In a message dated 11/5/98 10:40:58 PM, you wrote: <<Ration stamps were needed to obtain them. If you ran out of ration stamps, you did without. >> All of Carolyn's statements are very true and bring back the memories of my Grandparents Carl & Caddie Gibson of Bradley Co. AR sending me some of their stamps for shoes, as I was growing and changing shoe sizes very fast. I also remember that the day before rationing, we had a tire blow out. My Father just rolled it out in the woods as he changed the new tire for the flat one. When the news broke of rationing, he promptly went back to that spot and retrieved the tire to have it fixed. Hard times put many a man off the trains and to our back door to get a plate of food. They were appreciative and respectful of others property and were a part of our lives back then. As my Grandchildren say in the "olden days". But have we not, through the years, as a nation lost some of our feelings of that need to help others, respect each other and the standards set by family ties and obligations? Could we or our children walk up to a back door anywhere and feel so sure of being welcomed? For that matter would we be safe riding the rails..not from what we see on the news! Bettye