Page 96 - With George Prosser of Whitney Pier

ISSUE : Issue 74

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1999/6/1

The island's all grown over. No woods on it. Grown over with brush. Only water we had, we'd catch the water what'd shoot off the roof of the buildings for washing and for other uses. But for drinking water, we had to row across the bay. And that was done all through my grandfather's life, right up to my life. But when I built down there, in Isle-aux-Morts, I built a house on the mainland. My wife didn't like the island because she had to row back and forth. I started building there, but she talked me out of it. We went on the main? land and built a house. I can't tell you who (else) to ask about it, 'cause I'm the last guy. (What did the women in your family do while you were out fishing?) That's what they did too. My mother was a real fisherman. She had on oilskins and men's knits, catching the herring for bait. She'd sit down and make a net, mend a net, she could do any? thing. All the women was that way. All the old ones. Everybody jumped in. My poor old DON'S FLOWERS Serving Port Hood, Judique, Inverness and Surrounding Areas p. O. Box 179, Port Hawkesbury, N. S. BOE 2V0 Telephone 625-2215 or 625-2717 ''We're people you can talk to" ESTABLISHED 1987 Dealers for: Electronic Keyboards Pianos • Guitars • Violins Music Books & Accessories Boutiliers' Music Shops instruments and accessories. Visit our siiow- room and try the products for yourself. You will like the variety and price. Layaway plan ailable. No interest for 3 months. OPEN MONDAY through SATURDAY Music Keyboards Guitars Reeds Strings Horns Violins Chanters Amplifiers PA Systems All Supplies Cape Breton '''' I rr Shopping Plaza ~T 43 Keltic Drive ' ' Sydney River, N. S. Wal-Mart I B1S1P4 I , CAPE BRETON SHOPPING PLAZA 562"001 8 Sydney River, N. S. mother wearing the oilskins, same as a man. They didn't wear oilskins or pants. They wore an oilskin petticoat, they used to call it. She'd be out in the dory with me, hauling the nets. If there was a hole in the net she'd take the needle and sew it while I was holding onto the net. (Was that common for women to go out on the boat?) Well, not every woman did it, but a lot of them did do it. My mother did it, and all our family. There were about twelve sisters. My mother never had no sisters. My gremdmother. There was twelve of them emd every one of them were fisheannen. The same way. They could do anything. She was a mid? wife, too, eh. No doctors or nurses in them days. I don't know where she got the learn? ing, but she was a midwife. So was my moth? er, but my mother had a little learning. But my grandmother, I don't know where she got the learning from. My grandfather, he ran away from England, too. I don't know whether he had any learning or not. But my mother--her uncle took her up to Codroy and they had some kind of a school going up there. She had good education. In isle-aux-Morts, when I was growing up, the schoolteachers they'd give you there • they only had about Grade Four their own selves. That's true. Down in Newfoundland, in St. John's, they'd send all these teachers up, but they only had Grade Four or Six. They always used the strap, or cane, or put a chair over your head and stick you up in a corner. That's why you didn't learn. (When you lived on Isle-aux-Morts, after the day's fishing was done, what would il IIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllll r ~ Cape Breton's Finest Locally-Owned Musical Outlet ~ Riverside Cleaners COIN LAUNDROMAT • KINGS ROAD, SYDNEY Quality Dry cleaning Complete Sewing Service don't move affordable homeowner financing improve pfQJX Gillis Tim-Br Mart Building Centre King's Road, Sydney River ' 539-0738 '''' m 'Specializing in House Packages and the Hard-to-Find" Fax:(902)562-8615 • E-mail: [email protected] Agents for Superior Roof Trusses 'Helping You to Live Better-One Project at a Time!" Canadian otne Builders Cape Breton 96

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