JIMMY WILLY FITZGERALD

Jimmy Willy was a nice old man when I knew him. He was a small man noted for being sharp with his tougue, quick on his feet, and friendly with the bottle. He worked bard in the woods all winterand woould party a bit in the summer. But he was an awful nice feller and quick quick witted!! All us young fellers at the camp would love to get him tolking in the evenings. He was better entertainment than tbe radio. He had worked out west in Britiish Columbia, and would tell us stories about things that that happened to him out there
He was a fine fellow and I never met nor heard tell of anybody who didnt like him. One time a feller asked Jimmy Willy If the trees out in B.C. were as big as some people said they were. He replied, "I guess they are! Why, one time two otber men and meself chopped all one morning on one side of a tree. After I had me lunch I decided to walk around the tree to see how much more we had to cut, When I got to the back of the tree I found another crew of men cutting on the same tree. Jimmy Willy worked a lot for Old Paul Kingston. Not the Paul Kingliton that sang in the Folk Song Festival, but his father. They always called him Old Paul. Anyways, he was working somewheres up on the Nor West and putting in a lot of work hours each day when his eyes got an infection. They were all red and sore and bothering him something terrible. Old Paul told him be should get to see the doctor, Well sir, Jimmy Willy laid his hands on some money and headed fer town. About a week later he returned in the middle of the night and went directly to bed.
When he came down in the morning Old Paul sung out, "Jimmy, what did the doctor say was wrong with your eyes?' Referring to the long working days Old Paul Demanded, Jimmy Willy replied"The doctor said they were open too damn long!"
Another time Jimmy Willy and Old Paul were cruising. They travelled all checking out different areall where It might be a good chance or place to cut logs. Coming on about five o’clock when it was almost dark Paul said, we should go back to camp.Jimmy Willy said " Yes I think we should."
Then Paul asked, " Jimmy do you know where you're at?"
Jimmy willy Replied, "Yes I'm in the woods."
"Oh yes" Paul answered, but don't you know anything about the sun"
Jimmy Willy snorted and said, "No I don't know anything about the sun, but I've sure learnt a lot about the moon since I started working for you."

Jimmy Willy was a small man but boys he was some light on his feet. They said he was so slick he could walk on pulpwood. But one time Jimmy Willy outsmarted himself.
He was working on a stream drive and the work was awful hard so he started falling down and letting on he couldn't do anythng. The boss was fooled by his acting and took pity on this little old man having such a hard time.
He gave Jimmy Willy the job of carrying lunches to the men up and down the river. He would take meals to the men at ten o'clock and again at two o'clock. The food was carried in a big basket on his back, it was fitted out with straps like a knap-sack.
one day the boss looked up and here was Jimmy Willy coming down the river with the big basket of food on his back. The only problem with that he was sailing down the river on a log.
He was having a great time, Sailing on a log was a hell of a lot better than tripping over rocks and lugging that load down the shore.
The boss caught on real quick and it wasn't long until Jimmy Willy had is old job back.

Jimmy Willy and a friend of his were cruixing the woods and came across an old camp. As it was coming on to dark they decided to spend the night.
After they were all tucked in they noticed that the place was crawling with bedbugs. Rather than stay in the camp with the bedbugs, they decided to sleep outdoors under the stars.
A short time after they got in their blankets Jimmy Willy niticed some fireflies and said to his buddy, "You better get your head under the blanket. Those damn bedbugs are coming after us again and this time they're bringing flashlights".

While working on a Hung drive, Jimmy Willy and another chap were dragging logs off the river bank down to the water. Each lad would hook onto the log with his peavy and sort of carry and drag it down to the river. It was a hard work and the day was terribly hot.
On one such occasion the boss, Jim Sullivan happened to walk down to the river behind the twosome struggling with an extra heavy log.
Noticing the procession they formed Jimmy Willy remarked, "When it comes to funerals, I'd rather be a vourner than a Pall-Bearer.

While working on a hung drive Jimmy Willy was heard to say,"I've heard of yarding logs in frosy but I never thought I'd drive them on the dew".

A bunch of the lads were having a few at The Blackhorse Tavern when this big stranger came in. After a few too many he started to get a bit mouthy and tried to pick a fight with someone.
Not wanting one of their own hurt, all the local lads there picked the stranger up and threw him bodily out the door.
As he was sailing down the steps who should he smash into but nont other than our own Jimmy willy. Well sir, down they went in a pile!
As they untangled themselves and got to their feet the stranger lashed out. He hit poor old Jimmy Willy and knocked him arse over tea kettle.
After the boys got him dusted off and put a drink in his hand he said to them, "Boys, I've been around and in a lot of rough places. I was even in a saloon one time when a feller came in on a horse and before the man could get his horse back outside they killed it right there by the bar.
But this place takes top prize. I got a punch in the mouth before I even got in the door".