Tuesday, February 3, 2015

No School? Why?-- Part 3: Boy-Power Shoveling

The next day, January 14, 1918, the Tribune reported,"60,000 boys of the city will trot off to school today as usual, but they will carry shovels in place of books."  As part of the plan drawn up by the school superintendent, they would help dig the city out in shifts and "break trails through their snow besieged neighborhoods.

They worked in shifts and rested in heated classrooms under the supervision of teachers.  They superintendent of streets of Chicago soon reported that streets were 90 percent open.

But, the schools still weren't able to reopen on Monday because there was still a lack of coal.  In fact, schools did not reopen for good until January 28th.

There was much made during this period of the fact that saloons were able to remain open with plentiful supplies of coal.

Interesting About Those Saloons.  Must have Been Turning beer Into Coal.  Hey Pass the Coal.  --Cooter

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