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Copyright November, 2010 Benny H. Pellom. All rights reserved.
Website by PellomEnterprises.com
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Words from a 'Run-away Boy' Page 3
My boxing career cut short.
One day on the back street of Chatsworth, Zach (the guy that almost fell from the cliff on Fort Mountain) came up to me and goaded me into fighting a local kid that had gotten a new pair of boxing gloves. Zach, being my hero, I couldn't decline to fight the kid, and so the fight was on - or almost got started. After a few swings by each of us I got a head-butt square on the nose, and with blood spewing, that ended my boxing career. On another occasion that same kid was on the Court House lawn taking on all comers, and whipped everybody that put the gloves on in front of him. After all that I should remember his name, but for some reason I can't. Maybe that's good too.
Sleeping under the skating rink.
One hot summer day a man came to town to put up a skating rink. He was hiring the kids in and around Chatsworth to help put together the portable wooden floor, and help erect the large canvas tent. Those of us who were lucky got a job as skate boy. I was one of the lucky ones and got the job. So with large screwdriver in hand to push the outer shoe soles under the shoe hooks of the skates, sitting on what looked like a shoeshine box, I was in business. The faster I worked, the more business I would get on a given day or night.
I worked hard and fast when the rink was open, and accumulated quite a bit of money, for a kid. Also, it was a big deal that I got to skate free of charge. At night, after the rink closed, and the floors were swept clean, and the trash was picked up, I would bed down under the skating rink in the grass and weeds. Some times during the day before opening time, I would help the manager, a short red-faced elderly man from Milton, PA, oil the skates. His name was Jack Carson. He contracted to provide the skates and run the rink for another man.
In late fall of that year we were hired to take down the skating rink and load it onto trucks that would transport it away to warmer climes. That meant that I was unemployed again, and on the streets. The next year Jack Carson was back in Chatsworth setting up the portable skating rink, and hiring the kids again.
Jack Carson was back in town and was asking for me.
For some reason I was temporarily back at home where my family lived in the country, when Zach approached me on the dusty road and said "Ben, Jack Carson is back in town, and is asking for you"!
I hurriedly walked three miles back to Chatsworth, and helped set up the skating rink; and was hired again as skate boy. My bed was once again under the skating rink, but at least I had money in my pocket, and getting to my place of work was no problem. At the end of that summer, Jack Carson moved the skating rink to Dalton, GA, in the area where the American Legion is currently located. At that time a big change took place in my relationship with Jack Carson. He took me with him to Dalton.
