Godwin, Bill, Part 1. Interview with Bill Godwin, Barr'd Islands.

• Main Authors: Pocius, Gerald L., Ferguson, Mark
• Other Authors: Godwin, Bill
• Format: Audio
• Language: English
• Published: 1989
• Subjects: Work; Social beliefs; practices and customs; Cod fishing; Fishers; Commercial fishing; Fishing equipment; Personal experience narratives; Salt-curing; Employment; Families; Bully boats; Cod filleting; Codfish; Fish processing; Fishing premises; Fishing stages; Fishing stores; Flakes; Salt cod; Split cod; Splitting knives; Splitting tables; Stageheads; Godwin; Bill; Barr'd Island (N.L.) > Social life and customs; Fishers > Family relationships > Newfoundland and Labrador; Personal narratives; Youth > Newfoundland and Labrador; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/ich_cn/id/982

Bill Godwin discusses fishing and fish splitting and salting as it was done in the past on Barr'd Islands; discusses working on the flakes, drying and salting fish; the role of women in the work; the need to bring fresh water from Joe Batt's Arm. Includes Godwin's own experience working in the woods, moving to Toronto and later Montreal, where he worked several different jobs; returning to Barr'd Island where he fished for many years. Discusses family and life in the community. 00:00 Stage built in late 1920, by Arthur Godwin -- 00:20 There used to be flakes. a hundred feet long -- 00:55 Wharf put in 12-14 years ago -- 01:20 When you were young, did you make salt fish? -- 01:25 "I remember when I was ten years old." -- 01:40 Bullies (boats) -- 01:55 The big storm -- 02:10 Bill's role in fish cleaning when a child (cut-throat) -- 02:30 Picked up fish that had fallen through the flakes -- 02:45 112 pounds = 1 quintal fish = $1.40 then, $200 now -- 03:05 Transportation of fish -- 03:10 The Liver Man -- 03:35 The women woudl get the liver money -- 03:50 The women were the workers, the men going fishing -- 04:00 200 or 300 quintals of fish, every rock, every flake -- 04:15 Fish guts on gardens -- 04:25 "Worked like dogs! But they didn't mind." -- 04:35 "My mom only had 8 children." -- 04:40 Getting water (had to go to Joe Batt's Arm) -- 05:05 Pump for the bathroom now -- 05:15 Nine or ten buckets for a shower or bath -- 05:30 A lot of deaths, young boys drowning -- 05:45 Hanging around, throwing fish at each other, helping dad -- 06:00 No hang-outs for youngsters -- 06:10 Story about being punished at school, clothes-pin on nose, strap across hand -- 06:50 How he started off, beginning of personal history -- 07:00 $400 for 6 months logging -- 07:10 Born in '37 -- 07:30 Professions of rest of family -- 07:50 Train travel to Toronto -- 08:20 Four years in Toronto, then to Detroit -- 08:40 Willard's Chocolate Factory -- 08:55 Hospital in Montreal -- 09:10 All together, twenty years on Toronto -- 09:25 Came back twenty ...