Tall Texas Teen Tales: Confidential Misadventures of a Poor Redneck

By John Chas. Gibson

As a poor kid growing up, it was a challenge to have fun and not cost much, if anything. This book is specifically designed to let everybody know that fun doesnt have a price tag on it if an imagination and a warped sense of humor is part of the equation. Anybody can have a ton of fun, and make lifelong memories without getting into too much trouble. O.K. some of these stories are stretched to the borders of reality, but.................so what? Put yourself in the 60s and remember some of the stuff you pulled.

As we go through the elementary school years, then junior high and high school, the fun gets more sophisticated. This will not be done though without having the goofy and stupid element ever present. If the warped sense of humor offends you in anyway, please accept this apology, and consider the source.

The magic of the 1960s along with a small West Texas group of kids is an experience. Please consider the times compared to todays technology, and society. Back then, parents were to be loved, respected and feared, Nowadays, nobody knows the difference from beating a kid, and spanking a kid. What a shame. Also, there is a section about some of the cars back then. the 50s and 60s was the absolute pinnacle of power and beautiful design. Without the 60s, the muscle cars of the 70s would not have been born. Without the 60s, our music of the 70s and future decades would not have the roots to grow.

Hippies, draft dodgers, moon walks, and the whole culture of youth changed drastically then. Teens came out of their controlled environment and grew in many directions. Some good, some not so good. many of the top performers were over-dosing on drugs. But, somehow, we made it through the 60s no worse for the wear. On the lighter side of growing up, you can now enjoy this era. Either by reading about it first hand, or bringing your own memories and comparing them. Either way, it will be fun, a lot of fun.

GET READY TO LAUGH!!!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 25, 2015
• ISBN: 9781496972361

John Chas. Gibson

John Chas. Gibson has wrote for two papers as a sports editor. the Ector County News in Odessa, Texas, and the San Marcos, Texas News Letter were short lived but wet the whistle for writing. Gibson's first book published by AuthorHouse, was "the Evolution of the Bible" under the pen name of Jay Charles on Dec. 27, 2006. It is a book that delved into the historical facts of man-made religion. This book is on the lighter side of life, and is designed to make you laugh, and be part of the magical 60's. Gibson spent from 1957, until 1969 in Big Spring, Texas. Then, Went to Dallas, Texas and became the youngest Manager of a 7-11 store anywhere around there. Joined the U.S. Coast guard, and after four years of active duty on a 210' Cutter, and Captain of the Port, Marine Inspection duty, he was an E-5 Bosen. A Boatswain-mate gets to shoot the guns, handle the small boats, land helicopters aboard ship. (an LS0). Also, fly in seaplanes and protect our boarders by the seas. Fly in helocopters, Go out to sea during storms and Hurricanes to save people and vessels. Shore Patrol duty's and many more duty's are involved also.What fun. After serving our country, Gibson went into the small business sector. First bought and sold a small grocery store in Odessa, Texas. Mr. G's Grocery. Then, bought in as a partner of Odessa Vacuum Cleaner Company. There, he learned how to be a Bowjacker. Sold out there and went to Work for Jones Pontiac. Sold cars, and even went in partnership of Norrid Moter Company. While still in Odessa, John then got married, and for a more stable income, went to work for Ron Folk at Basco Chemical and Supply. Became Sales manager and partner there also, but wanted his own business again. He has bought and sold businesses, is a business adviser and consultant. Gibson has given numerous seminars, trade-shows, certification classes. Now, after remarrying, and living life as a mid-sixty year old, it is time to have fun again, and write the adventures of a West Texas redneck kid of the sixties. Enjoy, and get ready to laugh.

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© 2015 John Chas. Gibson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/24/2015

ISBN: 978-1-4969-7201-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-7236-1 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

A Great Big Thanx Goes To:

Introduction

Tall Texas Teen Tales…

The First Crush

There She Was

Homework In Texas

Trivia Questions

Now That’s A Dirty Trick

The Rattlesnake

Guns Don’t Kill People, People Kill People

Sugar Bread Snack

1960 Style Red Beans And Corn Bread

Trivia Stuff

The Garage

The Pimple

The School Bus

The Snow Ball

Afternoon Snack

Shelanes Parties

West Texas Booze

The Perfect Crime

The Monkeys

The Beauty Contest

One Ringy-Dingy–Two Ringy-Dingy

The Bully

The State Hospital

Initiation

Ol’ Smokey Gets A New Motor

Match Em’ Up?

Big Spring High School (Bshs)…….

The High School Bully

Girls Are Great

High School And Coach Dykes

Our Senior Year, Finally

Road Trips

Chicken Charlie’s

The Stash

Answers To The T.v. Trivia Questions….

Answers To Stuff

Match-Ups:

A GREAT BIG THANX GOES TO:

MY FRIENDS………………..

A book, is not a book without people.

It is people that makes a book special, and it is special people that makes a book very special.

This book would not have ever existed without the friends that were bugged with numerous phone calls.

They all were very supportive, and understanding. Even the ones that kept changing their phone numbers. I was always able to get someone else to cop-out and give out the new numbers. Then call them up again………………

They remembered stuff that I didn’t. Also, they were there. That is, if any of this stuff was true.

I tip my hat to:

Shelane……..Who let me learn how to slow dance on her driveway with the Cute Runnels girls.

Charlie……..Who let me drive his Mustang 2plus2, until it got stuck in the sand. The brother that I always wanted. We probably are closer than a lot of real live brothers. I love him.

Andrea Barr, General Manager of the Settles Hotel. We thank her for her understanding, support, and information.

Debby Wegman, Big Spring Tourist Center. Debby’s endless energy and support has been a tremendous help.

Tammy Schrecengost, Big Spring Heritage Museum. She has published four books about Big Spring herself and provided many of the pictures for this one.

Bobette Elliott, who’s help and guidance is much appreciated. A true professional.

Debbye ValVerde, Big Spring Chamber of Commerce. Her guidance and direction got us started.

Osborn……The glue that held us together. So smooth, so cool……….A true friend. I always wanted to be Charlie’s and Osborn’s other Cousin.

Kelly ………The best accompanists at the scene,…… ever, and….. to quote the greatest German sergeant that ever lived, We know nothing. That’s our story, and we will stick with it!!!

Kelly could have me put in jail, but, he would have to go too……………………

Jenkins……. My fellow inmate on the Rock. And, who let me ride his horses all over South Mountain. What a friend. He also was one of the linebackers that kept hitting me in practice. He had a whallop!

And by far, Jenx had the cutest sister.

Perdue…….Wherever he is? (We’re sure he’s out on good behavior by now, at least, we can hope so)

(Don’t forget, THIS probably is NOT THEIR REAL NAMES)

A two-ton thank you goes out to all of the BIBS, and all of the people it took to make our town so special. Especially the ones that stayed, or moved back to our little West Texas community, like Kelly and Tancie. (If that’s their real names?)

_______________________________________

BIBS= Born in Big Springer.

_______________________________________

A very special THANK YOU, goes out to Mr. W.R. Settle for building his beautiful Hotel in 1930. The depression hit everybody pretty hard, but he got it built.

Also, A mega-thanx goes to Mr. G. Brint Ryan, for preserving the Settles in 2012. His devotion to our famous landmark will always be appreciated. Yes, the Settles has a room Elvis stayed in. It also has a private Bar/Card room in it.

Soooooo Coooollll.

_______________________________________

A THANX goes out to Mr. James Bozo Cordova.

He owns the Route 66 Auto Museum in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Mr. Cordova let us take these pictures and use them in the book to remind us of just how great the 60’s really were.

You see, back then you could just look at the body style and the beautiful lines of a car, and experience each different automobile……..today, they all look pretty much the same…………..

Nobody even knows what a V-8 sounds like……

What a pity………………………………………..

If you get a chance to go on old Route 66, stop by:

Route 66 Auto Museum

2866 Historic Route 66

Santa Rosa, New Mexico

575-760-4949

Sorry we didn’t get the 66 Corvette with the duel-line Holly’s in the book. Tell Bozo that Gibson sent you.

_______________________________________

To Sam Quin, and Kenneth Dales of Authorhouse, whose patience, support, guidance, and understanding was tested for months, but they put up with all of this and never wavered. With hat in hand, I bow.

A long, squeezy, mega-hug, to the third degree, goes to my wife. She put up with Big Spring stories for years. It was she that finally said, You need to write a book about all of the stuff you guys did, and quit repeating the same stories over and over………. PLEASE WRITE THE BOOK !!!!"

Sometimes a person just needs a swift, gentle kick, in the biscuits.

Thank you Debby, for being there. I love you!

Pictures photographed by Debby

And, thank YOU, for reading the memoirs of a man that will always be a kid at heart and soul.

May your horizon always be in sight…………….

May your heart always be bright……………

May your mind always wonder a might………….

INTRODUCTION

Every childhood has some good, bad, and fond memories.

Not everyone has an imagination. Let alone one that runs rampant throughout the WHOLE TOWN. Nowadays, the kids have their toys, I-pads, E-pods, computers, earphones, cell phones, malls, and most have all the money needed for entertainment. We had our imagination, and friends!

It was a different world in the 60’s. As you read about the little West Texas Town of Big Spring, you will no doubt reflect on your own experiences. I hope they were as memorable and fun as ours were.

To protect each of us from Shyster’s, here is a disclaimer that will happen right now:

DO NOT BELIEVE A THING IN THIS BOOK. IT IS ALL LIES. MADE UP STUFF. JUST AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO MAKE YOU LAUGH. IF YOU DO NOT LAUGH A LOT, THE AUTHOR OF SAID BOOK HOLDS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR CONDITION.

IF THERE IS ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ANY PERSON OR PERSONS IN REAL LIFE, IT IS A MISPRINT; AND PURELY A COINCIDENCE. BESIDES, THE STATUTES OF LIMITATIONS SHOULD BE UP, RIGHT ABOUT NOW. SO THERE.

PARAGRAPH 3, SECTION 1, OF DISCLAIMER:

IF BY ANY CHANCE, THERE WERE SOME FEELINGS HURT, ACCIDENTALLY. I DEEPLY APOLOGIZE. THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!

ALSO, THIS NEW MEDICATION, SEEMS TO BE HELPING A LOT.

Enjoy……………………………………………

John C. Gibson…….. (But don’t forget, this is probably not my real name.)

AKA: The Garage Kid

AKA: Pull my Finger

AKA: Gibson

AKA: (My wife’s pet name)…

SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!!!!

TALL TEXAS TEEN TALES…

Then there was the time……….

Almost every small town in the United States had The drag, in the 1960’s. Big Spring, Texas was no different. Looking back, ours had some magic in it. We would circle the Big M Drive In, at the South end of town; then, we would cruise a few blocks north to the Wagon Wheel Drive In. After circling the drive-in’s, you got back on the drag. Past Newsom’s Grocery Store, then past Herman’s Restaurant. You cruised North down Gregg Street, waving at your friends, a little over a mile to Fourth Street. At the light, turn right; go a little over a mile again, to the other Wagon Wheel Drive In". You are now at the corner of Birdwell Lane.

After you circled that Wagon Wheel Drive In a time or two you had some options. You would either pull into a spot under the awning, if you did that, you would order a Cherry Coke for 10 cents. Or, the other option was keep the dime for gas. It really depended on if you could park next to a car with girls in it. Big Spring had the cutest girls in the whole wide world.

This Wagon Wheel Drive In was near the city limits on the East end of town.

When everything was under control, you slipped out of the driveway onto Birdwell Lane. At the stop sign turn left on Third Street. You will pass the Purple Onion, a honky tonk, on your left.

This honky tonk is where we would sit by the back door in years past. Too young to get in, we would hear Jenkins Dad play the drums to Hank Williams, Hank Snow, Charlie Pride, Johnny Horton and songs of other great Country and Western performers.

Third Street is the one way going back to Gregg Street. Then left and back to the Big M, and do it again.

There you circled it a time or two and looked at the girls. Repeat said maneuver on the drag until the gas gage was on E, or it was 10:00 PM. When the gage hit the dreaded E, it gave you just enough fuel to get home.

From Third Street, we always turned left to stay on the drag. If you turned right, you would go over the Vie dock after First Street. That would take you on the other side of the tracks. There, people lived in a whole different world.

The other side of the tracks was where the majority of the Black people and Mexicans lived. They had their own Schools, and own way of life. When the Interstate was built in the early sixties; the roads from the Big Spring downtown area, went through this part of town to get to I.H. 20.

The railroads made a huge impact in the late eighteen hundreds in all of West Texas. Every 20 miles there is a town that had been built by the railroad Line to supply water for the Iron Horse. Steam Engines needed water, and a roundhouse to get people and supplies across Texas.

Fort Worth, Baird, and Big Spring had a roundhouse. The crews would take their wood-burning steam engines from Baird to Big Spring, about 120 miles, stopping every twenty miles for water. Once at Big Spring, they would put the huge engine in the roundhouse. Turn it around by hand at first and point it back to Baird. With train cars hitched on, going east, the return trip to Baird started. If all went smooth, they would be home around dark. The next day, the crew would do it again.

This is why Big Spring was so important from 1880 and into the early nineteen hundreds. Thanks to the Railroad and oil. Big Spring ended up with Cosden, the largest inland petroleum refinery, in the United States. During World War II, Big Spring had Webb Air Base, an Army Air Corps training facility. Here, they trained the bomber crews, and later the fighter pilots.

Big Spring got a huge V.A. Hospital after the War, for the veterans that were wounded. A Texas State hospital, as well as many other hospitals and clinics. Big Spring had the finest doctors. Also, a lot of oil was underneath. Many oil wells were drilled all around our small community.

The West Texas desert has Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, Abilene, Lubbock, and right in the middle, Big Spring.

With a population of over 30,000 people in the sixties, it was alive with energy and the promise of the new innovations of the times.

Ranchers and Farmers around Big Spring would not sell their land off to let the community grow. The other towns mentioned welcomed growth and sold their surrounding real estate so they grew much larger, faster.

That’s it, a little over one square mile on each side of the tracks, just like hundreds of other towns in our beautiful United States of America.

You are about to read what happened in this small Texas town during the 60’s. The kids there were pretty bored and wanted to have some clean fun that would not hurt anyone………..very much.

Hop in the magic time machine. We will put in 1960 on the way-back dial, and hang on……………….. You don’t need Mr. Wizard because you have an eye witness as your guide that survived this decade in West Texas to tell about it.

We will start at the beginning……………Where else?

Being a member of the Runnel’s street gang was tough.

But, it took a brave and determined gang to go get the Goatman of South Mountain, and bring him back, alive.

One beautiful Saturday morn, on a sunny July day, in 1960, the time had come to get the gang, and round-up our prey.

Mary and Jerry were the ring leaders, because they were the oldest and wisest. They were both big seventh graders. As we walked south, toward the end of Runnels street, we picked up the others.

There was Trip, we were both fifth graders. Then Don, he was a fifth grader too, but he was a Boy Scout, and made straight A’s all the time in school.

Then the Gammons house. Mickey and I were in the same class at College Heights Elementary, and Larry was a year younger. Roger, the oldest was Mary and Jerry’s age, but he was usually working somewhere.

I can’t remember all of the other boy’s names, because they were all smaller and pretty much too small to hang out with us big kids. But, all boys. Mickey and Larry were going on this adventure with us.

Many a time, I would make sure that I was playing with Mickey around suppertime, because his mom would yell out the back door,

COME AND GET IT!!!!

There were so many Gammons, that I would blend in; and follow Roger, or Mickey to the kitchen. Then, we would all get a plate and silver wear. Load it up with some terrific chow. Go sit down at the huge dinner table, with the rest of the clan and pig-out.

I was always crunching down in my seat so their parents, who sat on each end, could not get a good look at my face. After eating, I would wait until Roger and or Mickey finished and got up with them. Always keeping one or both between me and the parents.

We would take our plates and silver wear to the sink and wash them. After the evidence was disposed of, I slipped out the back door and ran home to eat supper.

Isn’t every growing boy hungry all of the time?

I’ve always wondered if their parents ever knew I was there. Mickey never said a word. There is safety in numbers.

After the gang was assembled, we walked with a purpose to the end of Runnels. Then, we climbed the end-of-road barrier, and went into the wilderness.

In a few years, they will build Farm to Market road 700 east and west just pass the end of Runnels, but for now, it is a wilderness.

The first drop off was about twenty feet down, at a steep grade and the loose gravel made it a challenge. All of us slipped and fell on our biscuits a time or two getting down to the dry river bed. Bet Goatman didn’t ever have that problem.

Here is where Don comes in handy. Being a Boy Scout and all, we listened sharply. At this time, he was only a couple of merit badges away from making Eagle Scout.

Don did get his Eagle badge in five more months after this adventure. I forgot to ask him if one of his other badges, was a Stalking Goatman badge.

Don reminded us of a few things to look out for, as we navigated the ancient river bed. Not only snakes and spiders, but there used to be a pack of wild dogs that roamed South Mountain. That is, until Goatman ate most of them.

I asked Jerry, After we catch the famous Goatman, can I keep him in our garage? Jerry informed me that we would all have to take turns keeping him in said garage’s and make sure he gets a dog or two to eat every week.

Dogs are a lot easier to catch than cats. Especially the older ones.

South Mountain was right in front of us. Well, it isn’t really a mountain like the ones in Colorado. It is more like a huge hill. Not quite tall enough for a ski lift. Maybe for Munchkin’s? It was snowcapped pretty much every year though. But then again, the whole town was too. Sometimes up to an inch of the white stuff.

We just always called it South Mountain because it was the biggest thing around. It is pretty flat all around Big Spring, but south of our home town, there are four or five good sized hills that display themselves with a majestic presence.

One of these mountains is Signal Peak. It was used by the Indians in the 1800’s to survey their land. They could see the Buffalo Soldiers coming for miles. The Buffalo Soldiers are an amazing piece of our Texas history.

After the Civil War, a bunch of black men were out of a job. Some of them joined the U.S. Army. They were temporarily stationed at Fort Concho in San Angelo.

There they received some training, then transferred to many small forts in West Texas. Fort Davis, Fort Stockton, and Fort Lancaster are some of them.

The Buffalo soldiers were given some old Civil war equipment, old horses, single-shot rifles, and told