Page 64 - Charlie MacDonald: Cab Driver Tales, More Stories from 58 Years Behind the Wheel

ISSUE : Issue 53

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/1/1

up and bring them up here, and he'd jump in the car and take them over there. Take them back again that night sometime. Yeah, yeah. Good money, too, boy. (So Sydney was your mainstay, though.) Oh, -yeah. I've been around, yes. New York, Boston, Ontario, Ottawa, and Montreal, Quebec. And down in the States. I was to New Jersey one trip. And then another trip I went down and I emptied at Arizona. But Sydney was the main. One of the best weeks--well, 10 days--I had: in those years, it wasn't office girls, it was business girls. So, I used to drive the telephone company, and some more of them working at lawyers, and doc? tors' offices. I had a limousine, you see, for the airport--takes 7. So, their vaca? tions came up. First vacations that year, in Canada, that you'd get paid. It came in in '31. But you didn't get paid. You'd take two weeks off or a week off--whatever rhe N'PRMAWAY INN4' DDGE CABINS The first choice for fine food and lodging on the Cabot Trail The Normaway is proud to be able to share a part of Cape Breton's culture. Enjoy traditional music by the fire side, nightly films on the area, a choice selection of Cape Breton books and records, traditional and contemporary Cape Breton music or the tre most spring and fall weekends, as well as Elder Hostel travel learning program Look for youth concert ceilidh square dances starting in June. For more information write or phone: THE NORMAWAY INN 902-248-2987 you wanted. No pay. But in '37 it came in, legally, you had to be paid. So, by God, there were 5 girls from the telephone office and 2 from lawyers' of? fice. They booked me to take them to New York World's Fair. My God. I told them yes, I would, and they were all ready. And then, I said, "Now, listen. According to what I know about style," I said, "the style here is no good in ,New York. And we'll be only one night on the road." I said, "Wait till you get to New York, girls, and buy new style--keep up with New York." That saved them a lot of money. "See, we'll have money to spend up there." So. And some of them probably had a drink --I forget--probably in Sydney, but I'm doubtful. Some of them didn't, but some more of them did, probably a little toddy home. When we got out of town, up comes the bottles--blast! Mostly gin. Gin! Well, there was no liquor store. There were ven? dors, they called them. But there were liquor stores after we got out of Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia province had cut out liquor stores. So anyhow, we got up. Stayed overnight in Saint John. And then crossed over to Ban? gor, went into New York. And they had hotel booked, and everything, there. Of course, the deal--I had to wait with them, and take them back. And they wanted me as a guide in the World's Fair, see. Well, it was all strange to me, too, you know--the World's Fair. So I had a nice room at the hotel, and they all did. And they were happy, and enjoying it. And they went out to stores, the day we got there--you should talk about the nice styles! They were all young girls in their 20s, you know. And the styles of Lunchtime, dinnertime, partytime, anytime, it's finger iicicinVgood. K'ntiict'EtiedGliicken No matter what you're ({('ing" or how many you're with there's nothing that.tastes so good when yog're hungry as.., The Colonel's Taste is Best CljtCIiitbtnCIialet- n 2A STERLING ROAD * Glace Bay, N. S. Telephone 849-6689 D SYDNEY SHOPPING CENTRE Prince St., Sydney, N. S. Telephone 564-6322 D 7 BLOWERS STREET North Sydney, N. S. Telephone 794-3534 D CAPE BRETON SHOPPING PLAZA * Sydney River, N. S. Telephone 564-6646 D PLUMMER AVENUE * New Waterford, N. S. Telephone 862-2111 * INSIDE SEATING AVAILABLE *

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