“POND FELLOWS ARE BLESSED”; AN INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM POND, October 1994
Linda White interviewed William Pond of Greenspond, Bonavista Bay, at the Bonnews Nursing Lodge in Badger’s Quay where he now resides. During the interview Bill refers to “Gram” White. This is Graham White who lives in Greenspond. Bill lived with his brother, Sam, in the family home in Greenspond for many years. Both brothers were a familiar sight in Greenspond walking the roads, or leaning on the rails near the Post Office having a cuffer. Perhaps the most common sight was seeing them on top of the Island gathering firewood, Sam died a few years ago and eventually Bill moved into the nursing home in Valleyfield. Interviewing Bill one realizes how much he misses his brother, Sam, and how much he dearly loves Greenspond.
Bill, tell me what it was like growing up in Greenspond.
The best kind of fellas going are in Greenspond. A lot of fellas from Pond went overseas in the war, Reg Bragg, he went overseas. And my brother, he tried to go overseas. He tried it. That was Sam. I misses me brother, Sam, yes I do.
What was your, mother’s and father’s name?
My mother’s name was Gover. Her father was Gover, John Gover from England. My father was Pond, Bill Pond. I had a brother Sam. Bill Pond had four sons altogether: Jack and Ned. Ned is dead and my brother Jack is dead
Did you have any sisters?
I had three sisters. There was Mary and Effie and the one what’s dead, three sisters.
Were you all born in Greenspond?
Yeah, we were all born in Greenspond.
And you all lived in that house that you and Sam lived in?
That’s right my dear, Effie went into St. John’s, in service. And Mary was in service with Jesse Bourne, in Greenspond. He run the store, Jesse Bourne did.
And who was Effie in service with?
Effie was in service with Ryall, into Botwood. George Ryall. Effie was a nice girl, that’s what she was.
Did you go to school in Greenspond?
Yes, I went to school in Greenspond.
What school? The United Church School?
No, the Anglican School.
Who was your teacher?
My teacher was Miss Sharpe. Old Miss Sharpe, we used to say. Old Miss Green was there. And the one that was married to Ed Meadus, up the harbour. And the other one was married to Steve Peckford. Yes there was a lot of teachers. There was more than that.
How far did you go in school?
Not very far from the house, my dear. It was right along side.
Yes, it was right next to you. What grade did you get?
I only got four grades, myself. That was very good I suppose,
Did you go fishing then?
No. Not then. I and Sam went fishing after that. And every morning you’d get a punt load of fish. Poor old Gram White was out there one time. [Graham White] And he got a punt load of fish, too. Every now and then you’d put down the jigger and you’d haul a fish.
You jigged them all, did you?
Yeah, I jigged them all. I and Sam.
And what did you do with your fish then? Did you sell your fish?
We’d sell it to the plant, when the plant come on there. All the same that was a great little plant, wasn’t it?
Oh yes, great plant. Did your father fish?
Yes, my father fished all his lifetime. Yes, I suppose he did. Poor man knew all about it.
Did you ever go down on the Labrador fishing?
No. Never down there. Haven’t been down there.
Were you ever in St. John’s?
Yes, I’ve been in St. John’s twice.
Have you? What did you think of it?
Oh, all right. Lovely in St. John’s. Nothing the matter with it. I’d sooner be in St. John’s now. Nothing wrong with this place. My sister’s in St. John’s. I’d sooner be in St. John’s. Yes I would so. That’s up with Mary, my sister.
Tell us about the Virginia, the schooner.
The schooner that Joe Lush had? Joe Lush was on the Labrador in her. And I don’t believe he got any fish. They were just as scarce as that. The Prospero went ashore that time on Horse Island Rocks. And Jimmy Wheeler put ashore the Northern Ranger that time. He nearly knocked the bottom out of her. He almost did. If she had been there much longer. The freight had been juggled around everywhere. He came down inside the small Shag Rock. They put four cables around her and they couldn’t get her off then. She bust up four. That was Jim Wheeler, trying to get her out of it.
Is Captain Jimmy Wheeler still alive?
Yes, He’s still alive, ma’am. In the old people’s home. Jim Wheeler belonged to Greenspond.
So the Virginia went ashore?
No, ma’am. The Northern Ranger went ashore and the Bonavista put four cables around her and she couldn’t do nothing at all with her. And they had to bring down the other one. I forgets her name now. And she got her out of it.
And where were you to?
I was on back of the Island when she went ashore. Near Shag Rock. Paddy Miller lost his schooner there too. It was the Francis B. Duke. Captain Jimmy Wheeler got her off, the Northern Ranger. She went back and forth with the tide.
How come she went ashore?
It was a foggy night. Jim Wheeler was a short man, wasn’t he? You never seen him? Didn’t you maid?
No. Who me? No I never seen him. Who was he married to?
I don’t know. He’s getting old now. About 95 or 96, I suppose.
Did you live all your life in Greenspond?
Yes, I lived all me live down in Greenspond.
It’s a nice place.
Yes, a lovely place, I calls it. Can’t be no better. I used to see Mac White over there. I was unloading the Northern Ranger. She was on her way to the Labrador, loaded right down. No, he never lost anything. The tide was carrying her back and forth.
Did you ever work on the boats?
I worked on the wood boats. And I worked carrying up freight, one thing and another.
Which boat was it?
That was the Home used to come down here. And the Glencoe, carrying up freight that was. Carrying up freight to the stores. Skipper Gus Carter had the Mayflower and the Humber Deal. That was the name of his boats. The Humber Deal and the old Mayflower. When he bought the Humber Deal, she was new, Joe Parsons he bought her from, into Newtown. He bought she from Joe Parsons, she was on the Labrador, see, and he bought her for coasting. That was Gus, Gus Carter. She could steam fast. She could get around fast. She run very good. He put another engine in her. Took the poles down off her. And put the riding sails on her. Oh, yes, he had a good boat. It was a nice schooner. He lost the Mayflower, yes up the bay with a load of lumber … Trinity, I believe.
What happened?
I saw Gus come down in the evening. She was tight full of lumber. All sails off everywhere. Edgar Button was on with him. That’s old Edgar.
That was hard days. And it’s hard days now. That’s what it is. Anybody can see that. It’s just as bad as ever, isn’t it? That’s what it is. In the old days you could manage to get something. But now it’s rotten, I calls it, I only gets a hundred dollars a month. Sure that’s nothing on the old age pension. That’s not enough to put clothes on your back. Just as bad cause you could get a bit of fish them days. You can’t get none now. Poor Sam [Carter] can’t get out now and get ne’er fish now. Can’t get no salmon. It’s just as bad as ever, I calls it, worse.
It was just as good if we stayed with England. Just as good. What do you think of it?
We should have stayed with England, should we?
We should’ve stayed with England, England was alright,
I can’t see what any man can go down to the shops and buy with a hundred dollars. I don’t know.
Did you vote in the referendum? You know, when they had the National Convention.
Yes, I did. I came down once and I vote for Joe Smallwood. And I give my vote to Wells. Yes. He was alright, I don’t see anything the matter with Wells. He’s alright in his own way. You know, Clyde Wells is a lawyer.
Have you always been Liberal, Bill?
Always a Liberal, I was always a Liberal, yes. I don’t see much difference. It’s up to everybody’s self, isn’t it? You’re Liberal, eh?
They say all Bonavista North is Liberal.
Oh, yes, every one of them now. They’re all alike. I and Sam was always a Liberal. Sam, he was Liberal too. Always.
Now, did Sam unload boats too?
Yes. Worked in Indian Bay, loading boats, loading boats for England then.
What was that? Pit props?
Pit props, yes. That was big business. You never see a business any bigger in Indian Bay. They carried it down to Corner Brook. One was torpedoed going up there. That was the Livingstone. The Germans sunk the Livingstone going up through the Gulf. She was carrying pit props down to the mill in Corner Brook. Is the mill working now?
The mill? Yes.
There’s a mill in Grand Falls, too. They’re falling back, are they? There’s no wood there I don’t suppose.
Are you comfortable? Is that pillow okay?
Pine shavings is as good as any of it for pillows.
Pine shavings? What did you use pine shavings as a pillow?
They was alright. Pine shavings was in the bunks too. We had them when we went up in Indian Bay. They used to be hard. It’s all gone, now. What’s the use talking about it? Not a bit in the world. No good to talk about it now.
I’m going down now the once to the church service. [There is a church service in the Bonnews Nursing Lodge on Sundays]
Did you go to church up in Greenspond?
Yes, lots of times.
Did you go to Sunday School and Christmas concerts?
Yes. No, I was never in the concert. No, I always go up there. You girls are United girls, is ‘ee? [United Church]
Yes, we’re United.
Yes, poor old Mac [White], he was a United man. I knew one man. Pond, he was Salvation Army. Married a girl belonging to Twillingate.
Was this man Pond related to you?
He was related to father, but not much. I forget what his name was now.
Were there other Ponds in Greenspond?
Yes, there was other Ponds in Greenspond. There was Arch Pond. I don’t know if it was Arch Pond who married the Salvation Army girl or no. There was only one turned to the Army. The Ponds were all Church of England people.
Was your father born in Greenspond?
Yes, my father was born in Greenspond.
And your mother?
Yes. Her father was from England, Gover, John Gover.
Well, we never heard about the Virginia, Derek Bragg told me to ask you about the Virginia.
All the same it’s a poor evening, though, isn’t it? Yes, the Virginia. She was on the Labrador. I suppose a lot of them old people out there knows about she.
Who was the skipper on the Virginia?
Joe Lush. That’s old Joe.
Where did she go ashore?
She went aboard the Prospero bringing in the stuff when the Prospero went ashore bringing in the freight.
How come the Prospero went ashore?
I don’t know, my dear unless it was a foggy night. Horse Island he was drove on. He got her out of it again after. You knows where Horse Island is to big high one she is. I’ll be eighty-year old me birthday.
When is your birthday?
My birthday is sometime in October. Eighty year old, I is.
So, you were born in 1914, were you?
I was born in 1914 you’re right. There’s not much difference in I and Mac [White].
Yes, he’ll be 79 in September. Did you go to school together?
I and Mac? No, Mac go to school up the harbour.
What did you do as young fellows? Did you go up Pond Head?
Not very much, a scatter time. Sam used to go sloting up there. We used to go right up there for water sometimes. Pond Head.
Drinking water?
Drinking water, John Hawkins’s well. John Hawkins had a big well on back of the Island, I got water over there too. You went and asked him for a barrel of water and he give it to you. You wouldn’t touch the man’s well, you know, without asking. He’d give you the barrel of water. He was alright, John was. John was a fine fellow.
You used to get your firewood on top of the Island.
I used to go up there and get a bit of stuff, sometimes, a few old boughs, limb it all out. You couldn’t bring the boughs down and put them in the stove. Sometimes you might do give a good heat. Chop it all up, the old alder stuff and the juniper the old stuff that grew up there.
When they done the road there, I got a lot, I got a lot of stuff when they done the road. Hauled it on the slide, I done a lot of work like that, that’s what I did. Some good stuff up there.
Never got lost on top of the Island, did you?
No, No, not no time, we’ll say. No.
You never wanted to leave Greenspond, did you Bill?
No, I never wanted to leave Greenspond. Over on back there was lots of stuff old stuff grew up there. It was alright when it was limbed out put it on the slide, Sam go up one day and Sam would have a load, drag it down them old stumps, you know, what came out of the road. Oh, I always do very good, I didn’t do so bad at all. I always kept myself going.
You carried coal, too.
I carried coal to the library too, that’s what I did. And to the women.
How much did they pay you?
Ten cents a tub. That’s all their husbands could pay. They couldn’t pay no more than that. Their husbands didn’t make no money, according to what they said. They worked in Grand Falls, the husbands.
I carried coal up to Uncle Billy Granter and Uncle Jim Granter. He lived to be a hundred. I carried a lot of coal around in my day. I’d go down to Skipper Ro Carter and load up that coal and go with it. I carried up to Jim Burry, Navy Jim. Ten cents a tub. That’s what he give me.
Did you go over on Ship Island?
Yes I went over on Ship Island. I went over to Gram’s. [Graham White)
And did you go to Ned Carter’s?
Yes, I did my dear. And I carried coal for Louie Stratton up the harbour in the punt. Carried coal up in the punt. That’s all I got them days, ten cents a tub. Now, that’s something to give anybody.
Did you smoke?
What then? Yes, I smoked.
How much was tobacco?
Tobacco? Ten cents a pack. That’s for Bugler baccy. Ten cents a pack.
Did you chew it?
No, my dear. I had no hand in that. I rolled me own. A lot of fellas give me one sometimes you know. That’s all I got was ten cents a tub. That was nothing, nothing at all.
She’s [Ivy Tong] just like Gram, isn’t she? Uncle Lou lived in Port Nelson one time.
She used to live in Port Nelson, too.
Port Nelson, yes. Great harbour, though, lovely harbour coming into Port Nelson. Oh my dear, yes. I like Port Nelson, good bit of stuff there, you know, lots of crunnocks there. Yes.
That was a long way to go for wood.
Yes. I went to Jim Wicks’s place. Plenty of alders there, juniper, everything like that. There must a lot there now.
How did you get it all back to your place?
On the slide, drag it across the tickle. That was a hard drag sometimes. Plenty of it there. Down in Jack Pinsent’s place, plenty of it, John Pinsent. Lot of the dry stuff. Plenty of wood there.
There’s a picture of Joey over there on the wall.
Joey Smallwood, yes. He belonged in Gambo one time. All he done, eh? He was alright, yes, indeed. He gave over seven or eight hundred dollars to the old people, yes, more than that, perhaps. He done good. The man done good, like Sam said for, I mean to say, you know, what somebody else says, you know, you can’t give no heed to that. I thought the man was alright. But then the poor fellow only just done it. But he wouldn’t have done it at all if he hadn’t come into St. John’s and raising the people together. He fell out once on the Commission vote, never done a tap with it. The Commission Government. Sam said he was a good old man. We had the vote then we had to vote again. It was only a few votes over, not very many. And then they give them to Uncle Joey.
Seven or eight hundred dollars a month, on the pension. That was a lot of money, I say today the old people must have some money. All Joey done for them, that’s what he did,
You misses Sam, I suppose.
Yes, my dear, I misses Sam cruel.
Did Sam do the cooking?
Sam was doing the cooking. Yes, he was a good cook. Oh my dear, he could put on anything at all, Sam could. Sam could make duff or anything, them old fashioned ones. And make the bread too. Sam was a good man in the house. Keep her clean and one thing or another. Poor old Gram said one day that he never see nobody keep her so clean as Sam, out in the porch and up under. That was one day Gram was over along side the door.
Graham used to come and visit you. Graham is a fine fellow.
Oh yes. Gram would come over sometimes. Gram is fine fellow, Sam and he were working at something, one time. I don’t know what it was, now, oh, on the Council. All right man, Gram was. He would give Sam fish, you know. That’s where he’d get the fish from, poor old Gram White. She’s [Ivy Tong] got a nice brother. And Uncle Lou White launched his house from the Main, didn’t he? Put it over in Pond, yes, alright.
You can get the wood across the tickle now. Yes, with the causeway. The Pond fellas can cut the wood in Shambler’s Cove now and come on with it. They must think theirselves blessed. Yes, Pond fellers are blessed, yes. Cut the wood and come on. And the Pond fellas never knew that before. The birch is there and the spruce. I suppose you could put a load of wood on the side of the road and nobody would take notice of that. Unless there’s the police. She’s like old Gram for the world, yes. He wouldn’t say a word to a bird, poor old Gram. It’s all gone now.