Illustrated Catalogue

As of June 10, 2008 at 7:00 AM
Steps: 3,372,295
Miles: 1409.93
Miles to New York: 36.07

While cleaning out a closet at my Dad's old business location, I encountered a box filled with old papers and books. One of these books was titled "Illustrated Catalogue - Chas. Mousley and Sons, Philadelphia, Pa." Charles was my paternal grandfather's uncle. The "catalogue" was printed in 1903, the cover page is shown below:


Cover Pageof the Illustrated Catalogue

This leather-bound book is 100 pages long and filled with brass and bronze items that the family foundry used to produce - be it bells, door knobs, lock sets, pullys, hinges, drawer pulls, ship port holes, wardrobe hooks, and windown sash latches.


Sample Listing from the Illustrated Catalogue

It also depicts as a bunch of items I don't recognize or know I've never seen, things like "ewer holders" (which were apparently gizmos that held water pitchers).

Tucked away in this book was a newspaper article from The Philadelphia Inquirer, dated Novemeber 11, 1923 which discusses how one can make their very on radio (complete with parts list showing a bunch of tubes) so they could listen to "long distance radio broadcasts". I am guessing it was "AM".


But it was an ad on the flipside of the article that caught my eye. An ad placed by Lit Brothers department store - This was my Grandmother's favorite store.

One of the listings is for a $7.50 Rotary Washer, [on sale for] $4.49! The ad touts it is "Absolutely perfect. Cedar tub with stave legs." Another hawks $2.00 Step Ladder [on sale for] $1.69, and notes it is a "5-step size".

The biggest sign of the change in the times is the tag line, "Items of Special Importance to Housewives - Busy with Fall's Many Home Duties!" I seriously doubt any marketing guru would try that bit out today.

Lit's (as it was called) positioned itself as a more affordable alternate to competitors, Strawbridge and Clothier, John Wanamaker, and Gimbels.

The store's tag line was "A Great Store in A Great City", and it was noted for its millenary department. The statement "Hats Trimmed Free of Charge" can still be viewed today on the facade of the building downtown. I've only a vague idea what that statement might mean.

Lit Brothers went out of business in 1977.

New York City's Grand Central Terminal

My Mom gave me a newspaper clipping the other day that says


Sticky Job: At one time, a person worked full time to remove discarded gum from New York City's Grand Central Station. Most nights, seven pounds of gum would be scraped off the floor and seats. On holidays, the amount jumped to 14 pounds daily.

My note: It isn't a "station" it is really a "terminal" - meaning it's at the end of the tracks / line.


Elaborate Exterior - See it says its a termainal


The Main Hall or otherwise known as the "Gum Dump"

Chewing gum has traditionally been made from chicle, but for reasons of economy and quality many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle. So you can chew rubber. Just thought you might want to know that.

According to Wrigley's website, a stick of gum weighs 3 grams. So, follow along, the math is simple!

3 gram per stick = 0.1 ounce per stick, which gives us 10 sticks of gum in an ounce!

7 pounds of gum were scraped / cleaned up times 16 ounces per pound = 112 ounces scraped up daily.

1,120 sticks of gum left on the floors and seats each and every day and twice that on holidays. Simply delightful - we humans are a messy bunch.

Mile 1399 - Lakehurst NAS

As of June 9, 2008 at 7:00 AM
Steps: 3,354,066
Miles: 1402.16

Located on the northern edge of the New Jersey Pine Barrens is the town of Tom's River - and the Naval Air Station at Lakehurst.

Lakehurst became infamous on May 6, 1937 as the site of the Hindenburg dirigible disaster.


The construction contract for Hangar 1 was awarded to the Lord Construction Company on September 8, 1919 and the first of 10 trusses were erected by the Bethlehem Steel Company on May 8, 1920.

Construction was completed on Hangar 1 in 1921, at a cost of $4 million. It had exterior dimensions of 966' long, 350' wide, and 224' high, and had a total of 211,434 square feet of interior area.

At one time or another, Hangar 1 housed every active American rigid airship(Shenandoah, Los Angeles, Akron and Macon), the Graf Zeppelin & Hindenburg, several Army airships (including the semi-rigid airship, RS-1 in July 1927) and every type of non-rigid airship constructed for the Navy from 1922 to 1960.


The airship and hanger are mammoth! If you look closely you can see a truck parked near the hanger door on the right. The Hindenburg just fit within the hangar, with 18 inch clearance on the bow & stern.


In an unbelievable half minute, broadcaster Herb Morrison suddenly found himself reporting the biggest story of his life -- and it was almost too much for him. His smooth delivery became a jumble of impressions as the emotions of the unfolding disaster took hold.

“It’s burst into flames...get this, Charlie, get this, Charlie... Get out of the way, please, oh, my, this is terrible, oh, my, get out of the way, please! It is burning, burst into flames and is falling on the mooring mast and all the folks we...this is one of the worst catastrophes in the world!...Oh, it’s four or five hundred feet into the sky, it’s a terrific crash ladies and gentlemen...oh, the humanity and all the passengers!”

Despite the violent fire, many of the crew and passengers survived. Of the 36 passengers and 61 crew, 13 passengers and 22 crew died. Also killed was one member of the ground crew. Most deaths were not caused directly by the fire but were from jumping from the burning airship.

Today there are still three hangers standing in Lakehurst.

Source of Pictures

No Trespassing

Not A Public Crossing - All Persons Are Warned Not To Trespass

Valley Forge National Historical Park isn't just for Revolutionary War history.

While walking on the Schulykill River Trail (along the fence on the left side of the picture), I spotted this sign slowly rusting away in the undergrowth half fallen in a ditch.


This rusty sign (located near the left edge of the picture) "protected" a railroad grade crossing - the road that went over the long removed tracks, as you can see in the picture, is and never was anything more that a trace of gravel. The last train to pass this Pennsylvania Railroad sign, did so over 50 years ago...

Today, hundreds of bikers and walkers pass by the sign every day. I wonder how many have actually seen it?