You would tell the attendant, "five gallons," or whatever. There was a handle on the side of the pump and he would hand pump that amount up into the top. He would then put the nozzle into the car's tank, and gravity would do the rest. No electricity involved, hand pumped and gravity would take over. Need one of those when the electricity goes out.
I remember a time back when the power was lost in Reno, and one old station kept right on pumping, using a pump like this. Cars were lined up for miles. Then some of the smart ones realized they could hook up their power lawn mowers and use them to run the pump.
There was a consistent aroma in old stations such as this, gas and oil and cigar smoke, that memory still lingers in my mind.
There was generally a bench out in front of old stations like this where you could sit and watch the cars go by and talk with the locals that hung out there. I remember an old station in Mooresville, Indiana, my brother had gotten gas, and a few locals, my brother and I were sitting out in front talking about Indiana, basketball, Branch McCracken, the IU coaching legend, and the local Mooresville hero, John Dillinger, of bank robbing fame. The name Dillinger was prominent around Mooresville, gifts from John. His old barber cut my hair that day. They said the John had done a lot of good for the town. I think there was a Dillinger Park that he had donated.
