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A VISIT TO A FLOWER SHOP
eritten by:
Idited by;
Mies Grace McCune
Area 6 Athens
Mrs. Sarah B. Ball
Area 6 Athens
and
John N. Booth
•Ares Supervisor
Federal ibritera° Project
Areas 6 and 7
Augusta, Georgia
March 3, 1939
February 21, 1939
Miss Willie Zones, Proprietor (white)
;Ones Flower Shop
Oar. Clayton College Ave.
Athens, Ocorgia
Florist
G.M.
A VISIT TO A nom SHOP
Miss Smith's Flower Shop seemed more ilk, a spring
garden in full bloom than a business place when I ease in out
of the bleak cold of a February day. There were flowers on
every bend. Cut flowers were in wall baskets, vases, and tall
standing baskets. Pots of blossoming plants were arranged an
tables at the windows.. A long table extending down the center
of the room wee laden with vases of out flowers and potted plants,
,4nd tell -palm added distinction to the attractive room. Across
the book of the shop were huge refrigerators filled with out flowers.
For the convenience and comfort of customers a settee and a number
of large chairs were pissed near the well where their occupants could
have a good view of the flower -filled room as they waited.
The florist was talking with two young men, sad as I
waited bits of the conversation attraeted ay attention. The youths
wanted her prices on corsages for their Metes* to wear to a donate.
It seemed that they priced every variety of flower in her store be-
fore they finally selected orchids. After receiving her positive
assurance that the flowers would be ready and delivered in ample
time for the dines, they left.
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"Row, whet eon I 4o for you,' she asked. After I had
explained that vented to know something of her life end her
business experiences, she said, "I don't mind but have to
talk as I work, for the orders that came in the morning moil are
yet to be gotten out. Most of then are for flowers ordered sent
to patients in the hospitals here. :ust cone on beck in the work-
room with me."
"Do you receive much business of that kind?" I asked.
"Oh,yes," she said. "These order* come in almost daily,
end I epprapoiste mail orders. I'm proud of them, for I maize
they mean thnt my customers have confidence in me. by sometimes
the orders simply state the price, leaving the selection of
flowers to my taste. For instance, here's an order that came in
this morning's mail from a woman in a nearby tovn that simply says
for me to send a three dollar order of flowers to s friend in a
hospital here. "then I receive an order like that I do the best I
can end send whet I mould vent for myself. On this particular
order I think I'll send pink carnations, for I think they are
lovely in a sick room. Anyway, this order is an easy one for
the sick woos* is a good friend of mine, end I happen to know that
cernetions are her favorite flower.
"Very often new customers tell as that some of ay old
customers sent them to me. I try to let them know of my apprecia-
tion. One especially nice customer has sent me many new customers
t'lr,,ugh her connections with several fraternal organizations, and
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this has meant quite a bit of business for me. I had an opportunity
not long ego to show my appreciation when she lost her brother in
a nearby town. A good many orders came in for that funeral, but when
she °ailed me end asked me to fix her own offering, I asked her if I
might make my oem seleetion cf flowers and design. She readily gave
her consent saying, 'You have never disappointed me yet.' I used all
whits flowers in tne casket spray that I sent, and it seemed to me
that it was a really lovely offering. I wanted it to be especially so,
but I was not expeeting the many sessages I received about those
flowers. One was from the undertaker in charge Cr the funeral. Be
wrote me that they were often asked by the families that they served
to order flowers for them. He said that all of the flowers that
came from my shop had been beautiful and that this particular casket
spray was the loveliest they had ever handled. He wanted to know if
maid fill orders for his firm regularly. That request came from
a much larger tom than this one.
She left me momentarily to wait on a customer. As I waited,
I looked over the little workroom. High stools were plastid around the
long wort table. Built-in cabinets held supplies and accessories.
Conveniently at hand on a long rod at one side of the table was
waxed paper, cellophane, and tissue paper to be used in peeking
flowers for delivery. A supply of tulle and ribbons in a wide variety
of shades and solors was in a large osbinst with glass doors. A large
and very business -like desk was evtdenoe that this room was also used
as her office.
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The florist was laugaing *ben she returned to the work-
room. "Poor boy," she said, "labia is the third tine he has been
here today to look et those red roses. Tomorrow is his girl
friend's birthday. She will be 20, and he wants to send hr 20
red roses. Red roses are rather expensive at this tins of the
year, but he'll get them yet; he went. then so bed.
"Last week I had a large order for corsages for a valentine
bell. They wasted sweetheart roses. I did have a time trying to get
those sweetheart roses, but finally I found one piss. that said they
could send me all I wanted, so I sent them a large order. It was
delivered on the morning of the very day I was to deliver the
corsages in the evening. when I unpacked that shipment I found a
note *eying they were sorry that they did not know they were out of
sweetheart roses rhen they accepted ay order, but they were goading
some fins large roses end hoped I could use then. It was too late
to try anywhere else, and then too I hod alreedy tried everywhere.
well, I just had to make the small rose* out of the larger ones.
Tea, you may be sure it was a Job, but in this kind of work you
omme up against all sorts of diffieulties. Our orders have to be
delivered an the very hour, and to get out large orders we ease'
times hove to work day and night in order to have them ready in time.
One thing we have to do is to be prompt is our deliveries. We would
not last long in this business if we failed in timing a few deliveries."
!Row long have you been in the flower business?" I asked.
"Most all my life," she promptly replied, "but I have only
been in business for myself 14 years. It was a hard pull but I have
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advanced from a very smell beginning to the shop that you see now,
end don't you think I'm not proud of it. I am more than proud of
my establishnent, although it still means work all the time. Why,
I spent all of this morning writing checks for every bill that I owe.
I meant to do that yesterday, but was just so busy I didn't have the
time.
"To get book to how I started, it all ease about through
my love of flowers. We always grew lovely ones at our home. Father
was not mint you would cell wealthy, but we had a good living and a
large Tway hone. There were six of us children and while we were
still in school father lost 'moat everything he had exsept our hone
by going on notes for his friends. That has been a lesson to me in
my business.
"We children had to st,lp school end go to work, and thet is
when begen to realize that we could make money out of our flowers.
Ose of my sisters and I worked with the flowers, sod we soon *leered
enough to have a large greenhouse built for the hothouse plants. We
planted every avellable bit of land around our home in flowers. We
had many things to learnt but we kept it it until we did learn and built
up a good business. We were both determined to see it through and we
are both at it yet, although we no looser work together.
"A few years after we started, we built a 'winning pool
end a dancing pavilion on our place. This soon became a popular re-
simply
sort in the summer *oaths. In addition to those who came/for swimming
and dancing, many picnic parties, patronised our place. We kept the
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labol cleaned out and had it cemented. It filled from a large spring.
We were making good with it, as well as with our floral business, but
when sty sister got to *bore she left most of the hard work for no to
do, our partnership was soon dissolved.
"One afternoon she was entertaining the Gennwinity kdub.
The boy that worked for us was helping me °lean out the pool to make
it ready for a social group that had rented it for the evening. When
we finished sorubbing the oanont bottom of that pool I was so tired
that set dolma on the beak to rest for a moment. Sister omit walk-
ing up.
"whet are you doing?' she asked.
"'Resting, for I'm really tired out,' answered.
'well,' she said, 'if I hated the country as bad as you do
I'd get out of it. If you don't liks this, why don't you get out
sad go in business for yourself?'
*That oade, me mad. I'd worked so herd to build up our
business, and it really belonged to both of us together, but that's
when I decided to get out and see if I couldn't do better. I cane to
tow*, rented a mall place, and a friend went into business with as.
That mode ay sister mad for she hadn't thought I really would take
her at her word and get out. She did everything ia her power to stop
me. She even told the telephone oonpany that they couldn't install
a phone in my name or in the nen* of ay new shop.
"A lawyer that I consulted asked me if the fflnith fkgpor
;mow that was the way sister and I bed been listed in the direatory
wee ineorporeted. I told him it was not. Then he said, 'There's
no way in the world that she can legally prevent you having a
telephone in your own name.' So he *salad the telephone eompany
mad explained it. /Pretty soon they were there to install nor phone.
*110, tied built a ales large greenhouse together, and we
owned a ear together that we had bees using to deliver lar flowers.
In feet, I and paid more on the ear than she had, but, bless your
soul v sae vent up in the air and wouldn't even list me use the oar
to deliver my orders until I Gould get another one.
°I've elver" detested the idea of giving up anything that
I had started, so the Tor, She tried to stop me, the herder I tried
to get ahead with my new hastiness, but it was hard. I had to build
a new greenhouse that oast me $2,600 end I bad to buy another car,
for ttose were two things that had to have if I vas to stay in
business. Soon I started building my ova resides'.. I would get e
little done and than would have to stop and wait until I had more
money. The contractor would say, 'lust let me go ahead and finish
the blase, end then you can pay as later.' I wouldn't mount to
that for I always went to see whore I an, and I didn't know then,
the way my sister wee trying to kinder my business, if I was going
to be able to keep my shop gong. In the fell of that year mg
partner asked me to use come of his money to finish the house so
I could move in it before cold weather, for I would need someone
there to see that the hest was kept properly regulated in my new
greenhouse. Seeing that he eat right ebout it, I did borrow the
8.
money from him, bed my house finist.ed, and moved in before time to
beet the greenhouse. But, let me tell you right now, I aid him
back every cent by the early spring of the next year. Sines then
I hove kept on making Improvements on ay home until now I have a
lovely eight -room house, modern in every respeet esoept tor gas.
Tea, it was tough gning, but, as my partner said one day When I was
unusually blue, 'Benomber that old saying, you can't keep a good
women down.'
!My people continue to impose on NO since I hews waited
and made good. In addition to improvements on m7' residentse and its
grounds, I have built several cottages. This might seen to be a
jumbled -up story, but you'll soon see the connection in the imposi-
tions of my family, my cottages, end my business.
"Two young married mes lark for me. One of them is -my
nephew. I provide a house, liFhts, and water for **oh of these
couples, end I guess 1 furnish their coal too, for my opal bill is
not less then 417 every two weeks. I pay them good salaries too,
for our work is not like 'most may other kind of business on account
of the irregular hours Va compelled to require them to be on duty.
There are tines vihen we have to work day and night.
wily nephew is supposed to help me here in the shop when he
is not buoy out et my greenhouse and garden, and I especially count
on ain to help with deliveries, but half the tine I don't eve* know
were he is. His wife helps ce in the shop in rush times, but I
sure dn have to pay her. In spite of the feet that I'm always doing
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"All of then think they are Weeping up with what I
make throug0 my nephew. What they don't know is that I have
learned rot to lot him lam, about my fineneial affairs. He takes
no interest in the work end in the problems of the shop and green
h -use and just will not look after the shcp at all. Right now I
need to get out and take a trip or a rest somevbere, but bed as
T need rest I can't afford to ltave my business to run itself."
Someone cave in the shop and the florist vent to Join
the prospective customer. I noticed some pictures over her desk.
They were pastel tinted pictures of lovely little girls, and one of
a baby boy, but my attention was especially attracted to a photograph
of a cemetery scene. It WW1 tee grave of a child, and beside it was
a Christmas tree with all toe decorations needed to =Ike a child
henry. A Large Illuminated star crowned the tree. Ividently someone
had celebrated the birthday of Christ by the grave of a beloved child.
A triumphant smile ,f• a good natured I -told -you -so style
wreathed the face of the florist as she cave took to the workroom,
and sure enough her first words were:
"I told you so; that boy couldn't resist the red roses for
his sweetheart. Me came beck and ordered than. Now he's so happy,
and I h-pe she will be Just as thrilled when she gets them, as he is
over sending them."
The next two custo%ers were young men. One ordered talisman
roses sent to s young woman, and the other wanted a pot or flowers
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for a sick friend. She patiently and taetfully showed one pot of
flowers after another, explaining its merits and giving prices un-
til at last a aholee wee made. One customer followed another so
rapidly that it wee neerly two h-2urs before she wee st liberty to
talk with me again.
She had Just finished wetting on a rather shabbily dressed
boy, but she wes just as friendly and helpful in showing him her
stock rf flowers as she had been with the sore prosperous looking
visitors. rhen he bed gone she said, "I wish I knew who that boy is.
He cones in nearly everyday just to look at my flowers. He really
is a lover of flowers. I often give him a few for I imagine he can't
afford to buy them. In some respects he's more of a child than a
man, even if he Is grown in size.*
She finished recording her orders for the morning, and I
took the opportunity to ask about the pioturse of the children, taking
care to let her know of my interest in the one of the Ohristmas tree
by a child's grave.
"Those are all children of my nephews," she replied. "This
one,* she said, handing me the photograph of the tidiest child, "is
the one that is burled in that grave. She was ay favorite. I love
them all dearly, but she ju$:t seemed to think more of me. A few
peer* ego she was accidentally ki11041 by a truck just e few weeks
before Christmas. How she did love Zhristmes trees: Avery Christman
we keep a brightly lighted tree by her grave throughout the holiday
season. She vies a bright child end everybody loved her.* The tears
were brimming in her eyes, but they were quickly wiped eivey as Hine
3Tlith arose to greet the person who was entering the shop.
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I thought I detected a sudden stiffening of her manner
as thm person, Who proved to be a salesmen, attempted to interest
her in the idea of giving him sa order for *applies. "I don't
need a thing," she told him. He kept on urging. "How about coma
pots," Again she replied, "We, I don't need a thing." He flushed.
"Aren't you ever going to forget about that old matter," he argued.
"I told you that I am not in need of anything," she repeated more
frigidly then before. His "thank you,* was in tones of annoyance and
disoouregement as he went out.
"I wish that men would stop outing in here," she explained.
He gave me a dirty deal on an order once, and I just won't forget
about it. It wee a rather large order, for hundreds of pots for one
thing. There were pots of every size and the order totaled hundreds
of dollars. Well, he proceeded to overcharge me on every item on
that order. I found it out When a prise list came in the shipment
of goods. I guess I should have reported him, but I didn't. I
just stopped giving any more of my business to him, and he does hate
to miss the large orders he used to get from me. You see, I try to
buy in large orders, for the larger the quantity ordered, the better
prioe they give you, and then I keep en extensive stock on hand and
watch it to be sure that I do not run out of anything.
"A good deal of my stook of supplies is stored at ay house,
but I'm going to have to stop keeping it there or make some sort
of *hangs in my system of handling it." She laughed heartily, as she
continued, "I always buy my icier leaves and other foliage green
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stuffs in large quantities, not less than one hundred pounds at
a time, and keep it st the house, bringing it in with we is the
111021014, as I need it. Well, just before last Christmas one day
when I bed just about used up all we had here in the shop, I
phoned to my house end told one of the boys to brings* in a supply.
A few minutes later he galled we beck and mad there was none there.
I sent him back to look *gain, but he couldn't find a scrap of
foliage. My nephew had come in the store and 'wee standing by as
as I phoned but be didn't say anything.
"When I went home that night I found that the boy had
been right. I didn't iAeve nay foliage on hand. I couldn't imagine
what in the world had happened to the supply I had stored away at
home. Piaally, after Christmas had coma end gone, I found out what
went with it. One day sty nephew was boasting that his wife had sold
more than a hundred dollars worth of these little Christmas flower
pots at the din* stores. I realized then where my supplies had gene.
No, they never said a word to we about it, never even mentioned it
to re, but they don't pull as many things over me as they think they
do. That nephew of mine thought he was smart when he built cow
stall, and had a cow in it before I knew anything at all about it
because he had built high trellis between my house and the owe stall."
She laughed rather bitterly as she added, "They feel so sure they will
get all 7 have When I'm gone that I guess they think they might as
well use it now."
She welted on more eustomers and 'when she returned she said,
"Trade has been rather dull today, but I guess I need a slack day
occasionally for I have been in such a rash lately."
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liar hands were moving swiftly as she talked and when
the orders were ready for delivery she phoned the number listed
as her house. She veiled impatiently for sone tine, finally the
phone was answered by her nephew's wife mho said he was not there.
It was necessary that the flowers be delivered without further de
ley, so she stilled a taxi end made her deliveries. "Jost see how
It Ise"' she said. "It's this way 'most all the time. People that
I pay to help me think they can do me just any old way, but one of
these days they'll go too far.
"Why last spring whoa it seemed like thiy were getting
behind with the work cut at my place, and I really don't like to
overwork anyone, I got a settled man to go out there and help then
until the rush was over. It was sone spesial work. then he had
finished and I was paying hi tt off he said to me, 'Miss. Smith, I don't
like to tell things on other folks, but you just don't know how things
are going 31, out there at your plait.. When I first went out there
on this job they said 1 nmet heed their advice to 'see nothieg, hear
nothing, know nothing,' for as your nephew bed been getting by, they
didn't went me to tell on him and them.'"
Kiss 3mith's laugh was rather hollow as she said, 'I fired
both of those couples last fall, for going off at a tine when I needed
them very bad. They didn't think I'd do it, but I did, end sent for
another boy tn work in their steed. Well, do you know whet those two
boys did t They went and told the other toy that I had changed ay
mind. Next morning when I cane out to go to work, ay nephew was there
welting in my ear, end the other helper was already at work trimming the
hedges or pretending to and both of them were watching me close.
They had good jobs and knew they couldn't do anyone else like they
do me. Well, for a time they did fine after that, and I got more
work out of them than I ever had before.
"I'll have to hire my nephew's elf* to help se get out
those corsages for the donee tomorrow, but I always have to pay
her four or five dollar* for every day that she works here. She
is good, help end really knows how to turn off the 'Norte so she's
worth whet I pty her, but ghat annoys me is that she never offers
to help me unless I ask her and then she is sure she'll get paid for
it.
"My family are always borrowing money from me, but they
never pay it beck. They wouldn't think of trying to do anyone aloe
that way. I guess they just figure that I don't need it, but it just
isn't fair, for I pay them well for all they ever do for me, and
they have ell the flowers they want, whenever they want them. I
like to see them put flowers in their houses.
"It's the children tnat give me reel pleasure running
around the house When I'm at home. Without them to run in I would
get mighty lonesome, especially on Sundays. I do ay own cooking
but I hire someone to come in and do the cleaning.
"Last 3unday one of my friends wee visiting me and she
said, knew you were crazy about flowers, but I didn't know that
you were as bed off as you are. Do you know how many vases of
flowers I have ogunted in your house today? Fifty-two, and I don't
know how many more I might find if I hunted for them.' This friend
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really likes ay home, end it's natural that she should, for I do
have a nice piece. It's Just outside the city limits, and it
seems to me I've already mentioned to you about the 'pottage* that
I built on the place to rent. I don't have any trouble keeping
those convenient little houses rented.
"The electric power lines go right by our plisse, so of
°purse we hove bed everything wired for elestricity. I use ma
electric pump to furnish water for the house and greenhouse and we
have plenty of it. About the only thing we miss is gas to cook with,
but we prefer to cook wit! oleetricity. While we live in the
cvuntry, we have all the oonvenienses of city life, and as our
place is on a paved hignvey we have no trouble in getting to town.
"I often come beck in town at night to shows, as that is
About ell the recreation I have time for. I go to *harsh on Sundays
unless I have to w rk, but when a big funeral is on hand, I work
harder on Sunday than on other days. joastimes When I can get one
of my helpers to stay at the house on Sunday, I get alloy for a whole
day, end the change of scene allays does me good. Those days -off are
seldom, for you can never tell when eomeoso will phone in en order on
Sunday eni went it in e hurry, and I am usually the one that has to
stay there end tend to business.
"I often think of what our old Negro cook told me once when
I was little. She was trying to get me to do something that I didn't
went to do. Nell, after trying every other way she knew, she just
turned me across her lap and gave as he only whipping I ever received.
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As she spanked me she was saying, 'Soma of des* days, youse gainfs'er
haf to do fer yo'self, and how's you gwineer git along, lessen you
larns how"'
had
"How right she was: I really have/to work, but in spite
of ell my handicaps, I've made a good living, and now I'm trying
to ley aside enough to take cars of me when I get to where I can't
work. I have several very good investments in stocks, end that
seems a better investment than building houses to rent, for there's
something to be spent on repairing rented property all the time.
Most of the renting class of people will not take care of a house,
simply because it im not their own property.
"I do Mee a:time with my social security payments and
records. In feat, I still don't entirely understand them; I really
don't know whet it all means. I don't *blest to it, and I'm willing
to do my part. It was just a little complicated at first, but ay
reports pees all right now, I guess, for I don't hear ear more_tran
then after I send them off.
"Last Sunday my sister wanted to know just haw much
insurance Pm carrying on myself.
"'Not any at all,' I replied.
"She was shocked and gave me a 'raking over the coals,'
as our old cook used to say.
"'Why should I carry insurance" I asked. 'I have no
husband or children of my own to leave it to, and I think I can take
care of myself financially as long as I live.' I guess they went all