Billy Wilkinson

Contributors
Interviewer: Thompson, Reg "Dutch"
Interviewee: Wilkinson, Billy
Researcher: MacKay, Paul
Audio engineer: MacKay, Paul
Date Recorded
1993-04-09
Date Digitized
2010-06-28
Abstract
This is an interview with Billy Wilkinson of Pictou County, Nova Scotia. In this interview Billy talks about the sugar woods, bears, bootlegging and moonshine, local businesses, cars and tractors, horses, school, tobacco, the railway, his family, the Halifax Explosion, and how maple syrup is made.
Genre
Interview
Subject (Geographic)
Pictou County, NS
Subject (Temporal)
1917
1954
1910
Rights
All content on this site is made available for personal research and private study only. Any other reuse, reproduction, or re-purposing may require the permission of the rightsholder(s); please contact the UPEI Library for more information on permissions/clearances.
Physical Location
Held by Reg "Dutch" Thompson
Duration
01:03:54
Member of
Dutch Thompson Audio Collection
Model
1 1 Item in Collection
Transcript
***Disclaimer - This interview contains language and subject matter some may find inappropriate.
SIDE A 00:00:09 -- 00:06:00
Discussion about his sugar bush while walking through the woods with Dutch; sugar bush, sap, sugar woods, maple syrup, maple woods, squirrels.

SIDE A 00:06:00 -- 00:10:36
Discussion about bears; bears.

SIDE A 00:10:36 -- 00:12:20
Discussion about how he started working in the sugar woods while they walk through the woods; sugar bush, sugar woods, maple woods.

SIDE A 00:12:20 -- 00:17:11
Discussion about how to make syrup from the sap; sap, maple syrup, maple woods, sugar woods, sugar bush.

SIDE A 00:17:11 -- 00:18:31
Discussion about people from Pushie's Mountain; Fraser Willis, John Willis, Pushie's Mountain.

SIDE A 00:18:31 -- 00:24:57
Discussion about Tiny Mason, rum running, Little Ralph MacDonald, bootlegging, and moonshine; Tiny Mason, hidden rum, rum running, Little Ralph MacDonald, rum, bootlegging, moonshine, chewing tobacco, Hughie MacLeod, Mac Ross, moonshine stills.

SIDE A 00:24:57 -- 00:27:30
Discussion about squirrels, coyotes, and bears; squirrels, coyotes, bears.

SIDE A 00:27:30 -- 00:31:54
Discussion about boiling the sap and more about how it works, with a description of the sugar woods by Dutch; sap, maple syrup, maple woods, sugar woods.


SIDE A ends at 00:31:54.
SIDE B 00:32:03 -- 00:35:00
Discussion about local businesses, his first car, and Billy Stewart's mill; McIvor, Charlie Robinson, Alex MacDonald, cars, Jack MacDonald, Billy Stewart, mill.

SIDE B 00:35:00 -- 00:38:23
Discussion about using horses in the woods; horses, horse prices.

SIDE B 00:38:23 -- 00:44:20
Discussion about his family home, his wife, and life growing up; 1910, deer, salmon, wheat, butchering, meat, potted meat, Dunkie MacDonald.

SIDE B 00:44:20 -- 00:45:40
Discussion about school; school, Katie Mason, teachers.

SIDE B 00:45:50 -- 00:48:25
Discussion about the railway, how life has changed, and chewing tobacco; railway, railway ties, Mirigomish, Avondale, twist, chewing tobacco, tobacco prices, plug tobacco.

SIDE B 00:48:25 -- 00:50:07
Discussion about his first car and first tractor; tractors, cars, gas, gas prices, Massey-Harris, 1954.

SIDE B 00:50:07 -- 00:50:52
Discussion about custom thrashing; custom thrashing.

SIDE B 00:50:52 -- 00:52:18
A story about the Halifax Explosion; Halifax Explosion, 1917.

SIDE B 00:52:18 -- 01:03:54
Discussion about making maple syrup while they boil and pour it; sap, maple syrup, maple woods, sugar woods.

Tape ends at 01:03:54.