As we saw in the first column of Mr. Whitten’s memories, the railroad played a major role in his life. Not only did his father work for the railroad, he himself hired on the railroad May 7, 1941. He worked in the two-story depot on the west side of the tracks. Because the passenger trains provided a reliable means of transportation, he shows us the importance of railroads for people living in that era.
• Being a railroader’s son, I have thought about train rides I made. We would catch the “Doodle Bug” and ride to the Meridian train station where “Sears” is located today {on Front Street when this was written tb}. Then we would go to Kress, Woolworth, Sears, J.C. Penny, and others. Being tired, we slept the hour’s ride home.
• Many students from this area went off to college on passenger trains.
• Each Thanksgiving, the railroad would deliver free to the Orphan Home in Jackson all gifts from churches from statewide towns and villages. Some examples of gifts were can goods, potatoes, molasses, staple goods, and feed for the livestock. I am happy to say that I helped pick these items up and carry them where churches accumulated them. The railroad would give a date for delivery and load, and then take them to their destination. This was a yearly endeavor. So many shared for such a good cause.
• On several special occasions, the railroads would plan and run “excursions” for some special events. Each year of the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson, Friday was school day. From the far corners of our state, special trains would carry school children to Jackson for a Friday at the fair. We paid a small ticket fee for the round-trip train ride and no admission into the fairgrounds. What fun we had! It was such a very little cost for so much fun. The odor of the fair - hamburgers made all hungry.
• Old Ironsides, a naval vessel of years ago, was anchored at Mobile for all to see. School children of the nation sponsored this event. Any donation would put you on board. Since I could ride the passenger trains free, I made two trips on the excursions to Mobile. The “Old Ironsides” is now docked up the Northeast coast in Boston, MA. A lasting remembrance of bygone years
• J.R. Buckwalter Lumber Co. had a daily log train from here via the J&E Railroad to Koch, Miss., then over the C & C a few miles. They would carry out empty equipment and in late afternoon would return with many loads of logs. They would dump them in the log pond to prevent rotting. Mom caught me hitching a short ride as the train came by our house one day. Yep, I got it. Always, that last lick was a rough one. It will keep you from catching log trains, I know for sure.
• Mr. Hendon sold snowballs for years.
• A tent movie set up on the lot that is now White’s Body Shop. There was no voice. The speech was written across the bottom of the screen.
• Refreshments of yesteryear were double dip ice cream, Cherry Coke, Coke floats, Purple Cow, and what a super milk shake and banana split…
• A hundred pounds of cottonseed meal was 50 cents.
• First Baptist Church had a good quartet: Will White, Mr. Driskell, Joe Bishop, H.D. Walker.
• We flew kites better than a mile high. It took several balls of twine.
• L.Q.C. Williams was state senator. Paul D. Measelle and R. Lee Vance were state representatives.
• R. Lee Vance collected burial insurance, and Raymond Walker sold sewing machines.
• Mr. Ed Butts was our cow doctor.
• My first knowledge of a “church wedding” was when Mr. D.H. Hovey, manager of the Miss. Power Co., married one of the Gallaspy girls at the First Baptist Church.
Here are this week’s questions:
• Do you have a picture of the two-story depot or know when either depot was demolished?
• Do you have memories of the trains to share?
If you have memories, please contact me at teresablount26@yahoo.com or 601-774-5564 or 109 Woodhaven Drive, Union 39365.
