This old photograph probably was taken at Hastings Racetrack in Vancouver. It shows Cal Miller, Tippy Mah and John Miller, Cal’s son.
Tippy Mah and John Miller are still very much alive, whereas my friend Cal Miller passed away years ago.
Some years ago Jack Scott, the Vancouver Sun columnist, described Cal Miller as “one of the original hustlers.”
“The boy’s of fierce amiability and a wonderful way with a buck.”
He started out selling newspapers in Vancouver and according to Scott, “He sold them as they’d never been sold before.”
Years later, Cal came to the Yukon around 1951, and at that time was head barman at the ’98 Hotel. He then moved on to run the bar at Tourist Services when — June 1952 — it became the third bar to open in town.
Later on, he bought the Capital Hotel from Dick and Ivy White.
Cal Miller did a lot for sports in the Yukon; he supported sports in many ways.
Also, at all times, he had a giant bottle on the bar — for donations for the Vancouver Crippled Children’s Hospital. Every year a bottle filled with money was dispatched to the hospital.
The old photograph also shows a young Tippy Mah.
Tippy is another colourful, interesting personality. He owns the 202 Hotel, etc.
He is also very interested in sports.
Thanks to Charlie Richard for supplying the above photograph.
If you have any comments, please write Jim Robb: The Colourful Five Per Cent Scrapbook — Can You Identify? c/o the Yukon News, 211 Wood Street, Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 2E4, or e-mail through the News website, www.yukon-news.com.