THE FREETOWN PAVEMENT

Rumour, it stalked through the village, On back country roads misbehaved, And this is the plum it carried —

“The Freetown Road will be paved”. Gossip, that old mischief—maker,

Soon garbled the rumour until

Con fusion rolled out her smoke screen And we all went to bed with a pill.

Scoffers there were who delighted

ln sarcasm - poured by the ton;

Their favorite barb was simply,

“The paving will never be done!” They argued long and with relish,

The mileage the pavement might go — If it would stop at the birches,

How quick they’d say, “I told you so!”

The work when started was labelled A stupid mistake by a boss —

It should have begun at Souris, O’Leary, or at Kelly’s Cross.

The first load of asphalt renewed The rumour it would not go through It should have gone to Kinkora, Covehead, - or around to Sea View.

As the pavement lengthened each day And disappeared over the hill,

The prophets ofdoom murmured low - In fact they are murmuring still. “How far is she now?”, they’d query And we thought how the song was born While a certain girl was swimming And everyone waited for mom.

Believers there were who rejoiced

And heaped coals of fire on the pales Ofthose mournful criers of woe,

And the would be potentates, Believers look forth to the day

The Curran and Briggs crew come back To start operations again —

This time to the east ofthe track.

We’ve all settled back with a sigh

Not fearing a rain or a gust;

No longer shall we be beseiged

By mud - and more mud - or red dust. But the prophets of doom still mourn, “The pavement won ’t stand up a year!” We’ll still have the mud — wait and see - And dust, it will always be here!”

S. Barlow Bird

Note: The first pavement was laid on the Freetown Road in the mid 19455 and started at the CNR tracks in Freetown Village going west toward Ross’ Corner.

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