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121 SUSIOSICIN WAS A asruaLzaAs WRICK
11,1110401. by* Mesp. 444 2414$494
AmOulta, 044,04
salted bp
Mrs. 1.411a MA MArris
abporvialiss 14104,
Osergis 11191$4,01 Prejost
01401,144
Aisk7 0, 1940.
Air. Clifford C. Farr
83 Broad St.,
Augusta1.0a.
A. R.
DAPRZSSION AS A RAPUBLICAN TRICK
The Skinner Glotning Company, boosted it 663 Broad stroet,
all old established business, is one of Augusta's row remaining
home -owned stores. Whoa I walked in Mr. Sklamor was plaoing pries
tags on brilliantly oolored sport suits, whion are so popular this
summer. Aso glansed up with a smile of reeogaition-and remarked;
"Well, what do you think of the Republioan presidential
nominee?"
Absorbed in what uo was doing, no hardly waited for ay
reply before he wont an, "Personal4y, I never Imaard of that aim WI
fore, but from too raoe he ran with Taft he is woll-known in the
Republioan party, but he hadn't a &donee. Roosevelt will b. presi-
dent for the next term whether they like it or not."
"Yes, I too, believe Roosevelt will run and be re-elected,
but taat is not List I cane to talk about, Mr. Wanner."
"Pardon ms, 1 was so esoitod I forgot for the moment. whet
GanI do for you?"
"ACM long nave you been in business?*
"About twenty-six poor.. Way?"
"1 want you to tell am of your business oxporionoos and of
the 'muses and efloots of the depression."
"That's a large order, but I will tell you vast I know.
Where do we oegin't"
"First toile* where ana when you wire born. You don't mind,
do you'r'
"Oh, not But I wasn't in business talon."
"Of course you weren't, but I would liks to know of your
very early life, your boyhood days and, in foot, your whole build-up
to tile successful business man or today."
"That will take a lot of your time, as I will have to %aim
oare of tile trade, but if you rant it that bad I will do my best to
give you the information you want or at least what I know."
"1 will work at your convenience, Mr. iikianor."
"All right, I was born La MoDuffie County near Thomson,
Georgia, August 27, 1887, the filth of six shildren of George.
deteher Ainaer and Julia Brannon Wanner. At the age of lb
finisaod granaar seaool at „iardis, Georgia, and meat to work as
clerk in Appliag's General Aerehaadise Store for 47.00 a month and
board. Being keenly interested in advancement I decided to take a
business spurns and after a few months I came to Augusta.
"Before 1 entered sehool I Mat d by from home who was work-
ing at kombard's Iron Works. 'tie was so onthuslastio and happy over
the work he was doin4, I gave up the idoa of business school and
thought I would try to be a maohinsst. My friend took as to the
boss and after looking me over he gave itio a job as apprentice. It
wasn't long before I learned i didn't oore for not iron and realiz-
ed I should have stuck to my original plan of taking a business
course. The trouble with me was I wanted a pay day and ono* you get
the pollow envelope on 4aturday, you just oan't 6ive it up, even if it
contains only a few dollars. I left Lombards and got a jab as clerk
with ths J. S. White Company, Augusta's largest and leading store at
that tin.. I was back in my own limit of work and 'Waugh I was only 1?
years Did, I sold more than any of the other elarks.
We had the range of the whole store and were not assigned
to departolects as they are today. I don't think I was a batter sales-
man, I just knew a lot of people. My boylood days on the baseball
teams of Columbia, MoDuffie and Lincoln 4 -aunties wire now paying divi-
(lands in business as well as affording us a lot of pleasure. sor sal-
ary was only 0.00 a week, wail* the others wore drawing 410.00
know I was worth nor. and I asted the manager, Mx. Denton, (a Unita.)
for a raise.
"Why you are Just a kid end 'won't been nevi long aupugk
to get raiuso." he answarad.
"I felt taat I was entitled to as much as the other clerks
and told him so, but ha refnesd to pay me a penny mare, so I quit.
"About that time Bon Jordan, of 0rovatown, was sleotod
supsrintenaent of sehools in Columbia County. Sea had a large store
and had to have a man during the school term. I acoepted his offer
of 407.00 a week and board and workad until the sehools Glossa. Then
I worked at Norvel's atore lot the sans salary. I was still in my
teens, and while I was satisfied and happy in my work, 1 realized
there was no future for a clerk iu a small town store, and I dseided
to come *act to Augusta. It was then got my first real job with
the Augusta Aiken Railway Company at 12 sants an hour."
"What kind of work did you do?"
Was an all round man. I know you remembor whoa they had
open streetears"
"Yes, I do."
"Well, ay Job in the summit was training men to operate opon
cars, then running to Lake View, Augusta's amusement park. Most Of
the men were madisal studonts who worked duriag the summer to be able
to pay their way through uedioal Collodi,. I also had a aids lino. J.
W. Creasy, tailor, had a shop on this blook and I sold uniforms to
tae men on oommission and made on an average of *40.00 a mouth. With
my salary from the Railway company my oarnings for the month mere
around 480.00."
Just at this point a can wearing overalls same in and askod
if his uniform was ready. Mr. kinaor told him it was, but, that he
would like for him to try on the °oat. I notiood that it was a Sal-
vation Army oftioer's uniform. When the man left I asked Or. Skianar
about him.
"Yes, he is an officer and a working one at that. The Salva-
tion Ak-my is doing a good work in our oity; more than the general
public and the churches are willing to give tNem redit for. Mot
that they want any praise. They are interasted mostly in helping
the forgotten men and woman."
"And you still sell uniform/Os
"Yes, I usually have a contract with some company and furnish
uniform. for tne policemen and fireman *Very yeas."
"Getting back to our story, Mr. skinner."
"Oh, yest Where did we leave elf?"
"You wire working for th. Augusta and Allmon Railway Co. how
long were you thereY"
"Two years WM twelve days. 1 thee Willi to work for Mentor
Rosenbloom, an old New York *milt eorkoration that sold en the
41.00 a week plan. dhartly after I went to work there, on deptember
2, 1908, Imarried Miss Lillian Glissoa, my boyhood sweetfleart. She
was from douth Georgia, but we attended tne saws school and I had
looked forward to the day when I oould °lain her as my brides
"1 was with Mentor Rosenbloom about seven or eight months,
when I found out that the canoe torso was not honest; they wire
stealing my oommission and I quit and want to T. R. Maxwell Furni-
ture Company. Alter about a mouth Mentor Rosenbloom wanted to know
why I had left the eompaay. They sent a man here to investigate and
when they learned what the trouble was they sent for as and made is
manager at a salary of .0b.OU a week, with a beaus."
"Aow long were you there i"
"I don't remember whether it was five or six years, but dur-
ing the tine I was there I &welded if I eould maaags a business for
the other fellow at a profit, why not have one of my own. I had a
little savings aeoount, 41,000, to be skeet, aud I believed with
41,000 more i. could begin business. I went to the Culpepper., who
at th t time were operating a very sueeessful furniture business.
I offered to give them a kalf interest for 41,000. They agreed readi-
ly, and gave me W. P. 4eigier, one of taeir oldest men, as a partner.
I opened at 1044 Broad Street, under he name of Skinner a. Seigler,
and from the first manta business was good and in less than two years,
it was worth 45,700.
"I soon learned that $eigler was not the man for my business.
as leaked personality and tact in selling. I gave him 41,000 and
bought Culpeppers' interest and then ran the business aloae for five
years. Then I sold a half interest for 418,00010 Hogan, my moat
recent partner, and moved to 958 Broad Street. We were incorporated
in 1919 as Skinner Hogan for 4100.0000 but sold very little stock.
te opened three stores, one in Savannah and two here. Our business
was thriving and we were in fine snaps.
"Hogan and I each had a drawing account of 45,000 a year and
we employed fourteen men in the three stores, all making a good
salary. Then came tae depression. 1 saw tae crasa coming and tried
to head it off by liquiaating the Savannan store. aogan being a
high salaried man, we gave him the small store Micro Thom Moan's
store now is, and part of tne liquidation that was still incorporat-
ed. I now owned
five men. i out
Snoss store, next
damaged so badly
95;k, of tae store at 958 Broad Street and employed
my drawing account in half. In 19;)Q the Stelling
door to my place, caught fire and my place was
that i leased a store two doors below for tae next
five years, continuing business as usual.
"After a period of three years, business began to pick up
and gradually increased, but it has never been the same. The chain
stores have ruined the independent merchant. The big moneyed men
wno were on the inside of the politieal seams knew the rise and
fall of the stook market and when to buy. Tne results were chain
stores in every city and tow* of any silts, selling their merohan-
dise for loss than we could buy for. What chance did we wive for
a comeback?
"When my lease expired in riab, 1 moved here, and each year
business has inoreased. Today there are seven families getting a
comfortable living out of the store and I can't complain. But vita
tne competition and high cost of livings I will not live long enough
to regain what I lost during the depression."
"What do you think **used the depression?"
"It would take a more brilliant mind than mine to tell you
the real cause. My ideas along with a lot of other small merchants
is about tao same. It was Wall $treet against the world, along with
a political upheaval, in other words, a Republioan trick. Million-
aires were made over night from the life savings of others. The war
got tne credit for a lot of it and rightly so. I remember the close
of the Spanish kmerioan War; cotton dropped to 4 and 4 seats a
pound, why? Politics anti the little man being °rushed and beggared
by the man or men who were in power. Take my business for instance;
before tne last depression fourteen families were being supported
from it; my own personal loss was bun. I was worth around 440,00Q
with an 11.100M0 of 45,00o. That was cut in halt and today my average
is a little sore than #4,000."
"What do :you think of conditions today?"
"They are about tae same as the pre-war days of the Last World
War. When this program is over, there will be an increase in busi-
ness. The present ddminlatration is wise now to all the Republioan
tricks and taere will not be another depression such as doover aad
the Republieans (muse. The people in our country know now that it
was a political trick to earioa tae big MAR and maim beggars out ex
the little nap. We gave more unemployed thaa any other eouatry la
the world today, and the cry is taat this is a 'wahine ago. That is
true, to a great extent, but who built the onines? Where did the
money come from Out of the poekets of tine work/ad maid again I
say, 'Vail Jtreet adainat the world.'"
"Do you own your own gone?"
"Oh, yes! I bought my first nose in 1920, on the corner of
Baker and Geutral Avenues. Three years later I sold at a profit and
bought Mayor White's nom. mu Melds Street. In 192B I built my pre.
eat hmsa on Anthony Road at a oust of 0,000.
"I have tares sous
ed high school and had two
and associated in business
and one daughter. My two older boys finish
years in oollego. The oldest boy Is married
with me. foie amend boy is assistant see-
retary for tie Department of health. My youngest son was graduated
from tue University of Georgia and attended Jtudents Art League in New
York, tatted a course in sommercial art, which he finished in JIM* of
tnis year.
tie helped to paint the mural at the World's Fair. My daughter has
another year at dhorter College.
"This is my story of the depression so far as it *fleeted
my life, should we have another I don't think I would be lost in
the strug6le. With lay knowledge and experiense I would take ad-
vantage of the market and be ready for old man lApression."