31/ Land and By Air

to matter - one night I went to a dance in Murray River, and decided to take a drive as far as Peters Road before the dance, and after the dance I drove to Abney. On my way back, I caught up to Leon MacPhee and I got out of the sleigh, and got in with him for a chat - Walkie was

the greatest follower. When we got to Leon's home, we decided to feed the horse and start for Charlottetown. In the morning we were able to put the horse in a livery stable in Charlottetown and walk down to the railway station and await the Murray Harbour train arrival. That evening I drove out to Fairview and drove back to Charlottetown to a St. Patrick’s concert, and later I drove back to Fairview. The next day, Sunday, I drove to Rice Point and from there to town, picked up Leon, and we started for home.

I guess by this time the horse must have been getting tired, and he started to jog with a loose rein going past Canada Packers. He never walked a step to Vernon Bridge, but going up that grade at Vernon Bridge, I pulled him to a walk. When I got to the Bridge, I spoke to him and from there to Hopefield Ijust had to hold on to him. When we were passing Caledonia church, they were having a service, and when I was at Hopefield there was another service in Hopefield hall. We put the horse in the stable and went to hear a ”lay preacher.”

The driving would have been in the vicinity of 150 miles in two days, a little faster and further than the covered wagons used to go in a day.

When we were coming across the ice on the I-Iillsborough River a fellow pulled out his horse to pass, when to his great surprise, this so-called farm horse, with two in a driving sleigh, kept ahead of him.

Years later, I was able to give my wife a drive in a wagon to Murray River to give her some idea of transportation on the Island in my earlier years.

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