Remembering South Baltimore

By: Bill E. Burke, burkewe@Northstate.net
Trinity, NC USA

     I remember Baltimore of the 1930's. Raised in South Baltimore. Worked at the Southway Bowling Center. I can remember more than once setting up pins for 120 games on evenings work.

     Seems like we received three cents per game and it was really hard work for us kids. We ranged in age from 12 yrs. and up. We worked from about 5 in the evening to about 1:30 the next morning. We would set pins on 2 lanes at a time. On occasion we would set 3 lanes at a time.

     In the summertime we would go the harbor at the bottom of Federal Hill and swim. It's now called the inner harbor. In those days the boats would come in from the Eastern shore loaded with watermelon and cantaloupe. We would swim out from the piers and yell at the men on the boat and they would throw watermelon and cantaloupe trying to hit us. All we cared about was getting the melons to eat.

     I can remember sitting at the street corner and singing with the gang. That is a grand memory. Sometime we would walk down to Fort Mchenry where we could fish. Coming home we sometimes hooked a ride on the back of the trolley car. When the car stopped, thecoin collector man would get off and chase us. Then we had to wait till the trolley started again so we might ride. Lots of times we just walked.

     There weren't very many automobiles around in those days. Airplanes were kinda rare also. If a plane flew over, everyone would look up and point to the plane. The inner harbor at that time was lined on the Light Street side by Piers and large sheds, where the boats would come in to load and unload. The McCormick building was just across the street from the docks. Lots of train track ran down Light street down past Federal hill.

     This is the most I have rambled on about home for a long time. Maybe I'll write again later if anyone shows any interest.