" A lost time accident " at John St Tower.

I happened to pick up an old file from the 1930's on it's way to the incinerator, which we had behind the Bathurst St. Yard Office, and read the file.

It was about a lost time accident, and subsequent compensation request, and claim, by the Gateman at the John St. Tower, looking after the Front St Gates.

One of the stupidest things I never did, was keep the file, because it was hilarious, the name has been made up to cover up for my bad memory.

It seems the Gateman had blood poison on the back of his hand as the result of an accident, and although I never kept the file, I can paraphrase it fairly well.

Q. What is your name?
A. John
Q. What is your capacity with the company?
A. Gateman, John St. Tower
Q. What is the nature of your injury?
A. Blood poison on the back of my hand.
Q. How did this injury occur
A. A cut of cars was being pulled out of Simcoe St. Shed by a Yard Engine and I had to lower the
gates on Front St. and after the gates had lowered, a motorist pulled up to the gates, and his
horn began to blow. When his horn never stopped, I went down to see if I could help in any
way, and he rolled down his window, and began to yell, scream and swear at me, at which
time my fist accidentally came in contact with his teeth that happened to be somewhat
rotten, resulting in the blood poisoning.

Of course; what else.

Allan

Speaking of John St Tower I got this gem from Danny L.

Danny worked at the Simcoe St shed on a Yard Engine around 1954-55, and the lunch room was in the John St. Gatemans tower at the Front St crossing going into the shed.

They were getting ready to go to work, when Fergus the other Yardman drove up, parked and got a dozen beer out of the trunk of his car.

They noticed a CNR Cop watching Fergus with the beer, from a hiding place in the shed.

We yelled at Fergus to hide the beer, which he did, he went behind the tower and hid it, and when we asked him where he hid it he said don't worry, the cop will never find it.

We saw and heard the cop searching for it, even under the crawl space, and as this tower was built about 1901 it had lots of hiding places.

The Cop finally gives up goes away and at lunch time Fergus asks us if we would like a beer, of course was the resounding cry, and Fergus left.

A short time later Fergus returns with the beer, and when we saw them we almost puked, they were all covered in shit.

Fergus had hid the beer in the old out house that was no longer in use but that was still full of shit, no wonder the Cop never found the beer, but no wonder we never wanted one after that.

If they wanted one after that they would have to go to the Wheat Sheaf.

There was a method in his madness Danny, after all there was only a dozen, but it gives new meaning to the old saying, "He would drink it through a shitty sock"


Allan