Page:Brunswick 100 Years of Memories.pdf/180

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booking agent, with a definite date selected for

delivery. A monthly list was provided by various companies. A good theatre staff to firm up a successful business is a must. Various projectionists at the Imperial have been Roy Cannon, Leroy Deener, Jackie Porter, Jimmy Dixon, Raymond Custer, and Harvey Snoots. Ticket sellers were Madeline Shelton Rice, Louise Grams, Margo Cannon, and Louise Cannon, "Sonny's wife and helpmate. Margo Cannon, Sissy Snoots, and Judy Walker shared managing the candy counter over the years. The Cannon's operated the business until May 1962, when a handful of viewers saw the last film shown at the Imperial, "BACK STREET" with Warner Baxter. The Imperial was Brunswick's primary source of family entertainment for about five decades. The regular schedule was two shows per night, six days a week, and usually three or four different movies each week, with a Saturday afternoon matinee for the youngsters which always included a chapter of a thrilling serial. As drive-in movies and television made inroads on theatre audiences, the Imperial did begin to open on Sundays during the Cannon ownership in the hope of increasing patronage. While this action drew some local criticism, it was the forerunner of what would later become standard practice. As the business declined, show nights were cut to only Friday-Saturday-Sunday, then to SaturdaySunday-Monday. The admission never exceeded 50 cents; in fact, it was 25 cents for an adult for many years. Other activities there, besides movies, included minstrel and home talent shows, and occasionally some group from out of town would stage a show. The Eagles held Christmas parties there, and in the days of segregation, Santa Claus paid a morning visit to the black children, and an afternoon visit to white children. After the theatre closed, Graydon Holler took over the building around 1963, hoping to buy it and open a night club for teenagers. However, during renovations the building collapsed. Danny Kehne then bought the lot and sold it to the Fire Company.

POTOMAC RIVER A good argument can be made that the Potomac River is Brunswick's most valuable asset. Developments traditionally occur along rivers as they are a source of food and water to sustain life and offer transportation possibilities toencouragecommerce. They have usually carved a path through mountains and wilderness which facilitates travel. Because of its passage through the mountains east and west of Brunswick, the valley of the Potomac offered logical routes for both the canal and the railroad. Naturally, the canal had to follow the river to retain its source of water. The railroad, looking for the easiest mountain crossing, also found the most acceptable route was parallel to the Potomac. The canal was an important part of Berlin-Brunswick life for 90 years; the railroad changed the town completely. Aside from bringing us these two transportation systems, the river touched our lives in many ways. We fished, swam, and boated in it, camped along it, and enjoy water from it in our municipal system. Fishing was always a popular sport in town, combining excellent recreation with an opportunity to put some food on the table. Local fishing ran the full gamut from young boys on the riverbank with a homecut pole and fishworms to accomplished anglers casting with artificial lures from a boat or 1nchoring on a big rock midstream and using minnows for bait. The widely-used types of fishing were "still fishing" and "casting." "Still fishing" is done from a stationary location on the bank, or rock, or anchored boat, where lines are thrown out to wait for the fish to bite. Almost any variety of fish would be caught this way. Casting involves repeated throws, or casts, of the line, retrieving after each cast. Baits used were minnows and fishworms for "still fishing," and plugs, flies and spinners for casting. The casting reel has evolved from old back-lash prone models of the 1920's and 30's to smooth-operating spinning and spin-casting reels. The "casting" fisherman would usually catch bass. The river offered a wide assortment of fish large- and small-mouth bass, catfish, sunperch, suckers, crappie, carp, as well as eels and turtles and lots of wild ducks for the winter hunter. Aside from hook and line, it was legal to putout "bush bobs" in the evening. A length of heavy twine was tied to a pole or overhanging tree limb and a hook at the other end was baited with a variety which included P&G soap and chicken parts. The take from bush bobs was usually catfish.

S - Frank Shaffer - Sonny & Louise Cannon W-MMM

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