Pittsburgh’s South Side Sally

When I grew up on the South Side ladies went out for a night on the town, many found Bingo to be there entertainment.  Church after Church had seasonal games.  There were a few regular weekly places.  The Serbian Club on Sarah Street had a night, can’t remember which day of the week.  The Luthianian Hall on Jane Street had one.

I went to some of these with my mom or aunt.  Specials were held every 5 games.  You paid extra for each markable card.  The regular admission was for the 25 or 30 regular games, then they had a special every so often.  Food was available most times.  Hot dogs, chips, candy bars, and fountain drinks.

It was a big thrill for me to win once in a while.  I remember winning $40. on a special.  My mom really needed the money.  I kept $5. and gave her the rest .  This was one of those nights I went with my aunt.  My mom was happy we had the extra money.   I remember praying to win.  It was so neat coming home to think I could help out.  I was 12 years old at the time.

Greb’s Bakery

Their apple pies were the best from a kid’s standpoint.  That’s the beginning of the story.   My best friend’s mom, Mrs. Mours worked at the bakery, a block away from my house.  It was located on the corner at Sarah Street.  Noreen, my friend and I would visit her sometimes in the back where the goodies were prepared.  I even got an occasional invitation to Greb’s  Apple Orchard.  There would be a big annual apple harvest out in the “country”.  Ladders, bushel baskets!  The ride out there was a big part of the fun.  At times we would load up in the back of her dad’s pick up truck and bounce around with the wind in our hair.  Back then, it seemed that the fewer cars moved slower.  Safety wasn’t the important issue it is today.  Eventually both my friends moved out near the orchard and the Grebs built a new home on that very same orchard.  Mrs. Greb sold the bakery to someone and stayed on as a consultant till things became stable for the new owners.  They had the best lady locks, apple turnovers, donuts were great.  On Saturday the place was packed.  One couldn’t get into the door.  Hungry patrons would come out of the bakery carrying bags and boxes of baked goods for the weekend.

I grew up a block away from the steel mill in the 1950’s.   The street was narrow; we called it, “the alleyway. “  This alleyway was Larkins Way. It started on 2800’s Larkins Way, and I think, stopped at 1700’s or 1800’s Larkins Way.  I lived one block away from the beginning in the 2700 block of Larkins Way.

Imagine if you will night during the summer.  People sat out on their front steps.  The row houses, old name for what is now called a townhouse, didn’t have any space for a porch in the front.  The street was filled with lots of activity and people.  No air conditioning!  We sat outside, talked, walked and played. Ten years old we played “Release the Den”, “Hide and Go Seek.”

Often, in the what one would consider, the dark of the night, there would be lots of bright light.  The bright lights illuminated the night sky.  Of course, these were from the blast furnaces–bellowing flames that flew up into the sky.   The flames and light were seen clearly at the very beginning of Larkins Way.   I could see shades of red, orange, white, sometimes even a purple orange, if I recall correctly, in this rainbow dance of flames.  Yes, I know we were very close to the action.  These times were both a blessing and a curse.  Men were working working working.  However, there was rust, sulfur, soot and pollution on a frequent basis.  Again, “whoa is me”  to the laundress who let her clothes stay out during a rain or when the mill let out its polluted orange smoke.

Trains  provided noise and rumble at night and hello’s during the day.  Late night trains rumbled atop the lane behind Jane Street and below Josephine Street.  The noise and rumble from the trains actually shook the house.  This I noticed very young, but apparently I got so familiar with it that as I grew older my brain blocked them out.  Around 5 pm every evening a train came by on the upper deck of the tracks.  I often walked or ran up to Jane Street and waved to the engineer on the red caboose…he always waved back.

THE MILL STORE
The Pittsburgh Mercantile in my memory was  the J&L mill store.  Here workers could purchase things and then have payments taken from their paychecks at the mill. One of my best friends Carol Ann told me about this.  Funny I remember in the late 1950’s she told me her dad said the mill would close in 20 years.  She said for me not to tell anyone.  Funny how some of these childhood items come true.

I remember you could buy anything at that store.  They had a very good grocery store on the first floor that bordered I believe South 26th Street.  The store had mink stoles, diamond rings, on the first floor. There was also a soda fountain counter on the first floor for great cherry cokes. On the second or third floor  a full shoe store complete with an x-ray machine.  I remember sticking my feet into that machine lots to look at the bones in my feet.  I hope I didn’t get too much radiation.  The department manager yelled at us, but my brother and I went back when he wasn’t around.  The furniture department, I think was on the sixth floor.  There was a neat brass doored elevator one could ride up, then run down the steps back down.  This was one of the things Ken and I did for fun.

South Side Sally’s

The First Brainstorm List
Tales of the Flats and Slopes

Then

I remember walking barefoot to the Osmby pool in summer.

I remember rust on the sheets hanging in the yard.

I remember waving to the engineer on the caboose at 5 pm

I remember following the mailman on his route for two blocks when I was 5.

I remember in first grade going boldly into bars selling my christmas seals for my catholic school projects… This was over fifty years ago.  My mom and the teachers didn’t know.

I remember the nighttime skies bright from the blast furnaces at J&L.

I remember Mr. Pletcher and his expensive  fancy guppies.that he paid .$25. a pair for.  Back then that was really really big money.

I remember Bluestone’s home made  coffee ice cream.

I remember racing down six flights of the steps  of the Pittsburgh Merchantile. (the J&L mill store)
Now the Goodwill

I remember the heavy heavy smog.  You couldn’t see ten feet in front of you  and the heavy sulfur smell.

I remember walking up to the basin (Monogahela Park) through the shortcut on Edwards Way.

I remember the building of the Birmingham Bridge.
I remember getting lost in a sea of men at shift change those going in and those coming out at the mill on 27th street and Carson.

I remember sitting on the stoop looking at the sunset .

I remember setting up a yard fair for a nickel admittance one object to view was a large locust.

I remember the Biology Club disection at Brashaer Center, Sarah Street .

I remember winning  big at bingo at the Serbian Club my mom needed the extra money.