John McCarthy

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-119438

Notes:

One day when we were still in the old office a middle aged, well dressed and well groomed gentleman came in and asked if my name was Brewster, which I took a chance and admitted. He told me that his name was John McCarthy, that he lived in Chicago, had been in Toronto on business and had just dropped off to spend part of a day here, because his father one time ran a shoe store here; that he had gone to School here and he just wanted to see the old place once more. He told me that the only person he knew he would know here would be John Conway, who unfortunately was out of town that day, and after walking around a bit, looking Queen Street over, he had asked if there were any old timers around and someone suggested that he come to see me. He told me that as a boy he had gone to School to my father. Well, I dropped everything and spent the rest of the day till his train time taking him into the Goebel Store and other places he dimly recalled, and he sure was getting a kick out of it all! After we had visited all the spots either of us knew of, I asked him if there was anything else he could think of, as there remained plenty of time before his train left. He told me that as a boy he used to go fishing up the river, and that somewhere along the road to the Grist Mill there used to be water flowing out of the rocks where boys always got a cool drink of water. He hesitated because we were afoot and he feared it would be too long a walk. I said come on, let's go, and we went!

Well, we got out to Grill's Spring and Jack had a drink of water, and then another, and finally I turned and started away because I had noticed something on Jack's cheek that did not look to me just like spring water; and at such times no one wants to talk.

Later on, I had the nicest letter from Chicago thanking me for a day of pleasure mixed with memories.

Le Rue De Commerce, Other Times Other Customs Other Days Other Ways, Winfield Brewster 1954