The Three Dog Trails
In the early 1800's to the late 1890's, my grandfather, Alfred Slade, drove Dr. Grenfell's dog team with Dr. Grenfell all around the North Coast of Newfoundland to help the sick people. He died in 1915; in the early 1930's, my father followed in his dog team trail, carrying the Newfoundland Rangers. After the RCMP came to St. Anthony, that was the last of the Rangers; my father then became the mailman and carried the mail until the late 1940's by dog team on the same trails as my grandfather.
In 1949, Magistrate Wade asked me if I would take the ballot boxes from St. Anthony to L'Anse Aux Meadows with two other men, my cousin Joseph Slade and Zach Patey. The ice was blocked to land, so the boat was out of the question, and there wasn't enough snow to use dog teams, so I agreed to walk with Joseph & Zach with the ballot boxes. We walked for three days and well into the nights; with flashlight, sometimes until 11 in the night. Wherever we stopped at night, that was where we stayed for the night; we would get up in the morning and start walking to the next settlement.
When we got to Hay Cove, that was about two miles from L'Anse Aux Meadows. We were told that the people from L'Anse Aux Meadows were there at Hay Cove to vote; we waited until the votes were cast, then started back on the trail to pick up the other ballot boxes.
We carried a lunch with us, and a tin can for a kettle; when we got hungry, we would boil up by a pond or brook. When we got home, our feet were so sore we could hardly walk. I had a letter from Mr. Smallwood, thanking us, and a cheque for $30.00 each for carrying the ballot boxes for him and the Liberal Party. We used the same trail that my grandfather and father used before us. It was quite the experience for me. I was 19 years old at the time.

P.S. I am also enclosing a picture of myself. I served with the Royal Canadian Regiment in Korea and Germany. I buy your Downhome all the time; it's a wonderful book.   Submitted By: NULL