By Ray Collet

Hello Readers, The votes are all counted and tallied up for the name of Rockwood townspeople. Some wanted Rockwoodians, some said Rockwoodiens, Rockwooders was suggested by some, and a few that I won't mention, (but those were from Harrimanites and Kingstonians). THE ENVELOPE PLEASE..."DRUM ROLL"..... AND THE WINNER IS.........

"ROCKWOODERS. Thanks to all of you who sent in your suggestions.

Chester Taylor, (Class of 1960) sent me another email about the mischievous deeds of "The Black Hollow Gang." Here is what Charles wrote, " Thanks for the puzzles. I am printing them off and saving them. Here is another story about some of the things we did as kids in Rockwood. I think it has been long enough that the law can't get us now. HA !!
"Here is another story about the old gang from Black Hollow. Now when we were young and full of whatever, we did not think of that as being anything but where we lived. I found out years later that other people thought of it as something different. After we moved to Michigan and had an old friend of the family visit us, we found out that other people saw us in a different light. This friend lived in another part of town. He had a paper route as a young boy and delivered papers all over Rockwood. He said his mother would not let him deliver papers to Black Hollow. She told him, "THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN BLACK HOLLOW DON'T READ THE NEWS!!! THEY ARE THE NEWS!!!! Now we never though of ourselves like that!!!
"Now for the story. Do you remember the small flat cars that the railroad used to carry material on? Not the ones with the hand pumps to make them go. They were just 4 wheels with a wooden bed on them. A bunch of us appropriated (that is a word I picked up in the Marines. As a Marine we never stole anything, we just appropriated things) anyway, after borrowing the cart we would push it up the railroad in back of the old blast furnace at the end of Rockwood Avenue. (By the way, that was a lot of hard work that we would not have been willing to do if someone would have paid us). We would get on and ride it until it stopped, which would usually be way down past where Wal-Mart is today. The only way to stop it was to put a piece of wood between the boards on the bed and force it against the wheels. Well, it would take a mile to get it stopped. Someone thought it might be pretty bad if we were crossing a railroad and street crossing at the same time a car or truck would be crossing. It was dark and they would have no way of seeing us coming, so we rigged up a car battery and a headlight so we could turn it on when we were near a crossing. Thank God we never had to use it. We would put the car back on the side track each night after we used it, and I don't think the railroad ever knew what we were doing. I know there had to be a bunch of guardian angels breathe a sigh of relief when that bunch got interested in girls and changed their ways. Hey, we were just young and stupid, what can I say....Chester"
Thanks Chester, I sure am glad you met up Virginia, no telling where you be right now. Either in the pen or a retired railroad engineer. Always glad to hear from Chuck and the Black Hollow Boys.
Us Clymersville kids used to play dangerously around the old Tennessee Central Railroad behind our houses a little ways up the mountain. We would usually start out blackberry picking on sides of the railroad when a coal train would come a"chugging along loaded down and spinning its wheels (probably because Coon Doughty soaped the tracks). It would be going so slow, that we would step up on the side of the coal cars and hang on. Usually we would ride over the trestle, through the tunnel and jump off in Westel. On a few occasions, it would be going too fast and we would have to ride to Crossville before we could find a bunch of honeysuckle's to jump off on. Does anyone remember sitting on "The Bridge" and Ted Carmichael driving his car up and down the railroad tracks? We sure lived dangerously back then. Nothing to brag about and surely not meant for giving today's youngsters ideas, they have enough of their own.
Our football season is about to kick off and let's support our "Tigers" win or lose. Paul Haltom (Class of 1947) is looking for pictures or information about the team that "Shank" Knight coached one year. It would certainly be an interesting story. Let's remember August 29, honoring Coach Tom Pemberton in a pre-game ceremony. This will be reflecting on Coach Tom's Marine years that he so richly deserves. It will take place at approximately 7:05...........................Until Next Week, Ray