A WELL KEPT SECRET The Campbell Road was opened around 1890 and purchased by the government of the day from the old Campbell homestead. A dry pine stump fence ran along the west side of this road from the Freetown Road to the North Freetown Road. It goes without saying that this fence caught a lot of snow in winter and was not considered an object of beauty in the community. Most of the neighbours and those who travelled by, wanted it removed, but the owner refused to replace it unless he was compensated by the government.

One warm summer night the fence went up in flames. Neighbour blamed neighbour. Tempers grew warm. In fact, it took years for some of the people involved to become civil to each other.

Time wore on, and the people involved failed to find who had set the fire. In fact all the neighbours involved passed on without knowing and still suspicious of each other.

One stormy winter afternoon in the 19505, I had the pleasure of spending a bit of time in a neighbour’s kitchen. Among those present were Wilbert Reeves, George Rogers and Gordon Burns. They revealed for

the first time, what caused the stump fence to burn.

Gasoline was a new product in the days of the stump fence and a man who lived some three or four miles away had with him some of this liquid at Peter Reeves’ place. He was explaining to Peter what this liquid could do. To demonstrate, he punched two small holes in the bottom ofa can, poured in some gasoline then gave a small boy a big Island cent and instructions to run along the road to thejunction ofthe Campbell road and the stump fence. The boy returned, the gentlemen lit a match and the fire followed the path of the gasoline to the fence and it was in flames, the full one half mile within minutes.

George Rogers and Wilbert Reeves were present at Peter Reeves’ at the time. These boys were sworn

to keep the secret and this secret they kept for over half a century. Submitted by Lee Campbell

RETIREMENT PARTY On 19 July, 1981, Miss Winnifred I. Burns of Freetown was tendered a retirement party at the Canadian

Forces Base in Summerside. Lt Col. D.R. Forter, Base Administration Officer, spoke in recognition of her devoted employment with the Public Service. In 1946, she started with the Department of National Defence in Ottawa, later she was transferred to Halifax where she remained until 1956 when she was moved to the

C.F.B. in Summerside.

EAGLE CAUGHT On 9 July, 1945, Mrs. Fred ‘Lucy’ Paynter was successful in catching an eagle in a trap that was set on

a manure pile on their farm at Mill Valley. She had known for some time that there was an eagle in the vicinity and she set the trap in the hope that it might get caught.

the eag: catcher

XM 696140 BASE

LUCY PAYNTER

FREETOWN MONITOR PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

11 8c 22 CANADA

LANDLINE (902)887-2948

88’s

Eagle caught by Lucy Paynter and CB. call name.

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