Superman City

On Sunday we drove across the Ohio back to Metropolis where we repaid Harrah's (with interest) the money they lent us a few days ago. Metropolis, population 5,000, makes the best of the town name and its link to the home of Superman.

After leaving Harrah's with our capes tucked tween our legs we decided to drive to Joppa, Illinois about 10 miles away. Joppa, population 500, is the scene of one of my more memorable adventures when I was a young teenager working summers on my Dad's towboat.

In the summer of 1967 my Dad had a young river pilot, Pete Story, working on the boat. Pete had family in Joppa so when we finished our hitch we didn't drive straight home to Louisiana. Instead, we stopped over in Joppa. While there Pete went to visit an old black man who operated a business on the river front in Joppa. The old man walked with crutches and carried a bullwhip. He also kept a .38 caliber pistol in the front pocket of his bib overalls. While we were there a young white guy walked into the store. As soon as the old man saw him he drew the pistol and said to the white guy, "Don't come any closer or I'll shoot". Seems that the white guy had started a fight during a poker game in the old man's store the night before and had come back to apologize. The old man wasn't having any of it and told him to leave and never come into his place again. The other thing I remember about the place is tht the restroom was a small closet with a funnel stuck through the wall.

More about Pete Story in the next post.