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20 NORTH LEEDS LANTERN PAM IN PORTLAND by Pam Fry This mcnth I am going to talk about transportation. In particular and in general. Partly because of the bus strike, and the fact that one of my best friends has been trying to get down here to visit me for the past month. And partly because I do not understand the thinking behind those mysterious, omnipotent forces that arrange and rearrange our lives. This pattern, as applied to our various means of transport, seems to have beiled down to cars and airplanes. With trains as a kind of afterthought. Cars, of course, are an absolute for everybody. Anywhere from one to four cars per family. Parking lots swallowing up more and more city streets. Years ago I read a very funny article in the English magazine, Punch. In absolutely deadpan prose it described a group of archaeologists, excavating "And don't forget, if it's a meat pie or a chicken pie, use a bit of the gravy to moisten the pastry." Wonderful! With the coming of the Second World War, trains became another kind of adventure. Ancient coaches had to be dragged out, to accomodate the vastly increased number of passengers. Mostly soldiers, of course. Quite often you would find yourself in what had been an old-fashioned sleeping compartment. So crowded that the enterprising passengers let down the curved upper bunks. And there would be the soldiers, lounging about at two levels, the whole place blue with smoke. Somehow suggesting a kind of cheerful, ncisy opium den. Always, as I remember, there would be the smell of oranges which everyone seemed to be eating. I travelled a lot on these particular trains because my husband was stationed in Petawawa. Sometimes I would go all the way there. Sometimes he would meet me in Ottawa. The trip was After the war ended, and during the fifties and sixties, the trains returned to their good old ways. I used to love travelling - either on business or for pleasure betWeen Toronto and Ottawa or Montreal. Get on the train around 8:30 a.m., eat a leisurely breakfast and then spend the rest of the morning comfortably deciding whether you would take the first or second call for lunch, because the lunch-break so neatly divided the travelling time. During the sixties, I would sometimes travel first-class. The coaches were then furnished with very relaxing armchairs, two rows on either side of the compartment. These chairs swivelled right around, so you cculd turn to look out the window or put youself in any other position you chose. Since I often brought work with me, this was very convenient. If I wanted to concentrate I would gently turn myself away from anyone who looked suspiciously talky. But on one occasion I was And so, the following morning, off we went. But halfâ€"way there, we discovered I had somehow missed the fact that they intended to stay in Ottawa overnight. What to do? Hitch-hike? Stay in a hotel? Take a train to Smiths Falls and hitchâ€"hike from there? The Grahams Were concerned. Not to worry, I told them, maybe Tom Sled was: in town. After an exchange of telephone numbers they let me off at the Lord Elgin. I phoned Joanne, got Tom's office number as well as his Ottawa answering service. Couldn't reach Tom but told his machine that I would be at the Lord Elgin at 3:30. Spent a rather A disjointed day, forgetting most of the things I'd intended to do and/or buy. I‘ve never quite been able to trust answering machines. So from 3:15 onward I sat and sat, carrying on a vague conversation with one of the young doormen. Between dashing about with luggage and opening doors he told me how difficult his the r ' s f w ie h â€" ' century‘remlgrlirgland). Andntthdy always fun. All the soldiers completely felled. I was Lob wash becaus: hginnev: were becoming more and were friendly and delighted reading a large manuscript new w a waft g t g f more bewildered. Because to pass the time Chatting w-hld'l I was determl-ned to happén neXt. e 510:1ng the deeper they dug the more with you. I had one encounter finish before the trip was my life, ITghought, 11 nt they found layer upcn layer with a very pleasant, very over. But I found myself say so. en, at.4. , chever1 of crushed metal. The shy young man which I have seated between two . Very Tom Paged me 1“ the ote squashed corpses of long_dead never forgotten. he got on friendly ladies. Swmging lobby to say hedhadouggttte): cars. Was it possible, they the train around BIOCkVine myself .away . from the my 'message 'an w f'f asked themselves, that a and we had soon begun a encouraging smile. of one picking me up in about iteen whole civilization could have tentative Conversation- 1" Of lhem’. I woum fmd myself mlnutes: Whmh he mOSt finally been overwhelmed had only one Peculiarit')’ ' gazmg mto the eXPeCtant klgdly Chg. h 'h th t by an excess of cars? Bumper he repeatEd everything tWice- eye? Of the Other. v on ut 'fol OBW k 'vlvlles :d to bumper, sci finally nobody Honestly, he really did'. We“? busy’ alentyou' View“ u 1. roc V] Ella, could move anymore? well, “Crowded on the train, eh? 31;? fIInallynsaid. estport' me was s i in at the rate we are going, Crowded on the train?" ~Rutfilsessaigl'1 swung away, engtence. "Yes it is, isn't it?" "Are you goin' you goin' far?" it cculd happen. But nevermind cars. The true menace on our highways avoiding the bright gaze of the lady on my other side. Well, I did manage to finish far? Are are the gigantic transport "To Ottawa, aCtuanY- . - ~ trucks which rear along our Where are You 80mg?" the hmanllscrlpti ltb Wis n t super and rural highways, "Oh, I‘m goin' to Petawawa. oug .gomg' ' 0° mg ac ’ " . spewing great Clouds of dust Gain. to Petawawa." I realize how Simple it would 0 have been if we had all just They could conversation, Well, exchange we continued to or pollution. Also wearing information in this out road-beds at an incredible Changed seats' heme had a Jim Stedman* lnsutance Servuces rate_ For which we, the curious fashion until I arrived ‘ Sales Representative taxpayers, have to pay, as in Ottawa. After a while andlwould have hadpeace. ‘ my friend Tom Sled was it became quite soothing Back to the present and pointing out the other day. in a sing-song sort of way- my m°st recent traveumg Life.Auto.H me. iighlqahdmxoslto And is it just my imagination, At 135" the train Puned into adyenture' After our: Morlan commercial" m “M27247” or are they really getting the Station- ' bmdge I was Clxattmg WIth Alec and Doris Graham. bigger and longer every year? "Nice talking To You," I heard So what has happened to myself saying as I climbed They tom me they were 30mg trains? Freight trains, down onto the platform. into Ottawa the next day. passenger trains. In Europe, "Nice talking to You} Would I like to come? Great. as I understand, a whole i ‘ ‘t 1' ' f '1 “ ismgiifgatfi °<Theyralwfifi IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII -llIII-II-IIIIIIIII-Ill-IIIIIII-I-II-IIi-Il- have to do something, there just isn't room in those small, -. crowded countries for any n BILL THAKE REFRIGERATION CO. LTD. .. more super-highways.) But I. I. on this c t' t, d ' ewedhw.m<§;;fi?fl,m:; ::: COMMERCIAL, FARM & DOMESTIC REFRIGERATION & AIR CONDITIONING ::: :ie bgfrfg afiglfire‘gifodgfl'lmes a. Sales &7$ervice To All Makes .- Oh,1know wehaveanumber .lAuthorized Factory SerVIce Depot For __) : Sdmliaral :- of token trains, and VIA Rail an .y I is endlessly advertising its ulNew Appliances in Stock * Frigidaire [- somewhat unreliable. charms. -' KeIV1nator * Gibson .- But there ‘5 “0th}“g that I. Whirlpool T.V. & V.C.R's * Inglis [- Ca“ compare mm the Emerson erson * Kelvinator II magnificance of the old days. m * How many of you Can I. _ _ . . Leonard .- remember the pleasure of .lMicro Waves Air Conditioners * Roy II travelling on real trains which .I Emerson E Ilefiumia1f1ers * Whirlpool Iiiovidid rial “9‘1? II Sharp Electrofiome * White Westinghouse II arve OUS W31 ers swaying . * down the aisle in the uherPOO] "OOdS diningâ€"car, loaded trays held _ . _ _ . - high, never spilling a drop ll Good Selection of Reconditioned, Guaranteed Appliances I- or missing a step.‘ White I. WESTPORT tableclothe$~ Flam but II ERVING THE AREA SINCE l956 '- excellent food. Some of t I- S II IIIIl-Il-I-I alllllllllllll my best tips on cooking came from a CN-CP chef. How to make pastry, for example.