Interview #19
Name: Henry Poole
Sex: Male
Age: 82
Place and date of birth: Mosquito Cove (McCallum), April 28, 1917
Education: Grade 3
Religion: Anglican
Occupation: Hydro worker, Mechanic
Number of children: 8
Names of children and where they live:
Allan (Milltown) Loretta (Milltown)
Norman (Corner Brook) Vera (Corner Brook)
Sara (Toronto) Calvin (Toronto)
Abigail (Deceased) Baby (Deceased at birth)
Phone: 882-2703
Place of interview: Milltown
Date of interview: February 9, 1999
Interviewers: Sheri Peters and Trina King
Henry was eight years old when he moved from Mosquito Cove. He started working when he was ten years old. His first job was at a sawmill. When he was fifteen years old, he worked on the schooners for five years.
When Henry was twenty years old, he went overseas to work in the forestry. He went from 1941 to 1946. He was a truck driver and had to haul wood. He also had to drive people to the hospital if they were injured or sick. Henry said that about seven or eight hundred people went overseas from Newfoundland. They stayed in camps and food was supplied for them. Some of the men who went overseas with Henry were Jack King, Clyde Sutton, Jack Brushett, Sam Kearley, Matt Kelly, Sam Kelly, Allan Kendall, George King and George Organ who was from St.Alban's.
After the war, Henry started working with Bowaters in 1947 as a mechanic. He was the head man in charge. Around the same time, Bowaters started building the road from camp one to camp ten. The logs that were first cut by Bowaters were first sent to the Corner Brook Mill and then they were sent overseas. At that time, Bowaters had a generator that was used in three houses. Also, they had a telephone but it was only used by Bowaters workers. The telephones were hooked up to all of the camps. Henry said that the worst thing that happened to Bay d'Espoir was when Bowaters left. Since then, Bay d'Espoir has been going down because of a loss of jobs.
Henry said that when he worked in the woods, he had to get up at 4:30 a.m. and he wouldn't come home until 8:00 p.m.. By the time he had supper, it was time to go to bed. After Bowaters left, Henry worked in Corner Brook at Air Bay North as an engine mechanic. When he finished working at Corner Brook, he worked at Hydro. He would have continued to work with Hydro but he had a heart attack and later bypass surgery.
Henry recalled purchasing a barrel of flour for one dollar and twenty-five cents and a hundred-pound barrel of beef for eighteen dollars. This would usually last for a year. If Henry attended a hall or party, he could get a bowl of soup, a cup of tea, and a biscuit for twenty-five cents. A family man worked twelve-hour days and would get a dollar a day. Henry said that a hundred dollars would get a family through a whole winter. Back then, families mainly lived off the land and vegetables that they grew in their gardens. The food was stored in the cellar for the winter.
During Christmas, people kept all twelve days of Christmas going. Henry was the oldest child in his family so he and his father would go to the store and pick up things to put in the stockings of the other children. They did not get gifts like children do today. They only got what was in their stocking. For Christmas dinner, someone would kill an ox and share it with other families. They also had ducks, moose, partridges, and chickens but there weren't any turkeys. If one person shot a moose, they would share it among the other families. Henry said that back then, people could kill a moose anytime or go fishing at anytime. Henry said, "Now you can only do these things at certain times of the year with a license." Henry remembered using coal instead of wood in stoves and the first washer he owned was a gas washer.
Henry remembered that there was a church in Milltown where the graveyard is located today. The ministers that he remembered were Rev. Bennett and Rev. Watkins.
Henry remembered that if someone got really sick, they would go to St. Alban's to see Father Hayes because he had first aid and he was a male nurse. Bowaters also had their own nurse who tended to people whenever she was needed. There was an old Indian woman from Conne River who helped them as well. She used the roots from trees as a medicine. Henry said, "These home remedies would really work."
Henry once cut his fingers while working in a sawmill. He went to Hermitage to see Dr. Parsons. It took him ten hours to get there. Dr. Parsons had his own boat but he would only come in Bay d'Espoir once about twice a month. If someone got really ill, he would come as soon as possible. Henry recalled that Mrs. Willcott was a midwife at Head of Bay d'Espoir.
Henry also remembered that if someone was sick and needed help fast, messages were sent through the post office by using Morse Code which was called "dots and dashes." At that time, Mary Hunt operated the post office.
Henry concluded by saying, "Back in these times, people had it really rough to
make a bit of money compared to us today."