FROM THE SCRAPBOOK
March 1996
By Dr. Bill Randall
Walter Brown Remembers
Worth’s Cove
In 1991 I was writing items for the Southwest Valley Reporter. The particular story, Worth’s Cove, was fairly long, so I decided to do it in two parts. The first part was printed and read, but then the Southwest Valley Reporter went out of business, and the second part never was printed, nor did I get the return of my original manuscript. Remarkably there are some people who still ask me “what was the ending of the Worth’s Cove story?”
The story had originally been told to me in a telephone conversation with a gentleman named Walter Brown from San Antonio, Texas. He lived a part of his early life in Harvey and Lake George and in 1991 at the age of 91 was willing to share some of his memories. I suggested he write them down and mail them to me which he did, however, I have never shared them with you, my readers, but will this month.
Here, with very little editing, are the memories of this fine gentleman – who as of this writing is very much interested in reading his stories.
Harvey Station
The reason we came to Harvey was because my Father had a territory to sell kitchen ranges. They were made by the Enterprise Co., not Home Comfort. The Enterprise Co. had just started to make the stove lids of steel. A good selling point.
We had a big express wagon and horses, the front seat of the wagon had a top, the wagon could carry three stoves.
The things I remember of this Village
I was only three when we, my Father and Mother and me, so I don’t remember getting there.
I remember living in a boarding house or Hotel on the North side of the track they had a stuffed Loon in the hall, it was beautiful. – Lakeview Hotel (Floyd Thompson’s apartment building)
I remember Norman Smith Store in the center of Village.
Also Miss Glendenning, I think post mistress.
Hunter’s Store (Black’s Store)
Dr. Keith lived up the hill (The Barner home)
I remember the Tracy boys, Alan Robison, Howard & David. David had one finger missing; Howard cut it off with an axe splitting kindling.
When I got old enough I attended school. Walked a mile and a half, the school was up over the hill on Middle Dist., Road to St. Stephen. (School building in behind Beryl Johnston’s)
I remember Gypsy being there, camped near the beach, (Taylor field) they set a grassfire in the woods and were chased away.
I remember a picnic at the beach, and one time they built a merry-go-round operated by a horse.
We lived at Lake George perhaps a year or so, we operated the boarding house for the Mine.
The Manager, Mr. Crow and the bookkeeper stayed with us, the house is still there. North East of the old church, now a United Church C.E. Center. The country, sidefield etc., were all cleared – now most grown up in forest. Father worked at the mine tending the engine and pumps.
Father told me the company would salt the mineral, you know what that means, while we were there the Mine Co. brought a man from Scotland to supervise the building of a smelter, it was quite large made of brick.
I have noticed over the years that it has vanished.
I attended school for a short time and got to know some of our neighbour’s (not close), two families of Kelly, one lived on the road on the way to the river beyond the mine.
I remember they had a barn raising and wood cutting, sawing & splitting fire wood in the evening there were dancing & lots to eat.
While we were at the Boarding house, about 1906 this family, Mr. Worth, Mrs. Schaffer and daughters Picli & Ocha came and stayed there, they were not there very long till the whole thing was in the Fredericton papers.
The Shaffers were of the Shaffers Beer Co. They had a summer place on the Maine Cost. Mr. Worth operated their boat, so I guess love took over, they decided to run away. They stayed one winter with the Indians in Maine, and then came over to N.B.
The first winter they stayed in a tent at the Cove at the north end of Harvey lake, Worth’s Cove.
I can remember going up to see them, there was about two feet of snow on the ground, it was a good tent and they were warm. The next year they built a regular log camp, quite big 35 ft. by 25, I guess. There was a fireplace and cook stove. I remember there was a latch string on door. We became quite friendly and were there quite often.
We camp-sat for them two winters. Father did not try to sell stoves in the winter.
Eventually the Shaffers were able to get some money, plenty, they had big parties people from N.Y. Theaters. About this time Mrs. Shaffer produced a child, a girl I think, they enlarged the camp, had an ice house built for ice from the lake.
I think they left Harvey about the same time we did, they went to Western Canada. Worth was interested in flying machines.
Mother had a letter from Mrs. Shaffer after we got to St. Martins, I don’t remember the name of place they lived.
Source: Rev. Bill Randall’s “From The Scrapbook Vol. One.”
