I have a couple in here people might find interesting.

LTG : )

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For anybody that doesn't know. That is a city of Minneapolis ( Minnesota ) license.

LTG : )

Nothing special. Someone applied for or got their license earlier than higher numbers.

There were a lot of games around. My Mother's tiny cafe had two games, back to back. Lots of criticism. That is why in Minnesota they paid out tokens and not nickels. If you won a bunch of tokens and the location knew you, they gave you 5¢ apiece for them. If they didn't know you, you won a bunch of tokens.

And they were crafty to try and catch you. On the island, East Hennepin Ave, there was a bar. ( I forget, Outdoorsman or Frontiersman, or something. All windows, two store fronts wide ). They had a customer coming in for a couple years. Made friends. Went fishing with the owners. One night when the bar was making a payout the man laid his badge on the bar - busted.

Everybody had their hand out. From the top on down. Liquor bars got new neon signs every year. It finally got to the point the ops were paying out more than they were making. So they were either going to run legal or they'd be done. That was the end of them.

Organized crime didn't really get into them. They didn't think they'd amount to anything. Too soon it was too late. Minneapolis alone had over 300 operators. Too many to lean on.

My Dad ran them. Great times.

LTG : )

From the company I worked for 1972 to 1973.

D.K. Carter was the man's name of the first route they bought when he retired. The Company became Advance Carter Co. They started putting those tags on equipment around 1972 when the accountant Benny came in. To start keeping track of equipment.

They didn't know where it all was. And service men were running their own routes using the companies equipment and movers. Benny was pretty sharp and got a handle on things.

LTG : )

Under the instruction card they wouldn't have to worry about people calling them if they lost a dime or something.

LTG : )

Not off hand. There were so many operators back then it would be impossible to know them all.

LTG : )

Good eye.

Jim Stansfield was an operator years ago. Large route. Mainly northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. His daughter was later running it, and may still be doing it today.

Back in the 1980's he built a magnificent house. Just moved in. Had a fire and lost the whole thing. ( gas can knocked over in garage ) Since the builders had just finished it, they were able to come back and rebuild it fast.

LTG : )