Hobo Jungle

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Now, if you had some old childhood photos like this to share with us, along with some personal observations for da hobos, that would be a real treat and pick-er-upper on the forum...Eh?

RUFUS!?

That would only serve to frighten the children and upset the livestock.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

And that would be bad?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

And that would be bad?

That would be the appropriate technical term one would use to describe that condition.

[Roy]

I don't have any childhood photos. Wayne, I've only lived in Lakewood the last twenty five years. Whittier is my childhood home town.

[robert.]

45 years ago a photo wasn’t an everyday thing. Now I take 20+ a Day. Christmas 72.

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[webenda]

I don't have any childhood photos. Wayne, I've only lived in Lakewood the last twenty five years. Whittier is my childhood home town.

My Uncle Elmer (Ben) Benda lived in Whittier. He owned B&B Deburring in Santa Fe Springs. I worked for him in the summer of 1959.

[Roy]

Whittier is my childhood home town.

My Uncle Elmer (Ben) Benda lived in Whittier. He owned B&B Deburring in Santa Fe Springs. I worked for him in the summer of 1959.

Yeah, my father worked for Santa Fe Drilling in Santa Fe Springs. Back in those days, SFS really stunk. You remember the tall stack with the flame at the top? They were burning off petroleum byproducts. We called it the giant cigarette lighter. We could see it from home.

[webenda]

Whittier is my childhood home town.

My Uncle Elmer (Ben) Benda lived in Whittier. He owned B&B Deburring in Santa Fe Springs. I worked for him in the summer of 1959.

Yeah, my father worked for Santa Fe Drilling in Santa Fe Springs. Back in those days, SFS really stunk. You remember the tall stack with the flame at the top? They were burning off petroleum byproducts. We called it the giant cigarette lighter. We could see it from home.

I remember. Many places near oil and chemical plants stunk back then. After Lakewood, we moved to Carson, California, right between two big refineries. They had flames on top of stacks most of the time during the 60's.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Whittier is my childhood home town.

My Uncle Elmer (Ben) Benda lived in Whittier. He owned B&B Deburring in Santa Fe Springs. I worked for him in the summer of 1959.

Yeah, my father worked for Santa Fe Drilling in Santa Fe Springs. Back in those days, SFS really stunk. You remember the tall stack with the flame at the top? They were burning off petroleum byproducts. We called it the giant cigarette lighter. We could see it from home.

That would have been a flashlight compared to every night sky being various shades of bright orange above all the neighborhoods along the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Youghiogheny rivers alongside and near the steel mills (they use to say we should never look directly at such light emanating from the furnaces because they were 1/3 the brightness of the sun). I actually never saw a totally dark, black night sky until I left Pittsburgh, as a teenager, for Ohio; then, Upstate New York, where you could go up on a roof or park a car up on a hill and see forever above you.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Robert, If that boy on the tractor (?) was you, you were one healthy, bright, happy, cheerful, strong, kind, open-looking soul. That's a beautiful human being there.
Murph

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Good ol' Wayne. That was very cool of you to share that photo from your 1960 high school days. You looked strong and athletic, and no doubt, popular. There is a natural cheerfulness about you in that photo; plus , a sprinkle of stud-li-ness, for sure! You exuded confidence, like you had a clear view of what was ahead for you.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Murph, (Can you guess which one I am ?)

The one needing help holding his head up?

Yes, the tall one needing to bend down to fit in the photo, we thought, was I, at thirteen, which was two years older than that group of friends.

Here I am with three of those same boys, a year earlier, when I was twelve.

I'm so glad, now, that they turned out to be so successful.

[E7]

It is the Winter Solstice, shortest daylight hours of the year at these latitudes, and Christmas will be here in the wink of an eye. Time to wish a Merry and a Happy to all Hobos past and present.

Roger and Murph, first here because they have SENIORity Wayne of the desert, Mitch of the garage , Tramp and Daisy, 2 rail Jon (thanks for your service), The Dirt (hope you come back some day), Butch H. the brass fancier, Jay Criswell Right O Way, Rufus emperor of Fredonia, Sarge of OST, Healey sports car buff, Robert a modeler's modeler, Robert. don't cut off those wipers!, Arthur P. Bloom Mr. Avant-Garde, Roy of the left coast, Bob T. Doorstop 1, Scalecraft Dave Doorstop 2, Carey W. Doorstop 3, Jim(Maroon) and Pete (DeBruin) the doorstop brothers, Charlie Morill, John Webster, Joe Frank Mr. Subway El Trolley and Traction, Wolf, Hondo, Tom D., Chuck, Nortonville Phil, Mymoo, Bob D. Mister Seaboard, J. S. Bach, V8Vega, ATerry11, Big Jim, Big Bad Jim, All Scale Rails aka Dan D., Rex Desilets, and last but not least Mr. Bill Longo without whose benevolence, none of this would be possible.

My sincere apology to any I have missed!

Rich, the Pugnacious Pennsylvanian

[rogruth]

Merry Christmas to all.
Happy holidays to those that prefer that.
Also good New Year.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ4nndbOT6k