Shoosters Gas Station with neon lights, 1939
I never went home after high school. I used to walk to the station instead. On days off from school, I would get there earlier. You would always find me at the station. We had to work. I never questioned my obligation to my family. My father needed us. To get to the station, I had to walk up Flower Hill. I must have climbed that hill thousands of times, regardless of the weather. At the crest stood our place; it shined like a beacon, and if it didn’t, it was my job to take the whitewash out and make sure it did. And the snow! Huge snowstorms would smother us with a cold white blanket. We would shovel as much as we could to keep the lanes clear for customers. During those long winter days and nights, we holed up in the station around the Emerson radio - Pop; Iz; Harry; our neighbor, Mr. McDe- vitt; and little me. Sitting around the radio, there were always spirited discussions on topics of the day: The Depression, President Roosevelt, the WPA, Father Coughlin, a virulent anti-Semite radio talking head, and news of the day. Between shows, we bantered about politics and world events. I thrived on it. Sometimes I would hop up onto the oil stove to get warm. Iz used to like to drink Coke right from the bottle. He always saved me the last inch. Every now and then a car would pull up, and one of us would put our heavy jacket on and step into the cold with a welcome greeting, “Fill ’er up, mister?”
H.P. Michaels of East Landsdowne, was in- stalled as president of the Delaware Coun- ty Retail Gasoline Dealers’ Association at a meeting held last night in Red Men’s Hall. 2112 West Third street. He succeeds Charles J. Ward. merchant of the West End. Who had served as president for the past eight years, having been elected to the office at the organi - zation meeting and re-elected each succeeding year. Mr. Ward declined to run for office again. Other officers installed last night were: L. M. Maison, of Eddystone. vice president; J.T. Hill of Eddystone, secretary; E. G. Roder, of Ches- ter, treasurer; Archie Levy, solicitor. A board of directors was chosen, the mem- bers being Charles J. Ward, chairman, Frank Shooster and James Crompton, of this city. W.P. Supplee, of Lansdowne; William In- gram, of Wallingford; William Loveland of Parkside; and William Gibson and William Fenza, of Prospect Park. Trustees elected were; David Sidwell, Louis Bauer and Wil- liam Baswarwick, all of Chester. Concerning the proposed oil code the association went on record as approving the plan proposed by Sen- ator Borah, the only Senator who has taken up the independent oil men’s fight against Secre - tary Ickes, oil code administrator. The meeting last night was one of the best attended since the organization was formed. Five new members were admitted.
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Chester Times Jan. 12th, 1934
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