Long ago on independence square (Benton: home, to live, dangerous)

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Santa Fe donated the steam engine and a lounge-sleeper. KCS donated a diner. As far as I know, those cars wound up in a large rr museum in Illinois.

From The Examiner, 1960

Nov. 5 has been set as the date for dedication of the “Heart of America Railroad Museum” in Fairmount, according the J. Robert Browne, president of the historical association. A second historical railroad car has arrived to be added to the museum, this one a lounge-sleeper, formerly part of “The Scout,” a Santa Fe train. K.C. Southern donated the first car, a diner, and it is located in the area behind the Fairmount post office, which is the museum’s permanent site.

[WCHS'59]

I was reading the Examiner this morning. I always skip the comics but decided to stop and see what was available.

The Examiner is still carrying the Alley Oop cave man comic strip. I enjoyed reading that strip when I was a kid. I thought Alley Oop was pretty much gone by now, but more than 650 newspapers still carry it.

I recall during the late fifties, Alley Oop went to work in a grocery store. The owner had several 100-pound burlap bags of bulk potatoes lying on the floor and told Oop they needed to be moved to the sales area. Oop picked up one bag and put it on his shoulders, then he grabbed a bag in each hand and calmly carried the three bags away.

I was working at C&J at the time and got a kick out of Alley Oop carrying those potatoes. For some reason we called those burlap bags, gunny sacks. I had to manhandle a number of those 100-pound potato gunny sacks as a teenager. I could not carry one, but I could drag it or put it on a two-wheel dolly. When I started working, the only way one could buy potatoes was loose. The customer would select a few potatoes and put them in a paper bag, the produce man would weigh them, and mark the price on the bag. Every so often someone would buy an entire 100-pound bag.

At some point, the produce man started bagging five pounds of potatoes in a clear plastic bag and place them out, but they were not that popular. The price was higher than if you bought five pounds loose. Nowadays, I don’t know if you can even buy loose potatoes.

Comics were big in the newspapers in the fifties and Clarence Heflin, one of the owners of C&J Super Market at Alton and Kiger, insisted that the Sunday KC Star sections be reworked and the comics placed on the outside to show first. Blondie was always the comic that was first in the Star comic section. There were a ton of those Sunday newspapers delivered to the store and it took a while to reshuffle all of them. He believed he could sell more papers by having the comics show rather than the headlines. I recall not particularly agreeing but I did as I was told, chuckle.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Comics were big in the newspapers in the fifties and Clarence Heflin, one of the owners of C&J Super Market at Alton and Kiger, insisted that the Sunday KC Star sections be reworked and the comics placed on the outside to show first. Blondie was always the comic that was first in the Star comic section. There were a ton of those Sunday newspapers delivered to the store and it took a while to reshuffle all of them. He believed he could sell more papers by having the comics show rather than the headlines. I recall not particularly agreeing but I did as I was told, chuckle.

Way back in the days of my youth I was a paperboy for The Examiner. I had never met Mr. Heflin, but apparently he inspired me. I had the duty of hawing papers to attendees of the RLDS world conference on year. One day, probably early in the conference, there was an entire section covering the confab, with a banner headline and large photo on the top half of page one. My brother and I spent a bit of time reassembling the news that day, so attendees saw that first. I sold out quickly, the only day I sold all my papers.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Way back in the days of my youth I was a paperboy for The Examiner. I had never met Mr. Heflin, but apparently he inspired me. I had the duty of hawing papers to attendees of the RLDS world conference on year. One day, probably early in the conference, there was an entire section covering the confab, with a banner headline and large photo on the top half of page one. My brother and I spent a bit of time reassembling the news that day, so attendees saw that first. I sold out quickly, the only day I sold all my papers.

Do you remember ever having to deliver the Examiner Progress Edition?


In the fifties and perhaps later, that edition and maybe one other special edition rivaled the Sunday Star in content.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Do you remember ever having to deliver the Examiner Progress Edition?


In the fifties and perhaps later, that edition and maybe one other special edition rivaled the Sunday Star in content.

That was indeed a heavy load, especially when balanced across the handlebars of my bike. They still put out a similar-themed issue, although not as thick.

[Mad Anthonie]

It's the weekend, and time for a double quiz!

Identify the area seen in this 1963 view.




What is the Hollywood connection?


.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

It's the weekend, and time for a double quiz!

Identify the area seen in this 1963 view.




What is the Hollywood connection?

Is that Jimmy Stewart's Sand and Gravel?

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Is that Jimmy Stewart's Sand and Gravel?

Right 'hood, wrong answer.

[WCHS'59]

What kind of monster vehicle is that seemingly headed north on M-291?

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

What kind of monster vehicle is that seemingly headed north on M-291?

The Shadow knows!