Telepones / Gambling

When telephones were finally installed out our direction and we were able to get one of our own, we had to share the party line with several other families. Many times when we picked up the phone to use it, a faceless voice would be on line. We'd have to replace the receiver until they were through talking. Listening in to a party line conversation was considered rude and unethical.

One day, however, when Mom picked the receiver up and placed it to her ear, what she heard caused her ears to burn. She listened on.

Someone was talking about HER! Some "Better Than Thou" person said Melba Laub was not a fit mother, always leaving her children alone. She had a mind to go to the authourities and report her and have those children taken away.

Mom cried. She was humiliated and hurt. She told Dad from now on he could go with out her. She was not going to leave her kids again!

After that Dad began taking one or two of his oldest or youngest for company if it was possible.

LaVerna recalls  going to Las Vegas with Daddy and stayed with his sister Mabel while Dad was at work. When it was time to get his pay check and go home to St. George, he stopped at teh casino to cash his check.

Dad took most of his cast to LaVerna and said, "here is my money, don't give it to me no matter what I say."

"OK, Daddy"

He soon came back with the smell of alcohol on his breath and wanted more money.

"Oh, no Daddy. I can't let you have it!"

After demanding again she gave him more. Soon he was back demanding all of it.

"Oh no Daddy. I promised not to let you have it!"

He got it and went back inside. LaVerna was sad to think she had failed him.

They were soon on their way home without the week's wages. The closer they got to St. George, the worse Dad felt about what he had done. He remarked to LaVerna that we was afraid to face her mother.

There was not that much traffic coming from Utah to Las Vegas at the time. Daddy watched the lone pairs of headlights coming toward him now and then. "See those lights? those  are your mother's eyes waiting for me." I think he learned his lesson about gambling away all his wages that evening. So did LaVerna. She grew up with a firm aversion to the temptation of gambling.