Reminiscences of a Raconteur, Between the '40s and the '20sHam, George H. (George Henry)
History
Reminiscences of a Raconteur, Between the '40s and the '20s
Ham, George H. (George Henry)
Canada; Ham, George H. (George Henry), 1847-1926; Journalists -- Canada -- Biography
“There, doesn’t that prove that’s the mayor’s old piano? How would his
niece know where to put her fingers so well unless she had played upon
it before?”
That was proof positive to him of the existence of a big scandal.
Donald McEwan and the Waiter
A great many people throughout Canada will remember with kindly thoughts
Mr. Donald McEwan, who represented the well-known clothing house of
Shorey & Co., of Montreal, in the West. He used to make his headquarters
in Vancouver at the C.P.R. hotel, where he had a favorite waiter in
Mike—Mike, the ready witted Irishman. One day we were lunching
together, and it happened that one waiter bringing in a loaded tray for
one of the guests collided with another waiter returning to the kitchen
with a tray full of empty dishes. There was a grand crash and a big
smash. “Say, Mike, who got the worst of that?” laughingly asked Donald
of Michael. Quicker than a flash came back: “The C.P.R., sor.”
Another time my good friend was trying to get a hurried lunch in order
to catch a train. He gave Michael his full order, which included ox-tail
soup. The order was promptly filled, but Michael had forgotten the soup.
“Where’s the ox-tail?” demanded Mr. McEwan. “Shure,” retorted Mike,
“It’s where it ought to be—behind, sor.”
Mistaken Identity
Mistaken identity frequently leads to curious outcomes. For instance,
John Macbeth, a popular young lawyer, who was born in Kildonan, and his
brother Roddy, now a favorite Presbyterian preacher in Vancouver, didn’t
look alike as much as two peas, but there was the usual family
resemblance. At this particular time the Reverend Roddy was preaching in
Springfield, not far from Winnipeg. One day, as I was talking to John,
one of the Macleods of Kildonan, but then a farmer in Springfield,
joined us, and began to tell John how much he enjoyed his sermons.
“They’re grand, and I feel uplifted by them. Oh, boy, you’re the best
preacher I ever heard, and I don’t want any better one, me whatefer
boy.” “But,” replied John, “I’m not Roddy; I’m John.” “The hell you are.
Come on John, an’ let’s have a drink.” And naturally—.
CHAPTER V
The Boys are Marching—The Trent Affair—The
Fenian Raid—The Riel Rebellion—A Dangerous
Mission—Lost on the Trail—The First and
Last Naval Engagement on the Saskatchewan—Rescue
of the Maclean
Family—A Church Parade in the
Wilderness—Indian Signals
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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