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ETHEL'S CAFE in CISCO
In
the mid-70s, Cisco, Utah was already being called a ghost town. It had
boomed briefly during the Uranium Craze, but the town looked deserted
by the early 70s.
One
marginal exception was Ethel's Cafe. Its owner was known for her cranky
disposition and I was told once that if I ever felt as if I needed more
abuse than what was being served to me, I should pay Ethel a visit.
Being
the masochist that I am, I immediately headed north, up the river road
to see Ethel. It was early spring and still blustery and cold. I found
Ethel behind the counter, a cigarette dangling from the edge of her
mouth. She had one customer, who seemed to have permission to be there,
but they both cast a scornful eye at me when I asked if I could get a
Coca-Cola.
"They're in the freezer case," she snarled. "Get it yourself."
I
pulled a bottle from the fridge but it didn't feel very cold. Because I
have had a death wish for decades, I asked, "Do you think I could have
a glass with some ice?"
"What the hell for? You just took it out of the FREEZER!"
I paid for my Coke and left. Feeling supremely abused, I savored luke warm soft drink, all the way back to Moab.
~JS
ETHEL'S CAFE as it looks today.
The actual freezer case from which I extracted my tepid cola...
Searching for ETHEL STORIES...
The Zephyr is looking for stories about
Ethel's Cafe, or Ethel, or the people
who frequented her establishment,
or even stories about Cisco,
in its heyday.
If you have a memory you'd like
to share, send it our way and we'll share
it with Zephyr readers.
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