Source: NMHS Newsletter Aug 1995I Remember
by Merlin C. Finnell
During the time span of 1922 to 1930 there were many
paths I took to earn money. By getting up at 4:30 a.m.
and walking the two miles to W. Main St. via the
Vandalia railroad tracks, I climbed aboard a cattle
truck to go to the onion fields near Silver Lake. The
truck was driven by Charley Ring and his son. Our
workday was from 7 - 5 with time off for our brownbag
lunch.
The owner of this project was Bill Wedrick and we all
liked the straw boss, Jake Adams. For the uninitiated,
weeding onions was done by crawling on your knees to
extract those unwanted plants. For our efforts we were
paid 10 cents per hour -- $7 to $9 per 6-day week. By
the second summer I was proficient enough to earn 20
cents per hour.
A few times I went in early Spring to the College Woods
and dug sassafrasroots, bundled them up into 5 cent
packages and sold them for making tea -- a sure method
to 'thin the blood' after the rigors of the past winter
season. I never experienced any difficulty in selling
all in a few stops.
During this time period Mother, Mid, Casey and I walked
the four miles to the Albert Maurer strawberry path,
east on road 114. We were paid l cent per quart for our
efforts and usually took our earnings in strawberries
for our own use.
As many kids did during those days, I attempted to sell
Cloverine Salve --the goal in this was to 'win a pony'.
I never sold enough for that prize and now wonder just
what I would have done with a pony at 505 N. Sycamore
St.! I also had a 'Grit' newspaper-magazine route for a
short time.
When we lived in the Kohser house on N. Sycamore we
raised popcorn -- Mother would pop it and I would take
it over to the college and sell it at the baseball games
-- 5 cents for a big bag and it sold out quickly.
During the '20s, there was still the Wabash County
Fairgrounds where Peabody Memorial Home now stands. They
had sulky harness racing and the full gamut of
interesting things to do and see. You might remember
that I was the red-headed, freckled-faced kid who worked
at the 'Milk Bottle Toss" game. Even to this day I
remember how shocked I was to see the woman owner of
this game smoke cigarettes --when the crowd thinned out
a little.
Source: NMHS Newsletter May 1996
I REMEMBER
by Merlin C. Finnell
From the News Journal, written for
the 150th anniversary of North Manchester.
Near the Morris dime store (in North Manchester) there
was for many years the A & P grocery which was operated
by the Faurot family. When you entered to shop you were
not confronted by shopping carts - you just got in line
and waited your turn at the counter. The clerk learned
of your wishes and went to the shelves to get the items.
You took your own sacks and left. I particularly
remember the A & P store - each time a bag of
"Eight-o-Clock" coffee was sold the clerk punched a
button and a bell, on the outside of the store rang so
all would be aware of the popularity of this brand of
coffee.
Another interesting business in this block was the L.P.
Urschel & Son (Harold) department store. It was also
known as the Urschel's Bargain Store. In it you could
find men's and women's clothing, shoes, paint, and
hardware of all kinds. When I first came to our town the
drugstore on the north side of this street was the A.F.
Sala Pharmacy. Shortly it became the J.B. Marks Drug
Store and is still in the same family. In those days the
soda fountain was just inside the door on the right. I
fondly recall the tasty chocolate-marshmallow sundaes
they served for only ten cents. Above this store was the
office of Clevenger and King Real Estate and Insurance.
On the corner was the business known as Gresso's with
the logo in all their advertising - "Our package under
your neighbor's arm has been paid for." On the main
floor you could look for men's and women's clothing and
in the basement was a large grocery store. For many
years this was managed by John Smeltzer who lived on
Ninth Street. He later ran a small grocery outlet in his
own home.
Across from Gresso's on the other corner, was Burdge's
Stores. It had large rooms for school supplies, books,
candies, gifts, stationery, "pure" drugs and drug
sundries. It also dealt in china, glassware, pottery,
wallpaper and paints. Directly behind this store was a
small alleyway with many doors. At one visit some of us
found a door open and went in to seek what mysteries lay
behind it. After climbing a dark stairway we were
confronted with a winding hallway - at one juncture of
this we came upon a lifesize figure of a gray horse - we
left in a hurry down some steps that led to the dental
office of Dr. Glen Wright. Later we were to explore this
area many times to introduce our new friends to this
strange horse -- I have often wondered the 'how and the
why' of this animal in an upper hall of our quiet town.
Parenthetically, I might add that two of the doors in
this alley were exits for our two theaters, the Marshall
and the Gem. It was rumored that at times certain young
boys would stand outside those doors and when the first
show was over they would walk in, backwards, to gain
free admission. This was only hearsay so I can't vouch
for its accuracy. On the site of the Marshall theater
was a plaque noting the birth of Thomas R. Marshall in a
house at that location. As you recall, Mr. Marshall was
Vice-President of the United States while Woodrow Wilson
was President. The house was long ago removed to the
northwest corner of Walnut and Ninth Streets and was
lived in for many years by the D. F. Priser family.
A few days ago our reporter happened in the tin shop of
Noftzger and Son and were shown a partly finished
galvanized iron cornice that John Lockwood is making for
the new store room. Mr. Noftzger will begin erecting
next month. The pattern is a very tasty one and will lay
to land any other cornice in town.
Source: NMHS Newsletter Feb 1999
I Remember
By Merlin C. Finnell
>From the News Journal, 1986 written for the
150th anniversary of North Manchester
Will you wander down Main Street with me? Of
course, we will visit it during the 1920s and
'30s. Not much change at the corner of Mill and
Main Street the Monument Company is still there
in the
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same location on the north side of the
street. The Petry family lived in the apartment
above Mother, Dad, Wendell, Eunice and Zelma.
For a time I had a boyish crush on Eunice, but
never got around to tell her about it. We
affectionally called her the "Brickyard Blond"I
belive she became Mrs. Rex Cook and was so known
for many years.
Next door was the O. H. Bolinger & Co.,
dealers in hardware and farm implements. A few
steps and you were at the E.P. Paul Funeral
Director, Furniture and Ambulance Service the
Pauls came to our town from Pyrmont in Carroll
county, in the middle 20s and lived across from
us on N. Sycamore. The family consisted of the
parents and Thomas, Gladys, Galen and John.
Johnny, later called "Hot" because of his
basketball shooting ability, and I became
friends. After school we sat on his front porch
and studied history and drilled on the
multiplication tables we were in the fifth grade
at the time and our teacher, at the Central
building, was Miss Carrie Bard, who lived on 3rd
street with a Mrs. Sara Smith.
Back to Main Street J.W. Strauss & Son
(Arden) took up the next few rooms. They dealt
in ice, feed and coal and had the same number,
93, for both phones yes, at that time there were
two such companies in our area: the Eel River
and Rex. I now ponder just how two existed in
such a small area. We kids were intrigued with
the Strauss ice wagons in the hot summers at
each stop we were able to salvage slivers of ice
as the larger cakes were cut into proper sizes
to satisfy the demand as shown on the yellow and
black signs in the windows of customers. I
remember a John Moser and later a friend, Bob
Clark, who drove these wagons.
Next to the alley was one of the many grocery
stories Wonderly & Reiff. Those were the days
when you could order what you needed and free
delivery was made from the store. Most had a
credit privilege pay up each week. Close by was
a dream store for kids The Morris 5 & 10 cent
store. It even had a basement to explore and
decide on the most satisfying way to spend a
nickel. Our neighbor Marie Baker, clerked there
after her graduation from high school.
Dan Sheller's Grocery and Bakery holds many
memories for me. On Wednesdays during the Band
Concerts and also on Saturday afternoons and
evenings, I operated the popcorn machine out on
the
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sidewalk in front of the store. From this we
sold popcorn, ice-cold pop (my favorite was Nehi
Grape in such tall bottles and only 5 cents) gum
and candy bars. When I was a bit older both my
brother, Casey, and I helped in the bakery.
Charles Gilbert was the baker and we kept the
oven fire going, cleaned pans and bowls and made
the most of 'disposing' of all the goodies that
were trimmed off the cakes before they were iced
and we were paid for this.
The Band Concerts were just great. They were
held from 8 to 9 p.m., but people from all over
the area came early and stayed late. Many of the
stores stayed open until 10:30, as they also did
on Saturdays. While working the popcorn
concession I could see all who came to town
there was a constant stream of boys and girls
passing by. The 'old folks' came early to park
their cars on the main drag just to sit and
visit with any who came along. It was so
wonderful to be part of a small town.
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