ESCONI Flashback Friday #10: Tony Sobolik, I Remember............

As part of the run up to ESCONI's 70th Anniversary, here is Flashback Friday post #10.  If you have pictures or stories to contribute, please send them over to [email protected].  Thanks!

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Here is an article entitled "I Remember............" by Anton "Tony" Sobolik that appeared in the 40th Anniversary issue of the newsletter in 1989.  He was president of ESCONI for 1962-1963 and he, along with his wife Viola, received an honorary service award in 1969.  He also served as 1st Vice President (1961), 2nd Vice President (1960), Historian (1959), Curator (1966-1969), and many other capacities including the Paleontology Study Group Chairman.  Additionally, his wife, Viola, as also very involved with ESCONI throughout the early 1950s and 1960s, serving in many official and unofficial positions.  Mr. Sobolik died on January 30th, 2001.  He was 87.  As far as I can tell, he remained an ESCONI member to the very end!

 

I REMEMBER
by Tony Sobolik

Here are some of the things that I remember ---

• Gene Richardson, Curator of Fossil Invertebrates at the Field Museum, pipe in mouth, as he gazed pensively through the microscope at some unidentified creepy crawler from Pit 11.
• Walter Bonow and Joe Bloom arguing as to whether trilobites, when living, had blue or brown eyes!
• How as the day wore on my canvas war surplus collecting bucket became heavier and heavier. Back at the car when emptying it I discovered Howard Knight had secretly, periodically, slipped in a few worthless rocks or pieces of scrap iron.
• Gale Law and his camera always ready when requested for that needed photo.
• Wading in Mazon Creek on a field trip, feeling for nodules with my toes!
• That in 1955 the ESCONI News was mailed to members for 2 cents!
• The look on Jim Konecny's face as he opened the split concretion that I had secretly planted in his path and found an S & H green stamp inside.
• Doc Hoff strumming his Ukulele while Claude Warren tinkled the ivories as we all joined in for some close harmony on a field trip to Brown County, Indiana.
• The first time I heard the name Earth Science Club, I thought they were a group of professional people interested in soil chemistry or a related field.
• When Executive Board and the early years of study group meetings were held in homes. After the meeting adjourned the group descended into the basement to view the hosts collection. Many wives said the effort was worth it, as it forced the husband to clean up the basement!
• The meetings in Wilbert Rath's basement to create the "Plant Life Through the Ages" models. Armed with large card board tubes, chicken wire, Styrofoam and various tools, we mixed buckets of dry wall cement, applied it and then shaped it to form our replicas. Approximately one half of the cement ended up on the model, one half on the modelers!
• Howard Knight flipping the light switch off and on at the Hummer Park Field House study group meetings to signal to the stragglers that the meeting plus hospitality was over, and that it was time to vacate the premises.
• In the early 1950's accidentally meeting George Langford on the Braidwood spoil piles as he, using his only arm, hammered open fern fossil nodules which he held between his feet. Usually his son assisted him, but if his son was not close by to help George Sr. sometimes cached them in a hastily dug hole. He admitted he sometimes forgot where they were buried.
• In those same early years I entered the Pit 11 office of the Peabody Coal Company to secure permission to collect an employee by the name of John McLuckie, who was just coming on duty told me I was welcome to look but Pit 11 did not have any worthwhile fossils, so I left. It took a collector by the name of Francis Tully (of Tully Monster fame) and, another collector named Jerry Herdina, whose fabulous collection now resides at the Field Museum to introduce me to the world of the rich Essex fauna.
• Jean Reynolds who graciously helped me out when I was President by taking over the important task of Editor.
• The beautiful silver work of Harry Peterson, especially the trilobite bola and accompanying trilobite pin which each President and Presidents spouse is priviledged to wear.
• The Frank Fleener day at Braidwood with a picnic hosted by a number of Chicago region clubs. At the event, Dr Fleener, a prominent coal fossil collector from the Joliet area would give a talk on some aspect of fern fossils.
• Mary and Earl Cornwell who for so many years gave unstintingly of their time and effort on behalf of the Earth Science Magazine.
• When the spoil piles at Braidwood were bare.
• The first Esconi meeting I attended in 1955 at the Downers Grove High School, . As I slowly approached the Auditorium entrance I was warmly greeted by Jerry Prepp, who later that evening provided me with the requirements for membership. Over the years I was active in Esconi, there were two wonderful dedicated people, Marty and Jerry Prepp who could be found at the entrance to the meeting room, making people welcome.
• The magnificent Fern Fossil collection of John and Lucy McLuckie housed in their Coal City home.
• In 1962 Vi and I accompanied by Jay Farr, hauled the Hilmer Display case to the Midwest Federation Convention at Des Moines, Iowa. Leaving about 4 a.m. we arrived at Des Moines, assembled the case, unwrapped the display material furnished by each study group plus the Juniors and filled the case. At 2 p.m. we collapsed in our motel room. The center portion of the case which displayed green fluorescent glass from the John Ades collection also featured a motor driven continuous fluorescent tape, designed and crafted by Jay Farr, which advertised and extolled the accomplishments of ESCONI.
• Collecting fossils at Braidwood in a snowstorm in early Spring after the first thaws left the gullys between spoil piles a quagmire, and in the heat of August when exposed nodules were almost too hot to handle.
• Fran Wolff who, following behind me as we climbed up and down the hills at Pit 11, usually came up with the find of the day that I had passed up.
• The dedicated efforts of Esconi Associates, a special committee, which resulted in the publication of the two Langford books.

There are of course many other memories that occasionally come to mind, all made possible by the wonderful people. If my recollections have kindled some pleasant memories in the minds of you old-timers, and let the younger members know how things once were, my efforts in preparing this article will be repaid.