Page 99 - From Visits with Capt. Michael Tobin Coastal & Gulf Ferry Captain, Ret'd

ISSUE : Issue 73

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1998/6/1

Capt. Michael Tobin continued from page CAPT. TOBIN'S STORY CONTINUES HERE: (Your father, was he on the sea, as well?) Capt. Tobin: Oh, yes. He was mate. He was master for a short while on the coastal boat. See, the Reid Newfoundland Company had a fleet of ships. They were all built in Scotland and they were called after the rivers in Scotland. And every one of them had "E" on the end of their name. Like the Argyle that I was on, and the JSruce that ran here on the Gulf. The Clyde, the Dund? ee--all after rivers in Scotland. They came out up as far as the "M," I think, the Meigle was the last one. (Nora Tobin: But it was called the"Alphabet Fleet," wasn't it?) Capt. Tobin: Alphabet Fleet, yeah. My father's father, he was dead before I can remember. They were born not too far from Rosiru in Placentia Bay at a place called Indian Harbour. But my other grandfather on my mother's side, he came from Bay Bulls, just down near St. John's, you know. I was born in Dunville, that's near Pla? centia. There was nine of us in the fami? ly, and we done everything ourselves, you know. We had two cows, a horse, and twenty sheep, hens, and we set our own gardens while we were going to school. We worked hard. My father was away, he was on the boats. There was a lot of work to it. Two ships on which Capt. Tobin sailed: the Argyle and the Burgeo. I remember now, sometimes when the two cows'd be milking, we'd have a couple of buckets of milk in the morning, and we were kids. We were sent around to where old people were and bring them a quart of milk every morninrg after the cows'd be milked. (Other relatives, you mean?) No, no. Just old people who were living by themselves. (Were you charging for that?) No. No charging. I was telling Nora the other day there that one time the government was giving out potatoes, sacks of potatoes. So my fa? ther was working, and my mother said to me, "Go down and get a sack from the gov- , ernment." So I went down and he gave me one. But you're not allowed to eat them; you had to bring them home and set them. So I brought them home and I set them and I got six bags out of the one I brought home--six fifty-pound bags. But they come and checked on me to see if I was growing them. (Now why were they giving away?) Hard times, a lot of people weren't work? ing, see, and they gave out those pota? toes. But you had to set them. You get MacDonald and Robertson Ltd. 448 Charlotte St., Sydney Electrical Contractors with 60 Years of Experience to Sen'e You Specializing in Electrical Upgrades and Rewiring. (Oracle filling & clean-up after the job.) All electrical jobs, large or small. Free estimates. Commercial & Industrial jobs, r-g'm qocc Seniors discounts. 004-oZ00 /-tngBt • I 1/. J. McQi[[ivray JuneraCOiomes Hwm'-'> 849-4505 16 Reserve St.'GLACE BAY FUNERAL DIRECTORS & EMBALMERS Established Since 1938 Complete Funeral Arrangements, Including Pre-Arranged Funeral Services All Pre Paid Funeral Accounts Are Deposited "In Trust" in a Canadian Trust Company 862-6439 380 Smith St.?NEW WATERFORD '

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