THANKS for stopping by, I do my best to acknowledge when someone leaves a comment,you do not have to be a member here & everyone is welcome.
Ps: This site is monitored but not actively posting on a regular basis. Mostly these are stories & some photos saved from a defunct site known as Verdun Connections which was on MSN Groups initially then on a social network called Multiply.
Tuesday, July 5, 2005
the 'hole'
anyone here who hung around the hole.
if you did you know where and what i am referring to.
With regard to 'the hole' near the Nat - across from 'the Duggy' - I was not a regular visitor, but when I did visit back in about 1971-1973, there were two skid row fellows who used to hang out there in the summer. I think their names were Tiny (who was not a small person), and Roy (but my memory is fuzzy about that). I couldn't believe the kind of stuff they would drink! During winter you would see them panhandling at Atwater Park or sleeping on the hot air vents at the Childrens Hospital, across from the 108 bus terminus at Atwater. Of course, there were all kinds of other folks that were regulars at 'the hole', but I think Tiny and Roy may have only survived one year after their downward spiral.
Does anyone remember Christopher who used to panhandle in Atwater Park in the 1957-59 era? He was a former British sailor who was down on his luck. A really nice guy, heavy British accent and he told great stories. If you told him he'd really been out of it the last time you saw him, he'd chuckle and say "Oh yes, I was bad that day. I'm going to try & not let that happen again." Then the next time you saw him he'd be out of it again. We always tried to give him some money for which he was very appreciative. On days that you didn't see him at Atwater Park you'd hope he was ok. Whenever I didn't have too much cash, that would guarantee I'd run into Christopher. If you could scrape up a quarter-he was grateful.
brownblvd, we must know each other well, because i knew roy and tiny and there was also ben, 3 hobos who hung around the hole that one summer. they drankd 'rubbing alcohol' regularly.
rainy day man 44 & brownblvd, I guess we must have known each other because I knew the "bo's" well, Roys nick name was "skipper" and his last name was Burns, he was part of a very rich family, Tiny died a very violent death, he was beaten to death in Atwater park, Benny had a sister in Crawford Park, they use to rate the people at the hole as "cats" #1 #2 and so on, very interesting story tellers thought
Ya Benny! nicknamed "Shotgun Benny" cause apparently he held up a bus with a shot gun once. So the story goes. As for the hole. My earilest recolections of the hole was going there when I was in Nursery School. It was located above "Lowneys" corner store at the corner of Rolland and Banantyne. I must have been about three or four at the time somewhere around 1955/56.. Anyone out there go to that nursery school? And of course went to the hole on ocassion 1970 era though didnt offically hand out there as a regular. JohnnyO
10 comments:
Ah yes, the hole, west side of the Nat, lots of memories there
I confess, I hung around the "hole" too! Connie
I was a regular at the hole too, but not as often as the Monument. Danny
With regard to 'the hole' near the Nat - across from 'the Duggy' - I was not a regular visitor, but when I did visit back in about 1971-1973, there were two skid row fellows who used to hang out there in the summer. I think their names were Tiny (who was not a small person), and Roy (but my memory is fuzzy about that). I couldn't believe the kind of stuff they would drink! During winter you would see them panhandling at Atwater Park or sleeping on the hot air vents at the Childrens Hospital, across from the 108 bus terminus at Atwater. Of course, there were all kinds of other folks that were regulars at 'the hole', but I think Tiny and Roy may have only survived one year after their downward spiral.
Does anyone remember Christopher who used to panhandle in Atwater Park in the 1957-59 era? He was a former British sailor who was down on his luck. A really nice guy, heavy British accent and he told great stories. If you told him he'd really been out of it the last time you saw him, he'd chuckle and say "Oh yes, I was bad that day. I'm going to try & not let that happen again." Then the next time you saw him he'd be out of it again. We always tried to give him some money for which he was very appreciative. On days that you didn't see him at Atwater Park you'd hope he was ok. Whenever I didn't have too much cash, that would guarantee I'd run into Christopher. If you could scrape up a quarter-he was grateful.
brownblvd, we must know each other well, because i knew roy and tiny and there was also ben, 3 hobos who hung around the hole that one summer. they drankd 'rubbing alcohol' regularly.
I can Remember a hobo, who drank nothing but Varathane everyday......he had a terrible death ...but a nice finish.............
Oh groooooooooooooan Les hahaha
rainy day man 44 & brownblvd, I guess we must have known each other because I knew the "bo's" well, Roys nick name was "skipper" and his last name was Burns, he was part of a very rich family, Tiny died a very violent death, he was beaten to death in Atwater park, Benny had a sister in Crawford Park, they use to rate the people at the hole as "cats" #1 #2 and so on, very interesting story tellers thought
Ya Benny! nicknamed "Shotgun Benny" cause apparently he held up a bus with a shot gun once. So the story goes. As for the hole. My earilest recolections of the hole was going there when I was in Nursery School. It was located above "Lowneys" corner store at the corner of Rolland and Banantyne. I must have been about three or four at the time somewhere around 1955/56.. Anyone out there go to that nursery school? And of course went to the hole on ocassion 1970 era though didnt offically hand out there as a regular. JohnnyO
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