ODDS’N’SODS — This gun for hire

The Aunor gold mine, situated four miles from Timmins, Ont., and nestled between two medium-sized producing mines, attracted many job applicants when the 600-ton-per-day mill started up in January 1940.

Mill superintendent Duncan Falconer was responsible for interviewing people for jobs in the mill and crushing plant. And being a graduate of the University of Toronto, he was intent on obtaining a high-calibre mill mechanic.

Dunc finally settled on a fellow named Terry, an ultra-conservative individual who seldom smiled and who was very security-oriented. In addition to his mechanical chores, Terry also helped at the refinery during the pouring of gold brick.

After gold bricks were poured, they were taken to the machine shop to have test holes drilled in them using the shop drill press. This job could be done in a few minutes, but Terry insisted on having the drill blown clean and covered with wrapping paper. He also roped the area off. He wanted only the shop foreman, Flash Lavalee, to do the drilling, and no gawkers were permitted. With a pistol holstered on his hip, Terry would stride along beside the bullion, his hand near the revolver.

Johnnie Nadeau, my assistant, was noted for his sense of humor and, on the quiet, mentioned to Terry an incident in Kirkland Lake where a hollow bit had been used to drill the gold bars. After that, Terry never left Flash, and had his face only inches away from the gold at all times.

When Dunc left the Aunor operation in mid-1943 to become manager of a gold prospect in Manitoba, Bill Harris became the new mill superintendent. He and I were talking in the yard one day as Terry rode shotgun with gold bars en route to the shop. His eyes darted around the yard, and he was as tense as a squirrel. He looked like a desperado in a western movie.

Harris said: “That revolver was purchased prior to the mill being started up, and it’s locked in my office when not in use.” He smiled and added, “To my knowledge, no one ever ordered shells for it and, as hyper as Terry is, I plan to keep things that way.”

— A.E. Alpine, a frequent contributor to this column, resides in Boyertown, Pa.

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