I was greatly impressed by Helen Leonard’s letter in the 10/9/2013 Amboy Guardian. Like her I was also a kid during the Great Depression. It was a much more different time than the Great Recession of today.

First of all the spirit of the people was more upbeat and optimistic than today. We were not as fearful as today. We were self reliant! Hardly anyone had cars. We all walked. To church! to school! To stores! The streets were not as congested as today. Life was much simpler! Most of our homes were heated by wood from railroad ties, broken tree limbs and driftwood. Most of the North Amboy was heated by coal picked up or stolen from the Lehigh Valley coal yards. At night we huddled together in perinas (Feather beds). Winters were mighty cold. The coldest recorded temperature was 16 below zero. The bay was frozen to the light house! Brrr!

Most folks kept all kinds of animals, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, goats and even pigs. We always had fresh eggs, chicken and rabbit dinners. Peddlers with fruits and vegetables came to our doorstep. We had farmer’s markets on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. A kid could always pilfer an apple or peach or work as a chicken plucker at 2 bits per chicken. Some ladies preferred to take the live chicken on the bus for a fare of 5 cents for the husband to clean the chicken. One time a lady’s chicken got loose. As she chased it around the bus she loudly broke wind. The bus driver remarked, “That’s it, Lady! If you can’t catch it! Shoot it!” We all roared at that one!

Here is a sample a sample of the prices of King Arthur’s Supermarket at Market Street and Madison Avenue. Veal 19 cents per pound. Ham 21 cents per pound, butter 27 cents perpound. Tomatoes 5 cents per pound, Jello 3 packages 13 cents and coffee pound can 32 cents.

Compared to today crime was very low. Nobody locked their homes. Only one court session a week. Mostly drunks charged. They had not yet graduated to the status of alcoholics. There were 100 saloons in town. They were the working man’s social club. Where a guy could get cheap drinks with psychological therapy, sympathy or even a job. Some of the bartenders were former labor union members. Come to think of it I helped my dad make his own whiskey or moonshine and wine, not to mention sauerkraut, pickles and green tomatoes.

Helen Leonard! Thanks for the happy memories!

Thank you for your courtesies.

Very truly yours,

Peter Book a.k.a. Pedro Libro