by Bobby Joe Snipes,
with Doris Wampler Bass
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RESPONSE TO "PLEASANT INN"
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Sure, I remember The Pleasant Inn just as you described it. Do you remember the little grocery store that was built right north of the Pleasant Inn? Must have been built in the 40s. I don’t remember the name of the store…...seems like it was owned by Mr. R. B. Worthington and I think he was the Mayor of Clovis.
Do you remember the ditch that you crossed to go to Beer Can Alley???? Well that was Worthington's ditch…...named after Mayor Worthington. The ditch diverted rain water from the west side of Clovis which ran down 7th street and flooded Clovis. I think it diverted it to a lake south of Clovis, maybe the old Santa Fe lake. Mr. Worthington lived right on the corner north of the P I. Maybe it was Worthington Grocery. Mr. Worthington had several kids, all much older than me. I remember a Homer Worthington because we sang in the church choir together, and then his daughter Molina (Mollye) married Rueben Nieves. Rueben was a lawyer in Clovis and Betty and I bought our first house on Torreon from Rueben and Molly.
Now I don’t remember how long that grocery store lasted, but seemed like it closed or sold and then Mr. Murphy had the grocery store right south of the P I. I worked for Mr. Murphy (Jack Murphy’s father) when I was a kid....before the Country Store. It was just one block from our house and I would carry out groceries and sack on the weekends when he needed me. He had a Studebaker pickup, just like Dad’s. I told him I could drive even though I was only 13-14. I think you could get your drivers license when you were 14. All you had to do to get license was go with a parent to the license bureau and your parent would say that he could drive and that gave you a license...no test, no nothing.
Anyway, one of Mr. Murphy’s customer services was that he delivered groceries. Customers would call in and give him a grocery list and Mr. Murphy would sack the groceries and get them ready for the delivery boy. He would load the sacks of groceries and tell me where each one of the customers lived and the bill was attached to the bag with the address. Occasionally I would deliver a pack of cigarettes to this old man. Mr. Murphy was a nice man and he would just chuckle and say take old so-an-so his cigarettes.
I would pick up a check from the customers occasionally but they all seem to have an account at the store. That was back in the days when your word was your bond. One day it snowed and it was delivery day and I had to drive and deliver groceries. Mr. Murphy cautioned me about being careful and the streets were only partially covered with snow. I assured him that I had driven in the snow and I had. That was the most fun delivery I had ever made. Even though I was careful I just couldn’t keep from sliding around a corner occasionally and it was even more fun when you would goose it at strategic times. I never had a wreck and didn’t even bump a curb.
Now let me see….oh yes, the Pleasant inn. One thing that I remember is that they had a pinball machine in there that you could play for a nickel. My Dad forbade me to waste money playing pinball machines. Besides, that was gambling. And you just don’t do that. But occasionally the temptation was just too great and I would slip off and play that evil pinball machine. I think the name of the game was Buttons and Bows, and if you were good and got so many points, you would win another game and that I did frequently
Another thing that I remember about the P I is there was a little floral shop in the north side of the Pleasant Inn. I don’t remember the name of the shop but it was owned by Mrs. Wampler (Doris Wampler’s mother). She was a nice lady and a energetic business lady. It was probably a good location because in those days people would take bouquets to patients at the hospital. I am going to send a copy of this email and ask Doris to add some details to this story.
Milburn, thank you for your memories of the Pleasant Inn................Yes, up there towards Todd’s house at 14th and Thornton. Remind me one of these days and I will share with you about my first fire cracker stand......…up by Todd’s house.
Country Boy Bob
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RECOLLECTIONS from Doris Wampler Bass
I don’t recall the name Pleasant Inn, but Mother indeed did have a tiny florist across the street from the hospital. All I do remember is that, as often was the case, Mother had so many irons in the fire at once that she would often have me work at the shop in her absence after school. I would pray that nobody would come in and order a bouquet while I was there alone. When they inevitably did come in and say they would wait for the bouquet to take to the hospital, I would be sweating bullets in the back room trying to poke flowers in a vase, praying that the result would be halfway presentable. The worst of the flower business, though, occurred when Mother decided I should wear a floral hat for Easter which would be good business p r. Thus on Easter Sunday Morning, I entered the Baptist church with 10 pounds of posies on my head with a floral (funereal) fragrance preceding my entrance. I hid in a vacant Sunday School room until time to exit and when questioned by Mother later, I lied and said that everyone thought my flower hat was pretty.
---30---Doris Wampler Bass
FOR MIL'S
by Bobby Joe Snipes, CHS '53
and Doris Wampler Bass, CHS '53
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