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'Twas the Day Before Christmas (1934)

This story is one that was taped by Darlene Brown-John Heal in 1997. Said Darlene, “It was told to me by Alice (Reid) Racher. Alice figured she was about nine years old at the time. I loved this Christmas story and was so pleased when I found this photograph at the Horsefly Museum to go with our story!”

 


In the (Cariboo) village of Horsefly, the Hockley girls were busy getting ready for a trip up the Black Creek Valley to spend Christmas with their parents, Dick and Alice Hockley.  At that time of the year, no cars traveled the Black Creek Road, and the only transport was by sleigh.

 

Everyone wanted to go to the ranch for Christmas! Lloyd and Dorothy Walters were living at the Walters Ranch, and Lloyd had two big teams of horses, and he lent the family one team and his hired hand to drive. The horses were hitched to the big hay rack where a wall tent had been set up on the deck with crates to sit on and some hay for the children to lay on. Plus, a wood stove, chimney and firewood to keep the travelers warm on their long journey.

 

It must have been very cozy in that little tent with Millie and Vic Brown-John and their toddler Mary and baby Douglas; Margaret and Fred Hooker with three-year old daughter Donella and Perry, a toddler; Bessie Reid with eight-year-old daughter, Alice, and four-year old, Billy; and Dorothy Walters with her young son, Ed.

 

Once everyone had climbed aboard and settled in, Lloyd's hired man started up the Black Creek Road. Lloyd stayed at Horsefly to tend to his place.

 

The snow was deep, and it was tough going, the team played out at Woodjam, on the Horsefly River. It was a good thing they had a stove on board to keep everyone warm. At Woodjam, where the horses played out, there was no bridge there at that time, and the river was frozen over. Vic and the hired hand crossed the river ice to a haystack and brought feed back for the horses.

 

Vic went for help! He left the stranded sleigh and made his way along the road until he reached the Goetjen Ranch. While Ray Goetjen was getting the team ready, Mrs. Goetjen prepared warm milk, for the children. She poured the hot milk into a small cream can for transport. Warm milk was something people used to drink a lot of and would also add salt and pepper to it. Not sure what you would call hot milk with salt and pepper, maybe poor man's soup?

 

Ray Goetjen returned with Vic, and two fresh horses. When they arrived at the sleigh, they found the team were rested enough that Ray just hooked his team up to Lloyd's and they were off once more.

 

The children enjoyed the warm milk and the rest of the trip to the Hockley's at Black Creek. There was no mention of George Hockley on this trip and I believe he was living at Black Creek.

 

Uncle Fred had stayed with the woman and children on the sleigh. Seated beside the little stove and a box of oranges; everyone chuckled at the pile of orange peels that had accumulated at his feet by the end of the trip.

 

What an adventure for a young girl! 

 

 

Copyright remains with the author – not for publication without express permission.


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