PART II - REFLECTIONS

Previously I wrote about the environment and neighborhood that I grew up in. It gave you a slight indication of my background and values. In Part II, Reflections, I hope to give you a better understanding into the life and times of George as he grew up in Chicago. We’ll try to uncover what drives a person to do what they do or don’t do. We’ll look at the people who influenced and guided the life and career path that marked the character and values that creates ones persona.

CHANGING TIMES

The 1940’s had come to an end. It was an end of an era that many remember as the greatest of times. It was a period in history which reflected on the reliance and strength of the American people. They had come out of a depression, unemployment, little or no wages, little food; many had lost everything and fought back. It was not a time to feel sorry for yourself; it was a time to move forward... The depression ended and we faced an enemy to democracy and freedom. World War II brought us into conflict with Germany and Japan. Many lives were sacrificed to maintain human dignity and the right to be free. It was the story of the great American culture, pride, values and way of life...

Many of the things we have talked about have changed. The story of life is change. As soon as you feel comfortable, something changes. If we meditate on the things we did in the 40’s, in comparison to today, we will find drastic changes. The front porch that we enjoyed for discussions is a thing of the past. The friendships we enjoyed have changed. Many neighborhoods have changed 2 or 3 times over. The ethnics of the 40’s have been replaced by new groups and cultures. The stores we knew have been replaced with foreign signs and ads. The people moved to new areas or the suburbs.

Our small stores have been replaced by large shopping malls. The ma and pa stores could no longer compete with large corporate giants. Gas stations no longer pump gas, clean windows or check your tires, its now self service. If you have car problems you need to find a dealer or someone specializing in the problem... The bakeries of the 40’s are few and are now found as departments within large supermarket chains. The freshness and taste is no longer the same. Candy stores are gone, although you may find fine chocolate shops in larger malls or in frozen displays at supermarkets and drug stores. Most if not all of the Milwaukee Avenue stores are gone. It’s a new day and a new culture that promotes its goods and way of life.

The call to play has been replaced by modern communications. The culture of play has changed. Kids no longer play in gravel schoolyards or rock filled empty lots, they require grassy fields with stands, real bases and line markers. It is rare to see kids just get together and start up a game of baseball or football. They need supervision and coaches to guide and tell them what and how to play. Where is the imagination of the cork stand, hit em outs, pitching pennies? Instead of playing outside and the cammadrarie of friends, most kids of today relate to indoor entertainment with electronic gadgets .Is this good? I don’t know, but I can say that it was a healthier, more enjoyable life growing up in the 40’s.

By 1950 the radio was fading as TV made its way into our living rooms. Many of the favorite shows started switching to TV; Jack Benny, Red Skeleton, Burns and Allen, and Jimmy Durante. The mysteries didn’t make the move; it was difficult to transfer the mental image to the screen. Radio had to make its own transition. It would soon abandon the old shows and switched to music and talk, Sports continued to be aired and provided large audiences. Radio was to find its niche in the car while traveling, working or doing things around the house... The 78 RPM records became obsolete, while the phonographs, that played the records, have been replaced with new technologies. The black telephone has given way to smaller more convenient methods of communication. The movie theatre with its double feature and cartoon has been replaced by large multiple screen theatres. The cost to go to the movies and buy pop corn or candy has gone from pennies to dollars. In fact, you don’t need money, you can charge it. We have changed from a cash and go society to a society with a charge card.

Advances in transportation have replaced the streetcar with buses and trains. You no longer have a conductor. The conductor has been replaced by coin or dollar machines. The trolleys are gone and all transportation has air conditioning, Automobiles now come in many colors and designs. They have become bigger and more costly. It’s no longer Ford vs. GM, we have entered the global market were foreign competition now challenges the once dominate U.S. companies. Air travel has made it possible to travel long distances in a matter of hours. The once long tedious car and train trips are now made by air.

Our appliances have become automated and computerized. You no longer have to stand over a stove and cook meals. You push a few buttons and the appliance does the work. The old wringer washing machine, ice box, coal stove and cleaning devices have been replaced. Thermal windows and efficient heating systems now give you the convenience of warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer. The sculptures of Jack Frost have melted away. Change has made our lives easier and more convenient.

The walks down the Avenue have been replaced by automobile trips to malls. Window shopping on a Sunday afternoon has become passé. Stores are now open everyday and many 24/7. Discounters have replaced the old department stores with lower prices and fewer services... The loyalty of old is gone; we now search for the best buy. You can no longer run down the block to buy a paper or piece of candy. How hard is it to find a shoemaker or barber? Most of the ice cream shops have disappeared. The movie theatres have been knocked down or boarded up. Yes, the old neighborhood just ain’t the same.

The old friends and neighbors have either passed away or moved to different parts of the city, suburbs or different parts of the country. If you walked down a street you probably couldn’t recognize your old friends or neighbors. Memories are replenished by reading of an old friends passing. What happened to all those people where did they go, what did they do? So many people pass through our lives impacting who we are and what we have become. Time passes and we move on and adjust.

Yes, times have changed, we have changed and everything around us continues to change. Time does not stop. New things are happening every minute and hour of the day. It’s hard to keep up with change. You can look back, but it’s more important to look forward. You can’t change the past but maybe you can impact the future by looking forward and focusing on where you’re going. You can cherish the memories of what was, but you must be positive of the future. The memories of the 40’s have now been relinquished to history. We must use and pass on these memories as a time that was and should not be forgotten.

I hope you enjoyed our visits from the Front Porch. I hope I painted a picture of what life was like in the 1940’s on Evergreen Avenue. Please join me next time as we venture into new discussions. Next week, we begin a new topic, WORK.

Till next time.

This is Sasiad your neighbor on the Front Porch.

TUNING IN

In the 1940’s, radio was our major form of entertainment, it provided hours of joy, it kept you company and informed. Whatever your taste: comedy, drama, mystery, soaps, quiz shows, westerns, music, variety you could find it on your dial. Originally our family had a cabinet radio with a little window for the dial and two knobs for switching stations or the volume. There were only AM stations, there was no FM. The radio had glass tubes that brought the shows into our homes. Periodically a tube would go out and you’d go to a radio store to have it tested and/or replaced. Our radio picked up police calls. They weren’t clear, but they made you wonder what evil lurked in the neighborhood.

Being of ethnic parents our day normally started by listening to a Polish broadcast of The Early Morning Show it was introduced by the cockle cockle doo of a hen. The show was hosted by a husband and wife team presenting news, weather, music and information. It competed against the Don McNeil Breakfast Club which entertained women in the early morning. Our radio was normally off for most of the morning and afternoons hours. Once in a while I would listen to some of the afternoon shows. I remember in the early afternoon they had soaps like The Guiding Light and variety shows like: Tommy Bartlett’s Queen for A Day, Ladies Be Seated and a Perry Mason mystery.

The soaps were big in the 40’s. They were called soaps because they were sponsored by soap companies: Oxydol, Dreft, American Family, Rinso, Ivory, Camay and other brands. Sometimes after school I would catch Young Widder Brown, Stella Dallas, Young Doctor Malone, and One Man’s Family. The ones that hooked me were Portia Faces Life, the story about a female lawyer. This show was memorable because Portia’s husband, Walter Manning, had amnesia twice during the series. Just Plain Bill followed Portia and was about Bill Davidson the local barber. It was followed by Front Page Farrell . I liked Lorenzo Jones because of its theme song, Harken, Harken Music’s Everywhere Tra la la la. The insertion of the organ and sound effects added excitement to the shows. During the war years I enjoyed Hop Harrigan, a story about the army air force. I don’t know what happened to this show, but one day it was gone. Most of the soaps were 15 minutes. With commercials and sound effects the story line covered about 10 minutes. No wonder they went on forever.

By 5 o’clock the Kid Shows would come on: Captain Midnight, Sky King, Cisco Kid, Jack Armstrong, Lone Ranger and Sgt. Preston and his dog Yukon King. My father would interrupt my shows to listen to the Polish news at 6. At 6:30 it was time for The Lone Ranger or Jack Armstrong. They were on WLS 890 and sponsored by Kix or Cherrios. Interest in the shows was promoted by promotions such as the Lone Ranger Silver Bullitt Ring or Captain Midnight’s decoder. You’d save up and send in 25 cents and wait in anticipation of receiving this important toy. It became a part of discussions and excitement “did you receive it yet?’ Once received it never lived up to the hype.

The Cinnamon Bear was an annual treat. It came on around Thanksgiving and ended just before Christmas. It was broadcast Monday thru Friday at 5 and sponsored by Wielboldts Department Stores. The Cinnamon Bear was a story about Judy, Jimmy and Patty O’Cinnamon and their search for their silver star. It had such wonderful characters as the Crazy Quilt Dragon, Santa Claus, The Wintergreen Witch and the Princess of the North, The story took them on adventures to the Root Beer Ocean and Maybe Land in search of their beloved silver star. Another annual treat was the Mercury Theatre’s presentation of A Christmas Carol, starring Lionel Barrymore as Scrooge. It was hosted by Orson Wells. .

The 7 o’clock hour rang in the prime time shows. I remember Monday night featured the Lux Radio Theatre which presented radio versions of current movies. They starred leading role actors and actresses. On Tuesday I enjoyed Big Town and Bob Hope. Wednesday it was the District Attorney, “and it shall be my duty as district attorney “. Thursday it was Baby Snooks and the Aldrich Family with the famous call,” H e n r y - Henry Aldrich”.” Coming Mother”. Friday was a big night; it had The Fat Man,” Stepping On The Scale, Fortune DANGER”. Bill Stern presented sports stories, Ozzie and Harriet was a comedy with sons David and Ricky Nelson.

In the morning you could catch the local news with John Harrington, Alex Drier, John Holtman Lowell Thomas and Bon Hurleigh. Paul Gibson presented the social gossip and items of interest. Two Ton Baker the music maker presented tunes on the piano and Arthur Godfrey and Friends provided lively morning entertainment. By afternoon the soaps were in full swing: Life Can Be Beautiful, When a Girl Marries, Young Widder Brown, Ma Perkins, and Second Mrs. Burton. WLS was known as the Prairier Farmer Station targeting the agricultural community with information throughout the day. WGN also presented agricultural news. The Kid Shows started around 4:30/5 o’clock and ran to seven. Besides the shows already mentioned there was: Superman, The Green Hornet, Terry and The Pirates, Tom Mix, and Dick Tracey. Many of the shows were fashioned after famous comic characters.

Sometimes it was difficult to choose a show because of a conflict between 2 good shows being on at the same time. Everyone had their favorites... Sunday was a big day with Funnies in the morning, where someone read the Sunday comics with you. Around noontime The Morris B. Saks Amateur Hour spotlighted local competing talent. During the years shows changed days and times. I Remember Sunday as the day for Jack Benny, The Shadow, Edgar Bergen., Walter Winchell, Gene Autry, Philo Vance, Bulldog Drummond and Quiz Kids. On Monday; Burns and Allen, Lux Radio Theatre, Inner Sanctum, Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts. On Tuesday Big Town with Steve Wilson and Loreil Kilbourn , Fibber McGee and Molly ,Bob Hope, Mr. And Mrs. North and the friendly immigrant Luigi Bosco in Life With Luigi. Wednesday brought us Jack Carson, Eddie Cantor, Dr. Christian, The Amateur Hour, Great Gildersleeve and Duffy’s Tavern. On Thursday we listened to Mr. Keen, The Aldridge Family, Suspense, Al Jolson, Bing Crosby and Casey Crime Photographer. Friday it was Amos and Andy, FBI, Red Skeleton, Life of Riley, Thin Man, and Jimmy Durante. The week ended with Truth or Consequences, Gang Busters, Dennis Day, Grand Ole Opry, The Barn Dance .FBI In Peace and War, .and The Hit Parade.

Music was a big part of the radio schedule. Music was played throughout the day featuring Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, the big band sounds of Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Xavier Cugat, Harry James, Lawrence Welk We could listen to the songs of Jo Stafford, Perry Como, Dinah Shore, and Vaughn Monroe. Late into the night you could hear local favorites such as Eddie Howard and Dick Jurgens. Some of the well known disk jockeys were Linn Burton and Al Benson.

Sports were readily available on the radio dial. WIND featured Cub baseball. Games were played during the day and broadcast live from Wrigley Field. Away games were carried on ticker tape, it was slow and you could hear the tick of the ticker tape... Bert Wilson called the games. He was great. It’s too bad people forget so quickly what we had. Bob Elson announced the Sox games on WJJD. WGN carried Bears football while WCFL carried the Chicago Cardinals. The Cards had a great announcer in Joe Boland who also announced the Notre Dame games. On Saturdays most stations carried college football, I enjoyed listening to Northwestern on WIND and Notre Dame on WCFL. Friday night was Fight Night sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer. The announcers Ben Bentley and Don Dunphy brought the action to life with their calls. Some of my favorite fighters were: Sugar Ray Robinson, Kid Gavilan, Tony Zale, Rocky Graziano, Jake LaMotta, and of course Joe Louis. the Brown Bomber. The big fights were Louis vs. Conn, and Zale vs. Graziano.


My family also listened to ethnic radio. WGES and WEDC carried most of the ethnic voices. My father listened to the Volga Boatman Russian Show on Sundays. It was announced by Maria and J.J. Vronko. One of the features was that it announced the passing of people in the Russian community. .I believe the show was on for over 50 years. On Saturday afternoon my father listened to The Ukrainian Hour. During the week my parents listened to John Nieminski’s morning show and sometimes his evening Polish Barn Dance Show. On Wednesday they tuned to the Sierkerka Family which featured comedy skits about The Sierkerka’s and their son Junior. Junior was played by Bruno Junior Zielinski. The name Junior stuck with him for the rest of his life. The show also featured the life music of Joe Durlak, Eddie Zima and other top polka bands. On Sunday afternoons the radio was tuned to the Father Justin Rosary Hour. Marisa Data was a weekday and Saturday favorite with her Polish songs and comedy.

Commercials were original and creative. Everyone had a theme: Maxwell House Coffee- Good To The Last Drop, I Walk A Mile For A Camel, Jell-O Spells J-E-L-L-O, Chiquita Banana and I Come to Say, Wheaties Breakfast of Champions, and Schiltz- When You’re Out Of Schiltz You’re Out Of Beer. Some theme songs were: Lone Ranger’s William Tell Overture, Arthur Godfrey- Seems Like Old Times, Bob Hope- Thanks For The Memories, Eddie Cantor- Ida and One Hour With You, and Bing Crosby- When The Blue of the Night.

Old time radio was all imagination. You let your mind see pictures from the sounds and words... The thundering hoofs of the great white horse silver, backed with the music of the William Tell Overture, Hi Yo Silver The Lone Ranger. What a sound. .It was exciting and brought the character to life. Voices such as Brace Beemer, The Lone Ranger, were deep and strong. The speech was clear and never mumbled. The characters were well defined; there was no doubt who was a good guy or bad guy. The insertion of organ cords added to the excitement and meaning of each and every story. It was the best of times.

Hope you can join me, on The Front Porch, next week as we conclude our discussions of the 1940’s.

Sasiad

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

“YO GEORGIE”. that was the call to play. Friends would gather outside your house and yell out, “Yo Georgie”, Tommy or your name to come out and play. They didn’t knock on doors, ring door bells or call you on the phone; they cup their hands together to call out your name... They’d go down the block sounding the call to play. If your mother said it was”OK” you quickly ran down the stairs and out to greet your friends. There was Swatty, Kenny, Horse, Tadek, Waz, Jerry, Freddie, Bobby and others. The time of year determined what you did. January and February were quiet months when you normally stayed in except to go sledding or engage in a snow ball fight. I remember going out one day when there were older boys in the fight. I was hit in the ear. It felt like as though a rock had hit my ear. My ear got red and blew up... I ran home, but there wasn’t much to do except wait for the swelling to go down. I believe the hit ended my singing career. After that I could never carry a tune, I had become a monotone. I remember the boy who threw the snowball, a few years later he was to lose his life in the Korean War.

March ushered in flying kites and the call to play. Marbles was a game that we played. We’d gather around someone’s front yard which had a hard piece of ground and no grass. Someone would find a stick and draw a circle. It was like playing pool. Each player put an equal number of marbles into the ring. Then we’d take turns with what we called a shooter. The objective was to knock out as many marbles from the ring as you could. When you knocked out a marble it was yours. As the weather warmed, Duncan Yo Yo’s would stage Yo Yo demonstrations at the candy store across from Wicker Park School. They would demonstrate walk the doggie, rock the cradle, looping and other tricks. The kids would buy the Yo Yo’s, and it became a favorite springtime activity. Tops were also fun. The boys would spin their tops and see whose top would spin the longest. Some performed tricks like picking up the top with their top string and continue to spin the top. Lai Lai’s (paddles with attached rubber band and ball) were toys that boys and girls played in the 40’s... Pitching pennies was a way to spend idle time. All you needed was 2 square blocks in a sidewalk and two pennies per player. The objective was too see who got the most points. Points were totaled by seeing how close you got to the liner or line in the sidewalk. You normally got 5 points for a liner and one point if you were closer to the liner than your opponent. It was like playing horseshoes. Collecting and trading baseball and football cards became an exciting activity. You’d buy a pack of bubble gum and got a few cards. I also collected basketball and boxing cards. I’d be a rich man today if I had only kept those cards.

As we moved into April we played with toy cars and cops and robbers. We used a lot of imagination and make believe. We had a lot of hiding places; I remember using squirt guns to squirt your enemy. This also turned into Cowboys and Indians which was played in the empty lot on Evergreen Avenue. As we got older the empty lot became our ball field for baseball and football. In the spring we’d come out and play ball. It was always critical that someone have a bat and ball... The field would be laid out; we’d used a stick to draw the bases. Baseball was our favorite past time and continued thru summer. As we grew older we’d take the streetcar to Wrigley Field. We’d walk to North Avenue and hop on a bus or streetcar to Clark Street. We then picked up the Green Hornet Streetcar which took us to Wrigley Field at Clark and Addison. As you guessed, we were all Cub fans. We would arrive with our gloves for batting practice in hopes of catching a ball. We sat in the bleachers. Tickets were no more than 75cents. I remember watching some of the greats: Stan Musial, Jackie Robinson, Eddie Stanky, Leo Durocher, Don Newcomb, Roy Campanella, Willie Mays and many more. After batting practice and the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, Pat Piper the field announcer would echo the sound “PLAY BALL”.

The Cubs didn’t have the best of teams but they were our heroes. Andy Pafko was my favorite... Some of the Cubs stars were: Bill (Swish) Nicholson, Bob Rush, Johnny Schmitz, Bob Scheffing, Peanuts Lowry and Eddie Waitkus. It was somewhere in this period that Eddie Waitkus was shot by a friend. He recovered and went on to play with the Philadelphia Phillies. At that time there were 2 leagues, the American and National leagues, each with 8 teams... The Cubs didn’t win many games, but we continued to root for them.

In the summer we’d catch flies to feed the spiders. We go in the alleys and catch the flies and throw them in spider webs and wait for the spider to pounce on the fly. Our basements were full of webs so it was a great sport. By the way, no one got sick or died. In the evening our interest turned to fire flies. Cork stands were big. The kids would get a wooden box from the grocery store and erect the cork stand. A cork stand was a roulette table. It was divided into areas or slots with a spinner in the center. The spinner was made from an ice cream bar stick and cork and nailed to the top of the box. For chips we collected corks from the soda cooler in a candy store. Some kids used the wooden boxes to make scooters. They would cut a 4 foot plank of wood to which they’d nail roller skate wheels to the bottom to move the scooter. They made handles to steer the scooter.

Most of the summer was spent playing baseball. We would play softball in the empty lot. I remember an event that scared the wits out of me; I was playing left field. Left field backed up to an alley which housed a barn. In the barn a girl had a horse and German shepherd. On this day the girl was out with her horse and dog. On one of the plays, I went back to catch a fly ball and found myself with the German shepherd’s teeth reaching up and biting my rear end. . You never saw anyone run faster than I did. I can’t remember catching the ball. I ran home and fortunately the dog bite did not go thru my trousers. There was a small mark, but nothing serious. I returned later, but not to left field. During summer vacation a lot of time was spent playing hardball in the Wicker Park Schoolyard... We’d get a number of guys together in the morning to play .They’d hop on their bikes and head for the school yard. I never had a bike so I’d hop a ride with one of the guys. I’d bring along my trusty three finger mitt that I bought with my First Communion money. Home plate was located at the middle of the school yard, against the east alley fence which bordered the school. The gravel made for a lively field. I can remember the excitement and feel of catching a fly ball or fielding a groundball, but nothing was greater than the crack of a bat and ball meeting to give the satisfaction of a hit... When it was exceptionally hot, John, the maintenance engineer would let us get water from the boiler room... Sometimes we’d pitch in and share a Pepsi. In between our regular games we would play ‘Hit Em Outs: a game we played with a small pink ball on the school grounds. We would play in an area were there was a pinner; a pinner was a sharp cement part of the building that was used to simulate a bat hitting the light weight pink ball. One person would be the hitter (have the ball hit the pinner) and another one or two players played the field. We’ set rules for hits and found it to be a fun game. On days when no one was around you could occupy your time playing dice baseball. You prepare a scorecard of the two teams you wanted to play. You needed a pair of dice and then roll them: 12 was a home run, 11 a double, 2 a triple, 5 a single, 7 a strikeout and the rest outs. .In the evenings we‘d watch the Rippers or Wolves play softball.

Summer was also a time for family. Some of the kids would go to Wisconsin or Michigan to spend time with relatives or friends. They would swim or fish. I remember an unfortunate incident when a number of neighbor boys went to Lake Michigan to fish. There was a tragic accident when two brothers fell into the water and drowned. Sunday was a day for church and a ride to Caldwell Woods... We’d take the Milwaukee Avenue streetcar to the end of the line at Milwaukee and Devon. Sometimes we would walk to St. Adalberts Cemetery to visit the graves of relatives. This was the final resting place for most North side Poles. After the visit we’d head to the woods. On a typical Sunday they would have numerous picnics sponsored by various Polish Clubs and other ethnic groups... A number of picnics would have polka bands. It was always a treat when L’l Wally or Eddie Zima played. The woods would be packed and they had two levels, upstairs and downstairs. The difference was a hill that you had to climb up or down. There were cement platforms for dancing and picnics, the big picnics had a bar that was constructed from beer or soda cases and long boards to serve drinks. The older men still wore white flat straw hats, brown and white shoes, long sleeve shirts that were rolled up and ties. The women wore light weight summer dresses. The younger girls would wear black slacks, white blouses and low heel dancing shoes. Everyone was happy as they danced, drank and had a good time. My Uncle Frank would come early on Sunday mornings and save a table where we could meet, play cards, chat and enjoy the day.


As summer ended and school rolled around our interest turned to football. After school a few of us would gather in the empty lot to play touch football... Sometimes we played in the street. The problem playing in the street was parked cars and traffic. I remember for a while we used the old American Football League white football with black stripes. The spiral passes stood out with the white and black flying through the air. Normally we used a standard brown football. It was a ball someone had received for Christmas or their birthday. On a few occasions we’d go to Wicker Park and play tackle football. In the park we would meet other school kids that we normally would not play with. There was a little grass, but the ground was hard. No one had helmets or pads. We were tough and played till dusk. We would play football into December. By that time the ground was frozen which made for a fast field. On occasions we’d go to St. Aloysius to play basketball. St. ALS had a basketball court and if lucky no one would be playing. We’d play “HORSE: and if we had enough players we start up a full court game. HORSE was a game were a basket counted for a letter. The first player to spell HORSE would be the winner. When January and February rolled around some of the kids went to the Association House to play basketball.

When it was time to come home the moms would call out, “Georgie, time to come home”. The mothers would call from their back porches or front windows. Normally it was supper time. If the game was still in progress somebody would be standing by waiting to get into the game. It was a good time; we got plenty of fresh air, exercise, stayed healthy. and didn’t get into trouble...Oh, maybe some of the language got colorful, but nothing serious. We didn’t have TV’s, computers or electronic games. We used our imagination in playing what I call unorganized fun. We had no coaches, sodded fields or special equipment. We used what was available. Those were the good old days.

Next week join me as we discuss old time radio.

Sasiad

SCHOOL DAYS

If you went to a public grammar school in the 1930’s or 1940’s, you probably went to a school similar to mine. I went to Wicker Park Grammar School; it was located at 2020 W. Everygreen Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The school was named after Charles Wicker, a successful businessman, who had purchased large tracts of land in the area. The main entrance was on Evergreen Avenue. It was a dark red three story building. The exterior was surrounded by 6 foot barb wired fences on the east and west sides of the property and 3-4 foot iron picket fences on the north and south sides. The grounds were covered with white gravel. There where also entrances on the east and west sides of the building. In the back of the building was the entrance to the engineer’s room. The school did not have a parking lot. On the main floor was the principal's office and lower grade level classrooms, room 105 was the kindergarten room. The second floor was for middle grades and the 3rd floor for 6th, 7th and 8th grades. There was a gym which also doubled as the auditorium for assemblies and graduations. There was a basement with areas for indoor recess and restrooms. The basement also had a shower room. Most kids hated the shower room because that was where Mrs. Bach checked for cleanliness and health issues. She was the school nurse. In the warm weather recess was held outdoors. There were wooden floors throughout the building except for the gym which had a rubber base floor. The stairs were wide with metal railings. Each classroom had wooden desks with ink wells. In front of the classrooms were blackboards. The alphabet was displayed above the blackboards. A U.S. flag was displayed in each and every classroom.

I started kindergarten, but after one day I became a kindergarten drop out. In those days kindergarten wasn’t mandatory; my mother let me stay home until first grade. I could not drop out of first grade, so it was off to school. My sisters would take me and bring me home. It was a short walk, about a block. We’d leave the house at 2143 and cross an alley and go past a number of houses before reaching Hoyne Avenue. On the corner of Hoyne and Evergreen were the Blackstone Grocery Store and patrol boys who controlled traffic. We crossed Hoyne and then crossed Evergreen to the opposite side of the street. We took a right and passed a house and two stores before crossing an alley that was parallel to the school. We’d entered at the west entrance. I had arrived and my career as student was about to begin.

The teachers were familiar with the family since my sisters and brother attended Wicker Park. Fortunately, they had good reputations and I was warmly welcomed. The teachers were pleasant and nice. Eleanor Paulson was the Principal, after retirement she was replaced by Marie Hahn... I remember some the teachers: there was Miss Leonard who I believe taught kindergarten, Miss Smith, First Grade and Library. In First Grade we were introduced to readers such as Dick and Jane and Little Black Sambo. I don’t believe Black Sambo is around anymore. Mrs. O’Connor taught second grade, Miss Carbury third grade and Miss Horwich fourth grade. The students considered Miss Carbury mean and crotchety. She would have kids place their gum on their nose, tape their mouth or have them sit in a corner for misbehaving. She was tough, but the most caring teacher in the school. On Lincoln or Washington’s Birthday she’d made special trips to the Chicago Historical Society to get films to present to her classes. The students didn’t take the time to understand and respect her abilities. Unfortunately, while attending Wicker Park, Miss Carbury passed away. Miss Horwich was another dedicated teacher who took her students to heart. During first grade I missed a lot of class time due to illness: whooping cough, measles and chicken pox. I had to repeat 1st grade. During the next 2 grades my work improved and I made great progress. Miss Horwich supported my efforts by recommending me for a double promotion. I believe I went from 4A to 5A. I skipped 4B. In those days there were two grade levels A and B and two graduations. June and January.

.Sixth grade was a milestone on the road to graduation. You were now on the third floor and ready to take departmental classes. That meant changing classrooms, just like high school. When I reached 7th grade Miss Mueller, the music teacher had retired and was replaced by Miss Parr. By this time the students were getting wiser and unruly. The worse time was when the teacher had to leave the room and all pandemonium would break out. Kids started throwing spitballs, flying airplanes, drawing pictures on the blackboard until the teacher returned and caught them in the act. This required punishment and everyone paid by writing, 100 times, I “WILL NOT xxxxxxxxxxx”. I can remember when Howard got Mr. Arnot, one of the teachers, mad and Mr. Arnot grabbed Howard by the pants and literally carried him to the principal’s office. By the time 8th grade rolled around we were supposed to be young adults and ready to set an example for the lower grades. Our teacher and mentor. Mrs. Heinz, guided us through the last year and helped us graduate and transition to high school. It was sad to leave Mrs. Heinz and Room 306.

The curriculum emphasized reading, writing and arithmetic. I don’t remember many classes in science or geography. There were always spelling bees and math quizzes. Music was a happy time when we sang the songs of Stephen Foster: Old Back Joe, Swanee River, Beautiful Dreamer, and others. We also sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic, God Bless America and other patriotic songs. Gym was held twice a week. Our teacher was Jesse Dunne. During gym we’d play kick baseball, dodge ball, and other games. The gym was equipped with climbing polls, and ringers. We had mats for tumbling and practicing pyramids. Each semester we competed in broad jump, high jump, ball throw and other Olympic events. The gym teacher was in charge of the school patrol. and conduced 7th and 8th grade socials that taught us square dancing and ballroom dancing.

During the school year elections were held for Mayor, School Council, Lawyers and other positions. We had Bow Day and paper drives to collect money for the school. There were special presentations in the auditorium. Christmas was celebrated by gathering around a large Christmas tree on the first floor to sing Christmas carols. The windows and classrooms were always decorated to commentate the holidays and seasons of the year .On graduation day, in June; we’d empty the classrooms and go on field trips to Brookfield Zoo. It cost 25cents and you’d take a brown bag lunch. The bus would leave by 9:30 and be back by 3...

Recess and lunch time was a major part of the day. The school bell would ring at 9AM, signaling the start of school. At the start of class we would recite the Pledge To The Flag to officially start the day. At about 10:15 the bell rang for the first recess. For the 1st and 2nd grades this was normally a period for cookies and milk or laying your head down on the desk to rest. For the bigger kids it was going out to the school yard to play. Sometimes there would be fights or arguments that created excitement in the school yard... Fortunately monitors were on duty to maintain law and order. Around 12 the lunch bell would ring. I lived nearby and went home for lunch. Those who lived further away or their parents worked ate in the lunchroom. Each day there was a hot meal prepared by the school cooks. For Thanksgiving or Christmas a special turkey dinner was served for a nominal fee. I returned to school before 1 PM to start the second part of the school day. At 2:15 the second recess bell rang and we had 15 minutes to go to the bathroom and play. During inclement or cold weather recess was held in the basement. At 3:15 the bell signaled the end of the school day... With books and homework in hand we headed home. When I fist started going to school there was an old wooden mansion that I passed on the way to and from school. I remember two sisters living there; they dressed in black and seemed part of a bygone era. The house was dark and scary; it was probably built in the 1850’s. It was not long after starting school that the sisters were gone and the mansion collapsed. Eventually the house was cleared and the lot became a playground for softball and touch football.

As in most schools there were a few bullies who bantered about at recess or lunch time trying to get money, “You Got A Nikle”. Or there were the talk of fights, “I’ll Get Em After School”. There were a few fights, but mostly a lot of talk. The kids got along pretty well and had friendly conversations before and after school. There was a variety of backgrounds and nationalities. The kids living near North Avenue were probably from higher income families, this was the area were the mansions and bigger homes of historic Wicker Park were located. I would say that most of the kids came from average or low income families.

Sometimes during the year the school would have fire drills, Halloween Parades and parties. I remember celebrating my friend Mitchell’s birthday. His mother would bring a birthday cake and candy. Mitchell lived in a very nice home on Evergreen near Milwaukee Avenue. I believe he came from an influential Russian or Serbian family... Graduation Day was the big day when parents and friends packed the gym. A student, Phil Barsanti, would play Pomp and Circumstance, on the piano. The School Patrol would lead the procession and act as honor guard for the graduates. The ceremony included speeches, a skit, songs, pyramids and distribution of diplomas.

Many of the neighborhood kids attended St. Aloysius Catholic School on LeMoyne and Claremont. Catholics attending Wicker Park were able to be excused at 2 o’clock, on Wednesday’s .to attend catechism. We’d take the walk down Schiller to Leavitt, past the Sabin/Tuley Branch, to Lemoyne and go about 2 blocks to St. Aloysius. We were instructed by Nuns in their full habit. Classes lasted about one and half hours. We were instructed in preparation for First Communion or Confirmation. I received my First Communion in 1949. In preparation for Communion parents bought certain materials, Prayer Book, Religious Chains and clothing for the ceremony. In those days the boys wore dark blue suits, white shirts and dark tie; the girls wore white dresses. My mother didn’t like the idea of buying a dark suit; she thought a light suit was more appropriate... She bought me a light blue suit. Well, that didn’t go over well. The Nuns were up in arms and were considering banning me from receiving first communion. Fortunately cool heads prevailed. I was the only boy in the procession with a light suit. I stood out like a sore thumb. My mother stood up for what she thought was best and became an activist for independent thinking, She raised an important question. What was more important, appearance or the act of receiving first communion?

Wicker Park was a proud school with many outstanding students. We were fortunate to have teachers and students who set good examples. Pat Coffey, who preceded me, went on to play basketball at Michigan State and Tom Nevins became a Professor of Theatre at a University in Wisconsin. In grades that followed, the school produced two judges: Ronald Himmel (Himmelstein) and I believe Barbara Disko. Not all students moved in the right direction, I know of one that shot a milkman and was sentenced for murder. One neighborhood student belonged to an infamous gang that robbed homes. Those were rare cases. The school had a tradition of producing successful people who were able to make the parents, neighborhood and school proud.

Sasiad

WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME

As WWII ended the nation rejoiced and echoed the old Civil War song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again, Hurrah, Hurrah”. Celebrations took place throughout the land. The Stars and Stripes was flown proudly and the pride and patriotism was seen throughout the land. Happy Days Were Here Again.

The transition from wartime to peacetime was about to begin. What was once a male dominated work force was about to change. Through their hard work and efforts women were now competing for the jobs previously occupied by men. The factories began to hum and produce the much needed and desired domestic goods: refrigerators, automobiles, furniture, clothes... After years of shortages the stores were stocked and meeting consumer demand. I remember a neighbor who waited a year for his new Ford Coup. It was a beauty, bright shiny red... Within days it was stolen. It was heartbreaking to see this man’s happiness turn to anger and sorrow... I guess you can never eradicate evil. Our household participated in the change by buying a refrigerator and saying good by to the ice box. We got a used gas heater for the kitchen replacing the coal stove.We purchased a radio and phonograph. We ran out to buy the latest 78rpm hits: Julida Polka, Jedzie Boat, Too Fat Polka, Helena Polka, Czy Jak Ta Dzywiecyna and others. Yes, we liked Those Polkas! Oh, by the way, we did buy popular records.

My sisters were now getting older and starting to date. They’d go polka dancing to the ballrooms and picnic groves. They ‘d go to Polonia Ballroom and Grove, Pulaski Village, Veterans Hall, Wozniaks, Trombas and Natomas. There were plenty of dance halls in the 40’s. This is were the Polish Boys went to meet the Polish Girls. This was also the Big Band era, they would go to the Aragon or Trianon Ball Rooms to listen and dance to Eddie Howard, The Dorsey Brothers, and Wayne King. For movies they went to neighborhood theatres or Downtown to the Chicago, Oriental, State Lake Theatres where they watched live performances presented by big bands, singers and comedians. It was like vaudeville. I remember going to the Chicago Theatre to watch a James Cagney movie, the one were he pushes a grapefruit in the girls face. After the movie, we enjoyed the big band sounds of Guy Lombardo or Carmen Cavarello.

After the war couples started to marry and it was the start of the baby boom. It was a time when people married within their own nationality and religion. It was frowned upon for a Pole to marry someone that was not Polish or Catholic. Everyone in my family, aunts and uncles, married Poles. The only non compliant one was my brother who married an Italian girl. Most of our weddings took place at Holy Trinity Church on Noble Street. This was the time of the famous Polish Weddings. The couples rented a hall, hired Polish cooks, bought the food and drinks, and hired a Polka Band. For food there was chicken soup, chicken, golambki, Polish sausage, mash potatoes, kapusta, a salad, coffee, and kolaczki. The wedding cake was taken home. The cooks were the best. The halls were situated so that you had dancing on the main floor and dinner on the lower level. When it was time to eat, the band would strike up the Polish Wedding March and the Bride and Groom would invite and lead the guests to the dining area. After dinner the bar would open and dancing would begin. The bar would be manned by friends and relatives. The drinks would be beer, wine, straight shots, high balls and soda. Sometimes, someone would have too much to drink and fights would break out, or other foolish incidents would occur. I remember, at my eldest sister’s wedding, my brother and several friends took my brother-in-law’s car for a joy ride and were caught by the police. They were escorted back to the wedding where my brother-in-law talked them out of the situation.

In 1947 my parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. It was a surprise party hosted by my sisters and brother. It was held at an old hall, Gutz Hall. It featured great home cooking by our Polish Cooks and the music of Joe Durlak. To this day I still listen to his renditions of Czy Jak Tak Dzywiecyna, Kuku Oberek and Young Fellows Waltz. It was like the typical Polish wedding with the Wedding March, dinner and dancing. My father was famous for his Russian Cossack Dance and entertained the guests with his energy and footwork. All the relatives and friends attended. In those days you invited your neighbors. It was like a block party. The Anniversary was held on a Sunday and on Monday we stayed home to rest and continue the celebration. My father went to work. He never missed a day of work.

The day after a Polish Wedding was called Poprawina, the Day After. It was a continuation of the celebration. The relatives would gather at the home of the bride or groom to visit and talk about the wedding. It was a time when the question, how much money (ile) did they collect was asked. We would enjoy the left over food and have a good time, talking and laughing about the crazy things that happened at the wedding.

One of the things I enjoyed after the war was watching the men, back from service, play 16” softball. After super I would go to Wicker Park School Yard to watch the games. The season lasted from June thru July. The two neighborhood teams were the Rippers and Wolves, My favorite was the Rippers. They wore red burgundy pants with white stripes. They were a solid team with Gene at 1st, Whitey at 3rd and Mike at SS. Gene was a big guy who could hit the ball a mile. The playing field was covered with gravel and was surrounded by Damen, Schiller, Evergreen and Hoyne. Home plate was at Schiller near Damen. The school was about 200 feet from home plate and 50-60 feet from left field. It was like having a big fence in center field... A lot of home runs were hit on to the roof of the school. I remember Gene hitting one from Schiller to almost Evergreen Avenue. The Wolves wore Blue and Gold. I had a habit of watching the Wolves along the 1st baseline, until their pitcher, Johnny, a left hand hitter hit a line drive that hit me in the nose. .. I can still feel that ball and blood coming from my nose. The problem was that it didn’t happen once, it happened twice. I guess I didn’t belong on the 1st baseline. The teams would meet once or twice during the season. Sometimes, Joe Graboski played for the Wolves. They called him Bones. He was about 6-6 and played for the Chicago Stags and later the Philadelphia Warriors. Joe went straight from Tuley High School to play professional basketball with the Stags. The Rippers normally came out on top. The best games were when the Cats, a black team, came by truck to play the Rippers. This was the show down of all show downs. It was like the Yankees coming to play the White Sox. Two great teams squaring off in what was always a big money game. The Cats were so good they were unbeatable. If the Rippers beat them once or twice it was a miracle. The scores were something like 40 to 1 or 43 to 0. They were unbelievable and it was a joy to watch the teams and the respect they had for each other. I didn’t see any racism.

The young men playing softball were a great example for the neighborhood kids. Many of the men continued their education under the GI bill and went on to successful careers. It was there way of staying in touch with their buddies and relaxing.

Early in May the Polish Constitution Day was celebrated. It was on the first Sunday in May and started with mass at Holy Trinity Church and followed with a parade that proceeded down Augusta Blvd to Humboldt Park than to the Kosciuszko Statue, The statute had stood for years near North and California. Every year we would have lunch and run to watch the parade. We’d walk down Potomac Street to the park. There was always a packed crowd lining the parade route. Everywhere you would see Red and White Polish Flags and American Flags. A number of bands played as we watched former Polish soldiers march by. The Polish Ladies Auxiliary were dressed in white outfits with Blue and red capes and blue hats. They would string out huge white sheets to collect money for Polish charities... My Uncle Miller marched in his Goral outfit, Mountaineer; he had his handy curved Polish Cane in hand. The parade ended at Kosziciuczko’s statue where a well known dignitary would speak. It was an enjoyable and memorable event that was looked forward too every year.

The end of WWII also marked the year that the Chicago Cubs battled the Detroit Tigers for the pennant. It was 1945 and the Cubs had such favorites as Phil Cavaretta, who batted 355, Stan Hack, Andy Pafko, Bill Nicholson, Lennie Murrelo, Claude Passeau, Hank Borowy and Hank Wyse who won 22 games. The Cubs were managed by Charlie Grimm, but lost in a 7 game series to the Tigers.

In 1948 Harry S. Truman ran for re-election against Thomas Dewey, former governor of New York. This was the year that the Chicago Tribune printed its famous headline that “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN”. Truman was the winner and continued on for four more years with his standby trademark, “The Buck Stops Here”.

Yes, Johnny had come home and we had returned to normal, unfortunately it was to be short lived. . In a few short years we would find ourselves in the Korean Conflict.

Join me next week on the Front Porch as we discuss the grammar school years.

THE WAR YEARS

I was 3 years old when World War II broke out and the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. I remember playing on the floor when President Roosevelt came on the radio to declare war and “That We Have Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself”. I was too young to understand the impact of war but remember the events and changes that affected our lives from 1941 thru 1945.

The draft was in effect and family members were quickly called to service or enlisted. All my uncles were drafted into the Army. My brother was drafted into the Navy. When he was 16 or 17 he lost part of his index (trigger) finger while working on a machine. Because of this disability his tour of duty was spent stateside in Nevada. In a short time mostly everyone between 18 and 25 found themselves in uniform. The young men in the neighborhood were off to war. The war changed our way of living by what was to be produced in the U.S. To support the war, industries changed from producing domestic goods to producing war materials. Automobile assembly lines were converted to producing tanks and military vehicles. Women filled the void on the assembly lines by performing jobs that would have been done by men.

The news was slow in coming. It took days to receive word of what was happening. The major source for news came from the radio. The voices of H.V. Kaltenborn, Gabriel Heatter, Drew Pearson and Edward R. Murrow brought the stories of war. Walter Winchell was famous for his introduction: “Hello Mr. and Mrs. America and All The Ships At Sea.” I can recall the shouting of “EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT” as newsboys sold papers on the streets of Chicago. There were four local newspapers: Chicago Tribune, Sun, Daily News and Herald, There were no pictures. The Tribune would have pictures on the back of the sports section. On the weekend the Trib had two magazines, one I believe was a pictorial magazine and the other featured stories and pictures. There was no colored artwork. It was black and white straight off the press. It was Look and Life Magazines that brought the story of war to life through pictures.

Before the war unemployment was about 10%, in a short time it was 2%. It seems that every able bodied person was working. Most of our daily goods were placed on ration. This meant we were only allotted so much meat, butter, chocolates, nylons etc. Cars were on a waiting list. Families had rationing cards or stamps that would be used to buy goods and food. Everything was being put into the war effort. To raise funds Bond Drives were conducted. The only place to see clips of the war was at movie theatres. The newsreels would show the highlights and events of Generals: McArthur, Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, Arnold and other heroes on the battlefield.

The scariest part of the war years were the blackouts. Sirens would ring out across the City alerting everyone to pull down their shades, turn the lights off and empty
the streets, until the all clear signal sounded. We had Air Raid wardens who kept us informed. They would come to the door to provide information and sometimes first aid kits. They coordinated the efforts of each and every neighborhood.

We maintained some form of normalcy through the entertainment of radio. We listened to Jack Benny, Fibber McGee and Molly, Great Gildersleeve and the Shadow. Sports continued, although many of the players such as Ted Williams left for the service. We were treated to the gridiron exploits of Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, Doc Blanchard and Glen Davis as they led the cadets of West Point to historic seasons. Bing Crosby introduced Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and the Andrew Sisters sang Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. War movies were big and supported the war and troops. Not withstanding the hardships and lose of life everyone was proud to be called an American.

Furloughs gave the troops a chance to come home, relax and spend time with family and friends. When they came home the troops brought souvenirs. I remember the fancy babushkas and pillow case covers from overseas. There were the military souvenirs such as lugers and helmets that found there way home. My brother gave me a white sailor cap... I was proud of it. I was out by the front gate one afternoon when a neighborhood bully came by and swiped it off my head, He ran away. I went crying to my mother, she went to the boy’s house on Potomac and told his mother, but never got the hat back. It was an example of how someone fails to take responsibility for their actions or that of their children. Our neighbors on the third floor had a son who enlisted, but was always AWOL. The MP’s would drive up to the house, in their green sedan marked with big white letters “MP”, and with Billy Clubs in hand marched up to the 3rd floor in search of our neighbor. They didn’t find him; eventually he was apprended and placed in the Brig.

During the war my eldest sister got married. Her husband was a Navy Petty Officer and served as an instructor at a naval base on the southeast side of Chicago that became Vocational High School. They lived near the base in a nice cottage they shared with an elderly lady. She had a cute little black Scottish Terrier. . We would take the long trip to visit them and I remember always getting sick on the train ride home. There was a movie theatre on base. I enjoyed watching The Thin Man. My brother-in-law would give me plastic replicas of the planes stationed at the base and communication call cards: Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog, etc. I knew them all. He was a big influence in my respect for the military.

All my uncles came back save and sound. My cousin Curly who enlisted as a Marine was wounded on Iwo Jima. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case for two of my father's brothers who died in the Russian Army. One died after being struck by lightening and the other in combat. I remember my father reading and crying after receiving the letters. The people on Evergreen Avenue were fortunate that most everyone came home. For the many that were killed, memorials were erected on street corners to commemorate there sacrifice.

In 1944 FDR was re-elected President and Harry S. Truman became Vice President. FDR was revered by most Americans as a true leader who took them out of the depression and led them through the Great War. On April 12, 1945 FDR died and Vice President Truman became President. Hitler committed suicide and VE Day (Victory In Europe) was celebrated in May. In August 1945 Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war. General Douglas McArthur signed the declaration of surrender with the Japanese Emperor Hirohito to officially end World War II.

Please stop by, My Front Porch, next week when we will discuss the changes that took place when the troops came home.


Sasiad