Document text
July 51 1939
Jos Panniger (whit.)
3arvioe station Operator
Huntersvilla, Y. C.
Mary P. wilsons Yritor
Dudlay Crawford, Revisor
cr1,4eal fiaopt
Jo* Artmigor
Changed Naomi
John Payne
Dressed in a bathing suit made of a suit of unionallst
John layno was playing around in a pond of water like a
sixteen -year old boy, and not the successful business man
that he is.
"You can laugh at an old man getting out and having a
little pleasure if you want tot" he said to me. "You'd
probably feel like doing the same thing if you had worked
all your life and not had any time to play."
"And Just what has kept you so busy/" I asked him.
"4orkt" he exclaimed. "I couldn't be bothered with
running around until I had my family taken cars of. I
have three boys and three girls. I certainly haven't
let them lack for the necessities of life. I want them
all to graduate from high school and get some kind of
business education. I'll send them to college if they
want to got unless my business falls off.
"I didn't go to school any after I finished the
seventh grade. I quit for the lack of senset I guess,
because my father tried to get ma to stay in school.
"Wy father was a farmer but he also had a black..
smith shop. I worked eleven years in the shop. I don't
believe there is any other vocation that is more help-
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ful to a boy physically than that is. I'm as strong as a
mule today and feel like I could scrap with any man my sise.
*After automobiles came in style I started doing moo-
ohanioal work. I've had this service station out here since
Christmas morning 1923. I had a blacksmith shop beside my
station for two years. Now I use the building for a garage.
"I want you to know that I'm tickled to death with what
I have. Some folks think I as too proud, but I do know that
it all came honestly. There have been hundreds of times that
I hay, missed out in not having more education. I've had
the opportunity of jobs that I could not accept on that ac-
count. My father was active in a blacksmith shop for more
than fifty three years. I see a lot of things differently
since I've grown ups Kids who go to school have more ad-
vantages beside being looked up to a lot better. I do
know that my oldest girl has a Job in the Court house that
she would not have been able to get or keep if she had quit
school like I did.
"I'd like for my wife to have another baby but she
refuses to do it. I guess she's right in feeling as she
does for she has had three nervous breakdowns. Please don't
let me start about what it cost me for doctor bills. I've
paid for three appondicitie operations and four tonsils beside
the six labor cases.
"I want to see some pleasure now, for I don't believe
my time to live is going to be as long as it has been. I
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fish and hunt every spare minute I have. I'm planning to
do a lot of deer hunting this winter.
"lye owned my home since 1918. I had it two years be-
fore I bought an automobile. I don't buy the latest models
now but I have my own shop where I can keep mine in good
running condition. My income is three to one more than when
I first married. In fact, my business builds up a little
every month. gy expenses are $150.00 a month. Of course
that includes my Insurance, taxes, lights, water and licenses.
I went in debt $140.00 three years ego for electric equip-
ment. I owe less than $100.00 on that now. I used to use
a Genco plant. I couldn't run my business with that. It
would operate my Kelvinator or battery equipment. A high
line is more convenient and economical in every way.
"I'd like to live better, religiously and financially,
but I guess I must be a quaker in apirit. I never have made
the move to do it. I do realize that if I don't pull out
of the rut myself that I'll stay in it a long time. I belong
to the Presbyterian church but t know I don't live right.
I get entirely too 'much enjoyment out of drinking whiskey
and running around to ever settle down to being a good christ-
ian man.
°I never want to be rich, but I aim to make a good
living for my family and have plenty. My oldest daughter
give me thirty dollars every month and she has been buying
most of the clothes for the rest of the family since she
first started to work. I'm so proud of my children. I
only wish wish we had fifteen instead of six.
"I'm supposed to vote a Democrat ticket, but I often
split my ticket if there is a Republican I want to help out.
gy father raised me to be a Democrat. He was very strict
about making me go to church and live right. I never got
in no devilment by listening to him.
"I think you've seen my home. It's the white house
right beside of the service station. I wouldn't care if it
had a roam I could call my own. I want to build more to it
when I get out of debt. I have six rooms now. We have five
double beds. I like my bath room. The whole family likes
to use it and keep it clean. It has a tub and shower too.
'I'm thinking I will settle down to work after I live
through my dangerous forties.