|
Clark,
Nathan
Nathan
Clark, born in England, came to Canada as a child, his parents settling
in Hasting’s County, Ontario taking sixteen weeks to make the journey
by sailboat. He married Susan Spry. Born in Spry
Settlement, Springbrook, Hasting’s County, Ontario.
From
this union 9 sons and 4 daughters were born.
Mr.
and
Mrs. Nathan Clark came to Killarney in March 1891. Roy, being the
youngest, Mrs. Ben Brown, Mable, was born in Manitoba.
The
reason for coming West was a large family of boys. They settled
three miles south of Killarney, now known as the Roy Clark farm.
Mr. Clark bringing two cars of stock, equipment, household articles,
lumber and other necessities, taking a week to come from Springbrook,
Ontario to Killarney, Manitoba, staying in Winnipeg over the
Sunday. Ernie Clark recalls an amusing incident in Winnipeg when
his brother Charlie and himself found a big dog and took it and tied it
in the car to bring to Killarney. When it was found by their
Father, it had to be promptly let released. At the age of 12
years, Ernie recalls helping unload the cars, working in the dark, a
chair fell land hit him on the head, so unloading operations were
discontinued for that night. The men folk sleeping in the car,
while his sisters went to the Hotel for the night.
Ernie
also recalls his Father sending him home with a load of pigs and sheep.
While the Father and brother John stayed in town, having some business
to attend to the next day. His Father was worried later in the
evening, in case a boy of twelve might get into trouble of some kind or
lose his way, so he walked all the way home to the farm to see if Ernie
arrived safely. On arriving home he found Ernie had unloaded the
pigs and sheep and was busy milking the cows.
Clothing,
a great deal of it made from home spinning, also mitts and socks being
made from carding and spinning the wool from the sheep.
Food
would no doubt all be homemade and possibly taking grain to be gristed
at that time.
Social
customs in the earlier days were the gathering together once a week at
the different neighbors for Prayer Meeting or Epuorth League.
Usually the gatherings were of a nature being connected to the Church,
which at that time being Methodist. Later some of the family
became members of the Holiness Movement. In the home Family
Prayers, morning and night were always observed.
The
family (school age) attended the Highview School, at the time the
school was situated on the Robert Monteith farm, now known as the Vig
farm. Books consisted of Reader, Arithmetic and Speller.
Standing in front of the teacher’s desk to read. Used slates to do
Arithmetic and any other writing on. Helen Monteith (later Mrs.
Dr. Chestnut) being the teacher. In school at recesses and noon
hours in cold weather, playing with Jacks was a source of entertainment
for the scholars.
The
original home was two rooms built of logs with upstairs. Later it
was boarded up and added a frame part making a home of considerable
size. The new part having three bedrooms upstairs, with a front
room and dining room on the main floor; cupboards being bult with
access to both dining room and original kitchen. Usually the
family meals were eaten in the log kitchen. Being a large family,
a number of the family sat on a home-made bench. Ernie still has
the old bench, and recalls his two sisters, Lizzie and Ethel, and two
brothers, Charlie and Vincent (deceased), Linsay and himself all having
sat together on the bench. Wouldn’t be possible now, having added
much more in size.
In
the
first days after coming to Manitoba the washing was done with tub and
washboard, later giving place to a washing machine, possibly called a
cradle style at that time. Ironing done with irons with handles
attached and heated on top of stove. Later ironing was done with
sad irons, with removable handle.
Butter
and cheese both were made in the home. Mr. Clark had a cheese
factory, built near the creek, known as Jack Fish creek. He
supplied cheese to many people throughout the country-side, usually
milking as many as 35 cows.
|
|
