Stories of Ed Smith

1920s

Boy Stops Runaway Auto First Time at the Wheel

Walter Steele, Roosevelt Avenue, Steers Car Into Snowbank

Walter Steele, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Steele, 333 Roosevelt Avenue, a pupil in Edward Smith School, stopped a runaway automobile on the hill in front of his home yesterday.

The machine, left parked in front of the home of Mr. and Mrs. A (La?) Polley, 330 Roosevelt Avenue, worked loose and rolled down grade without a driver at the wheel.

The Steele boy, who is 12 years old, jumped aboard the car near Kensington Road and attempted to put on the brake but was unable to stop the runaway with the brakes.

Steering the machine into a snowbank, he brought it to a halt before it reached the bottom of the grade at Broad Street, where it might otherwise have gone over the edge of the road into a deep ditch.

Young Steele, who is a Boy Scout, is well grown for his age, but he had had no experience with cars until now. Asked about his experience today, he said: “That’s right: I stopped a car.” Lindbergh is his hero.

1940s

Pupils Give Six Afghans To Red Cross

Knitted by Boys and Girls of the Edward Smith School

Six afghans, knitted by boys and girls of the sixth grade at Edward Smith School, were presented to the local chapter of the American Red Cross during the last week.

Richard Severance made the presentation for the pupils, reporting that to date the boys and girls of that school have knitted 14 afghans for shipment to war sufferers.

Money for the yarn, he said, was secured through the sale of candy and through several student entertainments.

A woven afghan made by pupils of McKinley School also was added to the Red Cross collection during the week.

At a meeting of the Grade School Council of the Junior Red Cross, James Williamson of Edward Smith School was elected president to succeed Nancy Lamb.

Other new officers included Ruth Lang of George Washington School, vice president; Donald Priest of Bellevue School, secretary and Sally Kehoe of Salina School, treasurer.

Plans for the remainder of the school year were mapped by council members, a different project being chosen for each month. The projects are as follows: February, a providing favors for hospitals; March, making the home accident prevention hazard inspection in cooperation wit the safety council; April, participating in the Pan-American Week by writing greetings to juniors in other countries and by setting up exhibits, May, the annual Grade School rally.

From Adam Gaus

My mother took the 5th Class photo in June 1941, just months before the USA entered World War II. I am the small kid, third from the left in the front row. Note the white-blond hair with bangs. I count 28 kids. Our wonderful teacher, Mrs. Grant, is top left in the photo. My father spent Saturdays in early summer, driving me to each kid’s house to take him or her a print of the photo.