Show May 30 1 973 page 3 One man’s view Old lady lives by seeking money in telephone booths r John Martin The public telephone is usually a means to communicating gossip loving words or bad news But to a particular little old lady it is a route she follows to scrounge for change It is a means to a cup of coffee perhaps a means to her next meal If we could picture an animal running to sniff everything thrown out the kitchen door we would also picture this old lady rushing to empty phone booths 2 I watched her one day in the Greyhound Bus Depot in Reno Nevada She was going through the row of telephone booths She swung open each door squeezed in and flipped open the change slot I heard a clink after she came out of each door Hiding behind my newspaper I watched her sit down on a bench across from me Her clothes were old and ragged and she had on a grey coat that was wrapped about her tightly covering her plaid cotton dress She laid her arms across her body and in one hand she clutched a small change purse Her legs hung like a couple of broken twigs and her toes barely touched the floor She had on at least two pair of grey-whit- e nylons The outer stocking of one leg had fallen and was sagging over her shoe Her shoes were worn out and scuffed beyond polishing One shoestring was black the other brown Her white hair peppered with black was wrapped in a bandanna knotted tightly under her chin Her face looked old and leathery and was mapped in wrinkles Her eyes were small and beady yet alive as they darted around in their sockets She seemed ovllvious to people i i (Continued from Page 2) booze cars suntan lotion free tutors room and board books and tuition and whatever else it takes to keep such superb specimens on campus All these nice things are given not for how much they can think with their heads but for how much they can push with them free 3-- 8 cokes or coffee with any purchase pm during finals 1 Oc On the other hand many students which show academic excellence can’t even get a tuition waiver let alone all those other benefits The depths of hell might freeze over before a plaintive plea is issued in their behalf It seems to me that those who gave the plea to get more money for the Gladiators have a 180 degree misalignment of values I suppose the next thing in order is to hire a coach for President Robert Ott 529-74-81- 21 week at as she sat quietly dangling her legs She looked straight ahead yet kept an alert eye on the phone She quickly slid off the bench and hurried to a booth going in after someone had finished making a call and had come out She reached in and checked the slot but found nothing Dragging back to her seat she folded herself together booths again Beyond her were people lined up for tickets The line snaked out and around some benches with baggage stacked alongside Other people occupied the benches and were either reading or sleeping Those who came in from arriving buses or who went out to meet their schedule rushed to and from the lockers Some people were at a row of d cranking the bandits” with one hand and stuffing coins in with the other Some kids were at a far slot-machin- es “one-arme- corner playing the pinball machines and other games The old lady sat perched among all these travelers among those who use the depot as a place to gather or to sleep Music blared from the bar where there was loud talking and laughing A bell rang and a light to lit up one of the signify a jackpot She looked over in that direction and listened intently cocking her head to the coins dropping into the receiver She sighed and dropped her looked down at her eyelids hands then started picking at her nails She ambled over to a directory and leafed through it She looked up now and then at three people in different booths After each person left she checked the telephone slot I heard the inevitable clink from each one A group of men sat at a bench slot-machin- es next to her They had stopped talking long enough to watch her looking for money Making no touched a napkin to her mouth then put it back on her lap She huddled over her coffee as if to get warm cupping both hands around her drink The waitress refilled her cup The old lady smiled putting her hand to her mouth which had comment they went on talking about their days on the railroad Out on the street cars raced past and pedestrians darted across between green lights Now and then a cab would pull up acA --several teeth missing “Thank stop for passengers you thank you” she said nodding like a bird casinos were on the Gambling A girl came by announcing a next block where money was the new by game of keno The old lady probably exchanged thousands A huge marquee was looked up at the keno board plastered against a wall studied it then pulled a pamphlet surrounded by rows and rows of of keno instructions from a small lights which glitter at night like a rack and looked it over She Christmas tree Big names in big stuffed it back into the rack and letters were inserted in the went back to drinking her coffee marquee the size of the letters Beyond her stretched red enof the status the reflecting carpeting and along the wall beside her were rows of booths tertainers The old lady got up and Black leather covered them and checked the booths again then they crinkled as people sat down waddled on outside She poked to eat A couple of men sat next to her her finger into the slot of a cab phone on the outside wall as she wearing white shirts and idenshuffled on down the street tical ties Name tags were pinned I followed her outside and above their shirt pockets They watched her disappear into the were busy talking about gamcrowd Maybe she went on to blers and girls other booths to make a better day The old lady finished her of it or maybe she wandered coffee and put her spoon on her home I don’t know But at the saucer She pulled off her glasses depot the phones didn’t ring for and cleaned them with a napkin then she crumpled the napkin and her Another day while I was stuffed it into the cup She put her having a sandwich at the famed glasses back on pulled a change Harolds Club I saw her again purse out of her coat pocket She sat across from me at a opened it and peeked inside She horseshoe counter on the picked up her ticket and looked at restaurant floor of the club it closely Snapping her purse shut she got up and eased out stirring a cup of coffee She wore the same old coat and from between the chairs She dress but her bandanna was walked past me and on to the missing Her hair was combed cashier booth out and straight down with no Perhaps she went back across ornaments She wore little the street to check the phone frameless glasses that shined like booths again I don’t know the glazed counter and utensils Perhaps she went home to Her coat looked dull and the grandchildren or a sick relative or to an empty shack sleeves were grey and tattered 4 I never saw her again She sipped her coffee carefully r5w0°r Complete Breakfast 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