"THR00000000000W A C000000000000IN!"
A few days ago my friend and associate, Jim Watson, and I were interviewing Lolo Saldana, another great friend and also the "The World's Best Barber" who has been cutting hair in Avalon
for over 50 years, for an upcoming project. He mentioned how, before WWII, kids made money diving for coins when the passenger ships came in.
Sometimes they brought home more money than their fathers did working their "normal" jobs.
This conversation got me to thinking about the years, from 1953 to 1965, when I dove for coins thrown from the
"Great White Steamship – the S. S. Catalina". I truly feel that this is one of the things that set the "Islanders" apart from other kids and made us what we are today, for good or for ill, a bit "different" and certainly more "independent" than most.
I must take this opportunity to preface my "coin diving" story by acknowledging that this is "my story" and that there was no "set" procedure
for how locals got involved in this activity nor how they plied the trade. I would love others to share their stories and memories (special message to Gregory, Valerie and Jeannie…get the hint?). Please email your stories for posting to: liddell@catalinas.net
Catalina Island "Coin Diving" goes back to the 1890's when the Banning Brothers, who had purchased the Island in 1892 (and later sold the Island to William Wrigley, Jr., in 1919), had a fleet of boats bringing excited, and generally "sea sick" visitors to the Island, on what was probably their first "ocean voyage". It would take around three hours to get here from Wilmington, California.
I don't know what caused the first brave sole to decide to jump into the water and expect passengers to throw him money (originally it was only boys who.jpg)
participated in this tradition), but I can only assume that one of the passengers, who had been to Hawaii where this tradition had been going on, saw a young swimmer and yelled "How would you like some money?", and then threw some coins into the water. Finding this activity both challenging and rewarding, the diver probably eagerly "went for it" and then shared this experience with his buddies, who then decided the next day to "meet the boat" in hopes that they would be so lucky.
They would have found confused passengers, wondering what they were doing, swimming along side the steamer, until that first diver said those eventful words, "Throw a coin!", which probably would have delighted the passengers enough to start searching for pennies, nickels, dimes, and, should they be so lucky, some silver money. The divers were providing the visitor a service, even though they didn't know it at the time. They allowed the passengers to "feel" like they had taken a major ocean voyage (even though, if they had looked hard, they could have still seen the mainland behind them) and added to the excitement of their arrival.
On the pier, as well as at the foot of the pier, leading into town, another custom was in play. The locals and visitors who arrived earlier had formed a
"gauntlet" where they would line up on both sides and the newly initiated tourist to walk between these rows of "natives". It gave the new arrivals the feeling of being "greeted", which continued until the Steamer Pier was torn down in 1969.
"Duke" Fishman was one of those who has been so associated with this "greeting", going back to the 1930's.
My "diving" career started when I was five years old, if you want to call it "diving".
I stood on the rocks, south east of where the "Busy Bee" Restaurant now sits, and bellowed to those going to the boat called the "Blanche W" and other excursion boats leaving the "Steamer Pier" to
"THR00000000000W A C000000000000IN!"
(My story will continue in my next post)
A few days ago my friend and associate, Jim Watson, and I were interviewing Lolo Saldana, another great friend and also the "The World's Best Barber" who has been cutting hair in Avalon
for over 50 years, for an upcoming project. He mentioned how, before WWII, kids made money diving for coins when the passenger ships came in.Sometimes they brought home more money than their fathers did working their "normal" jobs.
This conversation got me to thinking about the years, from 1953 to 1965, when I dove for coins thrown from the
"Great White Steamship – the S. S. Catalina". I truly feel that this is one of the things that set the "Islanders" apart from other kids and made us what we are today, for good or for ill, a bit "different" and certainly more "independent" than most.I must take this opportunity to preface my "coin diving" story by acknowledging that this is "my story" and that there was no "set" procedure
for how locals got involved in this activity nor how they plied the trade. I would love others to share their stories and memories (special message to Gregory, Valerie and Jeannie…get the hint?). Please email your stories for posting to: liddell@catalinas.net
Catalina Island "Coin Diving" goes back to the 1890's when the Banning Brothers, who had purchased the Island in 1892 (and later sold the Island to William Wrigley, Jr., in 1919), had a fleet of boats bringing excited, and generally "sea sick" visitors to the Island, on what was probably their first "ocean voyage". It would take around three hours to get here from Wilmington, California.
I don't know what caused the first brave sole to decide to jump into the water and expect passengers to throw him money (originally it was only boys who
.jpg)
participated in this tradition), but I can only assume that one of the passengers, who had been to Hawaii where this tradition had been going on, saw a young swimmer and yelled "How would you like some money?", and then threw some coins into the water. Finding this activity both challenging and rewarding, the diver probably eagerly "went for it" and then shared this experience with his buddies, who then decided the next day to "meet the boat" in hopes that they would be so lucky.They would have found confused passengers, wondering what they were doing, swimming along side the steamer, until that first diver said those eventful words, "Throw a coin!", which probably would have delighted the passengers enough to start searching for pennies, nickels, dimes, and, should they be so lucky, some silver money. The divers were providing the visitor a service, even though they didn't know it at the time. They allowed the passengers to "feel" like they had taken a major ocean voyage (even though, if they had looked hard, they could have still seen the mainland behind them) and added to the excitement of their arrival.
On the pier, as well as at the foot of the pier, leading into town, another custom was in play. The locals and visitors who arrived earlier had formed a
"gauntlet" where they would line up on both sides and the newly initiated tourist to walk between these rows of "natives". It gave the new arrivals the feeling of being "greeted", which continued until the Steamer Pier was torn down in 1969.
"Duke" Fishman was one of those who has been so associated with this "greeting", going back to the 1930's.
My "diving" career started when I was five years old, if you want to call it "diving".
I stood on the rocks, south east of where the "Busy Bee" Restaurant now sits, and bellowed to those going to the boat called the "Blanche W" and other excursion boats leaving the "Steamer Pier" to
"THR00000000000W A C000000000000IN!"
(My story will continue in my next post)
5 comments:
its break my heart to see the children this way. instead playing with their friends, they are begging for coins from the onlookers to throw coin in the waters and dive after the coin. so sad this made me more grateful that i didn't experience during in my childhood. if only one in these children get a gold coin, it would definitely change their life(oh..i hope). that if, the coin will be used in investment for something profitable so they don't have to endure the cold sea breeze and the water just to earn a few penny day.
ROMNICK PITERO(Student)
My mom's brother (age approx 10), died while diving for coins in the '40's, hit his head & took 5 days to die. I also heard of another child that died choking on coins (they often kept them in their mouth), & possibly more kids died from this dangerous 'tourist-pleasing' activity; so I am very glad it was discontinued!
My Mother Betty Cary relayed details of this activity in the 30's, while she was living with her divorced mother on catalina. She and her friends would swim out to meet the steamer, and yes, they would yell "THROW A COIN" She said it was a lot of fun diving for the coins... Now when the Ship docked, they would hurry to line up to wait for the passenger to disembark, upon which her, and other children would recite poems, or perform musical numbers from the movies, and the arriving passengers would shower them with more coins. Gee, remember the depression? This was probably the only way she could a hold of any money at all! She said it was all such fun, and never mentioned any danger at all!
My Mother Betty Cary relayed details of this activity in the 30's, while she was living with her divorced mother on catalina. She and her friends would swim out to meet the steamer, and yes, they would yell "THROW A COIN" She said it was a lot of fun diving for the coins... Now when the Ship docked, they would hurry to line up to wait for the passenger to disembark, upon which her, and other children would recite poems, or perform musical numbers from the movies, and the arriving passengers would shower them with more coins. Gee, remember the depression? This was probably the only way she could a hold of any money at all! She said it was all such fun, and never mentioned any danger at all!
O'k, a little late getting in here but I just found this link! From 1965 to 1976 my grandmother would take us to Catalina for a week. I was only 5 when I first went but fell in love, to this day, with Avalon.
Anyway, diving for coils was something the local kids did and was fun to watch. However, a few years later, I would sneek in with this group and dove for coins myself. No, I never got rich, but got some great exercise and was able to play in the old arcade at night with my collection! Best years of my childhood. We used to hang out with the keepers s sons from the hotel Campo Bravo. Wish I could remembver their names!
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