Final answer

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FROM BLACKSMITHS TO BLACKBOARDS

ANSWERS AND CLUES

Priest:

Find a pair of candlesticks in the village.

Tinsmith (Monsieur Dumouchel):

Ah! The Curé is in luck. I have a pair of candlesticks he can use for Sunday Mass.

Priest:

(indignant)

How fortunate that Monsieur Dumouchel had candlesticks!  They will do for now, but I must put in an order in for a proper pair. To think that someone would steal from a church! No person with a good soul could have done this…

There was strange singing coming from the church last night, right before the robbery. I could hear it from the Presbytery, but by the time I reached the church the thief was gone. He did leave behind this box of lemon candy…how strange!

Farmer’s Wife (Madame Beaudoin):

Please take this pie to Madame Laflèche.

Schoolteacher (Madame Laflèche):

Oh, how lovely! Please thank Madame Trudel for me.

Farmer’s Wife (Madame Beaudoin):

(blames ghost) 

Thank you for taking my pie to the schoolteacher. She helped Monsieur Beaudoin write a letter last week. I suppose I should keep my end of the bargain then, but you’ll never believe what I have to say… Last night, we were startled awake by the pigs squealing in their pen. Monsieur Beaudoin ran outside and I followed him to see what the commotion was about. The gate to the pen was open and all of the pigs had run out. I looked towards the river, and there by the water was a ghostly figure with wild grey hair and a flowing white gown!  We didn’t stay to find out what the creature was, I’ll tell you that!  Strangest of all, the ghost had a familiar look, but I can’t quite put my finger on it…

Joiner:

Please figure out which house in the village was not vandalized.

General Store Owner (Monsieur Drouin):

Robberies here? No, we have been lucky, nothing seems to be missing or broken…but my wife is worried sick that we are next on the list!

Joiner:

(cranky)

So you visited the General Store, did you? I am sure Monsieur Drouin pointed the finger right back at me, the old goat. His new “suppliers” from the city have just about put me out of business, with all their cheap factory goods. We should be supporting our own, not giving business to city merchants who care only about money! Bah! The intruder destroyed my tools…how will I fill my orders now? I will have to go order tools from Drouin, how convenient! He sawed right through them – they might as well be kindling for the fire now…in fact, that’s what they look like…

Postmistress (Madame Drouin):

Please find someone in the village to fix the boots.

Shoemaker (Monsieur Cyr):

Oh dear! The soles of these boots are full of holes – as if they were burned…I will need to resole them.

Postmistress (Madame Drouin):

(nervous)

I am glad Monsieur Cyr will be able to fix the boots. I am so tired these days, it is a relief to have that taken care of. It was such a strange thing…I found them in the middle of the yard this morning. The dog must have got hold of them. Something is spooking him lately…no one seems to really be themselves, even myself. I keep thinking I have completed a chore, then realizing that it has not been done! Speaking of which, I really should go, I must mend a nasty tear in my nightdress…I cannot imagine how that could have happened…

Blacksmith:

Please find a tradesperson to make a new handle for the hammer.

Joiner:

I see you have an order for me. Hmm… the blacksmith definitely needs a handle for his hammer. I will get one right away; my apprentice makes them.

Blacksmith:

(fearful)

Oh good, you found a handle. Thank you. I used to feel safe in this village, but things are changing. This is no ordinary thief… no… he didn’t take a thing! He burned my hammer, but then stacked all of the horseshoes and flat tongs neatly under my workbench! And he left boot prints in ashes all over! Someone wants me to think I am losing my mind…

Schoolteacher (Madame Laflèche):

  1. What was the average salary for a female teacher in a rural school around 1900? a) $105 / year

  1. In addition to teaching, what are some of the tasks of a schoolteacher in a rural village? a) Write letters, read farmers the instructions for new farm products

  1. What object(s) in the school represent moral and religious education? d) A and B

Your grades are in. It seems you are studying well, unlike some of my other students. How they spend their time, I don’t know! Why, just last night there was a terrible racket in the schoolhouse. By the time I got downstairs the culprits were gone – but they did the strangest thing…each desk was set with a fork and knife! Imagine! My students must have too much free time. I will have to assign more homework.

Tinsmith (Monsieur Dumouchel):

(blames a stranger)

  1. What are three uses for tin goods in a rural home at the turn of the 20th century? b) Lanterns, cookware, roofing

  1. What is solder made up of? b) Lead and tin

  1. What is the tin rooster’s purpose (found in the tinsmith’s shop)? c) A weathervane

You would make a good apprentice; you’re about the right age, I think. So you are investigating the crimes committed in this village, are you? The whole village has been gossiping since the robberies began. Seems like you can’t trust anyone anymore! Why, just this morning, I was speaking with Madame Drouin at the post office and she was telling me all of her theories! I suspect her nerves are getting the better of her. She is usually such a sweet lady… sings in church every Sunday. If you ask me, no one in this town could have done it. It had to have been an outsider…

General Store Owner (Monsieur Drouin):

(jovial)

  1. What types of things are not found at the general store? b) Ice

  1. What role(s) does the general store play in the community? d) All of the above

  1. How could rural families pay off credit at the store? d) All of the above

That was an impressive showing! Maybe you will be of some help here after all. My suppliers in the city are refusing to send me new goods until this thief is apprehended. They do not want to lose money. Monsieur Guillemont should be happy about that. He’s been making trouble for me ever since I stopped carrying his furniture. This is a business.  He has to learn not to take things so personally! The only thing I am missing is some lemon candy. I can hardly blame that on a thief – probably just my wife’s sweet tooth.

Textile Worker (Madame Richer):

(concerned)

  1. What is linen cloth used for? a) Summer clothing, tablecloths and hand towels

  1. What is handmade cloth called? a) Homespun

  1. How many hours would it have taken to spin thread for one hour of weaving? d) 8 to 10 hours

You are a good teacher; maybe you can help me teach Charlotte how to weave.  I was sure she was the one who wrecked my weaving last night – all the threads were in disarray. I had to rip out the whole thing and begin again! But Charlotte claims she didn’t touch the loom…Come to think of it, I did notice a bit of ripped white cloth stuck to a loose nail by the doorframe this morning, and no one in this house wears fancy French cloth to bed, let me tell you!

Shoemaker (Monsieur Cyr):

(blames youngsters)

  1. What are bottes de boeuf? c) Work boots made from thread coated in a resin/tar mixture

  1. What types of tools did the shoemaker use? a) Awl and hammer

  1. What did the rural shoemaker use to make shoes and boots? b) Leather and thread 

This morning I saw Monsieur Beaudoin, the farmer, chasing his pigs all over the village!  He said a ghost let them out of their pen. Ha! What a story!  So-called “ghosts” always turn out to have an explanation. Your eyes can play tricks on you in the dark, you know. It does no good to have people running around telling ghost stories. Probably just some youngsters playing pranks.

 

The Mystery of the Nighttime Nuisance – Solve the Puzzle!

Who:

Why:

Final answer

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