Q. O.K. What is your full name?

A. Harold Illsworth Cromwell.

Q. And who were your parents?

A. My parents, was a Frank Cromwell, who lived in New Tusket, was were he was born. And a …….what other question?

Q. Your mother’s name?

A. My mother’s name. She was a Pleasant. And she was born and raised in Weymouth Falls.

Q. And her name was?

A. Her name was Etta.

Q. Do you know your grandparents names?

A. On my…..yes…..My grandfather’s, Doug Cromwell, also from Tusket. How far Back…..that’s as far as I can go….

Q. And when were you born?

A. I was born in 1919. At Weymouth……at Tusket.

Q. Well, how large was your family?

A. Ten.

Q. Where do you fit in, in the family.

A. I fit in, the third.

Q. From the top?

A. From the top.

Q. And what did your father do for a living?

A. Well they….he did ‘bout everything. He was a woodsman, in the beginning. Then he Flipped…..then he worked in the beginning to a place called pulp…the pulp mill at Weymouth Falls. And that’s when he moved out of here when I was a baby, in 1919.

Other voice: You moved out to this home where you are now?

No, we moved in another house up there. Renting in another house. And a…..father Worked this pulp mill until it……failed up. So therefore….then he went from here And there and, trying to…..found it awful hard, in those times, back in the ’29, 1929. And…..and…..on. And a……he a….he was a working like for farmers and them….. And then work got so scarce, then he started to work around different mills and in the Woods. Different saw mills like, a….. a…. Taylor’s Mills, in the woods and…..He Wasn’t well. Then he got working…….so then he had taken sick. Oh just before that He a…..he went to Bangor, Maine, in the woods. Jobs were so scarce. And then … Work…..So Then he come home and then he started working with this Whittney’s Mill, as a night watchman because he wasn’t that well to…..that….he was up and Down sickness, you see. And he was doin’ good. He got the cows…. had cows…. A cow…one cow, a pig, raised pigs, raised a garden. Well….see he bought this House. And when he moved here, he bought this house. And a from George Gill. And he was payin’ me. And George Gill said he a…..liked Frank Cromwell and he Had such a large family and every time he’d go around and collect, from….Frank Cromwell would give him a….enough to keep the interest down, he said. (laughter) I can see my father would sometimes give him a dollar and a half and sometimes Four dollars and….whatever…….sometimes ‘bout once or twice a…..year. And George Gill, he was a real estate man. So he worked at this…..a…….I guess a Night watchman at this saw mill. I got the picture of that……mill……that my father Was night watchman. Used to go down there at Christmas time at……Some nights We’d go down there for company fer ‘im. He was a little hard of hearing. And we Used to go down there and we used to like that us three brothers…..go down there, During the winter, by God, and lay back beside the furnace. He….He’d be back, Leaning back, like that, well…he’d have to watch the water, you see, and he’d lay Back there. He’d wake up and go shovel the…..the a…..shavin’s in the……a…. in The furnace……in the boilers, I should say, and a then we had fun watchin’ for rats. We’d keep…….make these traps, like figure four, and all the rats you’d take out. And the rats was smarter than we were. They’d go there and they wouldn’t touch That piece of food that was on there. It would trip the trap down on them. And … They…they was pretty smart, those rats. And we said, oh we hope we get them this Time. We don’t know if they’ll make it. But they wouldn’t touch that figure four, Like this. Isn’t that funny ‘bout that. So anyways….we went on. And a…..so father Got pretty feeble, quite sick, went to the hospital, and come back. So when he was Home, my Uncle Frank, Frank Bright, he’s a brother to my grandmother, back of Tusket, and he asked my father would…. he…. spare one of these boys, to bet, and Come and help him. He……he was an old farmer and a…..so my father pointed….. And he said "you can have him." That was me. So a way I went. Well, I went back There…..well….and a…….I was about a…..what about…….fifteen…..or near. And a…..mama told him…..ask him " Are you gonna send him to school now?" Said he would, but he didn’t. So that’s what made me lack of education. I was there quite a little while and didn’t…..waitin’ fer him to send me to school. The school was just a jump away, but he didn’t send me to school. And I really wanted to go and continue on in school ‘cause I didn’t have that much education. And a……because due to father’s sayin’ us three brothers had to work and that’s how……we missed half….. put their half a season…….of school…..before we could go to school. And then…. And different times we had to stay home a month. So anyway…..I stayed back there And I come home every two to three weeks….to visit….my father. I should say our Father. And a…..so this time I come home…..The last time I seen ‘im he was sittin’ By the stove and I saw mama act……seemed like she…something was wrong. She Was…. must of heard something about his health……he had cancer…..privates…. And a….so I ….I stayed there a little while. He thought a lot of me. He always….. I was his pet. He pet me too much……spoiled me……never ever got a beatin’ from Any of them. But I was bad……mischievous. And I used to get away with lots, more Than the rest of them. I used to feel sorry for rest of the brothers. They got a little More scoldin’ that I got. And it …..it would be my fault. For one of the reasons that I felt sorry for my……..mama used to make my father’s lunch. And we used to take It over there…..get the lunches over there, us three. It’d take me once in a while….. And I was only small…..young. And a…so this time we were late. The whistle had Blew, just before we got near to that pole…..well…..and I…..instead of me walkin’ Across this big bridge I crawled across it. I was afraid of goin’ down through it. And They was sayin’ "come on" to me, sayin’ come on. Father come and met us. And he Took a switch and slapped my older brother. It was my fault. You remember…..you Remember that in thirty years. And I said just to think he’s the one. So back to the… Back to the a…..aft…..I was back there, in Tusket, then, got word my father had Passed away. Well, in the winter, well I said just think first death in the family and How they go about it and what are they gonna do. And I was lookin’ at the border… Lookin’ at the border and I was sayin’…..waiting for my uncle to bring me out. Was Just after a big storm. And a …he said I’m…..I’ll be takin’ you out this afternoon. And I didn’t know which way to turn. I felt…how to react when I see my father. Any ways, he only brought me just down here, about a quarter of a mile, to (?) Now you can walk from here. And I walked here, and I come in to the little porch, Out there, and I come in the porch, and a….here’s all of ‘em sittin’ around, mom And a whole bunch of kids, whole bunch of us, you know. And I come right in…. And I come right in that door here. Here’s were my father lie, right here…..covered Over. So I come right in and I uncovered ‘im. Hollered. Mom was out there and said "Harold! What you doin’?" And I couldn’t go any further. And I fell down in back of that door there. In (?) out there. And I laid….stayed there. And a ….I couldn’t……I couldn’t er a…..you know, go on too much. Well they all had their let down but was just only me. So now was goin’ on. And I felt I shouldn’t have made too much time but I hid myself behind the door. Stayed there. So that….and a……things was…..things was all……lot of it I can’t remember…..good part….the parts I should remember I remember. I couldn’t go to the funeral. I wasn’t forced to go and I didn’t want to go. And I just sit by that window, out there, and looked out…. Out……out at…..out the window. And you know, this song is still singin’, Circle Will Be Unbroken.

Q. Can you sing me a piece of it?

A. Pardon?

Q. Can you sing me a piece of it?

A. Yes.

Circle be Unbroken Bye and Bye Lord Bye and Bye And the Circle Will the Circle

Be un….

Oh gosh…..I can’t….well….I don’t…..I can’t put the words together but….that’s the Song. But….I sing it every once in a while. But right now I just can’t. So that’s part… That part. So any way…..I was workin’ back to…..back to Frank Bright’s, Uncle Frank’s. Mom….and at first, my brother, the oldest brother, he was workin’ at this Goodwin Hotel, in Weymouth. So, therefore, he had to come home and take care of His father……And mama said "Look! You…you come out and take Bernard’s place At this hotel," ….Goodwin Hotel, in Weymouth. So I worked there fer ‘bout six years. One dollar a week. (laughter)

Q. So what were your duties there?

A. My duties was just being there. Just being there. Just….hardly anything. I will shoe… Then they give me a shoe shine. I was a shoe shine man. They bought me a bicycle. And a ….and…..oh, and a……mostly was…. We don’t need the money. Was….was There a …..shoe shining and washing cars and carrying baggage to this….I got the Train……Train Station out….was out in the (?) where I was carrying baggage back And forth. And….and I used to get the milk for ‘em and…..Most of the time I was in The woods. They was two men….two old maids there and they had a dog, big dog, Thor, and he used to run away. He used to send me in the woods to go…..I didn’t Mind that. Send me in the woods to (laughter) to look for this dog. And a….some Times I said "By God, I should take my fishing rod might….may find Willie. We’d Go fishing. And they didn’t care what time I got back. And a….so….they didn’t seem To care…never got after me…never scold me at all, I was just like….and I stayed Right there in Sample Room and this big dog, big….like I say….German Police Dog. And I’d sleep up over the Sample Room, where the sample…and a…the dog used to Stay up there with me…..Thor. And I was his only master. German Police Dog you Know, only got one master……other than that they….and she…..she….she thought So much of that dog. So one time, this was another….I don’t know….and he had stuff In his ears…..something in his ears and he used to shake his head and go on and Dr. Ferguson said you get some of this here…..get a eye squeezer…..and put the stuff in His ears. And a…so…he….didn’t like that stuff squeezed in his ear. So one time he Was in the back…..in the back office and she was puttin’ this…..She said "I can’t do Nothin’ with him…..doesn’t want this, doesn’t like it at all. Would you a….. can you Put…?" I said "Sure, I’ll put it in. But don’t you be there, don’t you come in while I’m Puttin’ it…." Here he was under the table. She said "Be careful ‘cause he bit me." I Said he didn’t get ya. She said "Ya." I said "He wouldn’t bite me." So I went in there, And here he was, roarin’, grrrrrrrrrrrr. He smelt that stuff you know. She said "Alright I’ll go." I said "Thor, come on out!" He wouldn’t come out. Grrrrrr. And I reached in And grabbed him…..paws and all came out and I slinged him out on the floor and Grabbed him and hauled him…..and then I slapped him side of the head and boy he Was some surprised. And he went out lookin’ at me much as to say, my God you Slapped me some hard too. (laughter) So that….after that all I had to do just say "Thor Come on now (?) ." But if she had saw me the way I whacked him…..just a tap him Just a lease him….bad dog….bad dog. I didn’t just give ‘im…..so that’s….that’s the Story ‘bout that.

Q. When you were at the Goodwin Hotel, you mentioned the Sample Room.

A. Yes.

Q. What was the Sample Room? A. Well, there was travelers come there with their clothing and stuff, and they spread ‘em all out around. Then the storekeepers would come in` and make their orders. So that’s how it become a Sample Room. That’s why they call it the Sample Room. Just like a store (?). Retailers would come in there. Store after store used to come in there. Take their turns……each day they stay ‘bout four or five days….open. And that’s When all the Goodwins used to order my clothes. Just overalls and a shirt….that’s All. (laughter) I used to get a pair of over…..a pair of overalls. And I’d say ha! ha! I’ve got a pair of overalls. Overalls to them was only seventy-five cents. But any way (laughter) but…and he’d order them…..last day he’d say….he’d say "Come on in here Harold. Pick yourself out a shirt and overalls." So I would. And a…..He was just like

A father to me. He was good. He was good to everybody like that. Nice man.

Q. What was his name?

A. Ollie Goodwin. Yup.

Q. So what do you remember about your mother’s work day?

A. Worst day you say?

Q. Mother’s…..her work day?

A. Work days, oh…She…..that was a hard workin’ woman. There’s no woman like, Right today could…..I don’t think could do the work like she did….well probably So, but and she was so full a happy woman. Hear her singin’ and get down and scrub The floors. I can see her…..get up like that and wipe the sweat off her. I can see her Now, wipe the sweat off her. Now you fellers git up on the chairs and don’t track my Floors. Keep off my floors. And after she git done scrubin’ with the scrub brush and When it dried out…just as white as wooden floors. That’s up…when it was up the Other place. In here as well. And a …….then…..I got the old washin’ machine, the Old washin’ machine out here now. One of them crank ones out there. I found one And I brought it home. I wanted my brother to see that. And they haven’t seen it yet. What mother would (?) I can see her now, out there in the porch, out there turning that. And a…then, going blueberrying. Now we thought that was a real picnic, goin’ blue- Berryin’. And a…..what….then ….we thought we was makin’ good money. And we Were. The guy used to come on the main part….the guy used to bring a rack and a Couple of crates. And we’d take the crates right in the woods and fill it. So we’d stay There from nine o’clock in the morning ‘till five o’clock at night. Well quite near… Well I’ll say ‘bout four thirty. Back in what they call Freddie John’s woods. Now we Had some fun. My little brother, next to me, next oldest brother, and he was good, Pretty good at everything like….he was sort of….and I tried to be better than him. Then we had what is called a "Pick and Pour Dish". You know….and we’d say, Well I’m pouring. Mommy would say that’s good. We’d pour in the big basket. Then She pick…and we’d pour…..Pick and Pour. And I said now I’m gonna beat Irving…. Next oldest brother. I’m gonna beat…..I’m gonna beat him today. Well I picked and I picked and Irvin go "Oh I’m pourin." I said "Gall darn he’s gonna be ahead of me all Day, now." (laughter) And I’d only be ‘bout that much from the top. Forget it…..I’m Gonna beat him. I’m pouring and I said gall darn ain’t this something. Now he’s…. And he’d get the praise, you see. So that, that’s the….Then it was lunch time. And We’d go under the big tree there and have lunch, eat. Oh and I’d be….there was… Why this her….daughter was scared to death of caterpillars. And I went to work with The caterpillars. Got the caterpillar and chucked it right in Maize’s lap. My sister’s lap. My God she almost went in fits. I didn’t think she was that scared. Ya, and we used to Lug…..on top of that…..we used to lug out own wood. See we was poor….but….. Father used to get some blocks, but, we used to go in the woods and….up there….. Haul the wood out….limbs, limbs from where the people….and a …..then we used to Go berrying back there. And I was to……back…..picking blackberries. I’ll never for- Get this. And (?) go in there and I couldn’t go in there were so many briers. And I’d sit right in the road, sit there and, look…..lookin’ at little birds in the nest and we used to Feed them tea berries. And I tried lookin’ for it. All of a sudden I looked up and here Was a deer right on top of me. Jumped right over me. I can see the belly yet…..light Yellow. And I…….I forgot about that day……and a …..I er a…..jumped up and took Off fer home……bawlin’. Just….and them fellers heard ‘im holler and say "Harold, What’s the matter with you? Why you bawlin’?" Ran right straight home. I was only ‘bout, oh, let’s see, I was about seven. I’ll never forget that. I can see that deer jump right over…….he didn’t see me in the road, you see, he was coming down, he saw…. And ah, boy. And….there was another lady, my Aunt Haddie was there….went right To mother…my mother, and a…..Aunt Haddie said "What’s the matter with him?" She said "I don’t know, he won’t stop bawlin’, he won’t stop hollerin’. He said he Saw somethin’ about a deer." (laughter) So that was one….one of the…..I’ll never Forget.

Q. Tell me about a typical day at school.

A. Well…..I used to like to go to school. Wanted to go to school……what little I’ve got. I only got to grade two. I never…..just graded to grade two but I never…..never got Any further. Might as well say grade one. So I didn’t have that much schooling. And What I didn’t know…..but…..I’m glad that I’ve learned how ta……And then I used Ta draw. Teachers…I was more or less……let to draw the….draw on the board, if a If there were….at Christmas time I use to draw the hollies around the board. Draw Santa Claus for her. And…..the, the…..I only got one beatin’. I should…..I didn’t Deserve that. (laughter) Braggin’ up…..but a…..we was too…….to bashful to …to be Bad, any way. We was kinda awf……..we was poor. And a…..so….that was the first Beatin’ I got from Dorothy Clements. I never…. they…..they came and rang the bell And some of us didn’t hear the bell. And Dorothy, she like to beat anyway, she wacked Us four wacks on each hand…..with a big alder stick. I said, well, it’s the first beatin’ I Wouldn’t want any more. But I didn’t hear no bell. We must have been behind the School. We didn’t hear nobody, was late getting’ in. Boy she gave it to us. So that was One beatin’ I got. And a…..but it was hard on us. My brother Bernard, rather Irving, Next to me, would run short of food. Mom said you got to go down town. You got to Go down town, get a turn, get a twenty pound bag of flour, and get it home here, and Go to school. And that was hard. And I wouldn’t want to come into schoolhouse late. Everybody lookin’ and laughin’. Teacher would be markin’ on the board and look at Us. And then she’d stand there so long. That was a punishment. Why’d she tell us….. See mother used to made an excuse see…….She’d come and read the excuse. O.K. Go take your seats. And I’d be glad to get to the seat……but all the kids lookin’ at ya In there. And that was a punishment, I guess…..you’re late. Just when we got that gall Darn beatin’ the bell would…..the last bell would ring…..and we’d be late. That… That was one of the hard times.

Q. Who was your best friend at school?

A. Teacher. (laughter) No, I , we had…..I had quite a few…..quite a few friends. A…. Oh ya, there’s Bobby, Bobby Cromwell and Curtis Francis, Curtis Francis. I’m just Talkin’ about best friends.

(At this point Harold’s wife comes down stairs and enters the kitchen. We are Interviewing in a small living room. She is making comments, but loud Enough for us to hear, about the interview. Harold becomes distracted through- Out the rest of the interview. Harold’s wife is talking to Harold from the kitchen. She is making comments to him. Unfortunately the tape recorder can not pick up her voice.) Harold’s wife: comments can not be heard

What…..What did you say?

Q. What types of….?

A. Oh….Oh…..on T.V……….pardon?

Q. What types of things would you do with your…….

Harold’s wife: Don’t put my name in there. And any way……look I ……’cuse me a minute. Am I still on?

Q. Yup.

Other voice: Do you want me to pause it for a minute?

Ya, close it for a minute.

Other voice: O.K. pause it there…..pause it here…..yup….here we go. O. K. Sue.

Q. What types of things would you do with your friends?

Harold’s wife: Making comments in the background.

Other voice: No, no, no, we’re not a…..

Just tell her ta keep her….keep her….keep her….just tell her to keep…….

Other voice: Let’s just pause it a minute. Ohhhhhhhh.

Other voice: O.K. what a good boy. (She is referring to the owner’s dog)

Q. O.K. What is your best memory of school?

A. Best memory…….playing ball and what not and……..

Q. What is your least favorite memory of school?

A. Least memory?

Q. Least favorite.

A. Least favorite?……….Oh, I don’t know.

Q. Maybe the time you got your hand strapped.

A. Yes. That’s the……….

Q. O.K. So what kinds of things did you grow and raise yourselves, your family. You Know like vegetables, cattle, that kind of thing.

Oh when I got……I got …..well, anyway, we go back to how I start.

Harold’s wife: Again making comments.

Other voice: How you started what? What was the question, Sue?

Q. O.K. how….O.K. What kinds of things would you have grown and raised, yourself?

A. Oh, what I started…….when I bought this house……well I started…..ah…I had a… Pig……raised a pig and I, I had a pony, one time. And a when…..when I first…. See a….. go back. How far back did you want me to go?

Q. O. K. Right now I’m, I’m still in your childhood. This is…..

A. Still in my childhood. Oh yes…. well then…well then…that was berryin’. And after Berryin’ it’s oh…..Then there is school. And a…..The Goodwin Hotel, what…….then I joined the service. That’s where you want me to continue on there, like that?

Q. O.K. I can go with that or go from here.

Other voice. She still wants to ask you a few things about when you were still a little boy, Harold.

Still want that, when I was a little boy.

Q. Ya.

Other voice: She’s got a few questions here she still wants to ask you. Like a ‘bout when Did electricity come?

O.K.

Q. Do you remember when you got electricity?

A. Got (?)

Q. When you got electricity? When you’re……when you’re still a little boy, when….

A. When we got electricity?

Q. Yes.

A. Oh no, there was no still lamps. There was lamps right up…..right up ‘till I was Married. Electricity…..yes. That……just before we got married.

Q. And what about running water?

A. Running water….. well water.

Q. And how did you take care of your teeth, as a little boy?

A. Little boy…..oh we just brush them, that’s all.

Q. And how often….how often would you have visited a dentist?

A. How often? Well I never visited a dentist ‘till I joined the service. I had one….one Tooth was a…a….a…..decayed. And a….. I remembered I tried to get it a …..get It filled, at Weymouth Bear. Now this was when I was working at the hotel. And a The nerve, went down and hit the nerve so bad, I couldn’t stand it. I said " Ahhhhh" So after I joined the service I had to have it out. So, they..they hauled it out. They Broke it, and had to take it out, piece by piece. But this drilling was the hurt…..was The hurt…..that was a bad pain. I don’t know if they still do that, I wonder….drill?

Q. I don’t know.

A. The drill…to put fill. But any ways that’s….

Q. So who Delivered the babies in this community?

A. Pardon?

Q. Who delivered babies ……..

A. In this, in this….. community?

Q. Umhmmmmm

A. Well it’s somethin’ I can remember. There was a……in my time there was a fella, By the name of Dr. Halette. He was a………and Pothier, Dr. Pothier…..and Halette. Pothier was….Dr. Pothier …..he was the ones I know of……delivered Babies.

Q. Do you know any home remedies that were common when you were growing up? A home remedy, such as, like if you were sick did you have a mustard pack or things Like that. Or if you cut yourself, was there a special ointment, you know?

Ohhhhhhh, I remember measles. When I….I had the measles. With us, we all had The measles. I stayed in bed fer three days. I remember I woke up…….my mother Put us to bed……and stay in there ‘til…..’til they break out. So we didn’t have Nothing break it out. So…..I’ll never ferget time we slept in……in the room, there Was the tree of us, in….in a room, and I woke up and I started laughing at my Brother, you see. His face was full of……and I was laughin’ at him and he was Laughin’ at me. (laughter)

Q. So how far away would the doctor have lived?

A. Oh……mile and a half. Just…..just down on the corner there, where you swing…..

Q. O.K. So….when would you call the doctor? Would you have to….you know, like I Mean how sick would you have been before the doctor came or would…..?

Oh…I don’t think a doctor, I don’t ever a doctor commin’ to me. Just knowin’ the Measles…….and mumps. We had everything that’s goin’, they didn’t pass us.

Q. So, when someone died, what was the wake like? I mean how was the funeral Handled?

How the funeral we handled?

Q. Ya.

A. Well that…..I….I……I don’t know too much about that. I been pall-bearers but…..

Q. But I mean….

A. After I grew up, ya.

Q. Would the body have stayed in the home for two or three days?

A. Ya…..yes. Umhmm Until due time to take it away…….

Q. O.K.

A. A couple of days.

Q. O.K. So how often did you leave your town? This is in your teen years now.

A. How often did I leave town?

Q. Ya.

A. Oh, quite often. There was a lot of things happenin’. I used to go hitchhike…..and Back and…..

Q. So, where would you go if you left here?

A. Oh….one time that…I was…..we…..like I say……when I worked at the Goodwin Hotel…..this was a something I never know forget. A feller by the name of Willie Thibault, we used to go fishing a lot, he and I and Charlie Tooker. And a ……one Day there was a big, large circus come to Digby. We had no money just a very little, Little money. So we said let’s hitchhike up, the three of us…… four of us. Charlie Tooker, and Clarence, and, and Willie. And a…..so……we got up there. This large Circus…come in….and a……so a ……anyway. You wanna go in the big tent he says. You help put the big tent up. But we have to take your coats. Took off our coats. And a…..they took our coats and a…..Oh we worked, worked hard puttin’ up the big Tents and the guys would say "Come on, We waitin’ on you." And wouldn’t we…. And we were drivin’ her. So we got into the big tent. A thing about that. So….here, A lot of cars and…..that came from Weymouth that we said we was gonna get a ride Back because that er…and a……so what we said now we gotta go. So oh ya got ta You got ta help take it down. Oh my golly! Got ta help take…..take this tent down. And a……so anyway, we’re a …….worked and….we said let’s go, let’s go to that Truck, over there, see if we can get……our coats. Because our chance is goin’ to be Scarce for getting’ out. So everybody had gone. He said "No, you can’t have your Coats." And everybody had gone. So we didn’t know what to do. So we went right to The railway station and slept in a boxcar. Right in the corner in the boxcar…the four Of us. So now, by gosh, we said this train….that early morning train will be goin’ Down and that’s how we’ll get to Weymouth. Sure enough, a fellow comin’ in, he Looked in there and……he looked around and……and a…….he, I guess he must Of know who was in there……..So he didn’t close that freight car. And a …….so Any way….(Is the door open? The cold’s commin’ in. It’s getting’ colder.) So any Ways he a….he left, whatever. And sure enough they shoved in and took us down, right to Weymouth. Not right to Weymouth now, into Plympton, and stopped. We Jumped out! And we jumped out and went down behind this mill in Plympton. And The boys says "By gosh, it’s goin’. Ain’t ya gonna git aboard again?" I said "No." They said "No." I’m gonna git aboard, ‘cause I’ve got to be……I wanna be at the Hotel, just up Plympton there. Sure enough I got a hold of the freight car and hung On it and I worked myself right around in between two trains. And that train comes Fast from Plympton down here. (He is making a train noise.) I left the boys up there To Plympton. So that was fun. And the boys, they, they….when I was out mowin’ the Lawn, or doing something, they, they was comin’, they was a long time comin’ ‘round. They was pertin’ near noon getting’ from Plympton down, down to Weymouth, Clarence was. So that’s one of the ones I remember.

Q. So what were the roads like?

A. The roads? Oh, they weren’t paved at that time. Roads were…. dirt roads. I remember When they paved that road. I was at…….I was workin’ in town at that time.

Q. So who would look after the roads? Who had to look after them? Like, in the winter Time, when it snowed, how did you get out the road?

Oh, likeeeeeeeeee, these roads here. Oh, they just gathered up the people. They’d Gather up the people. And there a……like my father had to go and (?) had to go, And shovel. That’s the only way they got out. And I used to watch ‘em shovel. I Made a picture of that once. And a……..how the men shoveled the snow. And the Snow was high…..at that time. Some times it’d take a whole day, day and a half To get the roads through. Good thing people never got seriously sick at that time, At those times. No, no cars…..Oh I suppose they made sleds…….but the snow was Deep. At several times, quite deep.

Q. So, as a teenager, what kinds of things would you have done for fun?

Now, at this time, Harold’s wife is really getting upset in the kitchen. She is continually Making remarks about us and to us. This is making the interviewee and interviewer Nervous.

Ask her to keep her voice down. (Mr. Cromwell is referring to his wife. She is rattling Pots and pans and making terrible comments in the back ground.)

Other voice: Mrs. Cromwell doesn’t want us to do this.

Q. O.K.

Other voice: Perhaps ah………

A. Doesn’t want a what?

Other voice: No.

Q. Ya.

Other voice: This is a shame.

She doesn’t want a what?

Other voice: She doesn’t want us here.

Doesn’t want us here? (Mr. Cromwell is very angry.)