Please Deposite 10 Cents!

Tommy Towery

LHS ‘64

In last week’s topic of telephone scams, I mentioned the pay phone as something we had in our past which has now disappeared in most parts. I remember that back before cell phones, many of us relied on pay phones, in particular those in telephone booths, in many ways. Most of us grew up wondering how Clark Kent could dash into a telephone booth which barely had enough room to turn around in and yet was able to quickly change into his Superman outfit.

I got to thinking back about phone booths in our times, and trying to remember where the most common ones in my own personal life were located. It did not take long, because I specifically remember there were two in particular which come to mind. Those these were not really “booths” but were instead outside pay phones on poles if I remember correctly. However, it has been a long time and I might be wrong about that.

The two I remember the most were located at Five Points. One was located on the corner beside Star Market, and the other one was a block east of there on the corner beside Zesto. Perhaps one of you might have better memories of them and can put me straight.

I remember the one by Star Market because it was the one where someone showed me you could get a free call if you slammed your thumb against the coin return button at the same time you dropped the coin in the slot. It sometimes took a couple of tries, but usually you got results. That pay phone is also the one in Huntsville from which I found the most money in the coin return. I also remember that was the phone which someone once cracked an egg and put it in the coin return compartment. People who made calls which were not answered and then hung up had their money returned. When they pulled down the coin return handle and stuck their finger into the goop they quickly jerked it back and left. Later the culprit would go back and dig through the mess and retrieve all the coins which had been left because of the unknown substance in the return slot.

The pay phone down by Zesto has another memory for me which I have never shared. Early in my Carter’s Skateland days I met Barbara Seeley and somehow I got her phone number from her. This was in 1960 I think, because I was in the 9th grade and had just started going to Lee Junior High and was living on McCullough, so Five Points was not far away. Well, a few days later I was at Five Points and I finally got up the nerve to try to call Barbara. I used the Zesto corner’s pay phone and dialed the number and a female voice answered, and I jumped in with “Hi Barbara.” I did not have my “A” plan thought out and I just started talking to her – about what I don’t remember but I was just rambling I am sure. When I finally ran out of breath and waited for an answer I was shocked to hear, “This is not Barbara you’re talking to. I am her mother.” My blood froze. I think I just hung up rather than continue the call. I never told Barbara about that I don’t think, so this is a revelation that has embarrassed me for all these years. If you can still remember something like that which happened when you were 14 and now you at 75, it made an impact.

I know most restaurants had pay phone in them, and a lot of public buildings. I specifically remember one building which had a booth with a seat inside it. It was a dark, almost mahogany looking, phone booth with a scissor opening door, but for the life of my I cannot remember where it was located.

I am sure we all remember that if we ever used a pay phone to make a long distance phone call we had to have a fist load of coins. Once you dialed a number you were instructed to insert a certain amount of money and then if the call went longer than inspected your were instructed to insert additional coins to continue the conversation or it would be cut off.

I am now asking you to share with the rest of us some of your own personal memories of pay phones or phone booths and what you experienced in your high school days which make them memorable in your life. I know there has to be some untold stories out there and am asking for some inputs. If you don’t want to leave your name then you don’t have to do so. Let’s hear it.

Okay, I am seeking some clairfication on the location and physical appearances of some of the phone booths in Huntsville. Are any still there? Why do you remember them?

Next week we will feature a Halloween issue, so if you have a Halloween story you wish to share, please send it in. If you would rather email it to me rather than use the form below, then my email address is tommytowery@gmail.com.

Comments on Last Week's Issue

Cecilia LeVan Watson, LHS ‘68, "I remember the party line. You had maybe 2 or 3 people on the same line.  I use to pick the phone up very slowly and listen to other’s conversations. Them my mom would tell me it was wrong but then she would ask what everyone said. I guess it was our own social media !"

Jim Mcbride, LHS ’65, “In my humble opinion, The Platters are the best vocal group ever. “Twilight Time”, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, “Only You”, “The Great Pretender “, “My Prayer”, “The Magic Touch”, (My Favorite) “Enchanted”, “Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight” and “Harbor Lights “are a few of their hits. I’m talking strictly vocal groups where none of the members play instruments.”

Slow Song Selections

Misty - Johnny Mathis

"Misty" is a jazz standard written in 1954 by pianist Erroll Garner. He composed it as an instrumental in the traditional 32-bar format and recorded it for the album Contrasts (1955). Lyrics were added later by Johnny Burke. It became the signature song of Johnny Mathis, appearing on his 1959 album Heavenly and reaching number 12 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart later that year. The song has been recorded many times, including versions by Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra.

I remember owing the "Heavenly" album and taking it to a lot of Boy/Girl parties when I was first becoming interested in girls. I also used to take it over to my girlfriend's house and we would slow dance to these songs in her living room. "Misty" was a great song to slow dance to, as were most of the songs on this album. The songs on that album were:

Heavenly        

Hello, Young Lovers

A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening

A Ride On a Rainbow

More Than You Know

Something I Dreamed Last Night

Misty

Stranger In Paradise

Moonlight Becomes You

They Say It's Wonderful (From "Annie Get Your Gun")

I'll Be Easy to Find

That's All

If you use Spotify, you can go to their site and search for "Heavenly" and listen to the whole album free of charge. It will bring back a lot of memories to a lot of you I am sure. It sure does for me.

I also remember how shocked I was when I first saw "The King and I" and found out "Hello Young Lovers" was actually written for that play. Sometimes I felt it was written for me.

On a darker note, who can forget the plot connected to the song "Misty" from the Clint Eastwood movie, "Play Misty For Me?"