[copyright 2017: Dennis M. Doiron]
September 12. The weather is clear and cold.
We prepared to go
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to go to Saint-Camille. I settled my account with Joseph Bourassa. At nine o’clock in the morning, I left with George Bourassa, and Hélène had to go with Donat Girard. At one o’clock in the afternoon, we were in Ham-Sud. Donat and Hélène had not yet met up with us. We went four miles at a walk, but still no one came. We had our suitcase. The roads were very dry, the dust combined with the smoke to blind us, and it was very hot.
Hermenegilde Lamontagne, son of Janvier and Marguerite, and Donat Girard, son of Narcisse and Julie. Circa 1905-1910.
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At three o’clock in the afternoon, we arrived at Napoleon Dubois’ home. They are very well. The fire surrounds them, and there is smoke everywhere in the parish. Since Monday, all the men have been occupied with the fire. Yesterday, here, they feared very much for their buildings, but today they are no longer in danger. At five-fifteen, Donat arrived with Hélène. They had gone by the village, which was fully threatened by the fire. Twenty or so men had been busy with the fire which was close to blocking the road.
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In the evening, we played cards until eleven o’clock. The card party was very nice.
September 13. Sunny and hot with no dew.
At eight-thirty, we left with Napoleon to go to mass. We went to Gédéon Girard’s home. He left with a team of men to guard against the fire near a logging camp. They were hoping to save it. Everyone was talking about the fire. The elderly Dubois’ are still alert for their age. They are very well. At two-twenty, we returned from mass. It was very hot, and on the way back we sat in the shade to eat some apples. The trees are full of apples. We saw fire everywhere. At three o’clock in the afternoon, the fire passed from tree root to tree root, and it went close to the buildings owned by Louis Aubin. Napoleon and I went to the sites where several men are protecting the buildings. At eight o’clock in the evening, there were winds which relighted the fire once more.
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We saw large fires near here. In the evening, we played cards until ten o’clock. Then came the family prayer, and we went to bed.
September 14. Sunny and a lot of smoke. It is cold.
At nine o’clock in the morning, the fires flared up. You could see big fires in several places. At four o’clock In the afternoon, George Bourassa left to return to his home. His wagon was being pulled by a young mare of four years that had been left untied at the door. The mare bolted. The wagon was then tied to a tree, and the mare freed herself from her harness. Fortunately, the wagon was not damaged. George repaired the harness and left. The weather was clear and cold. Napoleon threshed beans by hand. All his harvest is threshed. The harvests are all finished, and a portion is threshed throughout the parish. There were strong winds and a lot of fires from the other end of the fields. Donat Girard and Aurore Dubois arrived for supper with us and passed the evening. Gedeon Girard and his
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wife arrived at eight o’clock. The weather remains clear and cold. The fires are quiet. We played cards until ten-thirty, then we prayed at eleven o’clock and went to bed.
September 15. Nice, clear weather and rather hot.
In the morning we visited Napoleon’s property. He has beautiful land and a beautiful small sucrerie. Here the fire has not caused much damage, only the fences are burned, but the neighbors on both sides have suffered a lot of fire damage. At two o’clock in the afternoon, I went to the village with Napoleon. I received a letter from Sanford. Several wagons were busy with transporting lumber near the mill to a field far from the fire. At six o’clock, we were ready to return. After supper we went to play cards at Monsieur Bergeron’s, a neighbor. We stayed until ten o’clock.
September 16. Nice weather and cold, with a lot of smoke.
At nine o’clock, we picked
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potatoes, and at noon we stored them in the cellar. After that we were served a first rate lunch - pea soup, buckwheat cake, boiled corn, and unpeeled, cooked potatoes. After lunch, we worked in the potato field until three o’clock, then we took a break. I was tired. Paul went to the village to grind some new buckwheat; tomorrow we are going to have some new buckwheat cake. The fire is still in the forest and many men are fighting it. We spent the evening at Madame Laroche’s home and played cards until ten ten o’clock.
September 17. It is still sunny and hot. There is a lot of smoke. At ten o’clock in the morning, we see almost ten arpents ahead of us.
We left to go to Lime Ridge to visit the kiln. On arriving at Dudswell, we saw several beautiful orchards that are completely destroyed by the frost. All the trees are dried out.
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It is a lively little place. We had lunch at the hotel. I met Monsieur Pierre Laitres and A. Camire, formerly of Sanford. At four o’clock we returned. It was very hot. After supper, the women left to go to Monsieur Adelard Raiche’s home to see their baby who died this morning. I kept to the house with Napoleon. We played cards until nine o’clock. The women returned. We prayed, and at ten o’clock went to bed.
September 18. Nice and cold, the smoke is so thick that we can hardly see our neighbors. At seven o’clock in the morning, we see the sun.
Paul left to go bring milk to the fromagerie. At nine o’clock he returned, and at ten o’clock we left to go to Gedeon Girard’s home with Napoleon. The elder Dubois’ are very well. After lunch we played cards. At four o’clock, thunder rumbled, but there was no rain. At six o’clock
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a small storm arrived, which very much encouraged the people fighting the fires. Gédéon arrived. He spent the day fighting the fire. After the storm, Paul’s family returned home, and we stayed at Gédéon's house. We played the card game “Ambition” until eleven-forty-five, then we said prayers together.
September 19. No dew, nice weather, clear and cold.
At nine o’clock in the morning, Gédéon took me on a visit to the village, and we went to the first land that he owned in Saint-Camille. It is beautiful land. At three o’clock in the afternoon, Gédéon came to drive us to Paul’s house. He was busy picking potatoes. We saw a large forest fire which appeared to be at Weedon, and everywhere we saw fires in the forest. The weather continued cold. We spent the evening at Monsieur Léon Raiche’s home. His wife has been bedridden for twenty years, but she is a very lively woman and seems courageous. They seem to live well and raised a family
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and have money in the bank. We had a large card party and played until eleven o’clock.
September 20. Sunny. The smoke bothers our eyes. There is a white frost.
At eight-thirty in the morning, we left to go to mass. Everyone was speaking about the fires. After mass, two auctions were announced for this weekend for people who are leaving for the United States. The times are rather hard here. At two o’clock in the afternoon, the fire was running through the meadow and was moving quickly. The fire raged. Monsieur Joseph Beaubien and his wife came to spend the afternoon. These are fun people. In the evening, we had a good group to play cards with. We had a large card party and played until eleven o’clock.
September 21. NIce, clear weather, but rain threatens.
Before noon, Paul stored his last potatoes. The harvest isn’t great, twenty minots is all of the gain. At one o’clock in the afternoon, we went to an auction in the village at the back
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of the store - furnishings, farming equipment. The cows were sold for sixteen to twenty piastres, a horse for thirty piastres and fifty cents. The weather is hot. After supper, we played cards.
September 22. The weather is foggy, a light dew this morning, and we can hardly see one hundred feet before us.
At eight o’clock we saw a very red sun through the smoke. Paul was busy getting ready for the exposition that is taking place tomorrow. He killed chickens for lunch. All day we saw fires everywhere. The day was very hot. At six o’clock, we left to bring a load of agricultural goods to the exposition. We returned at nine o’clock, and at ten o’clock we said the prayer. After that, everyone went to bed.
September 23. Clear and hot.
At eight o’clock, we left for the exposition. Paul brought a milk cow, a two year old bull, and
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a mare of three years. He won six piastres in prizes, and Gédéon Girard won eleven. For a small country exposition, we saw good animals. A stallion of two thousand pounds was exhibited today, and in the ladies’ section we saw pretty handmade items. The day’s events went in perfect order. The representatives of the county, as well as Monsieur Champoux, gave us the honor of their presence. Madame Champoux made a gift of twelve piastres to the ladies’ section for special prizes. After awarding the prizes, representatives Monsieur Tobin and Monsieur Tanguay, as well as Monsieur Champoux, spoke publicly to congratulate them on the care that they gave to the exposition and the good order that they observed during the day. We had lunch and supper at Gédéon Girard’s. The day was very hot. At five o’clock, a small storm arrived only to beat down the dust. At six o’clock,
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we returned to Paul’s. At eight o’clock, Hélène was sleeping in her chair, so
we said our prayers and went to bed.
September 24. Overcast weather and rather hot, a bit of dew this morning. At eleven o’clock, a small rain shower falls.
At three o’clock, we left for the village. We went to Gédéon Girard’s to find out the results of the exposition. We returned at six o’clock. After supper, we went to visit Madame Laroche. Madame Edmond Bourque and her daughter are visiting. The grandmother has returned from a trip. She still appears alert despite her ninety years. They appeared to live well. We had a large card party until ten o’clock. At our return at ten-thirty, the weather was nice. We said the prayer, and we all went to bed.
September 25. It is foggy with a heavy dew.
At eight-forty-five, we left for Saint-George[-de-Windsor]. We saw
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large burnt areas in the old logging sites. We saw men busy cleaning up the damaged areas. The fields are all ready to be planted. The fire stopped near the buildings. At eleven-thirty, we arrived in Saint-George at the home of [the former parish priest at Saint-Fortunat], Father [Émile O.] Plante, who showed us much friendship. When he speaks of Saint-Fortunat, he has, as always, a migraine. He has a beautiful church as well as a beautiful house. We have lunch with him.
After that, we went for a visit at the exposition hall. At three o’clock in the afternoon, we left for Saint-Camille. We passed by Wotton and saw a beautiful church. They also have a pretty village. We saw a good number of farmers, but we saw forest fires everywhere, even near the village. At six-thirty, we were back at the house. There is a large fire near here. Gédéon Girard and his wife came for the evening. We played cards until ten-thirty,
After that, we went for a visit at the exposition hall. At three o’clock in the afternoon, we left for Saint-Camille. We passed by Wotton and saw a beautiful church. They also have a pretty village. We saw a good number of farmers, but we saw forest fires everywhere, even near the village. At six-thirty, we were back at the house. There is a large fire near here. Gédéon Girard and his wife came for the evening. We played cards until ten-thirty,
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then the prayers. The day has been very hot.
September 26. Nice weather with a red sun.
At eight-thirty, we left for Lime Ridge. We arrived at the station at ten-twenty in the morning, and we saw fire everywhere along the way and severe damage caused by the fire. At twelve-ten, we left Lime Ridge to go to Sherbrooke. We arrived at two o’clock in the afternoon and went to Ferdinand Lamontagne’s home. They are cousins whom we have never met, but we quickly got to know each other. After supper, we went for a walk in the city, which I find very much changed. Ferdinand has a pretty little house. He works for a company and earns a piastre and twenty-five centins each day. He has a good family. There are three sons who are plumbers and two who make dies. The day
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has been very hot. At ten o’clock, we said the prayers.
September 27. Very sunny and hot.
We went to the eight-thirty mass in the morning. After leaving the church, we went to visit the soldiers’ barracks. It is a very beautiful brick building. We also saw many brick factories. Joseph Garneau came to show us his two houses. After lunch, we went for a tour of the city, a pretty and very tidy, little city. We visited the cathedral and the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste. We also saw the courthouse and the post office. We had supper at Joseph Garneau’s home. At nine o’clock, we returned to sleep at Ferdinand Lamontagne’s.
September 28. Foggy, the sun is very red.
At six-thirty in the morning, I left to go see my uncle Remi Legendre [a brother of Marie Legendre Lamontagne, Henriette Lamontange Demers' mother]. The first man that I meet in the Québec Railroad yard, Peters Persçon [sic] [perhaps Pearson], came to drive me
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to Monsieur Couture’s home. At nine o’clock in the morning, I visited my uncle with my wife. My uncle is ninety-five years old. He is still very lively but a little deaf. Monsieur Couture is in charge of the Q.R.R. trains in the yard. I also saw Madame Côté, a cousin, who is ninety-two years old. She is somewhat fragile, but she still possesses all her mental faculties like a young person.
At five o’clock in the afternoon, we returned to Ferdinand Lamontagne’s home. At nine o’clock in the evening, their daughter Madame Royer arrived with her children from Sawyerville. She was escaping from the fire. There were also several families from Megantic who arrived here because they fear the fire.
At five o’clock in the afternoon, we returned to Ferdinand Lamontagne’s home. At nine o’clock in the evening, their daughter Madame Royer arrived with her children from Sawyerville. She was escaping from the fire. There were also several families from Megantic who arrived here because they fear the fire.
September 29. Cold and overcast.
We had a big storm during the night that did a lot of good. A small incident occurred at breakfast. Madame Lamontagne was uncorking a bottle of white vinegar when three-quarters of the bottle burst to the ceiling and stained the entire floor.
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At eleven-thirty in the morning, we left the Sherbrooke train station to go to Berlin Falls [now, Berlin, New Hampshire]. It was cold. I supplied myself with four superb bottles of brandy to bring to the United States. I didn’t have trouble crossing the border. At three o’clock in the afternoon, we arrived in Berlin Falls and went to the home of [the husband of Delienne Aubin], Joseph Lambert [a son of François Xavier and Julie Lamontagne Lambert, Henriette’s sister]. We found them all well and in good spirits. At four-forty, I went for a walk to relax a bit. I stopped on the bridge to write these notes.
Berlin, N.H., circa 1905-15;
Digital Commonwealth, Massachusetts Collections Online:
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Right: Joseph Lambert and his wife Delienne Aubin.
Left: Hilaire Aubin and his wife, Marie Demers, Télesphore's sister.
Circa 1895.
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September 30. Nice weather, cold, white frost.
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At six-thirty in the morning, I went to mass with my sister, Marie. At eight o’clock in the morning, I went for a walk with Joseph to the Post Office and then to his old store, and from there we went up to the home of Édouard Lambert [another son of François Xavier and Julie Lamontagne Lambert]. He was in bed. His wife made him get up. He is the primary operator of the sawmill at night. We talked about our youth when we went from Saint-Fortunat to Somerset [now, Plessisville, Québec] on foot. We would not be able to do it today with our old legs. We had lunch at Édouard’s. At three o’clock we returned to Édouard’s, and I arranged to have my suitcase delivered here, which arrived at four-thirty. After supper, we played a hot game of Whist. I played with Marie, and we gave our opponents a hard time. At ten o’clock, we prayed.
Lambert men, circa 1885.
Sitting: Télesphore, François Xavier, and Cyrille Lambert.
Standing: Joseph, Calixte, Edouard, and Olivier Lambert.
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October 1. Nice weather and frost. We see the sun through the mist.
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At eight-thirty, we attended the funeral of a bachelor, and at eleven-thirty we attended another funeral service, a Monsieur Landry from Rumford Falls. At two o’clock in the afternoon, we went to Édouard’s home. We went for a walk and stopped to see Lodivine and Virginie (Madame Désilet) [sic] [a daughter of François Xavier and Julie Lamontagne Lambert] along the way. Édouard told me about his story with De Champlain. Édouard was arrested and sued for the sum of two thousand piastres for having spoken too much against the company, but at the approach of the court session, De Champlain withdrew its suit, paid all the expenses, and asked Édouard not to say anything further. At six o’clock in the evening, Joseph left for Grofton, a logging camp that has just been foreclosed. He was their supplier of provisions. Désilet and his wife came to spend the evening with us.
The Lambert women, circa 1885.
Sitting: Henriette, wife of Cyrille Lambert, and the matriarch, Julie Lambert.
Standing: Adele Huot, wife of Télesphore Lambert, Jr., Virginia Lambert, wife of Alfred Désilet, Lucias Lambert, wife of Gustave Choquette, Marie Martel, wife of Édouard Lambert, Adeline Roberge, wife of Calixte Lambert, and Delienne Aubin, wife of Joseph Lambert.
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October 2. A beneficial rain this morning.
Yesterday there was an excursion to the White Mountains. It was regrettable that we had not known about it, for we would have gone. At eight o’clock in the morning, Joseph arrived from Grofton. He had a good trip. The company is going to give him two hundred piastres a month. At eleven o’clock, we left to go visit Désilet’s home. We played cards. They appeared to have made a good life. The income from their apartment block gives them fifty piastres a month. They have a riding horse.
This evening, I played cards with Cyrille [the oldest son of François Xavier and Julie Lamontagne Lambert]. He had all the good cards. He still works at finding a wife. He has a widow in Lewiston in view. She has three boys and a small fortune. For six months, he has been circling her and speaks to her of marriage, but she hasn’t decided yet. At ten o’clock in the evening, we pray.
This evening, I played cards with Cyrille [the oldest son of François Xavier and Julie Lamontagne Lambert]. He had all the good cards. He still works at finding a wife. He has a widow in Lewiston in view. She has three boys and a small fortune. For six months, he has been circling her and speaks to her of marriage, but she hasn’t decided yet. At ten o’clock in the evening, we pray.
October 3. Sunny and cold. Men are wearing mittens and overcoats. The White Mountains are covered in snow.
It is
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here that I met the best barber on my trip. At eleven o’clock in the morning, we went to Édouard's home to spend the rest of the day. At six o’clock in the evening, Édouard left to go to work all night long. I went with him to visit the mill. He walked me around everywhere. It was well worth visiting. The logs leave the water and arrive at the saw without anyone touching them. They are lifted by machine. All the cousins and their children work here. The weather is cold throughout the day. At eleven-thirty, we said our prayers.
October 4. The weather is overcast and cold. At ten o’clock in the morning, it is sunny.
We attended mass, a high, solemn mass, in which a portion opened the forty hours. After lunch, I went to Cyrille’s room with Édouard and Joseph. We spoke of our younger days, and our first times together. At four o’clock we went back to Joseph’s home. We had
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supper. All the relatives are together, and our feelings for each other are still the same as in past years when I lived in Saint-Fortunat and the others lived in Somerset. We played cards all evening. The three Lambert brothers and I played at the same table in the parlor. Virginie was not lucky, she always lost. It was not humorous. She is not pleasant when she loses. At ten-thirty, we prayed.
October 5. Sunny and cold. The workers have their mittens and overcoats on when going to work.
Marie and Delienne went to mass. This morning the National Paper Company, which employs six hundred people, opened its doors after a strike of two months. All the workers returned to work except for the finishers. At three o’clock in the afternoon, I went to Édouard’s house. While walking, we met Monsieur Frizette of the New England Company. Édouard wanted to sell him some shares in the company in light of the troubles that they had given him.
Marie and Delienne went to mass. This morning the National Paper Company, which employs six hundred people, opened its doors after a strike of two months. All the workers returned to work except for the finishers. At three o’clock in the afternoon, I went to Édouard’s house. While walking, we met Monsieur Frizette of the New England Company. Édouard wanted to sell him some shares in the company in light of the troubles that they had given him.
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You have heard of the lion and the horse - me, I was the sheep. They finished by swearing at each other. Lambert said that Monsieur Frizette had sixteen thousand piastres of shares and Frizette says that he doesn’t have any. At six o’clock in the evening, we said prayers at the church. After the prayer, I went to the Bedard’s home and also to memère Houle’s house. They have four small children.
October 6.
At five-thirty, I went to church to hear the mass and to receive Holy Communion with the intention of making my forty hours. At eight-fifteen, I returned to the church to attend the closing of the forty hours. It is sunny and hot. At two o’clock in the afternoon, we went to the Lemieux’s home, Édouard's brother-in-law. After supper, Hélène came with us to visit the sawmill. She has never seen such big machines. It is
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one of the best mills in America. On returning, we played cards until ten o’clock, after that we returned to Joseph’s home to go to bed. It is here that we make our home for the night. Joseph is having problems with his clerks.
October 7. Nice weather, cold and sunny.
At nine o’clock in the morning, we attended the funeral services of a young man of nineteen years, a first-rate funeral. At ten o’clock in the morning, Cyrille came to visit us. He passed the day with us at Joseph’s house. He shared with me his troubles. He speaks to me of the illness of his wife, and also of her death, since he is a widower now. He has a lot of troubles, his children turned their backs on him after having spent his money and are not even nice enough to return the money to him. At two o’clock in the afternoon, we went to visit the sawmill at the Cascade mill. It is a mill which cost four million piastres. It has four paper machines of thirteen feet and four inches. We entered where they cut the wood and we exited where they cut finished paper. We found the mill a great thing to visit. Hélène and
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Delienne went to Gorham, New Hampshire for a visit. We passed the evening at Monsieur Bouchard’s home. At ten-thirty, we said the prayer.
October 8. Sunny and hot.
In the morning, I wrote to the children in Sanford and also to my brother Théodore in Lewiston, then I went to the barber shop, which is run by one of Jules Fortier’s boys from Sainte-Hélène-de-Chester, where I get a shave. In the afternoon, we went for a tour of the city. We went to the cemetery which is in very bad shape - you would say it is an abandoned field if it wasn’t filled with gravestones. I saw the gravestone of the late Curé Cournoyer. We were back at the house at four o’clock in the afternoon.
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Édouard accompanied us. He invited me to go for supper with him, and we came back to spend the evening with Joseph. We prepared to leave for Lewiston tomorrow. Désilet’s family came to play cards with us. We won a lot of the games. At ten-thirty, we said prayers.
October 9. The weather is overcast and cold.
Hélène attended the funeral of a young man from the country. I went with Joseph to a barber at the hotel. At ten o’clock in the morning, the weather was overcast. Our trunk was sent to the train station. At twenty minutes to three, we went to the station. Delienne and Marie accompanied us. At three o’clock, we left Berlin Falls to go to Lewiston. We arrived at five-thirty in the afternoon. Théodore was waiting for us at the station. We find everything sad here. At the
Three Demers brothers in the 1900s.
Seated: Théodore and Damase. Standing: Télesphore.
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house, Angèle [Bilodeau, Theodore's daughter] still cannot move and is very thin, totally overcome by rheumatism. Pierre [Demers,Theodore's son] is staying here. He kept us company until supper. Albert [Bilodeau, Angèle's husband] left two small children here in the care of their grandmother. All the others are doing well. Père [Samuel] Fournier, [husband of Denaise Demers, daughter of Évangéliste Demers] came to play cards with us.
Main Street, Lewiston, Maine, circa 1900.
Collections of the Lewiston Public Library
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October 10. Sunny. Collections of the Lewiston Public Library
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Angèle stays seated in her chair. They carry her like a child. At nine o’clock in the morning, I went for a walk with Théodore. We went to Auburn to the home of [Theodore’s son] Joseph. We smoked for an hour, then we went back to Théodore’s. After lunch, we allowed ourselves a little sleep. Pierre [Demers,Théodore’s son] went hunting and brought back a rabbit. Hermenegilde [Demers,Theodore's son] and his wife stopped by to see us while passing by. In the evening, Joseph and his wife, as well as père Fournier, came to play cards. Théodore’s family appears to live well, but I cannot explain to myself how they manage it.
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I did not dare to ask how they can afford to live. Théodore hasn’t changed. He knows all and explains all to us. It is surprising that he is not rich with all his great talents. He should be a millionaire.
October 11. A heavy rain, and temperatures not too cold, greet us this morning.
I went to mass at ten-thirty in the morning. Hermenegilde and his wife came to have lunch with us. At one in the afternoon, we went to visit Lac à Parent’s. It is a pretty amusement park. We saw a number of small boats of all types. We passed by the beautiful private homes of Auburn and went to Mount Davis. We went to Joseph’s home for supper. Four generations of the family were brought together - Théodore, his son [Joseph], his daughter [Amanda Demers Juneau], and her baby [Roland].
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We had some champagne and played cards. All the relatives have come together. It has been nice since noon. At five minutes after eleven in the evening, we left the card game to return to Théodore’s house.
October 12. Sunny, a little cold with a heavy wind.
At ten o’clock in the morning, we went to Joseph’s business. He had us visit the entire establishment - the forge, the lumber and paint stores, as well as the wagon store. It is a building of eighty-five feet by eighty on four floors. After lunch, we went for a tour by streetcar. We went to Bath, Maine and travelled a distance of thirty miles. During the trip we passed by two villages, the first had some factories, and the second, Brunswick, had paper mills. It is a town with a lot of [French] Canadians. They have the most beautiful cemetery that I have seen on my trip.
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Bath is a seaport. Large vessels can enter it. They ferry the train cars by boat to North Bath. It is a beautiful summer place. We returned at six-thirty in the evening. After supper, we played cards until ten o’clock.
October 13. Nice weather with a heavy frost.
Hélène went to visit the church and to visit the children of the late Évangéliste Demers [a brother of Honoré Demers and a first cousin to Télesphore]. At eleven o’clock in the morning, we went to Théodore’s home, and at one-thirty in the afternoon, Joseph came looking for me to go see a summer place thirteen miles from here. A company owns a campground that is all divided into lots next to a lake which is only one mile from the streetcar line. The land is in Kennebec County. It is the first day that the tramway goes to Augusta. At the midway point, there is a lake and a small village. At six-thirty, we returned to Théodore’s home. We have had a very nice day, but it was rather hot for the season.
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Théodore’s children came to spend the evening with us. We played cards until ten-thirty in the evening.
October 14. Sunny and warmer.
At nine o’clock in the morning, we left to go for a walk. We went to the the mouth of the canal where there are pumps for the aqueduct. There are six pumps that are the biggest that I have ever seen. The canal has seven gates that close as needed. At two o’clock in the afternoon, I went to visit Lazare Lemay. He is seventy-two years old. His face is still young looking, but his legs are very weak. He takes care of the housework for one of his sons. We had supper at Hemenegilde’s house, and we returned to Théodore’s home to spend the evening.
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All the family was together. Melendé Richard and her husband Monsieur Ouellette were among those invited. We played cards until ten o’clock, after that we shook hands and wished each other well, in light of the fact that this is the last night that we will spend together.
October 15. Sunny and hot.
We gathered our clothes and prepared for our departure. At nine-forty-five, our wagon driver arrived, and at ten-twenty in the morning we left the city of Lewiston for Sanford. At eleven-forty-five, we were in Portland, and at two-thirty we arrived in Sanford. Damase Roberge, Albeni Doiron and his wife, Éva, were waiting for us at the train station. We talked about our trip.
Standing: Éva Demers Doiron, Albeni Doiron and Damase Roberge, who was born in Saint-Julien-de-Wolfestown.
Sitting: Andreanna Demers Roberge, the youngest daughter of Télesphore and Henriette, with baby Romeo Doiron, the oldest child of Éva and Albeni.
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The Demers family home, purchased in 1891, 56 Allen Street (now Pioneer Avenue), Sanford, Maine, circa 1905.
Standing: Adreanna, Odelie, Virginia, Odias and Henriette Lamontagne Demers, the wife of Télesphore Demers.
Sitting: Rose and Ernest Reid, Virginia's children.
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Our trip cost my wallet the pretty sum of one-hundred and sixty-five piastres. We traveled a distance of one thousand eight hundred and forty-three miles which can be separated as follows: steam train, four hundred twenty-eight miles; electric streetcars, one hundred and sixty-two miles; steamboats, twenty miles; and wagons, two-hundred and thirty-three miles.
Télesphore Demers, Sanford, Maine
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