Sunday, March 29, 1998

Garage sale buff finds threads of local history

By Sandra Terrell

An avid, experienced garage sale nut, I had been anticipating the latest "Antique and Almost" estate sale at 1204 Vogel. My partner and I decided we wouldn't go the first day because we had to work and a $25 donation was required. We went at 4 p.m. on the second day, making our final stop in the garage at closing time.

I found a precious button-type baby shoe and also spied a box of newspapers and magazines, quickly selecting a Feb. 12, 1913, Abilene Daily Reporter, a Sept. 16, 1942, Abilene Reporter-News and a 1960 Ladies' Home Journal. I knew the 1942 newspaper would be a winner with my airplane-World War II buff husband, Jim.

We had one other estate sale at 642 Jeanette on our agenda that afternoon and went directly there. They had sold almost everything. My friend, Cary, found a pile of doilies. As she was pulling them out, I noticed the pattern of an airplane propeller emerging. It was a crocheted scarf with "Spirit of St. Louis" and a replica of Charles Lindberg's airplane on it.

The lady in charge was fairly certain her aunt had crocheted it when Lindberg stopped in Abilene. I bought it, going on my way rejoicing.

Upon looking at the 1942 Reporter-News, Jim said, "This is spooky," and went to get the book, Great Untold Stories of World War II, that he was reading. An article on the front page of the newspaper was about Japanese bombs dropped in the Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon on Sept. 9, 1942. Jim had been reading an actual account by the Japanese pilot.

On the back page was an obituary of the owner of 1204 Vogel, Dr. Julius Olsen, a past dean of Hardin-Simmons University. It read like a "Who's Who in Abilene."

Adjacent to it was a social column. My eyes immediately focused on an address -- 642 Jeanette! It read, "Mrs. T.M. Blain of 642 Jeanette left this morning for Austin to be at the bedside of her sister, Mrs. Betty Smith, who is ill." Could this sister be the lady who crocheted the scarf? How amazing that the addresses of the only two sales we went to could be in the same old paper on the same page!

The classified section was a hoot. Wish I had been around to purchase a house in Alta Vista for $3,750. Comics of the day were "Red Ryder," "Alley Oop" and two current ones, "Snuffy Smith" and "Dagwood and Blondie." Their appearances have changed over the years!

"Gone With the Wind," "complete in all its glory, not an inch cut out," was showing at the Paramount.

The Ladies' Home Journal was a trip down memory lane. When I came across Dr. Spock's column, I commented he looked so young and that I hadn't heard of him in a long time and wondered if he was still alive. He died a few days later.

These coincidences just increased my garage sale urges. So far I have made some true friends, have had a lot of fun and have helped the economy at the same time. See how we can rationalize?

At the Olsen sale I got a terrific pair of brown leather high-heeled shoes. They are classic World War II, and I can picture Mrs. Olsen wearing them to Hardin-Simmons functions. What fun to think about where and to what they have been worn. If only they could talk!

With minor details to attend to such as work, taking care of my house, etc., I have not yet perused the 1913 newspaper. Several years from now I can picture people digging through my things at my estate sale, saying, "Boy, she must have been a strange old girl to have collected so much junk. Have you ever seen such a mess?" That's OK with me if they get as much pleasure out of it as I do.

Sandra Terrell of Abilene is employed by the Windham School District and is such a huge fan of garage sales that she even bought one of her two cats at a garage sale two years ago.