To get a feel for the Corner read my profile.
Some guys had stories about them that after 50 some years they still bring a laugh.
One guy it was told was a bookie. He was about 10 years older than we were. When we were 15, he was probably 25. One of the guys was on the Corner about 2 or 3 AM. Just sitting by Leo's news stand. Leo had long gone home. There was not much traffic on Madison Street at that early morning hour and he says that he sees ......[the bookie] coming down Madison, steering his car with his feet. As I think of it now, the bookie was a tall guy and even if he had his seat all the way back, how he could have got his feet at the steering wheel. We did not question the story then and I do not now. How could any one think up a story like that. But I think that I asked why this fellow was sitting out there at this hour. Another guy liked a girl and wanted to go out with her. She did not want to date this guy so the story goes he put his name in the obituary section of the paper. When this got around the Corner I did not ask to see the paper, knowing him. As I think of it, I do not know what was he thinking of, did he really think a 16 yr. old girl checked out the obits. Also, what if she catches him walking down the street. I did not question the story then and I do not now. This was the Corner. Another thing, I was there. When we were about 8th grade or 1st yr HS, we were in the PG, probably throwing the ball around. The PG had a field house with a couple of benches out side. One of the guys who was throwing the ball around had his coat on the bench. There was a younger kid in the PG shooting stick matches with a rubberband contraption. I do not think the kid did it on purpose, but when we looked over at the bench we saw smoke coming from this guys coat. We asked him if that was his coat smoking, we were about 50 yards away and he squinted in the direction of the smoke and took off. This guy was a big guy, the young kid who was a short kid, also took off. It was kind of funny then and when we bring thse things up, remember when, we still get a laugh. That was the Corner.
About Me
- Jay Norman Davis
- chicago, illinois, United States
- Education was in Chicago, Emmett Grammar school and The Austin High School. Higher education was the corner of Madison and Central, "The Corner" on Chicago's west side. On one corner of "The Corner" was a drug store with a soda fountain where you could get drinks, etc. Outside among other things we pitched pennies and just hung out. On the other side of the street was Emmett Grammar School and the playground {PG}. It had a huge ball field where we spent alot of time. And down the street was the Bowling Alley [BA]., with about 32 alleys and pool and billiard tables. Alot of time was spent up there also. The Corner was a busy place where there were always "Characters" around from young guys to older men. Bookies, Gambling, and just hanging out. This was what we did from around 6th grade on. No drugs, no violence, just fun and sports and hanging out.
No comments:
Post a Comment