THE PARENTS OF MANY MUSICIANS

Joseph and Margaret Chaisson were the parents of ten children, and they had fifty—one grandchildren. They lived in Charlottetown, Campbell’s Cove, and Bear River North, before moving to Bear River South.

Their first house in Bear River was small, having only two bedrooms; so, Peter and Kenny slept in the attic where a ventilation system wasn’t necessary. On stormy nights, the snow entered their bedroom through the crevices and cracks in the walls. They slept on a feather mattress, and when blankets were at a premium, they used heavy coats. In the morning, the kitchen was very cold as they prepared for school. The water would be frozen in the bucket, and in the tank on the stove as well. When the heat from the wood stove improved, Margaret would make hot porridge, or once in a while, “Cream of Wheat,” which they considered a treat. This would warm them up before they left for school.

School was a place for everything, even fights over an impending election. The Liberals and Conservatives were on opposite sides. Sometimes, some students came home with black eyes. One student was smeared with ashes and had to go home in that state. When the election was over, they were all friends once more.

One teacher had a quick temper, and Peter remembers her grabbing him and tearing all the buttons off his shirt. On another occasion, the teacher was the target when some students put some potatoes in the exhaust pipe of her car. When she started the car, there was a big bang, and the whole muffler blew off. Of course, the students looked innocent, and seemed to be unaware that the mishap had occurred. When they wanted to get out of school early, they hid the wood on a false floor in the woodshed. If there was “no wood,”

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