Uncovered dumpster treasure recalls past gas woes

By SHELLY SLATER / WFAA-TV One North Texas man's dumpster find serves as a good reminder that gas woes aren't just a present problem. In the '40s, gas wasn't only pricey, it was also rationed. "Everyday I feel like coming into this dumpster," said Rito Gomez. "There ain't no telling what treasure I could find. It could be a big load of scarp iron or a small load of history." Rewind to the 1940s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt died; and a princess at the time, Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It was a time when Americans lived by the motto, "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." Gomez found remnants from that time period during his daily dumpster dive. Gomez dug out boxes of newspapers from the '30s and '40s. He also recovered old letters and war rationing cards for gas and food. "It... [read full story]