By Msgr. Francis A. Carbine
In 1937, the Great Depression blanketed the United States. Unemployment was rampant. However, my father, Francis, had a steady job. He was a manager of an American Store in East Chester. His salary was $33 for a six-day week.
East Chester had a large immigrant population of Lithuanians. These families had no money to spare. My parents lived in the West End of the city. Again, families had no money for extras.
At closing time on Holy Saturday night, the American Store (Acme) had a lot of unsold candy. My father filled two large shopping bags with unsold marshmallow chicks, jelly beans and Easter eggs and brought them home on the bus.
Then he went through our neighborhood – 10th, 11th and 12th Streets – to every family that had children. And there were many such families. His shopping bags were soon empty.
My mother recalled how the next day, a steady troop of children came to our house to show Mr. Carbine what the Easter Bunny had brought them.
Whether my father ever compensated the store for the jelly beans that he carried away, I never heard. However, what happened 82 years ago is fondly remembered.
Inspired by Father Gerard Ronan, my technical advisor, I submit following story about photo of my father and goat.
When a “gentleman caller” arrived to pay attention to my father’s oldest sister, Annie, the young man had to pay my father a dime to get his goat off the rocking chair on the porch.
Only then did the courtship commence!