Changes:
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding areas have changed much since I was a young boy. The farm we lived on, that we knew as Gruver's place, is now the Lower Saucon Township Park and the school house is the township building. The old fire house has been expanded so much and changed from the days of the Model T Ford Fire truck of our youth. Much of the country side where I hunted has been built over with developments.
Stabler field of Lehigh University occupies much of the old hunting grounds and farm land that I knew so well. No one swims in the old mine hole any more, as new swimming pools have taken the place of the old swimming hole.
The old circus grounds have been built over and Just Born Candy Factory has expanded tremendously. The original Born who started the company is gone and his son, Ira, whom I went to school with, has retired and the company has changed hands.
We listened to the radio and had to imagine what every thing looked like. Television today leaves little to the imagination. Something like a computer was not even thought about for the future, and look at where they have developed today. With all the changes I have seen there is no doubt in my mind there will be many more to come.
I started working formally while still in high school and retired at the age of sixty-two. I received my social security number by shoveling snow for the railroad when I was only seventeen years old and lied and said I was eighteen years old, the minimum age to work on the railroad. I was still in high school but was out looking for work shoveling snow. We had a heavy snow fall and Gil Schaefer and I were in town with our shovels. Charlie Forker, my cousin, saw us and took us along to the railroad station with him. Charlie and I were hired but Gil was told he looked too young.
In 1940-41, I worked as a butchers helper-delivery boy. In 1941, I was a waiter and counterman in a restaurant, a delivery boy-produce helper and a meter reader for the power company.
During 1942-43, I worked as a shipper for a steel company, and in 1945, as a meter reader for the gas company, a laborer digging sewer trenches, a laborer at a paint mill, a painter, salesman, painter again, salesman, delivery man for a laundry and finally with the telephone company.
Many of these jobs were of very short duration, some by my choice, others for other reasons. I did not list work I did on my own such as doing electrical work as my own business.
I also am a strong believer that each of us owes something to the community he or she lives in and we should help make that place a little better by some means. There are lots of volunteer jobs available and someone is needed to fill those jobs. It seems that today everyone wants to be reimbursed, in one way, or another, for their help.
Some time ago I listed some of the things I did during my life. I am listing them here not to brag about them but to inspire my grandchildren and their children to chart their course along these paths.
Before we moved to Moore Township I was scoutmaster at Salem Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. The following things were done after we moved to the farm.