Page 60 - Charlie MacDonald: Cab Driver Tales, More Stories from 58 Years Behind the Wheel

ISSUE : Issue 53

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/1/1

from Gander home. So they flew from Gander to Sydney. That was as far as that flight could take them. So when they got to Syd? ney, they'd be there at least two weeks, and might (only) get a couple of (them) out. Out of the 6. There were that many waiting to get home after the war. And on? ly 40-passenger planes. So, I got in with them down at the old Norfolk (Hotel) down there. I used to check on the flights for them. And I told them, I said, "If I can twist a little. But I can't twist 6, or 4. Maybe one at a time." "Charlie, we're all together, and we'll go together." So, the fourth morning, we went out. May 16th, 1946. Went to the airport. Nothing. All right.... "Looks terrible here, Char? lie. We'll never get out of here till sum? mer." I said, "Listen. One of you fellows belong to New Jersey, don't you?" "Oh, yes," this fellow said. "I do." "Well," I said, "that's not very far from East Bos? ton." "Oh," he said, "about 300 miles." I said, "They got an airport there?" "Why sure," he said. "Well," I said, "why don't we try for East Boston Airport. You're in America: you're liable to get home a lot quicker." I said, "You're going down to the other end of the States," I said, "handy Panama. Three of you." I said, "There's one from Montana and one for Arizona. One for New Jersey." "Mmm. Too much money." "Well," I said, "it's costing you money here." "Oh, well, it's only costing the 6 of us about 20 or 30 dollars a day, at the hotel and a few little grub." I said, "Okay." Next morning I got a call from the hotel, "Come over to the Norfolk." They were all standing outside. A nice sunny morning. May 16th. They came over, opened the doors. "Pile in the luggage, Charlie! We're going to East Boston!" The people going by look? ing at them, you know. And they had this American twang, you know--they were from I down in the South. R Ooi'i EDISCOVER YOUR HERITAGE ''t'i -pjc-pure Cape Breton V isit the Nova Scotia Highland Village and experience pioneer life as it was from the 17()0s to the 1920s. Visit displays of early architecture, including the only known replica of a "Taigh Dubh" (Black House) in North America. Our cos? tumed staff are trained in conversational Gaelic and local history. Facilities include an outdoor stage, gift shop, picnic areas and a genealogy program. The village is open daily from June 15 to September 15. Admission is $2.50 adults. $5.00 family and $2.00 seniors. Stay at the Highland Heights Inn when in lona. Located next to Highland Village overlooking the Bras d'Or Lakes, this well-ap? pointed facility offers you comfortable accommodations, home- style cooking, and warm Cape Breton hospitality. The Inn is open June 1st to late October (all three meals served daily). [formation write or phone: N.S. Highland Village Box .SX. lona. N.S. BOA ILO Highland Heights Inn Box m lona S BOA 1 That was 8:15 in the morning, we left the airport. First pavement was when I hit Bangor. The rest was all dirt road. But cars then were built for dirt road, as long as the dirt road was good. But that Buick could lay to the road. Twenty years later a Buick wouldn't lay to that dirt road.... The next morning at 4 o'clock-- quarter to 4--pulled into East Boston airport. Non-stop. Well, we had pret? ty good wheeling from Bangor up. So, I pulled in. To hell with the parking sign. I pulled in on the wrong side there, and I saw a lot of people around outside. "Four o'clock in the morning!" I said to myself. The other boys were just waking up, you know. I used to tell them to sleep. I pulled WE HAVE INFORMATION ON YOUR PROPERTY - AND YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT IT IS! We have over 20 pieces of information on every number you see on ttiis map, and we have a number on every property in Cape Breton, Richmond, Victoria, and Inverness Counties. That means we have a number on every property in Cape Breton island. ~ A SERVICE WORTH INVESTIGATING ~ Land Registration and Information Service Property Mapping and Records Division 66 Wentworth Street, Sydney, N. S. B1P 6T4 CONTROL SYSTEM of concrete monuments for surveying BASE MAPS: Orthophoto for rural areas, Line Maps for cities, town, villages PROPERTY MAPS with boundary information and ownership information REGISTRY ASSISTANCE for government and private users Your Property Is Our Business • Ask Us About It TELEPHONE (902) 563-2280 or 563-2281 .An Agency of the Council of Maritime Premiers From BADDECK

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