YES, HE COULD SELL ICE-CUBES TO--!

      My old friend, Bob, Merritt, was one of those guys who could "sell the shirt right off your back." It was a natural salesman. He could sell anything to anybody at any time and right on the spot give you a "pitch" that was very hard to turn down. 

         When I first knew Bob, we got together with another "wild and crazy guy," Doug Tamasi, and decided to throw a really big party at a park in Urbandale. The three of us chipped in a certain amount of money to get it going then sold tickets to anyone we could convince to come.

       It was a big Pig Roast with all the trimmings, all the beer you drink, a musician, and a disc jockey for dancing. One important fact was we ran out of beer by mid-night and the party was then pretty much over. Too many people got in for free somehow. 

       I digress. One night just after we had the tickets printed, we had met at Jesse's Embers on Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines for an evening dinner. When through eating Merritt just got from the table and announced it was time to go to work.

 He just walked over to an adjoining table and told a guy what he was selling(the party) and how many tickets he would like "SIX or EIGHT!" I think the guy ended up buying just two, but, that was Bob-fearless and forward! That party was remembered in west side of Des Moines for a long time!