Roundhouse

      More Letters From Paradise
            Round House
My great-grandfather worked in the locomotive round house Chicago, in the 1880's. I do not know what job he had, but I do know that he was very well known for the use of his fists.

Sometimes the dark night- filled round house was lighted by a pool of light from the head lamps of silent locomotives. A circle of men surrounded two fighters. The rules were simple, no eye gouging and fight until one man quits, or is knocked out.The fights were brutal. Each man was stripped to the waist,and fought without gloves, bare-knuckles. Money was bet and money was lost.

My great-grandfather would often arrive home with red bruises on his body and arms, and less often a red cheek or swollen lip. But never a black eye. He would give a few dollars to his wife, while keeping the majority of his winnings to himself.

But where could he hide his winnings? He was helped in this problem by his wife. She was not very much interested in house cleaning. So Grandpa began hiding his winnings under the living room rug.

This situation continued for some time until the day when Grandma decided to do some house cleaning. The moment came when she lifted a side of the carpet and found the money. There were ten and twenty dollar gold coins and many large paper bills.

I know what she did when she found the money. What do you think she did?
Did she A. confront her husband
        B. put the money back
        C. take the money and go shopping
I would also note that if you would gently shake our family tree, a Heavy Weight
Champion of the British Isles would fall out. I think that my Great-grandfather is that man.

         Aloha
         Grant