THE TALE OF THE TITANIC’S CAT, AND A CLASSIC CANADIAN CULTURAL MOMENT
In this issue of the Reader, your purposeful correspondent resurrects a 50-year story about the Titanic, celebrates a Geddy Lee moment, muses on nog, and pays a final tribute to a personal hero.
This week: a 6-minute read
JENNY THE CAT FORECASTS TITANIC’S FATE
In last week’s edition, we wrote about Lions and Tigers, at least the kind you find in Detroit. This time, it’s a different kind of cat, the domestic kind, the sort you find on ocean liners—like the ill-fated Titanic.
Be assured I am not making this up. After all, one of my sources is National Geographic and they are not customarily in the business of playing fast and loose with the facts.
It seems Jenny the cat was brought aboard the Titanic when it was still in its Belfast shipyard. This was a thing then. Cats were often homed on Atlantic-crossing ocean liners for the express purpose of controlling the rodent population, particularly in the food stocks. She was cared for by a labourer there named Joseph Mulholland. Joe was a member of what was called the delivery crew, manning the ship for its sea trials: travelling from Belfast, where the Titanic was built, to its owners, the White Star Line, in Southampton, England.
During the sea trials, Jenny gave birth to kittens, so Joe found them a comfortable place near the boilers, so they were warm and content despite the early spring climes. Joe fed Jenny kitchen scraps, so the kitties lacked for nothing.
However, once the ship docked in Southampton, just prior to its maiden voyage to New York, Jenny had a change of heart. She had a good look around, started grabbing her kittens by the scruff of the neck and, one by one, carried them down the gangway and off the ship.
Ol’ Joe watched this going on and thought, “This cat must know something no one else does!” He quickly gathered his belongings and left the ship as well.
That’s how it came to pass that we know about this. Because of Jenny the cat, Joe survived and 50 years later related his tale to the Dublin Sunday Independent.
COOO, LOO COO COO, COO COO, COO COOOO!
Donald Trump may think otherwise, but Canada is as culturally and historically unique as, well, butter tarts and the Great Halifax Explosion. With the holidays here, there is probably no more distinctly Canadian Christmas moment to share than this recording of Bob and Doug, the McKenzie brothers, with their guest, Geddy Lee.
Bob: This is the hit single section of our album.
Doug: Good day.
Bob: Good day. Geddy Lee is here from Rush. Hi Geddy, I’m Bob McKenzie and this is my brother Doug.
Doug: How’s it goin’, Geddy?
Geddy: It’s goin’ pretty good. Good day, eh?
Bob & Doug (together): Good day.
Bob: Thanks for coming down to do our hit.
Geddy: Well, it’s my pleasure.
Bob: Did our lawyer call you?
Geddy: Yeah. Y’know, 10 bucks is 10 bucks.
SPEAKING OF CANADIAN
I was raised an Oilers’ fan in the same way some people are raised Jewish.
—Carson McConnell
WHAT IS A NOG, PRECISELY?
Eggnog is a popular Christmas-time drink in this country. According to Statistics Canada, almost six million litres of eggnog are consumed in your average December. Of course, there is nothing average about December, but that’s entirely beside the point.
The point is the nog, a rich, chilled, and sweetened beverage made with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolk, and whipped egg white. It’s often mixed with rum, brandy, whisky or bourbon and is sometimes called milk punch or egg milk punch. Nog is also a Starfleet cadet of Ferengi ethnicity stationed at Deep Space Nine but, again, entirely beside the point.
The etymology of the word eggnog has old English origins, with “nog” meaning either a strong beer or a wooden cup. Eggnog seems to derive from both these meanings, thus the presence of strong, alcoholic ingredients with the egg-based beverage.
I used to love eggnog when I was a kid—unless my mum didn’t mix the egg and milk sufficiently enough and there was still evidence of yolk floating in the milk. That would totally gross me out but, again, beside the point.
MORE ‘DEAR TERRY’ LETTERS
Re ‘Defining Role’ Dec. 8. Hey Terry. Your Harry Stemp story about the Walmart greeter reminded me of a recent story in the Windsor Star about a worker I’ve seen many times at the Home Depot near our home. Some workers are like the Energizer Bunny—they just keep going and going. Claudio D’Andrea, Windsor, Ontario
I absolutely loved the Harry Stemp story about the Walmart greeter, Terry! I love all his stories. Thank you for sharing. Phyllis Kraemer, Greensville, Ontario
Re ‘Great Dispatch, Nov. 24. Hi Terry. Remember that press junket we took to the Golan Heights? Now they’ve got themselves a ski hill. I remember our friend Lorne surreptitiously taking forbidden photos of an Israeli surveillance post up there with all the antennas and binoculars pointing out. It’s a wonder his camera wasn’t confiscated. That reminds me of our earlier visit to the green line in Nicosia, Cyprus, where Lorne again was intent on taking photos while Turkish soldiers 15 feet away were cocking their automatic rifles. There’s something chilling, don’t you think, about the sound of a round being chambered at points of conflict manned by hair-triggered teenagers? Ross Dickson, Perth, Ontario
Ed. Note: Yeah, I still dine out on that story.
If you want to drop me a note (and risk me publishing it here), just reply to this email or, if you prefer send it to mysundayreader@gmail.com.
R.I.P.
Rocky Colavito 1933-2024. Sigh.
THIS WEEK’S SHAMELESS PLUG
Hey, I discovered these two 5-star reviews for I’d Trade Him Again on the website for the Burlington Public Library in Ontario. This is the original hardcover book published in 2009 by Fenn Publishing and has since been retitled The Puck Talks Here. I could get to like this.
From Sam in Woody Point, Australia – “I really liked this book. While many people in the hockey world hate on Pocklington for the trade, this book really gives you an insight into business at that time and what was involved in the running of the Oilers. It really was an eye-opener and changed the way I looked at the entire trade.”
And from Dennis in Forest Hills, New York – “McConnell and Nye [my co-author] treat the reader to [Pocklington’s] thinking by adding his voice—blustery and bold—throughout. Simply, I’d Trade Him Again is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at a man who is neither a villain nor a hero.”
By the way, if you’re wondering why we wax on so much about our books, it’s because no Canadian author other than Margaret Atwood is getting rich from this gig. As I’ve said before, even Pierre Berton, one of the most prolific and successful of all Canadian authors, had a day job.
You can see for yourself what we have in our online bookshop at terrymcconnell.com. Remember, a book makes a great Christmas gift. See ya next week. / T.
