Roy, Fred, Johnny and Norman

[This is one of a series of articles written by Merrill Weekes for the newspaper Old Autos, starting in April, 2004. The series is written with the collective title of "Model T's to Motor Coaches."]

In this year, 2004, it is difficult to imagine living without television, computers, credit cards, air conditioners, jet aircraft, etc. We could fill this page with a list of medication, appliances, conveniences and assorted gadgetry that have become part of our way of life since the end of the World War Two in 1945. Not only did we not have the above necessities and benefits of modern medicine, we also had no money during the depression years before the war, so could not have afforded them anyway.

How did we survive? For those of us who lived on farms, very well. Each farmer had to be self sufficient, growing enough vegetables and raising enough beef and pork to carry the family through the winter months. Maple syrup in the spring and apples, berries etc. in the fall rounded out the daily menu very nicely.

My Dad had three brothers. They looked very much alike, however, they were quite different in their approach to making a living. My Dad, Roy, was a handyman farmer with an ability to repair machines, including Model T Fords. Fred was a dedicated hard working farmer, Johnny spent most of his time hunting, fishing and guiding tourists in the Rideau Lakes area and Norman was the dreamer and inventor. Although he was a skilled carpenter, he designed and constructed several pieces of machinery that were away ahead of their time, but have since become popular labour saving pieces of equipment. Norman had no money and no financial backing to promote his ideas and it was left to others to become rich and famous producing similar machines. In the early 1930's, he constructed an engine driven saw that cut wood with a chain, an engine driven sled (using the same engine) that traveled over the snow and a self siphoning pump to clear water out of open pit mica mines in Lanark County.

However, the machine that I remember best was a propeller driven sled, powered by a Metz car engine. It roared like an aircraft on take-off and sent a cloud of snow high in the air as it traveled. Because it frightened many horses with its noise and appearance, a police officer ordered Norman to remove the propeller. He dismantled the machine, and the engine finished its days powering an ice cutting saw.

Merrill S. Weekes, June 2004