Celia LeDrew
My mother's stories mostly about growing up in the 30s
Celia LeDrew BIO
Our First Xmas Tree
Our First Xmas Tree
by Celia LeDrew
Christmas Eve 1929 the temperature was 7 below and the sky was cold and clear and there was lots of snow. It had snowed for three days and the snow crunched under your feet when you walked. My father had come home from work early that afternoon and talked to mama on the back porch before he came in to get a gun to go hunting or tomorrow’s Xmas dinner.
Papa always kept his guns strapped high on the wall so us kids couldn’t reach them. We watched as he took down a shot gun and he started out the door. He said to Mama as he left, “If I can’t get any partridge, I know I can get us a few rabbits”.
Mama was in the kitchen making dinner - she could make a meal out of almost nothing. She told us to go to the dining room window and watch for Papa to come home and hope he shot some Xmas dinner. My brother and I looked in to the sunset, the tops of the spruce trees silhouetted against the bright red sky looked just like a Christmas card. There was a little hill on the road and we saw something move on top of the hill. We yelled to Mama that Papa was coming. She came into the dining room to look. “That’s not your father, there’s two people there and your father went hunting alone”. She went back to the kitchen. My brother and I looked and looked, It must be Papa but who was with him? It was getting dark and we knew the figure we saw was too big too be Papa.
The next thing we knew there was Papa coming in through the back shed door with four rabbits. Mama was pleased as that was to be our Christmas dinner. After dinner, Papa lit a lantern and said he would clean and skin the rabbits so Mama could prepare them. When the shed door opened we saw something in the shed. A few minutes later Papa came in with a little three and a half foot fir tree. He had strapped the tree to his back and that is why we thought there was two people. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life, it was a lush green and every branch was even. I don’t think we had ever had such an exciting moment than that. All of us kids were yelling at one another, we were going to have a Christmas tree. The only Xmas tree we had ever seen before was at the Mayor’s house.
In these tough times not many people had them. Mama told us to get the dishes done and then we would decorate the tree. Everyone pitched in. We all knew we didn’t have any decorations and I wondered how we were going to decorate the tree. We finished the dishes and gathered together in the dining room. Mama came in with darning needles and a spool of thread. She gave me a bucket of cranberries we had picked earlier in the month and showed me how to string the berries.
My brother was given a pot full of popcorn. We’d never had popcorn before, it was a luxury. I watched my brother to see how much popcorn had on the string. He only had strung about a yard and my cranberry string looked about three yards. We were so excited and busy getting these done. I looked over at my brother and saw he was putting one popcorn kernel on the string and two in his mouth. I told Mama and she switched jobs. No one liked eating cranberries raw. When we finished Mama told us not to put them on the tree that she would do it. She strung the strands across the tree and stood back to look at it. She decided that it need something else. She gave my brother 10 cents and sent to the store to buy 10 cents worth of molasses candy kisses wrapped in Christmas paper and twisted on both ends. I tried to figure out how to put them on the tree.
Mama came back with the spool of thread and showed us how long to cut each piece of thread to tie on the twist of the candy and make a loop so it would catch on the branches. We thought it looked great as we sat by an open Franklin stove where we burned soft coal and the embers were glowing red. We sat admiring our first Christmas tree and we were excited as no one in town had one except the mayor. My brother and I thought it needed a star on top. We found an old cardboard shoe box that was so old it started to crumble when we cut it after we had drawn the outline of a star on it. As we were pasting it together my brother and I got into an argument about how many points should be on the star. My brother’s had four points and mine had five.
Mama, the referee said mine was the best, but that it was too big and I would have to cut it smaller. All the points must have been pasted about three or four times as we weren’t the best when it came to cutting with scissors. My brother said the star should be silver and we used to save the foil from cigarette packages when people threw them away, but it wouldn’t stay on the cardboard. Then we remembered that Mama always bought Red Rose in a one pound foil package and she put the whole package into the tea can. We dumped the loose tea directly into the can and absconded with the foil wrap. Two sides of the foil had Red Rose tea signs from end to end and we couldn’t pull them off or we would break the foil. We soaked the foil in warm water and we tried to it off with our fingernails. Mama was always there to rescue. She told us to use the inside of the package. Now we had to put it on the top of the tree. Mama told us she would put it on and out came the needle and thread again. She punched a hole in the bottom two points, but it just flopped over. This time Papa came to our rescue. He said he had some stove pipe wire out in the barn and that it bends easily. He lit the lantern, took his pliers and went to the barn.
Mama threaded the wire through the bottom of the star, but it still flopped over. Papa strung the wire from the bottom of the star to the top making it firm and at long last our star sat on the top of the tree like an angel. We couldn’t take our eyes off of the tree. To us it was the most beautiful Christmas tree in the whole world.
No one in our town had a Christmas tree. They couldn’t afford one. I had only ever seen one Christmas tree in my life. The mayor in our town had electricity in his house. They had four windows side by side in their living room and we could see it from the street decorated with red and green ropes, Christmas paper bells, gold, red and green balls. We knew we would never have a tree like that, only rich people had them. We had never asked for a Christmas tree because we knew we wouldn’t get it.
It didn’t take long to ask all the kids on our street to come see our tree. We were so proud of it. All the kids got a Candy Kiss, but not from the tree. Mama got the remainder of the bag of candy which was almost still full even after we had put them on the tree. All for 10 cents. From that year on we always had a Christmas tree and all our decorations were handmade. Mama could teach us everything that was possible under the conditions of the depression.
My father was earning $150.00 a month but when the depression hit, his boss told him he would have to let him go unless he was willing to work for $50.00 a month which he did and 10 cents for a spool of thread was a lot of money and we couldn’t waste one inch of it.
Celia
Mother's Blue Ribbon Cow
During the Great Depression, my family was
fortunate to have access to valuable resources. We lived near the sea and my
father was able to maintain his job, although his salary was reduced to only
$50 a month, a third of his previous earnings. Fortunately, he was also a
skilled hunter and fisherman, which provided us with a reliable source of food.
We even had our own fishing boat to catch fish for our meals. In addition, we
were fortunate enough to have a small barn where we raised two pigs for meat and
a cow for milk, cream, butter, and cottage cheese. We were constantly reminded
of how lucky we were to have these provisions during such a difficult time. Our
cow, Blossy, was a beautiful Jersey cow who was a beloved part of our family.
It was my responsibility to take her to the pasture every morning before
school. I would lead her on a rope to the pasture, which we rented for only
$3.00 a year. Blossy was a gentle and kind cow with the most beautiful eyes,
and it was always a pleasure to care for her. She never caused us any trouble.
In the evening, I would bring her back home for the nightly milking and keep
her in the barn until morning. It was a chore to care for the milk, and my
mother mostly took charge of this task. We had a separator to separate the
cream from the milk, and the extra milk was stored in large black pans until
the cream rose to the top. My mother would then scoop off the thick cream with
a spoon. Jersey cows were known for their high-quality cream. Later in the day,
we would use an old wooden butter churn to make our own butter. The remaining
milk was used to make curds, which were then hung to dry on the clothesline and
turned into cottage cheese. Curds and cream were a delicacy in our household.
Although we had an abundance of food, including homemade bread twice a week, we
also had salt fish and pork. My mother always reminded us to "go easy on
the butter," but my siblings and I couldn't resist smothering our bread
with it when she wasn't looking. Sometimes, she would even take the butter off
the table if she thought we were using too much. We also had a chicken pen and
my mother would preserve eggs in Isinglass for the winter. Occasionally, we
would even have a chicken for dinner on Sundays. We raised our own chickens
with the help of a clucky hen. I still remember my mother borrowing a hen from
our neighbor to sit on the eggs and hatch our chicks. When the chicks were old
enough, we would return the hen and give our neighbor a few young chicks in
return. We also sold a few quarts of milk each day, but it didn't bring in much
money. Sometimes, we were even paid with nothing at all, but my mother never
complained. One day, my mother was walking home after helping a woman who had
just given birth. The doctor would always call upon my mother for assistance if
needed. On her way back, she passed a house where a woman with six young
children lived. The woman called out to my mother, saying, "We don't even
have a piece of bread to feed the children." My mother then asked me to
take a double loaf of bread to the woman, instructing me to hide it under my
coat so my father wouldn't see it. However, as I was leaving, my father noticed
the bread and asked where I was going with it. He scolded me and told me to put
it back, saying that he didn't work hard to provide for the family of a man who
spent all his money on alcohol. After my father went back to work, my mother
gave me the bread again and told me to take it to the woman without my father
knowing. She couldn't bear to see children go hungry, even during the hardships
of the Depression. In 1932, the worst thing happened. We used to give Blossy
our vegetable peelings as a treat, and she loved them. One night, I brought her
home from the pasture at 5 o'clock as usual. However, someone had forgotten to
remove a potato from the peelings, and Blossy accidentally swallowed it. She
became bloated and started choking. My mother sent for our neighbor, who was a
blacksmith, to help us. He tried pushing a broom handle down Blossy's throat to
push the potato down, but it didn't work. Sadly, she passed away that night. My
siblings and I were heartbroken, but it was an even bigger blow to my parents.
We were left without milk, cream, butter, or curds and cream. It was a
disaster.
My father was speaking to a man from a vessel
that had just arrived from Prince Edward Island. The man mentioned that they
had black and white cows on the island that produced three times more milk than
a Jersey cow. He also mentioned that these cows were not expensive. My father
was intrigued and decided to borrow $50, which was equivalent to a month's
salary, from his boss. He then sent my mother on the produce boat to buy one of
these cows. The owner of the boat charged a small passenger fee for my mother
and promised to bring back a cow for her. I remember watching the two-master
vessel leave the harbor from our kitchen window. It left us kids in a frenzy as
the boat was old, leaked, and constantly needed to be pumped. After five days,
the boat returned and we saw a black and white cow on the deck, strapped to
whatever was available. We quickly ran to the wharf to see the cow. My father
used a hoist, which was usually used to haul up fish, and a piece of canvas to
lift the cow's stomach. Finally, she was standing on her own four legs again.
We then put a halter on her and a rope to lead her from the wharf to our barn.
Our barn became a busy place with many people coming in and out to see the blue-ribbon
cow that my mother had paid the full $50 for. For the first few days, we tied
her to a rope and stake so she could graze on the grass behind the sheds and
stores near our house. However, the first time my mother tried to milk her, the
cow kicked over the bucket and we lost all the milk. We lost a few more buckets
of milk before we could manage to milk her. We had to hold a dipper in one
hand, milk with the other hand, and keep the milk pail far away from the cow's
hooves because she was a real kicker. Finally, my mother thought I was ready to
handle milking the cow, so she sent me out to do it. She watched as I started,
and after a few kicks at my milking stool, I was able to milk into the dipper.
It was strange for me, as our previous cow, Blossy, would let us put the pail
down and milk with both hands, making the job faster. However, we had deadlines
to meet, such as taking the cow out to pasture and going to school. One
evening, when I was alone, I tried to rig up two poles under the cow and
against the barn wall to hold her legs back so I could milk with both hands. I
only had an old anchor to secure the poles, and they ended up getting kicked
off the wall, spilling the milk. After six months, we finally managed to tame
the cow and milk her with both hands. We discovered that she was a great
milker, and we never had enough pots and pans to hold all the milk. We were
able to sell more milk, which gave my mother a few extra cents to buy things
like a spool of thread. As we kids were growing up, we received old clothes
from our Aunt in Boston. My sister Carrie found a beautiful blue Celanese dress
in the bundle, and it fit her perfectly. She washed it and hung it on the
clothesline to dry. However, our beloved blue ribbon cow was grazing nearby and
ended up chewing off half of the dress before we could stop her. We had to keep
a close eye on the cow and make sure she was tied away from the clothesline.
This cow was quite a handful, always knocking down fences, and causing my poor
father to have to fix them after a long day of work. He cursed the blue ribbon
cow every day, whether we had milk or not.
Red Tape and Torpedo Nets
Me and the barge (Gary LeDrew |
Rolling with their R's
n the 1930s, Canada was home to one of the most efficient ice breakers in the world - the C.G.S. MONTCALM. This impressive vessel was used to break up ice in the St. Lawrence River, as steel and coal were shipped from Sydney and Louisbourg. During the winter months, Sydney Harbour would freeze over, rendering it inaccessible to icebreakers. As a result, all shipping was directed to Louisbourg Harbour, which remained open year-round. When the C.G.S. MONTCALM sailed into Louisbourg Harbour, it was a moment of great excitement for the townspeople who would gather at the docks to greet her. This magnificent icebreaker was known as the most powerful one in the world at that time. The crew of the MONTCALM was mostly comprised of French individuals from Quebec. The Captain was English, while the Chief Engineer was a six-foot, curly red-haired Scotsman from Scotland. The crew members were welcomed by the townspeople and often attended social events in the area. One such event was the card games organized by the Catholic Parish, located about two miles from the town. These card games, usually a game called 45s, were accompanied by socializing and refreshments provided by the ladies of the church. One day, Margaret Murphy, a friend of mine whose father owned a local grocery store, invited me to join her for a card game. I had never played before, so she kindly dealt me a few hands to show me how to play. Despite my initial hesitation, I agreed to join her. That evening, the weather took a turn for the worse, with freezing rain making everything slick and slippery. Margaret had her father's old Chevrolet to take the Captain and Engineer to the card game. However, when we arrived at the store, we found that the sidewalk leading up to it was covered in a thick layer of ice, making it nearly impossible to walk on. I attempted to stand up, but ended up sliding down. Margaret faced the same fate. We ended up crawling up the incline on our hands and knees, with me opening the car door and waiting for Margaret to reach it. This took some time, and during that time, the Captain and Engineer engaged in a conversation while walking to the car. The Captain remarked that the Engineer spoke French very well for a Scotsman, but as he said this, he slipped and fell on his bottom, sliding down to the car. Margaret couldn't resist making a joke, saying that anyone would roll on their "r's" in these conditions. We managed to hold back our laughter as the Captain picked himself up. Margaret's father then threw ashes from the stove over the incline to make it easier for them to reach the car. Despite our slow and cautious driving, we still ended up being a little late. Upon arriving at the hall, we found everyone waiting to fill the last available table. We quickly joined them, and when asked why we were late and why we were laughing, we shared our story. This caused a great deal of laughter among the players, as the game of 45s involved players moving from one table to the next when they won. As a result, the whole room soon heard our story and joined in on the laughter. However, not everyone found our mishap amusing. The priest, Father Doyle, was not pleased, as he saw the card game as a serious event, not a circus. While some players were there to have fun and help with the church's funds, others were known as skilled card sharks who were solely focused on winning. Father Doyle was eventually informed of our story and, despite his initial disapproval, he couldn't help but laugh along with the rest of the room. As the game ended and prizes were handed out, everyone gathered for lunch, which soon turned into more of a circus. Father Doyle reminded everyone that it was not appropriate for some to be laughing so loudly while others remained unaware of the joke. In response, Captain O'Hearn stood up and explained our mishap to everyone, while the Chief Engineer added, "I am glad I rolled on my 'r's' as it made for an entertaining evening for all." Despite the initial disapproval, our mishap ended up bringing laughter and joy to all those present.
My Mother and the Nazi spy?
THE NEW SANDALS
PET SEAGULL BIDDY
Deer Meat and Hungry People
Deer season in Cape Breton Island during the Depression was one of the big events of the year. Everyone would be talking about it.
Weeks before the season opened I used to beg my father to take me with him as I loved to see the trees, birds, squirrels, partridges, pheasants- I was fascinated by everything that moved in the woods. My father always refused.
When I was 16 my father bought me a single shot, Colt 22 rifle. My father trained me with the gun to shoot the seabirds that came in the harbour quite close to our house and barn which were built on a breakwater. He taught me with old light bulbs we would get from the Marine Repair shop next door. They would bob up and down in the water with the waves, so he felt this was the best way to teach me. He said I should be able to shoot a few ducks when he was at work and our Labrador dog would fetch them in from the sea.
I had to shoot with a direct hit on three out of five bulbs. At first it wasn’t easy but after three or four times I shocked him by getting five out of five.
I loved tramping through the woods that could be so silent, until an animal or a bird would make a move. You must stand very quiet and still to make sure what you were shooting at. Silence is golden when you’re out hunting for food.
It was after the duck episode that I really wanted to go deer hunting but my father insisted it be not for girls. He said, “Never try to shoot a deer with a single shot 22 rifles, and don’t even try! And remember, there’s no such thing as an empty gun, even if it is empty!” We sure had to treat it as loaded.
The day the season opened my father took his 45 Winchester repeater and went off for a deer. He was gone only six or seven hours when he came home with his prize. All us kids could think of was a good hot dinner in the winter and we all seemed to be very happy about my father getting the deer so early in the season.
It didn’t take my father too long to prepare the meat for Mother to put in preserve jars and when the meat was prepared to her specifications out came the Mason jars, the big boiling pot to cook the meat. She would put in one row of meat in the jars and one row of bay leaves until the jars were full and added water. Then the jars were put in the big pot and boiled till the meat was cooked. Usually we had enough meat to do us for the winter but those who never went hunting or never owned a gun came to our back yard where my father was cutting the deer, everyone asking for a piece of the meat. No one was refused, but Mother was giving my father heck because she didn’t have enough preserved for the winter as he gave so much away.
My father told my youngest brother to get a license and asked him if he would try to get another deer to please my Mother. My brother took two days to get a deer and brought it home where every cut had to be perfect.
As he was cutting the meat, there had to be thirty or forty adults with a pot or pan or new paper saying, “I hope you have a piece for me.” I don’t think my brother ever looked up to see who he was giving the meat to. Most of the deer was given to other hungry people. Everybody shared food when plentiful, but he realized that he did not have very much left for my Mother.
There was lots of talk about giving away the most of the deer. Finally, my father said to my brother to take me up to the business office and get me a license (one deer one license.) This was my big chance. My father had taught me and trusted me with the gun and it was O.K. to go look for another deer. They were very plentiful that year, and this was the last day of open season. My father gave me his 45
Winchester repeater.
My brother took me through the swamp. Brush and woods so thick I thought I’d never get out of it. When we came across a small clearing, there were deer everywhere. My brother said, “Aim for the shoulder.” One shot and it dropped right on the ground. My brother said, “Get right over there and put another shot in the head “ (he had to point out where), “and kill it outright. Not a bad shot for a first time.” Then the worst thing happened that could happen.
My brother put his hand in his back pocket and pulled out the hunting knife and said, “Now go slit its throat, and bleed the animal.” I went around the deer in a few circles but fell to the ground. I don’t know how long I was there. My brother kept looking after the deer but stopped once in a while and with his hands scooped up some dirty swamp water and threw it on my face. When I came to my clothes were wet with swamp water, and mud all over me. Everyone in town ribbed me for years about always wanting to go deer hunting.
I never went deer hunting again and never killed a deer since. It was only for food, which meant so much to all of us in the depression in our town.
Many seasons afterwards the people that got some of the meat would always make sure when they saw me to ask if I would be going deer hunting this fall. Never! Never! Never! Once was enough to live down.
When mother prepared the deer meat, every piece of fat or sinew had to be cut off. The meat was soaked in salt water over night, then parboiled in baking soda, to take the game taste off the meat, then into the oven to roast. She always saved bacon fat to baste the meat so it wouldn’t be too dry. The same treatment was given to the sea birds to take away the fishy taste of the fowl. The birds were always roasted with bread dressing. We had much to be thankful for as the Depression was more of a case of survival and we were all made aware of it, and we were all in the same boat.
My parents were always teaching us to make things out of nothing. Mother was an excellent sewer and we wore hand me overs and hand me downs but Mother would make them to fit us kids so that we weren’t too poorly dressed. We never had new clothes for years. Mother would card wool and spin the yarn and we always had sweaters for the winter. She would dye the wool Royal Blue and Cardinal Red and the sweaters would always turn out to be red with blue trim or blue with red trim.
10 Point Buck
My father went deer hunting the next year. He was way back in the bush probably 5 miles from the road when he brought down the biggest deer he had ever shot. It was a ten point buck and he was very pleased.
He no sooner started to clean it when an American hunter came on the scene and offered him a hundred dollars for the deer. Papa said no thanks although it was very tempting. A hundred dollars went a long way in the thirties. But the pride of getting such a big deer won out and he had to cut it up into 3 pieces and make three trips to the road to take it home. All his life he would tell this story and finish it by saying. That deer was so tough you couldn't stick your fork in the gravy.
Hockey Game
Celia Shaw LeDrew
The Home On the Hill
By Charlie Shaw
We live at the house by the side of the hill,
A home away from home.
A better place you couldn't find
No matter where you roam.
For when the rain beats on the windows
Or the snow piles high outside,
Your sitting here in comfort
With your roommate by your side.
The nurses arc a kindly lot
They are always happy and gay.
They make your bed and clean your room
And bring meals on a tray.
Even those in wheelchairs,
They greet you with a smile."
There are a few exceptions,
They are a bit senile.
Sometimes we get so lonely,
And sometimes we blue,
But cheer up and do not worry
There's a lot worse off then you.
And when we die, we don’t know where we go.
For life is such a mystery that no one knows for sure.
We hope that we will meet again
On Heaven’s distant shore.
Now I'm speaking for my self alone
But what I say is true...
If you are good to people,
They will be good to you.
Charlie Shaw was my grandfather, he wrote this in a seniors residence in Sydney when he was in his ninties. he died when he was 96.
Celia LeDrew BIO
Cecilia (Celia) Margaret LeDrew Born April 1 1917 Louisbourg N.S. Parents Charles Shaw and Bessie Shaw (nee Snow) Celia was the fi...
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"When I was just eight years old, I stumbled upon a young seagull while exploring the beach near my house. Despite being newly hatched,...
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The Home on the Hill By Charlie Shaw We live at the house by the side of the hill, A home away from home. A better place you couldn'...
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Cecilia (Celia) Margaret LeDrew Born April 1 1917 Louisbourg N.S. Parents Charles Shaw and Bessie Shaw (nee Snow) Celia was the fi...