A bit of American history


klnd.org keyword stats



Most current MSN search phrases:

native american herbal stores 20 of north americas tribes
tribes of north america Northwestern Native American Art
History Of herbal Medicine Timeline Free Bible Lesson Kids Love
american indian auctions SIOUX INDIANS
SIOUX INDIANS ART AND MUSIC Native American Indian Grant Money
Native Amercains Rights That had been native american spiritsymbols
kids lessons on light christian all names of american music types
INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA early native americans and their study
Native American Talking Stick fun language arts lessons
wedding day survival kit typing lessons for kids
womans clothing with native indian history of talking sticks
photography high school lessons problems with socialized medicine
bones that ache Teaching Native American History to Kids
achie joints History Stem Cell Research
skunk cabbage remedies Fun Bible Lessons Kids
free online Native American Indian  

When We Was Kids In Chicago

Radio was the big communicator, back when IWe learned young, that after long hours of
was a kid. Whole families huddled around thethe thumping noise. People were inclined to
speaker of that hulk. Our minds, working likebuy you some candy, just to make the noise
a cotton picker on a hot summer day. We hadstop  for  awhile.  We  weren't  too  dumb.
imagination. Vivid, plentiful thoughts,
moving throughout the story which was beingFighting in Chicago was a prerequisite to
broadcast.boyhood. When we would walk down the streets,
past the alleys, fear was constant, as all
The characters, were like people we somehowthe really bad boys lurked down that alley
knew. People who lived right down the streetway. No place for the faint of heart. We all
from us, in the three story apartmentthought we were tough guys back then. Maybe
building. That apartment building, was awe  really  were?
warehouse of eclectic personalities, popping
from  every  floor,  and  every  door.No drugs back then, at least, none of us
every heard about them. Our parents made
Old cars, now relics of the past. New, whenvague references to drugs, in retrospect,
we were young. Cool cars too, metal so thick,but, really, they didn't even know what they
you could hurt your hand just bumping intowere. Although, Pops knew what beer was. He
it. Lasted a long time, and made moving aboutknew all about that. All the World War 2 guys
the big city of Chicago much easier thandrank beer. Because, they really were tough
taking the trolley, bus or "EL", short forguys. We didn't know that you could be tough,
elevated  train.and  not  drink,  and  smoke  cigarettes.
Oh yes, want to get the scare of a lifetime,Life in the alleys of Chicago, was not only
ride the "EL" around one of those sharpfor tough guys. It was an avenue for commerce
corners, thirty feet off the ground. Steelas well. The coal man came with the truck,
wheels grinding against steel tracks, makingand shovelled coal down a shute into your
sounds so shrill,the devil himself, wouldbasement, to keep your furnace going. Thats
cringe. I know my Mom's hands were crimpedright coal. Black smoke billowing from
for a week, when I would grip her hand soeveryone's  buildings.
tight  around  those  curves.
Men selling rags, singing a song that was
People wearing clothes that made them allwell known to us. "Rags, Rags, everyone needs
look like gangsters. Suits way to large,rags, Ragman coming, come and gettem" Gosh,
cuffs on shirts that could hide a deck ofthey  sold  everything  in  those  alleys.
cards,  and  a  pair  of  dice.
Milkmen, with horse drawn carts. Oh now, we
Litter blowing everywhere, down windyloved those horses. They were huge with
streets, sweeping dicarded cigarettecovers over their eyes. As kids we didn't
packages, and paper, and dirt, like aknow what those were. We really didn't care
hurricane unleashed. It is the Windy City,as  long  as  we  could  pet  the  horses.
after  all.
The milkman was kindly, and chipped off
Another memory comes to mind now, tennischunks of ice, from the big blocks in the
balls being bounced off the lowest step ofwagon, which kept the milk cold. We
building's porches. Thump, thump, and crowdsabsolutely loved that. Ice, who would think
of kids leaping over one another, trying tothat a little thing like that would be so
catch the ball, as it bounced high into theimportant to little kids. I will always be
air. No kid would even care to watch thatgratefull  to  that  man  for  his  kindness.
now, much less participate. We did it for
hours.  Boredom  played  tricks  on the mind.Scissor and knife sharpeners. They all had a
song. Singing loudly, I admired them so. They
Did I mention, the best steps to bounce awere the best kind of entepreneurs. Business
ball on, were the steps of Peterson's store.men, who set their own pace, in a world of
To us, it was the candy depot. Apothecaryfrantic  motion.
jars, filled with candy of every description.
Hands full of candy for pennies. Kids droolThere is so much more to those days. So many
when I tell them how much candy, they couldmemories that were the best kind of life
have  bought  back  then  with  two  dollars.experiences, back when we was kids in
Chicago.



1 A B C 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94