|
Contents
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Louisiana
Missouri
South Carolina
Utah
Washington
Check for
local history books about your town
or search Amazon.com
from here
|
MR. AND MRS. FREDERICK
GOETHE
(Florida)
A huge blond woman with a pleasant face
opened the screen door at my knock and with a smile said, "Go right on
into the bedroom, Mrs. Gothe is resting, as usual, after dinner but will
be glad to talk to you." Then Mrs. Goethe called in a rather shrill but
good-natured voice, "Come right on in here, you know I always have to rest
awhile after dinner what with all the trouble I have with my gall-bladder,
stomach, heart, liver, kidneys, and bladder. The doctor said I just must
lay down an hour after each meal but he didn't say I couldn't talk."
As I passed through the living room I noted that it was nicely furnished
and well kept. A large davenport almost filled one side of the small room,
and at each end of it stood small round tables one of which held an
attractive lamp. In a corner by a window stood a larger table holding a
radio and another lamp. A soft rug in tones of brown and tan covered the
floor and blended with the general color scheme . Bright leafed caladiums
in pots stood at the windows and several comfortable chairs completed the
furnishings. All of the woodwork and furniture was in mahogany finish; the
walls were ceiled and painted an ivory-white.
I entered the bedroom to find Mrs. Goethe upon the bed, fully dressed even
to her shoes but she had spread a newspaper upon the snowy white spread
under her feet. Mr. Goethe sat stiffly in a small chair near. Both greeted
me quite pleasantly and Mrs. Goethe said to her husband, "Fred, I am going
to tell her all about our life and especially how you learned the barber
trade and what a good barber you are."
Mr. Goethe smiled but had little to say, however he did remark, "Well,
I've been a barber most all my life, started to learn it when I was just
thirteen and knew no other work. His wife raised herself on one arm and
stared at him intently for a minute then said, "That's right Fred and now
you surely are an artist, even if I do say so. Just get that picture out
of the dresser drawer there, the one where you are in knee pants and
standing by a man in the barber chair." After some searching he produced
the picture which did indeed show a small boy with clippers in hand
apparently working as a barber.
"That picture was made when I first started to learn the trade nearly
forty-two years ago," explained Mr. Goethe "and the shop was my elder
brother's and in the front room of our home in Baltimore. I literally grew
up as a barber, my mother said that nothing suited me more when a tiny boy
than to be allowed to handle my brother's instruments. She often laughed
and said I cut my teeth on the handle of a shaving brush."
He then looked at his watch, which was a large old fashioned open-face
gold watch about as large as the ordinary biscuit and said, "Well, time I
was getting back to the shop. You talk to Bertha ma'am, just get her
started and she'll tell you enough for both of us. I'm not much of a
talker even if I am a barber." He then leaned over Bertha and tenderly
kissed her, saying, "Now don't bother, Pet to bring the coffee this
afternoon if you are not feeling good, I can wait till I get home for
supper for it."
As Mr. Goethe took his departure, I looked about the small bedroom and
noticed how clean and neat it, like the living room, was. All furniture
here too was in mahogany finish. The bed was neatly made and covered with
a heavy white spread, the pillow slips were of linen finely embroidered. A
vanity dresser occupied the space between two windows and a small table
stood at the head of the bed on right, both held attractive electric
lamps. A linoleum rug in blue, ivory and tan covered most of the floor,
that part not covered was painted dark brown and was highly polished.
Mrs. Goethe launched at once upon conversation, saying that she could even
rest better when talking.
"I am supposed to lay down after every meal for an hour, but lately I rest
only after dinner. Of mornings I like to get out and water my flowers and
work in the yard some. The doctor says I should not do that though on
account of my heart and kidney troubles."
She paused and breathed deeply, "Sometimes I have terrible spells with my
heart, just come here and feel how fast it's beating now. It goes that way
all the time except when I have a spell then if flutters and jumps so I
can hardly breathe. I bet I have taken several quarts of digitalis in the
past year, why part of the time I took a teaspoonful at a dose and that
every four hours." As she insisted I went to the bedside and felt her
pulse which was very even and normal. I made no comment upon it but tried
to look very serious as Mrs. Goethe resumed her story.
"In 1913 I was operated on for a fibroid tumor which was as large as a
grapefruit. Before that for about three years I had suffered so much and
all the doctor said I had kidney and bladder trouble and I bet I took this
whole house full of medicine during those three years. Finally I found a
doctor who diagnosed the trouble and insisted on an operation right away,
Fred was then working in a shop in Tampa and not making so very much but
the doctor made all arrangements for me and took care of the bills,
hospital and all, and let us pay him along as we could, I sure was glad to
get that done but it had affected my health so that I never have gotten
over it but I do feel that the operation and removal of the tumor probably
saved my life."
"Since we have been living here in Sebring my heart trouble started, the
doctor said that was caused by my working too hard when Fred was so sick.
Then on top of all that my gall-bladder started to cause trouble. Doctor
wants to operate for that but we just haven't the money right now. We have
owed Doctor Leonard as much as six hundred dollars at one time but have it
almost all paid up now and I don't want to start right in and have another
large doctor bill."
Mrs. Goethe paused again for a deep breath. She was very tiny, but talked
with energy and evident relish and her large very dark brown eyes were
clear and expressive. She was very neatly dressed in a figured brown and
white house dress of a good quality print, thin grey silk hose and white
kid oxfords.
"I am a great believer in doctors and medicine, I reckon. I do feel that
both our lives have been saved at times by the proper care and especially
by the kindness and help of Dr. Leonard. When Fred was taken so terribly
ill in 1933 he would have died surely had not Dr. Leonard came right in
and helped us. He didn't ask about money at all but just went right to
work on Fred. He was sick for a long time and I worked during that time in
the FERA mostly in the sewing room And, even after he got better and able
to go back to the shop where he worked, I kept on with my work."
She sighed deeply while recalling these days of suffering.
"We never did know just what the trouble was, but he had several bad
hemorrhages which the Doctor said were from his stomach and then he was in
bed for several months."
Mrs. Goethe then called my attention to several bottles of medicine on the
dresser and said, "I take some of all that medicine every day. Fred has to
take some medicine most of the time too and we both are mighty careful
about our diet. When Fred was getting well I reckon I learned all there is
to know about diet and food. We couldn't always have just what we needed
then too for when I was on the FERA and the WPA I made so little and Fred
not able to work hardly any. Now though matters are much better with us
and I see to it that we have regular and well balanced meals and just what
we should have.
At this moment the screen door flew open with a bang and a small boy in
very grimy overalls rushed in, "Chickie in fowers, chickie in fowers," he
shouted gleefully.
Mrs. Goethe emitted a loud screech, sprang from the bed and seemed to
literally fly through the dining room and kitchen and down the back steps.
I followed quickly to see what the trouble was. There was indeed trouble
enough for in a bed of beautiful caladiums of many colors and designs an
old hen with about a dozen chicks stood industriously scratching up the
succulent bulb-like roots. Mrs. Goethe became almost hysterical as she
flung uncomplimentary epithets along with sticks and stones at the
offending chickens. Tears ran down her checks as she viewed the havoc
wrought in her caladium bed.
"I declare that old hen causes me so much worry and trouble she just will
not stay home and scratch. Just yesterday she got in my mauve
chrysanthemums and almost ruined them. Did you ever hear of another town
like Sebring where people can keep chickens right in town. I saw that old
hen and biddies in Circle Park last week scratching up a bed of crotons."
She sighed and wiped her eyes, "It don't do a bit of good to complain to
her owner or the police they all just laugh it off. I thought every town
had a nuisance ordinance but I doubt if they have one here. Two weeks ago
I was real sick and so was one of my neighbors, and another neighbor had a
dog that almost ran us crazy barking and howling. They kept it chained in
the back yard. The other woman sent over and asked them to keep the dog
still and what do you think they said? Why they would speak to the dog and
ask it not to bark. That made me so mad that I told the Chief of Police
and asked him to make them keep it quiet but he didn't do a thing about
it."
Her flowers were lovely and I admired them as we walked about the yard.
She explained that some of the caladiums were very rare and would be hard
to replace, as were the mauve chrysanthemums.
We started up the steps and just then the grimy little boy appeared with
the large scarlet salvia plants in his arms which he proudly dumped at
Mrs. Goethe's feet.
"See, me get pitty fowers for you," he said.
The very air almost blazed for a few seconds, but Mrs. Goethe managed to
control her anger as she took the plants to reset in the border about the
front porch from which the child had torn them.
"Jimmy, you go home to your Grandma and don't come back over here today or
I'll get you like I did that old hen," sternly threatened Mrs. Goethe.
"I don't raise chickens and I have no children, so I don't see why I have
to be so pestered with these of other people."
"Now that little rascal there," pointing in the direction of the fleeing
child, "worries me as much as the hen and biddies and he belongs to the
same neighbor too. I do feel sorry for him for his daddy is dead, his
mother works and his grandma takes care of him, so when we moved here I
tried to be real nice to him. Soon he was coming over to see me every day
and pulling up my flowers about as fast as I planted them."
We returned to the house through the kitchen which was also small and very
neat and clean. Mrs. Goethe stopped to show me a fine new gas stove which
she had just purchased. Near at hand on one side was a sparkling white
enameled sink, across from it stood a table with white porcelain top.
"I do feel mighty proud of this stove, it is what I have long wanted. I
get so tired of cooking on a kerosene stove, they always are so
unsatisfactory and give off such a gas. This new stove cost plenty too but
Fred is doing well now so why shouldn't I have the things I want and
need."
As she led the way to the living room I
asked if she had rested sufficiently and she replied that she had had
enough rest for that time in bed, that she was too nervous over the
depredations of the little boy and the hen to remain longer in bed.
"If I had children of my own I might feel differently about the pranks of
others, I don't know. When I was first married even though I was then
about thirty-two I wouldn't have minded having two or three children but
my health was so bad due to that tumor I told you about that I never had
any and after the operation it was impossible," said she rather sadly.
"Now with times like they are, world conditions so uncertain, and neither
Fred or me real well, I am glad we have no children. Now-a-days too the
children seem so different, they don't obey and show the proper respect to
their parents it seems like but of course that may be the fault of the
parents. Anyway, I am very glad now that we have no children."
She stepped to the window to draw aside the curtain and wave to a woman
who had called to her while passing on the street. The woman carried a
babe, and four other small children followed her. Mrs. Goethe watched her
intently for a moment as she walked by and then said:
"Now that poor girl, there she is with five babies you might as well say
for the oldest is just seven. Her husband makes so little too and her
health is bad but they keep right on having children. In this day and time
there's no reason for that for there is so much to be had on the subject
of birth control. I just can't see why people who are so unsuited for it
keep on having children, sometimes it seems that they are the ones that
have the most. Four is enough for any family and too many for most people.
I long to see the time when birth control will be practiced intelligently
all over the country. It just does not seem fair to children or parents
for there to be larger families than can be taken care of, now does it."
Mrs. Goethe paused and absently smoothed her dress with hands that, though
now well kept and adorned with handsome diamond rings, showed evidence of
hard work in the past. Finally she seemed to realize with a start that she
had ceased talking:
"Goodness, this isn't telling you our life histories it is. I was still
thinking of that poor girl with all those babies and her feeling so bad
all the time. Well now, I expect you are wanting to hear about Fred and
me. Guess I better tell you about myself first for when I start talking
about Fred I just never know how to stop, but you can tell me when I've
said enough."
She smiled in a far-a-way manner and seemed for an instant to be visioning
the past:
"I was born in Rome, Georgia, almost sixty years ago. To tell you the
truth, which I don't always do, it well be sixty years the twelfth of
August. We lived there only about eight years after I was born and then we
moved to Atlanta. My father was a blacksmith. My maiden name was Steadman
and I had one brother and three sisters, all now living in Birmingham,
Alabama.
"Some people say that Steadman sounds like an English name but Father
always said we were of German descent. He didn't look like a German though
for he was little and dark just like I am, I have the same dark eyes and
straight black hair that he had and I always thought we were more like
Indians than anything else. But, Father said that his Great Grandfather
was from Germany and came from there straight to Georgia and settled near
Rome.
"Mother now was very large and blond, she looked something like the lady
you met as you came in. Her maiden name was Blankenship and she was of
English descent though she did not know as much about her ancestry as
Father did. She was born at Marietta, Georgia."
She sighed deeply and surveyed her comfortable little home in an
appreciative manner. Waving one hand about to indicate the furnishings she
said earnestly:
"All this seems like Heaven to me now and I surely am proud of it. As I
was growing up we were always so poor. Money seemed to slip through my
father's fingers with nothing to show for it and my mother was sick a
great deal too. She died when I was about sixteen years old.
"When I was just fourteen I left school and entered a dress factory,
Mother was a fine dressmaker and had taught all us girls to sew from the
time we could hold a needle. I didn't earn much in those days, but even at
that it was almost as much as I got part of the time on FERA. I think it
was about two dollars and fifty cents a week to start. At first I was on a
straight wage but soon was put on piece work and then I made a little
more.
"When I was sixteen I went back to Rome with my older sister and entered
training for a nurse in Dr. Buddy's Hospital. That was a hospital for
women only. My sister and I together got our room and board and ten
dollars a month, when I left nearly four years later I was getting twenty
dollars a week. I never did like that work, only stuck to it because of
necessity. As soon as I left the hospital I went right back to Atlanta,
got me a job in Marcus-Lowe Shirt Factory where I stayed for eight years
and proceeded to forget all I knew about nursing."
A light step was heard on the porch, the screen door was opened quietly
and the large blond lady of my previous meeting came in. Mrs. Goethe
introduced her as Mrs. Belgin and explained that she was staying in town
with her while Mr. Belgin was ill, in a hospital, with tetanus.
Mrs. Belgin spoke pleasantly and then excused herself to do some ironing.
She wore a handsome cream colored knitted dress and Mrs. Goethe remarked
that she had a number of knitted dresses in various designs and colors.
She stated that Mr. and Mrs. Belgin lived in a trailer camp just beyond
the city limits. Mr. Belgin had been working in town at a planing mill
when he cut his hand and tetanus developed.
"Poor people", she said, "they have nothing except the little he made at
the mill. She can't even drive the car, so I told her to come on in and
stay here with us till he got better. We can't do much for anyone but we
are always willing to do what we can."
Mrs. Goethe seemed in deep thought for a moment before resuming her story:
"When my mother died, I promised my father that if he wouldn't marry again
I would remain single and look after him. Even when I first met Fred I had
no idea of marrying him even after going with him for two years or more.
But, early in 1911 my father died and then Fred and I were married.
"As I said I worked in a shirt factory for eight years and then I worked
in a factory that made knit underwear. We were always paid by piece work
and as I became accustomed to it I did quite well. Ten dollars a week in
that time was considered a big wage but I often made as much as fifteen. I
always was quick with my hands in sewing and any other manual work.
"After we were married I kept right on with my work as long as I was able.
When the tumor grew so large it worried me so much that I had to quit
working, and then after the operation for a long time I wasn't able to do
anything, not even a little house work."
A veritable cascade of silvery bird notes filled the room and Mrs. Goethe
smiled lovingly and invited me into the dining room to see her pet canary
which lived in a fine large cage swinging in a sunny window. The canary
was a pale dull green with soft black stripes running lengthwise on wings
and tail feathers. His breast was a soft fluff of pale green feathers of a
brighter hue and as I neared his cage he lifted a crest of stiff tiny
green feathers but continued to sing sweetly.
Mrs. Goethe explained that he was a very rare type. He was sent to her by
a friend in Chicago when he was a young bird and she had raised him and
bred him to an ordinary yellow canary and raised a number of birds. She
lamented the fact that all the young birds were yellow like the mother.
Last year she stated the mother bird had died and since then she had not
tried to get another. Raising the birds was such a responsibility she said
so she decided to keep `Pet' as she called him just for his beauty and
singing.
The dining room was small, like all the other rooms, and like them it was
neat and clean and nicely furnished. New shiny linoleum in shades of
green, rose, and tan, covered the floor. A breakfast set and a wall
cabinet were in apple green, the table covered with a snowy linen clothe
bordered in green. Flowers stood at the large window below the bird cage.
Mrs. Goethe continued to talk as I admired `Pet' :
"Fred was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised right there and never
left the city till he was a grown man. His father and grandfather were
barbers too and his older brother inherited the father's shop. They had
the shop right in the front room of their home, with cooking and living
rooms in the rear and sleeping rooms upstairs. Fred was just naturally a
barber from the time he could hold on to anything and even before he was
thirteen years old he worked around his brother's shop.
"You can tell by his name that he is German. His grandfather came right
from the Old Country, from Berlin, I believe it was and settled in
Baltimore. His father was a German-American, he always called himself
though he was born in this Country . Fred's mother was german too and when
I first met Fred he talked with quite an accent, sometimes it was hard to
understand him, but he has about gotten over all that now.
"After Fred learned the trade he worked for awhile in his brother's shop.
At first he got only fifty cents a week but of course that was when he was
learning, and it wasn't long before he was making more. He grew restless
then and went to many of the larger cities and worked in some of the
barber shops in the finest hotels in New York, Chicago, and other places.
He joined the Union and kept his membership for a good many years.
"Since he has been in business for himself however he has given up his
Union affiliations. He said he was tired of having the other fellow tell
him how he could work. Now he is independent and charges what he wants to
and works any hours that suit him. Some people here, especially the other
barbers here in Sebring, get mad with him because he cuts the prices. Fred
says however that twenty-five cents is enough for a haircut, and fifteen
cents for a shave. He is a real artist too in cutting women's hair and has
a great many women patrons. He doesn't charge them anymore than he does
the men either but in the beauty shops here they charge from fifty cents
to a dollar for haircuts.
"When the women first started coming to him he was working in another shop
in town here. He didn't want that work for he said he knew he could never
please the women but he did right from the start it seemed and soon he had
a large patronage.
"At first all the shop proprietors aid they wished the women would stay
away from their shops, they felt it would ruin their patronage but it
didn't seem to bother the men customers for they kept on too. When Fred
opened his shop he declared that he wasn't going to do womens work and his
shop is right next door to a fine large beauty parlor but he gets more
trade than they do. Lots of women will get him to cut their hair then go
to the beauty shop for curls, shampoos and such."
Mrs. Goethe spoke with much pride and showed a great interest in her
husband's work.
"Almost as soon as we were married in Atlanta we came to Florida and lived
in Tampa for a season. There Fred worked in the shop of the Hillsboro
Hotel, which was one of the finest hotels there then. He got a small
salary and lots of tips. Just one month he saved every tip for me, he cut
a slot in a cigar box and nailed the box up tight. When I opened it I had
more than two hundred dollars and I went right down town and made the
first payment on a car. We got it all paid for before we left Tampa too
and mostly with tips.
"We came to Sebring soon after it was founded and have been here ever
since. It is best to live in one place and stay in one shop even if the
wages are not so good. For so many years Fred went from place to place,
which of course was an education in itself for he saw so many cities but
he did not save any money at all.
"In fact we never saved any till Fred got this shop for himself. When he
worked here in Sebring for other barbers he never made more than eighteen
dollars a week and usually it was around fifteen. You know that people
can't live decently on such a small amount as that and we just had to find
the cheapest little old apartments and rooms in which to live. Rents
always have been high here in Sebring, as you probably know too, and so is
food. The idea seems to be to always gouge the tourist here but in gouging
the tourist the town people are hurt too and it goes on the year round,"
said Mrs. Goethe with fire in her eye.
"There were times when we were even hungry and we never could have ice or
other conveniences and living surely was uncomfortable. I used to
sometimes dread for a new day to come, the struggle to make ends meet on
such a small wage was so great.
"When Fred was so sick we had to go on relief but they were good to us and
helped with the doctor bill and proper diet for Fred. Then when he got
better I went in the sewing room as a supervisor, there were two, and I
got along alright."
She sat silent for a few moments as if resting from the excitement of her
narrative. During this pause we could hear Pet singing happily away
evidently not bothered by any cares.
"One day Fred met a man whom he had known in Chicago when he working
there. That was after he had about recovered from his illness and was
working in [Bobes'] # shop again. The man had a long talk with him and
then came and talked with me. He said that Fred was too good a barber to
spend his life in other men's shops and he offered to lend us the money
for him to start in alone. That was just what I had always wanted for him
but we never could see our way clear for it, and too Fred was always
afraid to trust himself as a business man. Well, we took some time to
think the matter over after our friend made the offer. We were already so
loaded with doctor and hospital bills, and bills for food and medicine
that we hesitated to get in more debt.
"It was just like I told Fred however, on the little fifteen or eighteen,
and sometimes twelve dollars a week, we just couldn't get along and we
were going more in debt all the time. So we decided to accept the loan.
After Fred got his shop fixed up our fortunes seemed to change right away.
A man offered us a nice little house to live in just to take care of the
property and friends loaned or gave us furniture. A little later that
place was sold but we found another nice place for a small rental but it
was comfortable and attractive. Now just last year we found this place
which is the best of all where we have lived. It is small but the rent is
reasonable and it is conveniently arranged as you can see and freshly
painted and redecorated.
"It is near Fred's shop too and when he is very busy I take his meals to
him. He tries to be very regular about the noon and evening meal and so if
he isn't home just at one o clock and at seven then I knew he is held up
with work and I fix his meals and carry to him."
A brisk knock was heard and Mrs. Goethe excused herself to answer. I could
not keep from hearing the conversation:
"Mrs. Goethe, mama says can you do the quilting on a Quilt for her. She
has just finished it and wants it quilted in a special design. She wants
to send it to Ella, you know, for a birthday present."
In a firm even tone Mrs. Goethe replied: "No Janie, I don't do that work
anymore now. Tell your mama I would be glad to if I still worked but it
has been nearly two years now since I've done such. I am not well and I
just don't feel like it."
As she returned to the living room she explained:
"I used to sew and make quilts and comforts, one time I paid our milk bill
for three months by making quilts for a woman. But, thank goodness I don't
have to do such things now with Fred making a good living. Some people
don't seem to know it and think because we were so poor for a long time we
must remain so, I reckon.
"When we got the loan for the shop it was arranged in very easy payments
over a long time and we have been able to meet the bills as they come due
so we don't have to worry about that. Life seems so much better and more
worthwhile when finances are ample. We were always mighty happy, even in
all our trouble, but of course we couldn't help being worried a lot.",
said Mrs. Goethe.
Several clear notes from a flute or clarinet filled the air and then there
was a discord and the notes were more carefully repeated. Mrs. Goethe
leaned forward to peer through the window and then called my attention to
a small girl sitting upon the steps of a house across the street, engaged
in earnest practice of a music lesson.
"That goes on every day", said Mrs. Goethe, "and sometimes when I have a
headache and am very nervous it worries me terribly. That is part of the
school work and a good thing perhaps for it does seem to help keep the
children off the streets. It does seem to me though that the schools of
today teach so many unnecessary things no wonder they don't have the money
for all the work.
"When I went to school we thought that learning to read and write and some
arithmetic was about all there was, and believe me we had to learn it too!
Fred quit school when he was real young and so did I but we both had
learned to read and write and we improved our knowledge as we could by
reading and Fred in traveling about the county a lot. If the present
schools put more time on reading and writing and the like they would be
better fitted to take up life for themselves. The children these days seem
so dependent and stay at home and let their parents support them even
after they are grown up. They don't seem to know how to take care of them
selves in spite of all the new fashions in school work. Why when I was
fourteen I was grown up and responsible and working for myself. Do you
know of a single child in this town of fourteen years of age who could be
making two or three dollars a week as soon as they started to work, or
would know any kind of work to start at for that matter!"
The music continued across the way and the little girl finally achieved a
perfect chord which she repeated a number of times. The effect was silvery
and pleasant, the minor notes filled with a certain appealing wistfulness.
Several little children had gathered at the foot of the steps to listen
and seemed to sit in admiration of the soloist and appreciation of her
music.
Even Mrs. Goethe paused to listen and soft look came into her large
expressive brown eyes as the true melody continued.
"Of course we are all proud of our School Championship Band, and we enjoy
the band concerts and other programs which they give. I guess music is
always a part of right living, I know I enjoy it a lot over my radio-- not
the silly ragtime, or whatever it's called now days, but real music. Fred
and I both enjoy good programs each evening. I sometimes wish, or feel
that I ought to ask some body in to enjoy it too who doesn't have a radio.
"I am rather timid about trying to help others, for so long we just
couldn't do anything for anybody that now I hardly know how to start and I
am always afraid of offending someone. But, I do appreciate the good
things of life that we now have and feel I should share them to some
extent.
"When Mrs. Belgin's husband got so sick I felt that was a good chance for
us to do our part in helping others not so fortunate so we asked her to
come here and stay to be near the hospital. It crowds us some for as you
see we have no extra bed room and she has to sleep here on the davenport
but we were glad to have her."
Mrs. Begin had in the meantime finished her ironing and gone out again
perhaps to visit her husband who was very ill. Mrs. Goethe stated that he
had been in a desperate condition but was showing some improvement. She
said that his jaws had locked from the trouble, and that the antitoxin
which was given him had made him suffer greatly and become apparently more
critically ill but that it was the only thing to do for him.
We then talked of other matters for a few minutes and Mrs. Goethe
expressed her self as not interested in politics.
"We are both Democrats", she said, "and always have been but we don't take
much interest in politics. Sometimes we vote in the National elections,
and if President Roosevelt runs again, I just know we will vote and I will
feel like getting out and working for him. He has made such a wonderful
President, why our Country would have been in more trouble than some of
those in Europe today, if it hadn't been for him. I feel like he was sent
to save our United States from disaster.
"Of course everything hasn't gone just like he planned and some people get
mad at him for it, but he just can't keep up with every little town and
county and know just how things are run there. If I was like some other
people I could be mad at him too for my work in the WPA sewing room was
just awful, really I would rather be dead than know that I had to go back
there to work the way it was run. But I don't blame our President for that
like some of the women did, that would be so silly," stated Mrs. Goethe
vehemently.
"Sometimes I feel that maybe we should take more interest in politics but
we just don't do it, seems like there are others better fitted for it.
Some folks say that voting is a duty and a privilege and everyone should
accept it. I declare, I just don't know what it is. I know I don't enjoy
going to the polls and waiting around to vote. I always feel so out of
place, seems like that is more a man's job."
She paused and regarded me seriously:
"My, how times have changed! When I was a girl and growing up we never
went near the polls and not even out on the street on election day if we
could help it. It wasn't considered fit for women to be out that day and
no self respecting one would be seen near the polls. Now the women
literally seem to run most of the elections and get right out on the
streets and work for certain candidates. Maybe my lack of interest in
voting is due to the influence of those early days. We never do vote in
local elections though maybe we should," Mrs. Goethe stated in a
meditative manner.
"Times have changed in other ways too," mused she. "When I was a girl the
liquor problem was dreadful in so many homes and there was so much poverty
and suffering in families because the father drank. Now there still seems
to be a lot of drinking but there seem to be very few families really
suffering on account of it, and you hardly ever see a drunken man on the
streets, or one being brought home intoxicated. When I was a girl that was
a common thing and we children would all stand around and watch while a
carriage or `hack' as we called them drove up to a home and a drunk man
was carried it. My it was terrible!"
She paused in sad reminiscence for a few moments and then resumed her
conversation, or rather monologue:
"People have changed with the times about the working class too. When I
first went in factory work most of it was just awful though I was lucky to
get in good shops but even in them working conditions were not of the
best. We were always crowded and conditions were more or less unsanitary
and there were few safeguards against accidents. Then too the people with
money so often seemed to look down on women who had to go outside their
homes to work. But, all of that is changed now and I think a lot of the
changes for the better are due to President Roosevelt. He seems to have
such an understanding heart and great sympathy for those not so blessed in
the good things of life.
"Of course the poor and needy were taken care of in those days but I
believe they were made to feel objects of charity more than they are
today. When we all worked on the FERA we knew it was Government help
because we could not help ourselves but the fact that we had work made us
feel better," stated Mrs. Goethe seriously.
Suddenly she changed the subject: "We do not go to Church," she said
flatly, and then waited as if for comment from me. I said nothing, feeling
that she would amplify that statement quickly.
"When I was girl I attended the Episcopal Sunday School and occasionally
went to their Church service for I liked it all very much. I did not join
for I never felt the urge to do so. None of my family were Church members
and we were not brought up to feel any duty toward the Church. As I grow
older I gave up all Church associations entirely. It seemed that I was
either to busy or too tired to go to Church and take and interest.
"Fred was raised a Catholic and he at times attended but has not now for
several years. We have only been to Church twice since we have lived here
in Sebring. It takes so much money and such fine clothes to go to Church
these days," said Mrs. Goethe rather regretfully it seemed.
"That's another change in times but not for the better. It used to be that
poor people were just as welcome in the Church as the rich, but you just
try it now. I have several friends that really had to give up going to
Church when they became so poor for they were made to feel so
uncomfortable by some of the wealthy members. One friend said that one
member who had suddenly climbed to wealth and social position would make
it a point to stand and look at her (my friend's) shabby clothes each
Sunday as if she had just found some kind of a dreadful bug that had
managed to crawl into the Church.
"Most of the Churches here seem to be mostly social and political clubs
but I reckon it's that way everywhere now. Seems to me that if the poorer
people were more welcome in the Churches it would be more Christian-like."
After this burst of apparently unpremeditated fire toward the churches,
which seemed entirely sincere, Mrs. Goethe rested a moment and then spoke:
"I don't feel that not going to church has hurt us much. Of course we
believe in God and we try to serve Him to the best of our ability. We have
no special bad habits and I believe we can be just as good Christians out
of the Church as in. Perhaps we are not as great sinners as some folks
would have you believe," she smiled.
"Some friends scold me for not going to Church but that never bothers me.
As long as I behave my self and do not break the laws and become a
nuisance, I don't pay much attention to what others think or say of me. My
life is my own and I must live it as it seems best to me. I go along
trying to do the best I can in every way. I am proud of my husband and his
work and glad I was able to help him when it was necessary. Now as we are
growing older I am indeed glad that we have a pleasant life and can help
others some.
"When I don't feel well, and sometimes when I do, I have a maid to help
with the work, or do it all if necessary. There are people right around
here who say I am extravagant in that, but we can afford it and the girl
needs the work and I need the rest, so why not have her."
"We spend very little time or money on the popular amusements. We haven't
been to a picture show for years and they always did seem a waste of time
to me. Maybe that's from having to work so hard for so long and not having
any money to spend in such. We do enjoy our radio, and it is a good one
too. And, we like to get out on Sunday and ride about in our car and visit
other towns and places of interest. Often of evenings we play checkers, we
hardly ever go away from home at night.
"We both like to read and enjoy the daily paper and some books and
magazines. Fred is not much of a talker and some folks think he does not
want to be friendly but that is just his way. He is always glad to have
friends call on us but he wouldn't go to see his own sister if she lived
here. Anyway I guess I visit and talk enough for both of us," she laughed.
As I arose to take my departure she went with me to the door and into the
yard and offered my bulblets and cuttings from her many beautiful flowers.
I left her standing in the midst of a flower bed, looking almost like a
tiny brown pansy herself.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Names used in above life history:
Fictitious names Real name
Bertha Alice
Dr. Leonard Dr. Martin
Mrs. Belgin Mrs. Keverkee
Benes Varina
LIFE HISTORY
No. Pages 22
No. Words approx. 7510
1. March [?,] 1939
2. Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Goethe (fictitious name)
Mr. & Mrs. Louis [?] (real name)
3. [?] South Commerce Avenue
4. Sebring, Florida
5. Barber shop proprietor
6. Barbara Berry Darsey, writer
7.
Text from: Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection
|