Russ Garner Recollections #2

Mr Nelson had a big red chow dog named, of course, "Red."
One day Red was chasing the big old tomcat that lived accross 112th Street 
from the station, his usual occupation when things were otherwise dull. The 
cat jumped up on a low stone wall, stopped, and raked Red's nose very well 
indeed! After that the cat walked the wall while Red sat by the pumps, pointedly 
ignoring him! Red was very protctive of Mr Nelson, nobody could shake his 
hand until he reassured Red that it was OK. Mr Nelson later told me that Red 
lived past age 18.

Some of the people I remember from around the Nelson station were: My brother,
Theron Garner, Gus Lighthouse, and Jack Linard.

My brother moved to Oregon after WW II and maintained equipment at 
sawmills. Gus became a mail worker and sorted mail on the train to/from 
Chicago for may years. Jack worked on aircraft engines in Canada and at 
Norton AFB during WW II. Later he taught for many years at National Schools 
at Exposition and Figueroa. He lived in Inglewood.

I remember riding the "F" Car home from school on VE DAY, the car was 
loaded , I mean LOADED. Someone put down the rear cow-catcher and about 
10 of us rode on it.

I used to go down to the end of the line at 114th and buy change from the 
conductor. I put together a pretty good collection of pennys, nickles, and dimes, 
some rather rare (SBD and SVDB penneys, 1937 three legged buffalo nickle, etc.) 
As I recall I gave the collection either to Raymond or to Alex. Later I think it 
was spent for movies or whatever!

Forerunner to the Magdaleno Garage hey-day might have been the Garner garage. 
On Saturdays my father and Jack Linard would tinker on their cars, mostly Jacks. 
He was the proud owner of a 1941 Chevy sedan "Delux", or whatever. The car 
was still immaculate in the early 60's when he finally traded it in on the ugliest 
Jaguar sedan ever built, the upside down bath-tub model! I learned a very great 
deal about the workings of automobiles from these two oldtime mechanics.

Russ Garner