I'll Tell You A Story

 This is part of the history of Beaumont, that the Father's of Beaumont do not want known...

Back in the 1940s-1950s, Beaumont was wide open. Gambling casinos, whorehouses, I knew a couple of older ladies who worked there back in the day. They were "reformed" when I knew them. One made a heck of a pot of vegetable beef soup. 

The James Commission was formed and the Texas Rangers were sent in to shut down all the "businesses."  

They just went " underground." 

And I've been told there is still a pretty busy escort business servicing the hotels in town. ( Servicing is not a good word.)...Anyway, tuition at Lamar needs to be paid.....

In the late 1970s, there was really one major " fancy" hotel in Beaumont and it was on I-10.  This was long before all of the hotels were built on I-10 out towards  College Street to Walden Road.

A fellow history major was in the walking by one of the places on campus at Lamar were they put up index cards, other notices of help wanted. 

College students were always looking for jobs, to pay well, for rent, food, etc. And one of these advertisements was for a part-time weekend clerk at the fancy hotel on I-10, near 11th Street.  ( The hotel burned down mysteriously, after they tried to turn it into a retirement home, after the influx of hotels down I-10 going towards Houston started to open.)

Cyndi saw that the job was Saturday from 9PM to 6AM...Sunday 6PM to 6AM. And it even had as part of advertisement, " Plenty of time to study after 2AM. 

Cyndi is now a retired HS history teacher from a local school district, and even though she is retired, I will not use her real name, even though, knowing her, well, she tells the story herself. I knew her husband, and he taught also, and he's no longer with us, but still won't go there with names.  

And Cyndi is still an attractive woman....

She applied for the job and within a day of her applying was called in for an interview. 

Cyndi said it was the best interview she ever had, the hotel manager even had coffee brought in for the interview.  

The manager told her her duties and the pay was good and then here was the kicker....

She ( Female management) tells Cyndi, " Sometimes the two girls who work weekends get busy and you will need to "help out." 

"This doesn't happen often, but you'll get to keep 60% of everything you make, Mr. XXXX who's in charge of weekend security  gets 20% and the hotel gets 20%....You'll find the percentage is much more generous than other businesses." " It'll come in handy tuition time..."

Come to find out, the last girl was leaving because she had graduated and she was moving to Dallas to marry her fiance. 

Cyndi, thanked the management for the interview, and told her, she did not believe it was for her.....

So, you never know what is going on....Do you? 

Another Lamar student took the job....Blonde girl.....Cyndi pointed her out....