By Mildred Reeves Burnett
(Continued from last week)
People have always been curious, baffled, and entertained by the unusual such as bailing off Niagra Falls in a barrel, feats of Harry Houdini, (the famous magician and escape artist of the early 1900’s), snake oil peddlers, and the likes.
Likewise, it was even so with our local citizens, for there were oddities that showed up hereabouts.
On West Commercial Street there was a little space between the restaurants and taverns at one place or another.
Around year 1939 or ‘40 a man was buried alive in a part of that little space. Curious people were attracted and some talked to him through a tube. Donations were taken for this unusual stunt.
The man was buried for a day or two or whatever the allotted time.
Righter Trucking was located in a large building across from Bevo O’Rourke’s back lot near the railroad track. (Behind the jail today)
Above Righter Trucking was a skating rink. Kids from throughout the area whizzed around the roller rink exercising their skating skills alone or with a partner.
Some skated backward, and there were couples who skated cross-handed. That skating rink was buzzing with business for quite a long time.
“As Early As 1900 The Mitchell House Was Known To The Traveling Public As A Hotel Where Southern Hospitality, and Western Geniality Prevailed. Etc. Fan Service—Hot and Cold Water in Every Room.” Excerpt from ad, The Enterprise-Courier Sept 9, 1937.
The Hotel was a large building with good food, clean rooms, and fair prices.
Children liked going to the Mitchell to see the big green parrot in the cage, which sat in the window. When the window was raised, those passing by would talk to it.
The parrot repeated words and was also big on cussing.
There were times when the parrot would clam up and pace back and forth on its perch like a prima donna. It was also known to get mean, bristle its wings, and even peck a finger or two of pesky kids.
Lots of railroad people and salesmen stayed at the Hotel during the era the trains were active.
George Mitchell, the owner, who was blind in his older years, walked using a white cane. Mitchell sat in the hotel lobby and visited with customers sitting around playing cards.
The old men sat out front on the sidewalk benches during warm wea-ther to get a little sun.
Once this older and rather large lady was walking home from town, and when she was passing the men sitting outside the hotel, suddenly the elastic in her triple X pink bloomers popped and her bloomers fell around her ankles.
She bent down, gathered them up, and folded them across her arm. She then stared at the men daring them to say a word. No one met her eyes or uttered a sound, and she continued on by.
And that’s the truth!
Across the street at 204 West Commercial, there once was a “motion picture house.” It has been mentioned to me several times.
It was built by Earnest Story and Claude Edwards in nineteen fifteen.
Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, and Buster Keeton were some of the western stars of that era. The hero used to jump on a horse and gallop away in the sunset, according to George Simmons, who remembers attending that theater as a young lad of about seven years old. He told me they were silent movies.
The first talking picture to be shown in Charleston was “The Rainbow” on December 15, 1929. It was shown at the new American Theater on East Commercial Street built about that same year by O.W. McCutchen. (See, “History of Mississippi County” by Betty Powell at the library regarding early movie houses in Charleston.)
The Charleston Bakery was across Franklin Street from the Mitchell Hotel before moving to Market Street.
About midnight, after getting the marquee ready for next day’s movie and closing the New Theater down for the night, Dennis Quertermous and E. T. Sasseen would walk inside the back door of the bakery on their way home. The baking breads’ yeasty aroma dragged them in by the nose.
The boys would buy a warm loaf from the bakers, have it split and filled with icing that was made for sweet rolls, and then munch it as they walked on their way.
The Webb (Ford) Motor Company owned by Bill Webb was located across West Commercial from O’Rourke’s.
Webb sold Ford Motor to W.R. “Pedro” Simmons. Later the company was sold to Bruce DeField.
Fords, Chevrolets, and the other cars were built strong with wide running boards along the car doors. Kids used to stand on them, hold onto the car door frame with the window rolled down, and ride.
The cars also had heavy metal bumpers. During snow and ice, boys would squat down and grab hold the bumpers, to be pulled down the streets. But watch out, when they hit a bare spot, they were sent sprawling or dragged causing red scratches, skinned knees, and frayed jeans.
To be continued |