Page 62 - Charlie MacDonald: Cab Driver Tales, More Stories from 58 Years Behind the Wheel

ISSUE : Issue 53

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/1/1

you a spot," he said, "that you'll never be hijacked." He said. "You follow me in." Went in to where the nice building he had where he kept his farm boys, men--slaves too, you know. And, three big watch dogs. (Slaves?) Oh some of them, yeah. Black fel? lows, slaves, yeah. I didn't know it at the time, but when I got talking to some of them, I found out. The white men told me. you know the way they brought it out? And I know it was darkies that made the little tables. Four long legs. You could sit in your car--four long legs--a little table with a little round bar around it, and a place for the cup. place for the plate, place for the bowl. And none of it would fall. Put it right by the door of your car. Eat it. I thought it was the nicest thing, you know. So, he got out of his car. And I got out. He said to the black fellows--watching the building, you know, with the dogs inside-- cooking or what, I don't know. "Let go of the three watch dogs." Three watch dogs galloped over to him. I thought they were going to jump on me. But I was never scared of dogs. "Here," he said, "Bully, take his scent! Crocodile, take his scent! Jackie, take his scent! All right, go back. Hook them up. You park your car over there," he said. "Leave the windows open"--102 de? grees! "And," he said, "they'll let nobody near it. They've got your scent." I never woke up till 6 that evening. Gave me a good supper--brought it out. And do '00' 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 - w'ater depth 6 metres to 11 • new all-weather highway access to Trans Canada Highway • railway and common user sidings available • advantageous government assistance programs -'f., Sydport is accessible by all major transportation routes - road and rail, Enterprise **3 3"'' 3''- '? ''"*' ""* • ""* >?" "' reserve a piece of the board, contact: Cape Breton Corporation '''' Industridl Pdrlc Canada I came back up. New York, down through Boston, came in through Moncton, coming back to Sydney. (So in all. you made how many trips to New York?) Nineteen. I had two up. And the French party up. And I took telephone girls, business girls--took them up, and I stayed 4 days while they were up there, and back, waited for them to go back. (What were they doing up there?) World's Fair. The World's Fair.... (I'm the) driver that had the longest cab job in Canada: Sydney to Arizona. (That's a long one.) Damn tooting. Three thousand, eight hundred and thirty-three miles. One way.... (You didn't seem to need much sleep in life.) Well, that's what I said. I got away with so little. Like those three trips to Halifax. I took a couple of wake-up tablets and a drink of black rum and sugar. and cold water. Oh yeah, cold water, sugar, and black rum. and the tablet in with it. (This was sort of like--this was your regular way of staying awake.) Staying awake. (How much rum?) About, oh about a good mouthful. (And then, how much sugar?) A spoonful of sugar-- big spoon. (And then how much water?) Then stir it up with same amount of water as rum. (So it's not very much water, then.) No, Midway Motors Ltd. Now with Two Locations: HEAD OFFICE '' NEW OFFICE Middle River '' Port Hastings 295-2290 "'' 625-3641 We've Been CHRYSLER Since 1926 e Rimners Co-operative Dairy Limited A Complete Line of Dairy & Juice Products ?? Milk ?? Spreads ?? Ice Cream ?? Juices ?? Yogourt ?? Long Life ?? Cheese Products Farmers Co-operative Dairy Limited Sydport. Sydney 562-2434 Owned by Nova Scotian Fanners

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