Wednesday, February 6, 2013

1958 telegram from Jimmy Hoffa discovered

James R. "Jimmy" Hoffa, who would turn 100 on Feb. 14, was a hardworking, hands-on leader who would pick up the phone and intervene personally on behalf of someone who had a problem.

A just-discovered telegram from 1958 shows just how far Hoffa would go to help someone. Hoffa sent a Western Union telegram in effort to find a 7-year-old New Jersey boy who ran away from home.

Here's what it said: 
TO ALL LOCAL UNIONS: 
PLEASE NOTIFY ALL DRIVERS, PARTICULARLY ON ROAD; TO BE ON LOOKOUT FOR SEVEN-YEAR-OLD BOY ATTEMPTING TO RIDE BICYCLE FROM NEW JERSEY TO TACOMA, WASH. LAST SEEN WEEK AGO ON ROUTE 46 NEAR CALDWELL TOWNSHIP,N.J.RIDING BLUE BICYCLE AND WEARING LIGHT BLUE AND GRAY FLANNEL SHIRT, BLACK JEANS, BLACK SHOES. NAME PAUL GROCHWICZ. MAY NOW BE HITCHHIKING. IF SEEN NOTIFY POMPTON LAKES POLICE, POMPTON LAKES, N.J. 
JAMES R. HOFFA  GENERAL PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL
BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS=
The telegram was purchased by a member of the Teamsters Union who collects Teamsters memorabilia. It was part of a book of papers relating to the Teamsters sold as part of an estate.

It isn't known whether the boy ever returned home.