Cape Breton's Magazine

John; It was a different world at that time. Fig of tobacco--what I chew today-- 10 cents. Now I'm paying over 2 dollars for it. Just a fig of tobacco, you know. I chew tobacco. I never smoked. When I was 14 years old, I left home. Left home.... And I went to Sydney. I had enough money to get to Sydney. And then I went to Lynch's bakery--I got a job there. And I made money enough there to get to Halifax. So I went to Halifax. And then I hired on this Stanley (an icebreaker)--me and another buddy, Newfoundland fellow. And I was on the Stanley for two years. At that time I was only 18. I couldn't get in the navy, because I had to be 20 years of age before I could enlist. And soon as I was 19, me and this fellow I figured out--we'd go and see if we could get in the navy. The Stanley was landed in Halifax at that time. So we took advantage, we went up to the re? cruiting officer. And he asked us, he said, "Are you 20 years of age yet?" We said-- well, we didn't lie; we didn't want to say we were. 'Cause we knew the rules, see. "Well," we said, "just about 20." "Well," he said, "can you come back tomorrow?" So, we came back the next day. We had it all figured up that we were a bit over 20 years old. We figured out our date. We changed our date. I was born in 1896. But I said I was born in (1895), so that'd be 20 years of age. So he took our word for it; we got in the navy.... I was in the navy the rest of the time, till the war was over.... (You weren't raised up to be on an ice? breaker. I mean, you were raised to be-- what?) I was raised to be a poor man! And I'm still poor.... (Did you do any work before you left here?) Oh yes, yes. I worked in the lob? ster factory. I was cracker in the lobster factory. Sadie; You lobster fished with your stepfather Peter. John; It was hard work. Anybody who's fishing can tell you it's hard work. But I didn't mind work at that time. Hard work didn't mean nothing. I worked hard in my life. I used to leave home--well, I would clear the table here. I used to leave home here --Sadie knows--you contradict me if I'm not right, please. I used to leave home in the morning and travel to North River woods--it's over a hundred miles (in to the lumber camps). And we wouldn't quite make it that night. We'd stay at the Half? way House. Do you remember anything about the Halfway House? (I dp know that it ex? isted.) It was about half between here and North River.... All the people that were travelling would stay there overnight. (And you would walk up?) Walk up! Walk up and walk back. Well now, to finish it right. We'd go to North River, we'd work maybe a month. I had to leave home, and leave my wife with little children to look after while I was there. She had to get wood and saw wood and keep the house going till I got back. Joe Asseff, a merchant at Catherine E. Harvey Realties Ltd. Catherine E. Harvey Kathryn MacDonald Jeanette MacDonald Established 1970 Victoria County's First Resident Licensed Real Estate Broker Doing business in and around the beautiful Bras d'Or Lakes and the famous Cabot Trail Telephone 902-295-2364 in the geographical centre of Cape Breton Island Box 352, Baddeck, Nova Scotia Contact us for our Brochure BOE IBO Ron May Pontiac 147 Prince Street Sydney 539-6494 Hawkesbury Pontiac GMC: TRUCKS 46 Paint Street Port Hawkesbury 625-3280 FRONT END ALIGNMENT - AIR CONDITIONING SPECIALISTS NEW & USED -- SALES -- SERVICE - LEASING - DAILY RENTAL