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Did you know that my grandfather was good friends with one of the Eastern U.S.'s most notorious gang leaders?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K&A_Gang

Junior Kripplebaur, was friends with my grandfather, Jim Spieles, as they grew up together. Kripplebaur went on to become a gang leader for the K&A gang based in Philly. Junior wrote a book about his gang life, and in the book, this exert can be found.

"My buddy Jimmy Spelise (misspelled form of Spieles - no one can ever spell our name right), who was a year older than me,went to work in the mines after he got out of high school. When he came home at about 3 o' clock after a shift in the mines, he was so dirty, I couldn't even recognize him. I was coming home one day, and I passed him on the street. We were right in front of his house. I didn't even recognize him. I walked right by him. He was covered in coal dust, head to foot. His teeth, nose, ears were caked with it. All I could see of the guy were his eyes, and they were bloodshot. He was just another filthy miner to me. I'm tellin' you, I would have kept on walking by, if he hadn't called my name. We both laughed about it at the time, but on the inside I was sick. I knew my friends life was basically over. I figured he was going to end up like my grandfather, or my old man, wrecked. His life was over, and he was only 18. No, I was not going down the same way. None of that f****** s*** for me. Not by a long shot"

So in other words, seeing my grandfather like that was the nail in the coffin, that drove Junior down the path he chose. My grandfather remembers that as the reason as to why he started what he did.
 

Junior was right in a way. My grandfather had black lung most of his life, and had respiratory issues for as long as I could remember.
 

Good morning Bill. Weather better now?

I'm about to be invaded by more family...I hope they leave the ones with colds home. ???:dontknow:
 

Coal miners had a hard short life. My granddad worked in them.
Coal companies should have treated them better.
 

Msbeepbeep said:
Coal miners had a hard short life. My granddad worked in them.
Coal companies should have treated them better.
Click to expand...

In the book, it also details how kids would raid the piles of coal at night, and sell it to whoever wanted to buy it. Everyone did it, including my grandfather. The coal companies were hated.


My gggrandfather, was a Coal miner in charge of one Pennsylvania mine. One day, something needed to be checked, and his Mexican friend offered to do it for him. He said, "Nah, I'll go look myself. You've had a long day, go home and rest."

He went into the mine, and a few moments later, the entire mine collapsed, killing him. His friend was so distraught, and so upset with survivors guilt, he never spoke another English word again, and he never was the same afterwards.
 

RR,

Unfortunately back in the day lots of people worked at jobs that ruined or at least reduced their quality of it. In Quebec there were lots of asbestos mines back in the day. Lots of them ended up with cancer heck even one of my older brothers worked in the shipping department at a newspaper and ended up with 2 hearing aids courtesy of spending his career near the industrial printing presses.
 

I end up having some fresh fruit for breakfast pretty much every morning. Well as everyone knows during winter the prices go up and the quality/taste go down. So I picked up some frozen mixed berries on special about 1 1/2 lbs for $3.00. Put them in a pot with about an ounze of water stewed them for a bit and then mashed them up. Very tasty compared to the cardboard tasting fresh stuff.....:laughing7::laughing7::laughing7:
 

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bill from lachine said:
I end up having some fresh fruit for breakfast pretty much every morning. Well as everyone knows during winter the prices go up and the quality/taste go down. So I picked up some frozen mixed berries on special about 1 1/2 lbs for $3.00. Put them in a pot with about an ounze of water stewed them for a bit and then mashed them up. Very tasty compared to the cardboard tasting fresh stuff.....:laughing7::laughing7::laughing7:
Click to expand...

I use freeze dried fruit, boil it, then eat it. Great tasting, not the best looking. It get's the job done though. :icon_thumleft:
 

Msbeepbeep said:
You might be able to put another stronger lens in it that would work for distance. Then Mr. WD could help you by spying out some new treasure sights.
Click to expand...
I believe he wants one to spy on the other walleye fisherman. See what lures they are using. Just a guess. :laughing9:
 

A belated good morning, Duckshot and Rusty. Sorry, I had to leave. Big day at church. New Pastor Candidate.
 

is shafted some adult thing???:laughing7:
 

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