From: Terry Trautman
Columbus
This is not a letter complaining about anything such as politics, local government, climate change — you name it. In a front page article in Monday’s Republic is an article about the intended sale of the Ruddick-Nugent home. That brought back memories for me.
I was an Evening Republican news carrier (then referred to as “paper boys” as that was the only gender represented back then) from 1952 to 1954. My route included the east side of Union Street, both sides of Home Avenue and the west side of Newton Street from 16th to 25th streets. The last house on my route was the (then) Nugent residence. When I bought the route from a fellow high school classmate, Steve Higgins, he told me that Mr. Nugent preferred to have his paper delivered to the side porch, a porte cochere on the east side of the home.
Every Saturday morning I would collect for the week’s delivery from all my customers. I would usually reach the Nugent home about 10:30 in the morning. For all three years, Mr. Nugent was the one answering the doorbell. At the time I thought nothing of it, but every Saturday, he (not his wife) would not only answer the door but he was always dressed in a suit. Certainly none other of the 150 customers were so attired. One way to describe him would be to remember what Winston Churchill looked like and you’d come reasonably close. The other remembrance was that he was kind and mannerly of demeanor.
At Christmas many customers would add a little extra to the week’s collection. The newspaper charged a quarter a week back then. Sometimes I would get a (then plentiful) half-dollar and told to keep the change. Sometimes, candy. Do you remember those “books” of Life Savers? Mr. Nugent was special though. In addition to my quarter, he would reach into the watch pocket of his vest and pull out a shiny silver dollar and wish me a Merry Christmas. I was delighted.
