Jul. 17, 2002 - 22:00 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Old Newspaper

From all the times we have moved over the years we have photographs and a few family things that we have pretty well passed on already.

Heather was going through some linens that had been put up for years and found a paper we had saved from World War Two. We had saved the papers from the European action and the one from VJ Day - but they have not turned up, and I guess probably won't.

This one is The Denver Post of Sunday July 29, 1945.

"Senate Ratifies Charter, 89 to 2." That is the United Nations Charter. (the one we don't seem to really support to any great extent now), "The U S was the first big nation to act."

"Food Shortages To Continue For Another Year. Part of that problem is distribution." Then of course was the need of the military for food, the Lend-Lease food, etc., etc. Rail cars were heavily devoted to transporting troops in the passenger cars and military supplies of one kind or another in the box cars, perishables - carried in refrigerator cars (which were heated in the winter) were used also.

B-32 Heavy Bombers were new then and bombing Japan. Convair aircraft built in Texas. Much of the personnel were trained here in Denver at Lowry Field.

The day before on Saturday a B-25 bomber flew into the seventy-sixth floor of the Empire State Building about ten AM. It had been flying low through heavy fog. Boggles my mind this present day, "The toll of lives expected to be fifteen."

Carrier borne bombers were hitting Japanese ships of war through the week at Kure.

B-29 Super Fortresses taking off from Iwo Jima hit six pre-warned Japanese cities with great damage and no loss to US forces.

Burlington Railroad's new Vista Dome passenger car rolled into Denver from Chicago, thence to Salt Lake City. Seemed as if there would be many more of them after the war.(Amtrak is still running Vista Domes).

There were few funeral homes in Denver compared to now.

Ration Stamp Information Summarized -- covering Meats, fats etc. -- Processed foods -- Sugar -- Shoes -- Gasoline, giving the current books and effective dates. Didn't see tires mentioned there but they were rationed too.

Noticing prices through the paper. The May Company Flower Shop advertising a funeral spray for $2.00, The May Company was advertising knitted baby apparel - the top price quoted, Infants all wool shawls $4.98, full size all wool blanket at $12.98, sheer rayon curtains $4.98 a pair. The American Furniture advertised a four piece bedroom set, bed, vanity, bench, mirror for $118.85 with a night stand for $11.30 more. Neusteter's Budget Shop advertised Persian Paw fur coats at $168.00 (Does anybody know what the heck cat Persian Paw came from ?). Joslin's advertised Hollander blended Muskrat coats for $230, tucked crepe shirt (womens) $3.98, floral percale house frock for $2.29 and a women's Satin bound Black Garbardine suit for $39.95. Cottrell's a fine men's furnishings store advertised straw hats, the top of the line at $6.50

I also noticed that our telephone numbers had exchanges in letters (the first two used in dialing) our exchange was SPruce, Heathers folks was ALpine, our new home in East Denver had EAst exchange.

That phone number is still ours, only with numbers instead of letters and one additional digit. Now we have two area codes in our part of the state -- a new neighbor might have the new area code and his next door neighbor have the old area code.

Heather and I have talked about going to the Main Denver Public Library and looking in a lot of the Old Newspapers . . . . . . .

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