"Potpourri"

Robert [Bucky] B. was a very nice guy, and very sensitive as well, one of those people who would do almost anything for you, but very nervous, and to add to that had a bit of a stutter problem that he tried desperately to control.

To show what king of a guy he was, he had just come down to work the Interchange Clerk Job and even though I had talked to him many times on the phone about business, we never knew each other real well.

It was October and I had just bought a house in Richmond Hill and was worrying out load about the closing fees saying I would have to go to the finance co for a loan until my CSBs, matured in November.

He then says I'll lend you the money Al and I thought are you for real, but then tell him I need five hundred dollars, and he says fine I'll bring it in tomorrow which he does.

A second incident was, we were sent to buy a Christmas Tree for the Office and we wound up at a senior home where the trees were being sold, when they told us the price, probably about seven dollars, I proceeded to knock them down to five dollars.

Bucky never stopped worrying for months because we had two dollars knocked off the tree being sold by the seniors, at which time I told him never pay the asking price for anything.

He subsequently said that he had purchased a stereo unit and took my advise and saved quite a few dollars, which made me feel good.

Aubrey R. not a small guy, jammed himself into Bucky's locker which he shared and asked someone to close the door.

When Bucky opens the locker Aubrey shouts Ta Da, Bucky jumps back scared shit-less saying, bu, bu, bu, bu, you Asshole.
AER

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Another one this time on Aubrey, as everyone in the Yard Office at Mimico knows, you would fall asleep in the office at your own peril and Dave [Porky] Russel seemed to have fallen asleep on the South Side of the long table that held the bill rack, and it was a table because it stood on legs and you could get under the table.

Bucky on the north side of the table says to Aubrey, look Porky has fallen asleep why don't you give him a hot foot.

Aubrey not averse to this kind of joke thinks that's a good idea crawls under the table and places a series of matches in the sole of Porky's shoe, and when he lights a match Porky shouts, FIRE, and throws a pot of water at Aubrey, who was non-plussed, to say the least.
AER

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One of the best Practical Jokers at Mimico was a Yardman by the named of George C. George was always causing funny problems for people around the yard, and he could tell a mean Joke to.

When George related the story after, it always seemed twice as funny, one of the better ones I was around for was, when he crawled up on the roof of the Order Yard shanty and stuffed the Axel, or bearing waste down the chimney of the stove, whereupon, Jack S. throws some kerosene into the pot belly stove to get it going, and settles back in the chair with his feet up on the desk preparing to have a little snooze.

Because there was no way for the fumes to go, caused by throwing kerosene on the fire, the stove blows up, and Jack comes running out of the shanty black as Tobey's ass from the built up soot in the pipes, he looked like Al Jolson, and he wasn't singing "Mammy"
Allan

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John [Brute] B. was a good Railroader but absent minded as hell, one day we decide the next day him, my brother Max and myself would go to the Sunnyside Pool swimming as it had been very hot that week.

John was about seven years older than me and lived not to far away and never drove a car so if we were going anywhere I would usually pick him up.

We go to the Brutes place the next day knock on the door his mother answered the door and we asked if John was up, and tell her we were going swimming.

Mrs B. his mother says, exasperated, no he isn't can you go to his room, wake him up and talk some sense into him I don't know what I am going to do with that man, meanwhile I'm thinking, I'm 18 and he's 25 and I should talk some sense into him, anyway I go wake him up, and he starts running around like a chicken with his head cut off, saying to his mother, where's the corn flakes, wheres my towel, where's the cocoa butter, wheres this where's that etc, you get the picture, he's finally ready and off we go.

We are all undressed getting into our swimming trunks when standing there naked as a Jay Bird he looks to me and says he forgot his swim suit.
Jesus Christ, Brute.

On another occasion we are at work starting on the afternoon shift when in walks Brute snapping his fingers as he was always doing whistling, and carrying his lunch bag, at which we say, what are you doing Brute, coming to work he replies, and we say it's your day off Brute, he throws his lunch on the table and says, here's my lunch, and promptly departs, that was, the Brute.

Allan
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