RUSSELL BERGER'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY - Part 3

Marriage and a Home

Words and phrases in italics were in parentheses in the original.
Otherwise, the text is intended to faithfully reflect the original.

In March 1922, we bought a lot on Norwich Ave. on time. My wife worked, at her old Job part-time and contributed her earnings to pay for the lot. We managed, somehow, to get tangled in our relations with the Landlady and was notified to vacate in 30 days. We had to make some quick deciscions.  My job seemed secure enough, but our finances were scarse we had not planned to build just yet.  Thirty days; We talked to pete Ranch, who agreed to take out a permit for a Garage and order Engineers to survey the lot we subsequenthy agreed on the size of the garage and location.

I had to arrange with my boss to have a Laborer dig for sewer and water line. On a Sunday morning, with crowbar & pick & shovel, I dug 6 holes for posts, (telephone poles). Three days later we moved all our worldly goods to the new garage! That was June 1923.  A great deal has happened over the years.  In April, 1925 we moved into our present home.  This could be a very interesting story!

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Recording the frustrations about my work might make interesting reading, only to those at the trade, I decline to elucidate.  However; my work was connected to my private life; because, after working all day, I had to resort to making our lives more comfortable; by working in the evenings.

I remember the night we moved:  George Harley packed our belongings in his truck, and our Land lady insisted we take our cat! and the cat jumped off my wife's lapp only a block away.  It was June, 1923.  Pete Rauch, built a garage, 20x11 ft. on six posts. It had a door and four windows and a platform outside the door.

That was our home for nearly two years.  Mr Graham, my boss came to our rescue; He sent a Laborer to dig for a sewer and water line, and furnish the pipes. Details, can be boring, but neccasary, sometimes.
 
 

When a man has ambition, especially at 23 years, (I was a plumber, remember?) no plumber believes he will ever be out of a job! When I look back, I must have been crazy. I just plunged in.  All problems were solvable! A little encouragment here and a little advice there. It's funny, I hardly ever asked my Dad!  Most of my advice came from freindly people on the job or my boss.  My wife's relations helped sometimes, but Mike Donnelly, said I should trade our lot for a horse and shoot the horse!  Getting a foot hold in the community is painfull!

It is also painfull, to re-call the problems that occur, when you change your way of living.  After two years of married life, with ordinary comforts, we were suddenly living a camper's life. No power, for light, no gas for cooking, no sanitary facilities!  All these things were acquired gradualy.

I have stalled on this page several times, because there were no notes; Depending on memory, is a very precarious-position to be in.

When your boss expects you to work every day, your wife has to take up where you can't.  Preparing meals required cooking facilaties.  Mary bought an oil burner, a round wick thing.  I had to buy a gallon of kerosine every few days. That solved the cooking problem.  We got Electric power pretty quick.  Awhile later I installed a gas line from the building, to the end of the lot.  he gas company run the service line and installed the Meter. We had light and gas. but no water and no sewer.

We kept getting water from the neighbor, but I had to keep digging holes to empty the pot.  Remember! this all started in June 1923! Before the summer was over, there was enough space under the floor, (about 6 ft by 6 ft) for a. toilet; a wall under the building; water-line installed; a sink, a borrowed hot plate from Toner Institute and later a stove!

Remember, we didn't own a car! Everything was shoe leather express!  But we were young, and energetic. Before cold weather set in, I bought, what was called beaded celling.  It was 3/8 inches, yellow pine,  not suited for outside, but I made a sort of storm protection, to keep our only entrance safe from the weather.  Talking about the weather.  I had to buy sheets of composition to line our one room.  Making this one room comfortable for a winter or two, was quite a. chore for a young couple.

I want to point out.  We had no previous experience.  I was not a boy scout. But, being a plumber, I was resourceful.  On the job, many problems were discussed.  That was how I got  Mr. Gay to install our wiring and service.  There was considerable work involved in getting sewer for toilet & sink, stairs to this cellar, making places for wash tubs and jellies and other neccessities.  A triangular cupboard for dishes and a clothes closet, a shelf for our radio, our only means of news & entertainment.

There was so much to do every day until well into the winter.  I don't remember how we celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas the two winters we lived there.  I know we had a garden the second summer.  I bought quite a bit of rough lumber which came in handy.  We bought a. wheel-barrow, pick & shovel and started to dig the foundation for the new house! Going into detail would be pointless.

The first winter, gave us lessons not easily forgotten.  No ventilation and gas fumes, created health problems, we suffered colds, and at one time, we were bedridden for a week.
 
 

I soon installed a gas heater, called Radiant heater and a ventilating screen in a window. Oh yes, after that storm shelter was  built, we acquired a small refrlgera.tor (Icebox ) that just fit in this space on the platform  and still gave us room to enter & leave our home.  It was of little use in cold weather, but kept things from spoiling in summer.  I remember once, having guests for dinner, we used an Ironing board on boxes, because we didn't have enough chairs.

I spent the whole summer of 1924 digging the foundation for a story & a halph type, house 18 ft by 26 ft.  By November the work started!  By Christmas I took I took off my regular work to rough-in the plumbing.  I remember preparing the lead waste in our kitchen because it was cold!  I had to dig for the sewer, with the sewer from the ga.rage still in operation, also the water line was exposed to the cold, (it froze several times)

The gas line and water lines in the bath, had to be cut in the shop and delivered; also rlzers & stubs for three radiators on the second floor.  There were no stairs or floors, all-thls work had to be in before they laid the floor.

From June 1923 until the end of April 1925 there was little leisure time.  In the fall of 1925, installing the furnace and radiotors took up time; A vacant lot next door let me keep our coal supply.  Of course, building a coal bin was an extra chore. Come to think about it, a new house does't mean you are finished!  It is the beginning of a never ending round of changes and repairs.
 
 

   

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This page was last updated on:  Sunday, September 13, 2014.

 

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