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BLACKSMITHING

_ Blacksmith shops were as necessary to the Island’s first set- tlers as garages and service stations are to present day living. Some of our immigrants possesed skills in this line of work, but we had blacksmiths in our community who made their living in this way.

William P. Woodside, whose family is described elsewhere, served the community during the last half of the nineteenth cen— tury till Harvey Woodside, his cousin who had learned the trade with him, purchased the property and continued to serve the sur— rounding area till he retired in 1937. A few years later the shop was demolished. This shop was situated west of the bridge that crossed Harding’s Creek after it flowed from the Mill Pond. The

shop was a busy place where horses were shod and repair work to machinery was done.

Especially was this true in mud-digging time in the winter filonths. The horses had to be kept well shod for travelling on the ice on the river, as well as on the roads after a thaw. A black— émith would shoe twenty or twenty-two horses a day and work firom before daylight until after dark to get this work done at tibis busy time.

In the early 1900’s a horse would be shod on all feet with fiew shoes for 80 cents, or the old shoes would be taken off, calked, 'nd put back on for 40 cents. This operation was called four moves. A few years later, the price was raised to $1 for new éflloes and 50 cents for four removes.

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, Alex Nicholson, who lived on the Kerrytown Road also served . e community as a blacksmith in the early 1900’s and it is inter- ting to note some of the prices he charged, such as: sharpening nulter, 20 cents; repairing pot, 20 cents; 4 links, 12 cents; re— iring buggy, 65 cents. They did not get much for an hour’s ork in comparison to what workmen get today.

‘ About a hundred yards from the Woodside, blacksmith shop 5 as one of the best springs on Prince Edward Island, Where the ater rushed out from the side of the bank and made its way to arding’s Creek. A large stone, several feet long and wide lay a gff‘W feet from the spring, and in front of this stone one could dip paul and get it filled with fresh, cold water at any time of the [Z'aY- A dipper was kept at the blacksmith shop and many who -'= me there partook of this refreshing “Adam’s Ale”. Pupils from ,8“ school carried buckets of water for drinking till about the

iddle of the twentieth century, when a pump was bored near e school house.