I was talking to a man older than me and I told him I never got to ride in a Model T, but just a Model A.

 

He told me Model Ts just had leaf springs like on a hay wagon.

 

Spark and choke were levers on the steering column.

 

The car had three foot pedals. Right was brake, middle was clutch, left was halfway clutch and low gear the rest of the way, rack-and-pinion steering and 26-inch wheels which made steering an adventure.

 

He said they had a magneto and a crank to start them. And there were broken arms from cranking.

 

They had drum brakes in the rear only and they were in the open. When they muddy, you had to wash them. So that was my lesson for that day. Thanks old timer, you know who you are. Huh?

 

In my 1948 Dowagiac city director we had 16 factories and industries, 21 groceries and 12 restaurants.

 

Casco factory that made wiring for cars was at 101 Poplar St., just off Franklin. Remember these streets? I’m’ not sure, but I think Casco’s was in the old Niedner Rifle building.

 

I remember old “Doc Samson was a boss there and our old babysitter, Emma Mather, once told us she worked there, and what a character Kenneth “Doc” Samson was, as a boss of the mostly ladies who worked there.

 

If I’m not mistaken, another boss at Casco’s was Harry Williams Jr.

 

A friend told me he used to have a tin of bag balm to cure things when I mentioned the Watkins ointment and Absorbine Jr. for sore muscles. He said he could remember when it was called Absorbine and the junior came later. He also said a lot of folks used horse liniment.

 

Does anyone but me remember what a gold mine find it was if you found an amber-colored Roman Cleanser bottle, which was worth 10 to 15 cents when returned?

 

I always like to look at the ages of movie stars and other sports celebrities in my Sunday paper called “Birthday Buzz.” I also like “Frame Games.”

 

I usually guess two of the four. Best I’ve done is three out of four.

 

I guess 83-year-old Charlie is slipping of what one calls aging. Huh?