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A G001, INVE3TgENT
Written By:
Mrs. Laois T. Bradley
Research Field Norker
Georgia Writers' Projeot
Athens, Osorgia
Edited By:
Mrs. Maggie B. Freeman
Editor
Georgia Writers' Project
Athens, Georgia
WPA Area 6
Ootober 12,11139
October 9, 1939
Andrew Johnson (Negro)
168 Pope Street
Athens, Georgia
Insurance Agent
Bradley
A GOOD INVFSTM2T
One afternoon I went out on Nest Broad Street, one
of Athens LargeSt negro sections, for an interview.
When I arrived at the address I found that my consultant
had just left town. I rested for a few minutes, then
went on my way wondering wherF I could go to get my neat
story.
As I walked down street, I saw a nicely dressed,
young negro man go up on a porch and rap on the tr9nt
door. In his hand he had a book, to which he kept re-
ferring, while waiting for a response to his knoo4 No one
answered and he turned to lee. I knew that insurance agents
were usually out callsoting on that day, so I asked him if
that was his business.
"Yes, Miss; he said, "and I like it very much."
"iiould you take the time to tell me something of your
life work?" I said.
siiure I will," he said. "Of course this is one of
my busiest days, but I on make up the time I guess. But
why do you want to know anything about my life? he con-
tinued.4I haven't lived in this old world so very long and
my life story might not be of much account.
Bradley
e 2
I explained to his what my business IRS 'tad why I
wished his story.
*All right,* he said,*if you wish ie can talk right
hire. he looked around for a place for we toAlit down.
On the poroh was a swing with most of tae seat torn out.
It did not look to be veryitrong either so I was afraid
to risk it.
just sit right here on the edge of the porch,'
'aid.
*Wait, I;iss, it is very dusty,* he said. He webt to
his or whioh was perked in front, brought a newspaper
aria spread it et for me to sit on. He stood v-ry respect-
fully and we began our conversation.
Anthony Jaokson is a negro far above the average
of his race, about twenty-six years of age, rather tall and
slender. He has bright black eyes that were keen with en-
thusibab and his short mustaohe gives his the apPearano0
of being older than his years. He was dressed in a neat
business suit with a soft felt hat to match and wearing
nice looking ring, which he afterwards told me was his
fraternity rine,. being a well educated negro his conver-
sation ahJfve none of the oharaoteristios of the Oiliterate
tiegro
*I was born he began, *riEnt here in Athens,
6eorgia, down on Pope Street. I live at 168 Pope Street
now, but that's not where I was born. My childhood was
BradleY
Page 3
very happy. Sot3ehow *e children had a better living thiol a
lot of colored children. There were just two of us ohildren.
Yes, Ma'am, just two of us, one brother and myself, I owe
the most of my advantages though, to my mother and her people.
Otle /lad fine people on her side. I don't remember my father
very well; he died when 1 was Jost six years old. Of course,
there are a few little things I can remember. Funny how lit-
tle tniniLs stiok '4th you. 1 can remember good one da: when
e took me 'oross his knee and paddled me for running &ivy.
Q11, it didn't hurt such, it hurt my fef,lings more than any-
thio else. Yes, my parents were sttiok on us. -:441
--ere not allowed to run 'round on the streets like a lot of
clildren.
4Ly fther was a rpenter and did well. Yes, he made
good money. e al‘wiya to,ok h.i money home to my mother and
s -e put it awa *nat she om4e. Yes, they pulled to-
Lether. ies, my mother, she worked too. y father didn't
leave us MIA4h money, just a little insuranoe, that's all.
Me nkid a nice funeral. Cif course I ent, but 1 can't remem-
br aOout it. jile uo,Psn't want us boys to forget our
father, ao she keeps us in mind of him all the time. No, we
had small family. Lar.i.e f8milies, I guess are nice, but
flI a,ddy died and left us so young; I reckon it's best
that there were on34 two of us,
e don't own our home, never have owned one, but we
are anning to try to borrow some money soon and strt us
one. Of course 1 havg-? to have a oar in my business.
PradleY
Page 4
41 live in a nice house now. Oh, it isn't fine, but it's all-
ric,ht for now. It isn't so muoh to look at but my mother is
proud of how oomfortable it is. And her flowers! I just wish
y.:pa could see them. If you ever happen to be down that way
stop at 168 Pope 'Areet and see my mother and her flowers.
.3he's not there all the lime, but most in general she le.
:ihe does ;shing so that keeps her there. 3he is a good 000k
too, but she don't cook out, just 000ke for us. She makes a
nice house Zr us, too.
4L%enop aftfer nj father died, we got along better
tn we did when he las living. I believe I told you my
mot er had fine people, well they helped my mother raise us
two boys.
41 hs,ve a f iriy 800d eduction, and would have had more,
but 1 h“i an acoident that disabled met for a while. The firet
school I went to was Knox Institute, right over here an Reese
3tre-t. en I went to the old Union Baptist 3ohool over on
Baxt!'r itreet. ''ese are both elementary suhools. Part of
the time, too, 1 went to orris Brown School in Atlanta.
1h. reason I went there, my father worked there a short while,
so we moved with him. :/hen we came book to Athens, I went to
3alker Bp tit ollege in ..w.gusta and I finished there. I was
F prety good athlete and I gat a soolarship for playing ball.
That was a fine school but it only oarried you so far and no
father. Ly real oollegs education was at AA. College over
in 2,outh Carolina. 4hile 4es there I majored in Chemistry
and wlnored in biolo6y. was workine toward a pre-med do..
Droller
Page
groo, I rosily wasted to be a doctor, but, during tho tine I
was in soilage, I got a fr-Atturod skull and had to quit WY
sours.. I believe I told you whilo ago &botany aeoldfmt. Well,
I °suit say Just how it happansdp it was done so quiet. ?ha
first I knew I was in a hospital and cloisters and nurses were all
around. I was seriously injured and have never been able to go
bask to &areal. Wenetinee now I an tempted to try it.
"I began writiag lasuranoe when I had to quit school, and
have been at it sow for several years. It Is aloe work and pays
well. I'm with the North Carolina Nutual Osnpanyiand ny *Moe
is in the Nook Payne building on Washington Street. Our dis-
trlot *Moe is la Atlanta and the hone offtee is in Durban,
North Carolina. There are three things we need whoa we get *Joh»
Sod, a good doctor and life insuranee, Insuraneo is surely a
good investaiont. People of my solar bolter* in insuranee.
They say that's the only way they San save looney. It's toe
easy to draw out of tho husk. Panay thing toe about insure**,
it looks like the poorer and sore ignorant they are, the
sore partisular they are about keeping their payments W.
Sens that Moot who know values do not (tarry preteetioa.
*Colleeting is sot so bad as son* pso10140 think, lost
people are pleasant Wm" It. The first week in the month is
always good, but the last gets kinder tough. I try to help wi
oustoners all I min when they oan't pay.Ona aid lady pays all
her insure in vegetablos. She has agitation...a and we don't
have sac where we live, so she furnish,. us all tha kinds of
Page
vegetables she raises and in turn I deduct the amount for the
vegetables fron the mount ake ewes the eempany and I take
011,6 c:$ her premiums myself when they eons due, It's all the
aaaa tam. We write a let Of different kinds of palsies.
Indownent„ pinto/patine Industrial, sisk and asoldent and
most every kind any ether soppany carries. One of the finest
kind we write is grow ineurense. *Dually that is for a firm
where lots of people are working. The head of the firm takes
it out, and the premiums are tAtea out of their salaries. That
is fine, for it compels people to haw* protection:.
*I forgot to tell you, I have taught **heel some. I liked
that toe but like insuranse better. This spring whoa sehools
were gettins in smelt a nese, I was glad I was out of it,.
Governor Rivers is 'bout to get things straightened out though.
I thought he would if they would Just give him tine.
*Oling bask to writing insurasse,* he oentinued,*we have
some funny things to happen. Our company is fine to pay oft.
We never have any trouble on lawsuits or anything like that.
bt sours, there are always people who think they are 1160treated.
*A man who had a palsy with us got sick and was down a
leas time. We knew he was going to die and he did too. Nis
wife kept up his presiding One day they told her whoa the en*
was near; this woman left her husband and sane to rum office.
"Geed morning,* I said, *can I do anything for you? I
really was surprised to see her for I had heard John was dying.'
*Tee, sirs* she said, *John 'bout gone; I pet thought
I'd let yer know, se yeti sould rush tip the insuranste.*
Br&dleY
Page 7
"I explained that we cltuldn't do anything until after he
died."
*'well," she said, "he caint come back fer hie eyes is
done set. Now how lo I ter berry him?"
4I told her to let me know as soon as he died and I would
see that she would not be worried about putting his away. In
a few hours he passed away and he was put away in grand style."
"One right troublesome policy is Lhe sick and accident.
People will try to impose on us. !wen if it is my own race I'm
talking about, some of 'em are crooks. They will ray off from
wort from pure laziness, and then want to collect for it. We
have some Orict regulations though, and it's hard for them to
[-;et by mym.
"Yes," in answer to a question, go to church, Ebernezer
Church, that big one right around the 'Somer. J. C. Gresham
of Atlant is the pastor. Yes, Wasam, I'm baptist. I'm a junior
derion and I help usher, this is, when I don't ging in the choir.
Yes, I sing or ratn.er 1 like to. What voice I have is tenor.
never have studied singiJg but I wish I had. We have special
musio only on first Sunday. I don't go to th B.Y.P.7. such.
Guess I should,but I JxlIt.
"Yes, 1 believe every one should vote. I never have, but
l's qui,lified, so I'm goin to vote next time. I'm crazy about
President Roosevelt. thy, he helped give me my schooling.
It was NYA work. I was assistant to the physical education in-
structor at this college in South Carolina, I was telling y)u
about. Yes, ma'am, I believe in voting. My fraternity had
Bmdla
I -age -.8"'
sotto that says,
voteless peroon is a helpless person.'
"I've never ;awned. I gdess I'm old enough, but I never
have,felt like I 140 enough money. It takes money to set up
a home. Course now,I don't know how long I'll be single, tut like
it is now, I'm afraid to get mixed up with anything like that.
Oh! I have a nice friend ani I guess ,?fe sorter have an understand,,.
lug, but I haven't ever breathed getting married yet."
It was getting late and I knew he should be busy with his
collecting, so I thanked him and went on my way. He went in the
next hi)use and as I .i;aesed I heard someone say,"CoDd evenini,
Mr. Jackson, it sure is a good thing you oome right when you did.
I wuz je-t r,bout t:tr send my polishy money.*