Ruth (Swan) Little
My parents were Mary (Coburn) and Henry Swan. There were four girls and two boys in my family. I was born and grew up on the Swan Road.
Bingo, a large white horse, belonged to our neighbour, Tom Speedy. During the winter, Bingo was hitched to a pung sled and transported a number of children on the Swan Road to the Swamp School. Mr. Speedy's daughter, Annie, drove Bingo she was only 11 or 12 at that time. Usually Bingo was a very placid horse, but on one particular morning he was startled by something in the bushes. He trotted up the road at quite a speed. We children were very frightened - hollering, crying, and waving our arms, which probably added to poor Bingo's fright. As we neared a neighbour's house, I can remember my brother waving his arms and shouting "Stop the horse, Ab! Stop the horse!". By the time the horse, and sled with children reached the main road, Bingo had slowed down. Annie was able to stop the horse and we got out of the sled to walk the rest of the way to school. Bingo and his sled were turned towards home. He ambled towards home - alone - to his warm barn and some feed.
My father always grew a large crop of turnips which was fed to the cows during the winter. I wasn't too thrilled when called upon to weed and single the turnips. In the fall, the turnips were pulled. Father hauled them by wagon to the house where they were stored in the basement. I can remember Father throwing the turnips down a shute into the basement where we children were waiting to put them into a bin. During the winter, a turnip pulper was used to crush the turnips into manageable bits for the cows.
We wore dresses all the time. In the summer these mid-calf-length dresses were sewn out of a cotton print; whereas, in the winter a heavier material was used. Pantaloons, made from the cotton flour sacks, were worn underneath. In the winter, hand knit, usually black, long wool socks were also worn. Our winter boots were high-cut, laced up boots. In the summer, we wore a light shoe.
I can remember a peddler, Billy Snider, who travelled our area with a horse and covered wagon. He went door to door selling his wares; cotton print, thread, ribbons, buttons, needles, thimbles, and other sewing notions.
Occasionally a tramp would wander up the back road. They were usually looking for something to eat.