Tube City Almanac

February 06, 2008

It's in the Bag

Category: General Nonsense, Mon Valley Miscellany || By

Alert Reader Tim sends along this link to a classified ad on Craig's List. It's a genuine matched set of what older McKeesporters know as "hunky suitcases":



"And this guy has NINE of them," Tim says. "And he's lookin' to turn a profit. Crazy like a ... ?"

Well, nine bucks is a bit much. But I'd pay $5 for a Balsamo's bag. Heck, I bought an Immel's bag recently at an antiques store (I think I paid $3).

Over the past three years, I've bought Lord-knows-how-much G.C. Murphy Co. "private label" stuff at flea markets and thrift stores and over eBay --- for research purposes, but still.

By the way, does anyone need yarn? I've bought more than a dozen never-used skeins of "Murphy's Mart"-branded Wintuk yarn. There must be miles of that stuff left in Western Pennsylvania; you'd have thought Murphy's was a yarn store.

Come to think of it, is yarn tax-deductible as a business expense? I bought it because I was writing the book, after all. Do we have any lawyers out there?

. . .

Speaking of Balsamo's: The Daily News is running a trivia contest. Every week they're going to print a different archival photo in the paper; readers have to guess the location and return the coupon by Friday to be entered in a prize drawing.

The first photo ran last night on page 14. I didn't want to be a party-pooper, but I can't resist showing off, so I'm going to give you the answer. If you want to be a big cheater, hold up a mirror to this image, and you'll get the answer:



. . .

Also in the News:

  • Versailles officials are asking Allegheny County to reassess homes because of the methane problems in the borough, according to Michael Divittorio. This might be the first time in Pennsylvania history that a borough has asked the county to lower the taxable value of properties; I'm sure half the McKeesport Area School Board fainted when they read that.


  • Pat Cloonan reports that the West-to-West Coalition is calling for small, vacant parcels along Braddock Avenue in Braddock to be merged into larger parcels so that they're easier to market to developers. That's such an obviously good idea that I sprained my wrist slapping my forehead.


  • And Raymond Pefferman writes that one of the members of the North Huntingdon planning commission is calling for better mass transit in Westmoreland County to alleviate traffic problems on Route 30. Maybe Westmoreland County can institute a liquor tax to pay for it.






Your Comments are Welcome!

Was reading through April and May 1959 Pittsburgh Presses today and found a blurb that said that Braddock had declared war on dilapidated properties.

“so it’s like the war on drugs, then”
Derrick - February 06, 2008



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