Columbus Indiana Hash

[David Sechrest]

No, this is not a recipe for a dish some local resident cooked up. Instead, this folder (or Thread) is a "catch all" for topics outside the boundaries of anything considered "historic" about Columbus Indiana.

I haven't felt the need to post an announcement about the rules and guidelines of using this message board. But, as a brief reminder, here are a few:

We welcome critical, constructive points of view here, but name-calling and slanderous remarks against anyone will not be tolerated.

Political views? Yes, we all have them, and I welcome your viewpoint, but let's try to keep topics on a local level, with no personal attacks against anyone.

I will get around to posting the Rules and Ettiquette of this message board, but at the moment, it really doesn't seem like a necessity.

[David Sechrest]

Here's an email I received from a friend of mine.

Remember.....

I haven't thought about "fender skirts" in years. When I was a kid, I considered it such a funny term. Made me think of a car in a dress.

Thinking about "fender skirts" started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our language with hardly a notice:

Like "curb feelers" and "steering knobs."

Since I'd been thinking of cars,my mind naturally went that direction first. Remember
"Continental kits?" They were rear bumper extenders and spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln Continental.

When did we quit calling them "emergency brakes?" At some point "parking brake" became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama that went with "emergency
brake.

"I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the accelerator the "foot feed." Didn't you ever wait at the street for your daddy to come home, so you could ride the "running board" up to the house?

Here's a phrase I heard all the time in my youth but never anymore--"store-bought." Of course, just about everything is store-bought these days. But once it was bragging material to have a store-bought dress or a store-bought bag of candy.

"Coast to coast" is a phrase that once held all sorts of excitement and now means almost nothing. Now we take the term "worldwide" for granted.

On a smaller scale, "wall-to-wall" was once a magical term in our homes. In the '50s, everyone covered their hardwood floors with, wow, wall-to-wall carpeting! Today,
everyone replaces their wall-to-wall carpeting with hardwood floors. Go figure.

When's the last time you heard the quaint phrase "in a family way?" It's hard to imagine that the word "pregnant! " was on ce considered a little too graphic, a little
too clinical for use in polite company. So we had all that talk about stork visits and "being in a family way" or simply"expecting."

Apparently "brassiere" is a word no longer in usage. I said it the other day and my daughter cracked up. I guess it's just "bra" now. "Unmentionables" probably wouldn't be understood at all.

It's hard to recall that this word was once said in a whisper--"divorce." And no one is called a "divorcee" anymore. Certainly not a "gay" divorcee." Come to think of it, "confirmed bachelors" and "career girls" are long gone, too.

I always loved going to the "picture show," but I considered "movie" an affectation.

Most of these words go back to the '50s, but here's a pure-'60s word I came across the other day - "rat fink." Ooh, what a nasty put-down!

Here's a word I miss - "percolator." That was just a fun word to say. And what was it replaced with? "Coffeemaker." How dull.......... Mr. Coffee, I blame you for this.

I miss those made-up marketing words that were meant to sound so modern and now sound so retro. Words like "DynaFlow" and "ElectraLuxe." Introducing the 1963 Admiral TV, now with "SpectraVision!"

Food for thought - Was there a telethon that wiped out lumbago? Nobody complains of that anymore. Maybe that's what castor oil cured, because I never hear mothers threatening their kids with castor oil anymore.

Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list. The one that grieves me most - "supper." Now everybody says "dinner." Save a great word. Invite
someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts.

Someone forwarded this to me, and I thought some of us of a "certain age" would remember many of these "old" words.

However, you may want to think twice before showing this (or sending this) to your kids, it might take quite awhile to explain all of these old words!

Any you care to add to the list?

[Daisy Manning]

David , Just read the forgotten words message you wrote.Wow! I had to laugh about the word brassiere , the first time i knew bra was another word for brassiere, i was just a kid, my uncle had came home on leave from the U S Navy, my younger brother was a chunky lil fellow and being summer time he wasn't wearing a shirt, My Uncle said to my brother, "Boy you need a bra! Well us kids wondered all day what my brother needed a bra for and what was a bra. My uncle knew this and finally told us what bra meant! Still to this day i have to smile about it! Love your website! Thanks, Daisy

[David Sechrest]

Thanks for leaving your post, Daisy.

It doesn't seem that long ago that "bra's" were shown on television commercials with nobody inside them!
Ahh...progress...

[David Sechrest]

I recently acquired a cell phone.
You can do just about anything these days with a cell phone. Send text messages...take pictures...send pictures...play games...With some, you can do everything except for what it's originally designed to do and it's for sure that That Guy who walks around saying "can you hear me now?" hasn't been in the backend of Cummins Bookstore.
The ringer tones are so creative these days. Usually, phones come with a selection of about 20 different tones. Anything from classical to disco to sci-fi themes and the ringers sound like everything but the way a phone actually sounds when it rings. I searched for a ringing phone tone in my collection, but the closest I could find was a midi-version of an Alice Cooper song.
The particular phone I got is also a razor. I can drive down the road, talk to my friends, and shave, all at the same time.
Isn't that amazing?
I really wish my phone had tv remote features. That would be nice, considering the fact that I'm always losing the tv remote. My hands are constantly going where no hands have gone before within the interior unexplored worlds inside the sofa, living room chairs, and under furniture.
When I was a kid, we didn't have remotes for tv. I actually had to walk over to the tv, turn it on, turn it up, and change the channels. When I was finished watching tv, I had to walk back over to it and turn it off. These days, walking over to the tv isn't even a consideration. When I can't find the remote, I look at the tv, dumbfounded, like it's some strange piece of electronic equipment I've never seen before and have no idea how to operate. Never once, never ever, do I consider walking over to tv and turning it on.
Uh-uh. I gotta find that remote!
Once, I tried rigging The Clapper so it would change tv channels when I clapped my hands, but all it did was turn the tv on and off. I think it's time for Ron Popeil to get back to work.
The way I figure it, if my cell phone had tv remote capabilities, I'd never have to worry about losing it. All I'd have to do is call my cell phone from the house phone and ring ring ding ding--there it is.
I don't think it will be much longer before some company out there with nothing better to do will add this feature to cell phones.
But wait--that's not all...
We'll be controlling our dvd players and vcr's (if they're still around) too.
Now, please excuse me...I gotta go finish shaving while I talk to my brother...

[David Sechrest]

WALMART APPLICATION

This is an actual job application that a 75 year old senior citizen
submitted to Wal-Mart in Arkansas. They hired him because he was so funny.

NAME:
George Martin

SEX:

Not lately, but I am looking for the right woman (or at least, one who'll cooperate).

DESIRED POSITION:

Company's President or Vice President. But seriously, whatever's available. If I was in a position to be picky, I wouldn't be applying here in the first place.

DESIRED SALARY:

$185,000 a year plus stock options and a Michael Ovitz style severance package. If that's not possible, make an offer and we can haggle.

EDUCATION:
Yes.

LAST POSITION HELD:
Target for middle management hostility.

PREVIOUS SALARY:
A lot less than I'm worth.

MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT:
My incredible collection of stolen pens and post-it notes.

REASON FOR LEAVING:
It sucked.

HOURS AVAILABLE TO WORK:
Any.

PREFERRED HOURS:
1:30-3:30 p. m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL SKILLS?:
Yes, but they're better suited to a more intimate environment.

MAY WE CONTACT YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?:
If I had one, would I be here?

DO YOU HAVE ANY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LIFTING UP TO 50 lbs.?:
Of what?

DO YOU HAVE A CAR?:
I think the more appropriate question here would be "Do you have a car that runs?"

HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY SPECIAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITION?:
I may already be a winner of the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes, so they tell me.

DO YOU SMOKE?:
On the job - no, on my breaks - no.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS?:

Living in the Bahamas with a fabulously wealthy dumb sexy blonde supermodel who thinks I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, I'd like to be doing that now.

DO YOU CERTIFY THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE?:
Oh yes, absolutely.

SIGN HERE:
Sagittarius

[LouiseMaple]

In talking about cars--in addition to running boards I recall that windshield wipers were turned on by using a switch on the dashboard. Turning on the car involved pushing a button as well as turning the key. The choke had to be pulled to just the right place and adjusted depending on the weather. After the car was warmed up the choke was pushed in all the way. Do kids today even know what a choke is? I don't remember my dad having an automatic. Speaking of automatic--how many things were introduced as being automatic? washing machines--the ringers that smashed fingers and caught and tangled hair were finally replaced--except they are eagerly sought by antique dealers, now; mangle ironers--I never saw one that didn't also iron wrinkles IN whatever was being pressed. How heavy the real irons were! What was a steam iron? Our clothes were dried on the line. Then the ones to be ironed the next day were sprinkled. Then there were the automtic clothes dryers.
Vacuum cleaners didn't give us exercise like a rug beater. You do remember them don't you?
Percolators were mentioned earlier, how about pop-up toasters? Does anyone out there remember using something like Silly Putty to clean the soot off the wallpaper? Mom would let us play with it until we tired-like Tom Sawyer. It saved her a lot of work.

TV's? We gathered around the radio. Dad in his chair and all the kids were on the floor. Imagination was the perfect way to be thrilled by the music and voice tones. The children's minds weren't bombarded by unsuitable scenes--we filled in the blanks by what we could know and deal with. That was plenty! Fibber Mcgee's closet door always made us laugh. We didn't have any idea what was there but we knew it was funny. The Lone Ranger and Tonto would tell about their Injunuity Cards that we could send for--Quaker Oats boxes made heap good tom-toms. Dick Tracy had neat things to send off for. The coins were taped (celophane tape, of course) to a piece of paper with our name and address. Then we pestered Mom by asking everyday "Did any mail come for me?" We were thrilled when there was a prize in our cereal. Did you buy Cracker Jacks just for the treat? Wow! When did you last hear the phrase "That was a Cracker Jack!", when some one told a good joke?
Enough for now..LouiseMaple2

[nancs]

Well, that beats all, I thought I had read all the posts on the Message Boards----guess not. Loved the thoughts, and laughed my way through them. They are great!

Discussion here the other day came up about----dress codes. Remember, way back when-----there were sheer nylon blouses----out here there were Dress Code Monitors, and a girl would be written up if she were to wear a sheer blouse with no slip underneath. NOW----saw a gal the other day with a bra on the OUTSIDE of her tank top!!!! Hmmmmm!

And bra straps that should show----I think not! Remember putting safety pins up on the shoulder inside your garment to keep those straps from showing??? Now, the more colorful the better, with garments designed to show those bra straps.

Louise mentioned the trinkets that one could send off and get----had to save a few coins, and a box top or two. The hot item that I remember was the "atomic bomb" ring. Had a little red cap on the end. If you took it into a closet, removed that cap, you were "guaranteed" to see an atomic bomb explosion. Plus, you could hide secret notes in that cap----IF you could fold the note small enough.

Rug beaters----and do you remember the curtain stretchers? Seems that my mom's had little wing nuts on it so that when it was not in use, it could be folded up. Now putting those sheer curtains onto this contraption was a real treat-----securing the curtain onto little thumb tack-like gadgets that were sure to prick your fingers in the process.

And where were your family's laundry facilities? Ours was in the basement. We had a clothes chute upstairs and dropped the dirty items into that, right into a bushel basket down below. Then come Monday, wash day always----and Mom would have to carry the heavy wet laundry upstairs to hang out on the line. And there was an area in the yard with a number of clothes lines stretching some distance. And, yes, there was a pole or two to prop those lines up when there were heavy items to dry. Was quite the day, when Mom got one of those more compact "umbrella" type clothes lines.

I agree that radio shows allowed us to really use our imaginations. Soon after coming to CA, my family secured tickets to go see the recording of "The Great Gildersleeve Show." Seems there was a teenage boy on that show, and sort of a "heartthrob" type character. I cannot begin to tell you my disappointment when I saw the fellow that played that part. He was definitely a NERD, of the first order.

On cars----cold weather and out would come the crank as an assist to get the car going. And whatever happened to "wind wings?" And actually, think they were quite effective in circulating fresh air, BUT---oh, yeah, now our cars are equipped with air conditioners, with an option of circulating air from within, or bringing in fresh air.

And these new rims for cars and SUVs that spin----remember the "flippers" on the '55-'56 Olds? Now those were the hot hub caps that everyone wanted. But not a lot of use having them, as someone would access "The Midnight Auto Supply" and steal them right off your car.

Nanc

[Babs]

I remember the curtain stretchers and also how about those metal things you put into jeans to put a crease up the front? I know my mom used them for all my brother's jeans as that was all he wore. When you put them into the legs of the jeans, it sort of put a crease down the front and the back so when you ironed the crease was already set. I can still see then hanging on the clothes line, all in a row. Also Spring cleaning time, you'd take all the rugs outside, hang across the line and then beat them to get the dust out. A good way to get rid of frustrations. :-)
Babs

[LouiseMaple]

Babs, The "pants stretchers--I thought of them, too but, after I had logged off. I think every household had a set of curtain stretchers. Nanc was right when she mentioned tthe wing nuts to fold up the contraption.

[LouiseMaple]

Out on US 31 there was a popular restaurant. I don't think it was called Penguin Point, but I can't think of the name.
In all the talk about groceries and restaurants, I haven't seen any thing about Sap's back when it was only a storefront. Mom's favorite place to stop for a sweet. Cream horns were always at the top of the list. My two sisters and I acquired the taste too. Unfortunately the prepackaged kind today have a rubbery filling and are covered with so-called creative things. Who would have dreamed of chocolate filling? I am fortunate that there is a local, propietor owned and operated bakery that has just the right touch. Only 6 miles to the north and they have a branch 6 miles to the south. Am I lucky, or what?

[David Sechrest]

Louise, thanks for bringing up Sap's Bakery. By the time I was old enough to know what a donut was, Sap's was a big outfit, with their plant located on the corner of Central and National Road.
I'm so forgetful anymore, and I think alot of this has to do with all the drugs the doctors have me on. I keep telling myself I need to call Sap and get his remembrances down on paper before it's too late. The same for Sam Simmermaker.
I don't know when this tradition started, but all senior high schoolers took a tour through the bakery every year. Did any of you who attended CHS back in the 50's do this?
My favorite for quite a while were what everyone calls honeybuns today. No filling. Just a large cinnamon roll with white icing on the top. People can talk all they want about Krispy Creme, but getting any type of fresh donut at Sap's was, well...there just isn't any comparison.
For those of you who don't mind driving a ways, there's a great donut place called Long's Bakery. They have a few locations in the Indy area. The closest one to Columbus is about two miles west on Southport Road off I-65. Once you cross the railroad tracks, look over to your left and there it is. Believe me--their donuts are worth the drive, and the closest to Saps that you'll ever find, but you have to get there early because they have a tendancy to sell out of things. Also, they only accept cash...

[nancs]

Hi, and what I recall about Sap's was their baked beans. Am sure I have mentioned that here in the past. JK, don't you remember that Saddle Club would order huge pans of their baked beans for some of the outings we made to Brown County?

They were the best-----and I am not sure who told my mom "the recipe," but it amounted to adding brown sugar and ketchup to the beans and baking. I surely don't know the excat amounts suggested way back when------but now I just sort of do it "by guess." And they remain a family favorite here.

Cakes from scratch-----my aunt always made a gum drop cake for the family Christmas gathering. What about the tomato soup cake that had no eggs? It is rather like a spice cake, ever so moist, and mighty good. You just never tell anyone about using tomato soup. ;D Know there is a short-cut version to that cake in a Campbell Soup recipe book that I use, as I do not have the original recipe, or at least haven't located it in my mom's recipe drawer.

And do you remember how your mom would make noodles from scratch using a little roller cutter? Then, they had to "dry" before being used. I wonder if recipe books today even have a recipe like that.

SPAM-----I really was not all that fond of it when my mom would prepare it, probably during the war. But now, well, I sometimes really crave having it along with some fried eggs.

For all you locals-----I long for persimmon pudding. Using Indiana persimmons!!!! I can get CA persimmons, but they are NOT the same. And the taste is nothing close to what you have. Nor do they look the same. I keep trying, but to no avail!

Think I will keep my eye out for some pork tenderloin, another thing that rates high on my list. Yummmm!

Nanc

[David Sechrest]

Nancs, it sounds like a group of us are going to have to get together a special overnight delivery of fresh pork tenderlions to you! There's still a place here in Columbus that makes them. I don't recall the name right off-hand, but it's where Stadlers was. Last I heard, Columbus Bar is buying their tenderloins from them.

A recipe for making noodles in today's world:

Jump in your car, drive to your closest grocery, and find the noodle isle!

Regarding the baked beans from Sap's and their recipe. I've always thrown in some brown sugar and ketchup in them, plus some worchestershire and a dash of cinnamon. Also, lots of chopped onions. I really don't have a recipe, so each batch tastes different, but if you try the cinnamon, be careful: a little goes a very long way!

Dave "The Galloping Gourmet"

[David Sechrest]

In yesterday's Republic, and Harry McCawley's column, he wrote an article similar to the earlier post in this folder about forgotten phrases and words used in a different era.

Do people still use the word "supermarket?" I don't recall hearing it as much as in the past, but maybe it's just me.

[Babs]

Hi David and anyone else interested in baked beans,
I make mine with brown sugar, ketchup, onions, mustard and bacon. Mix all the ingredients and top the beans with small pieces of bacon you have cut up. The mustard (not a lot, maybe a teaspoon) adds something I think. Try it sometime.

Also the homemade ice cream, we did not have an ice cream maker but I remember my dad talking about buying "handpacked ice cream" from a place on Washington Street, may have been Thompson's Dairy. The nice lady would "really pack the ice cream in solidly" and my dad thought you got more by her doing that. :-) First time I remember having homemade ice cream would have been at a friend's house probably when I was in high school and I remember someone saying "the best part was licking the paddle" so that is what I wanted to do. Also "ice cream" and "coke" were two of the first words I learned to spell. My dad would spell them to my mom when he was going out to buy and I soon learned that when he spelled these two words, we were in for a "treat".

Also does anyone know if Sap's began on Washington Street, down around 7th or 8th Street? I remember as a small child, we would drive into an alley and my cousin who worked at the bakery would come out with fresh hot donuts. Yum were they good and I can still smell them. Also in full agreement with you David about how good their products were. We have lived all over and let me tell you the original Sap's had the rest of the world beat when it came to bakery goods.

Have a great day everyone and now I am getting hungry too! :-)
Babs

[David Sechrest]

Babs, from the little bit I've read and heard regarding Sap's, they did start somewhere along Washington Street. I don't know when or where.
Someone (I can't recall his name right off-hand), noted that the picture of Sap in the More Columbus Indiana picture pages on the website was taken at Saps, and said it was located just north of what used to be Rudy's Gas Station? But that would have put it approximately where the old Roviar building is.
Gotta find out more about this!
Also--which came first? Donuts or food?

[LouiseMaple]

Milk delivered on winter mornings? Real cream on the top. How about those quart bottles with the bulbous thing at the top? It made it easier for the coffee drinkers to have CREAM, not non-dairy creamer.

[LouiseMaple]

Nanc, I can get a tenderloin sandwich at our A&W root beer stand. It can be delivered on a tray along with the frosted mug. The tray is still hooked over the window that is rolled part way up. Not only that---on Fridays the tenderloins are only $1.00!!!!!
I'm looking at our persimmon tree right now. The persimmons found in CA are an import from Asia. Totally different species. I have persimmon pulp, 2 cups per package, in our freezer. Most of my recipes call for 2 cups.
I still have Mother's noodle cutter. "Store bought" noodles are not the REAL THING. They don't puff up and get nice and soft, do they?
Enough, Louise

[nancs]

Hi, David, et al, and had to giggle about the pork tenderloin comment and overnight delivery. Was in Iowa about a year ago, and found a place with awesome pork tenderloin sandwiches------and proceeded to bring two home on the plane to eat en route!!!!!!

And Louise, have a couple for me at that price!!!! And on persimmons, there are a couple of varieties that grow in CA, BUT not the same, no way, no how. ;D But we do have avocados in abundance!!!

I do have a collection of old kitchen utensils, my favorites are the ones that clamped onto the cabinet or table------to grind meat (my favorite was ham salad my mom made), an apple peeler, and a cherry stoner. Do you suppose that "pit" or "stone" are even in a kid's vocabulary these days?

Nanc