Tall Tales Or Truths Woman’S Life Provides Fascinating Segment of Local History

Page 6 — ALMAGUIN NEWS, Wednesday, October 10, 2007 PIONEER PROFILES Tall tales or truths Woman’s life provides fascinating segment of local history Keely Grasser stuck with it. “I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter Staff Reporter Still another account, provided by family dated Dec. 16,” wrote J.M. McCallum, chief of member Helen, said she had purchased the market services. “In reply I regret to say that the SUNDRIDGE – Margaret Clark was a master property on sponsorship, so she could get Branch has no literature for distribution on Frog botanist, an educated multi-linguist and a frog citizenship for an Armenian resident. However, Farming. I understand, however, that there is a farmer. he was sent back, and Clark was left with the land. book on the subject entitled ‘Bull Frog Farming She was a writer and a researcher, both well- Whatever the reasoning, Clark made her way As a Side-Line of Muskrat Farming,’ by M.H. read and well-travelled. to her newly-acquired property, legend claiming Fenton, Pickerel, Ontario.” She’s also a memorable figure in the recent that her beloved piano was moved across the Later, “I do not know of any market for frogs’ history of the Sundridge area, even if the frozen Lake Bernard in the winter. legs, either fresh or canned, in Canada at the remarkable facts about this decades-deceased She moved into an old farmhouse on the present time. I should suggest, however, that you woman aren’t well-known. property. enquire from some of the largest hotels and What is well-known, or well-remembered, is But alas, Cook tells us, her housewarming restaurants in the big cities, such as the Royal Clark’s presence and the dozens of tidbits of would be short-lived. In the 20s or 30s both house York and Prince Edward Hotels, Eatons and information about the mysterious woman’s life, and barn burnt to the ground. Simpsons in Toronto; the Chateau Laurier, whether fact, fiction or legend — or somewhere Again, legends give varying account as to why. Ottawa; Windsor, Mont Royal, Ritz Carlton hotels in between. One story says there was a man stealing apples in Montreal and the Chateau Frontenac in Most small communities have that one person from trees on her property and he wanted Clark Quebec. It may be possible that — perhaps a free-thinker, a hermit, an oddball out, so he burnt her house to the ground when no some of these or some of the with lofty dreams — that stick to the collective one was home. wholesale meat and fish memory and spawn countless unofficial entries Another account has a tramp carelessly markets would be into local history. smoking in the barn. interested if a supply Margaret Clark is Sundridge’s. Nephew Larry said Clark was in town when were available Getting to the bottom of the mystery that is she saw the smoke billowing over the lake. By the from time to time.” Ms. Clark was a task recently undertaken by time she returned home, the house was gone. Later, in a letter Sundridge cottager Gary Cook and his friends. Another tale says the fire happened the day dated Jan. 9, 1936, He and a group of retired teachers who cottage she moved. the veterinary on Lake Bernard have a connection to their In 1931 or 1932, Clark had a new house built. director general of intriguing subject — their vacation homes all lay “Consequently,” Cook said, “Margaret had her the Health of on the property that originally brought Clark to first home.” Animals Branch of the the area. Clark worked at Johnston’s, now Foodland in Department of Their research made Clark all the more Sundridge. John Norman, of the retired teacher’s Agriculture, Ottawa wrote, intriguing, as Cook recently reported, through a group, recalls how Clark got to town from her “I beg to acknowledge the presentation on his findings, to the group of lakeside home. receipt of your letter of Dec. 29 retired teachers. She canoed across Lake Bernard in the in which you ask regarding the “Nothing is authoritative,” he warned of his summer, he said, and walked around the lake in canning of frogs. In so far as I research. “But there’s lots of interesting, the winter, holding a pole “so she wouldn’t fall in.” am aware there is no law interesting stuff.” She took a board with her in the spring, he governing the manufacture of Her story begins in 1890, when she was born at said, and when the ice was breaking up, she this product, providing of course the University of Toronto, where her father was a would put down the board and walk across. it is made from sound, raw custodian. He also recalls that his father boarded with material. The Meat and Canned Naturally, when she came of age, Clark chose Clark — she ran a boarding house — while he Foods Act does not deal with the to pursue a degree at the educational institute built his cottage. food material.” she was born at. “My father said it was a toss-up whether the In an undated letter from the Clark graduated with a modern language smell of (his companion’s) socks or Ms.Clark’s American Frog Canning degree in 1910. cooking was worse,” he said. Company, the manager tells Cook has a copy of the page in the university The boarding house, the group remembers, Clark that “if you can get wood yearbook of that year. attracted an array of travellers. cheap your fencing problem is Clark, Margaret Jane — “A deedful life, a silent “There was one guy who was strange,” practically solved because board voice,” her entry is headed. Norman remembers. “He was called ‘The Kid.’ He fencing is the best you can use.” It carries on “Margaret Clark was born in the had a boat he had made…he stored it there (at The manager, in a Queen City in the very midst of the halls of Clark’s home). Then he would get in this thing…It subsequent letter, tells Clark learning. Their influence she showed by getting a looked like it would fall all apart but he’d sail that the company will gladly certain stellar body associated with her name, across the lake…The Kid’s boat was eight feet ship breeders carrying frog when she matriculated from Harbord Collegiate. long…he occupied most of the boat with his spawn until the early fall. Disregarding her gift for astronomy, she entered pack…only his bottom was on the boat…his feet “This is the best season of Moderns with ’10. Despite the rigorous demands went over the front.” the year to start,” he wrote, of such studies, she found time for further Despite being a full citizen of the Township of adding that the company will celestial investigations, adding two more stars to Strong, the mysterious Clark’s activities were still be glad to help her out her name. We are sorry she abandoned her well-veiled to the townspeople. regardless of how large or adventures among the stars, and decided to win “One of the most profound things,” Cook said, small her frog farming some of the very dust of the earth — though it “was that she was incredibly well-read and well- operation was. may be gold dust. How she will collect this dust, travelled.” The last letter, dated Margaret does not know yet, but is, like An expert in botany, Cook said Clark wrote March 1936, welcomes Micawber, waiting for something to turn up.” papers for American publications on the subject, Clark as a “Broel System” What that elaborate and lofty description of not only to the ignorance of her neighbours, but frog raiser. the young Clark means, no one knows, reported at a time that few Canadians were involved in the “You are to be Cook. field. complimented for Clark’s life immediately after graduation At her home she researched, as well as raised, deciding to start now carries the same sense of mystery — and legend. orchids — it’s rumoured that she invented a when the industry is One account says she moved to Maryland, species of the bloom herself. young and easy to get U.S., Cook said. Another report has her working In a letter to Cook’s family, dated May 13, 1939, into. With ‘Nufond as a court reporter, another claims she taught Clark showed her interest in the natural world Giants’ and the famous English as a second language (ESL) (Clark, around her. ‘Broel System’ I feel apparently, was fluent in several tongues). “Dog tooth violets, mayflowers and Dutchman confident you should Clark’s whereabouts in this wartime period breeches are all gaily nodding in the woods now find both pleasure and may be fuzzy, and various reports of such but only the skunkberry bushes have begun leaf profit in a greater contradict each other, but what came next, Cook out, except the dogwood that has the measure than ever is sure of. thimbleberry-like bloom, only more of it,” Clark before known…We In the mid-1920s, Clark purchased a large scrawled. “I have been looking for the French wish you every piece of property on the east side of Lake morel mushroom but so far, only those colourful success.” Bernard. That’s where the group of retired cup-like red ones and a few of the tan-coloured Whether she teachers come in. false morels (poisonous by reputation, but I’ve found success, “Without her, none of us would be here,” Cook never tried them) are showing up.

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