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September 2000 West Vancouver Historical Society Page 7 TOM TAYLOR'S FIRST JOB My first job was as a paper boy for the West Vancouver News, which was a weekly that appeared each Thursday afternoon. I inherited the job from Brent Langley, the brother of Art Langley who became W.V.'s mayor. Why Brent would abandon a job deliverying over 200 papers, yielding a 75 cent weekly wage, was something I never questioned. I delivered 204 papers to 200 non-subscribing households. Only 4 were paid subscribers at less than 2 cents per copy per week. My job started around 4:00 pm and finished around 8:00 pm. If I forgot a delivery the "customer" would call Captain Francis F. Lovegrove, the editor and publisher, who would instruct me to deliver to the neglected household. It took almost a year for me to learn who would complain to the office if their paper failed to arrive on their doorstep. Just under a year into the job my part in the "complete coverage" programme began to falter. The 20 cent per horn-pay might have had something to do with it! I began to wonder how I could augment my less-than-modest earnings, and it came to me that perhaps some of the local merchants might help me out. However, due to the personalities of the various proprietors, my choice was limited. Mrs. Heckel, owner of the Ambleside Tea Room, employed a resourceful and imaginative young man. We struck a deal -1 left 20 papers for him to sell and we split the sales money between us. My income increased by 25% - sometimes more. "There was no seawall walk in this area then/* My route took me from the Bus Depot along the 1300 block of Argyle Avenue, past Freddy Murray's house, to the "slough". Just west and slightly south of the slough were several cottages very close to where the present-day concession building stands. There was no seawall walk in this area then. In fact, there was nothing trendy - no Ambleside Landing, no Ferry Building. Most West Vancouverites won't remember the slough as a habitat for ducks - much greater in number than their current population. Every fall a limited number of shooting licenses were issued by the W.V.RD.and consistently the "bags" for licensees were impressive. Beyond the cottages was a path of sorts that led to a swamp and teen-age Sunday-night capers. As a 12 year old I was not permitted to these haunts at night, as my parents were strict about curfews. During the day we would occasionally visit the slough. I remember one day in particular. I was accompanied by one of my fellow Grade 6 scholars, named Dave, who was "helping" me with my route. He suggested a detour into this mini wilderness. We got there and he grabbed two bunches of the papers and tossed them into the murky water. He said that no one would miss their delivery. "This is just a rag", he said. While I was somewhat taken aback by this act, it nonetheless marked a new phase in my work that did not strictly accord with the "complete coverage" programme. It was from that point that my parents would occasionally ask me why I had so many "extras". The By: Tom Taylor feeble answers I provided seemed to satisfy them. Mrs. W.J. Carley, who had a confectionery store at 301- 13th Street, was my next delivery before I turned left into Marine Drive past Thompson's Transfer. In this block there was another confectioner, whose participation in newspaper sales I sought, but to no avail. Instead he would take a few papers and set aside several chocolate bars or Cracker Jacks that I could buy as I chose. This wasn't as good a deal as the Ambleside Tea Room's but it was much better than nothing. Sugar rationing had been in effect for some time, so candy bars, and anything containing sugar, were scarce. After that I was never short of them. The only part of Marine Drive that I "did" was the 1300 block. In 1942 there were far fewer businesses there than there are today. For me, the three most significant of these were the Highlands Cafe at 1393 Marine, Sharpe Realty, just next door, and the West Van Imperial Service almost exactly oppposite. Soon after I started into the newspaper business I acquired a job with Mrs. Wilhelmina Brotherton, a splendid Yorkshire woman who ran the Highlands Cafe. I worked there every Wednesday after school, and every Saturday until about 2:00 pm. I piled cord wood and I cut kindling on Wednesdays. As inside space allowed, I brought both the fuel and the kindling inside the kitchen. All the meals in the cafe were cooked on Mrs. Brotherton's wood stove, and all the pies she served were baked in her oven, and all the fires that produced these goodies were started with my kindling. I never cut so much of it in my whole life! While most boys were out "throwing a ball around" I was becoming an expert in the kindling cutting business. Each Saturday morning at 10:00 am I accompanied a waitress to the Safeway store (kitty corner from its present position). We pulled along a large wagon so that all the groceries could be taken back the 2 blocks to the Cafe in one trip. Several times, while she was occupied with putting the items into the buggy before transferring them to the wagon, I entertained myself at a bin that would be very close to where today's Shoppers Drug Mart dispensary is located - in the far north end of the store. This particular bin held mousetraps. I succeeded in setting at least 2 dozen of these without anyone noticing. It is a wonder that Harold Crimp, the store manager, never caught me. The job at the Highland Cafe brought with it a wonderful perk. Every Saturday, precisely at noon, I was permitted to have my lunch in the dining room, and was allowed anything on the menu. It should be pointed out that dining out was a very uncommon experience for most West Vancouverites. I had the same item every week - hamburger steak and onions, followed by pie and ice cream. To a 12 year old this was pure paradise. * The Japanese occupation of Kiska in the Aleutian chain brought the war just a little too close - so close that most of us believed there was every chance we on the west coast would be bombed. How apt that Don Graham will be speaking at our September meeting on this very subject.