Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-01-08
Miss florence Minas Writes
From Canada and New
Hampshire.
Province of Quebec,
Coaticool, Canada,
Christmas Eve, 1913.
Dear Advertiser:

clock this afternoon. Just before we
reached Coaticook, a Frenchman
came into the train to ask innumer-
able questions about who you were,
where you were going ETC., but since
he knew the people with whom I was
travelling, he passed me by, much to
my delight, for had an idea that if
he started to questioning me, might
have forgotten my own name.
I went into the post Office this af-
ternoon to get some stamps, and l
wanted some Canadian money Of DIFF
fere!it denominations, so l asked for
a nickel in change instead of pennies
and the lady replied that she didn't
have any nickels. After we left, my
friend remembered that in Canada
there is no nickel. The five cent piece
is silver and very tiny, smaller than
the dime. The lady was French to
whom I spoke, and she had no con-
ception Of what l was talking about.
We went next into a store and I
| furnished amusement for the clerks.
When they handed me some pennies,
they looked like cart wheels. The pen
ny is copper. found myself exclaim-
ing over the funny coins and the peo-
pie in the store were laughing at me
for my ignorance.
The population Of this place is
largely French Canadian, and the
war loan posters are in both French
and English. l saw two hanging close
togther with the same wording-one
| in French and one in English. Over
the stamp window was written the
following sentence which thought
was very good: "Demandez des tim
brez d'economie pour votre mon
naie"-ask for stamps OF economy
or thrift stamps for your change.
l was surprised to see no snow on
the ground on arriving at Coaticook,
but later it began to fall heavily. All
the way from Lancaster, N. H. to
Coaticook were frozen lakes with
CLASSY surface where children were
skating. Birches with lovely white
bark grew all along the sides of the
railway. The Indians used similar
birch trees to make their canoes. The
frs and cedars grow in marvellous
symmetry and each one would make
an exquisite Christmas tree.
I am glad that can at least speak
English fuently for the people up
here speak both French and English.
The dear old lady, Canadian,
Mrs. Lyman, whom ! am wishing,
knows that l came from the far
south, so she keeps the house delight
fully warm. She is nearly eighty
years old but goes to. the Red Cross
rooms to work. That shows how deep
" the war has penetrated into the
consciousness of the Canadians.
I saw an interesting looking flag
hung on the porch Of a Canadian
home, and on inquiring, found that it
was service flag Instead of the red
border with white center and blue
stars, there was an outside border of
red, an inner part Of white and in the
center square of blue with single
maple leaf in the center, the emblem
of Canada, instead of the star. Only
one boy had gone from this home, so
there was only one yellow maple leaf.
The leaf is changed to red if the boy
dies or is wounded. 1t is blue if the
boy is overseas. The Canadians had
no service flag, so am told, until the
idea was carried into effect by the
United States.
Later. Christmas Afternoon.
I have just returned from a delight
full Christmas service in the Metho-
dist church of Coaticook. On each
side of the pipe organ, flags were
hung, one a British and the other
Canadian, The Canadian is large
red flag with a tiny British one in the
upper left hand corner. Near the
right hand corner is large white
space in which is placed replica of
the British crown, the coat of arms,
two sprays of green maple leaves and
a beaver, the last two pictures typi-
cal of Canada. Below the pulpit was
hung an American flag and on either
side Canadian and a British.
At the close of the service the or
ganist played the British National
Anthem. l started to singing "God
save our splendid men," which is