Document text
October 14, 1939
Cecil Kanipe (Textile Worker)
Kannapolie, N. C.
Ethel Deal, Writer
Dudley W. Crawford, Reviser
Original Names Cheaged N4M.01
Cecil Kanipe Charles Camp
Catawba County Cook County
Kannapolie Cannonville
Mortis Kanips Merle Camp
Charles Camp, dressed in a suit of tailored serge,
light blue shirt, red tie and tan shoes, was seated across
the table from me looking interestedly through the open
door at the curious crowd gathered in the sheriff's office
across the hall.
"Must have been another wreck," he said, as he went to
join the crowd. Returning a moment later he continued.
"Yes, two cars and a truck piled up together, two killed
and six gone to the hospital. Seems like Cook county has
more automobile killings than any other place in the coun4.
Down in Cannonville where I live we have a lot of killing,
but it's generally caused by some one getting mad or crazy
drunk.
'I've been living in Cannonville since I was fourteen.
Dad owned a farm in this county and what little education
I have I got in the public school here --haven't got much.
I was slow in school; must have been awful dumb.
"My folks have always lived in town and it seems the
farm was a sort of experiment. Jie worked like the dickens
on that farm; raised cotton, wheat, corn,vegetables, hogs
and chickens. Dad had five or six cows and there was al-
ways gallons and gallons of milk, cream and butter. Mother
made more cheese than we could use and gave a lot of it to
the neighbors. We had plenty to eat, but it seems that
we were unable to turn our products into money. When
Dad bought the place it looked a sight, but when he sold
it four years later it was in the beet condition. The
house had been remodeled and painted; barns, graineries
and tool houses put in shape and painted. Dad owned his
own tractor and truck, and our car was the best in the
community; but when it come to extra money for clothes
and the extra things we'd been used too, there was none.
"Four years was enough on the farm. I believe if
we had stayed four years longer we would have starved.
I don't mean for luck of food; what I mean it was all work
and no play. Dad moved to Cannonville where he'd been
offered a good job as overseer. I persuaded him to let
me work. Le finally agreed, thinking I'd never learn
anything at school. I went to work as a doffer. That
was piece work. 1 mvde two dollars a dhy. When I was
fifteen I wat rade head defer. y pay was increased
to two -fifty a nay.
"After working four years I quit an,1 went to Knoxville
Tenn., hoping to get a better job. ly folks opposed my
doing but I had my way ,121: at Knoxville got a job at the
Brookside Mill laying up filling. This job paid ten dollars
a week. I paid five for board, slepbin a basement, and
eat corn bread three times a day. Gosh it was awful. At
home mother had all the good things I liked, and corn bread
was one thing I could not eat. When I looked around in that
smutty basement, and compared it to my own nice bed room at
home, I was sick. I couldn't afford better. My laundry
cost me a dollar a week and there were hair cuts and press-
ing club bills. I stuck it out ninety days.
"Breaking the last dollar I had, ,I called Dad on the
phone for some money to come home on. Hie voice over the
wire w_Le the best thing I had heard in ninety days. Back
in Cannonville I went to work in the mill again. I worked
there nine Alonths and was promoted to where I got forty
dollars every two weeks.
"About this time I met a girl from another mill and
fell in love. 40 soon got married. That was eight years
ago and we've both worked ever since.
"Lerle don't have to work, as my pay is sufficient to
meat our needs. ,;(1 have no children, I've been thinking
seriously of adopting one. I guess I was pretty much of a
fool, after I wab married. '.ve boarded and spent all we
made for four years. I bought a new car every year. That's
all we had to show for our work. Finally we rented a couple
of rooms and went to housekeeping; Werle's a fine house-
keeper. Renting didn't suit me; I wanted a home of my own.
"One day I took my brand new car and traded it for four
lots. Merle was pleased, she too wanted a home. I'd been
car crazy, now I turned home crazy. There was only two of
us, and no hopes of any more, so we built a small house;
three rooms with bath and small kitchenette. It cost me
twenty three hundred dollars. The house is a darling,
perfect in every way.
"I used the best material that could be bought. There's
a tiled front porch; the chimney is built beside the front
door, with a arch over it. The little entry at the front
resembles an entrance to a church. The living room is fif-
teen by eighteen, dining room twelve by fifteen, kitchenette,
and a large bed room with screened in back porch. I like
my house, but the lawn and the grounds are more interesting
and keeps me busy. I tell you I never get tired working on
my lawn and with my flowers.
"It sets in the center of an acre. The plot is square
with a /wall vegetable garden at the back. I have hogs,
and chickens I keep down in the woods. I've spent three
hundred and fifty dollars for shrubby trees and flowers.
iy rose garden is the envy of all the women on our street.
The rose arbors and lattice work I've done myself. The flag
stone walks at front and back and the low white fence sur-
rounds the place, I had some help on.
"About a year and a half ago I opened up a small store
on some extra lots I'd bought. I sold it out and took the
lumber and built mc a garage and chicken house. I went in
the hole on that store. I can't be hard hearted when folks
put up a tale of hard luck,so I trusted them and let them
have their groceries on time. Soon I had three hundred
dollars on my books. Collecting it was out of the question.
I didn't like keeping a store anyhow. I prefer to work with
my flowers and plants. I still work at the mill eight hours
a day.
"I'm going to buy me a new car this week. It's the
first new one I've had in five years. I've never been with-
out one to drive to work;we are more than a mile and a half
from the mill. ae go to town two or three times a day. At
night, two or three times a week, we take in a show. I don't
spend all my mont and time on a car; but I can't realize
how anyone can do without one. I'm going to pay cash for this
one.
"I'm out of debt except a few small bills. Ye have a
bank account and carry life insurance. I like a show, good
books, and baseball. I don't mind eating anything but corn
bread. I got enough of that in Knoxville. Ne have what we
want to eat, plenty to wear, and a good time.
"My Father can't understand why I jump from one hobby
to another. I make eighty five a month and pay all the bills.
11,!erle makes eighty dollars a month and puts fifty dollars
in the bank. She has the balance to dress herself and spend
for what she wants. Jie both vote the Oemocrat ticket. She
is a Baptist, I'm a Methodist. Neither one of us goes to
church very much. If I had to make a choice between a car
and home I'd walk."