Cape Breton's Magazine

But anyway, that night when Henry came home, I put my arms around him in bed like I always did. And he moved away from me. I asked him if he was mad or something. He said, "No." I said, "Well, what's wrong?" "Well, I'll show you, but it's not very nice." He took his pyjama top off, and he showed me his back. And where the rocks had ground into him, it was like huge tiger claws all down his back, where he'd taken this weight of the rock off his brother. He's still got those scars today. But when they were fresh you could have played Oughts and Crosses (Xs and Os) on them. And then another time he said, a fellow worker got caught--his pants leg, or part of his clothing, was caught in the wheel, the wheel used for hoisting the cage to the top--the cage was the elevator that took the men from the deeps up to the top. And he got caught--it was working. And by the time they stopped it, it had ground into his leg and ground it to bits. Museum of Cape Breton Heritage Northeast Margaree on the Cabot Trail Inverness Co., Cape Breton, N. S. OPEN 9 TO 6 DAILY At Sydport, there's a spot for you. Whether your business is small or large, Sydport has the facilities and services you need to make a real "go" of It. Sydport offers: • serviced land available for lease or sale • buildings available for lease • year-round harbour access • 768 metres of useable wharf - water depth 6 metres to 11 • new all-weather highway access to Trans Canada Highway • railway and common user sidings available • advantageous government assistance programs Operated by: Sydpoit Is accessible by all maot transportation routes - road and rail, Enterprise **" ''"' '''- '? ""'' o"* '**>"' VO" ''' reserve a piece of the board, contact: Cape Breton c • .n 3y'p'|,| Industrial Park Canada Tel: (902) 564-3636 1-800-565-9460 Fax: (902) 564'612 And he's screaming, "Cut it off! Cut it off!" And by the time a workmate got the axe and severed it with one blow, it was only hanging on by a strip of flesh. But you see--the next day they had to go to work just as if nothing had happened. They were like soldiers.... They had a rule, to say, "Don't ever get out of the rake"--the train--until it came to a full stop. Because sometimes it would get an extra surge in power. And if you happened to be standing in front of that rake, you'd go underneath the wheels, or on the side. And Henry was with a young fellow--he hadn't been married very long. And he was in an all-fired hurry to get out of the rake. And he jumped out before it stopped, and it spurted up again. And Henry was holding onto his jacket saying, "No!" And he was left holding his jacket when he saw his mate's body go under the wheels until it was ground up like hamburger. And that's when he got all upset. He came home and he kept saying to me, "If only I didn't see him." He was walking the floor all night. "If only I didn't see him. If only I didn't see him." He never ate. But the next shift, he's down there again, walking over the same spot where it hap? pened. He had to go to work. Like I said, like in the war. (Were your relationships in Cape Breton mostly with Polish people, or...?) No. The One Name You Need to Know: RAHEY'S • for Comfortable Home Furnishings • for Reliable Appliances • 81 for the Latest in Electronic Technology J. R. Rahey*s Furniture Stores 1095 King's Road Sydney River 562-2500 Main Street Sydney Mines 736-9442 AND ALSO VISIT IN SYDNEY MINES: J. R. Raliey*s Jewellery Store 158 Main Street • 736-6150 We've Built the Name People Trust! 30