Saturday, May 08, 2004
GOODBYE TO CABOOL
Nineteen Fifty-Three was a pivotal year for us. George had worked at the Producer’s Creamery in Cabool since he was discharged from the Army and there was no future there. He worked a swing shift and it wasn’t easy on any of us to adjust to it. I knew he was capable of more but every time I approached him with changes he ruled it out. He was sure of what he was doing and liked the security. I kept asking him about possibilities and one day at the Post Office I noticed a flyer for railway mail clerks.
I told him about it and he wasn’t too interested but said he’d go find out about it. Applications and testing would be done at Springfield in the near future so I talked him into trying for it. “What harm will it do to try?” I asked. “If it doesn’t work out there’s no harm done.” He agreed to go at the specified time and he did. It seemed a long time to wait for the results but he did very well and was offered a position which would require a move to Kansas City, Missouri.
He didn’t want to move but I told him he could try it out and if he liked it we could move later. So the first of November that year he left for Kansas City and I stayed in Cabool. I was pregnant with our second child and still working at the drug store. He was in a crash coarse to learn the post drop offs from different trains carrying mail out of Kansas City in all directions. He was liking the challenge and thought there was a great future in the job.
The Kansas City Railroad Station is really something. It is one of the largest and most interesting in the country. I believe John has some information on his links about the renovation and restoration it has enjoyed. It truly is a work of art now and holds a lot of history within it’s walls. The labyrinth of tracks beneath the station is mind boggling. The Silver Chief, Golden Eagle and other iron horses were ready to move their machines forward at the command of the Engineer. The release of steam boiling up from under those mighty chariots was a reminder of the power and energy that could be summoned at a given signal.
There was an air about the place of people leaving, arriving, changing trains and scurrying about so as to be ready to board when the announcement came over the loud speaker…….calling out towns that would be involved along the way of the train’s destination. The old porters calling “all aboooaarrd” was magic. They had been up and down those same tracks for a lifetime and knew every inch of the journey. They had been calling train departures for longer than we were old I imagined.
George had decided to stay with the job and he had been living with friends from Cabool until he could rent a house. There was an old abused rent-house next to them and for something quick we rented it and planned that we would move in after the first of the year. I had told Verl I’d work for him until inventory was over and then I would leave. We had our house sold so all I had to do was to find a mover and start packing. By January 4th 1954 I had finished with the inventory and had the furniture on it’s way. I had packed the car with precious mementoes I didn’t want to get lost and put our black and white water spaniel in the back seat. Inky was a sweet dog and we wanted her with us. I had a little bed made in the front seat of the car so Punky could nap when he wanted to. We stopped at the edge of town at a café that had good food and ate supper. After that I put Punky back in the car and started for Kansas City. It was 5:30 PM. I didn’t have a map and thought maybe I could just follow the signs until I got there.
This was in the days before speed limits and I always had a heavy foot. I wanted to get there as soon as I could. By now I was only 2 ½ months away from having Becky. I didn’t encounter any problems other than a bale of hay in my lane north of Springfield. Thankfully there was no other traffic so I could safely drive around it. I was going too fast to stop safely if I had to. The hay was around a corner and I had to think fast…..I was around it before I hardly registered the danger. Once in the city I could see the lighted tower that honors veterans on the hill above the terminal. I kept angling over that way until I was within close range. Some people waved me down on a street I was on and shouted…..”you’re in the wrong lane !!” Sure enough I was and the traffic that came flying around the corner was proof. I made a U-turn before anyone else came into view and eventually found the hotel where George was staying that night.
I drove up in front of the hotel where the train men stayed on their lay-overs and when I looked in the front window, George was in the lobby reading the paper. I pecked on the glass and he threw the paper down and hurried out the door. We let Inky get out and stretch before putting her back in the car for the night. George had arranged with the management to let us stay in his room. We were all tired and ready for bed. The next day we would go out to the house and help unload our furniture……life was good and the future looked bright…..soon we would call Kansas City….home.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
I told him about it and he wasn’t too interested but said he’d go find out about it. Applications and testing would be done at Springfield in the near future so I talked him into trying for it. “What harm will it do to try?” I asked. “If it doesn’t work out there’s no harm done.” He agreed to go at the specified time and he did. It seemed a long time to wait for the results but he did very well and was offered a position which would require a move to Kansas City, Missouri.
He didn’t want to move but I told him he could try it out and if he liked it we could move later. So the first of November that year he left for Kansas City and I stayed in Cabool. I was pregnant with our second child and still working at the drug store. He was in a crash coarse to learn the post drop offs from different trains carrying mail out of Kansas City in all directions. He was liking the challenge and thought there was a great future in the job.
The Kansas City Railroad Station is really something. It is one of the largest and most interesting in the country. I believe John has some information on his links about the renovation and restoration it has enjoyed. It truly is a work of art now and holds a lot of history within it’s walls. The labyrinth of tracks beneath the station is mind boggling. The Silver Chief, Golden Eagle and other iron horses were ready to move their machines forward at the command of the Engineer. The release of steam boiling up from under those mighty chariots was a reminder of the power and energy that could be summoned at a given signal.
There was an air about the place of people leaving, arriving, changing trains and scurrying about so as to be ready to board when the announcement came over the loud speaker…….calling out towns that would be involved along the way of the train’s destination. The old porters calling “all aboooaarrd” was magic. They had been up and down those same tracks for a lifetime and knew every inch of the journey. They had been calling train departures for longer than we were old I imagined.
George had decided to stay with the job and he had been living with friends from Cabool until he could rent a house. There was an old abused rent-house next to them and for something quick we rented it and planned that we would move in after the first of the year. I had told Verl I’d work for him until inventory was over and then I would leave. We had our house sold so all I had to do was to find a mover and start packing. By January 4th 1954 I had finished with the inventory and had the furniture on it’s way. I had packed the car with precious mementoes I didn’t want to get lost and put our black and white water spaniel in the back seat. Inky was a sweet dog and we wanted her with us. I had a little bed made in the front seat of the car so Punky could nap when he wanted to. We stopped at the edge of town at a café that had good food and ate supper. After that I put Punky back in the car and started for Kansas City. It was 5:30 PM. I didn’t have a map and thought maybe I could just follow the signs until I got there.
This was in the days before speed limits and I always had a heavy foot. I wanted to get there as soon as I could. By now I was only 2 ½ months away from having Becky. I didn’t encounter any problems other than a bale of hay in my lane north of Springfield. Thankfully there was no other traffic so I could safely drive around it. I was going too fast to stop safely if I had to. The hay was around a corner and I had to think fast…..I was around it before I hardly registered the danger. Once in the city I could see the lighted tower that honors veterans on the hill above the terminal. I kept angling over that way until I was within close range. Some people waved me down on a street I was on and shouted…..”you’re in the wrong lane !!” Sure enough I was and the traffic that came flying around the corner was proof. I made a U-turn before anyone else came into view and eventually found the hotel where George was staying that night.
I drove up in front of the hotel where the train men stayed on their lay-overs and when I looked in the front window, George was in the lobby reading the paper. I pecked on the glass and he threw the paper down and hurried out the door. We let Inky get out and stretch before putting her back in the car for the night. George had arranged with the management to let us stay in his room. We were all tired and ready for bed. The next day we would go out to the house and help unload our furniture……life was good and the future looked bright…..soon we would call Kansas City….home.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
