Dancing In a Jar (16 page)

They seem to feel the French fleet heading to the Grand Banks is very strong this year. The French government guarantees the price of cod, so that’s always good for a big argument around the table.

You won’t believe where I’m heading now. I saw a group of local boys yesterday with their skates, heading off to Little Pond. I stopped them and they agreed to come by and get me today. I have to put those Christmas skates to use. You would have laughed yesterday. As they headed out the hill they picked up one of the Kelly boys and I could hear Mrs. Kelly shouting, “If ye comes home drowned, I’ll kill ye.”

Earlier this week, I was surveying in Little St. Lawrence and was invited into the Clarke house for lunch. Without any say in the matter, I had my first taste of seal. I wouldn’t call it my favorite dish. It had an oily fishy taste, much like the seabirds we have eaten around here. In other words, it tasted like second-hand herring. All the same, it was a lovely lunch and I felt quite satisfied and thrilled with the treat.

No sooner did I get home this evening and pick up the
Herald Tribune
’s recent article about Capt. Kean, the famous sealing captain, and his one-millionth seal. I don’t know if you remember, but the captain of the
Portia
which carried us here is Capt. Kean’s son.

In the meantime, every time I burp, I feel like there are a million seals in my belly! In this case only, I am glad you are far away.

Much love,
Don

St. Lawrence, Newfoundland

March 22, 1935

Dear Urla,

After a few nasty incidents, which I won’t trouble you with, the strike is over. I suspect both Seibert and the union were fed up with the other’s antics. I know I was. In the end, we settled on a five-cent raise and a new shift house at the mine. I’m not sure Aloysius Turpin and I will be exchanging Christmas cards next year.

Your passage is booked for April 6th. I have arranged all your immigration papers for when you and Barbara arrive in St. John’s. This time around, you will stay on board in Halifax so you don’t need to clear customs in Canada. You’ll then be sailing for St. John’s where you will clear customs and be met by Mrs. Ethel Giovannini who will take you to the Newfoundland Hotel for a night of luxury before you sail the next day for St. Lawrence. Be sure both of you are bundled up for the weather. Don’t let signs of Spring in Nutley fool you. Yesterday we had four seasons in one day, and one of them included driving snow and biting wind.

Our little house will be ready for both of you. Lionel Turpin helped me repaint and insisted on doing Barbara’s room himself. I hope she likes canary yellow!

Last night I was walking home from Father Thorne’s, and all the lights were on in every house in town. My Barbara will think she is coming to live in a fairy kingdom.

The Etchegary men and I will go to Saint Pierre next weekend as we need dynamite and some other supplies for the mine. We are running low on a few other staples (I am really desperate for good tobacco) and we can’t have your homecoming without champagne, that’s for sure. Father Thorne kindly let me borrow the full priest regalia, just in case I need to go to the bow to bless any Coast Guard coming near. For heaven sakes, don’t mention to my parents or yours that I occasionally double as a Catholic priest.
Otherwise don’t expect much more news as I will be working day and night to make up for lost time. The Furness Line will send ticket details directly to you. Can I hint that a new pipe would really enhance the Saint Pierre tobacco?

Yours ever,
Don

P.S. You were sorely missed at the St. Patrick’s Day dance on Saturday night. Maybe it’s because it’s the only relief from Lent around here, but it was a walloping good time. I ended up with the crowd at the Quirke’s house having fried egg and onion sandwiches just as the sun was coming up. My legs could barely carry me home and I won’t be dancing again for a while. Well, until you come home.

St. Lawrence, Newfoundland

April 11, 1935

Dear Mother and Dad,

I know you will be anxious, so I’m dashing you a quick line to say Barbara and I have safely arrived in St. Lawrence. Everyone was so kind right from when we boarded in Brooklyn to when I stepped into Don’s arms a few hours ago. Perhaps it was my pale color or the distraction of this beautiful baby but we made it without a hitch. I am definitely developing better sea legs, just as long as no one cooks cabbage.

Don is smitten with his little girl. Of course he has hardly held her since we arrived. We went to Mrs. G’s for lunch, and then over to visit “Uncle” Louis, Florence, and Kathleen. Barbara has been passed around and danced about in two kitchens already. Newfoundlanders adore children, although you would think they would have their fill with all the youngsters already at their feet.

Of course I caught up on the big news very quickly. The town is all
aflutter over the disappearance of Father Thorne’s cow. Apparently a priest simply can’t live without his cream!

We are settled into our own house now and Barbara is napping in her bright yellow nursery. We will have a wonderful celebration for Don’s birthday tomorrow, although I suspect it will be hard to top today.

We are all very happy to finally be together. I hope that helps soften the sadness of leaving you both.

Love,
Urla and Barbara

Clifton, New Jersey

April 6, 1935

Dear Urla,

Seeing you off this morning has left me in a dreadful state, so I resolved to write you as soon as I returned home.

I sometimes wonder if you realize how happy and content Barbara is around us all in Nutley. She would grow up with doting grandparents and all kinds of opportunity, not to mention proper nutrition. I know you and Don are enjoying your little adventure in the North, but perhaps now you have to think of the next generation. From what you have described, she will be limited in so many aspects of her life and I ask you to reflect on whether this is fair.

I know you will think I’m meddling. Mother and Daddy would never say a word of course, but I don’t want to continue with the family tradition of never saying how you feel. I tried to talk to you about this but found it too difficult to get past your sense of resolve.

So, dear Sis, I will leave it there. I know you saw plenty of evidence that the Depression is a thing of the past and there are job opportunities for Don all over the state.

I leave that with you and send you my love,
Dorothy

St. Lawrence, Newfoundland

April 14, 1935

Dear Mom, Pop, Howard, E and King,

Thank you all for the birthday cards and back issues of the
Nutley Sun
. Poor Miss Fewer at the post office always looks relieved when I show up as she can finally clear out her mail room. Last week I had to get a young fellow to help me carry the load home.

The best birthday present was of course the arrival of Urla and Barbara, safe and sound. Already I cannot imagine our life without this little pink bundle. Urla is resting now and one of the Giovannini girls has taken Barbara in her pram for a stroll around the harbor. It should be quite the mess when she returns as the roads are full of mud and melting snow.

It is Sunday afternoon and I’m enjoying a rare afternoon off. We are having an early Spring, so we have started construction of the new mill, something that will totally change the nature of our operation. Government inspectors graced us with their presence last week. I’m not sure if they’ve ever seen a mine, let alone a mine like this one. I was hoping for some help with the water problem, but they were mostly concerned with shafts and ventilation. With them was a young geologist, hired by the new Commission Government. He’s a real firecracker, and a graduate of Princeton. He will be a great help with the grading set-up at the mill, but even better, he has taught me to play chess, and now Urla is keen to learn.

Sorry to hear business is slow, Pop. I keep getting mixed signals about whether the Depression is behind us or not. Siebert says demand for steel is growing and Urla says Broadway has recovered to full houses. Here fish prices are still very low, and I see demand for coal is too. Gold prices are not rebounding either. Perhaps Roosevelt’s New Deal will start yielding dividends soon. Certainly, Pop, we could use your lamps here.

You would have laughed at what Urla brought back to St. Lawrence. I got plenty of pipe tobacco, so I shouldn’t complain, but there is a lot of wool and sewing supplies to go with it. Then I thought she had lost her mind altogether when I saw so many silk stockings: odd ones, discolored ones, holey ones. It turns out she has great plans for hooked rugs. The women here dye the stockings using lichen, mosses, and berries. Then they cut them into little strips, hook them through burlap, and turn out some mighty fine results. Urla is planning to hook the old Crammond house in Edinburgh as a gift for her parents’ 30th wedding anniversary. Mums the word.

The days are getting longer now and it’s a good feeling. It’s been a long winter and the strike made it even longer. Siebert has been quiet, but I suspect he will spring to life soon and announce new orders.

As requested, I paid the property tax on Wayne Place and Oak Beach for you folks.

Again thank you for the birthday wishes. I’m able to walk the barrens here in fine fashion which is not too bad for an old feller.

Love to all,
Donald

St. Lawrence, Newfoundland

April 30, 1935

Dear Dorothy,

I wasn’t quite sure what to do with your letter, but I now think it was very fine of you to write me your thoughts and concerns. I would hate it if you didn’t feel comfortable enough to be frank with me. I’m only sorry you didn’t feel you could talk to me while I was there. The truth is I loved many parts of being home, especially being near you all, but also the comfort and availability of life’s little indulgences.

Maybe I was so focused on my new baby that I didn’t register much outside of that. Darling sister, please know that we have capacity for all kinds of happiness, coming from all kinds of experiences. I can only imagine that from your distance my life here doesn’t look like much. But my life feels happy enough as I am living it. For now, that is the only thing I can commit to.

You will be pleased to know my cultural life has taken a big swing upwards. On Don’s last trip to Saint Pierre, he bought a new radio! He has really missed having a dependable one, although it gave him a great excuse to visit Mr. Louis or the local priest in the evenings, the source of the only other radios in town.

Because we are on the south coast of this country, we receive excellent radio reception, apparently stronger than St. John’s. We get WOR Gabriel Heatter just like we were sitting in New Jersey. Lowell Thomas and Boake Carter are keeping us up-to-date on the news. Yesterday evening we enjoyed Harry James and wished we could be dancing somewhere. We also get Canadian radio stations, with CJCB from Sydney, Nova Scotia, especially strong. It’s not popular with everyone: Florence Etchegary told me her little brother Gus gets up early to turn on Wilf Carter, filling their little house with cowboy songs before he leaves for school. They’re thinking of hiding the radio in the mornings!

Barbara gets outdoors most days except when the weather is particularly foul. Right now that is one day out of three. But if it’s any way possible, somebody comes to the door after school and offers to take her for a walk. Maybe these young girls are happy to get away from chores at their own homes, but they seem to love “carting,” as they say, Barbara all over town. They bring her back just before dark or if she’s hungry. I’ve never seen anything like it.

One day Don was walking home from the mine and came upon Mary Kelly pushing a pram. She walked along with him, talking up a storm. He was surprised when she came as far as our house, and even more surprised when he discovered that his own child was in the pram. I laughed so hard I had to take a seat to recover. Mary told me she told
him it was Barbara, but he said he hardly understood a word she said from the beginning of the walk to the end.

There will be a dance at the church hall this Saturday night and Don and I are going. Gertie Farrell will look after Barbara. She is marrying Theo Etchegary soon and says she wants some practice.

I better wrap this up before bedtime.

Love from your hard-to-understand sister,
Urla

St. Lawrence Corporation of Newfoundland Ltd.
Room 1116, 120 Broadway
New York 5, New York

May 4, 1935

Dear Donald,

I received your telegraph this morning about the accident. A shame indeed. Please extend my sympathies to the man’s widow.

I trust by the time you receive this letter you will have filled out an accident report for government with a copy sent to me. Please have the shaft repaired as soon as possible so we don’t lose too much time coming into our busy season. I have already contacted the Dawe lumber company in St. John’s, so you should have heard from them by now.

Your question on compensation is a good one. I must admit I never really thought this through, and I’m surprised it was never a union issue. Regardless, it behoves us to do what’s right for the poor man’s family even though we don’t have a formal obligation. I would offer his widow half a year’s salary. That should help keep everyone fed until she can make other arrangements.

Best regards,
Walter

St. Lawrence Corporation Ltd.
St. Lawrence, Newfoundland

May 15, 1935

Dear Mom and Pop,

I know the mail has been slow from this end, but we’ve been through one hell of a time at the mine.

We have had mixed snow and rain for the past four weeks, so the mine has been like the trenches of France. We installed two new pumps, but it’s coming in faster than we can pump it out. It looks like all that water rotted out the base of our first shaft. Two weeks ago, just at the end of the evening shift, the support beam snapped and fell on Bobby Clarke, one of the men I hired when I first arrived. I was on site that evening and glad of it, but the poor fellow was already dead when they brought him to the surface. I was quite staggered by it all, but of course had to keep my head. He worked alongside his brother and cousins and friends, so you can imagine everyone was shook up. I realize now that I had never seen a dead person before, let alone literally on my watch.