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Jim Pugh
Hatteberg's People
Reporter: Larry Hatteberg
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July 13, 2003--When you visit Jim Pugh's place in Salina, you'll notice something a little different. He's got two little gas stations in his back yard. Both are full-size and one is like the one he first owned in Salina. |
| He's collected all the parts for them including the pumps.
"This is a great time of life. We've had it real good. We're collectors."
"I feel good about having it. It's part of my history and it's valuable to me.
For years, Jim had his own service station business in Salina...and he loved it. He's now retired...but just can't get the business out of his soul. |
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Inside this little station that Jim created, it looks like a picture from a history book.
"Everybody gets a kick out of it." |
Despite his love for the old days, Jim has no qualms about leaving the business.
"Too many hours and too many days in the week, but you do miss the people."
"I've been retired now 15 or 16 years and it is the best thing they ever invented." |
By one of the stations is an outhouse. Just like the old service stations used to have.
"I found the restroom and I figured it kind of fit with everything else so I moved it over here." |
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He built the front of another gas station just a few feet away, again, all this in his back yard. One of the pumps he had to travel across the U.S. to find. |
| "Ah, I was tickled to death with this one. As I say, I had to make a run to Washington State for it and it was completely original pump and all---and it was still in working condition." |
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Everyone collects something, but few rebuild in their own back yard, full-scale pieces of history.
"It's ideal, it's just ideal. It's just enough out of the city that we can claim to be country. |
So, as long as Jim Pugh keeps that little service station in his back yard....heck, he'll never run out of gas.
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