Spurgeon Jeffery moves Clark Barn & Adams House

     Here's an excerpt from the Journals of Mary & Eva Jeffery of Lauretta & Alma.

Oct. 20, 1930

     Fine in morning, started to rain and a little snow at noon, quite a lot of snow in afternoon.  Dad started to haul Allen Clarks barn, knocked of work in afternoon and came home.  Hauling out potatoes to station.  George and Ed and Bona loaded 3 cars to day.

Oct 22, 1930

     Fine day.  Grading potatoes down in the barn, hauling to station, Bona loaded 2 cars to day.  Finished Allen Clarks barn and Dan Adams hauled the gear to Elmsdale.  Sold 189 bags, now 2.50 bus.

Oct. 23, 1930

     Fine day.  Dad hauling Dan Adams house, got his foot badly hurt.  Bona loaded 2 cars today.  Clifford Vincent ran into the wear rope and sled the building on his foot, Doctor Lefway brought him home in car.  Jim called up and Cameron and Mrs. Harry Platts.  Started to dig turnips.  Harry McLean called.

Spurgeon Jeffery - Farmer, Building Hauler, Churchman

     The previous post on this blog was a 1938 article from the Guardian Newspaper about the accidental death of Spurgeon Jeffery.  
     Spurgeon was a well-known farmer and building hauler who lived in Lauretta and Alma.  In 1930 he moved his entire homestead up the Centerline Road to Alma - a distance of less than a mile. He moved the 12-year-old house, barns, and even the orchard.   My brother Kerras built a scaled model depicting the move.  
     Mabel (Jeffery) Barnett recalls the day the house passed by her family home (where Kerras lives today) - it was a memorable scene for a little 5-1/2 years old girl.
     Below are photos of the house and barn. 

Above, L-R:  Mary, George & Eva Jeffery with their mother Dorcas (Collicutt) Jeffery

     Kerras donated his motel to the Alberton Museum - below is a little booklet made-up for the occasion.  (click on the image to enlarge)

Here's photos of the model...

Spurgeon Jeffery killed at St. Louis October 1938

The Summerside Guardian and Prince County Chronicle

October 24, 1938 - Page 7

FATAL ACCIDENT -   A sad accident occurred at St. Louis on Friday afternoon about 5 o’clock resulting in the death of Mr. J. Spurgeon Jeffery of Alma, who was struck by the capstan of the machine used for hauling buildings.  Mr. Jeffery received such severe injuries to his head that he died about 11 o’clock that same evening.  Mr. Jeffery who is known all over the province as a contractor for moving buildings, was on a job at St. Louis moving a dwelling house when something went wrong with the machinery and Mr. Jeffery was struck such a blow on the head with the capsan that he was rendered unconscious.  The men who were working with him called Dr. J.A. Johnson of Tignish; Dr. R.H. Kennedy of Alberton was also called, but it was found that little could be done for him, and he was taken to his home, where he died without regaining consciousness.  The cause of death was a fracture at the base of the skull.  An inquest was not considered necessary.  Mr. Jeffery was a progressive farmer and had one of the best farms in the district of Alma.  He had operated a house moving outfit for many years and had moved many buildings all over the province.  One of the buildings moved by him was the Roman Catholic Church at Souris.  He was a member of the Anglican Church and an excellent citizen, and his death is a distinct loss to the community.  He was 75 years of age and leaves his wife formerly Miss Dorcas Collicutt of Lot 7, one son, George, and one daughter Eva; also a brother Rev. George A. Jeffery of Summerside, to all of whom much sympathy is extended in their sad bereavement.  The funeral took place on Sunday afternoon from his late residence to Holy Trinity Church at Alma, Rev. Wm. J. Phillips officiated at the service.  –S

Info cf. http://islandnewspapers.ca/islandora/object/guardian%3A19381024-007?solr[query]=Jeffery&solr[params][defType]=dismax&solr[params][facet]=true&solr[params][facet.mincount]=0&solr[params][facet.limit]=20&solr[params][facet.field][0]=PARENT_century_s&solr[params][facet.field][1]=PARENT_decade_s&solr[params][facet.field][2]=PARENT_year_s&solr[params][facet.field][3]=PARENT_month_s&solr[params][qt]=standard&solr[params][facet.date][0]=PARENT_dateIssued_dt&solr[params][f.PARENT_dateIssued_dt.facet.date.start]=NOW/YEAR-120YEARS&solr[params][f.PARENT_dateIssued_dt.facet.date.end]=NOW&solr[params][f.PARENT_dateIssued_dt.facet.date.gap]=%2B1YEAR&solr[params][f.PARENT_dateIssued_dt.facet.mincount]=0&solr[params][facet.date.start]=NOW/YEAR-20YEARS&solr[params][facet.date.end]=NOW&solr[params][facet.date.gap]=%2B1YEAR&solr[params][fq][0]=PARENT_decade_s%3A%221930%22&solr[params][qf]=OCR_t%5E10.0

Letter from Geo. Jeffery to brother Spurgeon Jeffery - 1923

[ Letter from George A. Jeffery (Christ Church minister) to his brother, John Spurgeon Jeffery, Alma ]

                                                   New London, Iowa, U.S.A. - January 27, 1923

My dear brother Spurgeon and family.

     Doubtless, you will be wondering what has become of us…

     When I made you the short visit last May it was my intention to make a longer visit with you in the fall.  However, I could not do so.  My work was of such a nature that it kept me at the helm all the time.  I had a very successful summer in the evangelistic field.  I did not finish until the 5th of Nov.  As it was looking wintry, Mrs. and I. thought we had

better make tracks for a warmer, and less stormy zone.  My last meeting was about 20 miles from St. John,  Mrs. J. was with me there, so we decided to pull up at once without a return visit to P.E.I.  Mrs. J. very frequently speak of the lovely visit she had with you all…

   ...Is Stephen still at David's or did David sell the old home.  If he has not, I somehow think he will before many years.  I presume his wife would rather live in Nova Scotia. As she would be among her own people.

     When I was there last May, I walked over the old farm, and somehow it impressed me that the land is poor, possibly I was mistaken.  My, how the whole country around seemed to have changed.  As I walked over the old place, a thought like this came to me.  When shall I walk over this ground again?  Oh, who knows the future?

   ...The first stormy day set down and write me.  I want to know how the boys all are.  Where they are, and what they are doing…

     Hoping this will find its way to you over all the snow drifts and banks.

Yours lovingly, George

     Above: Jeffery Homestead, standing beside old barn, looking to the back fields running alongside the Dunbar Road.  Willie Dunbar's farm is to  the far left.

Geroge Jeffery's Thresher

     I took this photo of George's "Dion Self-feeding Threshing Machine" in the spring of 1985.  In its day this was the most advanced pieces of farming machinery a farmer could own.  Wilbert Jeffery said George bought this thresher in 1953 - he recalls George telling him that he bought a new 88  Oldsmobile in 1951, a new Oliver tractor in 1952 and this new thresher in 1953.

See the thresher in operation on this youtube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BedLrhPGsKI

     Below: unknown man feeding a threshing machine.  The photo came from a collection of photos owned by Eliza (Jeffery) Sellick who died in 1939. The likely that of her Jeffery family.  Eliza's father was Abram Jeffery and this is possibly one of her brothers.  The mostly unidentified photo collection was given to me in 1996 by Eliza's daughter Irene (Sellick) Clark

     Below: A modern day demonstration of how the threshing machine worked.

http://www.minisappashow.com/

     Be sure to visit the Canadian Potato Museum in O'Leary, Prince Edward Island to see their new machinery display and their threshing machinery. 

http://www.peipotatomuseum.com/site/tour/machinery.htm