TOWARD THE GOLDEN STATE ON THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC'S PASSENGER TRAIN, THE GOLDEN STATE, OR IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE SANTA FE, I CAN'T RECALL FOR SURE, BUT I WAS HEADED WEST. WHEN IT STOPPED IN EL PASO, I KNEW I COULD MAKE MY SUMMER TRIP A BIT MORE EXCITING IF I COULD JUST DELAY MY JOURNEY FOR A DAY, VISIT OLD MEXICO, JUAREZ, BUT EVERYONE CALLED MEXICO "OLD MEXICO" BACK THEN. I GUESS IT WAS TO DISTINGUISH IT FROM "NEW MEXICO." AND BY THE WAY, I RECALL WHEN BOTH ALASKA AND HAWAII BECAME STATES. I WAS COLLECTING STAMPS THEN AND PURCHASED BLOCKS OF FOUR, BUT THAT IS NOT PRUDENT TO THIS STORY OF MY FIRST NIGHT IN MEXICO. WHAT BECAME PRUDENT, HOWEVER, WAS THE RESTRAINED AND SLIGHTLY HESITANT WELCOME I RECEIVED AT THE UNION STATION IN LOS ANGLES UPON MY ARRIVAL, EXACTLY 24 HOURS LATE, OR LATER, DEPENDING UPON HOW ONE LIKES TO RATIONALIZE ONE'S BEHAVIOR AND IRRESPONSIBILITY.
AUNT MARY AND GLORIA WERE NOT IMPRESSED BY MY EXCUSE FOR ARRIVING LATE. IT COULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN OFF AS ONE OF THE FIRES OF SPRING THAT LINGERED INTO SUMMER, BUT NEITHER MARIETTA OR GLORIA HAD A SENSE OF HUMOR.SADLY, OUR KINSHIP ENDED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. WHEN GLORIA'S HUSBAND, JACK, ASSUMED I WANTED TO WORK TWELVE HOUR DAYS AT HIS SHRIMP BOAT DRIVE IN, WE PARTED COMPANY AND I FOUND NEW FRIENDS IN VENICE, CALLED VENICE WEST IN THE LATE 50S. THAT WAS THE LAST TIME I SAW MARIETTA, GLORIA OR JACK. IF AUNT MARIETTA IS STILL LIVING, SHE WOULD BE GETTING CLOSE TO BEING ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD. FAMILIES JUST DRIFT APART.
MY TRIP ACROSS THE BORDER WAS FUN. IT WAS WRONG. IF I COULD DO IT OVER AGAIN, I WOULDN'T; I CAUSED SOME FAMILY MEMBERS TOO MUCH GRIEF BY DROPPING OUT OF SIGHT FOR 24 HOURS. BUT THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING OF MY DISAPPEARING ACTS AS TIME ACCELERATED. NOW, IN RETROSPECT, THERE IS MUCH I WOULD UNDO IF I COULD. I CAN'T, THUS IT HAUNTS ME AT CERTAIN TIMES, THOSE TIMES BEING THE TIMES WHEN I WAKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND FEEL LIKE I HAVE JUST BEEN VISITING WITH AN AUNT OR AN UNCLE, ALWAYS ONE HAS BEEN LONG DECEASED. I DOUBT I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO IS VISITED BY DEAD UNCLES AND AUNTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
THE CONDUCTOR GRINNED WHEN I ASKED HIM IF I COULD CATCH THE TRAIN THE NEXT DAY. "SONNY, YOU SURE CAN, JUST BE HERE AT THE SAME TOMORROW."
ONCE OUTSIDE THE STATION, I HAILED A TAXI TO THE BORDER. I MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE THE FOOL I WAS WITH TWO SUITCASES, WALKING OVER THE BRIDGE. "CHICLETS, CHICLETS, MISTER, JUST ONE NICKEL," THE STREET CHILDREN, MOSTLY BOYS, HAWKED THEIR PRODUCT. ONCE AT THE END OF THE BRIDGE I FELT LIKE I HAD MADE A SERIOUS FOREIGN JOURNEY. FINALLY, ANOTHER COUNTRY. JAMES BALDWIN TURNED THAT INTO A BESTSELLER IN THE 60S. IT WAS GOOD. I UNDERSTOOD HIS SPIRIT OR THOUGHT I DID.
Posted by ROBERT L. HUFFSTUTTER at 5:20 PM 0 comments
Labels: ALASKA, CANTINAS, CONDUCTOR, EL PASO, HAWAII, HOTEL, JUAREZ, LOS ANGELES, MARTY ROBBINS, MEXICO, OLD MEXICO, PASSENGER TRAINS, UNION STATION
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
UNCLES'S DIAMOND RING WAS LOST ON END OF THIS PIER IN 1950
IT WAS THE SUMMER OF 1950 AND UNCLE JIM AND UNCLE FRANK AND OUR FAMILIES WERE VACATIONING FAR FROM TRENTON AND KANSAS CITY. WE WERE IN THE HEART OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS. MY UNCLE JIM WAS WEARING HIS STRAW HAT; UNCLE FRANK WAS SITTING IN HIS HUDSON WATCHING, NEVER HAVING LEARNED TO SWIM, HE WAS FEARFUL OF DEEP WATER. HOWEVER, FRANK'S OLDEST SON, JIMMY, A WORLD WAR TWO VET WITH A PURPLE HEART, WAS WITH UNCLE AND ME ON THE PIER. SEVERAL OF FRANK'S DAUGHTERS WERE THERE. SUDDENLY, UNCLE JIM SHOUTED, "HOT DOG, LOOK AT THIS BIG CRITTER." IT WAS A MONSTER CHANNEL CAT. TO MAKE A LONG FISH STORY SHORT, AS UNCLE JIM WAS HOLDING THE FISH AND TRYING TO RELEASE THE HOOK, THE FISH WRIGGLED ABOUT AND CLOSED ITS MOUTH ON HIS FINGER. IT JUST SO HAPPENED IT WAS HIS RING FINGER, THE FINGER THAT HE WORE THE DIAMOND RING ALMOST AS BIG AS THE RITZ ON WITH PRIDE. AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, THE FISH GOT AWAY. UNCLE JIM KEPT HIS FINGER, THOUGH BLOODY AND WOUNDED SOMEWHAT. AS UNCLE CALMED DOWN, HE SENSED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. HIS RING WAS MISSING. THE FISH HAD MANAGED TO SLIDE HIS RING OFF DURING THE ESCAPE. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL RING, REALLY PURE DIAMOND, A RING HE HAD PURCHASED AT HELZBERGS IN THE LATE 1920S. BUT IT WAS GONE. AFTER SOME DELIBERATION, HE FINALLY PAID TWO DIVERS A FEW DOLLARS TO FIND HIS RING. THEIR DIVE LASTED NEARLY AN HOUR, BUT NO RING, ACCORDING TO THE DIVERS, WAS FOUND. JIM EVENTUALLY BOUGHT ANOTHER RING, BUT IT NEVER HAD THE TWINKLE OR THE SPARKLE AS THE ONE THE FISH MANAGED TO SLIDE OFF OF HIS FINGER THAT FATEFULL SUMMER OF 1950.
ON THE PIER: UNCLE JIM, AUNT DOROTHY, MARGIE AND JIMMY. THE AREA WAS NEAR BAGNELL DAM AROUND CAMDENTON, MISSOURI
ON THE PIER: UNCLE JIM, AUNT DOROTHY, MARGIE AND JIMMY. THE AREA WAS NEAR BAGNELL DAM AROUND CAMDENTON, MISSOURI
USED CAR LOT IN TRENTON MISSOURI 1958, FRANK'S USED CARS, 9TH ST
USED CAR LOT IN TRENTON MISSOURI 1958, FRANK'S USED CARS, 9TH ST
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter
one of the best things about the location of this used car lot in trenton, missouri in 1958 was the maid-rite hamburger stand just a block east on 9th. While lingering on this lot talking with my uncle frank, i was often overcome by the greasy good smell of the steamed burgers and headed on down the street. There was a most fantastic pin ball machine inside with lots of bumpers and bouncers with illustrations of buxom blondes smiling and lighting up every time they got bounced by one of the pin balls. There was a lot of laughter, malt mixing machine noises and pin ball noise inside the maid-rite. It was the perfect place for sixteen year olds. There were some cute counry girls who lingered around and enjoyed talking to city boys like me. Yes, i told them all about the latest trends, like the pink and black fashion craze. The nearest drive inn movie was in chillicothe, missouri, out of bounds for all of us. Those were great times in the late 50s.
THANKS FOR READING MY ESSAYS. IF YOU HAVE TIME, PLEASE SIGN UP TO BECOME A FOLLOWER. IT IS DIFFICULT GETTING A FOLLOWING UNTIL THERE ARE TWO OR THREE BOLD INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL START IT OUT....THANKS, ROB
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Pershing Square, downtown Los Angeles -- what a shame
IT HAS BEEN YEARS SINCE I WAS LAST IN PERSHING SQUARE. THERE WERE TIMES IN THE LATE 60S when I had occasion to go downtown LA from Santa Monica. The entire scene was different back then. Pershing Square was one great big carnival, soap box speakers yelling out about the END OF THE WORLD, those passed out on cheap wine, a lot of humanity here and there, smoke thick and drifting, smiling people, smiling people, everywhere and hardly a problem. Shocked to see the flat-lined style it bespeaks now. Once it was a garden of Eden of shrubs and tropicals. Believe it or not, there were a few fruit trees that bloomed too. LA, downtown in the 60s was unique, for sure. And it was not unusual to see people more or less camped out beneath the bushes. Sorry to see they cut down all the bushes and trees. Editor
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TEXT BELOW BY LA Wad Photographer
Pershing Square, downtown Los Angeles -- what a shame
I recently typed up an essay on Streetsblog LA about the seeming stupidity that exists in Los Angeles and four behaviors that lead to a neologism known as "L.A.-ing up" things.
Pershing Square is a fine example of Problems 1 (rear-guard remediation) and 2 (Los Angeles-style compromise).
L.A. has a square-block park right in the heart of downtown. It also serves as a compass of sorts to what makes up downtown: civic and cultural institutions to the north, older and residential buildings to the east, smaller businesses to the south and the financial district with newer high-rises to the west.
Pershing Square itself, though, is one of the examples of how L.A. is like the dumb kid in kindergarten that just ends up eating the paste instead of creating a project.
When Pershing Square was redone, civic leaders wanted to create a space that is reflective of Los Angeles and wanted to show it off to people, but of course downtown was becoming abandoned and irrelevant and people didn't want to be there longer than they had to work. So they followed the best practices of defensible space to make Pershing Square crime- and homeless-free.
Well, in that sense Pershing Square is a success. On the other hand, nobody wants to come in here. Not even the homeless. Pershing is mostly homeless people when there's no concert or the winter ice rink, but even then, they are mostly here for short catnaps or sitting and resting. Pershing Square didn't become a shanty town.
So the defensible space comes at the expense of making a park for people.
Look at the above. Does this look like a place for a leisurely lunchtime stroll, a picnic, or any sort of spontaneous fun? No, because you couldn't love this place if you wanted to.
Most of Pershing Square has a perimeter wall, and the park is raised from street level. So there is no connection to the neighborhood around it. Structurally, there's also no metaphor. The key to any good design (graphic, architecture, etc.) is that there must be an overall theme that all of its constituent parts must serve. There's geometry, a tree section in its own corner of the park, colors mixing with concrete ... this has as much coherence as a storage locker.
This is architecture and public place by committee thinking.
This is how to L.A.-up a park.
Uploaded by LA Wad
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TEXT BELOW BY LA Wad Photographer
Pershing Square, downtown Los Angeles -- what a shame
I recently typed up an essay on Streetsblog LA about the seeming stupidity that exists in Los Angeles and four behaviors that lead to a neologism known as "L.A.-ing up" things.
Pershing Square is a fine example of Problems 1 (rear-guard remediation) and 2 (Los Angeles-style compromise).
L.A. has a square-block park right in the heart of downtown. It also serves as a compass of sorts to what makes up downtown: civic and cultural institutions to the north, older and residential buildings to the east, smaller businesses to the south and the financial district with newer high-rises to the west.
Pershing Square itself, though, is one of the examples of how L.A. is like the dumb kid in kindergarten that just ends up eating the paste instead of creating a project.
When Pershing Square was redone, civic leaders wanted to create a space that is reflective of Los Angeles and wanted to show it off to people, but of course downtown was becoming abandoned and irrelevant and people didn't want to be there longer than they had to work. So they followed the best practices of defensible space to make Pershing Square crime- and homeless-free.
Well, in that sense Pershing Square is a success. On the other hand, nobody wants to come in here. Not even the homeless. Pershing is mostly homeless people when there's no concert or the winter ice rink, but even then, they are mostly here for short catnaps or sitting and resting. Pershing Square didn't become a shanty town.
So the defensible space comes at the expense of making a park for people.
Look at the above. Does this look like a place for a leisurely lunchtime stroll, a picnic, or any sort of spontaneous fun? No, because you couldn't love this place if you wanted to.
Most of Pershing Square has a perimeter wall, and the park is raised from street level. So there is no connection to the neighborhood around it. Structurally, there's also no metaphor. The key to any good design (graphic, architecture, etc.) is that there must be an overall theme that all of its constituent parts must serve. There's geometry, a tree section in its own corner of the park, colors mixing with concrete ... this has as much coherence as a storage locker.
This is architecture and public place by committee thinking.
This is how to L.A.-up a park.
Uploaded by LA Wad
Monday, July 13, 2009
Doolittle is off the deck
GREAT SET....and of high interest to all who understand the value of how such a strike like this was used to undermine the morale of the high military officials who were the ones who were responsible for this most unfortunate war between our two nations. Interesting and valuable photos. Rob
GRANDFATHER AND GRANDSON 1945
A SHORT ESSAY ABOUT GRANDAD HAWTHORNE
Frank E. Hawthorne was born in Centerview, Missouri, near Warrensburg, in 1878. He married his sweetheart, Sadie Ella Osborne, also of Centerview. They enjoyed the turn of the century events. Grandad, I learned, was quite a good guitar player. The two were married and moved to Kansas CIty to begin their life together. Grandad purchased a home near the then new Standard Oil Refinery in the Sugar Creek, Missouri area, near the MIssouri River. He never learned or wanted to drive an auto and walked to work each day for many of the more than 40 years he was employed by Standard Oil. Grandad loved to make his own wine; he kept in the basement. He was a pipe smoker and always smoked in the basement or out in the backyard. I loved the aroma of his pipe, thus declared to smoke when old enough. At one time, back in the early 1900s, Frank and Ella kept a cow at the house for milk. By the time I arrived, the cow was gone, but I do recall their chickens and turkeys, kept in a long and pleasant pen covered by a grape arbor. In the summers, when Grandad wanted to spend time with the boys outdoors, he would take out his pocket knife and fashion twig and bark whistles for each of us young boys. We would then drive the neighbors to the point of closing their windows. On summer nights, with no television then, we sat out on the front porch and burned a smudge pot to keep the bugs and mosquitos away. I have, like many people, many great memories of Grandad and Grandmother
Friday, July 10, 2009
48 States Flag
There is much one could say here............I do recall when the last two were added. Collecting stamps and what a thrill it was then to add two new states. If we had not added them, they would have been given away, for sure, so I do celebrate all 50. Remember when Panama was U.S. Territory. Carter gave it back. Now, Chinese soldiers have made it a fairly important center for strategic operations and energy explorations throughout the area. I"ll bet AMERICA is going to be so excited when we get all the windmills spinning at once. It could create a new wind current and the low flyers might just drift from east to west, depending on the direction of the props. I know you are following me so far. Thanks for your service.
Nymans Crescent moped
SOMETIME I MUST SHARE A TALE WITH YOU ABOUT A JOURNEY MY BEST GRADE SCHOOL BUDDY AND I TOOK ON A MOPED. WE WERE ONLY 13 OR 14 AND DECIDED TO SEE THE USA. AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, EVEN IN THE 50S, THE FACES OF TWO YOUNG BOYS PUTTERING DOWN THE OLD HIGHWAY AROUSED SOME CURIOSITY ONCE WE GOT INTO THE IOWA CORN COUNTRY. TUNE IN LATER FOR THE...REST OF THE STORY. Rob
Nymans Crescent moped
So far, this is the only Nymans Crescent that I have ever seen. I like that front fender.
Uploaded by Howard33 on 4 Jul 09,
Nymans Crescent moped
So far, this is the only Nymans Crescent that I have ever seen. I like that front fender.
Uploaded by Howard33 on 4 Jul 09,
Friday, July 3, 2009
OLD CHURCH IN DUNLAP, MISSOURI
I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS CHURCH IS STILL STANDING. IT HAS BEEN YEARS SINCE I HAVE BEEN TO DUNLAP, MISSOURI. DUNLAP WAS ONCE A RAILROAD TOWN AND HAD A DOWNTOWN AREA, A HOTEL, SALOON, BANK AND OTHER BUSINESSES. I FIRST RECALL THE DUNLAP OF THE 40S AS A SMALL CHILD. IT WAS NO LONGER A RAILROAD TOWN. THE RAILROAD DETOURED BACK IN THE 1920S, BUT THE OLD TOWN BUILDINGS STILL REMAINED. CLOSED AND IN DISREPAIR, I RECALL LOOKING THROUGH THE BOARDED WINDOWS AND SEEING OLD TELLERS CAGES, BARBER CHAIRS AND VARIOUS ITEMS. IT LOOKED LIKE THE TOWN SHUT DOWN IN ONE DAY AND EVERYONE GOT ON THE LAST TRAIN AND LEFT TOWN. IT WAS A FASCINATING SIGHT, THOSE OLD BUILDINGS. THERE WAS A BOARD WALK THAT HAD BEEN BUILT ABOVE THE STREET LEVEL TO SERVE AS A SIDEWALK. AT THAT TIME, I STILL HAD ONE ELDERLY COUSIN AND HIS SON WHO LIVED IN THE OLD HOTEL. THE TOWN BURNED IN THE EARLY 50S. IT WAS SAD. UNTIL THE EARLY 60S, THERE WAS ONLY ONE WATER SUPPLY, THE TOWN PUMP.
HOW DO I KNOW ALL OF THIS. WELL, I SPENT MANY WEEKENDS IN THE SUMMER IN DUNLAP WHEN MY UNCLE JIM AND AUNT DOROTHY DROVE FROM KC TO DUNLAP TO VIST HIS BROTHER, FRANK. THE OLD CHURCH WAS NEVER LOCKED AND MY COUSINS AND I USED TO ENTER AND PRACTICE ON THE PIANO. I LEARNED TO PLAY GOSPEL SONGS BY EAR IN THAT OLD CHURCH. I ALSO PLAYED A PRETTY GOOD RENDITION OF "THE TENNESSEE WALTZ." MANY MEMORIES OF OLD DUNLAP AND COUSINS, FARMERS, LOCAL FARMERS, FISHING STORES, PANTHER STORIES, HAULING WATER TO AUNT RUBY'S FROM THE TOWN PUMP. THERE WERE OLD JUNK CARS HERE AND THERE, A GREAT BIG TOY FOR US KIDS WHO WERE NOT YET DRIVING. BUT SPEAKING OF DRIVING, ONE OF MY COUSINS, GEORGE, HELPED ME PRACTICE MY DRIVING BY LETTING ME DRIVE HIS CAR FROM DUNLAP TO HIGHWAY 6, THE HIGHWAY THAT HAD THE 4 MILE SIGN. FOUR MILES TO TRENTON FROM DUNLAP. THESE ARE MERELY RANDOM THOUGHTS, IMAGES, RAMBLING, UNEDITED THOUGHTS, JUST A FEW MEMORIES I RECALL AS THIS FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND BEGINS. YES, WE USED TO SPEND THE 4TH OUT IN DUNLAP. PIN WHEELS, FOUNTAINS. BINGO GAMES UNTIL 2AM. GOOD TIMES REMEMBERED. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL WHO READ THIS SLICE OF LIFE IN AMERICA DURING THE 40S AND 50S
HOW DO I KNOW ALL OF THIS. WELL, I SPENT MANY WEEKENDS IN THE SUMMER IN DUNLAP WHEN MY UNCLE JIM AND AUNT DOROTHY DROVE FROM KC TO DUNLAP TO VIST HIS BROTHER, FRANK. THE OLD CHURCH WAS NEVER LOCKED AND MY COUSINS AND I USED TO ENTER AND PRACTICE ON THE PIANO. I LEARNED TO PLAY GOSPEL SONGS BY EAR IN THAT OLD CHURCH. I ALSO PLAYED A PRETTY GOOD RENDITION OF "THE TENNESSEE WALTZ." MANY MEMORIES OF OLD DUNLAP AND COUSINS, FARMERS, LOCAL FARMERS, FISHING STORES, PANTHER STORIES, HAULING WATER TO AUNT RUBY'S FROM THE TOWN PUMP. THERE WERE OLD JUNK CARS HERE AND THERE, A GREAT BIG TOY FOR US KIDS WHO WERE NOT YET DRIVING. BUT SPEAKING OF DRIVING, ONE OF MY COUSINS, GEORGE, HELPED ME PRACTICE MY DRIVING BY LETTING ME DRIVE HIS CAR FROM DUNLAP TO HIGHWAY 6, THE HIGHWAY THAT HAD THE 4 MILE SIGN. FOUR MILES TO TRENTON FROM DUNLAP. THESE ARE MERELY RANDOM THOUGHTS, IMAGES, RAMBLING, UNEDITED THOUGHTS, JUST A FEW MEMORIES I RECALL AS THIS FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND BEGINS. YES, WE USED TO SPEND THE 4TH OUT IN DUNLAP. PIN WHEELS, FOUNTAINS. BINGO GAMES UNTIL 2AM. GOOD TIMES REMEMBERED. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL WHO READ THIS SLICE OF LIFE IN AMERICA DURING THE 40S AND 50S
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Vilano Beach Moon Rocks
THIS PHOTO ILLUSTRATES POETRY BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER. IT IS ONE OF THE BEST PHOTOS I HAVE EVER VIEWED. EDITOR
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