HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1985-12-23, Page 20Page 2A—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 2.3, 19115
Yuletide
Greetings
To know and
serve you this
past year was a
true delight.
Thanks and
Merry Christmas!
HAROLD'S
SHELL
Harold King Proprietor
227 VICTORIA ST. CLINTON
482-9023
•
On' a note of good cheer, we
greet our many friends with
best wishes and appreciation.
From all of us at
ETV
T
215 VICTORIA ST.
CLINTON
482-7021
The Kindergarten students at St. Joseph's Separate School in Clin- singing are, from left, Adam Biesinger, Tim Nolan, Nicole Anstett,
ton sung some Christmas songs for the rest of the classes during the Jackie LeBeau, Kevin Ball, Mary Pharnnavong, Jeff Heipel and
Christmas concert dress rehearsal on December 17. Joining in the David Wammes. (Alan Rivett photo)
Christmas on wheels was special...
•from page 1 •
It was a time when isolated families would
join together and celebrate, in spite of their
many language barriers.
The Italian and French boys would play
their mouth organs and accordions for danc-
ing. And everyone sang favorite carols, like
Jinge Bells and Away in a Manger.
Jingle Bells, Margaret remembers seem
ed a mysterious song for the northern
children. She recalled, "The children hardly
knew what a horse was. It was more to the
point to have a dog pulling a sleigh."
The children loved the song Away In a
Manger. , -
"All the families had babies in their
homes," Margaret said, "and they knew
about cattle in the stable.'
In fact, at Christmas time, special con-
sideration had to be given to the cattle in the
barn. Christmas concerts at the School Car
had to end well before midnight as some
northern families believed that it was a
great sin to walk by a. barn after midnight,
as the cattle would'be praying.
And there were Northern Lights to worry
about too. Italian mothers were terrified of
the evil spirits who made the unusual lights
in the night skies. They saw, this as a bad
omen. If the Northern Lights were shining
on concert night, the Slomans would journey
into the bush to escort the nervous families
to the Christmas event atthe School Car.
In spite of the fears associated with the
praying cattle and Northern Lights, Cela
remembers that the Christmas concerts
were always held on a lovely winter's night.
"We always had 'a starry night for the
fam}lies to walk home."
•
For the most part, northern winters were
always tolerable. With warm scarves, hats
and coats, snowshoes and skis, travelling
was made easy. There was always snow to
contend with, but acres of bushland pro-
tected the northern settlements from harsh
winds.
"Everyone loved the winter," Margaret
said. "It was spring that was a dreaded
season. It brought the blackflies and that
was gruesome:'
One particularly harsh winter storm put
the School Car out of commission for the
Christmas season. It's the Christmas that
Cela remembers best.
High winds and temperatures that drop-
, ped to -60 F. froze all the pipes in the usually
warm and cozy School Car.
The pipes ran under the side of. Fred's bed
and he developed the habit of awaking in the
night and reaching down to feel that the
pipes were still warm.
Not even Fred's diligent checks could
keep the pipes from freezing on that par-
ticularly bitterly cold night.
The crippled School Car was hauled into
the railway car shops at Caperol, and there
the Sloman family spent Christmas, sur-
rounded by other CN engines.
Dining fare consisted of salmon sand-
wiches, and a special treat on Christmas
Eve when the section men brought a
spaghetti dinner to the Sloman family. .
Other Christmases for the Slomans were
more r
traditional, in spite of their unusual
5S
Iis folks like you,
our customer, who make being
in business a pleasure!.
ry CherylBalfour, Joan Addison, Sandra Balfour
LEFT TO RIGHT. Ma Sutter, Dunn, John
In the spirit of the season, we wish you a
MERRY CHRISTMAS
with good health, happiness, and prosperity
throughout the coming year.
JOHN & SANDRA BALFOUR
AND STAFF
CLINTON
HARDWARE
-J.A. Balfour Retail Sales Ltd. -
24 ALBERT STREET, CLINTON 482-7023
the Slomans set off for their trek through the
bush.
Christmas Day was spent opening gifts,
which included fine toys and clothing from
aunts and uncles, homemade wines, moose
steak, fish and Italian macaroni from the
northern people.
An old gramophone provided the
Christmas music and the Sloman family
shared their turkey dinner with a variety of
people, including friends, trappers, section
men who were away from their families,
and a hobo or two.
"In the depression years the hobos were
.men who were out looking for work and had
their families at home," Cela remembered.
"The hobo would come to the School Car,
he'd smell fresh baked bread and remember
that his mother made bread, and tears
would come to his eyes."
"We never met one travelling man who
wasn't a dear," she said.
The Christmas turkgy, purchased on the
last visit to Capreol, was always accom-
panied by a feast that included lots of gray�
Christmas cake and plum pudding.
School desks were used as dining tables to
accommodate any extra guests, then later
in the evening transformed into beds when
extra springs, blankets and pillows were
brought out.
Christmas season was a long and a busy
one for the Sloman family.' It's finale came
on New Year's Eve when the cedar tree,
came down, and was taken outside to 'the
surroundings' and railway coach living highest spot of land and set it ablaze.
quarters. Families who lived in the vicinity of the
Christmas Eve was a time for the School Car could see the blazing tree and
Slomans 'and their five children to visit the knew that this represented a symbol of pro -
bush families. Dressed in their warmest mise - a sign of good luck in the new year to
winter clothes, complete with snowshoes, come.
iL
� Qand `°
HEAT INC
H AIcyOLIUAV
�.
and u Happy New Year to everyone!
Thank You for your patronage during 1985.
We will continue to give the
best of service in the coming year. fir,
DAVEMUSTARD =
PLUMS/NC AND MEATINO
BRUCEFIELD 482-9803
Dave, Cathy, Leisa, Krista, and Laura Mustard
qe
"re/
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#0442 rae
THE DUTCH STORE
55 ALBERT STREET, CLINTON
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