Clark Story continued............

Many memories

West 9th Street (Photo) I can't remember very little of West 9th Street . motto " LAN and his family were present. . That is all like to recall . . My next memories are of 223 West 12th Street (Photo). I remember falling all for the House and tripping over a radio antenna and woke up in the bathtub. Also on several occasions can with the bed sick and mother would rush out the back door to St. Anthony Hospital.

We had a screened in front porch where gram all correlate the end or of as used to sit in count the out of state license plates. The game was to see who got the most number of out of state cars. Hi. How many times during the heat of the summer we would sleep out on the screen is porch. We had street light right in front of the house.

Garney Dooner bane would practice a couple of times a week. Dad used to promote greater with their musical instruments on Saturday nights and take them to different towns to play for decades. I went with them several times. One time we went to Russell and that the turnaround after we got out of town because of -the the dust storm . , in other time on the way to Plainville in a snowstorm we slid into a ditch and he never did slow down . Coffee

I can not remembering it, but when Grampa passed away, his casket was in our front living room for his service. Been a I do not recall for sure but I believe when he passed away, Uncle Milton brought him back from Missouri to be buried here in Plainville cemetery. I see in my mind the cast it but that is all I can remember.

We had a college student by the name of Charles that stayed in the back west and north room . room. At that time we had an old refrigerator that used block ice. Charles had beer in refrigerator and I begged and begged Dad for a taste of it. I thought it was like soft drinks. Finally, Dad finally gave me a taste of it and I spit it up and all over him. That was my last taste of beer for many a year. Dad had a motorcycle and delivered papers to Plainville and Stockton and back . Charles sometimes took the route for Dad to. He ran into a hay stack and that was the end of the cycle. It had a side car to carry the paper in.

When I was about six years old and lived on 12^th Street, we got a dog named Scraps. We got him from my mother's parents . They had the parents. He did make scraps out of anything left on the floor, socks and all. We also had a white cat. They just put up with each other because they had too. Scraps kept all the other cats out of the yard ad the cat kept all the other dogs out of the yard. Some time in about 1937 or 38, we moved to 406 West 4^th Street (Photo). Their only home they ever bought. Scraps had a problem, he did’t know we moved. I had to make several trips back to 12^th Street to get him. He would be on the back porch. We put him on a long chain on the cloths line for a long time until he found out he had moved. It was about a mile there to get him.

When living on 12^th Street, Mother took me to the show at the Strand theatre and dropped me off on the other side of the street in front of The Duckwalls Store, I ran around the front of the car and another car hit my leg, spun me around and fell, scarred me and every one else too, but I just brushed it off and when on to the show.

On 4^th Street, there were about 28 boys and three girls, so they all became tom boys. We played kick the can, rubber guns, climbed the tall Cotton Wood trees and would swing out over the street from the vines. At that time, it was gravel with a fair sized ditch on each side. Some where in that period of time, Dad got a new 1940 Chev. And Mother had a 38 Chev. I later learned to drive in the 38 and managed to wreck it several times. It did not have a front seat, we sat on a milk case. Mother took we to collect for the new papers in it and to get bread and milk as we sold them to neighbors in the area. Another one of Dads many business. During one period of time, before I could drive, I would take Ken by the hand and we had to walk to Als Tire Shop on East 12^th about 4 am to help Dad fold and get ready to deliver the Sunday papers. Walked half the time as it was very dark and the police a couple of times stopped us and want to know what and where we were going at that time of night. Scared the hell out of me.

After I had learned to drive, I was out on the parking with the 38 Chev putting corm shades inserted over the head lights, that was the fad in those times. The car rolled and the sharp edge of one of them hit me smack on the bridge of the nose, a good sized cut and just about knocked me out. It left a scar that I still have today as of this writing. In 1998.

Started with news papers, family business. I can recall learning to ride a bike on 12^th St, rolling down the hill after they put me on it. I could not reach both peddles at same time as it was a full size mans bike. The yard was high at the alley and sloped down to a wall about a two foot drop. I never did go over it. At some where about 7 years of age, when we lived on 4^th St., Dad would load up the basket on the bile, give me a push as I could not life it loaded and I delivered the papers on Ash, second and third on Saturday and Sundays. I don’t recall how I went to Sunday School with perfect attendance for several years as Mother was one of the Sunday School teachers. I do recall getting my first white Bible, which I still have. When Dad had the 46 carry all, I rode in center and throbbed papers on Sunday until I could drive and I ended up driving my he threw the papers. At that time too,

I had some delivery or something to do at noon and was excused from Library which was first hour after noon for papers. After school, I would go to Hays daily News, help him get loaded for the Plainville route. I would deliver vine Street and all east of it, which was not much in those days.

Collecting was also a after school job. Mother would take me collecting until I cold drive and then I had to do it alone. We go five cents on the dollar we collected. Also had to do it on a bike at time.

Witchia Beacon, Dad gave me that paper route. I had to pay my own paper bill, collections and so on. What was left over was mine, about $40.00 a week, now bad as many working in a grocery store or service station did not make any more then I did. This was also done by bike at night, a evening paper. Came in by bus. Later I delved with a car. This paper was a oil paper and had a reputation for over billing it carriers, they did and we quite them. One other time a District Manager came in from the Topeka Daily Capitol and as Dad did not want to fool with him, we made calls on new customers, he came back to the house and said I would make a good salesman. Ha.

In early college days, worked part time in a radio shop. Took radios out of cars, check tubes and if other worked needed, one of the repair men took over. I then got to put it back in the car. Dad hung out here, working on his PA systems. One of the repair men also ran the projectors for the Star theater. I helped him at times rewinding film after a show and changing projectors getting ready for the second or third reel. One of the men was worked at the local radio station. Played around a little out there too. He built a short wave radio in his car. Spit and tape like dad would do. We would go out to the Hugh Tool Building, back up to it and talk all over the world. That was fun. These were Dads buddies and helped him with his PA systems.

Later in the same building, Ingram, a neighbor had pinball machines juke boxes. I helped out there too, cleaning up used pin ball machines. Also juke boxes and I would go with some one to changes records in some of them. Wen new cordless wall boxes came out, we would park out side a caf� and start the juke box. Drove the waitress crazy, the juke would start playing and no one around.

Public Address Systems. Ft. Hays Kansas State College, I worked many a basketball game until they got their own system. Also many foot ball game, high school and college at Lewis field Stadium I had a PA job at the college for governor Rattner. He want to see the kid working the PA after his program. He shook my hand and could not believe the your brat was operating the PA system. I was about 12 or 13 at the time. Dad would set the system up and all I had to do was turn in on, set the volume and hope it worked. Another time, that up set Mother, I caught a bus to Ellis to work a dance. It was Lawrence Welk. Up stair dance hall. I remember it well as the floor shook and it kind of scared me. I don’t remember want time I caught a bus back to Hays, but it was late. That is what up set Mother so. I went to many a dance at the Gala Gardens, on Big Creek, South east of town. We hauled the ice for the coolers, I chipped it up as it was 300 pound blocks. I also worked in the stand selling soft drinks. I was to young to serve the beer. Plenty of boot leggers parked out side the dance hall, selling the hard stuff. One was a cop we all knew, Younger. I gathered up the empties in the food area and so on. At time I would set on the PA amplifier and watch the bands. In most cases, they were name bands that the Air Force flew in for Saturday nights. Walker Air Force Base was near. There were always a fights and my instruction were to get on top of the ticket booth. They did with the Air Force soldiers present. Dad sold tickets for the dance at the booth during the dances.

Baseball Games, we all took our turn at that. Some times during double headers, it would be 2AM before it was over. I don’t care if I ever go to another baseball game. Some time every night of the week. Sr. Larks, Jr. Larks ball teams and Little League and others. Seem like it never ended. Also many trip to Plainville, Palco and Zurich for day light ball games. Once in a while also Hill City. One time, Dad called for a system for Zurich late. I had to load up on the old 40 Chev and get. As I came into Plainville, there was Dad in the middle of the intersection, waving me on for all he was worth. I got there and the start if the bottom half of the first inning.

First real job I can recall was working at The Lamer Hotel Service Station, at night, washing and servicing car of the quests and a few others. Later washing dishes on the night shift at The White Castle on 10^th Street just off of Main Street. Across from the old mill. One night one of the cab drivers game in just after I had mopped the floor and tracked it all the way to the back on purpose. I went out the back door and mopped his wind shield with the dirty water. Boy did he get up set. But Dad walked in about that time and that was that. I don’t recall what was said. I became very allergic to Tide soap which had just came on the market and I broke out all the way to my elbows. End of dish washing.

Started college and drove a cab (Vets) in Hays. Got sick between semesters. Went 1 and a half semesters. Then washed dishes. White Castle, gone. Then with Chamlers and Bourton, building grain elevators. When job was completed, they left town and ask me if I would go. I did not want to travel, Ha. Went to work at local Seven Up Bottling Plant on Vine Street. Not much there at time. First in production, sweeping floors and loading trucks. Later a route man. Won top salesman in 1952 and Frieda and I took our honey moon on the money. $125.00. Got bad sick for about a year in 1994 and 1995. In and out of hospital a lot. Sent to Wichita hospital where they found the problems. Nerves and allergies. Back to Hays, started RC route for them in western Kansas. RC had never been in the area. They bought Salina, Ks. RC warehouse and moved me there to run it. I start with one route truck and built it to four along with getting all the cup vending on Smoky Hill Air Force Base. 36 cup vendors, which I took care of all service. I had one of the two personal cars that was allowed on the flight line and the bomb dump. Yes, I had a escort at all times on the bomb dumb and any time I was in Wing Intelligence. Sold out to Abilene, Ks. in June of 1958

I went to work for RC Cola Company of Columbus, Ga. Was special Rep. ran test market for 16oz. RC for six months in Akron, Ohio. This was the first market wit this package. Started out with one truck and built to 5 trucks, 16 oz. Bottles only . Then back traveling gain. Hurt on June 15, 9:30A near Mt. Pleasant, IO. Truck accident. Blind for part of time. Returned to work in July of 1960 and was transferred to Bowling Green, Ky. in June of 1961. District Manager of district 712 which was most of Eastern Ky. Later given district 711 which was Louisville and the rest of the state along with a plant in Indiana and three in Ohio. as a district manager. Living in BG, London, Louisville, Hartford and back to BG. I had to Special Representatives to help me. They traveled to some plants will I was in others or some times with me to do some leg work. After a year, I had to beg to get rid of some work and my eves were giving me a fit. I went from 20/30 to 20/70 with glasses. The law is 20/45 one eyed. Later, I had a bad time with a new Division Manager who wrote the state and had me checked to see if I was legal. The state gave me a clean bill of health. They knew me and I could have passed it looking the other way. They were upset of the letter too. I was moved from DM to Market research and back to traveling over 16 states.

While I was a DM, I won out standing DM for 1963 and 1964. No other DM ever won tow years, paid trip to special company meeting and all the brass had to wait on us. Bait our hooks, get us a RC or what ever. That felt great. One part of the job was to escort Miss USA and or Miss Universe. You could request them in for advertising purposes. One got away on us and that upset the headquarters of Miss Universe. I had five Miss USA’s and two Miss Universe. I wrote the original plan for there visits and sent to home office. They likes it so well that that became the regular system for all and every new one was sent to me for their first visit and what they were to do in promoting our products.