Logging in the Maples

Mr. Pat Whelan told me this story about my father Albert Finlay and his brother Gerald Finlay.

One time Albert and Gerald had a contract to shoot wood down into the water, and it was a difficult job. It couldn't be done in the winter time because of the ice.So it needed the dry time of the year to be done safely.   It was down near Little Rapids Pond, close to Little Rapids Farm, a place called the Maples.  They got the contract from Bowaters to do the job, which involved shooting the logs down over the side of a hill, which was near a big cliff, a dangerous long cliff. They had a Clydesdale, a grey horse that weighed about 1800 pounds, named Major.

 As they were walking along the top of the cliff, Major slipped and went over the cliff, and the two men thought the poor horse was killed. Gerald said to his brother, " I can just imagine the Gerald S. Doyle newscast for tomorrow. Horse named Major falls to his death. Left to mourn Gerald and Albert Finlay!" They had quite a chuckle over the idea of such a newscast.  Later they walked down towards Corner Brook and met the horse coming up the shore, with his rig still attached, not a hair out of place!