Fix it man drove nice Cadillac

This column originally ran on March 10, 2014. Enjoy this oldie-but-goodie while Carol’s out sick.

Back in the day, every springtime Canastota residents would gather up all the debris they cleared out of their houses during those long wintry days.

They would have them all ready when the village announced the spring cleanup days (remember those?)

All of the clutter would be placed on the curb and the DPW guys would come around and gather it up to be taken away. Many didn’t know it, but there used to be a dump at the end of Barlow Street where I believe a lot of it ended up.

That was before we had the county landfill.

Those piles of clutter told us a lot about our neighbors and what they had been doing these winter days.

We would find out who had a new room done over, a new hot water tank or furnace. The plaster, paneling or what-have-you is all out awaiting the village boys to come and get it. There may be pieces of lath when the walls inside have been done over and perhaps insulated.

We always found it interesting when we would leave for work or go around town doing errands to notice something of value placed at the curb. Sometimes from one day to the next, that something of value would disappear from the curb overnight, we would notice.

Those years, we would notice a certain person(s) who came into the village one day after another and traveled the streets gathering many pieces from different piles and placing them in their car or truck or sometimes an attached trailer he was pulling.

I remember that one homeowner as he was placing something on this already full collection engaged the scavenger in conversation, finding out what he was doing. Because he would gather broken furniture and other pieces of interest, worn tires, and just plain broken appliances.

He was a fix-it man you found out and once mended, painted or polished, he would take the items to a nearby auction.

It seems the man journeyed from town to town, kept track of cleanup days in each village, and made a living fixing up and selling other people’s castoffs.

It wasn’t a bad living, either; he drove a recent model Cadillac when the family would go out for a drive.

He had some great stories about antiques, too.

The neighbor who conversed with him was amazed at some of the items he would find that were valuable and he would be able to coin quite a piece of change for them.

He had picked up some really good treasures during his travels. In order to do this, he had to know the value of pieces that appeared to be an antique. With a coat of paint or stripping a piece and refinishing it knowing that many persons don’t know when an antique is refinished it has lost some of its value and would bring a good price.

He told him about lamps, many tools from carpenters and farmers. There is a whole lot to be said for tools and pieces of machinery or equipment. He ventured to say that one day he might write a book on his escapades.

I can confess that I was one of those who did see a pair of chairs that would fit nicely in a bedroom or two. The only problem was that the upholstery on the seats was worn out.

I stuck them in my car, took them home, refinished the woodwork, purchased the suitable materials for the seats, and eventually had two beautiful straight back chairs for two bedrooms. I also remember a friend of mine who picked up an ironing board in perfect shape, which she took home with her

Those were the days. Wasn’t it great?

In those days, there wasn’t as much population as there is today, and the present county landfill operation works much better than days of yore.