Editor's note: Midland resident Dean Nicholls came to the area in 1950 and was immediately taken by Severn Sound and the ships being built here at that time. While he enjoyed a career as a funeral home director, he spent his youth working as a sailor. Today is the final installment of a three-part series.
It took less than a week for Captain Malcolm ‘Mac’ Stalker to set his sights on the new cook.
Within earshot of the galley, as soon as he had eaten, he would start in “she couldn’t cook a sausage fit for a seagull.”
He would rant all the way to the pilothouse and continue until he left the ship when we home berthed.
The crew were getting used to his idiosyncrasies then one fine day after his noon meal he really went after her, again. She left the galley crying and shortly her husband Chauncey (mate Clancy Hilliard) came down and he and Stalker had a round; all very exciting for the passengers and crew.
It ended up with Chauncey getting fired and told, “pack your bags and stay in the cabin until we get home, then get the hell off my ship.”
Our manager, as was his habit, was dockside looking for the daily cash intake as all parties went at it again. What a performance for our crew and some late departing passengers to observe. Captain Stalker bandied about like a banty rooster looking for a fight, finally they all departed leaving us wondering what was to happen.
Next morning, I came up from my bunk at about 7 a.m. Our engineer, Douglas Harpell, was aboard in the engine room and as most staff all lived ashore, they were not required to be on deck until 9 a.m.
I got us breakfast and we discussed whether we would even sail today. Within the hour, our manager was down ship-side with our old cook who I was delighted to see and our new first mate Captain Junis Macksey, a Midlander whom Harpell and I both knew.
Loading some package freight and cans of milk for the cottagers as they arrived, I stayed clear of the bigwigs who sat in the galley drinking coffee.
Captain Stalker arrived and all hell broke loose. He would tolerate the old cook, but he would never sail with Macksey.
His hatred for Macksey was beyond all and the language: “I’ll never sail with this man because he ”’kilt’ my cousin. I’m not serving aboard with a man who ‘drownded’ my cousin.”
Captain Stalker jumped about, ranted, spit, swore and had the entire dockside, old-timer sailors on the park bench beside our berth and passengers waiting to board all watching a first-class fiasco.
“Get off my ship Macksey,” he screamed. And to everyone’s amazement Captain Macksey gently tipped his white summer straw hat and walked away off the dock, never saying a word to anyone.
I sat on the open hatchway mid-ship with Chief Harpell, “see, I told you Crazy Mac.”
I was feeling sorry for Macksey and wondered if he would be haunted by the past. Would he relive the tragedy of the SS Arlington sinking, again?
Fourteen years had passed, World War II had been over for nearly a decade and everyone was recovering, yet was Stalker still waking the Arlington?
We departed at 10 a.m., without a first mate.
The old retired sailors on the town dock argued for days about Captain Stalker’s opinion, but never could they resolve or agree. And if they could not discern a truth for her sinking, certainly the inquiry board couldn’t as they made a mess of their responsibility. Finding no one responsible, negligent or guilty, what was their responsibility? Notably, so the inquiry said, not Arlington Captain Fred ‘Tatey Bug’ Burke because he was not available to defend himself. The board awarded full insurance recovery to the Burke brothers, end of story.
What about Captain Junis Macksey?
I have held in my mind the idea that Captain Junis Albert Macksey riding as first mate used a clear head and did everything within his authority to save the vessel and crew.
It is recorded that Macksey went to Burke and said they were in trouble and should turn around for safety off the north shore of Lake Superior. Burke refused.
Macksey returned to the wheelhouse and as conditions aboard worsened he ordered the ship ‘about’ only to have Burke come in and order her back into the storm.
Again, Burke left the wheelhouse for his room reportedly appearing somewhat dazed, disorientated, confused, but he was obeyed.
Under Tatey Bug’s direction into the threatening storm as day passed and into the morning of May 1st, she was taking a severe beating.
Ice-coated and with hatches blown, grain swelling, firepits underwater and without any communication to the engine room, she rolled to port then back to starboard and went down. Left on board was her Captain, Frederick ‘Tatey Bug’ Burke.
The man, Junis Albert Macksey, was born June 21, 1890, in Midland to a family of Irish descent. As a youth, he was found to be a steady, honest young man and like most young ‘Midland sailors’ (see note at end) quickly joined those who “took to the lakes” for a livelihood.
As a sailor, Macksey was noted to be bright, a quick learner and a good shipmate. In 1926, at age 34, he is listed as first mate on the SS Algorail, working for the Algoma Central & Hudson Bay Company.
This company, of which Midland industrialist James Playfair served on the board of directors, had input on personnel selection.
At age 37, he is listed as captain of the SS Yukondoc. His career was extensive, but during the Great Depression of the 1930s finding a ship was difficult and many captains rode as mates when a job was available.
He certainly was overly qualified to ride on the Arlington as mate.
The violent remembrance blared by Stalker shook all who witnessed that morning; that day we were mystified. But truly, the wake of the Arlington shimmered across our harbour.
Author’s note: The term “Midland lads or sailors” pertains here for my purposes. Commonly known locally as the Bay Ports: Midland, Port McNicoll, Victoria Harbour, Waubaushene and Penetanguishene contributed many young men and women to the Great Lakes’ sailing fleets.
In our area, Midland and Port McNicoll had the only deep water ports that handled grain shipments, which were a major industry. Midland had a Canadian National Railway terminal while Port McNicoll had a Canadian Pacific Railway terminal.
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