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F. Hodge
610 Parsons' Street, S.V.
VfPA worker -Librarian, GoVernment Hollsing Project'
A-OLE: 76 a ezIMS/Yfritk
"My early education was done at li-tlanta University when
they used to have a kindergarten there/ and I stayed in that
school until I reached the fifth g,'ade. This was at the time
that Atlanta University was an undergraduate school. The grades
were not offered end_ I finished the rest of my elementary edu-
cation at the Mitchell StreetjublicXchool. The old building
that hoilsed the school still stands4lbut has been renovated and
turned into apartments. I went back to AtlantatUniversity after
completing the eighth Igrade work and spent six years there.
hsd a four-year normal course and,two'years of coIlege,work.
I didn't complete my college work on „account of my mother not
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being able to finance me. I hatel4I was unable to continue 10
school because I had -looked forward to a college education,
During my summer months I tau,Tht school in,the county every
year from the time I was first year until my graduation. I had
to do this in order to be able to go back to school during the,
regular term. The first year taught in the county I was only
thirteen years old. Yes, this was at a very young age hilt I
had always had every advantage of good schools and my parents
helped in every waY;$ossiblea; My mother tutored me and, there-
fore, I was' far advanded for rn age: On the other hand, not many
years ago theiguperintendents in the counties accepted teachers
,who Were still 1n the grades and, unlike today, atrictnesa as to
classification was not so nronowaced. Then too the teaching
profession was not so crowded as it is now, so teachers were in
great demand.
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"1' tdOkI:ish* examination for
successful in passing the test.
1;44coossfufly., I a#Fibute e4e
this sdhool in the cdunty and was
ventlived'cut and taughti quite,
'el44.8e t;c''tple. falt ibit.t
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lived with my cousin, also a teacher, who helped me with the
problems that came up in, school.
"I 'spoke of my advantages and my parents' hone for me in
the educational -field, and I am reminded of ry grandfather who
was so interested in education, not only for his family but the
race as 8 whole, that he was one of the pioneers of Atlanta
university. Soon after the War between the States and after the
war clouds had cleared away there were alnumber of northern
whites who gave UD home conforts and lucrative positions to
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come South to devote their lives to the education of the Negro.
This was a great himlanitarian gesture and took much courage on
the part of those brave men and women, for they did have a hard
road ahead of them. "his was entirely new, figuratively speaking,
for the South, because heretofore Negroes were looked on as
proPerty. Their' health and fitness to wOrkiens greatly considered
because the strong robust ones were counted quite valuable tb
their owners. They had never given a thoizollt to education for a
Negro. In fact, they had prohibited the education of Negroes,
who, ukil after 41ancipation, were merely looked Unon as machines
Well when -;-tlanta 'University was first begun my grandfather was
one who assistedin getting food and other necessities for the.
teachers. As a child, my mother used to tell me and mo- sisters,
'how grandfather had worked hard to support his family and gave
generously to the teachers at Atlanta univeY'sity who were raving
a way for the education of the Negro. She said he would purchase
his groceries on Saturday for nis -immediate family and then carry
all he could to 6-_-tlanta -University' for'the teachers. He sent his
children there. He had four children, two sons and two daughters.
Three Of'his children graduated from Atlan:ta University, dohe of
"my mother as a great church worker and shew as a teacher
in the city schools of Atlanta. She also taupt in on of the"
collegres in Atlanta. She worked PF a it7 r-atron for the City
of ),tlont- until her health 'fniled.. All of -iotherls qirls,
four, firished from Atlanta University. She also had a son.
My father was very industrious, as well as ambitious for his
family. He felt that he could make better wages if he left
lanta .,nd so he and Mother agreed on this and he left. He
was successfUl and secured a nice job, sent money to sup -port
he
the family,and‘saved a hice amount. when he felt that/had been
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away long enough he took a vacation.
o'rvi
hone. On his,way
back home he was sandbagged, robbedland died before he was able
td return home. After his death mother had theresronsibility of
supnorting five children. She 11.d it beautifully. She lived to
see her four girls gradated from Atlanta University. The son
saw fit to ston school before he graduated, ad he felt he wanted,
to go out and support himself and relieve mother of this responsi-
bility. Mother, who had so much\ hope for her children, didn't
want him to do this but) seeing him so set on it and he had gone
far toward his education, she felt he could succeed Ind granted
him nermission bp' stop school. Mother had to sacrifice and
strugoae to rear us but she had faith in God and confidence in
*elf and so she was successful.
lihe and my father purchased pronerty and she held on, to this
after'fatherls death. ,The Property was about paid for and
we were practically out of debt when the fire of l9l7 occurred.
This fire destroyed everythUg we had, yftst.swept away everything
and we were never able to tome back from this disaster.
"The fire started in a small dwelling near kort and Decatur
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significance attached to the fire at first. I was teaching at tb
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time at the Parochial School., I continuer/my classes, although
so e of the parents had become alarmed and ea -me for their children,
I riermitted those to go whose ,,arerits came but not without trying
to discourage them from taktng their children out because I felt
the fire would soon be over. The fire kept coning as though by
lqaps "bounds. It was the greatest fire in the history of
Atlanta. The fire continued-tOtsweep the colored section and
still the whites didn't seemed so concerned about it. On and on
the fire swept with destruction in its wake and filially it reached
the m&ite section Druid Hills. Then the City of Atlanta busied
itself to stoo the fire. Well, the fire bad such a headway that
.it'was necessary for houses direat17-T in the path of the fire to
be dynatited and house after ,house was blown up. Of course, the
entire forrth ward,' mostly inhabited by Negroes, was entirely
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burned before anything\was done. It was said that two whit* men
had started the fire-and,went from house to 11.011se putting something
on the house and then that house caught. It was during the tire
wr were in the mtdst of the World War and whether this was./Ote
or not I, could not say with any authority,but.I do know two white,
me were in my house when I got IMO from my school. They asked'
ifolanything they'lconld do toas6ist and soon afterwards my house
was on fire. The 'houses that -they didn't go in were not burned.
'Friends of mine cane and moved everything I had on the
Sidewalk. MOS"4 of my furniture was destroyed by fire even after
being removed from the, house, and the rest wat lost. There were.
men going 'sroun
in trucks picking up furniture off the street
and -the stuff that was taken up by -those men was never recovered'.
I hada piano and typewriter_tha't disappeared and 1 have always
felt,that,the'men ilihdcWenit, about 0,4„esoetteinthOt was -,burned,
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nicking uppfl/rniture, took the piano nnd t-ypewriter.
I shall
never forget that fire. I lost nracticall-cr everything that I had
a_nd.) to tell the truth I -have -r;ever seemed able to stage a comeback.
°Men, or rather soldiers from Ft. McPherson were sent out to
patrol the- streets, directing the people where to walk because
of live wires everrthere.
"The Red Cross did a splendid piece pf work during that time.
I worked with the Red Cross, helning to get homes for the peoble,
The people of Atlanta. were loyal and generous to the unfortunates.
They took in as many as they, catuld. It WAS nothing to see six or
ten .peonle it two or three rooms.
"We used the card. system keeping record Of the homeless. We,
went from house to house, working long hours Oaring for the people.
Iliad a certain number that I visited each d. My work was commend-.
ed end after the. people were about restored- to normalcy and the
services of the wa-rkers no lottger Aeeded, I was given e bonus of
,,25.00. I was paid 10.i00 a week for my services.
"Most of the people who were burned out were. of neager
means and lived in the soUthetst part of the city. There ,i,ere
juet a few good livers! who were burned out. Of course, this was
tr-oe of my people but there were a number of white people who w er e
in good circumstances who lost all that the7 had. Some of their
house -s were not, only burned but dynamited.
"After the fire the city talked of blinding a park for the
colored 'people in fourth ,ward but the reonle didn't want to nart
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with their houses, whlish consisted of dwellinge and little places
of )-)usineFs. Of ccAiree, most of the homesthat were burned were
rePlaeed- artmt net t,11 -rtilited g6-bd 40. )omesPOtthe
coloreepootple in the section of Cain, ,Hilliard, Highland. Avenue
Felt4P,Prive.
41.
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e didn't owe much on the home at the ti -le of the fire but
having suffered this great loss, we had to start all over amain.
My nether never was able to be her real .self after this disaster.
,"Later; the section having been turned into apartment houses
we tockthe insurance money, $2,500, and btilt an apartment.
Lumber as high because of world conditions, being in the midst
of the World War. After we built the apartment thep along came
adversities, as- is the case following all wars. 1?eople,were
not able to pay, thel,r rent and we nearly 1pst our home. We
struggled along, however, until. the Aome Owners Loan Corroraticn
was started and ther I got a loan. At the time, to me, it *Rs'
a life saver but after the HOLC. took over, ,lade various renairso.
added this Coat and that cost) and then revamped the value, we
were in debt fib/. 46,000. I have rpgretted many a day 8ime that
I turned my hone over to 1TOLC. The cost has nearly donbled.
1 got behind wit,- my notes and the HO-L'L' took over the prolierty
to handle the rents,. All' the rents coming from the place and
$10 extra which I pay each month are turned over to HOLC. I
hope some day the 1D roperty will be clear' and I can again have it
in my charge. AnA do you know. it is really a great --roblem to
re7 for a Home after it ha S been turned, over to HOLu? I really
don't see wnere it has been such A great help' as it w as ex-
pected when firnt stPrted. In fact, they dor it give as much Con-
'sideration as a nrivate reAltcr does and the interest is terrible.
About half receped-froi the rent and the lO I pay is anT,lied
to principal„,-qie other goes for interest, ,Whenever I hear any
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one talking abort tryinc?.; to get a HO."',
on their rronerty I tr- to
discourage the idea for I rnow what fixI have been out in.
"I was born iniAtlapia,and after6ompleting shoiol W9' able
1110 iflOty ft9Or 140? 441',.
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first lob, sifter
schor_ was' teacher in the Prochial Scho-1 tnd I taught bere
ten years. years. After thqt I entered the business world. I
in tile i'nsurance wor- a number nf
T irlorire(9 fnn tile
Standard Life Insurance Company.- At that time one made very
mod in insurance. Of course it was new to our neonle, as far'
as riegro .ownershiph*as concerned. It took hard work but the
profit was good. The reason I id insurance work, it was a new
adventure for women but the men, so many of them, were taken'
out of tbese Wps and sent to war. These men were sent to France
and other war zones and a del of theiii jobs had been taken over
by women, as it the ease. at the time of any war. I worked as a
clerk' when first going into the work. fc,y work was good and; so
pleased were the officials t: -_at Lwas ,-aae secretary of one of
the denartmentamand I worked'in the insurance field filr ten years.
In fact, I did this work.untll'the/ompany failed. After this
corrany failed)I left Atlanta and went to Hot,snrings,
irk, where I'woiked two 'ears. I'had.,tO come back to Atlanta
beca. e mi,lother's health failed andiI had to be with her.
then got work in the Pioneer Saving Dank as cashier.,
"I didn't know anything about the tiO4.40snking business
but the/amptroller from-down,town W&S furnished th't bank to
train the workers. I left out one of mylobs and say as well
mention it here. 1 worked as offifee secretary for the Y. M C. A
and this work gave out 0/even months after I'had started.
worked at the bank from 1932 until 1937. I guesdi would still
be working at the bank had not the manager dec-xled to put a
re4tiVe of his ii my plaee.
tried Several places alter 1cTising the job in, the bank
tO get ,other private work 'but failed:. As a last resort I madA
.1'01,41004t41,,On, for WPA work,
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severaa/months)and then I was transferred to the library. This
library is part of University Hors, one of the government
projects.
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'my firstassignm nt was on the sewing project where I .,:orired
its help/1'8h 11 be able to take over for University,HOmes.
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"I don't-kn w what I would hate done had not there been
a 'Chance to work, c. 7:PA.. Likewise I don't .see -what most of the
folk would do if there was no ,:1).A: It has given graat numbers
of peorle courage' and self respeCt, wherein' they wouldn't have
h9d anythin o,look fOrward to.
"I like the work here in the library. It gives MB a
chance to help the young people who come in and you would be .1
surprised to know just how many pOrople do frequent this libr-ry
'during the day. I do much :towardl:drecting the children Is
to tne best books to read and it Is interesting to not just
how eager they are to read. One wouldn't believe it, perhatsi.,
but let me show you my circulation for today. .See; 94 books have
passed through my hands today to tenants here in UniVe-_sity Homes.
operate the library for he benefit of this project alone. I
have noticed they certainly do have a rading people here and you
know vhat they say about a reading tan and that is IA reading man
is a full man.' I really like this work and hope I can stay on
"I enjoy the work as librarian quite a bit'and hope taat,
Wi3à will keep this as ope of its projects. I would like to
remain here. I have decided to take a course in library work
so that )should there be changes wherein VITA will have to withdraw,
an on, because -1,1'061 there is much I can ao here.
"Well, I don't suprose there is' anything else I could tell
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you as I just haVen't,had a: very, interestingllf 'X do feel,
howevet,,?,t4at I. home,,giVen Youlqa,,14"t101:11W1.4iM 0.4* *A1
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6 ,'..,1 ,ka 1014
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I ar, here because I simply couldn't find any other work. ;Of
oonrse, here are hundreds and hundreds on for the sa-rre reason.
There seemlnOthing else to do but "PA enployment and if it would
cense I don't know whct the peo,;le would 1.o. notiPe the unrest
and uncertainty causeky the recent ruling, releasing the workers
who live been on 7'PA 18 months. Those people are desperate
most ol them I know.. They Oan't-PeeM to find anything and frankly
there isn't anything for them ,to do.
"I will have to stop now because I have to ltst and label
all of those boolrs you see over there. They Just came in today
"Yoll. Must come in a7ain'tb see me. live enjoYed talking
with you and wish I had something really-inte-regtirct, to talk
abovt.- I do hone '1,11u can net what you want from what I have,
tOld you, and it can be seen just whyq had to 17et on 7PA.
+Ps.,