124 A Bridge To The Past

mice. Mr. W.W. Lord who lived at Tryon at that time at his father’s told me that they only saved a small field of barley that year. Mr. Alex. Anderson, surveyor, told me he remembered in 1814 he saw a field of wheat of sixteen bushels sowing. When near ripe it was attacked by an army of mice, and not a vestige left standing of the whole field. The field was owned by Mr. McFarlane of Bedeque. A Mr. John Baker, (Grandpa Baker) late of Sum- merside told me that the mice were very thick in the fields in 1814. He was living at Wilmot Creek, above the bridge on the south side, with his father and mother, and he went down to the river with his sister one morning in summer. The mice were drowned and lay dead on the shore like a roll of sea-weed. There were only a few left on land alive.

I have kept a diary for many years commencing in 1832, so 1 can refer to some things that happened long ago.

I find that flour was sold in 1837 for $15 and $16 a barrel and was scarce at that. One man got a few barrels brought home by some schooner after night and employed men to stump the land at 6 lbs. flour for a day’s work. He would sell none of it for cash or credit. Wheat sold by me in 1854 at $2 a bushel and flour at $12 a barrel.”—W.B. Tuplin.

THE POETS 0F WILMOT VALLEY

The modern day poet of Wilmot Valley, Wayne Wright _ , has expressed the thought that ’ “poets are spiritual people, impressed by the simple beauty of life and a need to give of their soul, to work for their own satisfaction and to find their own place in the world.”

If this statement is true then it would not be surprising to learn that many residents of Wilmot Valley are poets at heart and it is gratifying to know that at least two have received some recognition and have had their work publish- ed.

Wayne Wrighl, son of Lorne Wright and Audrey Clark, spent earl y childhood (from [951) and H’l't’fll years in Wilma! Valley, lastly in "Seldom Inn Ihe familiar fishing- cabln built near (‘lark’s Pond about Sixty years ago, and for decades [he smnmer