Bathing and toileting facilities on the farm could be challenging. In the farm house my dad
built a small bathroom with a proper toilet and bathtub. This was mainly for the use of the women. Flush water was obtained via the irrigation ditches near the house in summer There was a large refillable tank or cistern in the basement. In winter this Bow river water was chlorinated and trucked in, often being collected through a hole in the ice. So it was rationed. One shallow bathtub application served to wet down a number of bodies at once- sometimes several of the small ones at the same time. Drainage was into a septic field.
Us guys were expected to use the outdoor pit toilet, enclosed in a small outhouse out of
sight away from the house behind a hedge. Inside were two seats- a “ two holer” . One seat was for adults at chair height. The other for kids was half the height with a cute little bum-sized hole cut in the plank. No toilet seat. Bum freezer.
Toilet paper was rare and mainly for the house. The pit toilet was amply supplied with an old Eatons catalog which provided both wipes (not very comfortable or efficient) and reading material . I always
thought that the section on garden tools was a bit more scratchy. The rare occasion when there was toilet paper installed it was luxury.
One time my mother put a brand new roll into it and discovered it completely gone to her consternation and aggressive interrogation of us kids followed. Same thing happened again. Culprit ?? A young calf was caught happily chewing the tail end of the roll until it unwound completely into its welcoming stomach. Cure ? Latch on the door.
Another outhouse calamity happened when a small “wiener” pig who had the run of the yard decided to explore inside the outhouse. My brother suddenly came in, spooked him and he jumped up on the low we seat and fell down the hole. Great excitement although the pig seemed fairly calm. Vigorous lassoing efforts didn’t work. Eventually dad and hired men lifted the little shed off the hole and managed finally roped him and he emerged going out much browner and smellier than when he went in, screaming bloody murder. He then had a scrub down and a bath in the ditch. Back to latch on the door!
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