Loading...
Village Squire, 1975-02, Page 20leather pull -ons, over -stockings or leggings, and rubbers over leather boots. Some children wore felt shoes.. They were very warm and were supposed to prevent chilblains, and to be very comfortable. To me, they were a form of torture as all woollen clothing was - and still is. As one of the young fry said "It itches me." But I had to wear it anyway. We hadn't heard of allergies. When we plunged through the drifts or rolled in the snow or made snow angels there were many chinks where the snow got in and melted. We usually got quite wet and cold and shivery, but in spite of these discomforts, we had fun. We went sleighriding in the hilly field, or if there was not much time, the gangway would do. Later, we graduated to Stewart's field at Glenn's Hill, which had steep, bumpy hills. I suspect the old stumps had just rotted, forming all the little bumps. Rides were really exciting there, and very sore stomachs resulted when we insisted on going down on our stomachs rather than sitting up on the sleigh. Sore or not, we children were always ravenously hungry after our winter games. Another favourite was hitching the hand sleigh behind a cutter or sleigh, and riding until we met another returning. The bells on the horses made winter driving a very musical experience. Our cutter bells were attached to a long strap that went around the horse. Some bells were attached to the cutter shafts. The bells on teams of horses were usually larger and louder. Originally, I think, the bells were necessary to warn off approaching teams when visibility was poor or the roads winding. •A thing I could not understand when I was a child was that the horse was not hitched in front of the middle of the cutter as it was hitched to a buggy, but rather, it went in front of the left runner. (If you want to understand my sentence, you had better make a picture!) When it had to turn out to meet another cutter or sleigh, the horse went in what had been the trick of the right runner, while the right runner now went out in the deep snow at the side, and upsets happened frequently. These were not always accidental, either, s when young people were out for pleasure drives in the moonlight! Skiing was not a winter sport in Huron in those days, but many young people went on longer or shorter snowshoe tramps. I used to envy them their easy progress over the snow banks. However skating was popular. Before the days of so much tile drainage, nearly every farm had a pond which froze and made a very adequate rink. Ours was just behind the barn. Some public spirited citizens in the village usually allowed the young people to flood a lawn or garden for an outdoor rink where they skated by lantern or moon light. Our first skates were spring skates which clamped on to the soles of ordinary leather shoes by a spring contraption and then a strap went around to hold the skate in place. They were often unreliable and exasperating. Winter work! I suppose it was much as it is today minus our 30 or 40 electrical labour saving devices and appliances. Water was pumped by hand for the livestock. Feed was all handled with forks, shovels, etc., and it was not easy digging hay from the loft where it had been tramped and had settled. The 18, VILLAGE SQUIRE/FEBRUARY 1975 stables were cleaned with a fork and a wheelbarrow. Of course, the average farmer did not have as much livestock as today, but the chores took hours of every day. But Dad's days were not all spent doing chores. Two wood stoves consumed an awful lot of fuel in •a year, so cutting wood took many and many an afternoon. We did not have any bush on our farm - my grandfather had made almost too good a job of clearing it - so Dad usually bought a piece of standing bush and cut down the trees. Then the logs were drawn home, and finally there was a Bee_when the owner of the buzz saw came. (Almost the first tragedy I remember was when the local sawyer died from a fall on the saw.) After being sawn into stove lengths, the wood was split and piled to dry. A well-filled woodyard was usually considered the sign of a provident farmer. Another big job which occurred two or three times during the winter was taking the pigs to market - or rather to Lucknow, to be shipped to a city market. Somehow, market day for Dad seemed to be usually an extremely cold day so for protection he wore what we called his 'skin coat'. It had been a fur coat - probably bear - but most of the fur was gone. However the skin was windproof and that was essential when on roads ten miles in a sleigh facing a north wind, or walking alongside to restore circulation. Trips to the local grist mill were much more pleasant and sociable occasions. Shopping was done a mile or so away, so we usually went with Prince and the cutter. Prince lived to a great age and was a favorite with all the family inspite of some 'ornery' ways. (My first literary effort, now lost in the past, was an In Memoriam poem when he died.) I still remember how eggs and butter were traded for staple groceries. There were few luxuries to be had, even if there had been .enough trade goods to pay for them. All the village storekeepers had hearts of gold and were ready to carry for weeks or months, the customers who simply did not have the trade goods or money to pay for necessities. I wonder how many super -markets would do that! Weather had to be pretty bad to keep us home from school or church. We frequently walked to Sunday School, about a mile away, and then came home after church in the cutter or with a neighbour or even hitched a ride on a 'runner'. I remeinber one Sunday, my sister and youngest brother and a neighbour girl decided not to stay for church. Instead, they went to the shed, got Prince, and drove home The oldest of the rebels may have been eight' The horses were blanketted and tied in the church shed - the blanket had made a cosy rug in the bottom of the cutter on the drive to church. Dad was a friendly, neighbourly man so we usually had to wait more or Tess patiently after church while everyone else got away, until there was no one left for Dad to visit with. Sunday night, the church was usually packed. All the young blades for miles around came to church with their fast horses and shining cutters, gay with colourful blankets hanging over the backs, and cosy buffalo robes over their knees - real status symbols! But I am not sure they came for moral edification. I expect their eyes roamed over Our I 1 th Anniversary Sale Begins Feb. 6 Feb. 22 • TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR MANY DECORATING SPECIALS 10% discount on KEM PAINTS and 1975 Wallcoverings HILDEBRAND Paint & Paper 15 MAIN ST. PHONE SEAFORTH 527-1880 INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DECORATORS The Huron Historic Jail Board IS CONSIDERING MAKING SPACE AVAILABLE FOR A SEASONABLY OPERATED CRAFT SHOP. PROPOSALS ARE TO BE DIRECTED TO: MRS. JOAN VAN DEN BRAECH, 175 WELLINGTON ST. GODERICH, ONT.