By Frank "kiki" Baltazar
1950 was the year I turn 14 years old. Nothing much happened that years aside from going to the Olympic to see Art Aragon trash my hero Enrique Bolanos and Beto's brother stealing our rabbits for his wedding dinner.
1951 was the year I got my first tattoo (“kiki”-51-) with the “51“ under “kiki” on my right arm. Went to see Art Aragon fight Jimmy Carter twice, with Keeny Teran fighting on the under card on the second fight, also got to see Enrique Bolanos fight Eddie Chavez and Keeny fighting Gil Cadilli on the same card at the Hollywood Legion. Late summer-early fall went to Moorpark, Ca. to pick walnuts, had a great time in Moorpark, fooled around more then work .
1952 was the year that the Simons Brickyard became part of history, a history that left us with some happy and sad memories, happy because even though we were dirt poor we still led a happy life, sad because we had to leave the only home we had known, I wrote some of my memories of the brickyard before, so I won't get into them here. It was in August that we left Simons for good, we jumped on my dad's 1941 Ford Woody and headed north to Hollister, Ca. where we found work picking plums, after we were done with harvesting the plums we worked picking grapes in a mountain range called “El Gavilan”, after two weeks of picking grapes we headed back to SoCal. We lived with my maternal grandparents in Pico, now Pico-Rivera, Ca. until my dad was able to find us a house to live in, which wasn't long. Late '52 I started working the weekends at the Whittier Car Wash and I was ready to buy my first car, which I did in December, I bought a 1938 four door Chevy that ran more on oil then gas for 55 dollars, five bucks a week.
1953 was a nondescript year, beside meeting girls nothing much happened, going to school, working the weekends at the car wash and cruising and listening to Hunter Hancock play R&B music on my ride was the order of the day.
1954 started out the same as '53, that is until April, when I met Connie. In the summer after working up north for a bit I started working full time at the car wash and that gave me enough money to put oil in my car and take her to eat at “The Spot” on Olympic Blvd. in Montebello, Ca. On Sundays I would get paid and get off work at 2:00 PM, after going home to clean up, I would go pick Connie up at her house in Jimtown, go to The Spot and order a pastrami for each of us, after eating it was time to cruise the barrios, Simons, Canta Rana's, Jimtown, El Ranchito, and of course E.L.A..
As summer turned into fall things with Connie and I were getting serious, in December we decided to get married, it was a great way for Connie and I to end the year.
1955 was a time for both Connie and I to get used to married life, I went to work full time at a car dealership (paint shop) and Connie stay home, it was a quiet year., not much happening.
1956 was a big year for us, after nearly two years of marriage our first child was born, our beautiful daughter Linda was born on August 21, remember going to pick Connie and baby Linda up from Los Angeles County General Hospital with my late sister Mary Ellen's then boyfriend, later husband, Danny, and goofing off like kids in the hallway of the hospital. Connie and I spent the rest of '56 bonding with our baby.
1957 was again a quiet year. Watch Linda take her first steps as she turned 1 year old, it was also the year I turned 21, I could now drink a beer legally. I can't say how old Connie was without maybe getting thrown in jail.
1958 was another big year for Connie and I with the birth of our first son, Fernie, who was born on April 14. He was later to be known in the boxing world as Frankie Baltazar Jr.. Not long after Fernie was born a friend of Connie's asked her if she would like a job, after we talked it over she decided to take the job, which is how I became a kept man later on in our marriage.
1959 we spent all our free time watching Linda and Fernie grow and do what kids do.
It was, all in all a great decade to be alive.
About Me
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Repost from 'Los Angeles Revisited'
Tour of Simons and Montebello, Cal.
By Elisabeth L. Uyeda
It was a perfect, sunny Saturday morning to be outside, March 22nd, 2008. I met up with my friend who lived at the Simons brickyard as a young man (he asked to remain anonymous.) He promptly arrived at 9:30 a.m. as we planned. He drove us through Montebello, and along the ride into “town” I rapidly took notes so I would not miss any of his recollections, no matter how minute or inconsequential. As he headed down Montebello Boulevard, just before reaching Olympic Boulevard, he pointed out that the boulevard used to be a two-lane street.
My friend has three sons, one in Long Beach, another in Upland, and one in the desert. He also has four grandchildren: two girls and two boys. [Recently another grandchild was born this year, 2010.]
Turning south on Garfield Avenue from Olympic, he said that the street used to end at the railroad, as there was no railroad overpass. One would have had to detour at Vail or Atlantic.
Soon, we were entering into the former streets of Simons, heading south down Vail pass the school. At some point, I asked him about Montebello High School: I think he said that the old high school was at Montebello and Whittier; in the late 1940’s, the high school was converted to a junior high school. (He attended the newer high school campus.)
We drove past a business, Meyers Electric, in “Simons”. My friend said he used to work in that building. We headed for the “church”, which was Our Lady of Mount Carmel, located where the Home Depot stands, along the 5 Freeway. South of the “church” was a farm, run by Japanese. He said they were taken away during World War II. He recollected there was a wide irrigation channel to water the crops.
He pointed out other buildings that used to be there: the Prado house, which was the largest in Simons, near the corner of Vail and Rivera. Mr. Henry “Genaro” Prado was the superintendent who patrolled the company grounds with sheriff-like authority, and he had two daughters, Ernestine and Mercedes. Another large house was the Romo house, to accomodate the company bookkeeper. We both acknowledged meeting a daughter, Dora Romo Gurrola, on several occasions recently. Rivera Road would have ran behind the current Home Depot. At the end of Rivera Road there was a town hall.
West of Vail, not far from Rivera, were workers’ houses, and beyond the houses were the maquinas, and beyond was the East Los Angeles Airport. My friend said there were numerous airports around, and the East LA Airport was not a part of the nearby Vail Airport. He worked one summer (1949) as a lineboy at the East LA Airport. His sister worked at a hamburger eatery at the airport. His job entailed refueling planes for the flight school. He pulled planes out on the line to refuel. When planes returned from flight, he would check the gas gauge, as well as prop the engines poised for self-cranking by the pilots. In the course of his job, he drove a Studebaker, although he did not possess a driver’s license! I asked him if it was difficult to get a job, and he replied “no”. Apparently, the previous worker quit. My friend happened to be at a restaurant when he was approached about filling the job. The job fell in his lap!
Some other airport recollections: he remembers once there was an Army plane flown by a drunken pilot who managed to land the plane in an open field. He also remembers a woman flight instructor who took him flying at least four times. She even offered to teach him to fly, but regrettably, the flight school closed soon after. His summer job did not last long, because the gasoline gave his skin a rash.
He mentioned that at the vicinity of Atlantic and Slauson there was another air field. An eucalyptus tree served as a boundary marker for the town, but it appears the tree has disappeared. Rivera Road led to Telegraph Road. He pointed out the sunken formation of the land west of Vail, and he said it was due to the clay excavation. West of Vail also had a narrow gauge railroad running through it.
He then turned off into Condor Street from Vail. Continuing east a bit, we passed Tanager. This, he said, was the entrance spot to El Hoyo (The Hole). The heart of El Hoyo was by Condor and Supply Avenue. Al pointed out that the area adjacent to El Hoyo as higher ground. The following is a description of El Hoyo written by him in 2007:
'El Hoyo' was where last of the 'maquinas', the 'rakas' and the kilns were located. It was also where most of the houses were. We lived in 'El Hoyo'. The other areas of Simons were 'La Vail' and 'El Barrio Verde'. 'La Vail' was right on Vail Avenue, the only paved street in Simons. I understand that 'El Barrio Verde' was so named because the houses were once painted green. There were also a few houses on Rivera Road but it was considered as part of 'La Vail'. Rivera Road is now an extension of Sycamore Avenue. (2/22/2007)
We passed another commercial building (Blister-pak). My friend commented that he worked in the building when it was an electrical manufacturer.
At some point during the driving tour, I inquired where he thought his former street, El Carmel Street, was situated. He pinpointed it to be near the present-day address of 2854 Supply Avenue.
He named off the old streets that ran in the east/west direction: Guanajuato, Jalisco, California, Montebello, El Carmel.
My friend explained about his dad’s life at the brickyard: he died in April, 1980. Some of his father’s responsibilities at the brickyard entailed setting up cables for the conveyors of freshly molded clay. He also watched the kilns in operation and made adjustments to the valves during the baking process. I asked whether his father suffered any health problems as a result of working in a brickyard. He didn’t have occupation-related illnesses, my friend said. After the brickyard closed, the family moved nearby to present-day Commerce.
We drove into the dead-ended Church Street. He pointed out that in order to get to church, church-goers had to walk across the railroad tracks. Once, he remembered, a slow-walking woman froze as a passing train came through and managed to miss striking her.
We drove around and around. We were driving north on Vail again pass the school. (The school was an elementary school during the company’s reign. Today, it serves as Vail Continuation High School.) My friend refers to the administration building, which is fairly old, as “new” since he remembers when there was another building there before its time. Furthermore, there were more school structures where Vail Street runs now, but they were torn to accommodate the widening of Vail Street.
Old building converted to a residence in the old Simons neighborhood.
He drove and pointed out where the neighborhood grocery stores where. He pointed one building near Maple and Espanol, now converted to a residential structure, in which Ernestine Macias’s father-in-law had a grocery store. He told me that at Maple and Date Street, Maple was moved, probably in order to accommodate a business.
Along our drive, my friend said that he worked in the brickyard one summer. He used a mule, named "Chiquita", which pulled a wagon to collect empty pallets from the rakas and transport them to where the molded clay was readied.
We finished in “town” but headed north into Montebello so he could show me where the Malone houses are. He was not sure what Malone’s role was at Simons. As we headed north on Vail, past Washington Boulevard, he pointed out that the northwest parcel by Vail and Washington was land that was filled in, because it was an old clay excavation zone. Along the way, we drove on Madison Street. He said there was a time when the street was named Washington Street. Soon, we came upon a brick home on 10th Street, near Madison. It was a modest home. We then drove to Fremont and Poplar, where a magnificent and handsome brick home sits.
I asked him if he ventured out of Simons much, and yes, he said, he met school friends, and often caught the bus to Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles.
My friend delivered me back to our starting point. I took some photos of him, and he said he was heading off to a birthday celebration of a former Simons neighbor and friend, Victor, who was turning 80 years old.
By Elisabeth L. Uyeda
It was a perfect, sunny Saturday morning to be outside, March 22nd, 2008. I met up with my friend who lived at the Simons brickyard as a young man (he asked to remain anonymous.) He promptly arrived at 9:30 a.m. as we planned. He drove us through Montebello, and along the ride into “town” I rapidly took notes so I would not miss any of his recollections, no matter how minute or inconsequential. As he headed down Montebello Boulevard, just before reaching Olympic Boulevard, he pointed out that the boulevard used to be a two-lane street.
My friend has three sons, one in Long Beach, another in Upland, and one in the desert. He also has four grandchildren: two girls and two boys. [Recently another grandchild was born this year, 2010.]
Turning south on Garfield Avenue from Olympic, he said that the street used to end at the railroad, as there was no railroad overpass. One would have had to detour at Vail or Atlantic.
Soon, we were entering into the former streets of Simons, heading south down Vail pass the school. At some point, I asked him about Montebello High School: I think he said that the old high school was at Montebello and Whittier; in the late 1940’s, the high school was converted to a junior high school. (He attended the newer high school campus.)
We drove past a business, Meyers Electric, in “Simons”. My friend said he used to work in that building. We headed for the “church”, which was Our Lady of Mount Carmel, located where the Home Depot stands, along the 5 Freeway. South of the “church” was a farm, run by Japanese. He said they were taken away during World War II. He recollected there was a wide irrigation channel to water the crops.
He pointed out other buildings that used to be there: the Prado house, which was the largest in Simons, near the corner of Vail and Rivera. Mr. Henry “Genaro” Prado was the superintendent who patrolled the company grounds with sheriff-like authority, and he had two daughters, Ernestine and Mercedes. Another large house was the Romo house, to accomodate the company bookkeeper. We both acknowledged meeting a daughter, Dora Romo Gurrola, on several occasions recently. Rivera Road would have ran behind the current Home Depot. At the end of Rivera Road there was a town hall.
West of Vail, not far from Rivera, were workers’ houses, and beyond the houses were the maquinas, and beyond was the East Los Angeles Airport. My friend said there were numerous airports around, and the East LA Airport was not a part of the nearby Vail Airport. He worked one summer (1949) as a lineboy at the East LA Airport. His sister worked at a hamburger eatery at the airport. His job entailed refueling planes for the flight school. He pulled planes out on the line to refuel. When planes returned from flight, he would check the gas gauge, as well as prop the engines poised for self-cranking by the pilots. In the course of his job, he drove a Studebaker, although he did not possess a driver’s license! I asked him if it was difficult to get a job, and he replied “no”. Apparently, the previous worker quit. My friend happened to be at a restaurant when he was approached about filling the job. The job fell in his lap!
Some other airport recollections: he remembers once there was an Army plane flown by a drunken pilot who managed to land the plane in an open field. He also remembers a woman flight instructor who took him flying at least four times. She even offered to teach him to fly, but regrettably, the flight school closed soon after. His summer job did not last long, because the gasoline gave his skin a rash.
He mentioned that at the vicinity of Atlantic and Slauson there was another air field. An eucalyptus tree served as a boundary marker for the town, but it appears the tree has disappeared. Rivera Road led to Telegraph Road. He pointed out the sunken formation of the land west of Vail, and he said it was due to the clay excavation. West of Vail also had a narrow gauge railroad running through it.
He then turned off into Condor Street from Vail. Continuing east a bit, we passed Tanager. This, he said, was the entrance spot to El Hoyo (The Hole). The heart of El Hoyo was by Condor and Supply Avenue. Al pointed out that the area adjacent to El Hoyo as higher ground. The following is a description of El Hoyo written by him in 2007:
'El Hoyo' was where last of the 'maquinas', the 'rakas' and the kilns were located. It was also where most of the houses were. We lived in 'El Hoyo'. The other areas of Simons were 'La Vail' and 'El Barrio Verde'. 'La Vail' was right on Vail Avenue, the only paved street in Simons. I understand that 'El Barrio Verde' was so named because the houses were once painted green. There were also a few houses on Rivera Road but it was considered as part of 'La Vail'. Rivera Road is now an extension of Sycamore Avenue. (2/22/2007)
We passed another commercial building (Blister-pak). My friend commented that he worked in the building when it was an electrical manufacturer.
At some point during the driving tour, I inquired where he thought his former street, El Carmel Street, was situated. He pinpointed it to be near the present-day address of 2854 Supply Avenue.
He named off the old streets that ran in the east/west direction: Guanajuato, Jalisco, California, Montebello, El Carmel.
My friend explained about his dad’s life at the brickyard: he died in April, 1980. Some of his father’s responsibilities at the brickyard entailed setting up cables for the conveyors of freshly molded clay. He also watched the kilns in operation and made adjustments to the valves during the baking process. I asked whether his father suffered any health problems as a result of working in a brickyard. He didn’t have occupation-related illnesses, my friend said. After the brickyard closed, the family moved nearby to present-day Commerce.
We drove into the dead-ended Church Street. He pointed out that in order to get to church, church-goers had to walk across the railroad tracks. Once, he remembered, a slow-walking woman froze as a passing train came through and managed to miss striking her.
We drove around and around. We were driving north on Vail again pass the school. (The school was an elementary school during the company’s reign. Today, it serves as Vail Continuation High School.) My friend refers to the administration building, which is fairly old, as “new” since he remembers when there was another building there before its time. Furthermore, there were more school structures where Vail Street runs now, but they were torn to accommodate the widening of Vail Street.
Old building converted to a residence in the old Simons neighborhood.
He drove and pointed out where the neighborhood grocery stores where. He pointed one building near Maple and Espanol, now converted to a residential structure, in which Ernestine Macias’s father-in-law had a grocery store. He told me that at Maple and Date Street, Maple was moved, probably in order to accommodate a business.
Along our drive, my friend said that he worked in the brickyard one summer. He used a mule, named "Chiquita", which pulled a wagon to collect empty pallets from the rakas and transport them to where the molded clay was readied.
We finished in “town” but headed north into Montebello so he could show me where the Malone houses are. He was not sure what Malone’s role was at Simons. As we headed north on Vail, past Washington Boulevard, he pointed out that the northwest parcel by Vail and Washington was land that was filled in, because it was an old clay excavation zone. Along the way, we drove on Madison Street. He said there was a time when the street was named Washington Street. Soon, we came upon a brick home on 10th Street, near Madison. It was a modest home. We then drove to Fremont and Poplar, where a magnificent and handsome brick home sits.
I asked him if he ventured out of Simons much, and yes, he said, he met school friends, and often caught the bus to Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles.
My friend delivered me back to our starting point. I took some photos of him, and he said he was heading off to a birthday celebration of a former Simons neighbor and friend, Victor, who was turning 80 years old.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tio Florentino, Mama Lupe and Tia Lala....Baltazar
My uncle Florentino Baltazar, seen here with my grandma Lupe and my aunt, Lala, was awarded the Purple Heart when he was wounded in Europe during WWII. The story is that he and his fellow G.I's were shooting dices outside the barracks when bombs started raining on them, they all ran inside the barracks, Florentino didn't make it to the barracks, all the ones that made to the barracks got killed, Florenetino suffer wounds from bomb fragments...Florentino died from cancer in 1995.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
A Pachie Story: "I Ain't Squawking"
By kiki
One time in the early 1950s we were shooting pool at the Simons Pool Hall on Date street in Simons. While we were shooting pool Pachie was getting a shoe shine from the shoe shine boy. Afterwards he was just walking around with a joint on his ear, getting tired of hanging around he left, saying that he would see us later. We didn't see him again till a week later when he showed up the pool hall. He told us that after he left the pool hall the week before he was pulled over by the Montebello cops, and that one cop told him he was under arrest for having a joint, Pachie asked the cop “where is the evidence?”, the cop took the joint from his ear, “here it is” said the cop
He was put in the back seat of the cop’s car and the cop asked Pachie “where did you get the joint?”, Pachie answered him with “I ain’t squawking” The cops pulled him out of the car and kicked his ass and than let him go.
Poor Pachie was always getting his ass kicked, first the rooster, now the cops.
One time in the early 1950s we were shooting pool at the Simons Pool Hall on Date street in Simons. While we were shooting pool Pachie was getting a shoe shine from the shoe shine boy. Afterwards he was just walking around with a joint on his ear, getting tired of hanging around he left, saying that he would see us later. We didn't see him again till a week later when he showed up the pool hall. He told us that after he left the pool hall the week before he was pulled over by the Montebello cops, and that one cop told him he was under arrest for having a joint, Pachie asked the cop “where is the evidence?”, the cop took the joint from his ear, “here it is” said the cop
He was put in the back seat of the cop’s car and the cop asked Pachie “where did you get the joint?”, Pachie answered him with “I ain’t squawking” The cops pulled him out of the car and kicked his ass and than let him go.
Poor Pachie was always getting his ass kicked, first the rooster, now the cops.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
My wife Connie and I
Connie and I were sitting up in bed, I, reading the L.A. Times, her, watching TV, she couldn't read the paper because she lost her glasses...LOL!!. Anyway while we're doing this she said:
"Its a bitch getting old, my arms and legs hurt"
"But look at the bright side Baby, we are going on 56 years" I said
"Huh!?" goes Connie
"56 years of marriage!" I said
"OMG! how could I?" goes my Baby
Damn!!
"Its a bitch getting old, my arms and legs hurt"
"But look at the bright side Baby, we are going on 56 years" I said
"Huh!?" goes Connie
"56 years of marriage!" I said
"OMG! how could I?" goes my Baby
Damn!!
Had To Post This....
Lifes journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, " SHOUTING" Holy Shit !!! What a ride!!!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
"The Rabbits"
Tales From The Simons Brickyard
By Frank "kiki" Baltazar
Everybody in Simons had some kind of animals, cows, goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits, we had a goat, chickens and rabbits. My job was to get up early in the mornings and feed the critters. One Saturday my friend Beto’s brother, Kelly, got married, that night they had a big wedding party, Next morning, Sunday, I got up early to feed the critters, I fed the chickens, goat and when I got to the rabbits, the cages were empty, I went and woke Pops up.
“Pops, we don’t have rabbits anymore”
What happen mijo?”
“Don’t know Pops, but the cages are empty”
“I’ll find out” said Pops
He woke my older sister Rachel up.
“Rachel did you go to Kelly’s wedding party?”
"Yes", said Rachel
“Did they feed you?” asked Pops
“Yes” said Rachel again
“What did you eat" asked Pops
“Don’t know for sure, but it tasted like RABBIT” said Rachel.
By Frank "kiki" Baltazar
Everybody in Simons had some kind of animals, cows, goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits, we had a goat, chickens and rabbits. My job was to get up early in the mornings and feed the critters. One Saturday my friend Beto’s brother, Kelly, got married, that night they had a big wedding party, Next morning, Sunday, I got up early to feed the critters, I fed the chickens, goat and when I got to the rabbits, the cages were empty, I went and woke Pops up.
“Pops, we don’t have rabbits anymore”
What happen mijo?”
“Don’t know Pops, but the cages are empty”
“I’ll find out” said Pops
He woke my older sister Rachel up.
“Rachel did you go to Kelly’s wedding party?”
"Yes", said Rachel
“Did they feed you?” asked Pops
“Yes” said Rachel again
“What did you eat" asked Pops
“Don’t know for sure, but it tasted like RABBIT” said Rachel.
Friday, March 4, 2011
"The Boyfriend"
Tales From The Simons Brickyard
By Frank "kiki" Baltazar
My older sister had a boyfriend, Ramon, who, when he would come over in the evenings to see her, he had to come inside the house as sister was not allowed to go outside with him. Ramon drove a 1939 Chevy that didn’t have a key, he would just hot-wire it. As soon as Ramon would walk inside the house, I would walk out the back door, I would come around the alley jump in Ramon’s ‘39 Chevy, hot-wire it and go pick-up my friends and go joy-riding around El Hoyo, I knew about what time Ramon would be leaving, so I would park the ‘39 back in front of the house 15-20 minutes before Ramon would be leaving, Ramon would hot-wire the Chevy ready to leave, look at the gas gauge and go nuts “they stole my gas again!"....
By Frank "kiki" Baltazar
My older sister had a boyfriend, Ramon, who, when he would come over in the evenings to see her, he had to come inside the house as sister was not allowed to go outside with him. Ramon drove a 1939 Chevy that didn’t have a key, he would just hot-wire it. As soon as Ramon would walk inside the house, I would walk out the back door, I would come around the alley jump in Ramon’s ‘39 Chevy, hot-wire it and go pick-up my friends and go joy-riding around El Hoyo, I knew about what time Ramon would be leaving, so I would park the ‘39 back in front of the house 15-20 minutes before Ramon would be leaving, Ramon would hot-wire the Chevy ready to leave, look at the gas gauge and go nuts “they stole my gas again!"....
"The Rope"
Tales from
the Simons Brickyard
Around the block from my house some people were having a party, an adult party, us young teenagers, 13-14 years old at the time wanted to go to the party. We thought we were chingones, in other words, “bad to the bone” and that we should be allowed to attend the party. We were turned away at the door by the host. He said we were too young to attend the party. We left and went to one of the guy’s house to get a long rope. Came back to the party and tied one end of the rope to the house wooden fence and the other end to the rear bumper of a car park in front of the house. We waited in the dark until the party was over, around midnight the people that owned the car came out to go home, they said their good-byes got in the car and drove away taking the fence with them.... "compa! compa!! mi cerca"!! Yelled the party host; as his compa droved-off with his fence.
By kiki
Around the block from my house some people were having a party, an adult party, us young teenagers, 13-14 years old at the time wanted to go to the party. We thought we were chingones, in other words, “bad to the bone” and that we should be allowed to attend the party. We were turned away at the door by the host. He said we were too young to attend the party. We left and went to one of the guy’s house to get a long rope. Came back to the party and tied one end of the rope to the house wooden fence and the other end to the rear bumper of a car park in front of the house. We waited in the dark until the party was over, around midnight the people that owned the car came out to go home, they said their good-byes got in the car and drove away taking the fence with them.... "compa! compa!! mi cerca"!! Yelled the party host; as his compa droved-off with his fence.
"The Brick Wars"
Tales From The Simons Brickyard
By Frank Baltazar
One day the guys from up the hill came down to El Hoyo for a brick fight, I was behind a small mount of dirt, about 3 feet high, I would get up throw a brick, get down for the incoming bricks, the action slowed down, no incoming bricks so I figure they had gone back up the hill, I stood up to see if indeed the guys had gone up the hill and "POW" I get hit on the chest with a brick, guess I figure wrong, I went down on my butt, couldn't get up for a while.....
By Frank Baltazar
One day the guys from up the hill came down to El Hoyo for a brick fight, I was behind a small mount of dirt, about 3 feet high, I would get up throw a brick, get down for the incoming bricks, the action slowed down, no incoming bricks so I figure they had gone back up the hill, I stood up to see if indeed the guys had gone up the hill and "POW" I get hit on the chest with a brick, guess I figure wrong, I went down on my butt, couldn't get up for a while.....
Las Piscas...1947
By Frank Baltazar
Juan Garcia, was told by his dad that they were going up north to work the piscas, Juan was eleven years old, and he was looking toward what he thought would be an adventure, since he had never being out of the Los Angeles barrio he lived in, he was ready to go see the world.
“Pops, when are we going?
“As soon as Manny, as Manuel Fernandez was know, fixes his truck, mijo”
Juan was so happy to get out of the barrio, he ran to tell all his friends.
“Guys, we, the whole family are going up north to work the piscas” he said to his friends
“What are the piscas?” ask Chuy.
“I don't know, my dad just said the piscas” said Juan.
Two days after Manuel had finish fixing his truck, he told Juan's dad, Jose, that it was time to go up north.
“Pack only what's necessary, Jose, don't want to put too much weight on this old truck” said Manuel to Jose.
Pack and ready to go, Manuel told his wife, Lupe, son, Tony and daughter Maria, to help Jose, his wife, Elsa, Juan and Juan's two younger brothers and sister, Rudy, Luis and Rosa to pack.
On the Road
With Elsa, Lupe and the kids riding in the back of the truck they headed north on Highway 99. Elsa and Lupe packed some burritos before they left the barrio so they could eat as they went up the Ridge Route, after eating, the kids happy to be out of the barrio sang songs they learned from the their parents.
The 1938 Ford flat bed truck with side panels was running good as they pull into a gas station in Bakersfield.
“Okay everybody; use the restrooms while I gas up, Jose, can you check the oil?” said Manuel.
Back on the road Manuel says to Jose, “The oil company's are robbing us, can you imagine fifteen cents for a gallon of gas?”
“And ten cents for a quart of oil” said Jose.
“We better make lots of money in the piscas” both said in unity.
Juan pulls the hair on his six year old sister, Rosa, making her cry.
“Juan, leave Rosa along, just wait until we stop again, you are going to be sorry” said Juan's mother Elsa.
“Mom, I'm not doing nothing to her, she is just a cry baby” said Juan to his mother.
“Don't believe him, mom, he is pulling her hair” said Juan's seven year old brother Luis.
Juan punches Luis in the arm, now Luis is crying'
“Cabron!, just wait!, I'm going to give you some chingasos when we stop!” said Elsa.
They stop in Fresno. Juan jumps off the truck trying to hide from Elsa, but Elsa gets him by the ear and as she pulls on his ear she yells at him “cabron!; I told you to leave your brother and sister along, now cabron; behave yourself”.
“But, mom, I'm bored, are we almost at piscas” said Juan.
“Piscas is not a place, “piscas” is work” said Elsa.
“What ever, are we almost there?”.
“No, now just behave yourself, be good like Manuel's kids.
As Elsa said that Tony pulls Maria's hair, now Maria is crying
“A la chingada!, these kids are going to drive me to drinking; compa, lets have a beer” Jose said to Manuel.
“You start drinking and you are getting some chingasos” said Elsa to Jose
Back on the road without drinking a beer Manuel said to Jose “ you're afraid of your vieja, Jose”
“No, I'm not afraid of her, I just let her think that I am, that way we keep the peace”
North of Madera, Ca. The families head west on California State Route 152, stopping in the small town of Los Banos for gas and to use the restrooms. After resting a bit they get back on the road, go over the Pacheco Pass straight to U.S. 101, north to San Jose, arriving at a apricot ranch that was waiting for them.
Las Piscas
Since apricots grow on trees only Jose and Manuel could worked picking them, Lupe and Elsa worked at a place where the apricots were cut in half and put out to dry.
Once the apricot harvest was done, they went south to Hollister, Ca., to pick plums, they quickly found work at a ranch, where all the kids would be able to work, from the oldest to the youngest, they would get down on their knees and pick the plums of the ground, from sun up to sun down they worked.
In the mornings as the kids worked, they could see woodpeckers pecking on the trees, something they had never seen before.
Juan's brother, Rudy, wanted his pop to buy him a bike when they got back home, but he didn't like working, he would fall asleep under the trees.
“Pop, look at Rudy, he's asleep and he wants you to buy him a bike” Juan would say to his father.
“Well, he is not getting a bike if he don't work” Jose would say.
“Vieja, get the burritos, I'm going to light a fire so we can warm them up. Juan, right after we eat, you check the boxes and make sure they have our number, we don't want to get cheated, we work too hard for that, now wake Rudy up and tell him its time to eat” Jose said to Juan and Lupe.
After lunch it was back to work til sun down.
With dinner done, it was time to relax a bit. The men would built a fire , play their guitars and sing, drink a beer or two. twelve year old Tony, Manuel's son was a favorite of the men, because he could sing like Pedro Infante, Tony and his eight year old sister, Maria, would sing duets for the men.
“Tony, sing some songs that we can dance to” ask Manuel of Tony
“Lets dance” Manuel say to Lupe as Tony starts singing a corrido.
Before you knew it the adults were all dancing, the teenagers were drifting of to hide behind the trees and do what teenagers do.
Sundays were a day of rest, Jose and Manuel would take their families to church, after church they would go into town, do a little shopping, get something to eat.
They would get back to the ranch early so that everybody could rest for the next day's hard work.
Time went by fast and the harvesting was almost done, soon it would be time to go back to Los Angeles, Jose and Manuel would go back to work in the glass factory that they had left behind, the kids would all go back to school. But first Manuel had to fix the rear axle on the truck
“Pinche axle, picked a fine time to break” said Manuel to Jose
“Watch your mouth , Manuel, that's no way to talk in front of the kids” said Lupe to Manuel.
“Sí, Manuel, watch your mouth or your vieja will lay some chingasos on you” laughed Jose.
“Lets show these pinche viejas we are not afraid of them, go get some beers, Jose” said Manuel.
The truck didn't get fixed that day.
Finally the day came to head back home. Harvesting was finish, the truck was fix. Manuel and Jose went to see the boss to get paid, after deducting what they owed the general store, the boss paid Manuel and Jose, $1,450.00, $1,600.00, respectively.
Packed and ready to head home Manuel helps Lupe onto the back of the truck.
“Aí vieja!, with all this work you would think you would had lost some weight, instead it looks like your love handles got a bit more rounder, que no?”
“I wouldn't talk if I was you, cabron, look at your beer belly” shot back Lupe.
Jose is looking at Elsa.
“You better not say a word, Jose” said Elsa.
“I'm not saying anything vieja” said Jose as he turned around and mumble to himself 'but you did gain some weight too'
Heading Home
It was decided by Manuel and Jose to take U.S. 101 south instead of Highway 99. Heading west out of Hollister, they stopped to check out the mission in San Juan Bautista.
“You ladies look around, Jose and I are going this way” said Manuel to the viejas.
“Where are we going?”, Jose, wanted to know.
“To Taste some vino, Jose, to taste some vino!, but don't let the viejas know ”
As they got to the wine tasting room, Lupe and Elsa are waiting for them.
“What took you so long?” Lupe and Elsa said in unity as they laughed.
“Lets taste some vino and you can buy me a bottle, so Lupe and I can drink it while we ride in the back of the truck” Elsa says to Jose as she takes him by the hand and leads him to the testing room.
Back on the road after buying a couple of bottles of wine, they head south, stopping in King City to buy something to eat. After eating, Elsa brings out a bottle of vino and says to Lupe.
“Look what I got here”
“What are you waiting for, open it, we'll show our viejo's we can drink too” said Lupe. After a couple of glasses of wine Lupe and Elsa are feeling happy.
“Tony, get the guitar, sing some songs,” said his mother, as the truck rolls down the highway, Lupe and Elsa feeling the wine join in singing old Mexican songs.
Jose looks out the window and yells at Lupe and Elsa.
“You viejas drunk?”.
“No, viejo, just feeling happy” said Elsa.
Now, it was Lupe who brings out a bottle.
“Want some more, Elsa?”
“Sí, why not? open it”.
By the time they stopped in Paso Robles, Elsa and Lupe were drunk, but feeling happy.
After gassing up and using the restrooms, they were back on the road, Elsa and Lupe had just fallen asleep when the truck started making a loud noise, Manuel pulled the truck over to the side of the road to see what was wrong.
“I think its the axle again”, Said Manuel after taking a look.
“I can fix it, I have some extra parts, but it will take some time, a day or more, we will have to camp here tonight” said Manuel.
“Do we get to sleep under the star's, daddy? Ask Manuel's eight year old daughter, Maria.
“Sí, mija, we get to sleep under the star's”
“Lupe, we are going to have to cook dinner here, so get the small gas stove that I brought from LA, good thing I bought some gas for it too” said Manuel
While Manuel and Jose worked on the truck and Lupe and Elsa cook dinner, the kids are playing on the hills along side of the highway, nine year old Rudy climbed up a hill, as he starts coming down the hill, he couldn't control his momentum and ran head-on into a hollow oak tree at the bottom of the hill.
By the time they were done with dinner it was dark, to dark to work on the truck, so they all sat around in a circle and with Tony playing the guitar sung songs.
Late the next day the truck was fixed and ready to go, with all aboard they started down the highway, rolled into Santa Barbara just before dark and decide to spent the night on the beach. Next day everybody went swimming before they started on the last leg of their trip home.
Back in the barrio, Jose and Manuel went back to work at the glass factory, the kids went back to school, Lupe and Elsa went back to keeping house.
Rudy got his bike
A month later the families got together for carne asada, guacamole, hot salsa, arroz and home made tortillas and to talk about their adventure at the piscas.
“Jose, think you would want to go again?” asked Manuel
“Sí, if its okay with the vieja, I would like to go again”
Sí, it would be okay, but not for two-three years” said Elsa, with Lupe agreeing.
Juan Garcia, was told by his dad that they were going up north to work the piscas, Juan was eleven years old, and he was looking toward what he thought would be an adventure, since he had never being out of the Los Angeles barrio he lived in, he was ready to go see the world.
“Pops, when are we going?
“As soon as Manny, as Manuel Fernandez was know, fixes his truck, mijo”
Juan was so happy to get out of the barrio, he ran to tell all his friends.
“Guys, we, the whole family are going up north to work the piscas” he said to his friends
“What are the piscas?” ask Chuy.
“I don't know, my dad just said the piscas” said Juan.
Two days after Manuel had finish fixing his truck, he told Juan's dad, Jose, that it was time to go up north.
“Pack only what's necessary, Jose, don't want to put too much weight on this old truck” said Manuel to Jose.
Pack and ready to go, Manuel told his wife, Lupe, son, Tony and daughter Maria, to help Jose, his wife, Elsa, Juan and Juan's two younger brothers and sister, Rudy, Luis and Rosa to pack.
On the Road
With Elsa, Lupe and the kids riding in the back of the truck they headed north on Highway 99. Elsa and Lupe packed some burritos before they left the barrio so they could eat as they went up the Ridge Route, after eating, the kids happy to be out of the barrio sang songs they learned from the their parents.
The 1938 Ford flat bed truck with side panels was running good as they pull into a gas station in Bakersfield.
“Okay everybody; use the restrooms while I gas up, Jose, can you check the oil?” said Manuel.
Back on the road Manuel says to Jose, “The oil company's are robbing us, can you imagine fifteen cents for a gallon of gas?”
“And ten cents for a quart of oil” said Jose.
“We better make lots of money in the piscas” both said in unity.
Juan pulls the hair on his six year old sister, Rosa, making her cry.
“Juan, leave Rosa along, just wait until we stop again, you are going to be sorry” said Juan's mother Elsa.
“Mom, I'm not doing nothing to her, she is just a cry baby” said Juan to his mother.
“Don't believe him, mom, he is pulling her hair” said Juan's seven year old brother Luis.
Juan punches Luis in the arm, now Luis is crying'
“Cabron!, just wait!, I'm going to give you some chingasos when we stop!” said Elsa.
They stop in Fresno. Juan jumps off the truck trying to hide from Elsa, but Elsa gets him by the ear and as she pulls on his ear she yells at him “cabron!; I told you to leave your brother and sister along, now cabron; behave yourself”.
“But, mom, I'm bored, are we almost at piscas” said Juan.
“Piscas is not a place, “piscas” is work” said Elsa.
“What ever, are we almost there?”.
“No, now just behave yourself, be good like Manuel's kids.
As Elsa said that Tony pulls Maria's hair, now Maria is crying
“A la chingada!, these kids are going to drive me to drinking; compa, lets have a beer” Jose said to Manuel.
“You start drinking and you are getting some chingasos” said Elsa to Jose
Back on the road without drinking a beer Manuel said to Jose “ you're afraid of your vieja, Jose”
“No, I'm not afraid of her, I just let her think that I am, that way we keep the peace”
North of Madera, Ca. The families head west on California State Route 152, stopping in the small town of Los Banos for gas and to use the restrooms. After resting a bit they get back on the road, go over the Pacheco Pass straight to U.S. 101, north to San Jose, arriving at a apricot ranch that was waiting for them.
Las Piscas
Since apricots grow on trees only Jose and Manuel could worked picking them, Lupe and Elsa worked at a place where the apricots were cut in half and put out to dry.
Once the apricot harvest was done, they went south to Hollister, Ca., to pick plums, they quickly found work at a ranch, where all the kids would be able to work, from the oldest to the youngest, they would get down on their knees and pick the plums of the ground, from sun up to sun down they worked.
In the mornings as the kids worked, they could see woodpeckers pecking on the trees, something they had never seen before.
Juan's brother, Rudy, wanted his pop to buy him a bike when they got back home, but he didn't like working, he would fall asleep under the trees.
“Pop, look at Rudy, he's asleep and he wants you to buy him a bike” Juan would say to his father.
“Well, he is not getting a bike if he don't work” Jose would say.
“Vieja, get the burritos, I'm going to light a fire so we can warm them up. Juan, right after we eat, you check the boxes and make sure they have our number, we don't want to get cheated, we work too hard for that, now wake Rudy up and tell him its time to eat” Jose said to Juan and Lupe.
After lunch it was back to work til sun down.
With dinner done, it was time to relax a bit. The men would built a fire , play their guitars and sing, drink a beer or two. twelve year old Tony, Manuel's son was a favorite of the men, because he could sing like Pedro Infante, Tony and his eight year old sister, Maria, would sing duets for the men.
“Tony, sing some songs that we can dance to” ask Manuel of Tony
“Lets dance” Manuel say to Lupe as Tony starts singing a corrido.
Before you knew it the adults were all dancing, the teenagers were drifting of to hide behind the trees and do what teenagers do.
Sundays were a day of rest, Jose and Manuel would take their families to church, after church they would go into town, do a little shopping, get something to eat.
They would get back to the ranch early so that everybody could rest for the next day's hard work.
Time went by fast and the harvesting was almost done, soon it would be time to go back to Los Angeles, Jose and Manuel would go back to work in the glass factory that they had left behind, the kids would all go back to school. But first Manuel had to fix the rear axle on the truck
“Pinche axle, picked a fine time to break” said Manuel to Jose
“Watch your mouth , Manuel, that's no way to talk in front of the kids” said Lupe to Manuel.
“Sí, Manuel, watch your mouth or your vieja will lay some chingasos on you” laughed Jose.
“Lets show these pinche viejas we are not afraid of them, go get some beers, Jose” said Manuel.
The truck didn't get fixed that day.
Finally the day came to head back home. Harvesting was finish, the truck was fix. Manuel and Jose went to see the boss to get paid, after deducting what they owed the general store, the boss paid Manuel and Jose, $1,450.00, $1,600.00, respectively.
Packed and ready to head home Manuel helps Lupe onto the back of the truck.
“Aí vieja!, with all this work you would think you would had lost some weight, instead it looks like your love handles got a bit more rounder, que no?”
“I wouldn't talk if I was you, cabron, look at your beer belly” shot back Lupe.
Jose is looking at Elsa.
“You better not say a word, Jose” said Elsa.
“I'm not saying anything vieja” said Jose as he turned around and mumble to himself 'but you did gain some weight too'
Heading Home
It was decided by Manuel and Jose to take U.S. 101 south instead of Highway 99. Heading west out of Hollister, they stopped to check out the mission in San Juan Bautista.
“You ladies look around, Jose and I are going this way” said Manuel to the viejas.
“Where are we going?”, Jose, wanted to know.
“To Taste some vino, Jose, to taste some vino!, but don't let the viejas know ”
As they got to the wine tasting room, Lupe and Elsa are waiting for them.
“What took you so long?” Lupe and Elsa said in unity as they laughed.
“Lets taste some vino and you can buy me a bottle, so Lupe and I can drink it while we ride in the back of the truck” Elsa says to Jose as she takes him by the hand and leads him to the testing room.
Back on the road after buying a couple of bottles of wine, they head south, stopping in King City to buy something to eat. After eating, Elsa brings out a bottle of vino and says to Lupe.
“Look what I got here”
“What are you waiting for, open it, we'll show our viejo's we can drink too” said Lupe. After a couple of glasses of wine Lupe and Elsa are feeling happy.
“Tony, get the guitar, sing some songs,” said his mother, as the truck rolls down the highway, Lupe and Elsa feeling the wine join in singing old Mexican songs.
Jose looks out the window and yells at Lupe and Elsa.
“You viejas drunk?”.
“No, viejo, just feeling happy” said Elsa.
Now, it was Lupe who brings out a bottle.
“Want some more, Elsa?”
“Sí, why not? open it”.
By the time they stopped in Paso Robles, Elsa and Lupe were drunk, but feeling happy.
After gassing up and using the restrooms, they were back on the road, Elsa and Lupe had just fallen asleep when the truck started making a loud noise, Manuel pulled the truck over to the side of the road to see what was wrong.
“I think its the axle again”, Said Manuel after taking a look.
“I can fix it, I have some extra parts, but it will take some time, a day or more, we will have to camp here tonight” said Manuel.
“Do we get to sleep under the star's, daddy? Ask Manuel's eight year old daughter, Maria.
“Sí, mija, we get to sleep under the star's”
“Lupe, we are going to have to cook dinner here, so get the small gas stove that I brought from LA, good thing I bought some gas for it too” said Manuel
While Manuel and Jose worked on the truck and Lupe and Elsa cook dinner, the kids are playing on the hills along side of the highway, nine year old Rudy climbed up a hill, as he starts coming down the hill, he couldn't control his momentum and ran head-on into a hollow oak tree at the bottom of the hill.
By the time they were done with dinner it was dark, to dark to work on the truck, so they all sat around in a circle and with Tony playing the guitar sung songs.
Late the next day the truck was fixed and ready to go, with all aboard they started down the highway, rolled into Santa Barbara just before dark and decide to spent the night on the beach. Next day everybody went swimming before they started on the last leg of their trip home.
Back in the barrio, Jose and Manuel went back to work at the glass factory, the kids went back to school, Lupe and Elsa went back to keeping house.
Rudy got his bike
A month later the families got together for carne asada, guacamole, hot salsa, arroz and home made tortillas and to talk about their adventure at the piscas.
“Jose, think you would want to go again?” asked Manuel
“Sí, if its okay with the vieja, I would like to go again”
Sí, it would be okay, but not for two-three years” said Elsa, with Lupe agreeing.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
"Bow And Arrow"
Tales From The Simons Brickyard
By Frank Baltazar
When I was attending Montebello Junior High school; there were two girls that were the best of friends, they were always together, one was named Rosie, can't remember the other one's name, Rosie was tall, stood straight as an arrow, the other one was slightly hunch, not like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but slightly hunch nonetheless, I think you can guess where I'm going with this, yes, we called them "Bow & Arrow". "Here comes Bow and Arrow" someone would say as we seen them coming....
By Frank Baltazar
When I was attending Montebello Junior High school; there were two girls that were the best of friends, they were always together, one was named Rosie, can't remember the other one's name, Rosie was tall, stood straight as an arrow, the other one was slightly hunch, not like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but slightly hunch nonetheless, I think you can guess where I'm going with this, yes, we called them "Bow & Arrow". "Here comes Bow and Arrow" someone would say as we seen them coming....
"Panfelita's Rooster"
Tales From The Simons Brickyard
By kiki
When we were living in Simons, our neighbor was a little old lady, Panfela, we called her Panfelita, Panfelita lived by herself and when she needed something from the Mom & Pop stores she would ask me to go for her, she would ask me two or three times a day, I would jump on my bike go to the store for her, when I would come back and delivered what she had order, she would tell me “may God pay you for your kindness” I would say to myself “yes because you will never pay me a dime”.
Anyway, Panfelita had a big white rooster, getting ahead of myself here on the rooster story.
In Simons there was lots of open land and the roads were all dirt, we didn’t have street lights. At night us young kids would light up a fire, one night one of the guys had an idea, “lets go steal Panfelita’s white rooster and we’ll cook him here on the fire”, so here we go about 4-5 of us kids, now this rooster was big and mean so nobody wanted to go into the coop and get him, finally Gilbert who we called Pachie said he would go into the coop, now Pachie was the smallest of us guys, don’t think he weighted more then 60 lbs, Pachie goes into the coop and suddenly there‘s a cloud of dust and all we could see was Pachie little feet stick out of the cloud of dust now an then. After a while Pachie won the fight and got the rooster, but let me tell you, that rooster beat the hell out of Pachie.
We ate the rooster.
Next morning my Mom and Panfelita were talking over the backyard fence, Panfelita was crying, I walked up to them and ask “what’s wrong?”, my Mom looked at me and said “somebody stole her rooster”, my mom gave me that looked that told me she knew I had something to do with the caper of “The Missing Rooster”.
We were not bad boys, I would like to think that we were just a little “mischievous”
By kiki
When we were living in Simons, our neighbor was a little old lady, Panfela, we called her Panfelita, Panfelita lived by herself and when she needed something from the Mom & Pop stores she would ask me to go for her, she would ask me two or three times a day, I would jump on my bike go to the store for her, when I would come back and delivered what she had order, she would tell me “may God pay you for your kindness” I would say to myself “yes because you will never pay me a dime”.
Anyway, Panfelita had a big white rooster, getting ahead of myself here on the rooster story.
In Simons there was lots of open land and the roads were all dirt, we didn’t have street lights. At night us young kids would light up a fire, one night one of the guys had an idea, “lets go steal Panfelita’s white rooster and we’ll cook him here on the fire”, so here we go about 4-5 of us kids, now this rooster was big and mean so nobody wanted to go into the coop and get him, finally Gilbert who we called Pachie said he would go into the coop, now Pachie was the smallest of us guys, don’t think he weighted more then 60 lbs, Pachie goes into the coop and suddenly there‘s a cloud of dust and all we could see was Pachie little feet stick out of the cloud of dust now an then. After a while Pachie won the fight and got the rooster, but let me tell you, that rooster beat the hell out of Pachie.
We ate the rooster.
Next morning my Mom and Panfelita were talking over the backyard fence, Panfelita was crying, I walked up to them and ask “what’s wrong?”, my Mom looked at me and said “somebody stole her rooster”, my mom gave me that looked that told me she knew I had something to do with the caper of “The Missing Rooster”.
We were not bad boys, I would like to think that we were just a little “mischievous”
"New Shoes"
Tales From The Simons Brickyard
By Frank Baltazar
My friend Richard came from a big family, 7-8 kids and like most people in Simons it was hard on Richard’s parents to buy new clothes/shoes for all the kids at once, one at a time the parents clothed their children. I mention before that we kids would built a fire every night in Simons, one night we are at the fire and one of Richard’s younger brothers kept putting his foot on a burning log, he had just gotten a new pair of shoes and none of the guys had said “hey, nice shoes”, by putting his foot on the burning log he was hoping that we would notice that he had new shoes, well we all notice alright, his shoe caught on fire!….
By Frank Baltazar
My friend Richard came from a big family, 7-8 kids and like most people in Simons it was hard on Richard’s parents to buy new clothes/shoes for all the kids at once, one at a time the parents clothed their children. I mention before that we kids would built a fire every night in Simons, one night we are at the fire and one of Richard’s younger brothers kept putting his foot on a burning log, he had just gotten a new pair of shoes and none of the guys had said “hey, nice shoes”, by putting his foot on the burning log he was hoping that we would notice that he had new shoes, well we all notice alright, his shoe caught on fire!….
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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