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My father and his siblings reminded me of the old movies "The Little Rascals" or "Our Gang ". The center of their world Down Neck was Feigenspan Brewery's clock. Very few people had clocks and fewer still had watches. It gave them not only the time but also the security knowing they were near home. They never wore shoes during the summer. They were only provided with the advent of school year. Hence the name "Down Neck Feet ". Tough as leather. Black as coal. The winter brought on more than just cold and snow. It emphasized the lack of warm clothing and the need for fuel to keep their home warm. To supplement the fuel the boys would scavenge for fuel. They walked the railroad tracks looking for pieces coal that fell from the fireman's shovel. They visited the brewery's barrel yard to get bungs. Bungs were the wooden plugs that were used to plug the beer barrels. These were used as an accelerant in the coal stove. The tenement that they lived in lacked closets. But that was no hardship because they had little to hang up. My father told me when they went to bed at night, they would throw all of their clothes in the middle of the floor. In one big common pile. God help the poor soul who slept late. One summer the city provided a summer respite for the kids. They loaded them on a train for a few days at the shore. Wherever that was. Maybe Keansburg. My father was only around 7 years old. He was very anxious to go. He didn't know how far away he was going but it seemed like fun. After all he was going with his older brothers and friends. When the train pulled out he looked at Feigenspan's clock. Everything was fine until he could no longer see the clock. That's when he started crying. His security was compromised. He never stopped crying. He had to be sent home by train the next day. * * *
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