EARLY CHILDHOOD Part 7: Big Changes and Recollections

Back to the story of Alfred Moehlmann from his writings titled "As I Was."  Apparently something has jogged his memory and he is recalling some instances that happened during his childhood, but they are not in chronological order with the previous post. His story continues:

"For a matter of record I want to back track to an incident that happened while we lived on Spann avenue that came very near of costing me my life.  I was about 6 years old at this time.  They had a Labor Day Parade in Indianapolis and the mothers of the neighborhood took several of us kids to see the procession.  Again I suppose it was an economic measure for we all walked to and back from town.  On our way home we took the route of East Washington street to State, then south to Spann avenue.  The incident happened where the C.C.C. & St. L. R.R. crossed Washington street.  Of course this was long before the R.R. tracks were elevated.  The canal or Pokes Run as it was called ran along the east side of the tracks.  A wire fence was between the tracks and canal, and there was a space between the fence and the banister of the bridge that crossed the canal on Washington street just wide enough for a person to pass through.  When we got to the tracks (there were double tracks here) the street was blocked by traffic gates because a freight train was pulling out.  Of course our mothers had a hold of our hands.  I suppose in my eagerness to be the first one across the tracks, I wrenched loose from my mother, as soon as the caboose passed and befor the gates raised – Everybody was yelling; I stopped on the south bound track and saw a passenger train bearing down on me with the whistle blowing and brakes screeching and somehow I was frozen stiff.  The train looked as big as a mountain, yet I couldn’t move.  A girl, a few years older than me by the name of Alice broke loose from her mother, dashed under the gates and shoved me with so much force that we both fell through the gap between the fence and bridge banister into Pokes Run.  The train got stopped and first it was thought we both were under the train, when one of the crewmen saw us in the canal.  They soon had us fished out and neither of us were hurt.  It was a close call for both of us and I am sure if it had not been for Alice this story would never have been written.  I learned a lesson – never brake loose from a hand that is protecting you.  Alice is an uncrowned hero but I owe my life to her."

What an experience. Scary for Alfred, his mother, the train conductor and yet a very brave Alice saved the day. The name is actually Pogue's Run and it is a creek that starts on the east side of Indianapolis and empties into the White River. It is named after George Pogue who settled in what is now Indianapolis around 1820. In 1914 Pogues's Run was rerouted into the storm sewers under downtown in order to build streets.

".Another thing that I remember while living on Spann and English avenue was that us boys made frequent visits to a Fire House or Station on English avenue just east of the Big 4 tracks.  The firemen were all fine men and their equipment was always so nice and shiny.  Of course they used horses to pull the hose, ladder and pumper wagons.  The harness was suspended over the tongues of these wagons and when the gong sounded the doors to the stalls that housed the horses and each one would run to his proper place, the harness would drop on them, a few buckles fastened and they were off on a full gallop.  Every kid wanted to be a fireman of course."  

Station 15 was located at 2101 English Avenue and opened May 19, 1903 and closed April 21, 1971. This is a picture of of station 11, although it was station 15 from 1896 until 1903 when the new one was opened.  It was located on Washington Street. This picture was from 1910.

"Now back to Madison avenue:  Our stay here was short – my mother and I moved in with the Bentle’s and my father went back to live with his parents.  This practically closed a phase of my life, when a boy needs a father.  I was going on 13 years old at this time.  It was around this time that I had my first automobile ride.  Mr. Bentle who was allowed occasional visits with his daughter Opal took us uptown one evening and some place on Massachusetts avenue was a car dealer and he took us for a short ride.  The car looked like a converted horse drawn buggy with not more than a one or two cylinder engine &, with what look like a bent rod that came from the vicinity of the dash board and was used to steer the vehicle.  It had but one seat and no windshield.  It was a thrill for us kids even though both of us had to sit on Mr. Bentle’s lap.  Mrs. Bentle’s business venture must not have turned out very profitable for she sold it; rented a 3 story rooming house on Vermont street just east of Massachusetts avenue.  We stayed there until school was out.  I was sent to my GrandParents in Linton in the spring of 1907 and my mother got a job at the Mt. Jackson Sanitarium.  I had to come back to Indianapolis in mid summer as a witness in the divorce proceedings."

Early Auto built by Elwood Hayes

I think this is probably similar to the car that Alfred had his ride in.  How Mr. Bentel navigated using the steering rod while holding two children is hard to imagine.

"I can’t remember the charges and counter charges that took place but a divorce was granted and my father was ordered to pay 16⁰⁰ per month alimony for my upkeep until I was 16 years old.  A Mrs. Clemmens, a fortune teller, who was a good friend of my mothers was at the trial and after everything was settled she took us out to dinner near the court house and we had chicken stew.  I was admonished for not eating and when they found out the reason, Mrs. Clemmens sure threw the restaurant in an uproar.  There was a chicken wing in my stew and some one forgot to remove the feathers.  After dinner she took us to a small moving picture show, the first I had ever seen.  It was called the Bi-jou and was on Washington street between Delaware and Pennsylvania on the north side of the street.  I spent that night at the Mt. Jackson Sanitarium and was sent back to Linton where I spent most of my life."

These are a lot of changes for a 13 year old boy.  His Dad moves out and he and his Mom make another move, living with Mrs. Bentel and Opal.  He also rides in his first car and sees his first movie. Now his Mom has to go to work and he is sent to his grandparents in Linton.  Alfred hasn't mentioned much about his paternal grandparents, but they lived nearby on 349 McCarty Street and that is where his Dad moves.  

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/14118/photos/37602

The Mount Jackson Sanitarium, where his Mom goes to work, is an interesting place.  It attracted attention in 1899 when a mineral spring was discovered on the premise.  The "Journal Handbook of Indianapolis" written in 1903 states "An analysis proved that the water possessed medicinal qualities and value equal to that of the famous Hot Springs, Arkansas.  A sanitarium was erected for the treatment of rheumatism, dyspepsia, nervous prostration, also liver, blood, skin and stomach troubles." I wonder what type of work Matilda did at Mount Jackson.  

"I would like to state that during this time two of the railroads that passed through Linton were built.  The Indianapolis Southern later taken over by the Illinois Central and the other the Southern Indiana now the C.M. St. P & Pacific.  I rode on these R.R.s shortly after they were put in service and I remember there were big camps along the I.C. filled with Hungarian laborers and many mule teams that pulled scrapers and they were working on the grades.  And on the S.I. they were building Depots at Midland and Vicksburg.  This new road, the S.I. build by a Mr. Walsh, really opened up the coal industry in the Linton area.
 Memory drifts back to events that I remember and I will try and record them as they come to mind – One that was always a happy and joyful event was the Sunday once a year called Orphan Feast.  The Lutheran Church had an Orphans Home on east Washington street and every year the churches would set one day aside for a picnic.  Usual church picnic procedures, sermons, singing, a big dinner and inspections of the orphanage.  But a vivid picture that comes to mind was our trek together.  We would go up State street cross the Big 4 R.R. and take a short cut through what was then a farm.  Evidently a lot of people used the pathway which was about 5 feet wide and was usually planted in wheat or corn on both sides of the path.  Also a pastime in the winter was to hitch our sleds to a wagon drawn by a horse or horses.  We had a long rope attached to our sled and would loop it around an axle or standard brace on the wagon, take a ride for several squares and wait for the hitch to come back if we were lucky – if not we tugged our sled back home.  On Sundays, Uncle Bill Lichtsinn was the barber.  In warm weather he would get the neighborhood boys under the Grape Arbor and “shingle” our hair.  At least he got some off."

Alfred's parents may not have been in a happy relationship, but Alfred's childhood seems to be filled with happy memories of many friend and activities.