recollections about james mason
From Horace Mason's 1977 letter to his brother James: "Remember the slough or pond across from the school? The rubber ice? Several of us ran around on it, sinking down a foot or more each step. You threw the Klein kid's cap out on the ice, and when he went to get it he broke thru about waist deep. He didn't get the cap. Mom sent money to buy a new one. 50 cents I think."
John Mason's 2016 email about his father James' recollections of the Chicago Cubs: "What my dad called 'Cubs Park' was West Side Grounds, at the corner of Wolcott Ave. and Polk St., about 0.8 of a mile from the Mason apartment at 1415 Adams, near the corner of Loomis, halfway between Ashland and Racine Avenues. It was walking distance, about 6 or 7 city blocks. Dad (James Mason) said that they could hear the crowd chanting 'Tinker to Evers to Chance!' (the double play combination) when they were outdoors. Traffic on Adams St. consisted mostly of horse-drawn wagons and pedestrians. There was no radio coverage; you either went to the game or read about it in the newspapers.
"Wrigley field was built several years later, and was called Weeghman Park before P.K. Wrigley bought it."
"Wrigley field was built several years later, and was called Weeghman Park before P.K. Wrigley bought it."
Don Hanke's 2023 email recollection of his grandfather: "By the way he was a great grandfather. He had the gentlest mellow demeanor. I don’t ever remember him ever raising his voice in anger. He was always interested in what we were doing. He would shoot baskets with us and used the underhanded technique. He was an avid gardener, and he would appear in the back yard attending to Iris flowers and others that he planted throughout our garden/yard. My mom and dad had their hands full with three boys and didn’t have the time to maintain that sort of thing. He also played golf, and gave us his old wood shafted clubs which we destroyed. He liked to hang out with us and watch sports on TV during thanksgiving and various gatherings."