2020.13.09 THROW BACK THURSDAY - TROLLEY AND NEWSPAPER ROUTES CATCH-UP plus Class News
THROW BACK THURSDAY - TROLLEY AND NEWSPAPER ROUTES CATCH-UP plus Class News
Trolley's in the 50's!Thanks Marylou, I remember when some of us thought it was fun to dash out the back door and disconnect one of the trolley "arms" (both if we were fast enough). Years later I learned we could have claimed differential association as our defense. : )
Dave Hudiburgh
Thanks, Mary Lou! I remember riding the streetcars, especially the day after Thanksgiving, when we would ride to downtown LR to see Blass's holiday decorations, ride the escalator, and walk to Pfeiffer's to see their decorations! We ate a nice lunch in Blass' Tea Room, on the balcony... the strrecar was a wonderful way to travel around the city.
Carl Smith
My family moved to LR in 1941, and lived for several years in the Heights ( “R” St. between Kavanaugh and Harrison). From 1941 through 1945, the Street Car stopped at every other corner. To catch the street car, I would have to walk down R St. to Kavanaugh and then to Cantral Road. After the war, they started stopping at every corner. I think the reason was that by stopping less frequently, they did not wear out the steel wheels as fast. Saving steel, like recycling tin cans, etc., was another way to help the war effort. I look forward to riding the trolleys the next time I am in Little Rock
Jack Dell
And Jack that had better be for our 65th Reunion end of September/first of October 2021!!!
Marylou, Thanks as always. I am sure Jackie Bush was glad to have you three ladies as visitors. Your updates are always welcomed and thoroughly enjoyed.In the fall of 2018, the Central Arkansas Transit Company, now known as Rock Region Metro, announced free trolley rides until the end of the year.They extended the free ride through all of 2019. Well, they have done it again for 2020. SO ... The trolley ride is free for this year. The entire ride including crossing the Arkansas River (The Blue Line) takes about 45 minutes.The drivers enjoy giving their spiel about the historical significance of thebuildings and sites along the way.Many local folks have never ridden the trolleys but folks from small towns enjoy it when they "come to the big city." It really is appreciated by out-of-towners. Lunch at Dizzy's Gypsy Bistro is recommended, as well as several others in The River Market and in Argenta. BTW, anyone that has not been to Main Street in North Little Rock lately will likely be amazed at the new construction between East Broadway and about 8th Street to the North. The Trolley is FREE for all of 2020.
Calvin Hanson
More newsboys stories from the Class of '56:
Here’s my paper route story:
I was 12 old (1949)when I started delivering the Democrat(after school). I did it for four years. I think I made about $30 a month if I was able to collect from all my customers. I had a front/back canvas carrier which was useless with the Sunday paper. I had a bicycle to make the delivery on Denison, Barton,etc- across from the Deaf School. My paper bundle drop-off was on the north side of the street. I would watch/try to identify the model of cars that went by to occupy my time since the paper bundles were not always on time. The Monday edition was (I think) the smallest number of pages so I folded each in a triangle so I could easily throw it on the porch-didn’t always make it-sometime broke a glass item in the path. The Sunday paper was a challenge, however COLLECTING at the end of the month was the biggest challenge-not home, come back, not paid yet, hiding in the house and not coming to the door, etc. My pay depended on my collections! It was a good experience. One side note: since my parents were not around, I decided to try smoking one day since my paper bundle was late. I tried Herbert Tarentyn and that was the first and last cigarette that I smoked. I’m still a subscriber of the paper! I like the digital!
Peter Hartstein
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Hi Marylou and thanks for the memory joggers. Jim Diffee's mentioning the double bags brought back memories of spending a summer throwing the Gazette with Kenny (Ralph) Newkirk. We threw Rockwood and Kingwood in '54 (before the Rockwood was extended). The homes there were newer, much nicer than ours in the "old part" of the village and back in the day when most people didn't bother to lock their doors. A lot of our subscribers wanted their paper on the porch or inside and only a few were "slow pays"... the really slow pays were either cut off or had to find their paper in their shrubbery. That summer breakfast was a box of sweet rolls and a quart of milk purchased from the trucks that delivered products right to the porch or, in some cases, the kitchen. Remember taking the hard paper lid off a bottle of cold milk and drinking the cream first?
After "breakfast" we'd catch a city bus and make our way to summer school (we were part of a little band of miscreants that showed up at summer school...every year). Years later I learned we were tailor made examples of what sociologists called "differential association"...who'da thought? After school I'd goof off till it was time to go to work at the Heights Theater. Work there was a real misnomer, either Roy Jackson, Ralph Erwin or I worked each night in pairs and, bless his heart, the manager (Raymond Mills) would let us spend a lot of our time sitting on the back row eating Linda Razor's wonderful popcorn. We could eat all we wanted as long as it was in something like a candy box lid (they inventoried the regular popcorn boxes). The three of us were there at least six nights a week (longer hours on weekends) and, as long as we kept the Friday-Saturday night crowds reasonably tame (before TV the Heights was THE assembly point for kids in"the Heights"). Thanks again Marylou, some memory lane trips can be priceless.
Dave Hudiburgh
(Incidentally, Dave was CAREER MILITARY! Now who'da thought that, huh, Dave???????? lol)
A FINAL NOTE ON NEWSPAPER ROUTES ETC., AS OTHERS HAVE SAID, COLLECTIONS WERE ALWAYS A PROBLEM TO THE POINT WHERE MY DAD HAD TO END UP PAYING THE BILL TO THE GAZETTE FOR WHAT I WAS UNABLE TO COLLECT. THE BEST ‘PAYERS’ WERE THE POORER CUSTOMERS AROUND 5TH AND DENSION NEAR THE RR TRACKS AND THE WORST WERE THE ‘upper income” people closer to Central HIGH. WHENEVER I NEEDED MONEY FOR THE PICTURE SHOW (MOVIES) OR CIGARETS, I’D KNOCK ON CUSTOMERS DOORS WHO OWED UNTIL I HAD ENOUGH MONEY ETC. I WAS A POOR “ENTREPRENUER BUT IT WAS BENNY WISE’S FAULT IN THE FIRST PLACE ETC.
JIMMY MARTIN
CLASS NEWS
Carol Griffenhagen Dallos slipped and fell on black ice in NYC where she lives and broke her wrist. She had surgery Monday. Swift healing, Carol!
Sad to report the death of John Moses on February 5. John lived in Richmond, VA. John had been fighting cancer for several years now. He was only at Central for a year or so while his father was working with Reynolds Aluminum, but he had good memories from that short time. He had lived all over the world because of his father's work. I visited with him in Richmond one summer when my Granddaughter was playing in a softball tournament. Then Joe and Ginnie Crow visited him there on one of their trips returning home from Massachusetts. John and Ginnie were both involved with the the Rudolph Steiner private schools.
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS
TODAY IS EDWINA KEITH'S BIRTHDAY!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EDWINA!
AND IT'S ALSO WAYNE LANGLEY'S BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WAYNE!
1 - Valerie Smith
2 - Frank Agee
3 - Joann Daniels and Bill Harmon
4 - Nancy Conrad and Walt Winters
5 - Gwinda Sue Bell and Linda Lou Bell
7 - Jimmy Martin
11 - Pat Mullins
12 - Calvin Hanson
13 - Edwina Keith and Wayne Langley
17 - Bob Spector
23 - Sarah Beaty
24 - Kay Kerby
25 - Lois Callaway, Carol Ann Dick and Beverly Finch
Have a great weekend! And Happy Valentine’s Day!
ML