by Forest Harvey

It was an October Saturday night in 1953. My friend Bill and I had taken our dates home to Byrdstown, Tennessee. While we were on our way home, driving by the New Palace Gulf, we noticed that the night man, Ben, was sound asleep with his head on the desk by the cash register. We drove around town, passing the station often. Finally we stopped and blew our horn for service at the pump.

When he awoke, after about a forty-five minute or so nap, he found the cash register missing along with the money.

We helped him search for it. We found it in the tire room covered with an old black slicker rain coat. We helped him carry it back to its place on the desk. He was relieved to find the money all intact.

It was a lot of fun to watch him. He did not want to awake Ed (Senator E.P. Warner.) He might have lost his job as he also was the night watchman.

We went home and went to sleep. But I do not think Ben had any more sleep that night.

What happened to that heavy McCaskell cash register? Your guess is as good as mine.

We both went on to marry the girls from Tennessee. I still live with mine fifty-seven years later. Bill is deceased. I am not sure about Ben. Ed is deceased also. So I may be the only living witness. You will have to take my word for it. It all happened on a cool October night in 1953.

Forest Harvey