Automobiles 63

It was really a hospitality piece since many a walker was given a ride just by standing on that firm and inviting board. As 1950 approached, brand new cars were making their spotty appear- ance around Iona and the era of the great square rigger was drawing to a close.

Back at the O’Shea farm motor vehicles played a big part in our history. On a June day in 1938 Maurice took delivery from Allison MacLeod of a new maroon V8 Ford two-ton truck with a 6 by 9-foot steel box rigged for gravel and asphalt. Needless to say, this event brought untold excitement to our place, espe- cially to the younger folk. The truck appeared to us as an enormous machine of great beauty and power whose presence dominated the yard. In addition to its primary purpose of hauling heavy loads, it provided us with many happy outings, especially for the boys who often rode with Maurice from the gravel pits of the Valley to Charlottetown and other then distant points. This in turn brought us in touch with steam shovels, bulldozers, gravel crushers and washers and the novelty of paved roads with Tea Hill being a driver's greatest challenge. We were particularly interested in the ritual of shifting gears through the magic of double clutching and in the sly hand Signals drivers passed to one another to warn of the near presence of Mounties. On Sunday afternoons groups of us from the community often went in the truck to Wood Islands -- before the beginning of the ferry system— to Halliday’s Wharf and McMillan’s shore in Eldon, as well as for family visits to the Valley, Earnscliffe and other places. One of our most treasured journeys was the trip in June, 1939 to Charlottetown for the visit of the King and Queen. The back of the truck was bulging with People, mostly youngsters from the school, all with our small flags flipping in the wind. It was a rainy day, but that did not in any way dampen our joy and excitement on such a memorable holiday. The 38 Ford held its own quite nicely with other such vehicles of its day. It did develop more than its share of rattles, Of course, and its mechanical brakes were one of its main drawbacks. As well, it soon formed the habit of slipping out of high gear. To overcome this, Maurice manufactured a neat hardwood stick appropriately notched to fit against the gear Shift and of exact length to press firmly into a crevice in the dash. A couple of interesting features of its plain cab were the wind- shield that cranked open from the bottom for comfort on hot days and a long hand-lever emergency brake that eventually became the main braking system so effective was it at stopping even a