Cape Breton's Magazine

thing, you know what I mean?. ly survival, you know. It's real- I met a lot of fine people in my travels down there (in the States). When I was out in California, through other people, I met the Rat Pack, you know--Frank Sinatra, Pe? ter Lawford, Shirley MacLaine, Sammy Davis Jr. The Rat Pack, they called them at that time. (You met them through boxing?) Yeah, through boxing out there. See, they were all fight fans, all those people. And I was only fighting, like, 6-rounders out there.... But I was over with guys like Del Flanagan, Al Andrews, those guys. They were fighting main events--top fighters in the world. And I was out with them, spar? ring partner. They'd get a 6-round fight for me, you know. And afterwards, there was a party at this big country club, see, and that's how I met them. All these celebrities were there. Here I was a dumb cluck from Cape.Breton • An immigrant at 4 months old! • A coal miner at 11! • Winner of the Boston Marathon at 20! • Still a Cape Bretoner (expatriate) at 85! HAVE YOU HEARD OF...? JOHNNY MILES Nova Scotia's Marathon King by Floyd Williston Order from your local bookstore or from The Johnny Miles Foundation 283 Elm St., New Glasgow NS B2H 1Y9 $12.95 plus $1.50 postage Trulyy a very warm story of a Cape Bretoner who made good Nova Scotia Nauci Scotians The Nova Scotia Department of Community Services provides a number of programs and services to improve the quality of life for our seniors. • CO-ORDINATED HOMECARE SERVICES • SENIORS* SPECIAL ASSISTANCE • PROPERTY TAX REBATE • RENTAL ASSISTANCE • HOMES FOR SPECIAL CARE If you would like further details or more information, please contact the Community Services office in your area or write: Nova Scotia Department of Community Services P.O. Box 696, HaUfax, N.S., B3J 2X7 Department of Community Services out there, waltzing around the floor. And I got a dance with this--Diane Dors was her name. She was an English girl. She was like a Marilyn Monroe at the time.... So. anyway, like I was only young, I was only 19 when I was out there. So, from there I came back home and fought around the Maritimes. I went away to Boston again and fought. And then I came back. Then I went to sea. I quit boxing, I went to sea. And then I made comebacks, like, you know. And this funny incident--! was maybe a year and a half out of boxing. I was living out the country. East Bay way, and I was working in the woods out there. I had two small children, living in a small bunga? low. And $50 a week I was getting, working in the woods. So this promoter from Syd? ney, Benny Gaum, he came out. Big Cadillac car, pulled up at my door and came in. Well, I'd fought for Benny before. And he said he wanted me to fight, you know. The other card--Blair Richardson was going to make his first 10-round fight here in the Glace Bay Forum. And he wanted a...name semi-final fighter, you know. So my wife said, "Oh, no way--he's through. I don't want him fighting any more." So I hadn't had a glove on for about 17 or 18 months. So anyway, a couple of days later, back he came again. So he threw a whole bunch of money on the table, you know. Ooo, you know, your eyes light up. When you're working for 5 0 bucks a week, you know, and you see a bunch of money on the table. So he said, "That's yours, Gordie, if you'll sign for the fight." She said, "No." So I called her in the bedroom. I said, "Hey, we could use some bucks, you know." Baby was only 6 months old, and an older fel? low. So, finally agreed. And I never asked who I was fighting or anything like that. All I re? member saying was, "Well, when is the fight?" I figured I had a month, you know, when I'd get ready. He said, "In 10 days." Imagine-- 10 days! 96 So all I did was run back and forth through the woods. And I put a punching bag up in the barn, and I punched that. I had no car, so I couldn't get to Syd? ney,, do any sparring or anything. So, isn't it funny? When I was going good, you had people