Interview #40
Name: Fred Strickland
Sex: Male
Age: 65
Place and date of birth: August 14, 1933
Education: Grade 11 and 3rd level in university
Religion: Anglican
Occupation: Teacher
Number of children: 4
Names of children and where they live:
Glen - Milltown
Bruce - British Columbia
Terrance - British Columbia
Valerie - Springdale
Phone: 882-2608
Place of interview: Resource Centre
Date of interview: March 10, 1999
Interviewers: Leah Marshall and Dale Willcott
Fred's father was Chess Strickland from Raymond's Point. His mother was Minnie Fox from Grand Bank. She met Fred's father while she worked in Milltown with the Lake's sawmill. They married shortly afterwards and settled permanently in Milltown where they raised their family of nine. Fred and his family grew up in a two-story house with four bedrooms upstairs and one reserved room downstairs for guests. Ranger Earl Rose, Magistrate Eric Jones, and sales people were the common guests of the Stricklands. During the winter months the house was cold. There was only one stove in the kitchen. When everyone went to bed the fire, was put out. No one kept their fire burning because of fear of house fires. "When morning came you had to beat a hole in the water bucket to get a drink. We had a dog and we used to put him in the oven to warm him up in the mornings. That's how cold it used to be. We later put another stove in the living room. It was much warmer then." Fred said.
Growing up as a child was sometimes hard for Fred. "There was always enough food to eat and clothes to wear but you had to work for everything you received." Fred said. For fun Fred would participate in activities such as baseball and tiddley. He would also skate during the winter months, go fishing at North East Brook, and swimming at South East Brook. Fred created fun past times such as hopping on one foot, rolling hoops, and taking a long stick, a cover of an old can and spinning it around. This kind of past time would go on for a couple of hours. "There was not much to do. You made your own fun." Fred said. Fred also played card games such as 500's, 45's, 120's, donkey, and old maid. Chinese checkers and snakes and ladders also had its share of playing time. Fred and his buddies also played tricks on people. They would carry away people's hen houses, tip over outdoor toilets, rob apple trees, etc. They never caught him for any of this mischief. Before Fred could take part in any activities, he had to help with daily chores. He would bring wood into the house, make splits, and bring water. On Mondays he had to bring enough water for laundry. This was double the water he would bring on any other day.
Fred attended a one room school in Milltown. It was where the Foodtown store is now. A wood stove that the students had to light with their own firewood heated the school. When coal came in Ralph King was responsible for lighting the fire. This made it easier for the students. The school was already heated before class began. "If you sat close to the stove you would die of heat and if you were away from the stove you were freezing." Fred said. Mr. Dowding and Hern Simms were the teachers that Fred recalled. Mr. Dowding was only present on a part time basis. "If you did not go to school you had to go to work, and you went in the woods. That is the choice we had. Many people chose to work because at least that way you were making money. One teacher could not spend time with every student, if you were smart, you would tutor your classmates. If you were bad during class or you never had your homework completed you were strapped and kept in after school." Fred said.
Church was very important to the residents of Milltown. Reverend Bennett and Reverend Walkins were the ministers Fred could recall. "If you saw the minister on the road, you would tip your hat to him. Certainly, everyone was afraid of the ministers, teachers, and rangers. If you saw them, you would hide away. If you were out after dark and a teacher saw you he or she would make you go home." Fred said. They only held church on sundays and children had to go Sunday school. If you did not attend church you would get into trouble at home and at school because homework was assigned based on the Minister's sermon. Lent was the only time there was church during the weekdays. This usually occurred on Wednesdays and Fridays.
When Fred was fourteen years old, he worked with his father during the summer months at the sawmill. His father would give him $50.00 to $100.00 for the whole summer. He would tow logs to the sawmill by boat. They did not permit Fred to tow logs from outside the bay area. Most of his trips were from Morrisville or Conne River. Fred also worked with Bowaters and he used to collect logs that had drifted in the bay when booms broke at Conne River. The bay would be full of logs. In 1950, Fred began teaching. He continued this for the next thirty-three years. Fred's first years of teaching took place on Fox Island in a one room school. He taught grades kindergarten to grade nine at one time. His salary was $70.00 a month, and $35.00 of this went into his board. The following year Fred taught at Milltown for $97.00 a month. Before he became a permanent teacher at Milltown, he taught at Hermitage for a year, by which his pay was $50.00 a month for his board. When Fred settled at Milltown, it had a three-room school. He recalled buying a table cloth and napkins for his mother from Eatons catalogue that cost $12.00. He still has it today. He also bought an accordion for $49.95 and a camera. Fred retired in 1988 and he has no regrets. His favourite courses he taught were history and grammar. Fred says that the school system is better today but the discipline is gone nowadays.
When Fred was asked about some common diseases of the past and some home remedies, he recalled: measles both common and German, mumps, and yellow jaundice. If you had the flu, they would use vinegar on a brown paper bag rubbed on your forehead to get rid of it. For the cough you would steep cherry bark. In the spring of the year you would drink molasses and sulfur to clean yourself out. Senna tea leaves were used for a laxative. Epson salts were also used to clean cuts.
When Fred was asked about some holidays or events, he recalled Christmas, Pan Cake Day, and bonfire night. School would close on Christmas Eve and reopen on Old Christmas Day. He received gifts such as pocket knifes, spin tops, harmonicas, cradles for the girls and an apple or an orange. Fred liked to go mummering and attend dances.
For Pancake Day, he would go door to door and collect pancakes. He would say "Pancake, pancake, pancake have you any more, if you don't give us any pancakes we will beat your door, your door."
Bonfire night was a big thing for Fred and his friends. When school began in the fall, they would start cutting trees for their bonfire. On that night their fire would be huge and they would make birch rind torches and carry them on their back.
When Fred was asked about the biggest changes that occurred to Bay d'Espoir, he mentioned how the whole structure of education has changed. He also mentioned how the technology of logging has changed. At first people used axes and oxen for their work but when Bowaters came they replaced their tools with buck saws and horses. Today there are more machines such as power saws and tractors. Fred claims this was what ruined our forests.
The best thing that ever happened to Bay d'Espoir according to Fred is the construction of the highway. "This opened us up to other cultures and it cut down on our travel time to areas like St. John's. One time you had to go by boat and train in order to get to St. John's and it took a couple of days to get there. Now it is only a seven hour drive." Fred said. Fred still resides at Milltown and is quite content there.