Although the house where the Haleys now lived was only seven miles from the Bangor Freight Station, in the days of horses and buggies that was “a far piece to go,” as most Mainers were prone to say, especially during the cold and blustery winter months, which oftentimes made the shortest of trips extremely challenging. Even though the Broadway Trolley Service helped make that trip somewhat tolerable, for most people the fare was far too high and much of the time the trolley was far too unreliable, and it was no different for Murdock. As a result, soon after moving to Glenburn he gave serious thought to finding work closer to home, and one morning over breakfast he discussed that possibility with Margaret.
“Maggie, I’ve been thinking about quitting my job and finding work here in Glenburn.”
“What’s the trouble, Murdy? You having problems at the Station?”
“No, everything’s fine there; except for Bobby leaving. It’s just that travelin’ to Bangor every day is starting to take a toll on me. It takes much too long for my tastes, and I’d like to spend more time at home with you and the kids.”
“What kind of work do you think you can get here in Glenburn?” Margaret asked.
“I hear that William Fogg is looking for a worker,” he answered.
“How much would you earn working on a farm?”
“Nowhere near what I’m making at the station, but maybe I can earn a little extra money in my spare time.”
“Doing what?”
“Odd jobs. Some carpentry maybe.”
“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to look into it.”
—1—
That Sunday, Murdock went walking in the direction of the Fogg farm. After making his way down the steep hill past Eunice’s home, he walked up another hill nearly as steep and then saw the Fogg farm at the top of a relatively flat hill where Ohio Street made a long, slow curve to the left. The Fogg’s house and barn were on the outside of that curve. As Murdock reached the top of the hill he saw that behind those two buildings the land gradually sloped downward, allowing him to see a mile or more of large rocky fields and a distant forest. He recalled seeing that scenic view while driving Bobby’s wagon when he first moved his family to Glenburn. Just as he was about to knock on the door to the house he heard someone yell out from the direction of the barn.
“Can I help you?” a man walking toward him asked.
“Hello there, you must be Mr. Fogg? My name is Murdock Haley. Me and my family just moved into the old Staples place, nigh onta a month ago.”
“Oh yes, you’re the one who married Maggie Carver. Eunice told me some good things about you, including that you had good common sense; myself, I prefer the term horse sense. Anyway, I’m pleased to meet you, Murdock. I’m William Fogg. I’ve known Maggie since she was knee-high to a grasshopper.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fogg. Please call me Murdy. Maggie has told me some very nice things about you, too. I’m looking for work in this area and I heard you’re looking for someone.”
“Well, you heard wrong, Murdy; I haven’t been lookin’, but have been thinkin’, so you may be in luck. I’ve been thinking about hiring someone to help out for quite some time now, but couldn’t make up my mind one way or th’other. I’m getting a mite too old now to do everythin’ myself. Let’s go in the house and have a short chat about what I might need help with.”
The chat turned out to be anything but short. Murdock and Fogg talked for almost an hour, occasionally about the job on Fogg’s dairy farm, but mostly about other less mundane things. One topic Fogg wanted to talk about was of great interest to Murdock.
“What do you think of the Red Sox chances this year?” he asked.
“Well, they’ve gotten off to a good start, so I’m thinking that they’re gonna win it all. Don’t see anyone in the American League that can beat them, and if they make it to the World Series I don’t see anyone in the National League that can beat them either.”
“I hope you’re right, Murdy.”
Over the years Murdock had become an even more avid fan of the Boston Red Sox, along with most of the men he worked with at the Bangor Freight Station. They talked baseball all the time, so much so that little else was discussed at lunchtime. He became hooked on the Red Sox two years after arriving in Bangor, when they acquired National League pitcher Cy Young; and it didn’t hurt that the 1903 Red Sox had won the American League pennant and then beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first-ever World Series. The Red Sox again won the pennant in 1904, but the National League pennant-winning New York Giants chose not to play in the World Series. The Sox had been able to win three World Series since then: in 1912, the year his sister Edie came to visit, and again in 1915 and ‘16. And during this summer of 1918 they were again having a good season.
Murdock had always looked forward to reading newspaper accounts of the Red Sox players’ exploits. He particularly liked the stories he read about speedy centerfielder Tris Speaker and hard-throwing pitcher Smokey Joe Wood, who helped lead the 1915 team to their best season to date. Without question however, Murdock’s favorite player was their all-star pitcher Babe Ruth, who won two-thirds of his games since joining the team in 1914 and finished the 1917 season with a 24 and13 record, and a 2.01 ERA.
“The Babe’s not just a great pitcher though,” he said to Mr. Fogg. “He can hit better than most of their everyday players, and because of that they’re starting to play him regularly in the outfield when he isn’t pitching. In fact, the last I heard, he was leading the Sox in batting average and home runs. Yeah, if the Babe keeps it up, then the Sox should do just fine this year and in the years to come.”
When they had finished discussing the Red Sox, Fogg went on to something else.
“Since you’re new to the neighborhood,” he said, “let me fill you in on some of the people in West Glenburn and in this part of Bangor, as best I can anyway, so you’ll know who to get to know and who to avoid. And, take my word, Murdy, there’s some you’ll want to avoid like the plague.”
In the next fifteen minutes Murdock learned more about the people and the recent goings-on in his new neighborhood than he had in the month since arriving there.
—2—
“Well, that’s all I know about the people in these parts,” Fogg said. “Now, about the job. You’d have to be here about an hour before dawn, and work until three. As for the weekend, I may want you to work for a couple hours in the morning on Saturday, if I decide that I can’t handle the work by myself. Is that okay with you, Murdy?”
“No problem at all, Mr. Fogg. My job in Bangor starts at 5:00, which means I hav’ta be up by 3:00 anyway to catch the trolley.”
After discussing the job, Fogg and Murdock turned once more to casual conversation. A half-hour later they were all talked out.
“Thanks for the lowdown on the neighborhood, Mr. Fogg. I’ve been so busy fixing up our new home that I just haven’t had time to introduce myself to the neighbors, or to keep abreast of things. And Maggie’s mother was on the coast much of that time, so she wasn’t around to fill us in on things. Speaking of Maggie, I bes’ be getting back home now, or she’ll start to worry.”
“It was nice talking to you, Murdy. Say hello to Maggie for me. After meeting you I see that Eunice wasn’t exaggerating about her new son-in-law, and I can easily see why Maggie married you. One other thing: I’ve decided that if you want to work for me, the job is yours.”
“Thanks for your kind words, Mr. Fogg. I know I would enjoy working for you and I’m leaning towards taking your offer. Let me run it by Maggie, and I’ll let you know by tomorrow.”
“No rush, Murdy. I’ve waited this long, I can wait a whiles longer.”
After talking it over some more with Margaret, Murdock decided to quit his job at the Bangor Freight Station. Two weeks later, in mid-July, he began working for Fogg in a job that, although still within the confines of Bangor, was conveniently within walking distance of the Haleys’ new home on Ohio Street. As such, he deemed it perfect for him and his family. The job, although by no means glamorous, was ideally suited for Murdock, not just because it allowed him to work close to home, but because he enjoyed working outside in the fresh air, and there was plenty of that in Glenburn.
Murdock’s duties included feeding and milking Fogg’s cows, cleaning their stalls, driving the bovines to and from pasture, and haying during the summer months. In addition, he worked as a handyman for William Fogg whenever his time-consuming farming duties permitted. Like the people he worked for in Bangor, Mr. Fogg soon found out that Murdock Haley was no ordinary worker. He put in more than a day’s work for a day’s pay, and from Fogg’s experience a farmhand like him was hard to find. Granted, Murdock’s pay was much less than what he made at the freight station—$2.37 a day as a freight checker when he quit—that didn’t matter to him because the Haley patriarch cherished the time he could spend with his family more than the money. And besides, working on a dairy farm had its advantages. He had access to all the free milk his family could use, and with four young and growing children that was no small benefit. Additionally, Murdock knew that with his carpentry skills, and with a little ingenuity, he could make ends meet.
—3—
On September 21st, 1918, after the legal problem was resolved, the Haleys withdrew $900 from the bank and purchased their new home, along with its forty-one acres of land, an amount they deemed a bargain for such prime real estate. In fact, Murdock figured the house alone was worth $400, and he estimated the land, which had ample frontage on both Ohio Street and the Cemetery Road, was worth $800. Even after spending $900 of the hard-earned money he had saved while working in Bangor, Murdock still had enough savings to buy a workhorse or two for his farm. And so, after hearing of a Mr. Rogers on the east side of town who had horses to sell, he decided to walk there and take a look at them. Leona, Arlene and Lillian wanted to go too; so one sunny day in early October they joined their father on the three-mile hike. Roughly an hour later they arrived at the Rogers farm.
“I’ll let you have these two horses for $20 each, Mr. Haley,” Rogers said. “For an additional $10 I’ll sell you that wagon over there. It’s old, but it’s rugged. If you take everything, I’ll throw in two new harnesses and six extra shoes for free.”
“Thanks, Mr. Rogers. You’ve talked me into it; I’ll take the whole kit and caboodle. I don’t have that kind of money on me, but I’ll be sure to get it to you first thing Tuesday morning, if that’s okay. And you can be sure I’ll take good care of your horses.”
“I have no doubt but what you will, Mr. Haley, on both counts. You got yourself some good horses there; I know you’ll be happy with ‘em. But if you ain’t, I’d be glad to return your money.”
“Thanks, that’s mighty nice of you, Mr. Rogers, but I’m sure everything will be fine. Well, girls, what do yah say we harness up these horses and be on our way?”
After the horses were harnessed, Murdock and his girls climbed aboard the wagon. Leona and Arlene sat in the driver’s seat with their father, while Lillian stood in the back holding onto the back of the seat. Murdock picked up the reins and said, “Giddy-yup,” and as he drove off, Lillian spoke.
“Gee, Papa, the $50 you agreed to pay for the horses and wagon sure is a lot of money. I can’t believe Mr. Rogers let you take them home before you paid him.”
“That’s the way it’s done in these parts, Lillian. Your word is your bond. And $50 is just a drop in the bucket as far as I’m concerned. If you ask me, I think I got a pretty good deal. Someone not near as fair-minded as Mr. Rogers might’ta asked a whole lot more. Well, girls, what do you think we ought’ta name these horses?”
“How about Brownie and Whitey,” Arlene answered.
“Gee, that’s original!” Lillian said with as much sarcasm as she could muster.
“Oh yeah, smarty pants! Then you come up with the names,” a perturbed Arlene replied.
“Maybe I will,” Lillian said smugly.
Lillian thought and thought, but couldn’t come up with anything original herself, and said nothing.
“Sometime this century would be nice, Lillian!” Arlene uttered, with the sarcasm in her voice matching her words.
Murdock was laughing at the comical interchange between his two eldest daughters.
“How about it, Leona? Can you come up with fitting names for the horses?”
She thought for a few seconds and said: “I like King and Prince, Papa.”
“That’s not bad. What do you think, girls; should we use those names?”
“I like ‘em, Papa,” Lillian said.
“So do I,” Arlene agreed. “Besides, if we wait for Lillian to come up with names for ‘em, your horses won’t be of much use to you. By then they’ll be glue.”
Murdock laughed and said: “It’s settled then. King and Prince they’ll be. Which is which, Leona?”
“Since the brown one’s the biggest, he’ll be King. And the white one will be Prince,” the little girl said.
“What made you come up with those names?” Murdock asked.
“I just finished reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” she replied.
—4—
Murdock had given a great deal of thought to how he could earn enough extra money to meet his family’s needs. His intention was to earn the extra money by selling firewood to people in the area, a service that he knew would be reasonably lucrative since he figured “everyone needs wood to burn in their stoves,” not only to heat their homes, but to cook meals for their families. In order to make gathering firewood more efficient, Murdock needed a means of hauling the wood, and that’s where the workhorses came in. In his spare time, which usually meant after 3pm each day when his work for Fogg was finished, he wielded his ax in the mold of old Paul Bunyan to chop down and de-limb hardwood trees on his land; utilized his workhorses to drag the logs out of the woods; and then used his saws and wood-splitters to turn the trees into appropriately sized firewood. Not one to be wasteful, chips from the wood cutting process were saved by Murdock and used as kindling.
Eventually, the resourceful Canadian decided to modify his wagon to make himself a combination sleigh and wagon that he could use year-round; a “slagon” is what he humorously called it. When the snow came, Murdock placed four custom skis in front of his wagon wheels and drove the wagon onto them; then he secured the wheels to the skis to convert his wagon into a sleigh.
During the months of November-December he planned to cut and sell Christmas trees; thus the need for a wagon when the ground was bare, and for a sleigh when the ground was snow covered. Throughout the year he would use the slagon to harvest and deliver firewood to anyone who needed his services. Of course, Murdock kept some of the firewood to burn in his own woodstove, and he always stored enough firewood so that he had plenty for himself and others, in case it was needed to make it through a particularly harsh winter, something that typically happened on the average of once every five years in Maine.
—5—
During the Haleys’ first winter in Glenburn, Murdock negotiated verbal contracts with his neighbors to obtain the necessary harvest, and there were plenty of trees to harvest in the small town. His neighbors, along with many others in Glenburn, were thankful that their firewood needs were met so efficiently by the industrious man from Canada. Some paid Murdock for his effort and, for those who could not afford to do so, he made an arrangement that allowed him to harvest wood from their land and keep one cord of wood for himself for every two cords he provided to them. Most years that arrangement provided the Haleys with all the firewood they needed for their stoves, and usually there was plenty of firewood left over that he could sell to others who needed it.
In the process of harvesting trees Murdock created a network of trails in the woods that he kept well maintained long after he needed to for his own purposes. He first cleared a 1300-foot trail from the northwest corner of his property westward to the end of his land, where he found a place suitable for a woods road. For obvious reasons Murdock named the short trail Haleys Trail, and it snaked through the woods avoiding full-grown trees so that he would only have to clear away bushes and smaller trees to make it passable. The two-and-a-half mile road Murdock cleared next he named the Stream Road, because it went all the way from the Haleys’ property to the oft-used Kenduskeag Stream.
Over the years he added numerous side trails, and each time he added one he named it and placed a small wooden sign on the ground at its intersection with the Stream Road. The names he chose usually indicated the most common vegetation found in that area; such as: Cedar Trail, Birch Trail, Oak Trail, Pine Tree Trail, and so on. Since many people in the area often used those scenic trails for recreational and hunting purposes, Murdock was additionally respected for his effort in creating and maintaining them. Although his intent in making the trails was to make harvesting firewood easier, he was happy that other townsfolk also found the trails useful.
Even with the firewood and Christmas tree business greatly supplementing their income, the Haleys were far from rich. To help make ends meet they planted a large vegetable garden every spring to insure that they had plenty of food on hand. They grew potatoes, corn, green and yellow beans, peas, lettuce, and a variety of other vegetables. In addition, the Haleys’ fertile land sprouted bushes of wild blackberries and raspberries, and abundant quantities of wild blueberries and strawberries grew in the back field. Throughout the summer they were able to pick quarts of the delicious fruits and harvest enough vegetables to meet their needs. In fact, Margaret normally canned so much food—both fruit and vegetables from the garden and fields—that their supply easily lasted throughout the winter. And, when spring arrived, she often had to give some away to neighbors to prevent spoilage, or to make room for the next summer’s batch.
Murdock also hunted deer, rabbits, game birds, and other wildlife found plentiful in the Glenburn woods. His versatile slagon proved indispensable in hauling larger animals like whitetail deer out of the woods; and his efforts easily met the requirements of the Haley clan. The Haleys also raised chickens for their eggs; “laying hens” they were called. Thanks to Margaret’s hard work and expertise at cooking hardy meals, baking bread, pies, cookies and other food, the Haleys were always kept well fed, and no one appreciated that more than Murdock. Indeed, as far as he was concerned his wife’s cooking and the companionship she and the children gave to him made all his hard work worthwhile; and that feeling was mutual, as far as Margaret and the children were concerned.
So, even though they all had to pitch in and work extremely hard to get by—and were, as Margaret was prone to say, “by no stretch of the imagination monetarily rich,”—the Haleys had a good life and found ways to enjoy it to the fullest. And, to their way of thinking, in some respects that made this family of Mainers richer than the Carnegies, the Mellons, the Vanderbilts, or the Rockefellers. Indeed, the Haleys felt blessed; they had a good life in Glenburn and they knew it, and most of all appreciated it.