MY BOOK................LILAGCS B2 - 5

Thursday May 17, 2012

Another favourite place next to the Spudnut Shop was the Bandbox movie theatre (an old Bijou theatre) that played mostly movies for kids. I remember I saw almost every Roy Rogers, Durango Kid, Gene Autry, Lash LaRue, Rex Allen, Johnny Mac Brown, and you name it western movies ever made.

In addition to the western movies (Cowboy shows as we called them) were the weekly thrilling serial of Superman and Kit Carson that would lure us to come back next week for the next episode.

I don’t remember the next few businesses but I remember another restaurant close to 2^nd street called the Johnson cafe. I remember it because while I was sleeping one night there was a fire alarm, which I slept through, and the Cafe burnt down. I missed seeing the whole thing and was very unhappy.

Then next was another interesting business, Yate’s Harness Shop. Mr Yates liked me and would tell me stories of his life back in Kentucky before coming to Spencer. He could and would twirl a rope around himself like you see cowboys do in movies. He would actually get out in the middle of the street and twirl the rope in a very large circle.

My next customer I will never forget either. Maud Smith. She was an old lady that was confined to her bed. I never did find out what her problem was, but she always wanted me to come in and talk to her for a little while. I did and her caregiver always gave me a piece of liquorish to chew on.

After Maud was the Yellow taxi cab garage and office. I would leave a paper on the desk and usually nobody was there. The Elks club was the next delivery. I would put the newspaper in a mail box slot in the door.

The Ford Garage was the last business on that block run by John Hart. I knew his name because he was a very popular Spencer Cardinal baseball supporter. Spencer had a semi-pro baseball team and a stadium south of town.

Remember My Grandma’s friend at the BeeHive had a grandson I use to play with all the time? Jamie West was his name, well his dad, Dick West ran the concession stand at the Spencer Cardinal baseball stadium and I was able to work at job selling popcorn and peanuts at the ballgames for him.

From the Ford Garage I went back across Main Street to the corner of Main and 1^st Street. On that corner was a Standard gasoline station operated by a good older friend, Stew Mackie. Stew was a fireman and also a pitcher on the Spencer Cardinal baseball team. He also would play catch with me all the time when he wasn’t busy.

One more business before I reached my home, the fire station. It was the Spencer Sewing Machine Company owned by a man that became very instrumental in helping my mother and I start our sewing machine lettering business while I was in college. Gil Gresslin was his name and his friend and later wife were very good friend of my mom and dad also.