Columbus Indiana Hash

[LouiseMaple]

Nanc, In Michigan, there is a cherry festival. There are two main events: the queen, and the most fun is the cherry pit spitting contest. Our local paper always covers the pit spitting contest with great delight.
Ham salad--mmmmmmmmm they just don't make it the same either do they?

[David Sechrest]

Thanks to EC, here's some info regarding Saps:

The 1953 City Directory lists Sap's Bakery and Delicatessen at 525 Washington Street. That would put it on the east side of Washington, what, around the vicinity of Neal's Paint today?
Sap's Wholesale Bakery was at 301--317 12th Street. That address would put it behind Paul & Rudy's Service Station, which was at 1204 Washington Street. Sap's was more or less on Jackson Street.
EC and I both remembered hearing that this building burned down at some point in time, but I can't remember where I saw or heard it.
By the way, Nichols Body Shop was located next door to Saps (the 12th Street address), and took over the Sap's building after they moved into the location out on Central (or National Road, whichever you prefer here).

Regarding kitchen utensils: for a long time, my aunt searched for a good "egg separator." As a kid growing up, I always thought this was a strange sounding device, and could never fully grasp the context until I got older.

After all, from a kid's standpoint, who would ever want to separate eggs?

If you were to ask anyone from my generation what a cherry stoner was, they'd probably say a really cool ("boss") hippie!

And speaking of the slang words, "cherry," and "boss," were these words used around the Columbus area in the 50's, or were they mainly used on the west coast? I was just a youngun, but I don't recall ever hearing anyone use these terms around here.

[Gregg]

Ok, here are a couple things that have perplexed me for years. Why is it that everyone in Columbus is familiar with the term "gom sandwich", yet, travel 30 miles in any direction and nobody knows what you're talking about? Is the term a "Zaharako-ism?"
Item number 2: Up until the time our family took our first vacation to Florida, I thought a mango was a bell pepper. That's what everybody in Columbus called them. I checked the dictionary a few years back, and definition #2 for "mango" is: sweet pepper, yet I have never heard the two terms used interchangeably except in dear old 47201. Any guesses as to why?

[BobLane]

Greg, I often used the term Mango for green bell pepper when I was a lad,(long time ago.) I think it perhaps was a Kentucky or southern expression as no one else away from central or southern Indiana ever used it around me. Just a guess. Bob Lane

[Gregg]

Bob, I've lived in Tennessee for 41 years, and I've never heard the term here either. Perhaps it's more of a difference in era rather than geography.

[Babs]

Margo,
So glad to see you are back with us. Have missed you while you were away and am happy you have returned

Babs

[nancs]

Glad to have you back. Know that these have been tough times for you and your family. Thoughts and prayers continue in your direction.

Nanc

[David Sechrest]

On July 14th, Gregg wrote: "Why is it that everyone in Columbus is familiar with the term "gom sandwich", yet, travel 30 miles in any direction and nobody knows what you're talking about? Is the term a "Zaharako-ism?"

Lew told me that one of the brothers invented the word "gom" and the gom sandwich. I'm going to have to check with him, as I can't remember which brother.

I ran across a brochure a few weeks back for some vacation spot in the Smoky Mountains, and it contained a "dictionary" for out dated words and phrases. I was surprised to find the word "gaum" in the list.

According to the brochure, "gaum" means messy. I wonder if one of the Zaharako brothers was also familiar with the word, took out the "au" and replaced those letters with "o."

I remember mom and dad using the word back when I was a kid. Mom made gom sandwiches, which today we would call "Sloppy Joes." Instead of toasting the sandwich using bread, we'd throw the messy stuff between two buns.

[LouiseMaple]

MID 1950'S in Lafayette, IN a grocery store advertised they had mangos on sale. My husband grew up in Asia of missionary parents. He was thrilled to think he could find the delicious fruit. He looked and looked, and finally asked a clerk. The clerk was dumbfounded. Bruce was standing right in front of the bell peppers and couldn't find the mangos!

[Gregg]

I rest my case!

[LouiseMaple]

Hi Gregg, I hope we have gotten to the bell bottom of the mystery!
Louise

[Babs]

My dad was born and raised in Brown County and he said that everyone out there called green peppers mangos too.

My mom made "gom" sandwiches (what everyone now calls sloppy joes) and I agree no one away from this area ever heard of them. Maybe they were invented by one of the Zaharakos.
There was a lady who used to sell sandwiches out on 7th Street along side Reeves Pulley Company at noon. She sold what she called "loose sandwiches"...which was just ground beef cooked and served on a bun. It was not made into patties as one normally would cook hamburger but broken up...thus the name "loose".

Another thing that I find strange, I've always loved a "Beef Manhattan "sandwich, served with potatoes, gravy and bread. Did you ever eat them? Well no one any place else ever calls them Beef Manhattans either. They are just roast beef sandwichs. Columbus had some different names for things! :-)

Babs

[JamesK]

BABS, THE LADY THAT SOLD SANDWICHES IN THE LATE 40'S AND EARLY 50'S AT REEVES PULLEY, GOLDEN FOUNDRY AND SOME OTHERS WAS MABLE GORDON, (MAX'S MOTHER).

[Babs]

Jim,
I did not know that. The lady I was referring to was Esther Gerken. Maybe she and Mrs. Gordon
worked together. Mr. Gerken worked at Reeves Pulley Company as a foreman. Until I saw her making those "loose burgers" I had never heard of such a thing. :-)

Babs

[JamesK]

HI BABS, WOULD THAT BE JERRY'S MOTHER? MRS GERKIN MAY HAVE WORKED FOR MABLE AT ONE TIME.
RUTH POOLE AND MRS HUNTER, JANICE'S MOTHER. AS YOU MAY KNOW, JANICE WAS MARRIED TO JERRY HOOKER. ALSO, MAX GORDON AND I USED TO WORK FOR MABLE. THE TIME PERIOD ON THIS WAS THE LATE 40's. FISHERS BAKERY WOULD DELIVER LARGE SHEETS OF BUNS TO MABLE'S HOUSE AND MAX AND I WOULD SPEND ABOUT AN HOUR A DAY SLICING 800 - 900 SANDWICH BUNS. LATER, WHEN HAMILTON'S, ON GLADSTONE AVENUE WAS BEING BUILT, MABLE WOULD LET MAX AND I TAKE ABOUT 75 SANDWICHES OVER TO THE CONSTRUCTION SITE AND SELL THEM TO THE WORKERS. WE RODE OUR BIKES THERE CARRYING OUR SANDWICHES IN CARDBOARD BOXES. IT GAVE US SOME SPENDING MONEY. LOOKING BACK ON THOSE TIMES, WE WORKED HARD DOING THAT BUT WE DID HAVE FUN, AND IT KEPT US OUT OF TROUBLE.

[Babs]

Hi Jim,
Yes, Esther Gerken was Don, Dick and Jerry's mom. When I learned about the sandwiches at Reeves would've been when we were in high school so I am talking the early 50's.

I didn't realize you worked and delivered sandwiches too. You were an energetic kid. Sounds like a pretty big endeavor too.

Babs

[LouiseMaple]

Hi Babs--I have also longed for Beef Manhattans. I thought they were gone forever. VERY RECENTLY a local restaurant has started offering them and calling them Beef Manhattans. They also have turkey, etc. options. They are working on a 1950's theme there. I'm afraid to try them. Will they taste the same? I doubt it. When a young girl I didn't worry about salt, carbs and fat. My suspicions are that they would be fatal, just like most of my comfort foods.

Does anyone else feel that the best lunch Mom could serve was tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches made using Velveeta and slathered with Miracle Whip? Yesterday a friend share another food that holds great memories. New potatoes and green beans and chopped onions. The beans and potatoes were fresh from her garden. It cured my stomach ache.

[Babs]

Louise,
If you were lucky you might find a good beef manhattan but I wouldn't bet on it. I make them sometimes at home but am very careful about ordering one out someplace. Wherever you did find them, they wouldn't be called "Manhattans" I am sure of that.

Speaking of green beans, that is just what I have on the stove cooking now. Fresh green beans out of the garden, with onions, tomatoes and potatoes. Yum, yum. :-) Wish you were here to have some. My dad grows the best tomatoes and with green beans, potatoes, sliced tomatoes, and onions and cucumbers in vinegar I figure I am having a mighty fine Summertime meal. The only thing that makes it better is if you have fresh corn on the cob too!!!

Babs

[EC]

I would like to tell everyone how much I’ve enjoyed all of your posts. Please keep them coming.

I think I can recall someone commenting on the odors around the Lucas Brothers Restaurant on fourth street. There still is a Lucas Brothers Sandwich Shop at 1842 Indiana avenue. That’s out on the north side of state street at Indiana where Custer’s Grocery was located years ago. I was driving out past a few weeks ago and the wind must have been out of the North. The odor coming in the window was just as I remember while passing the fourth street Lucas Brothers of my youth.

JK, what was the price of those sandwiches that you and Max sold?

EC

[JamesK]

HI EC.....AS I RECALL WE HAD HOT DOGS (THE BIG FAT KIND) HAMBURGER w/PICKLE AND HOT HAM AND CHEESE. I THINK WE CHARGED .20 OR .25 CENTS EACH. WE DID THAT 6 DAYS A WEEK DURING OUR SUMMER BREAK FROM SCHOOL. WE SLICED BUNS SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE YEAR ROUND. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, I CUT MY HAND ONLY ONCE. HARD TO BELIEVE!