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mark Printing by providing a copy service to the

public and an office supply retail store. BOSS & CO., was sold early in 1990 to allow Benchmark to concentrate on the printing end of the business. Recognizing the need to be involved in helping to deal with some of our society's problems. Benchmark is promoting the use of recycled paper by encouraging printing buyers to use recycled papers and, by example, show other printers that it is a good idea. Benchmark was named after a cat whose full name was Benchmark Papers on Ecology, and is now a part thereof.

and 13-hour days were just too much for me, but I treasure all the fond memories and many friends I made at Bertha's Corner. And I learned one thing - you can't go back! I tried to make another Watson's Cut-Rate - give good service at low prices, but progress changes things. I just couldn't create the 40's and 50's again. W - Bertha Best Haller

BLACKSMITHING An occupation the need for which has passed but was once represented in the local scene was blacksmithing. On the corner of Center Street and Petersville Road,John Thompson operated a blacksmith shop. Opposite the westbound station there was another shop run by a "Sally" Booth. Later Johnson moved his smithy to the west end of town behind the location of Litten Auto Sales at Florida Avenue and West Potomac Street. During the 1930's the blacksmith shop on Center Street became a transient center for black transients, food being brought from the other transient center in the Hotel Potomac, across from the old YMCA, where caucasian transients were housed. The men ate their meals and played games on the first floor, and bunked upstairs.

S - Ellis Burruss

W-BRH

BERTHA'S CORNER Horine's Drug Store, on the southeast corner of Potomac Street and Maple Avenue, became Bertha's Corner for about a year and a half in 1970-71. Irv Kolker and Nat Winter owned the building and backed the store. Because there was no place for an exhaust system, the Health Department would not permit a grill, so the menu was limited to cold sandwiches, although a hotdog roaster did add that item. We also sold pimento cheese and ham salad sandwiches, home-made soups, and most ice cream treats. Hot fudge sundaes were our specialty. We also sold a line of inexpensive costume jewelry, a few of Verna Ward's ceramics, and other gift items. Many young people came in after school to play the juke box and have a "coke." Pat Reynolds and Darlene Mossberger worked with me, and my daughter Rae helped out. Leroy Thompson kept the ceramic tile floor clean. I remember Mr. Compher came in every Monday morning for coffee and conversation after he had deposited his week-end profits at the Bank of Brunswick. He would usually bring one of his gold coins and every week told me he was about ready to sell his Cross Roads Inn; it is still going strong. Mr. Charles Gross came in everyday for a "coke" with just plain water and no ice. I got it right after two or three tries. We stayed open all night twice, and sold hourly specials; cokes 5 cents all night; milk shakes and sundaes 10 cents at midnight, and banana splits 25 cents at 3:00 AM. The Brunswick police were kind enough to check on us throughout the night to insure our safety. I finally had to give up the store - no profits

S - Memory Lane W - WHH

MRS. LUCAS' BOARDING HOUSE Mrs. Lucas' boarding house shows on Arthur Lutman'splats of the town on lot 86. This is the first lot south of the westbound tracks, east of Maple Avenue when it extended beyond the tracks. It would be directly across the tracks from the rear section of the back parking lot of the American Legion Home today. It faced Railroad Street, not Maple Avenue. Levi Crummett wrote that "her (Mrs. Lucas') children were Gertrude, who married John Fleetwood; May, who married a Kimes; Julia, who married John Crummett (Levi's parents)." Levi was born at the boarding house in 1905 and has been corresponding with the Brunswick History Commission. He still lives in northern Virginia. W-MMM

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