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Remember when the old College Building stood where the Covington Y. M. C.
A. now stands?
Remember when "Pop" Gould and Verner Davison ran the Savoy Theatre at Pike
St. and Madison Ave?
Remember when Henry Holtrup's café at that corner served a free lunch for
a king to eat?
Remember when Rolfes & Waches, clothers, were located at the corner where
the Industrial Club now stands?
If you remember all of these, you will remember "Peanut Charley."
Maybe you haven't thought of "Peanut Charley" for many years, but if you
lived in Covington 15 years ago or so, you knew him. Thousands of persons
did.
For Peanut Charley was a Covington Institution in the days before the
streets became crowded with traffic, and when a street car ride and an ice
cream soda or a bag of peanuts constituted a real Sunday afternoon treat
for your girl.
Nine years "Peanut Charley" stood at the corner of Pike St and Madison
Ave. His little wagon, with it's revolving magazine of peanuts and its
clown doll which appeared to be turning a crank as the mechanism revolved,
was something for the kids to see when you took them for a walk on Madison
Avenue.
Thousands and thousands of persons bought peanuts and popcorn from "Peanut
Charley." Thousands of persons he came to know well.
His wagon took up little space alongside Rolfes & Wachs' store, and even
if it had taken up much it wouldn't have mattered, for there wasn't any
parking problem then.
Twelve years ago Charley's health failed. He had to give up his stand. He
purchased a farm and disappeared from the sight of all except his close
friends.
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Thus it is many will be interested in hearing of Peanut Charley again.
"Peanut Charley" is Charles Stephens, who for the past dozen years has
lived on his 87 acres one mile north of Independence, Kenton Co.
There he has tended his chickens, and raise, as he says, "Corn, wheat and
'taters." There he has won back some measure of the health that once was
his, altho he has not regained the full 211 pounds which the scales
formerly showed was his weight.
Far from the madding crowd, Stephens lives with his wife, son and two
daughters.
"Don't you get lonesome out here, remembering the years during which the
kaleidoscope at Pike and Madison was before your eyes daily?" someone
asked the other day.
"Don't have time to," said "Peanut Charley."
For there's plowing and sowing and harvesting and running a tractor and
playing engineer to do. There are a gasoline engine and an electric light
plant to attend. There are chickens and hogs and cows to take care of.
There is a picnic ground, which Charley offers rent free to churches and
lodges.
And there is, lately, a refreshment stand, restaurant, and tourist camp at
the roadside for the Stephens family to look after. There are new
buildings, which "Peanut Charley" put up himself and there is painting to
be done and repairs to be made.
So that this is no humdrum life "Peanut Charley" leads.
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The only peanuts which "Peanut Charley" sells at his roadside stand are
salted peanuts. He hasn't had time to think about a roaster such as he
once had a Pike and Madison. But old friends who see his sign and stop in,
often call for his old-time brand and Charley may some day live up to his
old name again. |