Now we were cutting wood up here in- in Emery's bush near the Catholics, eh? And the- on of the boys come in all dressed up. Dad says "where you been?" "Oh," he says, "it's a holiday. It's Little-Christmas." I didn't know anything about it. Interviewer: Huh. What- what day was that now? How- about w-- ? Speaker: I- I think it's about a week after. Interviewer: I see.

Speaker: Yeah. No, there's no ah- well, there's Boxing-Day. Interviewer: Yeah. Speaker: It comes right after Christmas. Interviewer: But you didn't- there was nothing like s-- you-know a special- Speaker: No, no. Interviewer: Celebration or whatever. No. Speaker: Just Boxing-Day. Interviewer: Hm. Speaker: But that Little-Christmas, the- at that time was- what he said was ah one of their big days all they kept so possibly that's what-

Interviewer 1: Ah what other buildings did you have on the farm? Speaker: Well, these were all log. Interviewer 1: Mm-hm. But- Speaker: L-- log barn, log stable and then the other place for pigs and a place for hens.

house. Speaker: Yes. That's, ah- it's four years since I came back. Interviewer: So could you tell me a little bit about the- the house that you were born in? Speaker: No. The house- Interviewer: 'Cause this is a newer house, isn't it? Speaker: The house that I was born in was a log house and, ah, ah, the upstairs was not finished, there- there was a stairway but there was a large kitchen and two bedrooms off the kitchen. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Speaker: Ah, then, ah, my grandmother came, ah, to live with us so there was not sufficient room and my father finished half of

Interviewer: Do you remember what your house was like, Mister-Milford, that you were brought up in? It would have been, ah, made of logs I guess, would it? Speaker: Um, well, ah, the house I was born in was a log house, yes.

her end of the house, it would be the same thing. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Did you- Speaker: No-- Interviewer: Ever move your stove in the summertime? Speaker: No, we- we uh- we never had a summer kitchen. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Speaker: We just had the one kitchen. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Did you ever live in a log house? Speaker: No. Interviewer: There were quite a number of log houses in this area though, were there? Speaker: Yes, yes, there were. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Speaker: There was quite a lot of them and I have been in a house- a log house, I mean, where people were living you-know?

the old house, the old- house was ah- was ah- was for the machine house, and- (recording seems to cut off, probably to deal with the dog) Interviewer: Yes, well you were telling me um, about the place where you kept all the tools and supplies. Speaker: Yes, and the old log house, we turned it into a machine house (clears throat) excuse me. We had the upstairs for um, oh, storing any particular good grain for seed for the next year in different box- big boxes, or bins.

Interviewer: What ah kinds of fences did you have? Speaker: Log fences. We had all log fences. Interviewer: Were there any different kinds around there? Speaker: Oh, well cedars, big cedar logs and s-- big logs and, take it to (inc), put them on the fences.

Interviewer: You said rail fences. Did- would you use that name for any fence that's made out of- of wood? Speaker: Ah, well, out of wood, yes, or- that was, ah, that was- they used rail- rail fences or a log fence before we ever got wire. Interviewer: Mm-hm.

Interviewer: What's the difference between a rail fence and a log fence? Speaker: Well, the- the log is the- is just the- the whole tree put down and they just took and put them up, ah- it took, ah, three logs to make a- a row, one on top of the other and- Interviewer: Yeah. Speaker: Crosses between them. ... Yeah, the log fence was just, ah, built, ah, in one straight row and when they- they come to the- the end they put the- the next panel up past the other, a foot, you-see, and through and across where- and put them on- one on top of the other of the logs.

Interviewer: Through and across. Speaker: Yeah. Went across, yeah. Interviewer: I see. Speaker: Oh yes, there was some big log fences.

Speaker: You can string around the- the- drive in pickets and string it around quick. Interviewer: Not nearly as much hard work as the- (laughs) Speaker: No. Interviewer: As the log. Speaker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: The rail fences. Speaker: No. The log fences, mind you, when they- c-- counted the time from the (inc) to the bush and cut these along cedars, lugged them out as horses and rolled them into place but you had a fence for, well, that you never needed to go back to for years and years.

Speaker: The long rails. Interviewer: Whole- ah, they- they hadn't been split. They had- they were made out of a complete log that they just laid in a zig-zag fashion. Speaker: Mm-hm. Interviewer: This. Speaker: Well that was what we called a log fence. Interviewer: Oh it would be a log fence. Speaker: Yes. Interviewer: If it- if the wood hadn't been split. Speaker: Mm-hm.

Interviewer: It's rails if it's split. Speaker: Rails, mm-hm. Interviewer: Logs if it isn't. Speaker: (inc) Interviewer: Yeah. If it's complete wood that hasn't been split it would be a log fence. Speaker: Mm-hm. That's right. That's right, mm-hm.

They stay up far better- you take a rail that's pretty light, and when they're crooked like that, they're kind-of bound. M-- the- the- the- they stand the wind before they go down. A straight log fence, if there were anything you'd have to have put pickets in. Or the logs would blow off.

Speaker: And now we're- we were talking about fences. But when our old log fences got done, we started putting up barbed wire. And barbed wire is no good for sheep. And we had to do away with our sheep. They'd go through that barbed wire and behind them there was wool. So we- oh yes, we had sheep here for quite a few years. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Speaker: When we had log fences we were alright. But when we got- the old logs got done and we started to put up barbed wire, it was no good for sheep. Great for cattle. They won't touch it.

Interviewer: Was your um, farm entirely fenced? Speaker: Yes, it was. Uh, the farms- Interviewer: What kind of fences? Speaker: Were, were- Interviewer: Sorry. Speaker: Oh, they were log fences, a lot of log fences. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Any other kinds? Speaker: And um, we had some wire fences.

... our farm was a corner lot that was roads on both sides, and we had wire fencing and on the left, but then um ah the other was split um poles, and they called it railed-fence. Some of them were log fences, too. Interviewer: Yes, I've seen those. Ah, were there any other kinds of fences?

Interviewer: You said you used to have your- your wood just outside the back here? Speaker: Yes, by the long fence out there. Interviewer: Uh-huh. How would you get it to come into the- to bring it in? Speaker: Oh, carry- dig it out and carry it in your arms.

Speaker: Oh, they were log fences, a lot of log fences. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Any other kinds? Speaker: And um, we had some wire fences. The wire fences were usually between the farms, separating two farms. Interviewer: Oh, I see. Speaker: But, if we wanted to separate fields, sometimes it was uh- was it long fences we called them, or what was that we called them? I can't just think. There'd be cedar poles, you-know? Interviewer: Yes. Speaker: Warped together, it was a lot of work making them and the cattle didn't seem to- they seemed to respect them.