Theatre renovation/Seminole 1940/Orval Irwin..page5

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Seminole Theatre

The 1940 Story

..The spring of '40, they led away *Big Shorty*..

writer/SOUTH DADE NEWS LEADER\retired..page5

*...Now we are laying block...

I worked with the bricklayer on all the odd sized - odd located 4 inch block partitions, such as the double 4 inch walls that hid the massive amount of pipe connections between the mezzanine and the bathroom walls. I built the scaffolding and saw that the proper blocks and mortor kept comming. When mortor and block seem to be flying into place and all seemed to be progressing smoothly, the plumbler, W.H. Booth, or the electrician, Harold Sheffield would yell, "WHOOO- HOLD IT THERE NOW, I've got some pipe or conduit going in where you are working!". This was regarded as a *slow down*, but we knew these interruptions were absolutely necessary.

With no *ready mix* concrete available, 2 large self fed 1/2 yard concrete mixers were brought in for the heavy pouring of the mezzanine floor and the emence amount of concrete that had to be poured all at one time during the balcony pour. We wore that poor concrete boy out as we all shouted, "Keep making, keep pouring, Let's go!!". An elevator powered by a gasoline engine was built in the stairwell and was operated by the very capable Pete Perkins. The whole attitude was if you are waiting on me you are backing up!

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