[nsroots] Merigomish Recollections 1924

[R.A.(Dutch) Thompson]

from The Eastern Chronicle 1924 : MERIGOMISH

"Recollections of Earlier Days:

In the early days of Merigomish liquor was sold just as freely as were tea in
(sic) sugar in later years. The entries in an old ledger show that seldom was
a purchase of household necessities made in which rum was not included.  Even
the minister, the Rev Mr Patrick, was charged up with the minimum sale, a pint
of rum.
But as noted in Dr Patterson's history, ' pure West India rum then drunk did
not produce such injurious consequences as the liquor now in use'.    Green
hide mocassins, apparently , were also in great demand. Chopping axes were
sold at about the same price as at present: $2 each. About this time there
appears to have been quite an exodus from Merigomish as many of the names
appearing in the old ledger have been foreign to that locality for fifty years
or more. The many old cellars that dotted the fields seem to bear this out.
It was claimed , however, by some of the older residents that these were but
the marks of what was the French settlement from which French River derives
its name.  Shipbuilding was then carried on at Finlayson's Brook and not at
the mouth of French River until some time later.
    One of the spring time sights was a large band of Indians trekking
westward from the back woods of Bailey's Brook to Pine Tree. They carried all
their belongings on their backs, birch bark pots and papooses, with which to
build their camps, and at this time they retained much of the fierce
expression of their full-blooded ancestors, so that the smaller boys got to a
safe point of vantage and gave them a clear right of way as they passed
through the settlement.
    The Free Masons took their annual drive occasionally through this
beautiful section of the country. In the first carriage was the flag, and the
occupants of each were roundly cheered by the apprentice boys and others as
they passed along, which they in turn , duly acknowledged.
    The people were deeply religious. On entering a home on Sunday, one would
invariably find the Bible as the open book. Barn work and chores were
generally reduced to  a minimum. As an instance of the feeling in regard to
the due observance of the Sabbath, the writer has seen a lady give her
favourite boy relative the finest whipping he ever got in his life because he
had committed the awful sin of having picked and eaten a handful of wild
strawberries on the Sabbath day."

end part one.
Will send along rest of article another time.

cheers
Thompson in PEI
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