Mr. Stewart's recollections of early Valley Falls, part 2

- compiled by Betty Jane Wilson, society president

"Grocers did not sell meat and very little fresh fruit and vegetables. People raised their own," reminisced E.J. Stewart in his "Early Days in Valley Falls" story written in 1954 and sent to the Valley Falls Vindicator printer Roy Earl Lillie.

"Baker's Bread sold for a nickel. Sugar, oatmeal, crackers, and cookies came in barrels and boxes and sold in bulk. Corn syrup, sorghum, and vinegar came in barrels and one's jug was filled through a spigot that usually dripped to draw flies.

"Coffee came in bulk and in pound paper packages; Arbuckles, Mohaska, and Lions brands. Some people bought green coffee and roasted it in their ovens. Every household had a coffee grinder. There were no percolators or dripolators. Coffee was boiled in a pot.

"There were two meat markets. Round steak sold for a dime a pound and sirloin for 12 1/2 cents. Steaks were cut from the quarter or loin on the block and weighed while the customer waited; however, the butcher wasn't much concerned if the slice was a bit overweight. Meat was wrapped in heavy brown paper. None was packing house wrapped. When one wanted a mess of liver, he would have to tell the butcher beforehand, otherwise he would throw it away. Price? Wasn't worth anything, therefore, no charge.

"The only trouble with those 'Good Old Days' when a dollar would buy so much more than it will today was, we didn't often have the dollar at one time.

"There were four blacksmith shops, three hardware and farm implement stores, two lumber yards, six grocery stores, two furniture stores, three dry goods stores, two drug stores, two clothing stores, two local newspapers, and various other mercantile establishments. In the display windows of the drug stores were large apothecary jars filled with colored water. They had no soda fountains or lunch counters.

"The Vindicator operated its printing presses by a noisy gasoline engine. The New Era presses were hand powered. Electric power was unknown. All type was set by hand. Linotypes were for large city dailies only. My job was that of the 'printer's devil' for I swept out, set a little type, and in spare time wrote locals and personals.

"There were two handmade cigar factories that made 5-cent cigars for many years. One was owned by Charle Hauck and the other belonged to Frank Shaffer. Barber shops were where men went to loaf as well as to get tonsorial service. Haircuts were a quarter and shaves a dime. Many men got shaved only once a week on Saturday and shops stayed open until midnight. Most men went to a barber shop for a shave as safety razors were yet unknown. Some of the old-time barbers included (Pony) Frank Delorme, Jack Williams, Ed Lewis and his father, Maj. Conser, Jake Lowman, Paul Krummery, and Sherm Mayhew. Many customers kept their own shaving mug at their favorite shop."

Next: "At one time the old Delaware was very much a scenic River."

The society museum will be open at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 21.