l didn't get near the money that l should have for the station wagon but when you buy from a dealer, you pay retail unless he has a reason (who knows) to sell it for less. When you sell to a dealer you're going to get no more than wholesale. Even a buyer/user will want to pay as little as he can. Bottom line; if you're in a hurry to sell expect to get less. l made a mental note to myself that l had to stop this stupid !#@$%&! and start doing right. (if l possibly can).
Keeping a low profile in North-Eastern Nevada, owing to it's low population was,
l thought best accomplished in Elko, the largest town in the County. lt was my intention to avoid the West County, where the population was very low and my
profile, owing to my recent history, too high. So l planned to ride the express train to West County, (SP express trains don't stop in Elko) then ride the SP
local train back to Elko, later in the day. The local train stops in all the towns along the line. Luckily though,an old friend who had become a police officer
since l'd last seen him, was at the train station and offered me a ride home. When l told him l had to go to Elko first, he said his next stop would be the Court House in Elko and he'd be happy to give me a ride. (As might be expected, Elko, the city is the county seat of Elko, the county).Ofc. Harv Clayton
was a West County native whose parents had come there from California about
the time,during WWII after the defeat of Germany, but before the Japanese
surrender. there was a very large increase in railroad traffic at that time,
especially that which headed west. Harv graduated high school in '57 and his job with the police force was his first. He saw it as temporary. He planned to work a few years, save money and go to college asap. his interest was Geology. l told him he was in a great place to doGeology. "Yeah", he said " the place brought me to the science." Not only did he intend to be a professional geologist
but he and his dad were already amateur geologists. (if,at any time,at any place
seemingly ridiculous ideas, or just senselessness' it COULD be tongue-in-cheek.)
As we covered the twenty-plus miles to Elko, talking, laughing,reminiscing.
Gossip about this girl, that guy. What they did, said, etc., then and now. My current situation, in all it's grizzly detail popped in and out of my mind and l
wondered how things might instantly change for us if suddenly, over the police
radio came an A.P.B., identifying me,listing my crimes, including interstate flight
to avoid prosecution for those crimes. A federal offence from the time you cross your first state line. Good thing l wasn't a weed smoker then,l probably would have done a total freek-out and confessed to everything.Not really. More
likely, that being a weed smoker then, l would have done what was right and lawful. (except for the weed itself) But are any exceptions allowed?
l asked Harv to drop me at the Stockmen's so that l could get an early start
recovering some of my recent Vegas losses. Maybe even some of the earlier
ones, too? Sometimes it's just not my day: lt was about 11AM when Harv dropped me. At 2:22 PM, l was taking out another C-note fom the poke and
discovered that only one more remained. A check of the pockets yielded $6.06
L decided to cut way back on the gambling. (You know, you almost have to when you run out of the stuff used to make bets. Besides, that $106.06 would
come in handy if l wanted to eat something or sleep somewhere indoors, but
it probably wouldnt cover those things for more than a day or two. Hey! l
needed a job...soon. l went to the Stockmen's Hotel front desk and inquired about the availability of employment opportunities. The desk clerk checked
with management and learned that the Commercial Hotel (right across the street) had an opening for a desk clerk. l may not have been the best, in those days, at keeping a job, but even if l say so myself, l was very good at getting hired.The results of my interview that day would attest to that. They even had me start at their front desk that day at 7PM.
Even before the advent of casino gambling in Nevada (1931) the Commercial
Hotel was Elko's Grand Central Station. Everybody liked the place. With a restaurant better than most in Elko, a steak house "of world renown", A
cabare (since about 1940) that featured nationally-known music and comedy
acts. A forty seat bar next to a secluded cocktail lounge and 100 hotel rooms
upstairs, it offered just about everything that anybody might need on a visit
there. At the restaurant check-out there was even a mini drug store where you could get everything from aspirin and cold syrup to band aids and sanitary
napkins, and of course,magazines and newspapers. And from 5PM every day
the hotel desk was Elko's Western Union nite office. l worked 8AM to 4PM
Tuesday thru Thursday and 4PM to 12AM Saturday and Sunday. l could run a food and drink tab which was deducted from my weekly paycheck. l don't remember what the pay was but l thought it was satisfactory. The best part was the very nice single room provided gratis. l decided to totally quit gambling; l could live on what the hotel paid me, but l'd save money for a long time before
l'd have enough for any serious gambling. Or, in my case, seriously throwing
money away.
About three weeks into the job at the Commercial, out in the evening, enjoying
my Friday off, when l encounter my old friend Ron Rose, whom l knew from
our working together in the summers of 1953 and 1954 at Ruby Lake Wildlife
Refuge. We were happy to see each other and set out to party some in celebration. WE were within a couple blocks of the fairly-new Ranchinn Hotel,
built, owned and operated by the same folks who had the Commercial, it was a
log-cabin-looking place on the outside but plush inside with the same amenities,
but much more modern and spacious than the Commercial. As we entered, we
heard what sounded to me like the voice of Sarah Vaughn, singing "The Nearness of You".
l got the song right, but the singer was not Sarah (though it wouldn't have been out of the question for her to appear there). The singer was a very pretty young
lady named Rita Ellen. She was accompanied by a trio called "The Magnetics".
Ron and l sat at the bar, eyes glued (ears too) on Rita. of course we're talking
about hitting on that girl. (Actually, Rita was not quite a girl, being 25 at the
time). Ron's girlfriend showed up about then and it was only a few minutes before they left. Soon after, Rita Ellen and the Magnetics took a break.l bought
the four of them a drink and did not approach. They all waved a thank you. l
waved back and sat tight. lt's just good manners (l think) to recognize performers and their performance with applause or refreshment or smiling and waving, but let them (or in this case,Her) do the approach. lt's not likely to
happen, no matter what you do, but if it does?!!!
When l took the job at the Commercial,l promised myself to quit, or at least cut way back on the booz in an attempt to stop throwing money away in the casinos. So when Rita and the Magnetics finished their last set of the nite and
wished each other good nite, l sat at the bar, sober as a judge as Rita walked of the stage and then directly to the stool next to mine, where she sat and looked me right in the eye and said "l think l owe you a drink. What are you drinking?
"Right now l'm on a one-day wagon,but l'll drink a club soda with you. What
can l get you. Was that Metaxa?"
"Metaxa and Galliano".
We really got along great. She was so smart, so funny. l could talk all nite with
her. And did. The first time l looked at the front door, l saw the beginning of dawn. When l started to go on about talking all nite, she put a hand on my wrist, put her face close to mine and asked "Don't you like to ball?"
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