Baseball used to be "The All American "game! During the depression it was essentially the only sport having a professional team. Football was "manned" by semi pros of dubious talent and the communities seemed to be steel mill towns such as Akron, Wheeling, Bradford(Pa), Massillon and basically evanescent supporting towns of the Ohio and Pennsylvania area with scattered towns from Indiana, Illinois and Michigan mixed in.
The two 12 team (National & American) leagues that were in operation in baseball seemed to be the only stable portions of professional sports in operation. As a morning paper boy my day frequently began with reviewing the previous day's games to see how my"Yankees" did. The premium professional team of all sports at that time. My friends would follow the Cardinals, the Boston Red Sox, ,the Tigers, etc.. Baseball was it!!
With this background it is easy to realize that baseball players in the family meant a lot to me. Especially since our family was not built on heroic lines , as required in football and many other sports.
Two of our sons were excellent baseball players. One of them was in Kansas for the high school years of his sons. Both excelled in baseball -- as pitchers-- not fielders, although I'm sure they could have handled those areas as well.
I was privileged to be in Kansas when the elder of the two was pitching for his high school team. Unfortunately I was a bit late so I didn't get to see the whole game. However, when I arrived in the second or third inning my grandson was on the mound and doing well.
Of course ,I wanted to see his "stuff"so I stationed myself behind the backstop screen, to get the best angle for evaluation of the pitcher's delivery. Very shortly a foul pop fly from a strike soared over the backstop screen. I as in perfect position to make a deft grab and snared the ball barehanded. Of course the impact of the ball stung my hand. As I waited for the stinging to subside --- thoughts flashed through my mind! Here i was having made a good play! --the 3 all-star selections I'd been in flashed through my mind- and the only guy to hit a home run in my high school team zipped through my rapid thinker. I 'd be a Role Model for my grandkids!
- So the stinging did subside, --I heaved the ball ostensibly over the backstop. -In 3-5 seconds the ball returned to me. Rumbledy, bumbledy hop to my waiting hand. Just a little bit later with a full head of steam I threw the ball "over the backstop". This time it took 5-7 seconds for the ball to come rumbledy bumbledy hop to me. This time with my "tail figuratively between my legs" I walked around the edge of the screen and tossed the ball to my grandson, -And the game resumed. (We won!)
"Role Model "-- hmm. Humiliation, YES!
Note As recently as 24 Sept 2011, my grandson remembered the incident well! --He still loves me but(as a Role Model---NO!) !
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Bio-Chaddock, Harry #4 (Ivan)Contd
Harry Hiram Chaddock B11 Jul 1878 D 11 Jul 1936
Anna Louise Buell Chaddock B 17 Feb 1876 D 21 Feb 1962
My association with Uncle Harry and Aunt Louise was unique in that in 1933 I spent six weeks with them and attended school in Perry. Lois was like my big sister so I would frequently carry her books home from school, (Something had come up!). She was very popular in High School and was very active! I was happy to have a Big Sister. Made me special!
At that time I became acquainted with "Little Orphan Annie" and "Jack Armstrong , the All American Boy" which programs were on the radio when I arrived "at home". The brushy river bank became a first class place to chase bad guys and Indians and such(I was 12). ( Radio was not a part of home in Batavia, especially a console as Uncle Harry and Aunt Louise had).
Aunt Louise is the only person I ever knew who made toast in the oven with a pop-up toaster across the room. They also had a "flip-over "toaster . Also frequently ignored.
Cinnamon toast was an appreciated by-product (of the oven toasting). I became well acquainted with the electric mixer and the preparation Cocomalt. Gained about 10 lbs in that 6 weeks, if I remember correctly.
Aunt Louise started the day with a glass of warm water. (Kept her intestines open, she said.) Uncle Harry would frequently start the day tossing the contents of water glasses back and forth with a mixture which bubbled and frothed. (Alka Seltzer?) Fascinating!
Aunt Louise ministered to me when I relieved Uncle Harry's humidor of an extra cigar and it punished me for my iniquity. (She never made a public announcement, either!)
She also introduced me to the idea of multiple changes of clothing in a single day. I'd never had that many clothes before. (Uncle Harry took me to the store and purchased a complete outfit for me.) The particular day Aunt Louise and I came head to head was when she made me change my clothes to go to an evening meal at the Country Club. I didn't see the purpose. Eventually I relented. I think of that incident frequently when I change my clothes for the 4th or 5th time in a day now.
I saw Uncle Harry when he was on his death bed. I shook his hand heartily, and he winced. ---Talk about a lasting memory! That made me a kindlier, gentler soul the rest of my life!
In case you didn't know, Uncle Harry died of septicemia after hernia repair. The latest medicine available was used including some Sulfa to no avail. The sepsis made him tender all over.
Shortly after that came college, med school, marriage and the peripatetic life of our generation, so I never saw much of Aunt Louise after that, although she did attend my high school graduation. We did see her enough so Ruth had the opportunity to see her and like her and we named our oldest daughter
after her. A real gem of a person was Aunt Louise!
I feel very chagrinned that I do not know more about Aunt Louise and her family. I never heard her mention her parents or siblings. There is a street in Batavia called Buell Street and I remember Mother's telling me it was named for Aunt Louise's family, and that Aunt Louise grew up in Batavia.
I would guess that the name Bull is German and the name is the Anglification of the word which is unpronounceable in English and so is modified to become bull, buell, buhl, beel, beal, etc. Kuhl has a similar problem and is spelled kuhl, cool, kuhel, kuehl, etc..
In fact, in McAllen there was a family named "Bull", by the father, but the daughter had it changed to
Buell.
Love!
Ivan W. Kuhl B 2 Dec 1920
Anna Louise Buell Chaddock B 17 Feb 1876 D 21 Feb 1962
My association with Uncle Harry and Aunt Louise was unique in that in 1933 I spent six weeks with them and attended school in Perry. Lois was like my big sister so I would frequently carry her books home from school, (Something had come up!). She was very popular in High School and was very active! I was happy to have a Big Sister. Made me special!
At that time I became acquainted with "Little Orphan Annie" and "Jack Armstrong , the All American Boy" which programs were on the radio when I arrived "at home". The brushy river bank became a first class place to chase bad guys and Indians and such(I was 12). ( Radio was not a part of home in Batavia, especially a console as Uncle Harry and Aunt Louise had).
Aunt Louise is the only person I ever knew who made toast in the oven with a pop-up toaster across the room. They also had a "flip-over "toaster . Also frequently ignored.
Cinnamon toast was an appreciated by-product (of the oven toasting). I became well acquainted with the electric mixer and the preparation Cocomalt. Gained about 10 lbs in that 6 weeks, if I remember correctly.
Aunt Louise started the day with a glass of warm water. (Kept her intestines open, she said.) Uncle Harry would frequently start the day tossing the contents of water glasses back and forth with a mixture which bubbled and frothed. (Alka Seltzer?) Fascinating!
Aunt Louise ministered to me when I relieved Uncle Harry's humidor of an extra cigar and it punished me for my iniquity. (She never made a public announcement, either!)
She also introduced me to the idea of multiple changes of clothing in a single day. I'd never had that many clothes before. (Uncle Harry took me to the store and purchased a complete outfit for me.) The particular day Aunt Louise and I came head to head was when she made me change my clothes to go to an evening meal at the Country Club. I didn't see the purpose. Eventually I relented. I think of that incident frequently when I change my clothes for the 4th or 5th time in a day now.
I saw Uncle Harry when he was on his death bed. I shook his hand heartily, and he winced. ---Talk about a lasting memory! That made me a kindlier, gentler soul the rest of my life!
In case you didn't know, Uncle Harry died of septicemia after hernia repair. The latest medicine available was used including some Sulfa to no avail. The sepsis made him tender all over.
Shortly after that came college, med school, marriage and the peripatetic life of our generation, so I never saw much of Aunt Louise after that, although she did attend my high school graduation. We did see her enough so Ruth had the opportunity to see her and like her and we named our oldest daughter
after her. A real gem of a person was Aunt Louise!
I feel very chagrinned that I do not know more about Aunt Louise and her family. I never heard her mention her parents or siblings. There is a street in Batavia called Buell Street and I remember Mother's telling me it was named for Aunt Louise's family, and that Aunt Louise grew up in Batavia.
I would guess that the name Bull is German and the name is the Anglification of the word which is unpronounceable in English and so is modified to become bull, buell, buhl, beel, beal, etc. Kuhl has a similar problem and is spelled kuhl, cool, kuhel, kuehl, etc..
In fact, in McAllen there was a family named "Bull", by the father, but the daughter had it changed to
Buell.
Love!
Ivan W. Kuhl B 2 Dec 1920
Bio-Chaddock,Harry #4 (Lila)Contd
One other musical reflection. The Chaddocks had a player piano which was fascinating to our family. Occasionally, they would play a few rolls for our entertainment. I wish I had that player piano right now! The sad part is that , many years later,if I had mentioned it, they probably would have given it to me! Perhaps they didn't know my special leaning toward the field of music. Nevertheless, it never occurred to me to ask about it until it was too late. The piano as gone, and I never knew where it went.
We often had Thanksgiving dinner at he Chaddocks in Perry, and we did so enjoy that! The dinner was the usual juicy turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, squash, pickles, cranberry sauce, rolls. Our supper however, was varied. Sometimes it was macaroni and cheese, or spaghetti, often cheese souffle', which my mother always made. Yummy!
I recall just seeing Uncle Harry once when he was very ill, in bed, at his home. We all knew he was not going to live long. He was so ill that his daughter Fran's wedding was held in their own living room, with very few attending. His illness had to do with lung congestion or something of that sort. There was no cure at that time, a very few years later, a sulfa drug was discovered and undoubtedly would have saved him. So sad. He was much loved by all.
Aunt Louise lived for many years. After their home was sold, she lived in nursing homes, in or near Perry. She came to our hame at 150 Trumbull Pkwy. in Batavia one Thanksgiving, her last, I believe. Ham drove through a snowstorm to and from the Warsaw Nursing Home to have her join us.
An important part of the story of Uncle Harry and Aunt Louise was, of course, their two wonderful daughters, Frances Chaddock Lawrence and Lois Chaddock Hayden. They were quite a few years older than Velma and I, and were not a huge part of these particular memories of my aunt and uncle.
In a simpler time when we were young, Velma's and my experiences with our Perry aunt and uncle couldn't have been more special in our lives. Would that all children have dear "older" family members who might leave them wonderful memories, like our Aunt Louise and Uncle Harry.
Fondly,
Lila B - 10 Sept 1928
We often had Thanksgiving dinner at he Chaddocks in Perry, and we did so enjoy that! The dinner was the usual juicy turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, squash, pickles, cranberry sauce, rolls. Our supper however, was varied. Sometimes it was macaroni and cheese, or spaghetti, often cheese souffle', which my mother always made. Yummy!
I recall just seeing Uncle Harry once when he was very ill, in bed, at his home. We all knew he was not going to live long. He was so ill that his daughter Fran's wedding was held in their own living room, with very few attending. His illness had to do with lung congestion or something of that sort. There was no cure at that time, a very few years later, a sulfa drug was discovered and undoubtedly would have saved him. So sad. He was much loved by all.
Aunt Louise lived for many years. After their home was sold, she lived in nursing homes, in or near Perry. She came to our hame at 150 Trumbull Pkwy. in Batavia one Thanksgiving, her last, I believe. Ham drove through a snowstorm to and from the Warsaw Nursing Home to have her join us.
An important part of the story of Uncle Harry and Aunt Louise was, of course, their two wonderful daughters, Frances Chaddock Lawrence and Lois Chaddock Hayden. They were quite a few years older than Velma and I, and were not a huge part of these particular memories of my aunt and uncle.
In a simpler time when we were young, Velma's and my experiences with our Perry aunt and uncle couldn't have been more special in our lives. Would that all children have dear "older" family members who might leave them wonderful memories, like our Aunt Louise and Uncle Harry.
Fondly,
Lila B - 10 Sept 1928
Monday, September 19, 2011
Bio- Chaddock, Harry #4 (Lila)
Remembrances of Harry Chaddock and his wife, Anna Louise Chaddock
It's funny how certain seemingly uneventful things from one's childhood lodge themselves in the memory so vividly, it's as though they happened just yesterday . My recollections of Uncle Harry and Aunt Louise Chaddock are like that.
Uncle Harry, I recall, was talkative and friendly, always warm toward our family especially Florence, his sister, our mom. He quietly commanded immediate respect, and was a very successful businessman. Uncle Harry owned a hardware store about in the middle of Main Street on the west side, in Perry, NY. He always brought us something when he visited us in Batavia, usually something from his store, such as skates, sleds or a wagon. If there were no gifts he would say to us , "You'll find something out in the car."and after Velma and I had sat quietly, being the good little girls that we were, we hurried out to his car and often found a box of candy. That was such an exciting gift for us; treats for a family that never had any money to spare, from a dear uncle who, in our minds, was rich!
Aunt Louise was quiet and sophisticated, never temperamental, and never silly. She seemed the same all the time, always the perfect lady. We loved their house on Dolbeer Street in Perry, with its carpeted staircase leading up to the four bedrooms, which were always in perfect order. Aunt Louise had a built in enclosed glass cupboard in the corner of the dining room, filled with dishes. There was always a dish of candy in there, which Velma and I checked out each visit. Again, being very polite, we never asked for any candy, but Aunt Louise never forgot to quietly offer it to us. Instant smiles!
I recall one time I visited Aunt Louise by myself , without Velma. She must have been at a camp of some kind. Aunt Louise and I went downtown to buy a new dress for me. I was thrilled! We bought a new slip, underwear, socks, maybe shoes and a beige dress. The dress had white eyelet edging around the neck, and delicate blue flowers all over the pretty material! I was absolutely delighted! I may have been only about four years old, but I felt guilty that Velma didn't have new clothes, too. Also, at that visit, I remember Aunt Louise and me. just the two of us, sitting at the big dining room table. Our dinner has half of a chicken for each of us! It was one of those "little chickens" but but it felt such a grown -up dinner for me alone!
On this visit alone to Perry, I remember going out the back door where the mint was growing. Aaunt Louise and I picked the mint leaves, which she cooked and somehow made it into mint sauce. It was always served with lamb, and I still expect to enjoy it anytime I have lamb dinner, which is rare!
Once, when Velma and I visited Perry, there was another guest there, a Mr Watrous, who played an instrument called the "Theremin". It was a box-like electric instrument about 12" square, with 2 metal rods sticking out from the sides. One rod went straight up, and the other curved out and back in the left side of the box. He played the instrument using both hands, moving them up and down the rods in the
air, never touching the instrument. One hand controlled the pitch and the other, the volume. Obviously, it was played entirely by ear, having no keys or pedals at all It made a lovely sound. but sadly, the only time in my life that i ever saw or heard that strange instrument.
It's funny how certain seemingly uneventful things from one's childhood lodge themselves in the memory so vividly, it's as though they happened just yesterday . My recollections of Uncle Harry and Aunt Louise Chaddock are like that.
Uncle Harry, I recall, was talkative and friendly, always warm toward our family especially Florence, his sister, our mom. He quietly commanded immediate respect, and was a very successful businessman. Uncle Harry owned a hardware store about in the middle of Main Street on the west side, in Perry, NY. He always brought us something when he visited us in Batavia, usually something from his store, such as skates, sleds or a wagon. If there were no gifts he would say to us , "You'll find something out in the car."and after Velma and I had sat quietly, being the good little girls that we were, we hurried out to his car and often found a box of candy. That was such an exciting gift for us; treats for a family that never had any money to spare, from a dear uncle who, in our minds, was rich!
Aunt Louise was quiet and sophisticated, never temperamental, and never silly. She seemed the same all the time, always the perfect lady. We loved their house on Dolbeer Street in Perry, with its carpeted staircase leading up to the four bedrooms, which were always in perfect order. Aunt Louise had a built in enclosed glass cupboard in the corner of the dining room, filled with dishes. There was always a dish of candy in there, which Velma and I checked out each visit. Again, being very polite, we never asked for any candy, but Aunt Louise never forgot to quietly offer it to us. Instant smiles!
I recall one time I visited Aunt Louise by myself , without Velma. She must have been at a camp of some kind. Aunt Louise and I went downtown to buy a new dress for me. I was thrilled! We bought a new slip, underwear, socks, maybe shoes and a beige dress. The dress had white eyelet edging around the neck, and delicate blue flowers all over the pretty material! I was absolutely delighted! I may have been only about four years old, but I felt guilty that Velma didn't have new clothes, too. Also, at that visit, I remember Aunt Louise and me. just the two of us, sitting at the big dining room table. Our dinner has half of a chicken for each of us! It was one of those "little chickens" but but it felt such a grown -up dinner for me alone!
On this visit alone to Perry, I remember going out the back door where the mint was growing. Aaunt Louise and I picked the mint leaves, which she cooked and somehow made it into mint sauce. It was always served with lamb, and I still expect to enjoy it anytime I have lamb dinner, which is rare!
Once, when Velma and I visited Perry, there was another guest there, a Mr Watrous, who played an instrument called the "Theremin". It was a box-like electric instrument about 12" square, with 2 metal rods sticking out from the sides. One rod went straight up, and the other curved out and back in the left side of the box. He played the instrument using both hands, moving them up and down the rods in the
air, never touching the instrument. One hand controlled the pitch and the other, the volume. Obviously, it was played entirely by ear, having no keys or pedals at all It made a lovely sound. but sadly, the only time in my life that i ever saw or heard that strange instrument.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Chaddock-Bio-Uncle Harry#2 (Cont'd)(Velma)
One day Lila and I collected a bunch of small rocks and put them on the porch. I was on the porch and she was at the foot of the porch steps. Aunt Louise came out and ordered me to get the rocks off the porch so I started to throw them in the alley. I told Lila to get out of the way or I would hit her with a rock. And she didn't and I did! To this day she bears the scar of that day , on the lip where it was split with the rock!!
Cousin Frances was married a few weeks before Uncle Harry died. Lila and I were flower girls and Auntie Florence had made our beautiful long dresses. The church was cancelled and Fran and Bob were married at home where Uncle Harry could attend lying in hospital bed set up in the living room. The bridesmaids didn't attend but Lila and I in our lovely dresses did. I'm sure Aunt Louise is the one who said we should be there because the dresses were made and she knew how excited we'd been about the wedding ! Ivan has his own story about the wedding! (I tossed some confetti in the driver's side window, Bob ducked and sustained a cut above the eyebrow from the rear view mirror. I don't throw anything at weddings since then. -Ivan)
11 Dolbeer was never the same after that without Uncle Harry. He was full of life and enthusiasm. Aunt Louise was more staid and proper, a real lady. Without a word from her you were always on your best behavior.
The last time I saw her alive was in a nursing home in Wyoming(NY). By the the she died she had outlived all her friends, and her funeral was sparsely attended.
I never heard that she had any siblings. When we were in St. Cloud, Florida for the winter when I was about 5, we went to visit Mrs Buell., Aunt Louise's mother. She was a very plump, unkempt woman and I couldn't connect her to Aunt Louise at all. (This was when IWK was at Perry school.)
Velma Dean Parry (minor editing by IWK)
Cousin Frances was married a few weeks before Uncle Harry died. Lila and I were flower girls and Auntie Florence had made our beautiful long dresses. The church was cancelled and Fran and Bob were married at home where Uncle Harry could attend lying in hospital bed set up in the living room. The bridesmaids didn't attend but Lila and I in our lovely dresses did. I'm sure Aunt Louise is the one who said we should be there because the dresses were made and she knew how excited we'd been about the wedding ! Ivan has his own story about the wedding! (I tossed some confetti in the driver's side window, Bob ducked and sustained a cut above the eyebrow from the rear view mirror. I don't throw anything at weddings since then. -Ivan)
11 Dolbeer was never the same after that without Uncle Harry. He was full of life and enthusiasm. Aunt Louise was more staid and proper, a real lady. Without a word from her you were always on your best behavior.
The last time I saw her alive was in a nursing home in Wyoming(NY). By the the she died she had outlived all her friends, and her funeral was sparsely attended.
I never heard that she had any siblings. When we were in St. Cloud, Florida for the winter when I was about 5, we went to visit Mrs Buell., Aunt Louise's mother. She was a very plump, unkempt woman and I couldn't connect her to Aunt Louise at all. (This was when IWK was at Perry school.)
Velma Dean Parry (minor editing by IWK)
Monday, September 12, 2011
Chaddock-Bio-Uncle Harry#2 (Velma)
Lila and I weren't aware of the depression and how poor we were, but we did know that a trip to see Uncle Harry and Aunt Louise was to enter a different world where everything was perfect and plentiful. 11 Dolbeer Street!
We could go out the back door and pick mint leaves right by the steps for iced tea. The stairs up to the bedrooms had grey thick carpeting-luxurious! And in the 2nd living room (parlor) there was a player piano which was magical to us! Lila and I could make music almost as good as Mother did! We loved to sit in the glass-enclosed front porch. I think Uncle Harry was allowed to smoke there. I used to go to the ash tray and sniff. There began my life-long love of nicotine!
I only remember staying there once for a week. Aunt Louise told us to get whatever cereal we wanted from the cupboard one morning and I found some Grape Nuts-that smelled so good! Not the flakes but the little pebble-like Grape Nuts that we never had at home. So I ate a huge bowlful and paid for it with awful cramps and diarrhea.
The dining room had a built-in cupboard, in one drawer of which she kept candy. Aunt Louise would give us permission and we would pick out some luscious candy, which was a rare treat. Even chocolates-we never had those at home. To this day I have a candy drawer for my grandchildren.
The hardware store. Wow! And it was all Uncle Harry's! Don't know why, but I always loved the nail bins that I'd stick my hands in and let the nails run through my fingers. But the best was Uncle Harry's taking us to the ice cream parlor across the street, not for a cone, but for a sundae! Nowadays kids can't imagine what a treat that was! A cone at 5 cents and a sundae at 15 cents.
I remember Uncle Harry's giving us a sled one Christmas, -and another skates!
We were a family who loved to eat and all the women were great cooks. We not only had Thanksgiving dinner, but Thanksgiving supper. It was always (supper) scalloped oysters except one year at Aunt Louise's. Cousin Lawrence (Uncle Arthur's son) wanted something different, so he made spaghetti and meat balls. It didn't go over too well, and the next year it was back to scalloped oysters. Of course cranberry sauce was a must, -and I still make it every year no matter at whose house we spend the day.
The cottage at Silver Lake. Big and wonderful with an upstairs porch where we could sleep outdoors! And I always think of watermelons in connection with the cottage. I'm sure Ivan and Cousin Bobby(Uncle Floyd's son) started a watermelon seed fight. What fun-- --and what a mess! Aunt Louise didn't stop it, but she left no doubt as to whose job the clean up was !
We could go out the back door and pick mint leaves right by the steps for iced tea. The stairs up to the bedrooms had grey thick carpeting-luxurious! And in the 2nd living room (parlor) there was a player piano which was magical to us! Lila and I could make music almost as good as Mother did! We loved to sit in the glass-enclosed front porch. I think Uncle Harry was allowed to smoke there. I used to go to the ash tray and sniff. There began my life-long love of nicotine!
I only remember staying there once for a week. Aunt Louise told us to get whatever cereal we wanted from the cupboard one morning and I found some Grape Nuts-that smelled so good! Not the flakes but the little pebble-like Grape Nuts that we never had at home. So I ate a huge bowlful and paid for it with awful cramps and diarrhea.
The dining room had a built-in cupboard, in one drawer of which she kept candy. Aunt Louise would give us permission and we would pick out some luscious candy, which was a rare treat. Even chocolates-we never had those at home. To this day I have a candy drawer for my grandchildren.
The hardware store. Wow! And it was all Uncle Harry's! Don't know why, but I always loved the nail bins that I'd stick my hands in and let the nails run through my fingers. But the best was Uncle Harry's taking us to the ice cream parlor across the street, not for a cone, but for a sundae! Nowadays kids can't imagine what a treat that was! A cone at 5 cents and a sundae at 15 cents.
I remember Uncle Harry's giving us a sled one Christmas, -and another skates!
We were a family who loved to eat and all the women were great cooks. We not only had Thanksgiving dinner, but Thanksgiving supper. It was always (supper) scalloped oysters except one year at Aunt Louise's. Cousin Lawrence (Uncle Arthur's son) wanted something different, so he made spaghetti and meat balls. It didn't go over too well, and the next year it was back to scalloped oysters. Of course cranberry sauce was a must, -and I still make it every year no matter at whose house we spend the day.
The cottage at Silver Lake. Big and wonderful with an upstairs porch where we could sleep outdoors! And I always think of watermelons in connection with the cottage. I'm sure Ivan and Cousin Bobby(Uncle Floyd's son) started a watermelon seed fight. What fun-- --and what a mess! Aunt Louise didn't stop it, but she left no doubt as to whose job the clean up was !
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Chaddock-Bio-Uncle Harry #1 (Ivan)
Uncle Harry was the oldest of the four. There were three boys and my mother, who was almost exactly 20 years younger than Harry. --Undoubtedly a surprise baby! As such she was Harry's baby sister and their lives turned out to be closer than the others.
When Mother was in high school she had what was called "a nervous breakdown" and never finished high school, and after an interval, joined Harry as a bookkeeper at the store. She stayed there a year or two, then she went back to Batavia, where she commuted to a position as the bookkeeper for the Bonalevo Farms which was on the Attica road. There she met my father who was the Assistant Manager, but that is another story!
Harry had a hardware store on Main Street in Perry, "H.H.Chaddock Hardware" for about 35 years. He had played football for Batavia High School and was well known in Batavia. His store weathered the depression adequately, up to the time of his death. He and Aunt Louise belonged to the Country Club, although to my knowledge he did not play golf.
Uncle Harry was Bob Chaddock's and my "rich uncle". At 11 Dolbeer Street in Perry appeared the first pop-up toaster, electric mixer, the first electric refrigerator, the first console radio, the first Willys-Knight, the first Buick, the first chocolate mousse(refrigerator prepared) in the family. Toss salad was first served there in my memory, as the first cranberry sauce as(opposed to cranberry jelly). I'm sure there many other items in this category, but this is the memory of teen-ager, at the time.
The Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays were rotated among the family homes. One of my outstanding memories was at 11 Dolbeer, when Lois, Lawrence and I cranked and cranked to no avail to solidify the sherbet. Finally, one of us tasted the slush, which as sweet as could be. The house had been out of rock salt so sugar hd ben substituted thinking it had been salt! After that the sherbet sure tasted delicious, when it was finally ready!
One Christmas we were towed behind a car on the icy, slippery streets of Perry on sleds which must have been Lois' and/or Frances'. We survived! Once "sugaring off" was the occasion for a lasting memory.
Uncle Harry had nicknames for most of us. Mine was "Skeezix"after the character of the same name in the comic, "Gasoline Alley". It seemed that as an infant I had had a curl in the center of my scalp, which resembled that of Skeezix.
Lois was called "Goody Two Shoes" after her thump-thump coming down the thickly carpeted stairs as a toddler. Fran undoubtedly had one but she was old enough that I was not exposed to it.
Harry Hiram Chaddock B- 11 Jul 1878 D- 11 Jul 1937
Anna Louise Buell Chaddock B-17 Feb 1876 D 21 Feb 1962
When Mother was in high school she had what was called "a nervous breakdown" and never finished high school, and after an interval, joined Harry as a bookkeeper at the store. She stayed there a year or two, then she went back to Batavia, where she commuted to a position as the bookkeeper for the Bonalevo Farms which was on the Attica road. There she met my father who was the Assistant Manager, but that is another story!
Harry had a hardware store on Main Street in Perry, "H.H.Chaddock Hardware" for about 35 years. He had played football for Batavia High School and was well known in Batavia. His store weathered the depression adequately, up to the time of his death. He and Aunt Louise belonged to the Country Club, although to my knowledge he did not play golf.
Uncle Harry was Bob Chaddock's and my "rich uncle". At 11 Dolbeer Street in Perry appeared the first pop-up toaster, electric mixer, the first electric refrigerator, the first console radio, the first Willys-Knight, the first Buick, the first chocolate mousse(refrigerator prepared) in the family. Toss salad was first served there in my memory, as the first cranberry sauce as(opposed to cranberry jelly). I'm sure there many other items in this category, but this is the memory of teen-ager, at the time.
The Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays were rotated among the family homes. One of my outstanding memories was at 11 Dolbeer, when Lois, Lawrence and I cranked and cranked to no avail to solidify the sherbet. Finally, one of us tasted the slush, which as sweet as could be. The house had been out of rock salt so sugar hd ben substituted thinking it had been salt! After that the sherbet sure tasted delicious, when it was finally ready!
One Christmas we were towed behind a car on the icy, slippery streets of Perry on sleds which must have been Lois' and/or Frances'. We survived! Once "sugaring off" was the occasion for a lasting memory.
Uncle Harry had nicknames for most of us. Mine was "Skeezix"after the character of the same name in the comic, "Gasoline Alley". It seemed that as an infant I had had a curl in the center of my scalp, which resembled that of Skeezix.
Lois was called "Goody Two Shoes" after her thump-thump coming down the thickly carpeted stairs as a toddler. Fran undoubtedly had one but she was old enough that I was not exposed to it.
Harry Hiram Chaddock B- 11 Jul 1878 D- 11 Jul 1937
Anna Louise Buell Chaddock B-17 Feb 1876 D 21 Feb 1962
Thursday, September 1, 2011
"Muffets"-Batavia, NY
As we get older we all have things that pop up in our "heads" and we wonder --- "What was the real story?"
"Googling" brought some details of an old story percolating in my mind from time to time. The story that I had in mind was somewhat "garbled". "Googling" took off some of the mystery. Now I can tell the story, leaving out most of the false parts of the tale.
It seems that the "Ross Food Company" manufactured a "breakfast biscuit" so closely resembling Shredded Wheat that the latter company sued, -and after about 5 years, won.
In the meantime Scott Perky dreamed up another form. The fabric of the"muffet" had a similar consistency to shredded wheat, but was circular, -about 4"in diameter and 1 1/2 inches thick. and cookie-like in shape. Things were going well and Mr. Perky wanted to expand. He already had about 40 people employed at that time.
On 29 September 1925 the plans came to a violent end when fire started in the elevator shaft of the manufacturing site and spread rapidly to the wooden building leading to total destruction.
" What's that got to do with you, Grandpa? "
" Well, one of my earliest memories is of tall, massive, wild red and yellow flames with black skeletons of wood moving back and forth in the flames beyond the trees in the foreground. That was "the Muffet
fire" in my memory.
We were out on Walnut Street and my stepfather was mentioning that the fire might be a result of a legal battle. As an insurance man he was very conscious of that possibility. -- To my knowledge no arson was proven, nor was the possibility explored with legal actions considered.
So much for "the muffet fire". I presume there is no more to the story. What do you think?
"Googling" brought some details of an old story percolating in my mind from time to time. The story that I had in mind was somewhat "garbled". "Googling" took off some of the mystery. Now I can tell the story, leaving out most of the false parts of the tale.
It seems that the "Ross Food Company" manufactured a "breakfast biscuit" so closely resembling Shredded Wheat that the latter company sued, -and after about 5 years, won.
In the meantime Scott Perky dreamed up another form. The fabric of the"muffet" had a similar consistency to shredded wheat, but was circular, -about 4"in diameter and 1 1/2 inches thick. and cookie-like in shape. Things were going well and Mr. Perky wanted to expand. He already had about 40 people employed at that time.
On 29 September 1925 the plans came to a violent end when fire started in the elevator shaft of the manufacturing site and spread rapidly to the wooden building leading to total destruction.
" What's that got to do with you, Grandpa? "
" Well, one of my earliest memories is of tall, massive, wild red and yellow flames with black skeletons of wood moving back and forth in the flames beyond the trees in the foreground. That was "the Muffet
fire" in my memory.
We were out on Walnut Street and my stepfather was mentioning that the fire might be a result of a legal battle. As an insurance man he was very conscious of that possibility. -- To my knowledge no arson was proven, nor was the possibility explored with legal actions considered.
So much for "the muffet fire". I presume there is no more to the story. What do you think?
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