Entry 96— Sunday, July 25, 2010

Part I

Colonial Argentia Trivia

We are starting out this section of Postings with another trivia question to test readers' knowledge about Colonial Argentia's history. The residents of Argentia had some wonderful and colorful Irish-Gaelic-based terms for people and/or their actions. While many of those terms were used in various places throughout Newfoundland, some were unique to Argentia. Just look at the following words: angishore, barvel, black psalm, blagard, cockalorum, foost, footer, gatcher, keener, Kilkenny cats, laddio, maneen, mawmouth, rag moll, screed, sleveen, shennick, stookawn, streel, twilllick, and walp or walper. Do you know what they mean?

Part II

AMA — Acronym of Opposites

The acronym AMA stands for Argentia Management Authority and American Medical Association. Want to take a wild guess as to which one is more socially acceptable and useful?

Newfoundland 's AMA, on the other hand, has just been mind-boggling because of its well-demonstrated ineptness. Working closely with Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) in an orchestration of obliteration, it systematically destroyed the former largest and most powerful military installation outside the United States … all because of greed on the part of certain locals who no longer matter. They had great things planned for themselves by having the Voisey's Bay nickel smelter in Argentia. However, that all went up in smoke when officials of INCO discovered covert agendae and the possible financial repercussions of building in Argentia.

When INCO — now known as Vale INCO — decided not to establish its nickel processing plant in Argentia, most of those who so greedily monopolized on everything from land grabbing to inflating prices for their own advantage “got their come uppence,” as the former residents of Argentia used to say.

Regardless of how many versions of the acronym AMA exist, the one in the Argentia region will always be at the bottom of the shit pile in the minds of everyone with even the slightest inkling of common sense.

Part III

On Saturday, July 3, 2010, we received the following e-mail letter from the west coast of Canada that sets out in no uncertain terms what the writer had on his mind:

Good day Argentia.org:

In May I had the opportunity to visit “the Rock” for a couple of weeks. It was the first time I was in Newfoundland and I jumped at the opportunity because my cousin's grandparents lived in Argentia before it was a military site. Having heard my cousins talk so much about Argentia, and seen pictures of the area and the American base that was there, I was looking forward to a wonderful visit and learning experience.

What a total disappointment!!!!!!!!!

There was absolutely nothing in Argentia to see other than the ferry terminal and the few vacant American buildings that were left empty and dilapidated looking. The whole place was barren and very dirty looking with garbage around the buildings or blowing around in the wind.

Actually, all the nearby towns were not much better. There was garbage of all descriptions, especially car wrecks, in a lot of places and the roads were atrocious — cracked and broken pavement with big chunks missing that had become deep potholes. Drivers surely must have some big repair bills there.

Unfortunately, it wasn't just the Argentia area that was dirty — the whole province from St. John's to Port aux Basques wasn't much better. I have been in a lot of cities in North America and Europe but St. John's is definitely the dirtiest I've ever been in. In rural areas, there was also all kinds of junk not far from the highway (car wrecks and old household appliances, etc.). All along the Trans Canada Highway we could see various kinds of garbage, the most disgusting of which was soiled baby diapers that had obviously been tossed out the windows of passing cars. That really does not speak well of the “loving” mothers in Newfoundland.

The Newfoundland I saw was not the one I used to hear my relatives talk so fondly about. While the people there may be very “kind and goodhearted,” like the tourism brochures state, they are certainly not the cleanest in the world. That is not the way to attract tourists with money to spend.

While I met several kind, hospitable, and wonderful people during my visit, I shall no [sic] be returning to Newfoundland anytime soon.

I have been reading your website for a couple of years and on occasions I got the impression you might be exaggerating in some of your descriptions of the Argentia area of today. I used to think “Surely, it can't be that bad.” Now I would like to congratulate you on telling it like it really is. After seeing Argentia for myself, I can see why you (and all those people who send in e-mails) are upset about the state of affairs in that once proud and powerful part of Newfoundland. Just thought I should tell you all this! Keep up your good work and all the best.

 

Jamie Abbott

Victoria, B.C.

Argentia.org thanks Mr. Abbott for his letter and we can state that there was nothing in it with which we could disagree. To quote a couple of Freshwater and Placentia residents, “Argentia is gone to the dogs!” As one Placentia woman so passionately added, “How can it be otherwise down there? Sure they got nothin' but a bunch of dogs looking after it.”

Argentia was not “home” for the Americans … it was just one of many postings in their military careers. The average length of stay was 1.6 years for commanding officers, 1.8 years for all other officers and 2.1 years for enlisted personnel. In terms of keeping the environment clean, those relatively short assignments translated into a lack of continuity, care, and remedial action.

It would be unfair to portray the Americans as the sole villains of littering in Argentia or any other part of this province, when Newfoundlanders are just as indifferent toward their environment. Although they will vehemently deny it, Newfoundlanders are prolific litterers. The ditches along Newfoundland's highways and by-roads, as well as the general countryside, are littered with every kind of garbage imaginable. Some people go to great lengths to dispose of car wrecks and old household appliances deep in the country rather than take them to a proper disposal or landfill site.

It is not unusual to go five to ten miles into the country and see an old refrigerator, stove or large car parts lying in the middle of a river, or sticking out of a marsh. Seeing such litter and contamination in areas where there are no roads, the first questions that come to my mind are: How did they get it there? Why did they go to so much trouble to dispose of it when going to a landfill would have been much easier?

The most disgusting of all litter is the incredible number of soiled disposable diapers that are being thrown from moving vehicles — or left behind at camp sites — along the highway, as loving parents tend to the needs of their children. It is unfortunate that they do not demonstrate a similar caring attitude toward their environment. In terms of surface littering, the only difference between the Americans and Newfoundlanders is in the scale of distribution. The Americans' litter is concentrated in one area, whereas the Newfoundlanders' litter is a province-wide spectacle.

Each year between 1990 and 2000, the provincial government, the Canadian Soft Drink Association (CSDA), municipalities, service clubs and volunteer organizations spent a combined total of $12.5 million on environmental education, anti-littering publicity and environmental clean-up campaigns. Highway signs, radio and television announcements, as well as the availability of litter containers in all public places have had a minimal effect. Unfortunately, the disgraceful problem with litter all over Newfoundland is ongoing.

The following two photos by Edward Lake show the kind of signs that the Newfoundland government erected in the 1990s to try and counteract littering along the highways:

Part IV

How did you do with the list of words in Part I? Here are their meanings, as well as examples of their usage in sentences:

•  Angishore — a person who “hangs around” on shore instead of working or being out on the sea fishing. It was derived from the Irish Gaelic term “aindeiseoir,” meaning a “poor miserable creature.” A useless person better known as a “”good-for-nothing.” “Don't pay any attention to Mick Dolan; he's nothin' but an old angishore!”

•  Barvel — a bibbed apron made of bleached flour sacks and waterproofed with three or more coats of linseed oil. Used by men who worked at fish splitting on boats and land-based splitting tables. “Don't forget to take your barvel down to the boat with you.”

•  Black psalm — a curse. “You better stay away from Martha's meadow or she'll arrange a black psalm for you!”

•  Blagard — a person who “carried on” and used a lot of sexual innuendo in his/her conversations. “Jim is usually a fine, quiet fellow but, the minute he gets a few drinks into him, he becomes the real blagard!”

•  Cockalorum — foolishness, nonsense, or crap. “When politicians give speeches, they are usually chock full of cockalorum” or “Now, I know what you're up to so don't give me any of your cockalorum!”

•  Foost — to “put on airs” or use sly and misleading tactics to gain favor with someone. “Just look at the way Jack is trying to foost his way into Marie's good books” or “Foosting was never one of Mike's better ways!” Foosting, by the way, has been quite evident in Argentia since the formation of the AMA ... it is one of their primary displays.

•  Footer — one who constantly picks, pokes, and prods with his/her foot. “I'm warning you! When we visit Aunt Mary, stay still at the table and don't be a footer.”

•  Gatcher — a show-off who usually makes a fool of himself/herself. “Don't be paying any attention to Mick Cooney, he's nothing but a gatcher … always lookin' for attention!”

•  Keener — a schemer whose main concern is to better himself/herself at the expense of others. “If you ask me, Jack Smith is a keener, so be careful of him!”

•  Kilkenny cats — individuals who were prone to arguing and fighting for the slightest of reasons. As the old Irish adage went, “Kilkenny cats fought until only their tails were left.” “I'm warnin' ye, stay away from the Reillys; they're all like Kilkenny cats!”

•  Laddio — a mischievous male of any age. “When it comes to tormenting the girls, that Tom Carroll is a real laddio!”

•  Maneen — a teenager trying to act like a man but his immaturity and foolishness always showed through. “Look at that foolish maneen wasting his time instead of making himself useful!”

•  Mawmouth — a gossiper and/or braggart. “Don't be paying attention to Marg Tobin, she's a pure mawmouth!”

•  Rag moll — a dirty or untidy person. It was a term usually applied to females, or males demonstrating female qualities. “Mary never learned a thing in St. John's; she's still a pure rag moll.”

•  Screed — piece of cloth or clothing. “I can't go to the dance because I'm positively screedless.”

•  Sleveen — a sly and/or deceitful person. “Father Dee was lookin' out for his own bests interests, let me tell ya … a real sleveen for sure!”

•  Shennick — a mean and spiteful person. “Don't be worryin' about what that Jim McCarthy says because he's a regular shennick.”

•  Stookawn — a dull, foolish, clumsy, or stupid person. “Just look at that stookawan leanin' on the fence out there, you'd think he'd make himself useful and bring in some firewood! Go tell him to come in here; I wants to give him a piece of me mind.”

•  Streel — sometimes spelled “streal,” it was a dirty or untidy person. Used as a verb, it meant to drag something along the ground. “My God, look at the clothes on that one; she's the real streel for sure” or “Just look at the way he's streelin' his schoolbag along the path!”

•  Twilllick — a small child. Applied to an adult, it meant a fool. “Let me have a look at that lovely little twillick” or “I swear, the older Tom gets, the worse he gets! He's a real twillick.”

•  Walp or walper — another term for “tramp,” a female with a reputation of providing sexual favors to multiple males. “Since she started working on The Base, Betty has become a real walp” or “Jane used to be a lovely girl, but now she's a real walper!”

Part V

Trees, Boys, and Carefree Escapades

By

Marina Gambin

Some time ago, I saw an interesting movie called Men in Trees and, for some reason, the title kept reminding me of a certain grove of trees in Downey's front garden at Branch, when I grew up there in the 1950s and early1960s.

The home of Mr. Jim Downey and his wife, Mrs. Kate, was situated in the area of Branch known locally as “over the road.” That meant their tree-filled yard abutted the chief thoroughfare through our little community. It was because the Downey property was located halfway along the main route, their fence and the thick trees hanging over it seemed to invite walkers to loiter there for hours. I particularly remember warm summer nights when groups of girls would linger there discussing boys, relationships, and any rumors that might be circulating at the time.

It always seemed that the older girls had first pick of the space by the fence under the trees. When I was still too young to be allowed to mingle with more mature teenagers, I often wondered what they were talking about. I could not wait for the time when I would be considered old enough to hang around and listen to their hushed conversations. Eventually, that time came, and I stood under the trees with the others. Although I cannot recall any of it now, I am sure I learned some earth shattering stuff in that little arbor many years ago.

Today, whenever I pass by that piece of land, which used to be the Downey homestead, two specific incidents emerge from the recesses of my memory. The first involved an interesting, but odd, citizen of Branch named Henry John, whose moods were sometimes unpredictable. I will never forget one sunny, Sunday afternoon when he approached a large number of us girls gathered under the trees. Shouting strange sayings and egged on by some boisterous males, he ran toward the group of females, trying to embrace us, pinch us, or maybe just scare us. Screaming, crying, and laughing in the same breath, we scattered in all directions. I know I never stopped running until I reached my house.

Another time, on a warm summer's night, we had congregated once again in that comfortable spot. Someone was sharing some juicy gossip, voices were down to whispers, and all ears were straining so as not to miss any of the inside information. Although it was getting past our deadline for staying out, nobody made a movement to leave and nobody suggested going home.

Just as the whole gathering was being sworn to secrecy, the intimacy of the situation was suddenly broken. The trees above our heads seemed to come alive as laughter and shouting rang out. As branches and limbs cracked, sneaker clad feet appeared, followed by the leaping torsos of two or three unruly lads. To our horror, we realized our secret was secret no longer. In their quest for fun, the boys had climbed the trees long before we assembled there. A lengthy wait on their lofty perches had paid off and they accomplished their goal for that evening.

But time goes by, boys and girls turn to adults, trees are cut down and all the little carefree escapades of our past fade away. And now, I cannot even remember what that important tidbit of gossip was.

PPart VI

At the end of Entry 95, we posed the following question for the history-minded individuals who have an interest in Argentia and/or the surrounding region: “Only one former Argentia resident initiated a court case against the U.S. military during the expropriation process in 1941 and won! Who was it and what were the circumstances?”

We did not receive any guesses or comments regarding the preceding question, so here is the answer:

The fourth largest retail business in Argentia was the general store and pig farm owned and operated by Michael and Kevin Maher in Marquise. Michael — a paraplegic as a result of being thrown from a horse as a teenager — managed the accounting side of the business from his wheelchair, while Kevin and his wife Marion (nee Power of North Harbour) managed the day-to-day operations.

In those days, wheelchairs were much larger and cumbersome then they are today. With two small steering wheels located on the rear of the high-back chair, Michael required a relatively large space in which to maneuver. It was because of Michael's needs that the Maher home was larger than average. It had special amenities such as wide doors and an extra large bathroom on the ground floor. There was also a wooden access ramp to the store.

On Saturday, June 14, the Mahers were given a one-month eviction notice. There was no hesitation to comply with the order. They closed their business and stored their entire non-perishable inventory in Jerseyside … on the property of their friend, Raymond Whelan. They had 26 pigs in the swine house and they sold all of them to a butcher in St. John's rather then spend a lot of time trying to sell them one or two at a time. They received a mere 10 cents per pound “on the hoof” for their pigs.

The Mahers had already procured a building lot midway up the north side of Settlement Hill in Freshwater, and construction of their new home and grocery store was in the early stages. They were not able to vacate their home in accordance with the eviction notice because they had nowhere to go. There were no houses anywhere in the Placentia area with wide doorways that could accommodate Michael and his special needs. Kevin informed the Newfoundland and American authorities of his situation and asked that his family be allowed to stay in their home until their new one was inhabitable, which he expected would be in mid-November.

Kevin and Marion Maher did not get a sympathetic ear from Lieutenant Silliman or the American civilian contractors. In spite of the circumstances, the Americans insisted that the Mahers vacate their property within the time stated on their notice, or be forcibly moved. Military authorities visited the Mahers every day, saying that they were “checking on their progress.” As an intimidation tactic, on each visit they reminded the Mahers that they would have to leave or face physical removal.

Since all attempts at finding suitable temporary shelter ended in failure, and the Americans were increasing their pressure tactics, Kevin decided to make use of the legal system. He applied to the Court in Placentia for an injunction against the eviction notice. Their circumstances were deemed to be extenuating and they were granted an injunction against eviction until their new home was at the stage of completion so as to accommodate Michael. The contractors were forced to work around them, and they remained in their home at Marquise until they moved into their new home in Freshwater on Thursday, November 27, 1941.

The decision favoring Kevin Maher was somewhat ironical; Magistrate William Linegar — who, like Father Adrian Dee, was in clear conflict of interest during the expropriation and re-settlement processes — was the one who made it. On one hand, Linegar attended Commission of Government meetings relating to the re-settlement of the Argentia residents, chaired the committee empowered to dictate where new local housing units could be constructed, and was a member of the advisory committee that determined the rates of pay for the Newfoundlanders who worked for the Americans. On the other hand, he was expected to render fair and impartial judgments on cases that might have come before him relating to any aspect of the American takeover of Argentia.

Regardless of Magistrate Linegar's position of conflict, the legal system worked for the Mahers. Their success at obtaining an injunction against eviction until their new house was ready makes one wonder why the community as a whole had not pursued that same route when news of total expropriation first surfaced. Using the legal system may not have prevented the American takeover, but it surely would have changed the way in which the entire process was managed, and how it eventually evolved.

Part VII

The adage “Many hands make light work” was used many, many times in Argentia after the English started governing Newfoundland in 1713. It is not known if the settlers used it during the French era, but it was in existence before that time. How often have you heard or read it and wondered about its origin?

The earliest time that the idea if sharing a workload among “many hands” was around 800 B.C. when the Greek poet Hesiod wrote, “More hands mean more work and more increase.” In Epigrams around the year 90, Martial wrote, “Work divided is in that way shortened.” For a few decades after the mid-1300s, the saying was, “Many hondys [hands]” makyn lyght worke.” In his 1539 Proverbs and Adagies , Richard Taverner wrote, “Many handes make a lyghte burthen.” The modern version — wording and spelling — of the saying arose in 1546 when John Heywood listed it in A Dialogue Conteinyng the Nomber in Effect of All the Proverbes in the English Tongue as “Many Hands Make Light Work.” In 1678, English poet Samuel Butler used Heywood's version in Hudibras . In 1963, Kurt Vonnegut used Heywood's version in Cat's Cradle . Since 1546, many, many tens of thousands of writers and speakers have used it, not to mention the many millions of ordinary people who have used it in every-day conversations.

So, the next time you find yourself using the well-worn saying “Many hands make light work” just take a few seconds and try to imagine the incredible number of fellow humans — and their status in society — who used it before you!

In case you are wondering, the strange looking words were not misspellings or typos; that was the way they were spelled in Olde English.

Part VIII

Margaret Murphy Davis, better known as “Maggie” operated the Davis Hotel in Argentia. For a number of years, she also operated the post office in one end of her hotel. After her hotel, home, and other assets were expropriated to make way for a U.S. military installation of imposing proportions in 1941, Maggie Davis moved to the United States. However, she never forgot her home in Argentia, or other parts of Newfoundland that had meaning for her. She collected information related to her former home, which she found in magazines and newspapers in the United States — as well as newspaper and magazine articles that she received from relatives in Newfoundland — and kept them in scrapbooks with various other kinds of paper and card mementos that she received from close family members. After she died, her daughter, Anne Wakeling, became the caretaker of the scrapbooks that contained mementos of her mother's memories and interests.

When Anne Wakeling died in 2007, her mother's mementos of Newfoundland lay untouched in the attic until the fall of 2009, at which time her niece, Barbara Brennan (Maggie Davis' granddaughter) took possession of them. During the second week of July 2010, Maggie Davis' scrapbooks and photo collection have been added to the Edward Lake Argentia Artifact Collection.

The various items contained in the scrapbooks give glimpses into the life of Maggie Davis and the things that were important to her. As an added touch, she had most of the pages adorned with flowers that she cut out of magazines and some of her obviously favorite photographs were adorned with frames of various designs she had also cut out of magazines.

At various times in the future, we will be presenting some articles that are in Maggie Davis' scrapbooks. We will also publish some photos that will show what Argentia and certain other parts of Newfoundland looked like in the 1920s, or “Roaring 20s,” as those years were better known in some circles. Those photos are interesting for another reason as well … they will show our readers the kinds of dress that were in vogue during that era.