LIVERPOOL IS A BEAUTIFUL SETTING ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WITH A SQUARE OF BEAUTIFUL TREES,BRIGHT GREEN GRASS, AND A BAND STAND WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PICTURE IN MY MIND. I RECALL MANY PLEASANT TIMES AND FRIENDLY PEOPLE AS I DELIVERED MILK FROM DOOR TO DOOR AT A VERY YOUNG AGE.

MY PARENTS, JAMES ORVILLE AND ELIZABETH BEAVER RUMBAUGH, BOUGHT THE DAIRY ROUTE FROM BASHORE AND DELIVERED MILK UNTIL THE EARLY 30’S. THIS SUPPLYING MILK DAILY INVOLVED MUCH WORK AND TIME.

THE PROCESS BEGAN WITH THE WASHING OF THE BOTTLES, TWO BOTTLES AT A TIME ON ROTATING BRUSHES POWERED BY A SMALL GASOLINE MOTOR. THE BOTTLES WERE INVERTED IN THE BOTTLE CASES TO DRY.

WHEN FIVE O’CLOCK IN THE EVENING CAME WE BEGAN TO MILK. SOME COWS WERE MILKED "BY HAND" OTHERS WE MILKED WITH MILKERS POWERED BY A BATTERY GENERATOR. ALL MILK WAS STRAINED THROUGHMILK GAUGE DISKS CLAMPED ON A HUGE FUNNEL SITTING ON A MILK CAN. THE CANS WERE THEN SET INTO A CHEST WITH ICE BLOCKS WHICH WERE HARVESTED FROM THE CREEK AND PRESERVED IN SAWDUST IN AN ICE HOUSE. AFTER COOLED, MOTHER BOTTLED EACH BOTTLE BY HAND AND CAREFULLY CAPPED WITH A CAP. THESE BOTTLES WERE SET INTO A TROUGH OF WATER WITH ICE. THE NEXT MORNING MY FATHER AND I TOOK THE LOADED TOURING CAR WITH SIDE CURTAINS TO LIVERPOOL TO SET ON EACH DOORSTEP OF THOSE WHO WERE HIS CUSTOMERS.( I WENT ONLY SATURDAY AND SUMMER MONTHS) MY JOB WAS TO TAKE FOUR BOTTLE CARRIERS AND SET BOTTLES ON THE CUSTOMERS PORCH. MY ROUTE WAS AROUND THE GREEN IN THE BAND STAND AREA. IF THE CUSTOMER WANTED 2 QUARTS, SHE WOULD PUT 2 BOTTLES OR PUT A NOTE IN THE BOTTLE TO HER NEEDS. USUALLY THE MONEY WAS PUT INTO TO PAY FOR THE PURCHASE 3CENTS PER ½ PINT, 5 CENTS PER PINT AND 10 CENTS FOR A QUART. CREAM WAS A $1.00 PER QUART. WE DELIVERED TO GEORGE Y MILLERS STORE (NEAR LIVERPOOL HARWARE STORE) THE LOCUST INN (NEAR GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH) THE BURDS WAFFLE AND CHICKEN HOUSE(THE GOOD SMARATIAN HOME) BARNERS RESTAURANT(LOCATED NIPPLES HOME) WEIS STORE(PRONOUNCED "WEES" ACROSS FROM THE BAND STAND) LIBEYS MANSION (STILL STANDS ON THE OLD ROUTE 11/15 ABOVE LIVERPOOL.

THE MOST SPETACULAR EVENT WHILE DELIVERING MILK WAS THE "MOUTH TO MOUTH" MESSAGE THAT PRESIDENT HOOVER WAS COMING TO THE CHURCH ON HIS WAY BACK TO WASHINGTON. WHAT A STIR! A WOMAN OFFERED TO COMB ME SO I WOULD LOOK MY BEST! MY FATHER TOOK ME TO THE "OLD METHODIST CHURCH" TO STAND NEAR THE STEPS. PEOPLE EVEN USED PROFANITY WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING FOR HIM! I TSTOOD VERY STILL AND FOLLOWED THE ENTORAGE INTO THE CHURCH. REV JARRETT WAS QUITE FORMAL AND NERVOUS AT THE TIME. I SAT 2 ROWS BEHIND THE PRESIDENT. HE PUT T DOLLARS IN THE OFFERING-SOLD LATER AT JENNY JARRETTS SALE FOR MUCH MORE! WHEN WE ARRIVED HOME, MOTHER WAS ANNOYED THAT WE WERE LATE FOR A DINNER INVITATION IN THOMPSONTOWN. HER ATTITUDE SOON CHANGED WHEN WE RELATED THE EXPERIENCE. FOR MY TREAT EACH DAY WAS AN EXPENSIVE BANANA WHICH WAS NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE. IN 1942 I WAS HAPPY TO BE ELECTED TO TEACH MATH AND SCIENCE IN LIVERPOOL HIGH SCHOOL. ALVIN GRUBB TRULY RECRUITED ME-I WAS ELECTED TO COUDERSPORT PA FIRST, BUT I FOUND THE BEIING AT HOME IN PHOUTZ VALLEY WAS MY MOST PRACTICAL CHOICE FINANCIALLY. I RECEIVED 1200.00 FOR THE YEAR-PAID MONTHLY,BUT I FORGOT THAT I HAD TO HAVE MONEY IN THE SUMMER(I FOOLISHLY HAD SPENT MY SALARY ON EXPENSIVE JEWLERY,CLOTHES AND A FUR COAT!) MY FIRST BAN ACCOUNT WAS IN LIVERPOOL BANK. MR GRUBB WARNED ME THAT I WAS ONLY A FEW YEARS OLDER THAN MY STUDENTS AND THAT THE FOMER TEACHER WAS LITERLLY UNABLE TO KEEP"SCHOOL"(AS HE TERMED IT) I ASSUMED THE CHARACTER OF A GROUCH AND HANDLED THE STUDENTS TO THE BEST OF MY JUDGEMENT. MANY STUDENTS HAVE OTHER TALES, BUT I WAS INNOVATED,THE PROM,YEARBOOK,SCHOOL PAPER, AND SCHOOL TRIPS. THE SCHOOL HAD PLAYS PREVIOUSLY BEEN COACHED BY MR KLINGER. ALL SPORTS WERE COACHED BY MR WILLIAMSON. THREE FACULTY MEMBERS CONSISTED OF THE HIGH SCHOOL UPSTAIRS. GRADES 8 WERE IN THE LOWER FLOOR. ALL THE STUDENTS LINED THE RAMPS DOWNSTAIRS FOR OUR RAID DRILLS DURING WORLD WAR II . TRANSPORTATION TO THE GAMES WERE PROVIDED BY MR WILLIAMSON AND ME. THERE WERE NO BUSSES! FOR RECREATION I HAD SIMPLE PROGRAMS ON THE BANDSTAND. THE TOWNS PEOPLE SOON GATHERED AND LOOKED FOR MORE LATER. THE JUNIOR PROM ALSO DREW CROWDS OUTSIDE THE AUDITORIUM TO SEE IF " THIS YOUNG TEACHER WAS LEADING THE STUDENTS TO THE DEVIL" ONE LADY EVEN BROUGHT HER ROCKER AND SAT OUTSIDE THE OPEN DOORS UNTIL WE CLOSED AR 11:00 PM. I WISH I KNEW WHAT SHE TOLD EVERYONE SHE MET. MANY OF THE PLACES OF BUSINESS WERE:SNAPPY SHULERS" DRUG STORE WITH A MEETING PLACE UPSATIRS. ( I RECALL THE POS OF A DINNERS} JACKY LUTZS CLOTHING AND DRY GOODS STORE,LONGS FEED AND COAL STORE,(A GOOD LOAFING PLACE AND GOSSIP CENTER) BARNERS BUTCHER SHOP, "MAG MURRAYS" BARBER SHOP,JOHNSONS BARBER SHOP,AND SHULERS GROCERY STORE WITH WAYNE SHULER RIDING HIS "KIDDIE CAR" OUT FRONT. THE CHURCHES WERE VERY ACTIVE AND WELL ATTENDED. THE ONES I REMEMBER ARE THE EVANGELICAL,UNITED BRETHERN,METHODIST EPISCOPAL(LATER MERGED TO FORM THE UNITED METHODIST) AND THE LUTHERAN(ACTUALLY THE EVANGELICAL AND UNITED BRETHERN MERGED FIRST) I ATTENDED SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVERTIONS IN EACH OF THESE OVER THE YEARS. IVE ALWAYS HAD A "SOFT SPOT" IN MY HEART WHERE I HAVE TRAVELED THE STREETS AND HELPED TO EDUCATE THE CHILDREN. ITRULLY RECALL MY DAYS AS BEING ENJOYABLE. ESPECIALLY ATTENDING CLASS REUNIONS AND MEETINGS. EVEN THOUGH THE LACK OF FACILITIES WAS A SHOCK, I ADJUSTED BECAUSE EACH DAY I COULD GO HOME TO MODERN FACILITIES

AFTERTHOUGHTS

WE THE LIVERPOOL HISTORIANS WOULD LIKE TO THANK ELIZABETH (BETTY) RUMBAUGH RUMBERGER FOR TAKING TIME TO SHARE HER MEMORIES WITH ALL OF US AND THE FOLKS OF LIVERPOOL. ANYONE WHO WOULD BY CHANCE HAPPEN UPON ANY BOTTLECAPS,BOTTLES OR CALENDARS WITH HER FATHERS NAME ON SHE WOULD BE HAPPY TO BE NOTIFIED. SHE IS LOOKING FOR CERTAIN ONES. IN CLOSING WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD, BECAUSE OF HER DEDICATION AND CARING WAYS WE KNOW LIVERPOOL AND THE STUDENTS WHO PASSED THROUGH HER CLASSES WILL ALWAYS BE THANKFUL FOR HER EFFORTS TO MAKE OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM SOMETHING WE CAN BE PROUD OF TODAY.

FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS WE THANK YOU, ELIZABETH. THE LIVERPOOL HISTORIANS