THOSE SOUNDS: “As a child, I lived on Hawthorne
Road. In the field across the street, there was a pond and a
pumphouse. When I went to bed at night, the bull frogs were
croaking but most of all I remember the chorus of those zillion
crickets chirping away and the THUMP THUMP THUMP of that pumphouse
engine with its rods reaching in all directions to pull the jacks
that pump the oil.”

Sweet sounds of growing up in Bradford, as told today by
Barney Snyder of Tucson, Ariz.

He was responding to our recent item about a recording of spring
peepers and the possibility that it could be included in the sounds
of Pennsylvania, a feature on National Public Radio.

Barney continues, “It seemed that pump house went all night and
it sort of lulled me to sleep at night. Between the peepers and the
pump house one would never need a lullaby to go to sleep.”

“When we moved to Williams Street, it was the steam
engines whistling in the night as they alerted cars at the Mill
Street crossing that they were coming. They were not annoying
sounds.

“If you were able to interpret the whistles they said, ‘here I
come, don’t cross’ or ‘I’m backing up now.’ The familiarity of the
sounds is much like the farmer listening to the rooster at the
crack of dawn or cows mooing because they want to be milked.

“Those were just some of the little things that bring back the
fond memories of growing up in Bradford. I’d say that there are a
lot of people still living in Bradford who would expand on those
sounds. Bill Hanson would, I know. He lived right up the
street.”

ON E-BAY: It’s been a little while now but Patricia
Demjan of Bradford called to tell us vintage films of Bradford war
brides was being sold on e-Bay. Offering the items was a seller in
Kansas. There was only a few days left on the auction when Pat
called so it’s hard to say if the footage is still on sale. The
film included a picture of the old Bradford train station, Pat
tells us.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “I believe every editor can make
responsible decisions if he or she chooses to. It just takes guts
and conscience,” said Charles L. Overby, Freedom Forum, 1999.