Jim was a small man in stature, 5 ft. 4 inches and 175 pounds. However, he was a giant in the hearts of his family. He had great nieces and nephews that visited in the summers. They would sit under a shade tree and peel garlic for his hot tamales, peeling one and tossing one over the fence into the garden. He would always laugh and tell how he would go out into the garden later and pick up a bushel of garlic. His brother-in-law, George D. White, would help make the tamales on occasion while visiting. The tamales were packed in large lard cans furnished by R. D. Miller of Hollis.
Jim had a wooden cart with iron wheels; he would push the cart to town to a space in front of Penny’s store and people would be waiting in line as he arrived. His slogan was "Hot Tamales!!! Get 'em while their hot". He would wrap the tamales in newspaper to keep them warm. As best I remember they sold for 20 cents per dozen.
He was married to Nancy Cora Ramsey for 50 years. They lived on West Jones Street and raised two children, a boy and a girl. I don’t remember the boy. The girl was Mable Mary Betchan Mims. She was a telephone operator for years in Hollis. He loved to fish at Sandy and Turkey Creeks. These were his favorite fishing holes.
I appreciate the honor of being asked to write this article on my great Uncle Jim.
Bo Guest writes in his Book "Keep the Horses up Tonight" that Mr. Betchan would also locate in front of Goddard-White Grocery, Garland White, manager and you could buy 6 pieces of Peanut Brittle for a nickel.
We find the following story in "Planning the Route II":
Mr. J. L. Betchan, one of Hollis's pioneer businessmen, was born January 5, 1879, in Hartsville, Indiana. He came to Hollis in 1909 where he became well known in the café business, and for his hot tamales. He had a café located beneath what was then known as the Rexall Drug Store at the corner of Broadway and North Second.
Later, for many years, he sold hot tamales on the downtown streets, with a frequent spot for parking his small smokey hot tamale machine being on the north side of Broadway between North First and North Second, near the J. G. White Grocery Store.
Cecil Cummins, who lived across the street from the Betchans, recalls the many times he helped load the tamale machine into Mr. Betchan's car to take it downtown for his usual sales.
Mr. Betchan raised geese and it's said that he often cooked them and used them in his tamales. At any rate, they were delicious, but he refused to share his recipe.
The aroma of the tamales was tantalizing, especially so when many of us didn't have the money to buy them!
Mr. Betchan stood on the streets for long hours at a time, yelling "Hot tamales, get'em while we got'em....only a few more left...et'em while they're hot".
At that time, Saturdays were busy days, and huge crowds came into town to shop and to visit. The sounds they made as they went from store to store, and as they stopped to talk and visit, mingled with Mr. Betchan's hot tamale sales pitch.
As time went on, Mr. Betchan's health deteriorated so that he could no longer work downtown, so he made and sold his tamales from his home. Then after a lengthy illness, one of Hollis's most colorful merchants passed away at his home on West Jones Street on June 30, 1948. Jim had saved his dimes from his restaurant and paid cash for his home as it was built. He was survived by his wife and three grandchildren, Noel Mims of California, Harold Mims of Wichita, Kansas and Mrs. Virgle Kuykendall of Pine Valley, California.
