Thursday

It's Garbage Day!

60.8 degrees and gray.

• Thursday: Mostly cloudy with some sunshine possible later in the day. More humid. Chance of a shower. High in the upper 70s.
• Thursday night: Partly to mostly cloudy, muggy and warm, with areas of low clouds and fog forming. Low in the mid 60s.
• Friday: Clouds, some sun. Hazy, hot and humid. Chance of a few strong hit or miss afternoon thunderstorms, especially west of Utica. High: 89, Low: 69

***********

The watchers - nearly everyone who had been there for the past two days - and others gathered
at the Putnam Street crossing, yesterday morning. Several boys on bikes circled 'round and sat down on lawns; Peg Knapp and her daughter and two grand-daughters came; Lovina Staring and some of her family; cameras and cell-phones snapped more and more pictures.

First a side wall was nudged over ..........

and then what was left of the second story was collapsed onto the first.


Late morning.

**********


At a little after five o'clock.

The new view: the corner of Putnam Street and Conger Avenue.

The only people around were those hoping to find a brick or two to take home and keep.

************************

I've never received as much mail from blog-readers as I have in the past two days. Those who have written have all expressed their appreciation for the photographs and remarks about the history of "the mill" because that building was important to them! Some had just walked past it for years; perhaps they'd never been inside. Others had worked there and reminisced about doing "piece work." Walter (a.k.a. "Junior") Bartlett wrote: "I worked on the third floor when I came home from the Navy in 1959 steaming and stretching material with Hester and Minnie, who work on either side of me. I could never keep up with them!"

This morning, Paul Fleischmann wrote, "The mill was a part of our life as kids in the village as my mother (Frances Fleischmann) and Jan's dad (Ralph Jones) worked there at some time in their lives. I recall going in to see my mom - probably to get some money for Coke and candy - and chatting with her and the other 'mill ladies.' It was my first exposure to the business world. Ralph worked there in his younger years (mid 1930's) and had many tales to tell, such as driving Mr. Jarman to Utica at high speeds!"

I heard a snippet of a story, yesterday. A lady who'd been watching the demolition had recalled, to those standing near her, that she'd worked there for some time, years ago, and remembered when she once got a ONE-CENT raise!

Perhaps the Historical Society should start having gatherings NOT so that a quest speaker can lecture for half-an-hour, but to let everyone share memories of something like "the mill" or "picking hops." The stories are there and people love to tell them!

***************

And Yes: about those ornate columns of cast iron? I watched as two of them - thanks to the persistence of Karl Davis and Tom Ruane - were lifted, intact, from the rubble and set off to one side. (Whether the salvager is willing to part with them is something else, but Karl wasn't giving up easily! He did say that they were very thick and must weigh two ton each!) Also, the cluster of siren horns that had been on the roof of the building have been safely removed and will no doubt be given to the Village for the Fire Department.

And what about all the photographs that have been taken? I'm going to ask Waterville Public Library Director Jeff Reynolds if the hallway gallery could be used to display all of those that are offered. That space would accomodate lots and lots of 8 x 10 prints!!

*******

It's Garbage Day!