Page 9 - RJ Pioneer - Winter

Amet Island In Good Hands
Massage Therapy
This is a true story, as recited by Jim Thompson
and recorded by his daughter. 1694 Route 6 River John
Accepting new clients
In the year 1910, I was a pretty young man. I was
born on December 15, 1891. Well, this story is a true “I haven’t retired ‘cause I love what I do”
happening. It is about a trip by sailboat, from River
John to Amet Island, a small island about three miles 22 years experience
from Cape John. At this time, they had a lighthouse
keeper stationed there all through the year. It seems Direct billing for most health care providers
that the drinking water that they had there caused near
all the light keepers to get sick. I heard of one case Joan MacLeod
that the keeper had passed away, leaving his wife and R.M.T. / Owner
family with no help. The only way of sending for help 902- 351-2759
was to fly a flag in the daytime and show a red light at joanandmarie@ns.sympatico.ca
night. If the weather was bad, it might be days before
they could get help.

Canada Department of Transport Nova Scotia Archives
accession no. 1973-56. vol. 2 no. 2.1

Well, this is where I get in the picture. The light-
house keeper got sick and had to go to the hospital for
treatment, so I think the government that looked after
the lighthouse keeper thought it was about time to do
something about finding out what caused the sickness.
So, they sent word from Halifax to get some fisher-
man to go out to the island and get samples of every
place where they get their drinking water. I forgot to
say they had to get someone to tend the lighthouse,
when the regular keeper was in the hospital. So, the
one that got the word to send out and get the water
samples picked on my older brother, Willard, to make
the trip. He took the job and asked me to go along
with him for company.

We took off one day, with an old sailboat. There
wasn’t any wind, so we had to use the oars. Well,
we had a good mark to go by, as the lighthouse was
working good. We were about seven miles from River
John, when we heard the sound of a boat, so we got
handy enough to talk. We found out it was the man
who tended the lighthouse. He told us we might as
well turn back, as he and the boy were out of food and
water.

He left the boy there, with just enough food to make
his breakfast. He was going to get someone to drive
him to River John and he would go back in the morn-
ing. He wanted brother and me to go back with him.
Well, after rowing seven or eight miles and just about
at the end of our trip, we did not want to go back.
We told the chap we would go on and keep the boy
company. He was Chalmers Bigney, the “Strongman”
in later years.

We parted the other boat going to Cape John. After five days of storm, the fifth morning was LEETIK ESSO
Brother and I approached Amet Island. The night calm, but thick of fog. Nevertheless we pulled away,
was very calm, you could hear a boat a long ways. leaving the island deserted. We were making our way YAP’S PLACE RESTAURANT
So, Chalmers heard us coming and after finding out to Cape John. It wasn’t long before we met the man
who we were, he was a very happy boy. If we had not bringing the supplies. We stopped and had a talk. In RR#1 River John
got there, he would have been all alone on the island. the meantime, Bigney was in no mood to go back, but Pictou County, NS B0K 1N0
After we three had a good time talking, there came up the man got him to return to the island, while brother Tel: 902-351-2515 Fax: 902-351-2145
a strong windstorm, which lasted five days and nights. and I sailed for River John.
You can imagine the things we had to eat as there was
just enough food for Bigney’s breakfast. We managed
somehow!