8 o'clock in the morning. Of course, you had to walk up over Kelly's Mountain. We hit the foot of Smokey in a snowstorm at 11 o'clock at night. We got into Burke's at 3 o'clock in the morning. (Were you on foot?) Well, I was on foot going uphill, on the level I rode on the little sled. Fellow by the name of MacNeil, poor fellow was killed at the (train) crossing. (What ' fine cfaff gVallefy /slow wi+k a /slew Lx>caioy fiKe cape. b>*etoii c.raf'...n c'e.v'pcxce. web site - K"H-pi//www.+alsbeaii.com. e-mail - fo?cglove@|-o;c.Kvs+i'.ca Gas Tank Replacements & Repairs For Personal Efficient Service: Call 539-2122 Sydney Radiator New Heaters & Radiators or Repairs We Service and Ship 121 Prince Street, Sydney Anywhere on cape Breton island 20 Years a Family Business 2 Years Warranty on All Parts * We Accept VISA & MASTERCARD

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