Document text
FOR!: A
Vermont
Yrs. Rebecca M. Halley
Vest 71eWbury
Folklore, Cepteh
rov. 10, 1938
1. re7t. 1$ and Oct. 28, 1938.
2. t tTle Oliver home.
3, The Oliver farm site at the fork of the Tucker Pountain
Road ane Woodchuck 11111 road in a little valley by itself.
There are no other farms in sight. Through a fold in the
hills to the south there is a glimpse of the edge of Corinth
village. Ili& hill meadows rise to the west and Tucker 1,!ountain
stands between this small valley and the Connecticut River.
The house is grey and weathered. The road wanders un-
decidedly down the. mountain over a series of water -bars, and
lands in the door yard us though it had intentions of ending
there. Then with a wide twist It wearily owings away from the
shelter of barn an piazza and toils up the other hill. The
piazza Is in summer a greenhouse, lined with potted plants in
tin cans. The family lives an that piazza during most of the
warm weather. Inside the houses partitions have been removed
to make one long roam. It is rather difficult to imagine a
family of eight living in the confines of this not too large
house. The kitchen serves as both work room and dining room,
with large stove and table and small sink. It is crowded.
1.
2*
The living room shows evidences of Wiwi been several rooms.
the farther end is an old.fashioned square piano. There are
several roomy chairs which have been used and show it.
FORM B
Vermont
nre. Rebecca N. Halley
West Newbury
Folklore, Scotch
Nov. 19, 1938
1. -rs. robert Oliver. Scotdh.
2. Bowden, Rotburyshire, Scotland, Nov. 15, 1877.
3. Uusband„ Robert Oliver, and six children, two boys., four
"mls".
4. Cure to U. S. in 1910. Lived in Battlecreek, rich. 1910-12.
In 1912 moved to the back farm in Newbury near the fork of V:ood.
chuck 7111 and Tucker rt. roads,
5. Attended the "Common Schools" of Scotland. (Graded),
6. Jonscvzite and mother.
9. !rs, Oliver is a little taller than the average. Her hair
is white. :or eyes are blue and still sparkle and snap as she
talks in her broad scotch dialect. :er laugh cores easy and
full and her knotted workworn hands constantly accompany it in
wide 7estures. She is peppery and excitable an! has enjoyed
"Gilin -Jon bosom a tellint off." She is a born actress and
runs the gamut of the emotions in relating her experiences,
FORM C
Vermont
nrs. Rebecca M. Halley
West Newbury
Folklore, Scotch
Nov, 10, 1938
Aye, I've thf twa boys any four gels. Odh. The times
we've bed. I come awe, tf this country twentpilight years past.
We turret wint to Michigan where Rabert had some of his family
tt come too. I dinnd like it there. It vaginal like home tf
me. It wasnaf up to tho T -Y. iris there aboot twa years.
I mind well hoo I made thf haggises fur the Caledonia Club
there fur the Haggis Nicht, that's RObble Burnsesf nicht, the
twenty-feeth 0 January. Aye, they all said there'd been no
seeh Hagises there before. I'd no mind havinf a wee bit piece
richt noo, me -self
hoc) df ye mak it? Ye talc thf plunk- aye, that's thf
liver an' lights an' lungs, ant ye cook it, bile it gude wif
thf thrupplo hanging oot tho kettle to drain tho poison oot
of thf lungs. Then whin its been yell cooked ye' mince it up
wif anions an' tho fine Scotch oatmeal, ye' dinna want to use
tilt stuff they gif ye here fur oatmeal, ant ye moisten it just
aboot so, wit some of thf smther thf lights vie cooked in. 4x1d
aboot a tablespun of fat ant some salt. Then ye poot it in a
cloth ant bile an' bile it fur hoops. In thf Old Counthry we
wad cook it inside of thy sheep's athomadh. Clean it °Oki ye
underethand, anf mak, a bag oot of it. I could do elf some
7aggis noo.
2,
'mg then therts potted meat. Dt ye mind hoo tt makt potted
meat? Aye, yer Jim's Mither could mak! It fine. Mt bairns are
no wantint them things. Tht or no good enout for them. They're
all for thy things they have in this counthry tht noo. Here
they throw oot the best ot tht creeter. They rare exthravagant.
They coundna do on what wetuns had tt get alang wit when I wis
smat. There's hog's head Cheeses, an if ye add tht four trotters
it maks tht potted head Jen fine. mind when wetd mak, potted
head. !la mither would get a beef or a pigs heed awat been tht
bomber ant then I wad do tht scrubbint of it. Afther,it weld
be clean weld soak oot the blood in cold wather. Drain it oot
ot that an poot it in another. If it should be sheep's head,
good loch, ttwas wan day's wark tt clean it oop. Tht wool was
to be scrapt awe, ant all them fine creases cleaned oot. Aye,
ftwas worth it, for we always had a fight aver tht sheep's
bruins. ".,:a rather was fair oot ot her jacket for she no could
tell which wan hod tcn tht time before. She wad say, I mind
,er noo sayint it, "I'll tell ytre tither if ye Jinna stop it.
.c was mortal feartd 0 father and we wad say, "7:011 no detet
again If yetll no tell father." Then she wouldnn tell. She
did poet it on tht line ant then another time there wis no argy-
merit,
Dt ye ken hoc tt wash blankets? Ye do it like Ism tellint
ye ant they'll be aye clean when they're oot. I always wash ma
blankets wit ma feet. ;:ye„ tht big bed quilts ant. al. First I
get oot na tabs, twa ot them. Poet in till vather ant tht soap.
Then tht blankets. Then off wit yter shoes antsthockings, draw
3.
up tht skirts between tht knees ant pin it behind. Then ye step
into tht tub ant walk over tht quilts ant blankets, oop ant doon„
oop ant dom. If ever ye get a sweat ye get it then. Ye must
have a body there tt turn them over ter ye, ant then ye can go to
it until they come clean. Takt them into tht other tub an do it
ower tt rinse. Valk thy rinse tht same as tht wash. Arther tht
rinse we hang them an tht hedge. It's aye bether then a line.
Oeho they'', re hang ant flap an bunch osier tht hedge. Whin ye
poet them oop ye walk tht way ot tht wind wit a body at the
other end ant git them a throw right owter tht hedge.,
Oliver gave me recipes for Seoteh Broth, Potted Meat,
Haggis, 7,coteh Oatcakes, Current Loaf, Scones, Shortbread wialdh
are all available for you if you want them.