Collecting Scrap Metal

Collecting Scrap Metal

I was probably about 8 or 9 years old if I remember correctly, I did not go with Dad all the time just a few times I think. It was around 1938-39 or so and we lived on 2nd st. about 100 yds from the river. This site is now occupied by the Riverfront Coliseum. His pushcart as they called it, "but he actually pulled it" was made of wood slats similar to a flat that they stack cases on in a warehouse. It was about 4' wide by 8' long and 5' high. It had large iron wheels with iron spokes about 3' high. And protruding from the cart on each side were 2x4's lumbar about 4' long and another 2x4 streched across them which served as a handle. He would get behind this handle and pull the cart. I remember in order to stop the cart as he was going down a hill he would raise the handle so that the rear end of the cart would drag on the ground where he had attached pieces of an old rubber tire at each corner which then made contact with the ground. I think he had sort of a regular route that he went on where he knew he could find 'Treasures" I know he went to several buildings on 4th. street next to Lytle park and Guilford school, both of which are still there. One of them was a women’s hotel for young women called Anna something or other, I forget the name but it is still there, I heard a piece on the news a few months ago about how run down it was now. Anyway they had a trash room which he would go to while I waited with the cart. People who lived there would throw away all sorts of things including a "Derby" hat; some people call them English Bowlers, which gave to me. I remember I would strut around the neighborhood wearing that hat, I thought I was really a big shot. He collected every thing that a local junkyard would buy from him. Papers (any kind including magazines), clothing (Rags) Metal, Iron Brass, Copper, aluminum, I remember we would sit on the sidewalk in front of our house and sort the metals, he had an old magnet and it of course would only stick to iron or steel. Copper and brass could be identified by its color and aluminum by its weight. Copper and brass brought the most money from the junk dealer. I remember one time he brought home an “Irish Mail” It was a 4 wheel go cart affair that you propelled it forward by pumping the handle back and forth and you steered it with your feet. I remember one time he brought home a small church organ that you pumped with your feet for the air to make a sound, and that’s about all I got out of it was sound, no music. We also used to salvage wood and nails from fruit crates we got from the Fruit & Vegetable market on 3rd. St. We would carefully pry off the wood slats and remover the nails, It was my job to lay the nails on the sidewalk and by gently tapping them with a hammer I could straighten the bent ones. I them put them in a glass pickle jar. Plastic hadn't been invented yet so we used jars for all sorts of things. Speaking about the Fruit and Vegetable market market, I think they only operated on Friday and Saturday. and on Saturday night. (Note: Almost all busineses were closed on Sunday, There was a law called "The Blue Law" for which you could be arrested and jailed if you opened a business on Sunday, There were exceptions such as Pharmacys and food stores etc. ) My whole family would go to the market in the evening when the people would take thier stalls down and put thier leftovers in the trash as well as some fresh things they did not want to cart back home to the farm. We would rummage through it and gather usable food, even an orange with a bad spot in it could be eaten after the bad spot was cut off. These were really tough times and I will tell you more about heating the flat in the winter next time......