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Living Lore
Old Town 1
FERslIAL =STORY 3r V. WILEVD OTTELLETTE, 'RENCK CANADIAN
Father Ouellette is nearly aim feet tall, daft, and very
agreeable. BA wears eye glasses and has dark wavy hair. Is
about 45 year, old perhaps. His face was perfectly expression.
less at finite but as be talked about the French his face ligbted
up with interest and enthusiasm. I certainly enjoyed the inter-
TiAPW shish furnished a decided contrast to others because of the
aants poise, precise speech, and side knowledge.
As I was leaving I had to call
muall Interested in a sec) door.
Father Ouellette laughed. 'My boy,' he said, 'I hope you
aren't considering a career in eafe-breakingoie
The priest allowed we to take several newspapers, a hand
illustrated bock of French and Canadian folk songs, and a bock
of biographies of outstanding Frond' Canadian persons in New
England. These are all printed in French.
He is a very hi st minded man and a very interesting talker.
4 year old boy 'Oho was
Wu*
Living Lore
ltd Toni I
TER LIFE OP REV* WILFRED OLtTZWE COADIAN
(AS told by himself to Robert F.- Grady)
Ft* Ouegattes 'I'm afraid I can't tell you rho the first
pastor was here* Our records go beak some distant*, but they
don't go beak that far* Sometimes people who wish to apply for
pensions come here to get their birth records an they can't
procure them at the city bal. Most, for whom the JOhn Repot
school in ftwear was named, was one of the early priests here*
Perhaps some of the elder residents could recall the name of
the first pastor* I Wink be was Irish*
lbw of the Frendh Canadians who same to Maine sixty or
seventy years ago were unable to /peek English, but they could
read and write French. If any were unedueated it was not the
fault of the schools they yore very good.... Sometimes, however
villages or farms wore so isolated that it was difficult for
children to reach the schools and that fact accounted for some
illiteracy*
orbs farms in Maine usually run parallel to the road, but
in Canada they lore laid out like
°They arranged their farms that way so that their settlement
would be more compact* They would be neer each other and able to
help one mother more readily* The houses were near the road,
vegetables and grain for home use were planted here (between the
house and the mood), and out in the beck was the woods mimes they
obtained their firewood. That arrangement of farms nay have been
influenced by the dangers of attack from hostile Indians or wild
#*141,0014, but chiefly, I Wilke it was prompted by a desire for
empanionship**
Maine
LivinG Lore
Old Tom 2
"There is anch in this outline that you will find fully
treated in this book by Bram'. You do not speak or understand
Prendh? Ahl, that is too bad. Brae' lived among the people* he
spoke their language, And he knew their customs. He loved then*
Only in that way can one vrite undoerstandingly of then* The
French her* are unfortunately losing many of their racial ober-.
acteristioa* We teach French over here (St* Joseph's Parochial
School) and nearly all of then can *peek the language, but muny
of thee, especially those vho attend the public schools, can't
read or write it. America is the great melting pot* All races
are poured into it to emerge as
R*0. *Some writer* elate that the French resist that molt..
in process more than those of other nationalities* Do you think
that is truer
Pr* Ouellet 'Mop but I wish it mem* We ars loyal to
the country in which we slain eitisenabipo but we are also loyal
to ourselves and our traditions* Consider the queetion from
another point of view* Suppoiling that you were a member of a
small group of Americans who emigrated to a foreign land and set-
tled on foreign soil. You would see yourselves threatened with
extinetion so far as your racial identity vas concerned* Tour
little group would represent a all island that was in danger of
being engulfed in the sea of a different racial culture* Would
you not make an effort to preserve your metal traits? I think
you would.
WM*
Living UM
Old Toon 3
°Quebec is predominantly Frew& almost as undh so as
Frame itself but we feel that at vas the old province
of Acadia is almost a load apart. You have reed the pone
EVaogolinef The incidents related in that poem are in the
main true. Acadia cisme under the domination of the English
at that tins and ever sines, that part of Canada has remained,
in contrast to the province of Quebeo„ the home of mixed racial
groups*
The Fronch newspapers published in Milne more never large
in else. Boos had only four pages and some had eight or ten.
These publisihing companies ~snot regarded as money *eking
ooneerns. The people eho started then Ian, t,hat thorivould,100e
!gm, They were people who obtained an ineome from some other
sourest: they were lawyers, doctor*, businesa men. They did it
only because of their patriotism and their love for things French.
They wished to help perpetuate the language and customs of the
race Sere is the Bangor Bows. It's editors have their ideals,
of course, but it is strictly a camerae? propositim. It can
be bought and sold. These Pram& newspapers were not regarded
in that light. They were nearer to the hearts of their °loners
than to their pocketbooks. Welt, I 'ill get one for you."
(Fr. Ouellette jumped up her* and ran up a stairway in the
ball and returned shortly with two papers.)
Maine
Living Lars
Old Tam 4
"Ala% here is one pub1tat inMontreal* Le Devoir* Do
you know ghat that means/ °The Duty': This contains, as you
see, ten pagee and it is equal in else to the ordinary paper.
It derives its income froa advertisements and froa subscription**
This one is Le Neginder and it is representative of the Fronds
papers published in Maine. On the first page is an acoount of
the President's aessege to Congress, an account of the opening
session of the Maine Legislature, some ear news from China, a
dispatch from Berlins and some general news items. On the beak
pages there is neus of a local and personal nature. Mare are
some advertisements, and in general there are features that night
be found in any Amertow paper* Ebro is the installment of a serial
atom, sedum*. of this page is devoted to editorials. Ab4 those
editorials& Bsr o are many advertisements of loeal (Lewiston and
Auburts) concerns, and this is the spurt page* These papers are
printed entirely in French*
"Trod* relations between Mains and Canada that is out of
scr sphere. Literature, Art, the Theater* We are interested in
all of these things, but I do not think you gill find many ?tomb
persons eh* cocupy outstanding positions in those professions in
Maine. lust
get for you."
(Again Fa. Ouellette ran upstairs this time to return pith
a book printed in French.)
This book contains brief biographies of prominent Prensh
people, not only of Msix, but of lee Mngland as well.
minute have a book of biographies that I gill
Maine
Living Lice
Old Team 5
"Musts. Yes the French are distinctly musical* They have
their old folk song's, too* I hive is book the first of a series
that will be published that contains many of the old folk songs
of Canada. I will get it for you. (This time the priest vent out
to a music roam on the same floor and returned with the book men
timed.)
"This hookas. sent to me by the author 'hose name and picture
appears on this page. The title is chali4OSIAllomne Chonsano hg
Peuille imolos the maple leaf is the emblem of Canada*
Evangsliot, Les Cloebee du Memeon that is very pretty. Hers is
a picture of the bridge at Web*** rolt $0414 aux Pots. Of course
you know the meaning of that. It means pea soup* That was almost
a national dish* Many of three songs are Canadian, but some are
of Prance. Pot Pourrit that means a little of evarything.
Liss gre1100. Ah„ you can tell vhat that mane by the picture*
Paneakes* That diab4 too, is very well liked* You moat remember
to write something about maple sugar. The asking of that is am
important industry in Canada* You may take both of these books
if you wish. and the newspapers* I won't need them for a time.
You may keep than as long as you require them*
*Cuisine. Yes that should be taken up* Cooking is an art
in France and the Pronell Canadians originally same from that mum.
try* Many of the French in Canada were, of course, vary poor and
oouldn't afford choice dishes* They ate plain food, well cooked.
I can't tKirik of any MAI that became so identified with the ',tenth
people in Canada as pea soup* They liked meat pies*
Maine
Living Lore
Old Toss 0
qtellamm, Divorce. Divorce IMA unknown to these people.
The people were urged to remain true to one mate. ::o4etimes
there was a separation, but no divorce* Holiday celebrations.
Christmas and New Years were their main 11315.41a7s• llpihany„
which is tomorrow (January 6), was also observed* WiCh 0: this
you will find treated in Bracqta book.
"Superstition. Now there is somethirig that will have to
'y\,0
be handled very carefully. The Frendh are sensitive and they
would resent anything that would seem to ridicule their beliefs*
Yes, it is noceasary to be eareful there. They bad their stories
and tales of ghosts and witches, but they were told with the tongue
in the cheek. Some one miLtt take a pack of cards and tell for-
tunes with them, bat it was only for mmusament. We had a fortune
teller's booth at one of our entertainments a few years ago. She
told fortunes with the cards, but nobody took it seriously.
"The evil eye I don't know what that mmens."
(It was necessary to brine the interview to a close soon
after this because the duties of the priest required that be
should be in the c)zmrob at 6050 and it was nearly that when I
left.)