Friday, 19 October 2018

Hallowe'en in Freetown


Freetown

This is a story taken from the 1985 book “Freetown Past and Present”, written by the Freetown Historical Society (1985).

On one Hallowe’en in the 1960s, a group of energetic Freetown pranksters managed to push a hay loader from behind Hubert MacNeill’s barn (code 38). They pushed it up the Mill Valley Road to the Presbyterian church then eastward to the residence of Charlie Murl. They placed it against Mr. Murl’s door, making it very difficult for him to get out of his house. Mr. Murl placed a notice in the Journal Pioneer advising the owner to come and remove the hay loader before he sold it. Mr. MacNeill did not claim his hay loader but Mr. Murl was unsuccessful in his efforts to sell it.”

There are several incidents of outhouses (privies), bales of hay or stray, and piles of used tires and rubbish being burnt. Quite frequently, these burnings occurred on a road and caused great inconvenience to motorists and the local constabulary, Lloyd Murl. There was also the traditional soaping of windows and throwing eggs and tomatoes. Most of these pranks were intended for fun but occasionally ended up as arson or vandalism for the RCMP.

One year the pranksters were just about out of steam trick wise. One bright young lad suggested that a trick had to be played on Sterling Burns, a resident of the Village who was nicknamed “Gump”. Sterling kept a cow and she was in the stable on the night in question. There was a pretty stairway up to the loft and someone suggested the cow be put up in the loft and hidden. Up she went with about ten fellows almost carrying her.

Next morning, Mr. Burns got up and went to milk the cow. She wasn’t to be found. So down to the village store he goes and spread the news that his cow had disappeared. It created quite a sensation and laugh but Mr. Burns got very serious and threatened to call the police. He went back home and out to the barn presumably talking quite loud. What do you think happened? The cow bawled quite loud and Sterling finally discovered she was up in the loft. It was never discovered how he got her down to ground level again. (Freetown Historical Society, 1985, pg. 173). 

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