Thursday, January 11, 2024

Things of old

 Photo of the day

 

My dad holding his youngest Grandson (Jack Jr.) while his oldest grandson (Howard Darnell) looks on. Taken in Biloxi MS in the 1960s.

So for today:

I can really think of things of OLD.  I mentioned Hog Killing time. Even on a mill hill, folks raised chickens and hogs.  Some places had room for even a big garden. Mill Workers were paid minimum wage most of the time but if they were fortunate to be a ‘mill house’ their rent was like $2 a room a week. I understand that was common in the coal miner’s villages. I guess other industries may have furnished homes for their workers cheaper than other areas.  I have just heard of cotton mills and coal mines.

I smile in our hometown when I see a boy running around with no shirt on, I smile at the oddity.  If you could step back in the summer to the 50s in North Carolina, you would see most boys with no shirt nor shoes, it was common.

I remember very well my dad buying live chickens at the grocery store when mama wasn't raising them. Yes dad did chop off the heads and when he wasn't around mama wrung the chicken's neck.  It was common among working folk.


Dead batteries were VERY common. folks needed a push.




(Now I have helped push cars to start them, but I could not find a picture of one car pushing another on the net)

Many cars had bad batteries and were left on an incline so they could roll down a hill to start or they got a push from a friend to get the car started. Starting a straight drive car was simply ‘asking for a push,’ all cars had bumpers, and someone would push a friend who was holding his clutch down, up to 10-15 miles and hour and the pushed car would ‘drop’ his clutch and start the engine.  It was normal and simple.  Yes, I have been pushed and the pusher, many times.

 

Nite Shipslog

PS :  Thanks for reading the Shipslog, hope to see you again, try to stay warm.  After Glenda's comments I think tomorrow I will try to explain.....

4 comments:

Victor S E Moubarak said...

Memories of times long gone by. How times have changed.

God bless you and yours, Jack.

yaya said...

I remember my brothers always buying a cheap car...like $50 cheap car...and then working on them, getting a push many times, working on them, then finally junking them and redo another! I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago but folks back in the 50's thought it was the outer limits and wondered why anyone would live there. Ha! We had a huge garden, big yard, and even a chicken named Hilda. Dad wanted his kids to grow up being able to walk on the grass and not get yelled at by the apartment landlord. So it was as country as we could get 30mi west of the city. A good life. Like yours! Keep the memories coming Jack and it's going to be very cold here come Sunday morning. Of course it's only in the 30's and then mid 40's today but that will feel like Spring! Take care!

Mevely317 said...

As often happens, your recollections humble me. Were I made to kill a chicken, there's a good chance I'd have learned to enjoy eating grass. If produce prices continue to rise, I may need to rethink my reluctance to garden.

Tom said to tell you, he remembers parking on an incline to start the car. Good times!

Susie said...

Jack, I can remember barefoot boys and girls. Shirts off was common back when my brothers were younger. I remember the chicken stuff....gross the chicken would flop around without it's head. I can catch fish and clean them and that's about the worst thing I ever had to do. Blessings, xoxo, Susie