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MJARGAAMDISA OW TSX TOBOGGAb
A Depression Victim Story
Written by: Mrs. Thitlay Thompson
Augusta, Georgic
Milted by; Mrs. Leila H. Barris
Supervising laitor
Georgia Writers' Project
Area 7
Augusta, Georgia
February, 7, 1940.
J. r. Bothwell, herohant
61Z Broad 3treet
Augusta, 4eorgia
February 5, 1940
D. T.
NI
NABCHANDIHS ON 211;i TOBOGGAN
don't think there is the least out about a general
improvement in business." Mid William Anderson, who is the
head at the firm that oars his nano. "There is much more
money in ciroulation. People are buying new automobiles,
are spending more money tor pleasure and are even beginning
to resume the purchase.of 1,.xuries that have been beyond their
reach for the past several :jean,. Times are gradually changing
and money is beginning to drift through different ohannels.
"And now to start at sue beginning, I was born and reared
in Augusta, 311(1 obtained my elementary education at the
Davidson Grammar Johool, titian is located on the 1200 block
of TeItair jtreet. Then tor sons reason 1 didn't attend
Hign Johool in Augusta, out graduated at nephzibah, Georgia.
No, I didn't go to co:Liege.
"I wunted to go to work so, alter my graduation I
started working Cor lay father, who Was 111 'walla's5 with a
Mr. Brown. The lira at taat time was known as Brawn and
Anderson. Dad paid me 440.00 a month."
"This oonvarsation seems to gatber momentum as we go
along," Anderson said with a grin. "Buppose we repair to
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my little °Mee at to. rear of the store. Its small but I
think you will be very comfortable." The remainder of our
interview took plaoe in the very tiny enolosure that served
in this oapacity. There were suite a number or interruptions,
for Mr. Anderson is a busy man and his manses reaches
out into the trade territory adjacent to Audusta.
"I hadn't been working very long when one aay my tattoos
called me into his office and maids
"son, oefore you settle down to steady work, I should
like for you to travel for out a year. Look around and
see if one of your friends would care to go to urope with
you.'
"This was not hard to do for almost immediately I
found a boy who was sager to do along. And to make it more
interesting we decided to use bieyoles as our mode of trans-
portation.
"In tais manner we covered the ground thoroughly and we
were able to case in aireot contact with the natives. We
thus oiroams familiar with their manner of living, tattle habits,
etc. That year in Aurope was an eauoatioa in itself.
"We soon became aware that the natives, even the French
people, him a more friendly feeling for aaarioans than they had
for Anglishman. We got our information on tale point in
rather a unique manner:
friend and I purchased our bicycles and our suits in
Inland. Conaequently we were taken tor Anglishmea. 012 on
occasion when we were in a /main cafe, we started to converse
with several Preaotmen. After quite a while we mentioned
something about our ham. in America. When theme men found
we were really amerioans they jumped up aaa shook hands with us,
although taey had been talking to us for quite some time.
"In Lurope, all Americans are supposed to possess a lot
of money. One day in arussels, Belgium, we went into a
shop to make some purousses. I saw a asautiful laws collar
and immediately wanted it tor my mother. I offerea to pay
for it in ireuch ourrency.
"'We can't *lanais teat kind of money;'Sald the shopkeeper.
"I then aanded him a °Wick an an taglisk bask, with this
result:
"'We cannot cash the olleckt'
*You can imagine how astounded I was after ,some casual
remark had revealed the fact taut I was an American, to Agar
him say with a camplete caange of attitude:
"You cn charge the oollar and send me the money when you
go back to amerioa.'
"As the man had never laid eyes an me before you can bet
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issediatily lost it on stock deprmliation and on bad aosounts.
We really lost more on bad accounts than on depreciation of
stock.
"Another thing that made our losses heavy when the market
deal/nod was that we catered to the canteen at Camp Baaeook
during the War. That lett us with quite a oit of saraband's*
on hand that was not suitable for our regular trade. This
was bulk goods such as pails of jams, and jellies, and cocoa.
"One who has never operatod 4 business of his own can
never have any id** of what shrinkags means when moron:audio*
starts on the toboggan. Take sugar, for instanes. My firm
was very fortunate in having a very small stook of sugar an
hand at the time of the doolins and yet our loss an this
aomnodity aim* was over 43.000.
"When sugar was advanoing we war* only allowed to add 36
cants per hundred as profit. But whoa it started down no-
body hcolpad us out on the **alining market.
"Of course the retail merchants would not buy sugar or
anything else until tummy were entirely out, antiaipatiag cheaper
prices. As I said before, my firm was fortunate in not having
a large stook of sugar on hand. lhera was another jobber in
Augusta wad told ms that ne LIAM 101111 more on sugar alone than
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ids capital stock amounted to when he went into business in
"Conditions became so acute during that period that we
would oft** have to contract for merchandise at the higher
figures, and then, no sooner had we bought at the higher prises
than tile goods would begin to roll in with the market broken
all to pieces.
"One time we contrasted for 200 coils of rope. Just after
placing that order I realized that I had probably made a big
mistake. When I looked up tne order I found that the salesman
had tailed to leave his address and I didn't know where to
write to oaneel tile contraot before tne decline started.
"After tne rope prioos had struck bottom, in rolled the
saipmeat. Instead of tne average 36 pounds to the coil it
averaged 86 pounds. I have never seen plow line rope put up
in that size either nerore or sines.
"1 Luznediately sent one of my representatives to the mill„
which proved to se not vary far away, to try to make a settle-
ment. We finally settled for 4100.00 and didn't use the shipment.
"After that tizie we struggled along for three or four yoars,
but realizing that our grocery business had oecome unprofitable,
we decided to discontinue it and concentrate all of our ef-
forts on sametAing more reannerative.
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"For quite some time we bad carried a separate line of
wrapping paper, paper bagel notions, etc., in conneotion with
our grocery business. A separate corps of clerks was employed
for tuis particular line.
"After discoutiuuing the grocery business we or6anized
a oompany waich operated under the firm name of the W. M.
Anderson Paper ,.:ompany dud carried the above mentioned come
modities.
"In connection with our regular line, we tile() ouy distress
stocks of merohandise, wnich consists of restaurant equipment,
store fixtures, and boils*, etc., for resale.
"haturally, all during the depression conditions were very
trying and it was somewhat aifticult to keep going. However,
by patience and perseverance we have managed to hold on.
"Our *ome-baok has been anything but spectacular, as a
matter of fact it has been extremely gradual. But at least
we are making a living out of it."
"Mr. Anderson, your wife sold real estate for sohe time,
did sae not?" I asked.
*Yes, she did." he replied. "And while the real estate
business was gooa she was intensely interested in her work.
however, after several years as a roaltor she relinquished the
business slid again resumed her home and social duties.
.a.
°As i told you in the beginning business is decidedly
on tn. up -grade. Yolks are ofginning to enjoy many things
that they had begun to think belonged to halcyon days long
past.
*Well, I must say your last question changes the subject
to a considerable degree. Yes, I have been a member of the
baptist t;huroh for quite a number of years.
"My family is the only hobby I've ever had. I have
concentrated my interest entirely on them.
"Surely, Mr. Anderson, a man who has taken suoh a prominent
part in the business world must belong to several fraternal
orders?" I questioned.
*No," lie replied, "I guess it does seem somewhat strange
to you, but I have never jOineu even an.. 1911 have to tall
you about the only club I ever belonged to. It was just a
social club and it was 'Beni was a young fellow. The main
motive was to get "our set" together and take a long walk in
the country on Sundey afternoons. *e enjoyed those little
gatherings very much for awhile, until the boys And Oasis bean
to 'pair orit then they micas, enciaged and rinally several
couples got married.
"In a sort time interest in the club oss,An to wane and
later it was oroken up.
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"My wife and 1 were married in 1006. We have four
children three girls anti a boy. All of the girls Ara married
and have families of mast: own. One of our 4aughters married
a man from Buffalo, New York, and tae other two are married
and living here in audusta. Our son has never married.
After finishing ilia eaucation at Buffalo, he decided
to make his hum* there. Jo you see we have two children
in New York.
"Our daughter wao lives at Buffalo is married to a
man WUQS0 business occasionally takes him to &trope. As
always aboompanies him on these trips.
"At ono time when their baby was six months old, he
received orders to do abroad. His mother was visiting in
Chicago while enrouto to California. His wife refused to
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with him on account uf leAving the baby, but finally they de-
cided to ask his author to defer her trip until a later aate
ana return ammo to take care of the baby for them. The baby
had a very competent white nurse but my a,lughter felt that he
must be ill his grandmother's charge as well.
"I remember on one occasion when this girl of ours brought
her family Jauth to visit us tney brought the baby's nurse with
them. We realized iii,ileuiately that she was no ordinary nursemaid.
Our a ugnter explained Ludt sue was a penniless Russian baroness,
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wno had refugeed to America and that she was tweed to use
this means of earning a livelihood.
*Speaking of these Suropean trips, I rooall one instance
when my daughter did quite some flying. She and her husband
landed in Belgium. There was an invitation waiting for her
to visit a friend who lived in Berlin. She flew over there
and visited for few days. Then she boarded a plane and flew
to London where she joined her husband for the journey home.
"And now, I promised Wore we olosed to give you my
personal luipressions as to the oause or the eoonomic depression.
It is my belief that inflated prices were at the bottom of the
whole thing. The high prices had to come down and as soon as
the demand lessened, prices oame down in a hurry.
"As long as the United itates was willing to extend credit
to the Ituropsan Nations they were anxious to buy. However, as
soon as oreait was no longer available they were foroed to stop
buying.
"Now as you know Finland is %As only nation who has met her
obligations to America, and that is one reason why I feel that
the United States saoula snow her confidence in that valiant
little country and render ner every assistance in this her
time of distress.