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April 10, 1439.
Um. D. L. Greer (white).
403 S. Main St.,
Headereonville,X4 C.
Domestic servantm
Luling L. Labrj, writer.
Douglas Carters reviser.
ittitlasUana
Mrs. Greer
Mrs. Ts h barrows
Barrovlan Lefts
Mendersenville
Lila (Pmmes)
Garfield Peace
3kIlaind dotel
Mrs. Lee
Flat sock
(unknown)
tr.
cJ
Ur*. Gr*,
ups. A. gm bartlett
smbarrial Lodge
Lawrenceville
'jai' (Price)
wrens eriee
Cleadland Hotel
Mrs. asod
Little Reek
Jake Virey)
said easimg herself into a sem:enable
chair as if it were a great treat to be able to sid:down for
a while, "1 awe two very hard problems, it not more. riret,
we're bc,th too old to have to work so hard ay husband and
I and we can't hardly earn enough to keep up with out
expenses. Coes* like there's always somethin. happeatal to
ua that sakes us go in debt, and then we have to do without
so such that we used in order to ever get straight with the
people we owe, rhea, we have a sea en tho chain g0Ag• I
guess he's about our greatest wurry but we just met help
xres ray, 67 years old, is cook and funeral houseworker
for Vrs. A. L. artlett, who operates her home as Asharrtal
Lodge, taking as many gussts as ear house can socomood‘te,
and also servir- peals' to vas general public during the summer
months.
°Lest summer we served between 30 al.d 36 Lin.rs every
day, and there are always three meals a daj nom,* a. ray
explained "Of course, Mrs. WArtlett hue other help in summer,
but you know nousework is never finiened. There 'a alssys a
job waiting to be started arousd a place like this."
I had asked hrs.. Bartlett's permission to interview Mrs.
Gray, and ti& latter bad entered taa 1 vlog r00 with reluctant
steps. uncertain as• to t would be r.uir.d of hart but
had lout no tirAe putting bar at ease. Her tam, epts look
weary and nem straiglAto rat4or straggly light -brown aair
is 4ust twisted up and hurriedly pinned back from bar Liued
face, telling a story of a woman always too tired to ,r,ive much
thought ur attention to her personal appearanee.
Air blue priak area* vas alaoat entirely flowered Ay a
large whits apron made of bleached muslin. Oa her largo
feat she wore *lolled white canvas abogws that bad been worst
past ttair capacity for confining tar toe*, which could be
aeon bulgin.i throodh *missal boles. A few inobegg of blank
lisle stockings were visible below bar retrial, long drat*.
Mare was no semblailcs of styli about nor outfiti 4ust
soisothing to over a bulky and weary -looking body.
I was born rignt bar* in Lawrenceville, aa4 grew up
hare." she said. °I've boon aarried about 3d years I've
forgotten the mat data and had nits. chlidroL, but all
of 'as but two is married now, wad no saivawee to us. very
ons ix 'as 'a boon nioe, good children itioapt this 10 -pear -old
boy that's 4ivin us so. such trouble. He steals. Me paver
steals anythirkg from *war.* but us, gi,4 we're tnanaf41 for
that, but be 4ust Au take anything from out boas that
be thinks ha can sell for anything at ail. Ae don't drink
wank the Lord but when na &eta any nom, he beads far
the picture shows, and if be clan get *boll of enewle motley
4. buys clototw 'bud things that mane of 48 elan afford. ,Someme
like we Just can't keep a single thing at home without we
keep it user look and k..ey, and eel never seem able tu bur
lock*. T40 boys* done this wey ever sinew he was about 11
years old. Owe had hiss at a .ta;Ae uraining sobool twice,
but that eh!ver *eased tu du him any 40,tud eJkoejA as bia
eoh4uling went. Zou ese, at IA* trainint, teebool their
umachin' is wetter am4 goes aigkier tl,au at u. -he chiloren
get in V* Lawrenceville schools. 40 finis.ied the 'seventh
grade at tmag trainio* eahool, but, you ees, oampared to
our school, that seau,s tialt be 's really Min through the
ninth grade, so the boy's g,A, a fairly good education.
e just put tiip with Aim 441 10U6 am WO ooulali tnen his
father celled an officer and made the stealine, cleave against
bia, and told 'we officer that the boy would have to go to
the obain gang. i was at his trial, and it hurt me pretty
bad to have to sem him act there but with us beLtint old,
and as in the *nape in, and bis father beau' able to Ofint
so little, there 4uat wasn't anythil4 else we could do. I
guess.
slithat did as steal? *ell, Just *bout everything that
waan't tied d4wh. ia *woo *tole a pouad of fresh butter last
asemear that I'd just boug:A.4 and sold it somewhere. Ay
daughter give me a lovely pink slip silk, too for bristmes
three years ago. It *oat her $24. It never had been out of
ti-Je box, "(opt as I'd take it out and look at it, and admire
it, and show it to some of my friends. I vas so proud of
it' 4.11* %no boy stole toot and sold it. 'then I had
string of beads that a friend give no. I kept to. beads for
about 12 years. She's dead now the friend that give '410M
to me and I krised those beads such a lot& The boy stole
those, and I never was able t find who as sold 'ea to. I'd
have tried to .et 'cm beak if be would nave told me what he
did with 'ea. stele just anythL4 we nod or that was
ever given to us, if he thoue,ht he eould got any homey out
of it.
*%is think there's scaethirej wroij with tale buy that
could be corrected, maybe, if es had to. money to have him
examined by the ri,gut doctors* because abodo of our other
children has ever showed my igigLs of bele' dishonest. It
we just had too money we believe somethia' might be done
for his. Of coLrao, we by his in spite of all the trouble
he's doused us* and we nate to think about his be on the
Onain gang. Alt wish he could be ulade gaud boy like the
others I Md. It's sometnins that he Jost can't help,
himself, and we don't have the money to bell? hie. It's
a pity* that's what it isi*
that job done, and ass moving tha scaffoldin. and ladAtre and
things over to smother schoolhouses They piled allot of Udders
into truck, and it was pratty &morrow' for anyone to try
ridie in the back of this trok with all tboss ladders, but
that's what they told him to do. The truck drivar was, one
of them rough drivars, and when they got to the mein road
and startad to too next J00. the ladders begun to and
started hallo' out of the truck. The driver juat kspt en
going, and my husband was throwed out into the road with ladders
fallin' all around him. That was' on Docomber 13th. It broke
his left arm and his ankle, and in fast his whole left side
was so badly brut/sad and hurt that ha wail laidwp for about
six woks. All he got during that time was 619, but the
rella people paid his doctor bills how, all he's able to
do is a flagman Job *hero there are gangs of WPA men workin,
on the roads. Se gets 414.72 swan two looks*
All I get is *4 a week. I was only gettinl 44.60 a weak,
and I quit; than Urs. ikartlett give me 4,4 a week to come Lack
Lrs. ;1,raty goat a sly .lance tooard trn kitohen, and
lowered her alftady soft voice "I can't stand this work
much longer, and Vat gonna hays to ult. for good. I'm gonna
try to Clod Mile a job that ain't quit* so hard. tom ass, I
ain't really able to work at ails I've got two ruptures
outside ones that nearly kill me all the time. Ono has
growed eat so bL tbit I can't cover it with both ham_ls* and
It weigh* several pounds* The other side is ottin. oiggsr
all the tine* too, and tner drag ma down oo, and maks Of
Jiack ache so, that I can hardly stand it. beint ea my niet
is terribly hard on me.*
asked if some art of soppurtia* corset would be of
melp to her, alld she replied, "fits, therele one that would
help me, but 1 can't bud it. kJ brother lot &a oh* 10
r 12 years Ab it cost 414, and it helped Lam just as long
as it hs14 toe;etzer. hut be can't help uwii lige that aw more,
end I never could hope uu bet money enough ahead to otAr one
for mrselfsk
"k,hat do you do fur r rt.ton si amusement?"I inquired.
Uothing. 1 never get %ILA to eo anywhere. ilve not
been to church in over three years.
*Don't same of your children nelp you?*
%ell, my deu6nter Lula she's married to Jeorge Pries
works as pantri ,Arl at the loudland Aotel, and s' S helve
Me a little, but 4.4 don't make much nereelf, and Geordie la
only a caretaker for mrs. hand at Little ;kook, and he don't
maks moon eivAr. *Laker* trrin" to &mud tias little boy they
adopttd to school* and has awful hard oh his olotnes* jeorge
is amfUl nervoos, too* and not very well, end he's trying to
get Lula to atop rkin' at the hotel, and stay home and cook
for him He thinks mart* if ne had regular meals he alija%
get to fisoling better*
"Thou Lucre's aka& our younaset our 'baby toy' 15
years old: .e''s Ao in* be can st a job of some kind. is's
a smart c,ay, aLd a good toy& too, but this *inter Zal was very
sick for about tier*. months. He eaa doina•just fins 2-0a, school,
but me lost 410 much time& Avid, *chool is *o usar out tt boss
:Lack 4111.11 udact /Aar. 11 doctors saA he had
rhi.tumatic fever. aad Aid aud iosid, just as long as
I could& Cur tiAt 414ct.r.s. IL1441 atera. aartlett took $w Qea*
to tiz cowitd u‘cLor& oho ab nalpsd our tw more ‘hau apy
doctor 'tn0d ha. 2.,ey aert all so god to us. "Ars, 1.artlett
13 a grand uwan& but this vfori, is just too hard for as.
have to sc.id our holy on the caain gan4 a few little
*spas& too. You know, the tat a has stopped givin' 'an
anythiug except theircloted aud food. 'Ziur boy smokes, and
he's nervous and discontented all the ti me& sio as try to
4eop Atil In tobacco. s as beautiful teeth, and x* 'ii so
proud of them! it4d *oar: as erites home aid days& 'Mama&
pleeae seT4 a iee urti tooth pastel* you know we just
have to do it! It don't cost macu& but 'orrery penhy counts
Ion don't maite ,i:,ore'n i. do.'
lookin4 tc,44wd t4e itoiaeu win& be,An slowly
to rise saying it *as tic f4r her 4to start Wow.' 3he
made her laboriou* way out 4: tut room& aud I could ass
that her mind 'as already +engrossed in toe ;--toonJoy meal she
was about. to prepare.