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

Dutch did I miss part 2 of this eassay Enjoying it very much so far. Bessie At 02:53 PM 1/31/2010, you wrote: >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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >CAN-NS-PICTOU-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >quotes in the subject and the body of the message