Letters to the Editor 01-19-2005
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- In The Old DaysEditor, Times-Union: - Dog Saved From Flood - Kids Left Alone
In The Old DaysEditor, Times-Union:
Nowadays, one often hears about electrical power being knocked out over the country by ice storms, and, of course, in this day and age when electrical power is knocked out, everything is knocked out.Sixty years ago, much of the nation was better off during an ice storm than it is today. Back then, as regards a matter of light, most households possessed an old kerosene lamp that sat around just waiting to be lit in case of an emergency. As for heat in the old days, there was the big coal burning heating stove with isin glass on the sides, which could throw warmth throughout the house at a fast pace. On the other hand, not only were heating stoves much in use, but so were radiators. I recollect one day in school when the temperature outside registered zero and the radiators were steaming full blast. Well, on that particular day when the English and literature room was vacant, a mischievous student stole into the room and smeared Limburger cheese all over the hot radiator. Well, don't think that, for the rest of the day, the teacher and we pupils didn't have a time with our olfactory nerves (our sense of smell!). Furthermore, I can't recall that we ever apprehended the culprit who put up such a "stink" in the schoolroom.
Now in the old days, as regards the matter of water (during an ice storm). Most families owned a hand pump which stood just outside the kitchen door. On occasion, when we kids were sent outside to fetch water, we would "tongue" the frost-covered pump handle, then writhe in agony as our tongues would freeze to the pump handle, sticking to it like a magnet. Then there was the question of the bathroom. A little "shanty" stood out back, (left over from earlier days) where one could go whenever the bathroom in the house was no longer in operation. Now visiting that shanty in the dead of winter was certainly no picnic. The occupant had to sit on a cold, wooden seat with a hole in it that felt as frigod and icy as the iceberg that struck the Titanic.
In the days of yore, when it was time for cold weather, we had cold weather. The freezing winter days often began in November and remained until March. And so did a great abundance of snow. Now, 60 years ago, a big blizzard was especially tough on humanity and called for a great deal of manpower -Êno snowblowers. Much snow had to be dug out by hand, and often the digging went deep.
Six decades ago, utilities and working appliances weren't as modern and technical as they are today, but through hard, manual labor, along with the necessary accoutrements of the day, folks managed to get by.
Don Kaiser
Warsaw
Dog Saved From Flood
Editor, Times-Union:We live just east of road 400 east in Kosciusko County. This is one of the roads that is closed because it is flooded. On Saturday (Jan. 15) my grandchildren decided to walk down to 400E to get a close view of the car that is submerged in the water. They were warned not to go on the ice, just to look. Our black lab accompanied them. A few minutes later my grandson came back to the house sobbing that the lab had gone on the ice and fallen through and could not get out. Two other grandchildren were there crying because the dog was crying and they could not reach her and she could not get out. A man in a blue Ford king cab truck came along and broke throught the ice, getting wet well past his knees to get to the dog. He got the dog out and made a happy ending out of what could have been a disaster. The man left before my daughter and I could get down to the water. I want to send my sincere thanks to this man whoever he is. That was a wonderful, unselfish thing you did. My grandchildren will remember it always, and so will I. It warms my heart to think there are people like you in this world. Thank you again whoever you are.
Joyce Hardy
Claypool
via e-mail
Kids Left Alone
Editor, Times-Union:This is to the grandmother who left her young granddaughters to fend for themselves at Wal-Mart.
While I am sorry your granddaughter lost her game you are so very lucky nothing much worse happened.
What were you thinking leaving two little girls alone like that?
Barbara Newcomb
Warsaw
via e-mail
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- In The Old DaysEditor, Times-Union: - Dog Saved From Flood - Kids Left Alone
In The Old DaysEditor, Times-Union:
Nowadays, one often hears about electrical power being knocked out over the country by ice storms, and, of course, in this day and age when electrical power is knocked out, everything is knocked out.Sixty years ago, much of the nation was better off during an ice storm than it is today. Back then, as regards a matter of light, most households possessed an old kerosene lamp that sat around just waiting to be lit in case of an emergency. As for heat in the old days, there was the big coal burning heating stove with isin glass on the sides, which could throw warmth throughout the house at a fast pace. On the other hand, not only were heating stoves much in use, but so were radiators. I recollect one day in school when the temperature outside registered zero and the radiators were steaming full blast. Well, on that particular day when the English and literature room was vacant, a mischievous student stole into the room and smeared Limburger cheese all over the hot radiator. Well, don't think that, for the rest of the day, the teacher and we pupils didn't have a time with our olfactory nerves (our sense of smell!). Furthermore, I can't recall that we ever apprehended the culprit who put up such a "stink" in the schoolroom.
Now in the old days, as regards the matter of water (during an ice storm). Most families owned a hand pump which stood just outside the kitchen door. On occasion, when we kids were sent outside to fetch water, we would "tongue" the frost-covered pump handle, then writhe in agony as our tongues would freeze to the pump handle, sticking to it like a magnet. Then there was the question of the bathroom. A little "shanty" stood out back, (left over from earlier days) where one could go whenever the bathroom in the house was no longer in operation. Now visiting that shanty in the dead of winter was certainly no picnic. The occupant had to sit on a cold, wooden seat with a hole in it that felt as frigod and icy as the iceberg that struck the Titanic.
In the days of yore, when it was time for cold weather, we had cold weather. The freezing winter days often began in November and remained until March. And so did a great abundance of snow. Now, 60 years ago, a big blizzard was especially tough on humanity and called for a great deal of manpower -Êno snowblowers. Much snow had to be dug out by hand, and often the digging went deep.
Six decades ago, utilities and working appliances weren't as modern and technical as they are today, but through hard, manual labor, along with the necessary accoutrements of the day, folks managed to get by.
Don Kaiser
Warsaw
Dog Saved From Flood
Editor, Times-Union:We live just east of road 400 east in Kosciusko County. This is one of the roads that is closed because it is flooded. On Saturday (Jan. 15) my grandchildren decided to walk down to 400E to get a close view of the car that is submerged in the water. They were warned not to go on the ice, just to look. Our black lab accompanied them. A few minutes later my grandson came back to the house sobbing that the lab had gone on the ice and fallen through and could not get out. Two other grandchildren were there crying because the dog was crying and they could not reach her and she could not get out. A man in a blue Ford king cab truck came along and broke throught the ice, getting wet well past his knees to get to the dog. He got the dog out and made a happy ending out of what could have been a disaster. The man left before my daughter and I could get down to the water. I want to send my sincere thanks to this man whoever he is. That was a wonderful, unselfish thing you did. My grandchildren will remember it always, and so will I. It warms my heart to think there are people like you in this world. Thank you again whoever you are.
Joyce Hardy
Claypool
via e-mail
Kids Left Alone
Editor, Times-Union:This is to the grandmother who left her young granddaughters to fend for themselves at Wal-Mart.
While I am sorry your granddaughter lost her game you are so very lucky nothing much worse happened.
What were you thinking leaving two little girls alone like that?
Barbara Newcomb
Warsaw
via e-mail
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