Jack Remembers

In 1964, Elmer McClain ran the only tavern in Oak Grove, called Mac’s Place, where the Broadway Grille was located. He was quite conservative and never bought a round for any of his customers. Actually, there was a state law prohibiting give beer for free to a customer. His wife, Josephine, his stepdaughter, who worked as a waitress, and his customers talked Mac into having an Appreciation Night right before Christmas. He would give away beer for a two-hour period for a penny a bottle. The place was packed.
However, one of his customers named Charlie, who got there too late for the penny beer, got into an argument with good old Mac and punched him in the nose. It was a good blow and shoved his nose up into his head. Mac fell off the stool and was laying on the floor bleeding pretty bad. A couple of other guys grabbed Charlie, took him outside and proceeded to give him a few punches.
About that time, someone came in and said, “The skating rink is one fire.” The skating rink was actually the old American Legion Hall, next door to where a restaurant/bar called ScrapYard is now located, and had also been used as the high school gymnasium where the high school basketball games were played. The library also was downstairs in this building.
Mac’s Place never had a telephone and the only pay phone was just down the street in an empty lot next to the telephone office. Doyle Davis went down the street to the pay phone, put the money in and called the operator, Doris McMullens, who was just next door.
Doyle told the operator he needed a doctor, an ambulance, the fire truck and the city marshal. Doris recognized Doyle’s voice and said, “Doyle, have you been drinking?” Doyle replied, “Yes Ma’am, I have, but I still need a doctor, an ambulance, the fire truck and the city marshal.”
The city’s old fire truck showed up, but the American Legion Building burned to the ground.
An ambulance came from Independence after Doc Liston had stopped the bleeding, and Mac spent a week in the hospital.
The city marshal showed up and stopped the fight, so Charlie wound up with only some bruises and knots on his head.
Needless to say, Mac’s Place never had another free beer night.

Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com