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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (July 24, 1973)
Van Winkle sleeps in city fx f IHi re ism w St. d X $ 1 6 I 5 0 u Li ) f-f Yk t'i, n 1 By Carol Ru;v n-tein Sch'".:i of Jour nansm It'''' I'll: ,M -.vi-'it'.; :::. I? J stop, r, ; ,i ne.tiy TuiH to -.voi any : NUOStiOMS. When he was born in 1 896, thousands of books car ritd his na'Vi'j. Few children or adults hadn't heard Washington Irvirvi's story of a man who $U:ot for twenty years. And so, his parents soon Rip Van Winkle of 419 N. 27th St. of his fictional counterpart. -v "V' - However, they never gave him any reason for choosing that particular name. Some Lincoln residents may remember his car dealership at 17th and 0 Streets. A neon sign in front featured a white-bearded, reclining man and lead "Rip Van Winkle's Auto Exchange." 3w Wk Van Winkle is never sure what will result from situations where he must deal with people who aren't familiar with him. Trouble with credit When he shops at local stores where he has credit, he often encounters sales clerks who don't know him. After giving his name, he gets reactions ranging from anger "I'm very busy and I don't have time for jokes!" to amusement "You've got to be kidding! " Van Winkle must then wait while they check his credit. However, he said this doesn't annoy him because he realizes that they have a job to do and might get in trouble with their superiors if they didn't check. On the other hand, his unusual name sometimes has been a benefit with strangers. Once, when driving in California, he committed a minor traffic violation and was immediately stopped by an angry patrolman. But "as soon as he saw the name on my license, he called his partner over and they had a good laugh. Without any more angry words about my driving, he let me go and I heard him say, 'Wait'll we tell the guys at the stationhouse that we stopped Rip Van Winkle today!'" 40 years as dealer As a car dealer for more than 40 years, he experienced similar encounters on his buying trips to other states. One incident that he recalls was in Chicago in 1935 when he was waiting with a load of cars in an alley for another dealer to come and lead him to their destination. Five police detectives were suspicious and stopped in the alley. One of them came up and asked who he was and what he was doing. As soon as Van Winkle told him his name, the detective gabbed him, pulled him out of the car and threw him in with the other detectives, calling him a "smart aleck." They took him downtown and shoved the frightened Van Winkle into a cell. About a half an hour later, he was brought before the desk sergeant and was able to prove his identity. He then accepted their apologies and went on his way. Stilf asleep? He spent more time searching for the other dealer who had just enteied the alley as the detective pulled Van Winkle from the car, and had fled in fright. Van Winkle was born in Talmage, Neb., and lived there until 1918 when he moved to Lincoln. He is unmarried and has been retired since I960. He estimates that he receives from 50 to 100 calls every year from adults and children asking, "Are you still asleep7 and similar questions. Although he said he thinks the calls are "silly", he rarely gets angry at a caller except, where someone "starts to get nasty." "I'm not much of a guy to make mad." T'i. $ if ) )( 0 kti"mjf0' "J feJ Larval mmm I I I ON A COMPONENT SYSTEM. . . RECEIVER. . . and TURNTABLE JERE0 FM M RECEIVER With 8 J RACK STEREO TAPE PLAYER And 4 SPEED AUTO. RECORD CHANGER FISHER 7r 203 AMFM STEREO RECEIVER M CKVV J0VJ II II lit I 11IM I LA ... nil I llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllll ll II I I II lhr:,MiMiiiiii WlT,r.l,M..W.riTTTTrrTn,.M.,tfTT,T,FnTTTTTTT...MI..,..rTrTTrTTril1nmTrmTTT.TirtltltlT..! FREE WALNUT CASE JmmmJL. HgB - .VZfl " " E E B S Reg. s2899i $ Solid and dependable. . .with a wide variety of audio controls and distinctive stylmij the 203 is in every sense of the word a FISHER" " Excellent EM Sensitivity and Sulectivitv Wnc Bund AM Tuner Q5 " St'"'''ohtuicun Automatic EM Mono Star no Switch i mi ' Stup typii B.u.mdii Bass ami Jrvhe Tom- Controls ' Hnjh E titer Switch 'Loudness Contour Control liilWinthrop Reg. s299" $ Value 95 WORLD FAMOUS - VALUE! m 610AWX BSR010AW 'X Tumt.iljlf! S99.95 SHUKf Cartridrj.; 29.50 Dust Cover. . . . 5.25 Bas.; 5.25 Value S139.95 Ti Xit I 41 Reg. SI39 IL0I?x!S1Ll?J I 1323 "0" STREET Ph: 432-3356 f5G0 AHEAD. . . summer nebraskan tuusday, july Z1, T.J3
