Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Coal and Ice

     Tony Crandell's latest trivia question drew some response this week.
     Tony, BHS-58, asked, "during the heydays of the passenger trains coming and going through Boone and before mechanical air conditioning, Boone was where the trains took on hundreds of pounds of ice to keep the cars cool. Likewise, the refrigerated cars hauling meat and other perishables were loaded at the beginning of the trip but, sometimes, the ice was replenished at Boone. Name Boone's ice plant company and where was it located?"
     Ken Swanson, BHS-59, responded with, "you probably don't remember me Mo but I worked with Gary Grosnickle at Dad and Lad in my senior year, 58-59. The answer to the question is Rocho Brothers Coal and Ice Company. My dad delivered ice for them before World War II and briefly, after the war."
     Loren Frazier, BHS-58, wrote, "Rocho Brothers was located on the southeast corner of Eighth and Runyon Streets. My parents bought coal for the furnace from  them and they shoveled it into our basement through a small door in the foundation to the furnace room inside. I remember it made quite a mess with the coal dust that stirred up when the chunks of coal landed in the basement coal pile. A neighbor bought ice from Rocho's and the driver would, sometimes, give neighbor kids a small piece of ice. Keep up the good work. Its appreciated by all your followers."
     Then there was Holden Stradlater, BHS-58, who wrote, "been thinking about Tony's latest offering. I, like you, recall the golden age of railroads as they impacted Boone. The passenger trains with the exotic names of "City of Denver," "City of Los Angeles" and the Challenger which only woke up the wanderlust in many of us. I recall passengers temporarily disembarking when trains stopped in Boone to unload and load passengers and wondering who they were and where they were going. Well dressed men and women going into the depot or dashing across the street to the Bide-A-Wee for a quick beer. As Tony remembered, these trains, both passenger and freight, took on ice. If I recall correctly, the ice came from Rocho Brothers and I believe the plant was on 10th street west of the depot. I hope the trivia questions have promoted lots of interest and responses. I'm excited to hear about the new hotel and other new construction in Boone. Now, if there was just a daily newspaper. Keepem' coming Mo. The Korner is an institution. Maybe more than you realize and we can't thank you enough."
     Tony himself explained, "I was a depot rat and I loved to hang around the depot and watch the passenger trains come through. On the platform, were a number of yellow and green steel carts with green steel triangle shaped tops. These carts were there to supply ice for the crews and the diner cars. A depot rat could help themselves to a pretty good-sized chunk of ice to suck on while waiting for a train to come and go and move off the penny that had been placed on the track to be flattened by the train.When the passenger trains left, so did the ice carts and eventually Rocho Brothers."
     The Kornerman says, "regarding moving coal into the basement, I recall the fancy way it was done at our house. We had some kind of conveyer apparatus that received the coal and fed it, via the conveyer, from outside right on into the furnace. Wow! Pretty impressive."
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Flossie Wulkow, 95, Lytton/Sac City. Boone area survivor is a son, Rick Wulkow, of Boone........Carol Pestotnik, 75, Twin Falls. Born in Luther. Parents were V.C. and Olive Brundage. United HS-60. Was a teacher, worked as a military entrance test administrator and as a GED test administrator. Her husband, Tom Pestotnik, BHS-58, survives.........Glen Yarger, 106, formerly of Boone. Eight children survive........Bette Lou McCoy, 88, Perry. Formerly of Beaver. Married Dale McCoy (deceased) in Boone. Was a homemaker. Six children including son, Mike, and daughter, Barb Appenzeller, both of Boone survive.........Gerald Westrum, 91, Stratford. Born on a farm in rural Boone County. Married Dorothy Gill (deceased) in Boone. Farmed northeast of Stratford. Three children survive, Norene Powell, Mark and Matthew Westrum, all of Stratford. Another survivor is a sister, Marietta Grabau, of Grand Island, NE., formerly of Boone..........Vernon Cacek, 92, Sutherland IA. His wife, Gladys, survives.........Frances Sadler, 92, Boone.........Ruth Kuhl Sutherland, Loveland,CO...........Dennis Brelsford, 72, rural Perry...........Thomas Bell Jr., 48. Worked at McFarland Clinic in Ames. Boone area survivor is a brother, Steve Bell, of Madrid.
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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments/SUPPORT.......
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.
    






     
     
    

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