Document text
Folklore h
70111 A
Circumstances of Interview
STATE, Washington
NAME ar WORKER, J.P. Arise
ADDRESS, Federal Writers' Project, Seattle, Wash.
DATE, December 22, 1938.
SUBJECT, ',Tightwad Gives Church a dollar; NOT a hundred."
I. Name and address of informants A Seattle Minister who insists his name must
not be divulged. To do so would cause him embarrassment. Insisted he would
not talk to me if he felt his name *would be connected in anyway' with the
narrative.
2. Date and time of interview, December 19, 1938; forenoon.
3. Place of interview, at ministers' residence.
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in touch with informant,
Methodist Union of Seattle, Republic building, Seattle, Wash.
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you, no one.
6. Description of room house, surroundings, etc. The pleasant, comfortable home
of an elderly, retired minister, in good circumstances.
Folklore.
Fatif B
Personal History of Informant.
STATE, Washington
NAME OF UER, J.F. Arise.
ADDRESS, Federal Writers' Project, Seattle, Wash.
DATE, December 22, 1938
SUBJECT, "Tightwad Gives Church a Dollar; NOT a hundred."
NAME AND ADDRESS OF INFORMANT, A Seattle Minister who inalsts his name must not be
divulged. To do,sowould cause him embarrassment. Insisted he would not
talk to me if he felt his name "would be connected in anyway* with the
narrative.
1. Ancestry, Probably English. Did not say.
2. Place and date of birth, "Oregon Territory the year before the Civil Mar began"
(1860)
3. Family, an aged wife; made no allusion to family.
4. Places lived in, with dates, "many years a preacher in Seattle," he said.
Nothing further.
5. Education, with dates, unknown.
6. Occupations and accomplishments, with dates, minister of Gospel; no further know—
ledge on subject.
7. Special skills and interests, unknown to interviewer.
8. Community and religious activities, a retired Methodist Episcopal Minister.
9. Description of informant, feeble and slightly in; mind fairly vigorous, but
at times his more active wife would prompt him, then his mind would
clear.
10. Other points kained in interview, none in particular.
J. F. Arise
Seattle, Wash.
TIGHTWAD GIVES CHURCH A DOI1AR; NOT A HUNDRED.
We were trying to raise &thousand dollars for urgent repairs to our church.
Urvf-'
Its condition4dangerousi unless it was immediately repaired, the city building in-
spector would close it. We called a special meeting to raise the money. Our mem-
bers turned out nobly; the church was packed. Most of them were families and in-
dividuals of modest circumstances. One of the more prosperous was a widow, Mies. X,
hard of hearing and also hard to get money from. She gave less to the church than
the pooreut member gave. She was quite generally regarded as downright miserly.
Indeed, one deacon, privately referred to her as the Copper Queenx" because, he
averred, she never gives morsian a penny or, at most, a nickel in the collection."
It was an open meeting. Some suggested holding a fair, an appeal to local
philanthropists, and various other ways of raising the money. These were abandon-
ed, the majority believing me should subscribe the funds ourselves.
First to cams forward was Mr. B., our most affluent member. He headed the list
with a hundred dollar subscription. He had hardly sat damn when Mr. C.1 not as well
to do but willing to sacrifice under the circumstances, arose and also gave a hund-
red dollars. liras elated.
"N111 anyone else be as generous?" leaked, yet realising the futility of ex-.
pecting a third hundred -dollar contribution.
Then, to everybody's utter astonishment, Mrs. X stood up and said, will
give the same." There was a spontaneous burst of applause as she sat down, some of
the members leaving their pews to congratulate her. She looked surprised, and blush-
ed scarlet.
Dears good Mrs. XI To put her at ease and also to thank and congratulate her, I
went down to her pew. Z knew her gift would stimulate others to be generous. I for-
gave all her former parsimony, feeling Z had been properly rebuked for my well,
my idea that she was hopeless and that we could never expect anything from her. In
the hour of dire need she had proved to be pure gold.
Tightwad Gives Church A Dollar; Not A Hundred. (Cont.)
It being an informal meeting, I remained in the aisle beside Mrs. X.
'Brothers and sisters,' I began as the members, their faces radiant
and happy, settled down following the excitement, sere there any others who
will match Mrs. Ws generous gift of one hundred dollars?"
Before anyone could speak, Mrs. X. gave a gasp and leaped to her feet.
"A HUNDRED DOLLARS?" she ekrieked. swW4y, W. Blank, I subscribed ONLY A
DOLLARI I thought that was what the others gave."