Bøger af Winston C Fraser

This book represents the fulfilment of a request made by my dad's first cousin, Charlie Fraser, in May 1973, when, at the age of 92, he gave me a somewhat weathered brown envelope stuffed with documents to be used in writing his official biography "later." It is unclear what he meant by "later," but now, after more than 40 years, his request is finally being honoured.Had he been born a few generations later, Charlie might have become another Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple Computer) or Usain Bolt (world champion sprinter). Born in 1881 in the small town of Cookshire in Quebec's Eastern Townships, Charles Clark Fraser was a man who was, in many respects, miles ahead of his time. In spite of significant disabilities, this remarkable man's long life was punctuated by many unique accomplishments in a wide variety of fields. Rarely has a single individual practiced so many vocations over a lifetime. To borrow a line from the 18th century nursery rhyme "Rub-a-dub-dub," he was neither "a butcher, a baker nor candlestick maker," but he was almost everything else. Charlie was a gold prospector, an inventor, a woodsman, an athlete, a mathematician, a chemist, a fox rancher, a numismatist, a philatelist, a photographer, a museum curator, an astronomer, an animal trainer, a dentist, a philanthropist and a jack of all trades. Although a lifelong bachelor, he was, strangely enough, very much a family man.While known to most people simply as "Charlie," he used different monikers when referring to himself. In correspondence and legal documents he signed his name as "C.C. Fraser." In less formal notes he used only his initials, "CCF." Very often his signature was accompanied by the word "OHIXIHO" as though it was his address or even a part of his name. The real meaning of OHIXIHO is left for the reader to discover.

This is a book of memories of a unique place and two very special people.Ken and Susie Fraser were a couple from very humble beginnings whose extraordinary lives touched many. Under the roof of their home in Cookshire, Quebec, Canada, known as Dew Drop Inn, together and individually they plied a wide variety of occupations, trades and activities.They were innkeepers, storekeepers and restaurateurs. On top of that, Ken was simultaneously sign painter, taxi driver and gas station operator. He also was a serious railroad buff, a baseball fanatic and a great storyteller. Susie was a hairdresser, gardener and needle crafter extraordinaire. She also sang in the Church choir and participated in Women's Guild activities.After hours they found the time to socialize with family, friends and strangers alike. They were never too busy to lend a generous hand to someone in need. This is their story as recounted by some of us whose lives were enriched by having known them.

Endangered Species of Country Life takes the reader on a very special journey. For those of the younger generation, who have grown up with the Internet, the iPad and the smartphone, this book will lead you on a fascinating voyage of discovery. For those who are a bit longer in the tooth, the book will usher you on an odyssey of nostalgia and reminiscence. But regardless of whether your years are fourteen, forty or fourscore and ten, you are sure to enjoy the sights that await you at every stop along your journey. Your eyes will feast upon a smorgasbord of species of country life -- all of them endangered and some of them already extinct. Not only will your emotions be kindled, but your every sense will be touched by the images that you encounter.You will read by the flickering flame of a kerosene lamp, you will be guided by the faithful light of a lonely lighthouse, and you will watch time slowly and silently pass into history on the expressionless face of the grandfather clock. You will hear the scratchy melodies of the old gramophone, the babbled chant of the country auctioneer and the deafening clatter of the threshing machine. You will feel the bumps of the rumble seat ride, the warmth of the fire in the pot-bellied stove and the cold of the hoarfrost crystals in the hayloft. You will savour the aroma of freshly baked bread from the outdoor bake oven, you will remember the smell of hot dogs and fried onions at the county fair, and you will experience the foreboding fragrance of the venerable outhouse. You will taste maple taffy served on a wooden paddle, eat turkey roasted on a wood stove and devour fresh strawberries topped with whipped cream at a church-sponsored Strawberry Social.This book is not intended to present an exhaustive portrayal of every aspect of country life of yesteryear. Nor is it intended to be an authoritative compendium of North American antiques. Rather it offers a selective but significant sampling of more than a hundred images to illustrate important elements of life in rural North America during the past couple of centuries. The endangered species that this book highlights are organized into the following subspecies: -Classic Conveyances -Mechanical Marvels -Rustic Structures -Tools and Trappings -Furniture and Fixings -Common Containers -Crafts and Trades -Fun and Games -Country Gatherings -Odds and EndsEndangered Species of Country Life will entertain you, inform you and amuse you. Perhaps it will also sensitize and motivate its readers to preserve and protect the treasures that have been passed on by previous generations. Maybe it will encourage some to support their local historical society, others to learn a classic pioneer craft and still others to take some action to rescue an endangered species of country life from likely extinction. If this book has accomplished any of the above, then it has achieved its purpose.So, sit back, fasten your seat belt and begin your journey back in time. Bon voyage!

This is the story of a farm like no other. Officially designated as “Range 8 parts of Lots 9 and 10” of Eaton Township, Cookshire’s Pine Hill Farm is unique in so many ways: its geographic features, the great variety of crops grown, the Noah’s ark collection of animals raised, and the unusual woodpecker-like shape of the property.It is also the story of the five generations of the Bailey-Fraser family, who farmed this land over a period that spanned four centuries. During that time, they have tilled the fields, pampered the animals and toiled night and day to eke out a hard but honourable living on this land. The scope of the book is not  limited to the history of my own ancestors, but rather it includes the important history of the First Nations peoples who preceded them on the land I call home.