Fathering in the Bygone Days of P.E.I.

Reginald (Dutch) Thompson's column The Bygone Days brings you the voices of Island seniors, many of whom are now long-departed. These tales of the way things used to be offer a fascinating glimpse into the past.

Next Sunday is Father's Day, so to celebrate we have stories about fathers from two Islanders who loved their fathers in P.E.I.'s Bygone Days.

Two things connect these two men: trout fishing and fast cars.

Frank Woodside was born in Summerside in 1910. His father Albert was a blacksmith on the Queen's Wharf.

In his late 80s, Frank would still skate every day in winter at Cahill Stadium in Summerside. He had started early on skates his father made for him.

"I got the bob skates, there were two runners in front and two in the back," he said. He skated on the ice in Summerside Harbour.

Albert Woodside was an incredible blacksmith: he could shoe a horse in under 15 minutes — four shoes for $1 — and Frank said he enjoyed helping out when he was a "young gaffer."

However, Albert wanted more for his son, and told Frank "if I ever catch you at this trade I'll break your back!"

'You'd think it was an airplane cut loose'

But when the first cars arrived on the Island after the turn of the last century, Albert bought one. And he liked to go fast! Car races were held at the Summerside horse-racing track in the early days of the automobile on P.E.I.: novelty races between the horse races.

One sunny holiday afternoon in 1917, Albert and Frank took the family's car, a Chevrolet with a big powerful engine, to the races.

"Somebody engineered this here car race. There was three cars in the race: the 490 Chev, a McLaughlin Four, and a Chalmers Six Roadster," Frank said. The Chalmers had a larger, six-cylinder engine, so the other two cars including Albert's were given a head start.

"They had to go the 10 rounds for the five miles, you see. He overlapped the McLaughlin Four once in the 10 rounds and he beat the Chalmers Six by about 25 yards. He was gaining all the time cause he was a heavier car, see, and could go faster. But I tell you that thing with the muffler off and her just a-roaring! ... you'd think it was an airplane cut loose!"

And Albert had a secret weapon: something called "speed pills."

"You put speed pills in the gas tank. I can see them yet, little purple pills, gave them a little bit of extra power," Frank said, noting the pills likely contained ether. His father took home the prize that day, to the chagrin of Mrs. Woodside, who had instructed her husband not to enter the race.

Frank caught his father's love of cars, and became a mechanic. Not only was he able to repair any car or truck on the road, he also did a little blacksmithing on the side. And, he loved to fish. His father showed him all the good trout fishing spots in Prince County.

'Barely had time to turn around'

Edith Pryce was born and raised in Charlottetown, the daughter of Edgar Whitlock. Some people might still remember him — an easygoing businessman who ran Whitlock's Tire Service.

Edith's mother Leona died when she was a little girl, so Edith and her father became very close. She went to business college to learn bookkeeping and stenography to help out around the shop.

Edgar specialized in tire repair: vulcanizing was the big thing back then.

"Oh my he was a busy man. He hardly had time to turn around. He was reputed to be the best vulcanizer this side of Montreal," Pryce said.

Vulcanizing was a method of patching a tire using a rubber patch and a special glue hooked up to an electric current. Nowadays of course people would usually just throw away the tires. He even vulcanized rubber boots! That was in the 1930s when Edgar charged from 85 cents to $1 to fix a flat tire.

"He became well known, and he did excellent work. And then he got into selling tires," Edith said.

Edgar's shop was sandwiched between car dealer A. Horne & Co., and a tinsmith shop run by a man named King.

"And he and dad were friends, but Mr. King, he had a brother, and the brother — dad used to call him Joe Snake, and they were very good friends, the best of friends, and they would go fishing. My dad was a great fisherman, loved fishing," Pryce recalled.

"Any time of the day or evening, or Sundays, it didn't make any difference. That reminds me, going back, my dad told me when he and my mother got married — I think they got married at a hotel on Kent Street — and they decided they'd go fishing. She was a Dingwell from Fortune area and her uncle owned a fishing pond. So they decided on their wedding day to go fishing. They drove out to the uncle's pond and he wouldn't let them fish.... Oh boy, was he upset!"

Interestingly, Edgar Whitlock's first job was in the old Johnston & Johnston Drugstore, also on Kent Street. He developed and printed photographs in the back of the store.

Like Albert Woodside, Edgar was car crazy. Edith mentioned her dad owning seven cars at one time. Edgar always drove a Pontiac, which after almost 100 years of popularity have now been discontinued.

Edgar loved to take Edith for long drives in the country — they picnicked all over Queens County.

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