"Carman Dyon - My brother" by Keith Dyon

Carman Cecil Dyon, my brother, was quite a character all of his life. When he was a kid, everybody liked him.  He could get away with stuff that no one else could.He had always been a kind-hearted person and was always ready to help someone in his own way - doing things for others that anyone else wouldn't even think of.  I have seen him when he was a kid, fix somebody's flat tire on the street without the knowledge of the owner.  He just saw the flat tire and went about changing it for them.  He had two fascinations - old cars and watches.  He has given several of his old watches to relatives and friends after he has had them restored.  When he was a kid, he was always fooling around with some old crate of a car and he had the uncanny knack of making it go though no one else could manage and, with his improvisations only he could manipulate the machine.  Sometimes he would have a honey pail hanging from something for a gas tank; sometimes with no seat, he would be sitting on the gas tank.  Sometimes no tire on one or more of the wheels but he would still drive her around.  In those days there were only big bicycles - men's bikes - and Carm was only the size of a grasshopper - maybe 6 or 7 years old but he would get between the frame and the pedals and away he would go with the bike at about a 45 degree angle.  One time, my Dad was away to Winnipeg where my mother was very sick - in fact she died at that time - anyway, Dad had a brand new Chev and he had left the keys with old Grampa Dyon.  Carm was only 9  years old but he went and asked Grampa for the keys which he gave him.  So, off he goes, takes the car out of the garage and proceeds to go for a spin down the Queen's highway.  Joe Gauthier was coming from church or somewhere and they said they passed a car on the highway with no one driving!  He was so small they couldn't see a driver.  Anyway, he went for a spin and came back , put the car in the garage - however, he thought he had it in a little crooked and that Dad might notice so he though he should back out and straighten her up.  He went to back out but forgot to shut the door.  It flew open and caught the 2 x 4's  on the side of the garage and, of course, sprung the door.  He got excited and threw her into low and in his excitement hit the end of the garage knocking out a few boards.  The evening Dad came home on the train, Carm was no where to be seen.  We finally found him hiding in Mitchell's outhouse.  He was scared but under the circumstances, the car was not very important and he got away with that escapade.  Later years he was still performing with old cars - sometimes on a Sunday night he would get a bunch of us in the old crate and he would take us up and down the two cement sidewalks that were up either side of main street.  In some places there was just enough room to get between trees and buildings but he would make it.  Other times he would get her loaded down with a bunch of us girls and boys and would drive up and down the street and every once in awhile he would cramp the front wheels and this would throw the old crate up on her side and then she would fall back just like a circus ride.  Only Carm could do things like that.  Another time, Carm went into someone's farmyard and he had a young lady with him - a school teacher - and in the yard was a big pile of gravel.  He drove right up the pile and then no further.  The farmer said that the young lady 'wet her seat'.  She boarded at the house and had to go in and change her clothes.  Another incident was when he was working for Foster McDougall at Reston.  He had an old crate of a car and when he was through for the summer season, Foster said that he had better figure up what he owed him.  Carm told him he'd better just keep the old car and they'd be even.  You see, McDougall ran a bulk service station and Carm had been using his gas.  Goster had told me about that several times and he laughed every time.  
Then there was the time at the first of the war with myself, Carm, and Ken Hawkins.  We were called into Regina for 30 days of training.  At the end of those 30 days we were discharged and were able to go home, each with passes to take the train.  However, Carm had bought an old Ford and was going to drive it home and wanted Ken and I to go with him.  We refused!!!  Hell!  There was no heater in the machine, one of the windows was broken - and it was COLD!  Anyway - we took the train and he struck off with the car.  He had a full tank of gas when he left but nearly ran out when he got to Wauchope and had only 30 cents in his pocket so, he bought that much gas and headed the rest of the way home.  It took him to about 4 miles out of Antler and the car ran out of gas so he had to leave it and walk the rest of the way.  We were so glad that we took the train!  
Carm and the Army didn't get along too well.  Either he was always in trouble - his rifle was dirty or his cap was on screwgee, or his boots or buttons were not polished enough - he always had something wrong, for which he had to do fatigue duties a lot of the time.  I felt sorry for him there but it was just NOT his thing at all.  He was back in the army after that up at Red Deer and a few other places but he did not last.  I think they let him go finally - probably more of a problem for them if they kept him!  
After the war years he was around home where he worked for Ed George and a few others.  He tried farming a little but again, it wasn't his thing so he went to Regina where he started working for Moore's Taxi.  He eventually wound up at Hertz U Drive and then on to Budget Rent-a-Car.  He never married and he had a great affinity for beer.  
This reminds me of another episode of Carm and a car.  One time some natives were going through here with an old Model T and she broke down.  (Carm always seemed to be about when a car broke down.)  Anyway these guys asked him to drive them to Pipestone and for payment they told him he could have the old car.  Well - that was right up his alley so he took them to Pipestone and the old car was in our back yard.  That night, Dad told Carm he would have to get that crate out of there because it stunk to high heaven.  Then one day sometime after,  Dad saw some guys snooping around our back and he asked them what they wanted.  They said they were looking for the guy who drove them to Pipestone.  He told them where to go in no uncertain terms!  They left, but shortly thereafter Dad got a letter from the "Indian Agent" saying that Carm took these guys car and he had to give it back or there would be trouble.  Dad sat down and wrote this guy a letter saying they had dealt with a minor and took advantage of him.  He got the letter back; a letter of apology; and Carm kept the old car, which he eventually sold.  He was making deals of this nature all the time.  

One of his many antique cars

Several years ago, Margaret & I went into the big fair in Regina and Carm had 3 of his antique cars in the parade.  He was driving one and a couple of his friends were driving the others.  We were in the grandstand and when the parade terminated, the old cars were all lined up in front of the stand.  We hightailed it down to where they were parked.  Each of the cars carried a couple of dignitaries, Carm having 2 Government members and a representative of the Hiram Walker Scotch Whiskey company.  Inside was a thermos which this one fellow kept full and NOT with coffee.  Next to Carm was another of his cars and this one carried the Chief of Police and the R.C.M.P. Commissioner.  I don't know if they ever knew it but they were sitting on a cooler full of cold beer! Ironically, the driver said that when they were rounding a corner (and it was a very hot day), the one chap said to the other how nice a cold beer would taste about then.  He never offered them one!