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SOUTH CAROLINA WRITERS' PROJECT
LIFE HISTORY
A AERCHANT VIZAPI)
Date of First Writing March 6, 1939
Name of Person Interviewed William M. Perry
Fictitious Nano John Randall
Street Address 2200 Divine Street
Place Columbia, S. C.
Occupation Merchant
Name of 4riter Stiles Lii. Scruggs
NOM, of .4eviser State Office
John Randall was inspecting a sheet of figures from the auditing de-
partment of his firm when I entered his wholesale and retail electrical
store at 1609-11 Main Street. I was shown to a seat and told I could see
Ur. Randall shortly.
After he finished his inspection, and marked "O.K." on the paper, he
invited ma to a chair by his desk. There I told him the object of my visit,
and he courteously consented to the request. Surrounding Mr. Randall's desk,
on the second floor of the store, were thirty-six busy ms m and women. %Then I
spoke of the inspiring business soene, he smiled and 'aids "Pretty fair scene
to have started from an aooidental shoe string."
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me. Randall has a pleasing personality. He is six foot tall, weighs
two hundred pounds, and is as trim and straight as a pine of the forest. His
large head, brown hair and eyes, heavy jaw and chin indicate strength. "ahen I
spoke of his splendid appearanoe, he axplained: "I have kept fit probably boa
cause I have always been active in the wide open spaces. I an called an expert
pistol and rifle shot, and I am an instructor of tho Colbta Polio° -acpartment
and the south Carolina State Highway Patrol. have also practiced for several
years at the National Civilian Rifle Association, held every summer at Camp Per-
ry, Ohio. In 1937, the Hational Judge there bestowed on no the ran!: of captain.
Then the National Boy Soout trustees awardod me the silver aoalar, one of theit-
highest trophies, in reoognition of my work for the Scouts hero.
"Activity has kept no free of surplus fat from the start of my business
life. And it looks aa though activity for no might last to the end of the
trail, for my interests, both socially and economically, appear to the incroas-
ing day by day. I do not mind that, howaver, for I have always had the idea
that I would rathor -oar out than rust out. By this time, four or fivo persons
had taken seats in the waiting room. Mr. 'Iandall Mime glance at the visitors,
and reassured met "That sort of thing is a daily affair here; no need to hurry."
The building atlich houses the Randall store is air conditioned, and 12r.
Randall was literally stripped for action that lay. He was clad in a fresh,
clean white business shirt, with the collar unLuttoned and a four -La -hand tie
hanging carelessly. His dark trousers were held up firmly by a leather belt
with a silver buekle. His black oxford shoes completed the picture of the busy
man who appeared entirely at ease. He picked up the real narrative on ray criv
inal request and went along smoothlys
"I was born in IC72, on a farm near Cottageville, Collet= County, South
Carolina. My parents were Neaman K. Randall and Margaret (Heriard) Randall.
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They moved to Columbia in 1874, when I vas two years old. Father ems
here as marshal at the University of South Carolina. During his seven
years in that role, he won a law degree. In later years, he praotioed
law in Coluabia. My first big thrill cane when, at the age of four, I
saw Heeptents Red Shirts fall into line and north to the State Rouse in
1876. We lived close to the Mallon' Rouse at that time.
IF schooling was out short during MV rmths tomegmme of pout teal
discord and oonfasod social conditions, and it took pretty earnest seratehm
ing to get by. I first become a pupil of the Clarkson Private Sebeel at
1118 Lady Street, and later finished the eighth grade in the publie seheel,
in 1863. That's the sum total of my sdhoolinge cline year When I wesin
Ohio, some friends asked ne vhat Gallegos I had fin/Shod in. Shea I told
them the truth, they were erased. Abet education I have above the eighth
grade has been aequired in the sohool of experience.
In 1686, I got my first job as a clerk in R. C. Davis' Racket Stem/.
There I worked two years, and than quit the Davis Racket House to take a
job as wrapping clerk in the *Crory store at an increase in salary. I
received five dollars a week when I started °lofting, and vdtas I quit clerk+
ing at the end of f-ur years, I was not drawing over ten dollars aim*.
"That low scale of pay probably oaused as to devote my leisure hours
searching for a batter jol). As luck mould have it, I found it, and I be
so work for Imle as sneolal delivery reenencer in the Columbia Post
,jffiee in 1686. In 1890, I vas promoted to the rank of letter carrier,
and in 1006 I was superintendent of earriers. Still I was not prone to
rest, even though the pay and the position were better than any I had ever
drawn. I realised that there was not a very bright future in post officio jabs.
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"In 1890, I was elected ohief engineer of steam engines in the vol-
unteer fire department. That job paid me nothing, of course, but it put
a better feeling in my heart to think that I was aiding in the public wel-
fare, and it brought ne good luck, too. In 1899, a disastrous fire de-
stroyed the City Hall and the Police Station. I was living a mile from the
fire station und did not know of the conflagration until next morning. This
was a great disappointment to me, and I got busy looking for a remedy for
that difficulty.
"I began to collect old wire and a bell, and with my awn hands I
strung that wire a mile to my house. During my work on the lime, any
number of people poked jokes at me. But I wasn't in doubt about the im-
provement, nor greatly disturbed at the taunts of the doubters. As soon
as I finished construction -roe,: on that line, I had an alarm sounded at the
fire station, and, when it went off, my alarm bell rang. I never missed
another fire, and, strange enough, the very people who had taunted me about
my alarm line came forward to congratulate me.
"In 1903, when the paid fire department was established, I declined
membership, because I realized there was little chance of winning any big
plume in professional fire fighting.
"Now came my chance to do 6omethtng worth while, end I took it. In
1903, I quit the post office. The big reason for this was that I wished
to bild up a oareer in electrical work. The line that I had erected from
the fire station to my home showed the people what could be done along this
may, and I found more work than I oould attend to, doing similar or kindred
electric work for other folks.
"In the latter months of 1903, I was occupying a tiny room in a building
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standing where the Arcade building now stands. I was paying three dol..
lars a month rent and making nearly as much money as I had earned as
superintendent of carriers at the post off toe. By 1904* I had forted an
electrical company and rented quarters in the Berkley building. I was
paying pretty fair wages to thirty-two men and women employees. You know
that prosperity and panic are so close together that the alternate currents
come quickly and hit the average business man right between the eyes. In
1905, the economic dip gave me some sleepless nights, and if my creditors
hadn't been lenient, I would have gone to the mall.
"But I weathered that storm and rode right along up the road until the
bottom fell out of the economic barrel again in 1914. That year* the war in
Furope caused a shut off to American exports. Business in the South col-
lapsed, because there was no sale for our cotton* the chief money crop of
the State. Collections were almost nil, and my business hovered between
life and death for months. I slept little most of these nights, for I knew
if I failed in 1914, all of my efforts would have been in vain.
"An economic panic is like an earthquake. It hits all alike. A busi-
ness firm, particularly without a huge reserve to draw on, is bound to suf-
fer. Up to 1915, my store had no reserves and that is why we stood to lose
all we had everytime the money stringency came along. In that year* 1915,
I exerted irse1f and conferred witii my friends, and 1 rode out of the storm.
When we beL,an to prosper again, 1 bought out the interest of i. L. Lunn and
began to pat by a fund for emergencies. The reserve aided us wonderfully
when periods of business slackness came along. And, I'm telling you* up-
sets in economic affairs are about as certain to happen over the years as
death and taxes.
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"Aowever, our reserve was soon exhausted when the so-called de-
pression of 1929 hit the economic 'world right between the eyes. No
wonder the business structure trembled in 1929 and kept shaking until
1932. When money takes a nose dive, and people get soared, the panic is
on. And that's what happened. Our store was out on a limb again in 1932,
and for some years following, because people who needed our supplies and
could have paid for them were too frightened to buy,and the great rank and
file of our oustomers were not financially able to buy what they needed.
it took many strong pulls to play even for sons years, because our
overhead expense was about the sane and business was cut down to fifty
percent. I prayed hard and worked hard in order to take care of my em-
ployees, but I had to let out a few. The other business houses also did the
sane thing, and that cut turned loose all the millions of unemployed in the
anited States. As 1935 dawned, however, my store was better stabilised, and
I was able to re-employ those I had let out earlier, by taking a out in prof-
its all around.
"As the years sped along, and the Government earnestly strove to aid,
our customers rallied, and we pressed on. In 1938* this store, which be-
6an in a cubbyhole approximately 40 years ago, and with a rental of three
dollars a month, is occupying its own 412,000 building. It is paying
thirty-six men aid women good salaries, five of them 46,000 a year. My in-
come ;or 1938 wee $32,000, and I paid slightly more than 44,000 in Federal
income taxes. I believe South Carolina has seen the worth of the depression,
and our 1939 outlook, so far, gives us reason to hope that we may do more
business this year than we did in 1936.
"At a mass meeting in Columbia, I was unanimously chosen president of
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the United States Federal Aelief Counoil in 1938, in Riohland County.
At that time, the man who put me in nomination paid me this tributes
'Mr. Randall has administered more welfare programs in Richland County
than any other man in it, and he has always served without pay.' Well,
that statement may be true, because when I was a young man I decided never
to be too busy with my own affairs to keep no from serving my community as
a citizen. I served many years as a volunteer fireman, because I wished to
aid my neighbors.
"It was love for my fellow nan that motitated me to teach the Columbia
police and State patrol haw to use firearms. I mastered the shooting game
myself, and I have shown others how I did it. Vilhen at the first practice,
I put four out of five rifle shots in the bull's-eye, the police showed
great interest; and when I took a revolver and put five out of six shots in
the bull's-eye, the police and patrol boys cheered me. These officers are
now far more expert with firearms than they were when I started the instruc-
tion. But none of them yet exoel the teacher, and they still salute me when
I go down to shoot.
"The War Department pays the expenses of sharpshooters for two weeks
at Camp Perry, jai°, and I take a number of good shots there during the
National Rifle 1:iatches. I try out the applicants who wish to go to these
matches, and if any one of them fails to put three out of every five shots
in the bull's-eye, he doesn't maks the grade. There is a great number of
excellent sharpshooters at Camp :erry every year. I think it was my shoot
lag and my interest, generally, in the events there that caused the board
of trustees to bestow the title of captain on me. And it was my interest
and work toward .nakin, the Boy 6colts orramization in Columbia efficient for
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boys that caused the National organisation to honor as with the silver
beaver trophy.
"For many years I have been a member of Good Shepherd Episoopal
Church. I have serval ny oirtrch, at its request, as jualor and senior
warden. The title of senior warden is the highest rank bestowed by the
church on a layman.
"I have also been active in Masonic and other fraternal organisations.
I am a member of Blue Lodge; a Shriner in Masonry; a member of the Knights
of Pythias, Odd Fellows, and Elks orders; and I give them muoh attention.
I coach men who apply for membership and (serve the orders in many other
says, partieularly when they undertake to entertain state*wide delegations
at conventions or oonolaves in Columbia. Sometimes one must open his house
to aid his fellows, and I have tried to do my share in that sort of aid, as
well as devoting my tine to the public.
"My domestic and social life," continued W. Randall, "has been full
and, for the moet part, very happy. I was married to Miss Juanita Frost
in 1890, at Wilmington, North Carolina. We had one son and five daughters.
Tho son, John L. Randall, is now secretary and treasurer of this electrical
store. The daughters are all married. Todmy I have nine grandchildren.
Mrs. Randall died in 1930» In 1934, I was married a second time, to Mrs.
Guy Mamie of Columbia. We
is the first and only house
I married the first time."
"Now that we are about
possible reader nay realise
hill of pleasure in my life
reside at 2200 Divine Street, Columbia. That
I have ever owned or lived in since 1890, ghee
to write finis to this bit of a tale, I trust a
that every oasis of encases and every potato
has been von by struggle, sweet and anxiety.
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The Lord told Adams -when he drove him from the garden of Menu "In
the sweat of thy flee shalt thou eat bread." I have held this message
before no as I endeavored to stumble along* To have wen a little suooses
in a werksasday world0 which has been toperwturvy a great deal of the time,
is a great pleasure to me."