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You Know You're Old WHEN... by Rose-Mary Rumbley ou can remember the tallest building in Dallas was the YMagnolia Petroleum Company building. In fact it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi when it opened, August 14, 1922, corner of Commerce and Adkard. The building with its 29 stories was the grandest up the ice cream. and most imposing edifice in the Southwest. Magnolia Petroleum became Mobil Oil and now is Exon But in the meantime, at the care center, he watched the activities director make boxes out of Christmas cards to Mobil. Nevertheless, the old building which is now the be used as decorations on the Christmas tree. They were Magnolia Hotel, is beloved to all Dallasites. so cute! The building became even more prestigious when on George got interested in making boxes, and to quote him, November 8, 1934, a gigantic FLYING RED HORSE, "the rest is history." He has made so many boxes, he has a PEGASUS, was placed on top. This ingenious work was house full of big boxes filled with little boxes. done by a neon sign man, J. B. McMath, who was not only able to build the two horses that were welded together, but You can find George passing out boxes on Mondays he was able to make the gigantic creation turn. It's still at Chubbys, Jupiter and North West Highway. On possible to see the prized logo in certain places downtown. Wednesdays he is at Kroger's Deli, Plano Rd. and North The taller buildings overshadow it, but the love for the West Highway. On Fridays, you'll fine him at the JJ Cafe, building and it's PEGASUS are still cherished by all. corner of Ferndale and Northwest Highway. He begins each of these box making and box giving sessions at 6 AM Once a year I speak to the Mobil Exes, a delightful crowd and finishes about 9 PM. He's at other places during his of people who worked for Mobil and are now retired. One time off. member, George Gray, known as the Box Man, always presents me with a choice box he has made especially for "I'm always behind," says George. His daughter called, me. George, the Box Man, has a great story. "What are you doing?" He was born in Cade, Oklahoma, a city that no long George smiled as he said, "Nothing! And I'm behind in exists. His birth certificate reads, Bennington, Oklahoma, that." ■ east of Bokchita, east of Durant. After graduation from Friendship High School in Altus, Oklahoma, George went into the Navy. When he got out, he didn't have enough money to go to Oklahoma State, so he decided to get rich quick by going to Borger, Texas, and to work for Phillips Petroleum. From there he went to Amarillo to work for the Globe News, where he was in charge of all the paper boys. (Remember paper boys?) Then he went to work for Mobil Oil in 1951, eventually moved to Dallas, and retired from Mobil in 1983 having worked there for 31 years. But wait! George could not retire and do nothing, so he decided to volunteer at Doctors Health Care on White Rock Trail. For 31 one years he was known as the "Ice Cream Guy," serving ice cream to the residents. He retired when his assistant died and was not there to help him scoop page 4 | www.celebrationmagazine.com