Junk mail bad...junk iron good

A story about a Nebraska postman charged with "delaying, destroying and secreting mail" caught my eye in the McCook Gazette of Sept. 5, 1942. John Clay of North Bend had a reputation after 22 years of delivery so prompt that "farmers could set their clocks by him."

Two things happened though to throw the 51-year-old rural carrier off stride and something snapped. Number one was the increased volume of third class and government mail (of which he had a low opinion anyway) and his post office started opening a half hour later, at 6:30 a.m. Clay said, "There was so cussed, infernal much of it. I couldn't see how I could handle it on time." Clay answered the stress by stuffing 351 pieces of mostly third-class mail in an unlit furnace ... he was suspended and released on one thousand dollars bond.

The need for scrap materials for the war effort had not lessened. E.L. Bradshaw was the local chairman of the Salvage Committee. A nearly full-page ad in the Gazette told of a "Junk Round-up" they were sponsoring on Thursday, Sept. 10, 1942.

Illustrations showed that one old radiator provided the scrap steel needed for 17 .30-calibre rifles; one old lawn mower (the push kind, remember?) helped make six 3-inch shells; one useless old tire provided as much rubber as was used in 12 gas masks and one old shovel would help make four hand grenades.

As far as the progress on the McCook Army Air Base ... the principal activity was the survey work for the runways. They wanted to get the runway work done before cold weather set in and cement work would be hindered.

Possible trailer camp sites were discussed by the City Council at their meeting on Sept. 7, with adequate sewage disposal being the primary consideration. Mr. J.E. Johnston, state zoning engineer conferred with the council's committee and the county commissioners and advised a uniform housing regulation for the entire county. Mr. Johnston volunteered, "the services of his office and the result of his studies of other similar projects elsewhere for guidance in handling of the problem in this territory."

School District 74, or the Flat Center District as it was known sat right in the middle of the new Air Base.

It was moved one mile east to the eastern edge of the base and the 10 school students got a one-day "vacation." Ed Welch, contractor moved the house and Alice Carter was the teacher at Flat Center District.

Carl Rossitto, Nebraska state safety patrolman was assigned to duty in the McCook area on September 7, 1942, to assist with traffic problems growing out of the McCook Air Base construction. I visited with Mrs. Rossitto this week and she said they were based in North Platte, but then were sent up to Alliance for the same kind of assignment but could find absolutely no housing ... not even a basement apartment. At that point, they were reassigned to McCook and have been here ever since. Her late husband had signed up for officer's training in the service, but the State Patrol froze their positions to help with the war effort. Getting these bases up and running as quickly as possible was a national priority.

The Y.M.C.A. board released Harry Maxwell from his duties and temporarily replaced him with O.K. "Bus" Wilson of the McCook schools faculty and athletic coach at the Junior College. Maxwell had served as general secretary for two years. The Y was "still scraping hard to gather funds with which to keep YMCA activities going on a full schedule." The reason for lack of funds was, "the removal from the community of a great many young people has brought a sizeable reduction in the membership."

McCook City Schools were expecting an additional 200 students to be enrolled in the local system between September and Oct. 15, 1942 because of the construction on the McCook Army Air Base.

Enrollment in the McCook public schools at the end of the second day of school, Sept. 8th stood at 1,371. Figures released by Supt. Earle W. Wiltse: Valentine School (East Ward) 372 children on second day, seven more than the previous June -- West Ward 245 children ... 12 fewer than the previous June - Junior High 318 pupils second day, down 57 from June of 1941 - Senior High 340, up 12 from June - Junior college enrollment had fallen from a total of 130 a year ago to 96.

"Strangely enough there are more boys than girls enrolled at the college." A few overflow rooms were available in the Junior High and they thought they might have to rent a few vacant rooms downtown for the influx of construction worker's children. Also, probably four or five additional teachers would be needed for a period of 60-90 days. All effort would be made to keep expenditures down since this was not in the 1942 school budget.