Memories, some remembered, some as told to me by Ron Sartin

The City Cafe was previously mentioned, I was a part of it for a couple of years when I was three or four years old. My dad and mother operated what at that time was called the City Cafe, I believe it was 1945 and 46. Meat was rationed at that time and my Dad got in trouble for butchering his own beef to serve at the restaurant. A man called Sitten from Pawhuska was the cook, he was a brother to Marie Slaughter. Another employee was Buckshot Bohannan, I considered him to be a real friend of mine. The small space on the east side of the cafe, later Maxine Goodwin's beauty shop, was living space for my sister and me since our home was on the Rock Creek farm south of Cedar Vale. Often the front door of this space was left unlocked and I recall a story that was told about me. I liked to play out on the curb, someone came in and told my mother that I was sitting on the curb stark naked and had picked up a fresh cigar butt that Charlie Wartenby had thrown down. Charlie ate breakfast most mornings at the cafe. My mother was too embarrassed to go retrieve me so she told my dad, he wasn't anxious to deal with this so Buckshot Bohannan went out and brought me in.
I remember going across the highway to Harve Barger's blacksmith shop. Usually I'd be barefooted, I learned to watch where I stepped, often there was hot metal on the floor. Harve was always friendly and glad to see me. He would ask me if I wanted a nickel and of course I did. I don't know where he kept that nickel but it as so hot I dropped it quickly! "Oh, you don't want it, " he would say as he picked it up. He must have used that same nickel over and over. I don't think I fell for that trick more than four or five times.
Behind the cafe down the alley was the side door of the Williams Garage. I liked to visit the mechanics. I was intrigued by one employee that whistled all the time because I couldn't whistle. I occupied myself by trying to learn to whistle.
One person not mentioned that owned the cafe in the early 50's was Don Enlow and his wife. Did Art Alexander and his wife run it at one time?
The beauty shop, cafe and barber shop were all one building, at the west end there was a space between the building and the Skelly Service Station. I could crawl in this space and grownups couldn't get me. This building at that time was owned by Ernestine Leonard's parents. Ernestine reminded me not too long ago that her Dad was worried that I'd get stuck in there and no one could get me out. Ronnie Sartin