A Night At The Westerner
This story is told by my friend and guest author, David Long.
I've wanted to tell this story for a while, I just didn't have the energy to tell it right.
It seems that every Western city has some country western dance hall and saloon. In Denver, it was Ollie's Round Up, on Morrison road. In Salt Lake, it is the Westerner. They have lots of cowboys, a lot of dancing, too much beer consumption, and too many fights. That is what made them fun to go to, but you didn't want to get too out of hand, or you could take a lickin.
Years ago, Jack Savage's old friend from Kentucky, Steve Adams, came to Salt Lake for a visit. I'm sure Jack wanted to show Steve what Salt Lake had to offer, so on Saturday, Jack, Steve and I drove to Wendover, NV to play the slot machines. That was an interesting trip, indeed.
Our first stop, was this little "casino?" off the main drag, I think it was called "Behind the Rock Casino", or something similar. We didn't stay long, the place was real sleazy, I don't know what really went on there, but whatever it was, we weren't buying it. So we ended up at one of the main street casinos.
To make it short, I was doing real well on the slot machines, at one time I was ahead about $400, Then Steve hit a $1,000 jackpot on his machine! Those are good pay outs for those old mechanical slot machines. I don't remember Jack doing that well, but Steve and I drove back to Salt Lake happy.
Once back in Salt Lake, we decided we'd go to the Westerner, and throw back some beers, which we did. I brought a couple of firecrackers along when we went, just because. When Steve went to the rest room the first time, I told Jack that I had a good prank to play on Steve, but I needed Jack's help. The next time Steve went to the men's room, I asked Jack to ask Steve some question, such that Steve would have to lean over the table to hear what Jack was asking him. Jack was game!
Sure enough, the next time Steve got up to use the rest room, Jack gets him to bend over the table. I got up with Steve, like I was going to use the head while he was going. While Steve is bending over trying to hear what Jack was asking him, I stuck a firecracker into the belt loop of his pants. I don't know what Jack asked Steve, but it worked. When Steve stood up, and started walking to the restroom, I was right behind him, trying to light that firecracker with my lighter. Finally, I got the fuse lit, and went back to our table with Jack.
Now, as Commander Cody said in a song; "all the things I've said and done, I ain't never had too much fun". Watching Steve walk thru the Westerner with a lit firecracker fuse burning away, was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Now I'll admit, I was thinking that maybe this wasn't the smartest thing I'd ever done, who knew what was going to happen when that firecracker blew? Gunfight?
The fuse finally burned out, without exploding the firecracker, I guess because I had carried the firecracker around in my front pocket for a while. Probably for the better, all the way around. I've always wondered what would have happened. I know Jack and I had a good laugh, at Steve's expense. It was seriously, one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
That was one fine day.
David
I've wanted to tell this story for a while, I just didn't have the energy to tell it right.
It seems that every Western city has some country western dance hall and saloon. In Denver, it was Ollie's Round Up, on Morrison road. In Salt Lake, it is the Westerner. They have lots of cowboys, a lot of dancing, too much beer consumption, and too many fights. That is what made them fun to go to, but you didn't want to get too out of hand, or you could take a lickin.
Years ago, Jack Savage's old friend from Kentucky, Steve Adams, came to Salt Lake for a visit. I'm sure Jack wanted to show Steve what Salt Lake had to offer, so on Saturday, Jack, Steve and I drove to Wendover, NV to play the slot machines. That was an interesting trip, indeed.
Our first stop, was this little "casino?" off the main drag, I think it was called "Behind the Rock Casino", or something similar. We didn't stay long, the place was real sleazy, I don't know what really went on there, but whatever it was, we weren't buying it. So we ended up at one of the main street casinos.
To make it short, I was doing real well on the slot machines, at one time I was ahead about $400, Then Steve hit a $1,000 jackpot on his machine! Those are good pay outs for those old mechanical slot machines. I don't remember Jack doing that well, but Steve and I drove back to Salt Lake happy.
Once back in Salt Lake, we decided we'd go to the Westerner, and throw back some beers, which we did. I brought a couple of firecrackers along when we went, just because. When Steve went to the rest room the first time, I told Jack that I had a good prank to play on Steve, but I needed Jack's help. The next time Steve went to the men's room, I asked Jack to ask Steve some question, such that Steve would have to lean over the table to hear what Jack was asking him. Jack was game!
Sure enough, the next time Steve got up to use the rest room, Jack gets him to bend over the table. I got up with Steve, like I was going to use the head while he was going. While Steve is bending over trying to hear what Jack was asking him, I stuck a firecracker into the belt loop of his pants. I don't know what Jack asked Steve, but it worked. When Steve stood up, and started walking to the restroom, I was right behind him, trying to light that firecracker with my lighter. Finally, I got the fuse lit, and went back to our table with Jack.
Now, as Commander Cody said in a song; "all the things I've said and done, I ain't never had too much fun". Watching Steve walk thru the Westerner with a lit firecracker fuse burning away, was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Now I'll admit, I was thinking that maybe this wasn't the smartest thing I'd ever done, who knew what was going to happen when that firecracker blew? Gunfight?
The fuse finally burned out, without exploding the firecracker, I guess because I had carried the firecracker around in my front pocket for a while. Probably for the better, all the way around. I've always wondered what would have happened. I know Jack and I had a good laugh, at Steve's expense. It was seriously, one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
That was one fine day.
David