Chapter 5

The Mostly True: V.

The burning came before learning the bicycle ... but during the swimming.

Third grade was still pretty awful. Since I was restricted to riding my bike in the area bounded by State Street on the north, South Oakland on the east. Townsend Road to the south and Lansing Street to the west, I couldn't ride my bicycle to school, nor could I ride to the pool. I had to walk. Also, I wasn't allowed to ride in the winter or Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day or Halloween. The traffic those four days was horrendous.

I believe I have mentioned ... Saint Johns is pretty flat ... except for the hill. The hill mostly bisects the town. If it has a beginning it would be at the high school the end is on the east end of town at the cemetery. It snakes and varies in height along its east west length. The highest ... tallest?... Well ... I'll be damned ... I just google mapped it. It's not as tall, steep, as I remember it. 60 years ago, I was twelve and it was a ton steeper then. How about that?

Anyway, the air compressor plant east of town but south of the Grand Trunk Western was still smoldering from the fire ... did I mention it burned down?

Nope?

Magnesium. Pistons ... magnesium ... crankcase ... magnesium ... BIG pile of magnesium shavings caught on fire and the fire department ... volunteers to a man ... tried to put it out with high pressure water ... burned that place down to the slab.

Some friends of mine were going through the trash after the fire and found some really nice wheels ... ball bearing ... and tires. Not soapbox derby wheels ... much fatter but as tall. 12" tall. The axle was machined round for the wheels the remainder was square stock with six holes drilled and tapped for three eighths bolts through the square shaft. It looked like fun ... I went out and swiped a set. Four wheels and two axles.

"Building a soapbox racer?" my dad asked.

"Thinking about it," I replied.

"The Western Auto sold some freezers yesterday. The boxes are in the alley behind the store ... DON't slam the door!"

KERSLAM!

Western Auto was exactly one block south of my drive. The boxes were light enough to carry home if I got inside and took the weight on my shoulders. Four trips and I had three boxes and a freezer bottom.

Refrigerator/freezer boxes were a marvel. Two ply 1/16 inch wood and solid ply bottoms for the chest type bottoms. A little technical support from dad and the plywood would steam bend and hold its shape. This stuff wasn't cheap pine ... good wood with no knots or holes. The frames were straight and solid. The freezer bottom plywood was 1/2 inch six ply ... really good wood.

Technical support was, "You ought to make the bottom wide enough for Charley and boat tail is the latest in aerodynamics"

"What's aero whatever?"

"Look it up ... that's why we bought the encyclopedia."