September 2005 The Megaphone Page 5
Pushing An Ice Cream Cart and Other Jobs
by Jerry McClish
As
a kid we did not have much so I was determined to make some. My first job was
mowing 3 yards with our old push mower . . . when Dad got his gas powered
one, I damaged it the first week by hitting a tree stump. When I was 13, I would
hang out at the Heekin Can since we lived in the last house on the NE side of South H
Street and 21st Street.
I made 25 cents to a dollar by holding the end box that came down the conveyer
and other chores. I also would go to McPhearson's/Wright's Grocery and get pop
and candy. I recall many firemen worked there part time. Often the drivers would
use our phone to call in to the manager to see if he could unload or load his
trailer after hours.
I also recall selling the 500 mile Race edition of the Indianapolis paper. They
would sell for 15 cents and I got a nickel, but got about that much in tips or
from people who had to move on and didn't want to wait for their change. I would
stand at the curb in front of the Citizens Bank and Anderson Street and hold up
a race final edition. I usually sold 40 to all 50 papers. So much traffic would
come thru town headed north.
I began pushing an ice cream cart. Harold Hoose had 5 carts but only used 4 of
them. The city was made up of 34 quadrants with Main and Anderson Street being
the dividing start. Mangas's also had 4 or 5 carts. We would usually start out a
9:00 a.m. and go down every street. I don't know how they divided their
territory. Then later in the day we would return back the same way we started
at.
The best over all route was the area east of Anderson Street. For instance
I would start at North A. Street and go up and down each street until I got to
the pool and return the same way back to his place by 9:00 p.m. or when we ran
out. If we ran out in the middle of the day we would call and they would bring
us more dry ice and ice cream.
For me the best route was east of Main Street. Some times I would hit
Continental Can at break time. I thought I would try the area east of Main and
South of Main Street. It was a big area with several factories. South East was a
lot of walking and most of the time I would run out in midday.
One day I decided to hit the Die Cast factory because it was break time and I
ran out. I usually ran out twice a day on break time and Harold would meet me
there with a cooler in back with more stock. I also hit Monticello at break time
in the evening. I thus usually hit past South J. Street only once. I got 20% of
the amount I sold and made out very well. Cool or rainy weather was a bummer. I
sure did get sun burned and tanned. It was a lot of work.
The next year both companies got carts built on a bicycle frame. They were
great. I kept my same route and made out so well that I bought a brand new
Hawthorne bike and bought my school clothes.
The next two years I worked in side. I helped to hand make all of the ice cream,
make deliveries, and helped out the kids on the carts. Some times kids would get
tied and just call and leave their carts so Harold and I would go get the cart
and I would finish the route.
The worse part of the job was if the electricity went out or a freezer would go
bad . . . UGH.
I recall Mangas's had more places they sold to stores to sell their products. I
recall delivering to Stine's, Lineback's, and a couple of other places. I made
deliveries to Alexandria and Orestes. There was a small gas station and store on
the right side of highway 28 between Alexandria and Elwood who did a great job
selling our ice cream. Harold made most of the deliveries and I checked the boys
in and out and paid them. Also making the ice cream was fun.
We sold a lot of Popsicles and what was called a Cho-Cho. It was chocolate ice
cream in a cup with a stick in it just like a Popsicle. A big sale was to
sell a pint or quart of ice cream.
Harold had a good fountain bar in the front of his building. Later on he sold it
and they named it The Do Drop Inn.
Jerry McClish 1956
North Ridgeville, OH
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