Curator's Corner: More from George

Thanks Phil (for scanning and uploading the March 24, 1978 letter from the landlord as I could not get my scanner to work; nor my borrowed camera). The letter indeed is a reaction to a party, likely held March 3 or 4 or 10 or 11, 1978, which was apparently quite a bash seemingly involving both the 340 Club (me, Phil, Sil, and City L) and the 338 Club (Bob Koenig, his Rotweiler, a couple of other biker roomies, and Dotty his girlfriend). Mr. Kratzert was the landlord of both buildings and a neighbor (or perhaps a fellow landlord who owned 342-344), a Mrs. Betty Garman, had complained about what she saw as outlandish behavior.

The party marked my earliest memory of my meeting my future roomie at 340 and at 72 Howard Avenue, Randy Brown. It also apparently necessitated a visit from the police as previously outlined. Alas, the party with its highs and lows, brawls and lascivious behavior, and finally the police visit, apparently was a harbinger of the next few months at 340 which would prove to be a rollercoaster of euphoric/exhilerating highs and damnable lows and ultimately the demise of the 340 Club. Just like with Christianity; without the crucifixtion there can be no second coming or lasting religion. I don't mean to making Randy into a prophet but he's been called worse.

Now, as for the letter ... it truly is a classic. (No offense meant to you Mr. Kratzert but) I always thought us Millersville men were every bit the equal of those F & Mers and if Mr. Kratzert's letter was at all typical of his fellow Diplomat alumni than my thoughts were vindicated.

The letter is addressed to me, Sil and Phil and is written because of a complaint ...regarding the conduct of you people (sic) and your friends (that means you, the readers and attendees) at 338 and 340 West KIng Street (that, of course, refers to the 340 Club). The specifics cannot be denied and they included:

1) large number of people going in and out [of the 340 Club] carrying ... substantial quanity of beer and liquor
2) all night parties ... starting sometimes as late or early, depends on which way you look at it as 2:00 a.m. in the morning (an F & M redundancy) and lasting until daylight. (It almost seems like he or Mrs. Garman attended the affair).
3) (Here is some classic syntax) Fighting on the property which I understand resulted in the necessity to call the police and one young women (sic) was hauled off while after being cut as the result of being hit by a beer mug.
4) using alleyways, on both sides, as pisserias (my word not his)
5) In summary, just a very general complaint of extreme disorganized (I take offense at that as I always strived for organization) and general misconduct on the property.

Well, that was it ... sounds like good clean fun to me ... perhaps the kind of fune we shoulda got out of system five years earlier like most ... but who was the worse for it. Heck, Randy & I put a bit of a hurt on the City of Harrisburg just last weekend and we all survived.

The best part of the letter, I suppose, was George closing with a nice friendly salutation - "Sincerly" - rather than "Angrily" or "Miffed" or "Pissed". Further, but I get ahead of myself, when Phil & I once again needed a place to stay just three years later; George saw fit to rent to us again so we couldn't of been that bad ... now could we. ;)