Saturday, July 18, 2015

More Polack #5


My wife also had Jimmy make her a blanket for cold days

7 comments:

Jim Alexander said...

Isn't that Eloise Berchtold's truck in the background? She had her cage act and Paramount Bears on the 1966 (I think) show.

Buckles said...

It is indeed.

Roger Smith said...

I remember that truck well. Everyone called it the Green Monster. During this time-frame, Eloise pulled into Jungleland one day to replenish provisions, as was the tradition for acts touring Southern California. I cut the meat she ordered. We bagged up all the shavings she could carry, and she loaded up on food she needed for the bears. She had a guy with her named Soldier, not to be confused with the long-time Prop Boss for Polack of the same name. We had some time for good jackpots, and at last the Green Monster rolled off down Thousand Oaks Boulevard. It was 1973 before I saw Eloise again. We worked Indianapolis for Castle, and resumed our jackpots like old friends. Every memory of Eloise is one of respect.

Wade G. Burck said...

Was this trailer originally a Hawthorn rig? A horrid green with red lettering was the original show color,(before blue with white stripe) plus it sure looks like a 'Cuneo' design job.

Wade Burck

Chic Silber said...


I believe Eloise was 1 of John's wives

so it likely became a Hawthorn rig

Wade G. Burck said...

Chic,
You got it backwards. If it is indeed a Hawthorn rig(not saying it was, it just look's like one of many) it became a Eloise rig after like a Kodiak X Polar bear cross.


Wade Burck

Chic Silber said...


Thanks Wade as I knew the connection

just not the sequence of events

(Not a good idea to cross any bear)