Document text
January 31, 1939.
Carl T. Garrison (white)
72 Burton Street,
West Asheville, N. C.
wPA worker
Farmer
Anne Winn Stevens, writer
Douglas Carter, reviser.
BEGGING REDUCED TO A SYSTEM
Four Garrett children, the oldest a girl of fifteen,
huddled at the door of the principal's office in the public
*shoals *hen staked why they had been absent from school
for five weeks, the children could give no intelligible
answer. The idea uppermost in their minds was that their
mother had told them to ask for free lunehos. They were
scantily clad for a November day. Their clothes were
clean, but they seemed to have on little underclothing
and to possess neither coats nor sweaters. Their shoes
were full of holes. The group was obviously under -nourished,
thin, pasty of complexion, anemic. One of the teachers
said, "They look Just like poor little rate."
The principal reached for the telephone. Hs milled
the State Aid worker assigned to the school. "Mrs. Holt,
look up the ,:arrett children; you know tho address," he
said. "Find out why they have been absent from school
for five weeks, and why they wish to be put on the free
lunch list. They are always asking for something."
A few minutest later the worker parked her car near
a large, yellow house on a sparsely settled street inhabited
mostly by negro**. A muddy road led to it. On its door,
a fly -spooked, weather beaten, yellow card, haAging aslaat,
announced, n;uarantine, Leasles." The small boy who stuck
his head out at Mrs,. Bolt's knook was thickly broken out with
a rash.
After a few minutes, Mrs. Garrett mime out and stood with
her visitor on the windy porch. She was a thin woman, about
thirty-three years old, with a pasty complexion, and projecting
teeth. liar hair wee much too yellow drug store gold. Al.
though the morning was raw and cold she won, a thin, sleeve-,
less summer dress and no wrap.
"Yes, I live hare," she said, huet,ging herself to keep
warm; "ma and qv haaband and our six childron live in three
rooms, upstairs."
The honson's, who are her parents, and their youngest
daughter and orphaned grandchildren occupy the lower floor.
she explained the children's absences. No, they had
had measles long ago; it vas the ohildren under school age
who had it now. "14 husband had been out of work for nine
weeks," she declared. "When we wee asked to leave the cabin
whar we wus livini" pointing to a tiny, lot„ house in a
hollow across the street, "we tuk the children and went to
my b*'other's at kama looking for work." That was five weeks
ago.
'4
"Nem, we didn't find no work. But MY husband and ma
tuk in wa3hini. He'd c out and aet the alothes, and help
me do them. Then he aot hack on 'ANL and we come beck to
Asheville." She explained that her husband had been on the
WPA for some time. The project on which he was working "run
out," as she put it. So he had been suspended until work
could be found for him elsewhere.
"He has always been a hard worker," she maintained. He
had worked in the mills. He had been a clerk in a kirocery
store at 412 a week. Be had been a truck driver for tha city,
and for various transfer companies. Before the depression,
he had made 420 a week.
"Ae lived real well then," she said. "But tMri wasn't
as many of us."
But for the past few years ha had worked mainly au an
unskilled laborer on the '41,A,
"He Loss back to work tomorrow," she said. "After he
seta his first pay check, we can ijat alon. But we hcven't
bad anythint; in the house to eat for a week now but two messes
of flour and a peck of meal. The children has nothin' for
breakfast but a biscuit or a slice of corn bread. They come
home after school hetzini, for food. But I can't 151ve them
but two meals a day. That's why I want to zet free lunches."
So the family was given commodities by the welfare
department; beans, flour, and dried milk. The school agreed
to givo thsei lunches, and a member of the ;savant -teacher
a000ciation offered to find c.lothoe mind shoes for them.
6overal woeks later, arrett, head tied up in a
white cloth, waa found trying to divert a fretful two*yoskr*
old. The room via4 clean, but rate r bare, with shabby lino*
lsum on the floor. The be.1 vies oithout sheets or pillow
cases. But tne wattreos was covered by an unbleached cover..
slip. The blankets were cler.n, but mostly cotton.
"That's mg baby," she said, 1-dicatint; the two-year*
old. "he *lion: has had a hard time." ,;kia enumerated the
illnseaeo of hia two short years: diptheria, pneumonia,
measles, and no* an 4...sceaa in hia ear. He had a bad cold
also, and a jr. oz his uppor lip, which his mother wiped
every now and then with a not -too -clean cotton cloth. Like:
this other c!Aildren, he had too waxen a look.
"Tha doet,:r majs as how he should have orange juice *vary
day, and tawatoes and anions mashed with potatoes, but I
don't have no monoy to Ow them tnLigs for him. I ain't
nothing t ive him but (;e4..eal." However, 3n* admitted soma
one was sendini; him milk ovary dai. But she didn't know
who.
Jim' was still feeding the older children on biscuits,
corn bread and now "white ;„eans," but not breed and beans
at the same meal. Christmas had been a great help to the
family. "line dollars a week for eight people," she main-
tained nevertheless, "doesn't LA far, after rent and coal
has been paid for."
but the/ had "gotten" beg of coal from a dealer,
whose trucks her husband loaded on his wsy from work.
Still. "It was mostly duet," she complained. "When it
was poured into the stove it flew all over the room, until
we was all sneezing."
The Christmas Oasket from a civic organization had
helped. but again she said. "How long could five dollars
worth of groceries last for eight people?"
However, she had profited by various Christmas charities:
"I stood in line before Pender's a40 Store two or three
hours Christmas morning. You now he allus gives sway shoes
on Christmas. I got three good pair for the children. And
I got two of the boys into the dinner given by the fai.C.A.
While I was waiting for them I went by the doctor's office
and asked the nurse for a sample bottle of cod-liver oil for
the baby. Zile 4ive as three bottles of it," she narrated.
It is easy to see where the Garrett chilaren get their
habit of always asking for something. As far as charitable
orgenleations are concerned, their mother knows all the
answers.
She enumerated her further needs* "You know," she said
plaintively, "I ain't got but one sheet, no pillow case.,
and only one towel, and I asked the Red Cross, and the welfare
department both, for some. It looks like someone might give
me a few towels; they are so cheap!"
Finally she admitted that she was seven santus adenoid
in pregnancy, and as yet had no layette* "The Rod ‘:ross,"
she declared, 'used to give lovely ones, all put up in a
nice basket. "But," in an aggrieved tone, "they told as as
how they didn't have any more."
But Mrs. Garrett, who says she completed only the third
grads in school, and never learned "to tiger," has found
a neighbor who is quite sympathetic* "ars. Garrett, my
husband has a good steady gob," said the neighbor, "I guess
I'm just plumb lucky; so I'll find you some of my baby's
things that he don't need, or has outgrowod."
However, there is a shoemaker in the neighborhood who
is wanderings **here do you suppose Garrett. got those six
new *shirts he sold ma last week?" Can it be that the Garrotte
are making money off charitable vrganizatiohs, or off
sympathetic individuals?
*hen Mr. Garrett came in, he was asked about his I'is
Job, his wages, and his situation in general.
"I used to to a foreman, but r.w.f I'm just doing common
labor, 4;etting a little over 418 every pay period, whenever
the weather is good enough to put in full times weather like
this e we'll lose come time this month. That ain't much for
eight people to live on, is it? A little over $9 a week.
They used to give us Government food, but they won't iv*
us anything now. One fialow down there is the *mum, of it
all. *ben they get it in for you, there ain't nothing you
can do. *hold you say you was with'!"
"The Federal ;iriters' Project."
4411. the *PA and the welfare dopartment ought to be
cleaned up. You can't cAt a thing now. ky wits is going to
have another baby soon, and I can't get any cloths* for it,
or anything. They won't do a thing. They've just got it
in for me, that's all. w4r right over on the next street
is a *PA foreman who ,eta Uovornmont food every week e and
clothes e and he only naa four children. Lioy won't 6iVit
mi a th1.46. That boy there, now, has got a sore throat, and
can't get a tAng for him."
"Don't the children get medical atteation from the city
authorities, or the county?"
"No. They won't do nothing for anybody that ain't on
relict. I have to just It whatever doctor I can."
"How is the house riintedi"
"I rent the houso for 416 a month, and the sople down-
stairs pay 47.60 for tacit:* half."
loam
"Do they pay ro ularly?"
"Yes; but they are going to move out next week, and I
reckon we'll have to move, too then. The Wood Reality
Company has got this house, and they're awful strict."
"Couldn't you rent two downstairs part to someone oleo?"
But Mrs. Garrott, in the kitchen, at the same moment
said, "Lure; there's some by here almost *very day wants
to rent a place." Mr. Garrott agnorod this.
"Tney's only one bathroom in this houso, and it's up
here, I don't *ant strangers running in and out of my bath-
room. They ain't no locks on none of the door*, either."
Indeed, there are neither looks nor knobs, but each
door has a string by which it is pulled open, or shut.
However, the radio, which was turned off to facilitate the
conversation, is the very latest in design, and quit* new.
It Game from one of the largo mall..ordor how'ss that now
maintain retail stores in principal cities, and it has the
automata° features charactorietic of the modern *et*. he
furniture, too, is of recent desigi,, and not very old, but
that's is not much of it. Chairs are scarce, and tnore is
no rug on the floor.
"Is your furniture paid for?"
"Ito, it ain't. T-ey'll be taxing that back, next."
"that will you do then?"
"Well, I don't know. Maybe I can Ct some more, same..
whore."
VA credit?"
"Sure. I can't pay for no furniture."
"Do you buy other things an credit, too that radio,
for example?"
"Of course, I had to maks a dAJvin papLent on that, same
as fUrnire, but you can't hardly oilt no credit anywhere
else."
It was apparent from further conversation that he must
have sought crodit everywhere, practically, and, falling to
obtain creait, asked for gifts, although he would not acknowft
lodge this. All efforts to draw him out fyrther were in vain.
Hs would not admit reoeiving gifts, money, or hel9 from
private indiviauals or organizations. He always returned
to the complaint that the public agencies seemed to have it
in for him, would not give him anything, would not help him;
while others, already more fortunate, were 4,etting free
food, clothes, medicine, etc. He said it was not easy, on
his wages, to keep the electric power turned on, but they
had oil lamps to us* whenever the power was off. However,
he missed the radio during those times.