So Grandfather who grew up on a farm his Father, Peter made a rocky piece of land in Alva Baffshire Scotland worth owning and a decent farm. Along with his 3 Brothers all of whom received trades when they were finished school. My Grandfather finished Grade 9, which was a good education in the late 1800's. He also studied music in school and could play the Violin and Accordion. My Grandfather John Apprenticed under a master Carpenter in Scotland. He got a job in South Africa as one after the Boer War. He stayed there for 10 years and made good money. His Brother Jim, a huge man was Stone Mason, Brother Alex a Blacksmith. His Fraternal twin, whose name escapes me was trained as a Policeman and being the oldest boy and twin, inherited the family farm. All the other Brothers, including my Grandfather ended up in the Canadian Prairies, Western Manitoba to start. Dad mentioned what an exceedingly patient man his Father was, my Dad learned a lot from him, including Carpentry. My Grandfather was also the first Postmaster of our community and owned a general store in Two Creeks where we later had a farm later on. Unfortunately he had to sell the store and lost his car as well during the not so Great Depression. People owed money at the store, who never paid their debts to this day. His huge Brother Jim, 6' 4" 250+ pounds and an alcoholic owed him at least $1000, he also never paid him back. Dad mentioned once they bought their farm, nothing got easier. They had some decent crops or nice yearlings, come sale time, you got next to nothing for them. There is a reason my parents were old time Socialists, unless everyone worked together, you twisted in the wind hard. Canada was hit harder than even the US during the Depression. The Dominion Day Riot in Regina and the shooting of 3 miners during a peaceful protest in Estevan sparked the Socialist revolution in Canada. The Reverend Tommy Douglas was considered a hero in our household. If private enterprise would have budged a inch during the 30's, Socialism probably would have died in Canada.

 

A buy product of this was, my Father, who never concerned about making any amount of money, had two friends who were also Tradesmen. Athel Moore, from Elkhorn, Manitoba, a Plumber and handy with small engines. Joe Popel an Electrican, who Dad got to know quite well when Dad was in charge of building a couple of Government affordable houses in Miniota, Manitoba, where Joe lived and was the Electrician hired. Our farm was 8 miles South of Miniota and 13 miles East of Elkhorn. As friends, they basically traded equal work with very little money exchanged, pretty neat when you think about it.