1-lb. lobster tail dinner for $1.00 in ’50s

Around this time in the school year, many high school juniors are reading the play, “Death of a Salesman.” “Immerse yourself in the fifties,” is the homework assignment that has been heard in PA halls this week. Peeking into the Past would like to give these students a sample of what was happening as the fifties approached locally and what was happening nationally.

In 1950, the Inquiring Photographer of the Dispatch, posed this question to people on the streets,

“Do you think a woman should continue with her career after she is married?” (Look for the answers later on in the column)

Year’s Statistics

January, 1950 as a new decade emerged, Pittston City evaluated the past year. Police Chief Francis “Bunny” Linnen breathed a sigh of relief that Pittston City made it through all of 1949 with no traffic fatalities and expressed high hopes that those same statistics would be in place for 1950.

Pittston Hospital listed 767 babies born in 1949. Regionally, Pittston claimed 303. Some of the other figures were: West Pittston 86, Dupont 60, Avoca 51, Exeter 42, Duryea 35, Hughestown 28. The baby boomers were launched in the Pittston area.

The Dupont Merchants Association offered a Jackpot of 20 prizes to the first baby born in 1950 to Dupont parents. 20 prizes worth more than $100 would be awarded along with included a month’s diaper service, baby’s expenses in full during the hospital stay, 120 quarts of milk, and a baby bottler sterilizer.

Unemployment Up

Washington: Dec.31, 1949. A mine operator spokesman in Washington believed that that New Year would usher in a coal strike by the United Mine Workers despite the denial by John Lewis’ district chiefs.

The discouraging three day work week in the coal mining industry and the decline in the garment trade caused a general increase in claims filed for unemployment compensation at the PA State Employment Service in the Pittston office.

$2 Dresses

The Friendly Shop, 51 N. Main St. advertised a sale on dresses – regularly $10 for $2. Evening gowns – regularly $34.99 for $10.

A used 1948 Chevy three-quarter ton truck was selling for $1,445.00 A 1946 Chevy half ton was $995.00.

Gene Autry was in the movie “Loaded Pistols” and John Wayne starred in “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.”

Close Call

A thirteen year old Pittston girl narrowly escaped injury when a run-away coal truck crashed into the front room of her home and landed 3feet from where she was sitting. Damage to the house was estimated at $3,000. The driverless five ton vehicle plowed into the home of the Anthony Rubin Family, 248 Parsonage Street.

When the driver, George Shannon of West Pittston, realized he lost his brakes, he leaped from the truck as it careened down “Crooked Alley.”

The noise of the crash brought thoughts of a mine settlement to neighborhood residents. The driver was in the hospital recovering from a head injury.

Also in January, 1950, a PA grad, Dr. Ross Nigrelli, a protozoologist, was recognized as one of the most eminent scientists in America. He was affiliated with the aquarium at the Battery in NY and later took charge of marine life at the Bronx Zoo and is a biology instructor at New York University. He is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College and Jefferson Medical School

Times Were Different

The editor of the Dispatch and his photographer son, Pidge, took a tour of the Bell Telephone Company on Charles Street in Pittston. There they viewed the switchboard operators who might have 30 to 40 cords hooked up to the various little gadgets on the board. They were amazed at the young ladies who handle the duties as operators without show of emotion or impatience with the callers.

They noted an Information Desk and inquired about that, “That’s where we have a girl who looks up numbers for people too lazy to look them up,” said the tour guide.

Yatesville Man a ‘Good Skate’

Yatesville had a skating rink called “Old Silver Lake” constructed in the borough through the volunteer efforts of Frank Bonomo. Area residents could skate until 11:00 p.m. because the town provided lighting. Bonomo provided the skaters with music and a refreshment booth (a reconstructed bus).

The skating rink was located at the corner of Hale and Pittston Ave. in Yatesville.

National News

New York: February, 1950 - 12 leading American atomic scientist urged the US today to “eliminate” the hydrogen bomb for the cause of humanity. The group said, “No nation has a right to use such a bomb no matter how righteous its cause. Its use would be a betrayal of all standards of morality and of Christian civilization itself…” The group, although critical of President Truman’s decision to go ahead with the bomb, said nevertheless, they would help to make it.

Washington: The FBI was keeping “between 4,000 and 4,400 communists” under constant watch and was ready to herd them into “concentration camps” within “24 hours if war breaks out.” 8% of the known communists in the US were considered “extraordinarily dangerous”. The FBI was looking to hire more agents.

Senator Mundt (R) SD said that Russia had an “even more extensive spy apparatus in the US now than during the war”. “They are after the hydrogen bomb secrets just as actively as they tried for and succeeded in getting the A bomb know how,” he said.

Pittston Boxer

A February, 1950 paper pictured Mickey Doyle, nee (August Rodolo) Pittston ex-featherweight prize fighter. “His second Johannesburg bout was a rematch with Willie Smith, the South African featherweight champ who decisioned Doyle in their first encounter during Mickey’s first visit to the dark continent” Mickey lost a 10 round decision but was given a purse of $1000.00

The Globe had a furniture sale in February: 3 pieces of mahogany bedroom furniture including a full size bed, 5 drawer chest and a 4 drawer chest and mirror cost $189.95.

$1 For Lobster?

Bonnie’s in Exeter advertised a full-pound lobster tail platter including French fries and cole slaw for $1.00.

Adults became eager comic book readers. 15,000 sold in the local area weekly. Older ladies went for the ‘love comics.’ Of the 15,000 sold, approximately 40% are love comics sold to teenage girls and matured women.

The St. John’s Marching Band was featured in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City.

The beautiful interior paintings were completed at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Anthony D’Ambrosio, a NYC artist, was engaged to apply the spiritual display throughout the church proper at a cost in excess of $20,000.

Inquiring Photographer Answers

Answers to the question posed by the Inquiring Dispatch Photographer. “Do you think a woman should continue with her career after she’s married?”

Miss Naomi Tompkins, Hughestown, secretary at the Y: “No, I don’t. Because I think a woman’s place is in her home to handle the household affairs.”

Euge Finnan, Avoca, occupational career placement: “Positively, a girl should continue her career after marriage. Modern conveniences reduce household chores to a minimum and therefore a career would be in order to take up the slack.”

Max Wruble, Pittston, meat cutter: “Yes, a woman should follow her career after she gets married. By following her career she would stay in high gear all the time and keep in top physical condition. She would be full of pep and she could be happy. If she did not follow her career, she would just stay home sitting in a rocking chair and slow down and eventually she would have to call a doctor to care for her. She would be unable to do anyting.”

Jeannette Viccia, West Wyoming, lunch counter employee: “Yes, she doesn’t have any children she should continue with her career and help her husband with the financial burden. If she has children she should stay home. Of course, there are some careers which a woman can follow regardless such as nursing, writing.”

Anthony Levenoski, Pittson, patrolman: “No, definitely no. There’s enough work in the home to keep a woman busy without her going out to working. Furthermore, there are enough single girls available to fill the jobs in the area. In fact, my own wife was working at the time I married her and I made her quit because she was always grouchy. After she quit working we were happy because everything was peaceful in the house.”