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Taken outside his apartment at 5134 Parkside Ave, in West Philadelphia.
Dad writes: "Many of you have heard this story before ,but here it is for posterity. When Dad was young his father took him out of school in 6th grade to go to work to help the family meet ends. His father gave him a nickel to take the trolley to downtown Philly to sell newspapers at a news stand. Dad saved those nickels by hopping the back of the trolley and riding for free. When he was older during the depression, he worked in a hotel as a bellhop. It was the time of prohibition. He earned money by getting booze and hookers for hotel guests. When he married Mom in 1933 he was rich - he had saved $2000. After he married Mom, around 1933 or 1934, he lent his father the $2000 to buy a scrap iron yard near 40th & Wyalusing Ave in Philadelphia His father called the business, Ben Polsky Scrap Iron" since most of the money came from Dad. Dad and some of his brothers provided the labor for the business. Uncle Sam met Aunt Elizabeth while working there. She lived on the other side of the RR tracks, Around 1939 or 1940 just before WWII broke out, his father sold the yard to Richmond Bros (who are still in the scrap iron business today, though not in the same location) Talk about bad timing. Had they owned the yard during the war they would have made a fortune. My mother never forgave my grandfather, not only for selling the yard, but for not paying back the $2000 right away. Instead his father returned the money in small increments over many years."
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| This is a recent aerial photo of the scrap yard location. [940 N. 40th Street] |
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