TRANSCRIPT

Mabel: But they built a sod shack to live in. We were still up at Moose Jaw . I don't know when Mother come, now, whether she come when the men come or like Tommy and Maggie and I stayed up at Harris's for about six weeks, ‘til they got the sod shack built.'

Judy: Where was it that they built the sod shack?

Mabel: Down by the homestead house, two miles south of town.

Judy: How big would that house have been?

Mabel: Well, I don't know. I remember two beds sitting along that side, end-to-end and Father had oil-cloth up over to keep the rain off the beds.

Judy: How long did your family live in the sod shack?

Mabel: Well, I'd say we were in the other house in July, but it wasn't plastered.

Donna: So, you would have lived in the sod shack for about 4 months?

Mabel: They did, yes. I maybe was only in it about 6 weeks. I remember sleeping under a wagon box after we came from Moose Jaw.

Judy: The little ones, you and Tommy and Maggie?

Mabel: Yes, I don't know whether Tommy slept there or on the couch.

Judy: Why did you sleep under the wagon?

Mabel: Well, you see, I said they had two beds; maybe one for the boys and one for Mother and Dad, along one side, I can remember that. Mother said she was tired one Saturday night and thought she'd have a sleep in the morning. It rained so hard all night one side came in on the sod shack. Some lived in tents.