Journal Stories From The 2000's

L.U. No. 230 Victoria, B.C.
Editor:

Summer games are in full awing on our little Island, and the line gangs of the BC Electric are quite peeved in some of their achievements in the world of sport do not appear occasionally in the pages of the Worker.

Brother Bradshaw and “Buster” McKenzie aspire to be the leading lights of the horseshoe pitchers, but the monotonous regularity with which the old-timers, Brothers Casey, Mat and Joe Ball, keep throwing ringers is very discouraging to them.

Brother Casey did not have much luck with his bowling bunch so he has started a soft ball team known as the “Gray Galloping Ghosts.”

Their first game was with a nine from the Ancient and Honorable Company of Gentlemen Adventurers, otherwise known as the Hudson Bay Company.

They prepared for this game with considerable nervousness, but Brother Casey had foreseen this likely occurrence and to counteract it had brought along a transformer, kindly loaned by the BC Electric, and immediately connected it up and formed the fraternal circuit, threw in the switch and in the twinkling of an eye his followers became roaring lions ready to eat their opponents alive.

The fray started with Brother Casey going to bat.

Now in a former game of baseball, Brother Casey had saved his team from a whitewash by making a home run, and now was his chance to duplicate that feat. Carelessly approaching the plate, he moistened his hands copiously in the time-honored manner, rubbed them in the dust and then on his immaculate uniform, and then by the aid of his acquired electricity, made his bat to describe an invisible arc which fortunately caused it to come in contact with the first ball pitched. Did he make a home run? I’ll say he did- while the crowd yelled its united head off. Encouraged by the dynamic example of their leader, the “Gray Galloping Ghosts” won the game by a score of 14 to 7, and if they do not lose their electricity bid fair to be the bright lights of the league.

Under the efficient coaching of “Chief Big Smoke” Meldram, Brother Harry Downs, known as “Bones” is fast becoming a spectacular figure in the baseball world. If the big league scouts ever dig up the price of the boat fare from the mainland and get their eyes on him while in action, he’ll surely be slated for the majors.

The present condition of the inside wiremen is not very satisfactory, owing chiefly to the difficulty of getting the contractors to sign up the new scale and also to the inroads made in the trade by the curbstoners who are taking jobs at any price, but the linemen are keeping fairly busy with very few members out of work. I get letters from Brothers from all over the map asking what are the chances here for a job. The last one was from a Brother in Joliet, Ill. And I am sorry to have to spin them all the same yarn, “nuthin’ doin’.”

Last Monday, the members all laid off in a body to attend the funeral of our late Brother John Grant. Jack as he was known to all had been a consistent member of Local No. 230 fro many years, having held the office of president for several terms. Twenty-four years ago he landed here, took a minor job with the BC Electric, served his apprenticeship as a lineman, and had risen to be line superintendent when he was stricken down by an incurable malady. He bore his suffering with great fortitude. The last three months of his life were spent in the hospital where he passed away, leaving a wife and a son and many friends to mourn their loss.

Shappy.



	Published in June 1931 - I.B.E.W. Journal L.U. No. 230 Victoria, B.C. Editor: Summer games are in full awing on our little Island, and the line gangs of the BC Electric are quite peeved in some of their achievements in the world of sport do not appear occasionally in the pages of the Worker. Brother Bradshaw and “Buster” McKenzie aspire to be the leading lights of the horseshoe pitchers, but the monotonous regularity with which the old-timers, Brothers Casey, Mat and Joe Ball, keep throwing ringers is very discouraging to them. Brother Casey did not have much luck with his bowling bunch so he has started a soft ball team known as the “Gray Galloping Ghosts.” Their first game was with a nine from the Ancient and Honorable Company of Gentlemen Adventurers, otherwise known as the Hudson Bay Company. They prepared for this game with considerable nervousness, but Brother Casey had foreseen this likely occurrence and to counteract it had brought along a transformer, kindly loaned by the BC Electric, and immediately connected it up and formed the fraternal circuit, threw in the switch and in the twinkling of an eye his followers became roaring lions ready to eat their opponents alive. The fray started with Brother Casey going to bat. Now in a former game of baseball, Brother Casey had saved his team from a whitewash by making a home run, and now was his chance to duplicate that feat. Carelessly approaching the plate, he moistened his hands copiously in the time-honored manner, rubbed them in the dust and then on his immaculate uniform, and then by the aid of his acquired electricity, made his bat to describe an invisible arc which fortunately caused it to come in contact with the first ball pitched. Did he make a home run? I’ll say he did- while the crowd yelled its united head off. Encouraged by the dynamic example of their leader, the “Gray Galloping Ghosts” won the game by a score of 14 to 7, and if they do not lose their electricity bid fair to be the bright lights of the league. Under the efficient coaching of “Chief Big Smoke” Meldram, Brother Harry Downs, known as “Bones” is fast becoming a spectacular figure in the baseball world. If the big league scouts ever dig up the price of the boat fare from the mainland and get their eyes on him while in action, he’ll surely be slated for the majors. The present condition of the inside wiremen is not very satisfactory, owing chiefly to the difficulty of getting the contractors to sign up the new scale and also to the inroads made in the trade by the curbstoners who are taking jobs at any price, but the linemen are keeping fairly busy with very few members out of work. I get letters from Brothers from all over the map asking what are the chances here for a job. The last one was from a Brother in Joliet, Ill. And I am sorry to have to spin them all the same yarn, “nuthin’ doin’.” Last Monday, the members all laid off in a body to attend the funeral of our late Brother John Grant. Jack as he was known to all had been a consistent member of Local No. 230 fro many years, having held the office of president for several terms. Twenty-four years ago he landed here, took a minor job with the BC Electric, served his apprenticeship as a lineman, and had risen to be line superintendent when he was stricken down by an incurable malady. He bore his suffering with great fortitude. The last three months of his life were spent in the hospital where he passed away, leaving a wife and a son and many friends to mourn their loss. Shappy.