Dave asked what happened to the Harley. I need to go back a little to explain what happened to it.
At age 14 I decided I wanted to be the first person in the Sim family to graduate from college. I graduated from high school exactly 60 years ago this June, but the family didn't have the money for my college. A month and a half after I graduated the fighting stopped in Korea. Realizing the only way I would ever go to college was to join the military, so I joined the Army.
I spent 3 1/2 years in the Army, getting out in July, 1958, with the idea I would use the GI bill and start college in September. But... I did something while I was in the Army that had some effect on my doing anything, I had gotten married and had a daughter. When I got out of the Army, I went to work as a Salesman for Gerber Baby Food, putting my family first.
A little over 12 months later, I decided, against my wife's feeling, my parents telling me I was crazy, etc. that I had just spent 3 1/2 years in the Army with one purpose in mind, that to go to college. So, I quit work, and applied to Penn State (at their center in Philly) to attend day school. I also applied for an apprentiship in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (where my father worked), was accepted. I would work in the yard from 4-12, get home by 12:30, study to 3:30 in the morning, go to sleep and get up to be in class by 8 or 9 in the morning. I lived on 3-4 hours a sleep for almost 2 years.
Skipping ahead, after 2 years at Penn State, I transferred to a small college in southeast Missouri, appropately named Southeast Missouri State University. I graduated from college 50 years ago this June, exactly 10 years after I graduated from high school.
While living just west of Philly and being interested in old cars I got to know a lot of antique car owners. Not many people know this but the AACA was started by a bunch of guys who lived just west of Philly, back in 1935. One of the founders was George Hughes Sr. He was so well know in the AACAS, the high wheeler race held on Saturday afternoon in the stadium at the fall Hershey is named after him. He had passed away prior to meeting all these guys, but I did become friends with his son G. H Jr. When the Sr. passed away he left his son 13 cars that were 1910 and earlier. Jr. also had this knack about finding some very nice old cars.
Now the Harley. I went to this woman's basement, looked at the bike, it was all there, but it was rough. She also had a gramaphone for sale. I decided I would give her $20.00 for the graphone and $30.00 for the Harley, I asked her what she wanted for the two items and she said $30.00 for the gramaphone and $20.00 for the Harley.
Knowing G. H Jr. had a 1930 Studebaker Roadster, and he wanted the Harley, we traded. He had wanted $100 for the Studebaker so I basically sold the Harley for $100.00.
In reality, I shouldn't have been buying anything, I was in college, didn't have the money to restore anything, and the second child was on her way. This lead me in to picking.
Will pick up this story in a few days.
Jack
Last edited by Jack Sim; Thu Mar 28 2013 11:52 PM.
