When I was a kid living in South Baltimore
We didn’t know we were ‘Poor’ ...
Until we read it in the ‘Funny Papers.’
“Cleanliness is next to Godliness”
Was the ‘catch-phrase’ back Then.
There was no excuse for being Dirty,
Because a bar of soap didn’t cost very Much.
“Make sure you wash behind your Ears!”
Was what all the ‘Grown-Ups’ used to Say.
“Ninety-Nine and Forty-Four One-Hundreds’ Percent Pure”
and “It Floats” ... were the Slogans of ‘Ivory Soap’.
And for scrubbing floors, down on your Hands and Knees -
The product most used was Octagon Soap -
Almost pure Lye - that made your hands Red!
Of course a ‘Working Man’s’ Family
Didn’t have the Luxury of wearing Rubber Gloves.
And ‘Plastic’ hadn’t been invented yet!
Neither was ‘Aluminum Foil’ Available.
For wrapping ‘left-overs’ - Was stuff on a Roll,
In a box, called Waxed Paper.
I remember when the Ladies did any Baking,
It was used to roll out the Dough.
‘Plastic Wrap’ or ‘Saran Wrap’ -
Had not seen the ‘Light of Day’ yet Either.
Most meats and fresh vegetables were purchased Daily
Back then, because we had a Real ‘Ice Box’ -
A white wooden box lined inside with thin Metal -
And a ‘Drip Tray’ - it had several doors with Latches ...
The ‘Ice-Man’ used to Cometh each Day -
In warm weather and deliver a Big Block of Ice -
Using Big Tongs ... Stealing ‘chips’ off his truck was Fun!
In Winter time, foods that could ‘Spoil’
Were placed outside, in a wooden box Dad had Built -
Just raise the Kitchen window and lift the Lid! Brrrrr!
My best guess is that many of the ‘New - Improved’ Products
Were invented during War-Time in the Forties?
Most Radios were in Wooden Boxes -
With Cloth coverings in front of the Speakers,
And Lighted, Yellow Dials.
After returning from Mass on Sundays -
I would rush home to get the ‘Funny Papers’ -
And lay on the ‘Parlor’ Floor and listen to the Announcer
Read through certain ‘Comics’ ...
Like: “Riggama, Riggama, Riggama Rash -
Let’s have music for Uncle Flash” -
‘Flash Gordon’ of Course!
Our First Television didn’t Arrive Until about 1953 -
A Big Floor Console - a Muntz TV - from ‘Mad Man’ Muntz!
The Screen was about the size of a Football -
And it was ‘Black and White’ - and -
A ‘Horse-Fly’ could interrupt your Viewing!
In those ‘Good Ole Days’ -
Anyone could walk down to Read’s Drug Store -
Where they had a Tube-Testing Machine ...
You took your old tubes in a brown paper Bag -
Found the right-sized Holes that matched the Prongs -
And within minutes you knew which were Bad!
The ‘Five-And-Dime’ Store carried Rolls of Stuff -
Called ‘Oil-Cloth’ which was used for Table-Cloths.
When old ones were Replaced -
They worked great as a Work-Bench cover in the Garage!
The floors of our ‘Row-House’ - Built in the late 1800’s
Were either Wooden ‘tongue-and-groove’ - Or -
Covered in stuff called ‘Linoleum.’
After scrubbing them on her Hands and Knees -
Then mopping them with a Bucket of Water
My Mom would put down Newspapers -
To make a path for walking, until they Dried!
Then, certain areas, in certain rooms just Had -
To be Paste-Waxed - to make them Shiny!
And of course, she loved to use ‘Throw Rugs’ -
Multi-Colored woven strings, in an Oval Shape -
If you ‘Zipped By’ too Quickly ...
“Bing Bam, Thank You Ma’am”
BOOM! Right down on your Arse!
Oh - how Dad Hated those ‘Suckers’!
Like most ‘Po Folk’ living in the City -
There was no Real Kitchen -
A ‘Lean-To” type room had been Added
To the back of the house, called a ‘Summer Kitchen.’
Kind of like a ‘Shaker’ or ‘Salt-Box’ Shape -
With a slanted roof, going Downwards -
And away from the Building.
Naturally, there was NO BATHROOM!
But we had the Best OUTHOUSE -
In the entire Neighborhood ...
Way back at the end of the Yard -
In front of Dad’s Two-Story Garage -
And it had PLUMBING!
While the Spring-Loaded Toilet Seat -
Was held down by your BUTT -
A constant flow of Water just ran and RAN!
Hell - we was ‘Modern’ - NO STINK!
Except when you had to Dump the ‘Honey-Bucket’!
1710 Light Street - in South Baltimore -
Small ‘Two-Story’ Row-Home -
In the middle of the Block ...
Twelve-by-Twelve ‘Parlor’ or ‘Setting Room’ -
Eat-In Kitchen, same size, Summer Kitchen -
About Ten by Fourteen ...
Stairs with Landing, and turn to the Left -
Two Twelve by Twelve Bedrooms Above -
That was IT!
NO BASEMENT!
My Dad cut a hole in the Closet Floor -
Under the stairwell and built Steps Down -
AFTER Hand-Digging and Pick-Axing -
A Big Hole Through Solid Orange CLAY!
This was all done Before I was Born in 1940!
NO CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEM!
Dad and his ‘Helpers’ dug all that Clay Out -
So a wooden chute and a ‘Coal Bin’
Could be installed for ‘Coal Truck' Delivery.
A Big Olde Wrought-Iron ‘Pot-Bellied ‘Stove -
Sat there Prominently, in the ‘Eat-In’ Kitchen.
Carrying Buckets of Coal UP -
And Buckets of Ashes OUT -
Was one of my ‘chores’ when I grew Big Enough!
By the time I was about Twelve or So -
We got ‘Modernized’ -
Uncle Jesse Madkins, my Mom’s Brother,
Bought an Oil Truck and went into his own Business.
Shortly thereafter, he showed up one Saturday
With a Brand-Spanking USED Oil Furnace!
He and Dad somehow got that Sucker
Down through the back Storm Cellar Door ...
They cut a big hole right under the Arch-Way
Between the Parlor and Kitchen Floor -
And installed a big wrought-iron Grate
In the floor and built a sheet-metal Plenum.
Also, a Two-Hundred and Seventy-Five Gallon
Oil Drum Storage Tank was connected by Copper Tubing -
And - VOILA! We had a Central Furnace Now!
There was No Duct-Work -
Just Two Holes cut between the Rafters -
One in each Room -
And Dad installed a Door to the Stairs -
So you could ‘regulate’ heat going Upstairs!
NO AIR-CONDITIONING!
A Big Chunk of Ice - Nestled in a porcelain metal Basin -
With a small Electric Fan Blowing over It -
Cooled you enough to fall Asleep on a Hot Summer Night!
South Baltimore sounds a lot like south Michigan was, "Back in the day." I was born in 44 and our first TV came at about the same time as yours. Might also have been the same make and model from your description, but ours was an old used one and I'm not sure what name brand it was.
We also had a "Two holer" out back and as Patrick mentions, we also had a "Michigan cellar." We had cold water in the house by the time I was 5 or 6, but it was quite some time later before we had a tub and stool. Quite a bit more time went by before we had a regular type of hot water heater.
Oh yeah, the good ol days.... you've brought back lots of memories, but I can’t honestly say that they’re all good ones.
You said a mouthful. Pepsodent toothpaste...you'll wonder where the yellow went..We didn't have air conditioning at my folk's house until the 1980's and my grandfather had a "Michigan basement," a hole hacked into the ground next to the kitchen.
You've made me miss those Good Old Days even more with this marvelous nostalgic piece my friend, and you brought back some marvelous memories of my own from my early childhood days.
My grandfather bought a huge three-flat brick building shortly after he arrived from the old country in 1922, and as a kid, I loved that old place. The original outhouse was a bunker dug directly under the street in front of the building. After indoor plumbing arrived, I made it into my Secret Hideout! And my favorite place in the old building was the attic - Grandpa had a huge pigeon coop up there and he raised and raced homing pigeons. Ah, Those Good Old Days!
Exploring the impact of literary icon Flannery O'Connor's noted legacy on the cultural realities of modern-day America, the world, and a certain author.
Exploring the impact of literary icon Flannery O'Connor's noted legacy on the cultural realities of modern-day America, the world, and a certain author.
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We also had a "Two holer" out back and as Patrick mentions, we also had a "Michigan cellar." We had cold water in the house by the time I was 5 or 6, but it was quite some time later before we had a tub and stool. Quite a bit more time went by before we had a regular type of hot water heater.
Oh yeah, the good ol days.... you've brought back lots of memories, but I can’t honestly say that they’re all good ones.
Thanks Dick
My grandfather bought a huge three-flat brick building shortly after he arrived from the old country in 1922, and as a kid, I loved that old place. The original outhouse was a bunker dug directly under the street in front of the building. After indoor plumbing arrived, I made it into my Secret Hideout! And my favorite place in the old building was the attic - Grandpa had a huge pigeon coop up there and he raised and raced homing pigeons. Ah, Those Good Old Days!