Document text
August 15, 1939
Joe Mittheson (Salesman)
Hickory, N. C.
Ethel Deal, Writer
Dudley W. Crawford, Reviser
Original Names Changed Names
Zoe Matheson John Matthews
Duke Power Co. Dutch Power Co.
Troutman Trent
Phyllis Pamela
Charlotte Riverton
Hickory Haddon
Lenoir -Rhyne College Lane -Macon College
"I'm john Matthew/5 from the Dutch Power Company, I
hnve a paper here T 'minted you to sign. TVs a right of lay
to bring the the power line through."
"sure, T."11 sign it," said, "and I went your life
story while you are here."
"Well, of *aurae Itll be glad to help you any way I
can. I've always tried to do Pnything I could to be of
service. So here roes- If I don't give you 'What you want,
just stop IS.
"I was born on a farm n ar a, little town called Trent.
My father was postmaster there seven years, but he kept the
farm and us boys went back and forth and farmed it. His still
owns it.
finished high school but could not ro to oollege
on a000unt of the family fineness. It was up to me to get
out and do whet I could about it. In 1923 I went to work
as a section hand on the railroad at one eighty a d -y. /n
1924 I entered college. didn't have any money, only what
I had manarnd to save on the railroad job, so I started
working my 'my through. It was quite a fad at that time for
students to work. You will wonder what I did. :Tell, T
gushed dishes, mopped floors, and waited on the tables. That
.2.
meant every dny nnd Sund4 too. At home I was used to Going
to church. When you are working at a boarding bons* you
don't have time to go. Fact is, then, in always work to be
don, in church hours.
"When school wns out that first year I went beck home.
I got a job with an automobile concern. I greased cars and
workA as an all round handy man at two dollars a day. /Ill
never forget that man, he's dead now. EA gave me that job to
help ma out.
"In the fall of 1934 I went back to college, and took
up my work at the boarding house. I had to work hard there
and had no leisure hours, but it was the only way. The money
I had earned during vacation, I had to spend carefully. I
got through another year and came hoMe. That year it was hard
to find anything to do. Finally got in a cotton mill
stripping cards five nights a .:reek, twelve hours a day. The
pay wet eler-7en fifty a week. I only worked threat months, and
than vent to Chicago. I got me a job in a gas producing
company. They worked three eight hour shifts, two thousand
men on' the shift. My job was to operate the ammonia distillation
plant. I made good on that $4b. I liked Chicago fine but I
wouldn't want to ranks it ny hone.
"I'm a methodist. The first thing I did after securing
me n job and bonrding place was to look up the ministor. There
was a methodist ohureh in the aubue4s whore t boarded. I
mat to suaday school end preaching; taught a elites at
boys, join e the league and bed a nio- time* The little
church Jut had four hundred members. Ono* week the
young folks net at some members home tor a social gathering*
ofiwirsting we a form of realisation everyone seemed
intorest4 in. A drive to Lake Mlohigian on the boaleh was
the thing. You had to furnish your own swimming faults* There
were no bath houses, you *hanged your clothes in the ear
with the help of your beach robot
"Hera in the south, the millionaire are about the only
ones who ean afford to play golf. There the poor people
played; thirty five ciente is all it soot them to play all
day.
"When I first went to Chisegol I was appalled at the
number of people who drank. There were no prohibition lams
there, end people mile and drank anythine they wanted. It
was kept 1- the homes, lots of folks made beer. They drank
In moderation, you seldom sew anyone intosieated.
My pay was good out there. Ion not sure, but think
it sveraged about eighty two and a halt (tents an hour*
drew forty dollars a weak.
"X had saved eleven hundred dollars end I didn't go
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back to the boarding bowie this year, I stayed at the
dormitory.Uhen vacation time csa:46 around again, I went
to Atlantic City and worked as a buss boy in cafe.Lote
if the boys did this. Three friends I had made in Chicago
had come back to college with as. 'heir funds were low; I
explained ti them how I was working my way through, they
decided to do the some. Tee of the boys were twin brother..
They all three worked hard at anything they could get.They
finished after I did and are making good. The Veins went
into electrical engineering otter finishing ochool.The
other entered law school. Hear now with the diplomatic
aervice in laehington.
*when I finished school, I had nothing in mind I
wanted to do. I had not studied for any special thing.
Being on the loose, I went book to Chioa4o and worked
another year. I'd simply spent evertthing I could get at
school.Aftar workin4 out there another year, I case 4ack
home. I had no idea of alakin,4 my home in the north, the
south suits as better. The people hers are more free ond
easy. I like their ways best.
"I net a lovely girl in say home twang. she was
teaching school there at this time. Panels was a college
graduate.
a* planned to be married as soon as I could :Alt
something permanent. I took a job in Riverton with 411
Power Rupply Company at a salary of one hundred and
.3.
thirty ttve dollnrs a oonth. I woke. thore three years, and
I oot married in 1931. I came to Nadden eiFht years aeo
and ftm ':ow a ealesmon for the Duteh rower Co3pany. I like
it fine. It's a good firm
or for and I hope to oontinue
with them. I sell electric atovea, irons, frigid.res, hot
plates, peroolaters, in fact, onythin you want. I'm down
here today getting poope to siom up for this liairew
UT. ”atthewa turned arouod in his ()hair, ()Tonged his
lea and said:
4About that ory, aow. I'm not through. I've told
you wtbt awe done to get through aohool, but rove not told
you yet what hope to do. I don't own my own home but, I'm
goine to build; I've already botvht my lot. 441 have two
children, a boy and a girl; 7amala is seven, John :untor is
four. ae hooe to have two oore, a girl end a boy. That's
not a laroo family compared with that people uaad to hero,
but we want more than t5vo. Ii latntng n rioht nice home
close to Lane.Macoa oollooe. I want it cloae elouoh oo the
ohildrgn can ot- at home nnd can walk back nnd forth to
school.
"AS for activities, my ifs nd I don't co much/ Ake
play bridge once in awhile rind attend church regular. We
both tench n ,uneay sohool class and have lots of friends.
Our life is very quiet, we prefer it that way. About ono. a
year vs go to a dance, not because we enjoy it ao much;
we do It to keen in touch of the younger set. le wqnt to
have our family now before Yts get too old to enjoy tium•
*We're both Republicans and we both vote. believe
in women havirfr equal rights with ran. I like the president
but feel like he ht s mail° as mistakes. Ono of tts bigemet
he can maks will be to rl,n
smtin. Now, about this old as
pension ind social security, that's fine. Thia relief business
is thing tirft is necessity or tan been. How it's to bo
worked out I don't know, I guess that's about all I can say.
I'm glad If I've boen able to help you
Thank you, mr. Metthews,/ said. I KriOW 10%011 4Akill
I can sae the new home nnd the four children already."
He lawhed and said, *I hops you're right