Page 69 - From Visits with John A. MacIsaac

ISSUE : Issue 54

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/6/1

saw him. I know he was over a hundred at that time. (What were you telling me about him smoking?) Smoking--oh, he used tobacco. He smoked a pipe all the time. Till he couldn't pull the pipe, he couldn't smoke the pipe. When my mother was down, he asked her to smoke the pipe, and blow the smoke in his face. Now I heard her saying that myself. She'd be his daughter-- my mother. (And how often did she do that?) Oh, not very often. Be? cause he didn't stay bedridden very long, no, no. (Oh, this was just the end of his life?) That's right. (Strong man.) Yeah. He was only a small man. I saved a little girl in North Sydney my? self. Jumped overboard into the ocean to save her. There was a little bunch of them came down. It was on a Wednesday evening. I don't think the stores at that time were open on Wednesday afternoon. So, I was up (to North Sydney) in a freight vessel with Angus Burton. So he had an uncle uptown, so he went up to see the uncle. There wasn't a soul around the wharf. So there was a bunch of kids came running down. And I was up forward; I was coiling up some chain. And I heard, "Plunk." I turned, and here's the kids running back. I made one jump right over the rail, down alongside of her. So I got her, I put her up on my back. All the pier was all pile- drive- -you couldn't get up there. So I swam in, and I laid on the rudder. On the rudder of the boat. See, we were at rest (anchored), a good ways from the wharf, because there was a steamer coming in. So we had to brace off a ways there. So anyway, I bethought of a fender that I had dropped over. Did it go all the ways down, or how did it go? So I swam around; here's the painter (rope) was hanging like that--one end came right down. But the other end hooked up here on something. So, STITCHING POST S)Husqvarna-White Sewing Machines Sergers Knitting Macliines Lessons LAY-A-WAY Financing Available 0-A-C Also available: • Bridal Fabrics • Trims • Notions 106 Townsend St. Sydney, N. S. 562-7056 I let the little one go, and I bounced out of the water, and I struck the fender, and the fender came down. Then I got her, and we got on the fender, and got up over the rail into the vessel. I got her (out) and sent her ashore. And here I was, soaking, dripping wet--and hailing and snowing and blowing. And I had a pair of Angus Bur? ton's boots on, number lis. And I had an awful job to save them. (You had them on your feet in the water?) In the water. But I went down the fo'c'sie then, took off my clothes, and I wrang them out. I stayed there till Angus came. All dried up. Our thanks to Donald Maclsaac, Sugarloaf, for ptiotos of John A. and Donald's mother, and of the house and barn. 25th Anniversary 1965 -1990 We are celebrating 25 years of serving Cape Breton. Listen for special anniversary promotions! We look forward to many more years of growing together. Cabot House Suite 208 (902) 539-8500 500 King's Road Sydney, N. S. BIS IBl

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