Speaker: It- well, in- in a buggy or a cutter there were shafts. Interviewer: Oh yeah. Speaker: Horse went in between them. And then it, um- they went up and there was a loop on the harness. Interviewer: Uh-huh. Speaker: Shafts went through those loops and there's traces from the harness back and- Interviewer: Did you have a buggy in- ? Speaker: Oh yes.

Interviewer: Yes. Uh, if you were driving one horse, on a buggy, what were those two wooden things on the front in which- Speaker: Those were the shaves, yeah. Interviewer: How did you fasten the horse to the- Speaker: Well, you backed them into the- into the- of course they have uh, traces and you have a- you have a place where you put them on the end of a- of a whippletree, a little whippletree. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Speaker: And then for a team they had uh, what they called a pole- Interviewer: Oh, yes. Speaker: And then they had two whippletrees, one one each side ...

Interviewer: ... ah, what- where- where would the horse go in- relative to the shafts? Speaker: Between the two shafts. And then there was ah- what the hay was or-something, and there was little places for the shaft to go in on the harness. And then a whippletree, a single whippletree. And the traces were hitched to the whippletree. Interviewer: Mm-hm, which kept the animal attached to the- to the buggy or the cutter. Yes. Um, what was the name of the piece of harness that was on the horse's head? Speaker: Ah, bridle.

Interviewer: Yes. And what did the driver hold? Speaker: Their lines. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Ah do you know the names of- the name of any of the other pieces of the- of the harness? Speaker: Harness- there was a collar, and um- and ah, hames, the hames were attached to the- to the traces that hitched to the buggy. And then there was the back pad- but I don't know what that's called around. And then um- the tray- ah, no there was ah- another affair attached to the shafts, too.

Speaker: My dad and I were in the car bringing milk in. I thought I heard traces. Like a noise- Interviewer 1: (inc) around, yeah. Speaker: There was the two horses. They split (inc). Interviewer 2: Oh wow. Interviewer 3: (Laughs) Speaker: Yeah. Interviewer 2: (inc) Interviewer 3: You don't remember of course. You were too young.

Interviewer 1: Kara, do you think anybody would know today what a 'whiffletree' is? Speaker: Oh yeah, a few people would. Interviewer 2: Can you describe that to me because I have no clue. Speaker: (Laughs) Interviewer 1: That's a polite way of saying, "Tell me what that is." Speaker: Well, that was a thing about that way. I'd guess when you attach the- the ah, the traces, the traces would be on the- the horse. And they'd attach that to this end and this end and that pulled. Interviewer 2: Mm-hm. And someone would make that? Out of wood? Speaker: Well, I guess you'd likely buy it. But that would last for years, yeah.

The skunk sprayed the dog and the dog was all upset because the skunk had, you-know, had skunk smell all over it and it came into the shed with us and tried to get into bed with us 'cause it was all upset. So of course we had skunk smelly dog all over these sheets and blankets and my mother said she'll never forget the sight of us traipsing past the kitchen window, dragging our sheets and pillows and-everything, blankets, back into the house all wet now because it's been raining...

With this great big shoulder unit right. I think we were the first ones in town to have a video camera. So he used to traipse this thing around, carry it. So here we are at Esker-Park, ah, I am thirteen, my sister's fourteen, my younger brother's eleven and my dad's taking video...

Interviewer: What about when you, ah, ah, the- the- put them near the- near the barn or something? Is it- did you put them in a bigger- bigger pile there, or? Speaker: Piled it all in a mow. Interviewer: Uh-huh. Speaker: Half the size of the barn. You-know, tramp it in. Interviewer: Which? Speaker: You'd tramp it in with your feet. Get much in. But, ah, you don't throw it in with the fork, no, they'd take it in with the hay fork.

... well the horses pretty well went themselves, you just uh, put the reins onto the uh, um, wagon someplace and uh, mother would- would drive, plus when my father would put the hay onto the wagon, mother would tramp it down to see that she could- and place it-

... Dad neighboured with quite a few other farmers around, and he didn't want to be scarce of help. That one man would have not a lot to do. So he had about eighteen men, and um, there was men on the straw, to tramp it and build it in the barn, or on a stack, if it was going to be stored- if there was too much and wouldn't fit in the barn, and then there was somebody to cut the bands on the sheaves, band cutters ...

... my uncle by marriage was in- ah, building the straw around, even- and he looked- and he thought that it was the dust was in his eye, and 'twas a ball of ah, fire, right in the straw, in the barn, and he just ran and jumped right on it and tramped it out.

Interviewer: Like you have to book a campsite now if you wanna stay in August. Speaker: Isn't that on the Pacific-Rim? Interviewer: Yeah. Speaker: That I was surprised about but I thought that was an eco-thing 'cause they don't want people tramping. Interviewer: That's right they're green campsites and they're really good about it. Speaker: Which is good because in Ontario we have a bad habit of trampling things to death and over-camping and things change there too. You can't get a camping site anymore so.

Speaker: Well, I have changed that ah, quite a bit, 'cause I got knocked down a few times with the neighbours and-that and now I've been very cautious and I don't argue with nobody and I don't be tramped on, you-know-what-I-mean? Like, ah, used- I have been used big-time in my life. Interviewer: Oh really. Speaker: Oh yes, and that's why I'm very cautious about what I do and what I say, yes.

... is built on a- on a mining claim ah, as parcel- a parcel of a mining claim and I happen to look on the- at the book ah, the three miles of gold and ah, it was staked, the- the land was staked. January the eighth, nineteen-twelve. So somebody tramped through this- this part of the- the- the town before it was ever a town ah, ah, almost a hundred years ago or a hun-- so-

Speaker: We pay six-hand euchre lot of times. Interviewer 1: Ooo, how do you play six-hand? Speaker 2: Just add seven more cards in. Speaker: Sevens and eights in and ah two jokers. Interviewer 1: Well that sounds like it would be fun. Speaker 2: Yeah. Speaker: Yeah you can get tramped on in a hurry (laughs). Eh? Interviewer 2: Yeah. Speaker 2: Except Pat gets the jokers all the time.

Speaker: They helped with the meals, helped with the dishes and you'd go out to get a load of hay, and the boys would throw it on with their forks and you would be supposed to build a load, tramp it down, drive the horses back into the barn again, and- Interviewer: Yeah. Speaker: Like that, with the botcher-ale was considered fun.

Speaker: Um, like there's enough of us, uh, in the neighbourhood. We- there was a- a swamp area. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Speaker: Ah, we'd go in in the fall and, um, tramp down the um- put on, ah, high rubber boots and go down- tramp down all the um- the um cat tails and so on- Interviewer: Oh, okay. Speaker: -so that we have um, a good skating area for the winter.

Speaker: 'Cause before when you were raking the hay, well you'd rake the hay then you'd get the horses and big wagon, and lift it up on the wagon that hay, then somebody had to be on top and tramp it down, and just put some more on it, you tramped more and more, so you get more on, eh? Interviewer: Really? Whose job was that? Speaker: Well sometimes it was my job, to go on the wagon, eh? Interviewer: Yeah, and tramp down the hay.

Interviewer: Did anybody ever fall off the wagon? Speaker: I don't think so. Not that I know of. Interviewer: No? Speaker: Then when you'd go into the barn, then you'd have to take it off and tramp it in the barn, put it in the barn and tramp it down so you could get more hay too, eh? And what- now after we got the bailer, then we started bailing the hay, so that was a lot easier.