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East Coast Slang Heritage

East Coast Slang Sayings and Heritage

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Logging on the East Coast

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THE LOG DRIVES ON THE EAST COAST

When we think about the early settlers pioneering in the new lands on the East Coast; fishing and farming normally come to mind. This area was originally colonized for its fishing rights and the settlements here were developed all along the coastal areas. It was a good way to make a living. Settlers could sustain themselves and their families for about six months this way but what about the cold winter months? The answer lies within the lumber trade. Logging on the East Coast become a major way of life.

Logging Road

East Coast Forests

In the 1800’s; England was the world’s superpower and they had to maintain a vast navy and merchant marine . This was the era of the wooden ships and the problem was that they were running short on timber. Normally they would get their timber from Scandinavia but this was getting harder due to ongoing European wars. So they looked across the Atlantic to the East Coast. What a better place! The interiors of the East Coast colonies were one vast forest stocked full of the spruce and pine needed to construct their ships! A new industry was soon developed that could provide the much needed revenue for the settlers on the East Coast, over those harsh winter months.

East Coast Forests(flo222)

Lumber Camps

Lumber camps were quickly set up deep in these forests on the East. The camps were very primitive, one story structures constructed from logs. Most often a large one room space. Just imagine the living quarters! Both ends were lined up with beds and mattresses fashioned from tree boughs. The centre space had a long table for meals. A fire pit in the middle of the room would provide the heat. It was a very crude and cramped living space indeed! Where did they wash! Not an easy life for the men at all! Oh yes; and I imagine the slang! Bet it was pretty colorful!

Lumber Camp(JamesDemers)

However; the settlers were in need of work. They would head into the woods in late fall and there they stayed until late spring. Six days of the week and from sun up to sun down these men were cutting and stripping trees in their assigned areas. The days were long and the work was hard. Trees were felled by the axe then until the crosscut saw was introduced around 1870. At the days end; they all trudged back to camp to eat, play cards, get some sleep and prepare to start the day all over again. Liquor, for obvious reasons would not be allowed in these camps. It is hard to imagine enduring life like that back then.

Logging slipway

Logging

The next phase of the process was hauling these cut logs out to a a central depot known as a“ brow”. This gathering spot was located along the banks of a close by river or stream. The fresh cut logs were most often hauled out of the woods by horse and then manually loaded with pulley and chains onto sleds for transport. Surely back breaking work! But a good strong work horse was a big part of the team and certainly lightened the workload. This process was done by mid-winter because the snow was hard packed then and it was easier to transport the logs. Often time; as the winter wore on, the work crews grew smaller. Between the work, the unsanitary living conditions and the general remoteness of where they were, skedaddling for home was a common thing.

Early Logging Site

Log Driving

The final phase was the actual log drive. In the fall; dams would have been built upstream to hold back the water for when the spring freshet came. When the brows were ready and full of logs, these dams were opened up with dynamite and the backed up water could come rushing through. I tell ya; you had to be fast and you really had to know what you were doing. The water was flowing fast and you had to get the logs organized in it before the water level dropped back down. Log drivers rode the logs all along the river to keep the flow steady. Imagine this; these men jumped from log to log to managed the flow with a long graffling hook. Log jams down river were inevitable and would have to be broken up again with dynamite. The men who had these booms were a special breed and surely risked their lives in the process. All these logs were headed to the mouth of the river where the mill was set up. And the product was shipped abroad from there.

Early Sawmill

Logging Industry

These log drives continued to the middle of the last century (about 1950). By that  time; mechanization was in place. The logs were still transported by horse but to a nearby rail siding for transport to the mills; by train. By the early 1940’s; log trucks were equipped to haul the heavy loads. People thought that when the age of wooden ships ended, that logging would slow down but with the advent of pulp mills to make paper for newspapers and magazines; it really didn’t. Loggin was a profitable business in the East Coast. It was not until recently in the computer age that it all changed.

Logging Industry(dayamay)

I think back to those days and how hard it must have been to live that life! You worked hard all day at farmin’ or fishin’ and then head to the woods for six months for that backbreakin’ work! Its survival! It’s looking after your family! You really have to stop and think how good we have it; in this day and age. Be ever so thankful to our ancestors and our homeland!
 

Filed Under: Livin' Life on the East Coast Tagged With: Log Camp, Log Drive, Logging, Logging Industry, Logging on the East Coast

Rum Running in Atlantic Canada

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Imagine life on the East Coast of Canada in the 1920’s. Now imagine the coastal coves and inlets scattered throughout the waterways in the region. Its no wonder fishing was a big industry. Living life as an East Coast Fisherman was a tough job with great risk! To make a decent living you had to catch a lot of fish and then sell it all at a reasonable price; to the local processor. It was the processor that controlled your income! He’s the guy that made all the money! If you walked away with $100 a month you were doing well. All in all, it was a hardscrabble life for all involved.

Kegs of Liquor(Ernest_Roy)

Prohibition

Now during these early years; legislation in the United States and Canada passed the law prohibiting the sale and consumption of all liquor. Societie’s members were divided in their faith to comply. Liquor was to become a very a hot commodity! It was all about supply and demand! A void to be filled by none other than the fishermen and the Black Market. Enter the Rum Runners of Atlantic Canada.

St. Pierre & Miquelon

So; now lets say you are a Canadian Distiller. During prohibition you can no longer export liquor to the United States but you can’t sell in Canada either. So to survive as a business; your only solution is to export your spirits to another country. In the North Atlantic region; there are two small islands just off the coast of Newfoundland, that were controlled by France. St Pierre and Miquelon. Now in St. Pierre; fishing was the only game in town and in the 1920’s the catches were way down. Fishing the area was usually profitable. France kept possession of this Island just for the fishing rights alone. One day; boats start showing up on the Island and they were wanting to buy liquor. Go figure! It was a sign of the times! Well a local guy; named Mr. Julien Moraze, soon figured it all out. Right away he built several warehouses portside and filled them with liquor bought mainly from Canadian Distilleries. Right then; there is a huge demand for liquor and St. Pierre is in the right place to satisfy it. All Julien had to do is figure out a way to transport it without getting caught by the American or Canadian authorities.

Fishing Schooner

Fishing in Atlantic Canada

Now lets step back to the local fishermen in Atlantic Canada making a living fishing and owns his own boat. One day your buddy tells you about the underground market running liquor from the French Islands. He says he is going to St. Pierre to buy the liquor and plans to sell it locally. He ventures out, loads up his boat and sells all that he can handle. Word soon spreads of his progress and the money at hand. Bingo! All of a sudden it seems like all the fishing boats were in on this deal. By God; in St. Pierre, Julien is grinning from ear to ear. He no longer has a transportation problem and doesn’t have to worry about gettung caught by the authorities. He ends up with a very profitable business! Of what he exports; 90% ends up going to the American Markets, in New York and Boston. The other 10% seems to end up in Atlantic Canada. Soon enough though; like most dealings in the underground world, the Mob and Al Capone eventually take over distribution and sales in the American Market. By this time Julien had made all the money he would ever need!

Atlantic Coast

Atlantic Canada

Let’s focus on Atlantic Canada. It would become prime smuggling territory. The peak years for Rum Running in Atlantic Canada were between 1923 and 1933. This became a way of life for many East Coasters. Is this part of your heritage? Are these your people! The laws prohibited the liquor but the provinces did not have the money nor the manpower to enforce the laws. Why not turn a blind eye, catch someone every now and then and levy fines. This became a whole new source of revenue for the provinces. The liquor market was so big that many of the local law enforcers were on the take themselves. Rum running was a booming business! It is said that at one time or another; 90% of the Lunenberg fishing fleet was involved in Rum Running. You can be assured that most ports had the same ratio. Most fisherman could make $500 a month running rum compared to about $100 fishing. Sure, you had to work a lot of nights but what the Hell, you had a family to feed. Many of the younger people got involved as Deckhands. The money was good but the sense of adventure was incredible.

As with anything; thinking changes and prohibition would come to and end. Many Atlantic Provinces repealed Prohibition by 1930. The United States repealed it by 1933. The governments soon took over the sales and distribution of all liquor because of the revenue it generated. Prince Edward Island did not repeal until 1948, It has been said that there were more Moonshiners per capita on the Island than anyplace else in the country.

Julien Moraze

You know; fortunes were made by a lot of people involved in Rum Running in Atlantic Canada. In my mind, the most money must have been made by good old Julien Moraze; back in St. Pierre. He was smart! He saw a great opportunity of the times and capitalized on that with minimal risks for himself!. Everything was done above board cause once he sold the liquor his hands were clean. No one seems to know what became of Julien who played a pivitol role in the start up years of Rum Running in Atlantic Canada. I like to think he sailed off to the Carribean and to a place called Margaritaville! I’m sure he lived out the rest of his life exactly the way he wanted to! And with fond memories of the small island in the Atlantic he called home!

Filed Under: Livin' Life on the East Coast Tagged With: Atlantic Canada, Fishing in Atlantic Canada, Julien Moraze, Prohibition, St. Pierre & Miquelon

Around The Dooryard

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Around the yard

This is around the yard in our little corner of the world. We are here livin’ our dream. We had great fun restoring and renovating this 100 yer old place into the what we call home. Old houses have so much character and you can be so creative in your design. You kind of have to be jimmie riggin’ most things. Its just fun living. Now that we are here its pretty hard to get us off the farm to go anywhere. Really who needs a vacation? So much to see and so many adventures at the doorstep. Here I will share little snippets of our goings on as we make our way through life here on the farm. Gardening, animals, biking trails, baking, harvesting, planting, outdoor adventures and most anything else I learn along the way.

My Slang Ganghttp://Gallant Foto

Family

Family is real important here and is the foundation of who we are as Maritimers.  As true Maritimers life is all about gatherings. We gather in large groups at weddings, festivals, beaches, cottages and just about anywhere and for any reason. Like most Maritimers the gatherings happen in the kitchen. Kitchen parties are a thing here. Kitchen tables are the main centre of a household. So much happens like talking{or out talking each other}, laughing, eating,drinking, game night and sharing stories. Its just the Maritime way. And the more the merrier! So this will be our online kitchen table. Our round table from the coast.

Gatherin’ Around the Hay Bowl

My little family manages to take the time out from their busy lives to get involved in most of our shenanigans. This whole site evolved from the slang I hear them speak! Big helping hands at hay time! We’ve all spent many years hanging together, sharing, and learning from each other. {even if at times they thought we were crazy as ol’ get out}  Therefore; I am so thankful for this.  This whole site evolved from the slang I hear them speak! And yes we shared our slang (both the good ‘n the bad).

A few tidbits about what we do

The Barnyard
  • Love family gatherin’s, small town livin’, country backroads, old houses, barns, dirtroads.(all things old)
  • Pioneer wanna be’s and homesteaders. (livin’ off the land/still learnin’) Old Hippies
  • Do It Yourselfers. (Jimmy Riggin’ most things)
  • Minimalists, Recycle and Repurpose. (most things become garden art)
  • Lovin’ our animals (horses, dogs and cats)
  • Livin’ life outdoors in “big sky country” (yes, we bought a hobby farm)
  • Slang Talkers –(Slangologists)(slangers)
  • we garden,dig, till and mow acres, mend fences, take care of the land ourselves(no heavy machinery here)
  • the firepit and our favorite spot to hang out
  • have our own coastal playground for walking and biking
  • just enjoyin’ the country air, sights and sounds
Bike Path

Whats your story?

How do you experience life wherever you settled. Share your stories. Would love to see pictures of your space in the world. What makes you happy? Hope you have peace and love wherever that may be.

Our Fur Baby

Filed Under: Livin' Life on the East Coast

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