Zita Spangler: From St. John's Reformed to Rolling Green Park: Deborah Hoover writes: "I remember being taken to the park every year for the Hoover family reunion, but I was too small and it was too long ago. I don't remember anything about the park itself other than it being there. I do remember that my cousin, who was three years older, got to ride the coaster. Not wanting to be left out I asked to be taken on as well. Only to be told I was too small. Maybe next year they said. Unfortunately there was no next year, the park was torn down that winter. Considering they parked 8,000 cars at Knoebels yesterday (from Dick Knoebel himself) they may have jumped the gun on tearing Rolling Green down."
Are your chickens ready for the autumn and winter? Etegami artist Dosankodebbie writes: "I love this post, and I had to send the link to my many happy chicken-raising friends. (They are happy people and their chickens are happy chickens.) Thanks!"
A label for Frostie Root Beer (a jailhouse-born beverage): Anonymous writes: "I haven't seen Frostie root beer in at least 40 years, thought it wasn't made any more, until today! Thanks to SHEETZ! Awesome root beer!"
And westgordon adds: "Frostie is available from Ingles supermarkets, based in Asheville, N.C., with over 200 stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Frostie.biz is company site but it is extremely poor."
Old postcard featuring Markleton Sanatorium in Somerset County, Pa.: In the previous "From the Readers" roundup, an anonymous reader wrote: "The building is not there, I'm trying to find the coordinates so I can visit myself. I know I'm close, but I can't tell where the building was."
One month later, I received this anonymous comment — I'm assuming it's the same person: "The old road is grown in and you will have to walk on a logging road to get to the flat. It is .5 miles south of the bridge. I have hunted through the ruins of the building and only have [found] a few bricks and the foundation of the building. I live in the area and there is nothing to be found. Sorry for the bad news but I was interested when I walked across the building so I asked around and found information on this."
Advertisement for 1924 silent-movie version of Peter Pan: Mom writes: "Thurl Ravenscroft was also the original voice of Tony the Tiger ... and he was Grrrrrrrrreat!!!!"
Two more ghostly vintage titles from Scholastic: Regarding Arrow Book of Ghost Stories, Linda Chenoweth Harlow, who is one of our best fans on Facebook, writes: "I have this!!!! I got it in elementary school. ... I'm 64 now."
Cheerful Card Company can help you earn extra money for the holidays: The memories keep pouring in! Bob Lunsford writes: "I am almost 69 and remember selling them for several years in my early and pre-teen years. I enjoyed selling them and enjoyed the money although I never sold 100 boxes in a year."
And John Everett writes: "I earned the money to buy my first bicycle this way. I think I had saved $19.50, the guy wanted $25 but my dad talked to his dad and I got it for $22.50 and my dad loaned me the $3. Schwinn Stingray, about 1971. It was a good experience, and I probably wouldn't have gotten a bike for Christmas as a neighbor kid had bonked his head on the pavement (no helmets then)."
Scholastic Fest: #11, Nine Witch Tales: Jane writes: "I had this book! I loved picking out books from Scholastic."
Hookland Q&A feedback
Papergreat drew many readers for "Questions, answers & mysteries with Hookland's David Southwell" last month [Part 1, Part 2]. Most of the comments and reactions came via Twitter. Here, for posterity, are a few of them:
@HooklandGuide @Papergreat Just read to the end and had one of those WHEN YOU SEE IT moments, little snapping noises from inside my hat
— Kay Orchison (@kayorchison) October 20, 2015
@HooklandGuide @Papergreat Thanks for these interviews by the way. I wasn't so sure what Hookland was about, but now I feel enlightened :)
— Marion Grace Woolley (@AuthorMGW) October 21, 2015
@HooklandGuide @Papergreat @TheatreSean @adamsimonx @TreasaNeil got to say Hookland has been my dreamscape for many a year...#wishiwasthere
— mike fuge (@mike_fuge) October 23, 2015
I am dizzy with the possibilities. So many ways to interact with Hookland as a writer and gamer. https://t.co/pv82pk9R8b
— Hi from Heather (@mensan98th) November 8, 2015
Tom from Garage Sale Finds
On November 2, Tom from the awesome Garage Sale Finds website [http://garagesalin.blogspot.com/] was kind enough to take the time to comment on numerous Papergreat posts.
My recommendation for your free time this weekend is to take a deep dive into his website, which he's been operating since 2010. It's full of fascinating and nostalgic posts, and well worth your time if you enjoy history, ephemera, collectibles and the forgotten bits of history that end in cardboard boxes marked "25¢." Some of the great posts I've worked my way through so far include Unsung, Easley Street and Mott Ramsey.
Here's a roundup of the comments Tom left on Papergreat:
- Run, little boys, run! Run from the Pumpkin Man! "I think the most horrifying thing about this postcard is that the two boys have no qualms about trampling their mate, leaving him behind as a sacrifice."
- Sit in the chair, hold the cat, and I'll take your picture: "Somehow, I missed out on checking on your blog this entire season. I'm catching up now. It's amazing what detail you could get with these old b&w pictures."
- Movie and TV moments lodged in The Twilight Zone of your mind: "You might try searching for the plot line at kindertrauma.com or submit your own 'kindertrauma' and someone may very well recognize these movies." [Note: I have taken Tom's advice and there will be a dramatic update in the next week or so!]
- Two more ghostly vintage titles from Scholastic: "I had that Arrow Book of Ghost Stories when I was a kid. The funny thing is, it had pen marks on the cover too. I also had '13 Ghostly Tales' which is another Scholastic collection in the same vein." [Here's one of the Garage Sale Finds posts on Scholastic books.]
- The Three Investigators #1: The Secret of Terror Castle: "I had a brief fling with 'The 3 Investigators' around 6th grade. For some reason, the series never caught on with me. But I did love those end papers. I'm sure that's what made me pick up the book in the first place. The promise of ghosts in a graveyard had great allure."
- Vintage Halloween postcard: Running away from the ghosts: "I've never seen a ghost, but I once heard noises that were completely unexplainable."
- The Kitsch Bitsch serves up silly and creepy content for Halloween: "That top picture may be the creepiest thing I've seen this entire Halloween season."