First of all there were ten in my family. It was rough for Father & Mother, but we always had the privilege of helping ourselves to the ice box. It went pretty good, when we came in from skating, (to) tear off the overhang on the nice fresh loaf of bread. The folks used a barrel of flour a month. My poor mother had to cook on a wood stove and wash on the old scrub board, heat water in the resofoy (reservoir) at the end of the stove. How she ever did it but she used to manage to go to the King's Daughters meet(ings) at the church with the other ladys of the town to quilt bed spreads to sell to support the church.
We used to play ball down in front of the church in the road and we would once in a while bat a ball through Susan Nye's window, but she was very nice about it. I forget how we managed to pay the damage but I don't think it was the way they do it today. By the way, that was a four apartment house where Susan Nye was a resident.
We never had a suit or gloves. Barehanded when you got one of them wooden ball(s) from a line drive, you sure knew
you had something and it sure did tickle.
We had to be in a certain hour and when my folks told you something, they really me(a)nt it. We would come busting in on them. They always welcomed us with food, music, singing, play all kind(s) of games....post-office, spin the platter, ring around the roses. Volney Babb used his horses to transport us over to Blair Pond to the Virgil Lloyd house.
My folks had a cardboard factory. They were made out of beech wood for the purpose of curring (currying) cattle and horses---different sizes. They used to keep two yokes of oxen in the winter to get the logs to the shop.
We boys had to go in the woods and cut the trees, get them ready to be hauld (hauled) in. We made a skidway and piled the logs up, sometimes a hundred logs to a skidway. We had to use snowshoes often times to get to the woods. Sometimes we walked eight or ten miles to go to the woods. When we came home at night take of(f) our trousers, they would be frozen stiff and would stand alone.
Our lunch would be frozen also, but that was what kept us healthy. If we got a cold, the folks would put flaxseed poltis (flavored poultice) and onion poltis on and we would be as good as ever the next morning.
I can see mother standing over the wood burning stove frying pancakes for us hungry kids and believe me we could put away an awful feed. The night before the Fourth of July, we would put wagons up on the store roof, gather all kinds of wood for a fire and we had a dandy (on) what we called the common at the four corners below the church. Every Sunday we had to go to church. That was when I suffered. Go barefoot all the week and put a brand new pair of shoes (on) for Sunday. If you don't think that is agony, just try it sometime. When we got home off came the shoes and we would head for the cool grass.
When I was going to school all I could think of was a horse. So after school I would go up to Joe Burdick's and ride an old razor back horse to cultivate his crops. For my pay all I got was a Rode (Rhode) Island rooster to take out to the Blandford Fair, which let me in toll free. I got 2nd prize. That was a big deal.
When I was around 15 years old, I went to work driving team for Merrit Blair hauling logs into the sawmill, and from there I went to work for Chas. Shepard hauling lumber from Blair Pond to Westfield up at four o'clock in the A.M. until 8:00 o'clock at night, but I liked it.
My folks had a pond about a mile long and a half mile wide -- good pickerel and bullhead fishing and also a fine place to skate. We would gather a lot of wood and have a nice bonfire, play duck on the rock, which people nowdays call it hockey, but we made our own puck and clubs. Cut our own ice, sometimes 2 feet thick. That took quite a husky boy to handle one of those cakes, put it in the ice house, pack it with sawdust.
If anyone was butchering a pig or beef, Father would buy a quarter, or a side which helped a lot. But not these days.
Back to the activities in N.B. There was my folks cardboard factory. which had the pond for water power and it was wonderful power. Then coming down from there towards the store and church, there was a tannery just a short distance from the shop, and coming down farther was a house (I don't recall that place) and next was my folks, and then the Hood place and then Mrs. Savery. Across from her place there stood an all grade schoolhouse and a little below on the opposite side was a bedstead shop, and still coming towards the corner was a hotel and Lee Higgins' store, and across the road was another store operated by Judd, and after by John Cooney, and after by Arthur Nye.
These stores used to peddle groceries to Otis, Big Pond, and Becket with a horse up around Algerie. There was also a grocery man by the name of Wilcott came up from Chester once a week who used to exchange eggs and butter for groceries.
Also was a(n) essence man came up from Chester with all kinds of extracts. It used to smell good when he opened the door to his vehicle.
Going towards Otis was a man by the name of Frank Higgins had a little silver plating place which he did wonderful work, and still farther on was Henry Lee and later Arthur Lee, who made beautiful wood work such as wagons, heavy and light ones. He also had a little blacksmith's shop for making tires for the wagons and etc. - wonderful work he did. Still further was the basket factory which is now owned as a home for Frank Higgins. (1985, owned by Conwell Higgins). The factory was owned and operated by Ira and Lee Higgins. Lee Higgins was paralized and also blind, and Ira had to get him up in the A.M. and put him to bed at night.
Going beyond that was a blacksmith shop owned and operated by Frank Bliss. He used to shoe oxen, as there were quite a few yokes them days.
Going towards Blandford Center, beyond the new Chester road was the cheese factory. There they used to hold dances. I know John Gibbs used to play the violin but I think they used to have an organ. I don't recall what else, if any, they had. The old cheese factory was only heated by a woodburning stove, so the dancers had to hop around pretty lively to keep warm.
The music was furnished for the dances at the old cheese factory by my brother, Howard, violin; my brother, Ernest, trumpet; Uncle Frank Cannon, trumpet; Lester---, clarinet; Ed Babb, bass hom. Sister Helen used to play the organ for rehearsals.
For the kitchen dances, Ella Babb furnished the music with what they called a "squee(ze) box" - very good. The old carpet came up off the floor pretty fast. With surprise parties and the cornhusking bees a very lively and enjoyed time was had by all, and plenty to eat.
My father was the dentist and the veternary. If any had a toothache they would stop at the house and get the plyers (pliers) them days not foseps (forceps). and go up to the shop. He would take them on one of the trucks, put his big hand on their forard (forehead) and the tooth was sure to come out-no sterilization. Nobody died from the effects.
But if they had a cow sick, he would take a quart root (beer) bottle filled with linseed oil and put it in them-sure cure. For a horse, if would be Dr. Daniels' colic cure.
If any one of the town's people were sick, each one would take turns sitting up with them and also bring in food-something different these days.
The Babbs used to have a big runion every year - about 25 of them there, and what a time they used to have. The old pantry was full of all kinds of pies, etc.
As I am the last of the Fred Waite family, I think that is enough and I hope I am correct in the history of the times.
* *
Note:
Harry Waite was son of Frederick M. and Sarah M. (Cannon) Waite Born Sept. 26.1888 - Died Feb. 15, 1983
We used to play ball down in front of the church in the road and we would once in a while bat a ball through Susan Nye's window, but she was very nice about it. I forget how we managed to pay the damage but I don't think it was the way they do it today. By the way, that was a four apartment house where Susan Nye was a resident.
We never had a suit or gloves. Barehanded when you got one of them wooden ball(s) from a line drive, you sure knew
you had something and it sure did tickle.
We had to be in a certain hour and when my folks told you something, they really me(a)nt it. We would come busting in on them. They always welcomed us with food, music, singing, play all kind(s) of games....post-office, spin the platter, ring around the roses. Volney Babb used his horses to transport us over to Blair Pond to the Virgil Lloyd house.
My folks had a cardboard factory. They were made out of beech wood for the purpose of curring (currying) cattle and horses---different sizes. They used to keep two yokes of oxen in the winter to get the logs to the shop.
We boys had to go in the woods and cut the trees, get them ready to be hauld (hauled) in. We made a skidway and piled the logs up, sometimes a hundred logs to a skidway. We had to use snowshoes often times to get to the woods. Sometimes we walked eight or ten miles to go to the woods. When we came home at night take of(f) our trousers, they would be frozen stiff and would stand alone.
Our lunch would be frozen also, but that was what kept us healthy. If we got a cold, the folks would put flaxseed poltis (flavored poultice) and onion poltis on and we would be as good as ever the next morning.
I can see mother standing over the wood burning stove frying pancakes for us hungry kids and believe me we could put away an awful feed. The night before the Fourth of July, we would put wagons up on the store roof, gather all kinds of wood for a fire and we had a dandy (on) what we called the common at the four corners below the church. Every Sunday we had to go to church. That was when I suffered. Go barefoot all the week and put a brand new pair of shoes (on) for Sunday. If you don't think that is agony, just try it sometime. When we got home off came the shoes and we would head for the cool grass.
When I was going to school all I could think of was a horse. So after school I would go up to Joe Burdick's and ride an old razor back horse to cultivate his crops. For my pay all I got was a Rode (Rhode) Island rooster to take out to the Blandford Fair, which let me in toll free. I got 2nd prize. That was a big deal.
When I was around 15 years old, I went to work driving team for Merrit Blair hauling logs into the sawmill, and from there I went to work for Chas. Shepard hauling lumber from Blair Pond to Westfield up at four o'clock in the A.M. until 8:00 o'clock at night, but I liked it.
My folks had a pond about a mile long and a half mile wide -- good pickerel and bullhead fishing and also a fine place to skate. We would gather a lot of wood and have a nice bonfire, play duck on the rock, which people nowdays call it hockey, but we made our own puck and clubs. Cut our own ice, sometimes 2 feet thick. That took quite a husky boy to handle one of those cakes, put it in the ice house, pack it with sawdust.
If anyone was butchering a pig or beef, Father would buy a quarter, or a side which helped a lot. But not these days.
Back to the activities in N.B. There was my folks cardboard factory. which had the pond for water power and it was wonderful power. Then coming down from there towards the store and church, there was a tannery just a short distance from the shop, and coming down farther was a house (I don't recall that place) and next was my folks, and then the Hood place and then Mrs. Savery. Across from her place there stood an all grade schoolhouse and a little below on the opposite side was a bedstead shop, and still coming towards the corner was a hotel and Lee Higgins' store, and across the road was another store operated by Judd, and after by John Cooney, and after by Arthur Nye.
These stores used to peddle groceries to Otis, Big Pond, and Becket with a horse up around Algerie. There was also a grocery man by the name of Wilcott came up from Chester once a week who used to exchange eggs and butter for groceries.
Also was a(n) essence man came up from Chester with all kinds of extracts. It used to smell good when he opened the door to his vehicle.
Going towards Otis was a man by the name of Frank Higgins had a little silver plating place which he did wonderful work, and still farther on was Henry Lee and later Arthur Lee, who made beautiful wood work such as wagons, heavy and light ones. He also had a little blacksmith's shop for making tires for the wagons and etc. - wonderful work he did. Still further was the basket factory which is now owned as a home for Frank Higgins. (1985, owned by Conwell Higgins). The factory was owned and operated by Ira and Lee Higgins. Lee Higgins was paralized and also blind, and Ira had to get him up in the A.M. and put him to bed at night.
Going beyond that was a blacksmith shop owned and operated by Frank Bliss. He used to shoe oxen, as there were quite a few yokes them days.
Going towards Blandford Center, beyond the new Chester road was the cheese factory. There they used to hold dances. I know John Gibbs used to play the violin but I think they used to have an organ. I don't recall what else, if any, they had. The old cheese factory was only heated by a woodburning stove, so the dancers had to hop around pretty lively to keep warm.
The music was furnished for the dances at the old cheese factory by my brother, Howard, violin; my brother, Ernest, trumpet; Uncle Frank Cannon, trumpet; Lester---, clarinet; Ed Babb, bass hom. Sister Helen used to play the organ for rehearsals.
For the kitchen dances, Ella Babb furnished the music with what they called a "squee(ze) box" - very good. The old carpet came up off the floor pretty fast. With surprise parties and the cornhusking bees a very lively and enjoyed time was had by all, and plenty to eat.
My father was the dentist and the veternary. If any had a toothache they would stop at the house and get the plyers (pliers) them days not foseps (forceps). and go up to the shop. He would take them on one of the trucks, put his big hand on their forard (forehead) and the tooth was sure to come out-no sterilization. Nobody died from the effects.
But if they had a cow sick, he would take a quart root (beer) bottle filled with linseed oil and put it in them-sure cure. For a horse, if would be Dr. Daniels' colic cure.
If any one of the town's people were sick, each one would take turns sitting up with them and also bring in food-something different these days.
The Babbs used to have a big runion every year - about 25 of them there, and what a time they used to have. The old pantry was full of all kinds of pies, etc.
As I am the last of the Fred Waite family, I think that is enough and I hope I am correct in the history of the times.
* *
Note:
Harry Waite was son of Frederick M. and Sarah M. (Cannon) Waite Born Sept. 26.1888 - Died Feb. 15, 1983
