On such occasions he did not lie to
protect himself when called to account, but told the truth
pertinaciously. He was obstinate in his vanity, and carried off his
mistakes with aplomb. When asked by Ingolby what he called the Governor
General when he took His Excellency over the new railway in Ingolby's
private car, he said, "I called him what everybody called him. I called
him 'Succelency.'" And "Succelency" for ever after the Governor General
was called in the West. Jim's phonetic mouthful gave the West a roar of
laughter and a new word to the language. On another occasion Jim gave the
West a new phrase to its vocabulary which remains to this day. Having to
take the wife of a high personage of the neighbouring Republic over the
line in the private car, he had astounded his master by presenting a bill
for finger-bowls before the journey began. Ingolby said to him, "Jim,
what the devil is this--finger-bowls in my private car? We've never had
finger-bowls before, and we've had everybody as was anybody to travel
with us." Jim's reply was final. "Say," he replied, "we got to have 'em.
Soon's I set my eyes on that lady I said: 'She's a finger-bowl lady.'"
"'Finger-bowl lady' be hanged, Jim, we don't--" Ingolby protested, but
Jim waved him down.
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