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BARGAIN HOUSE
(Georgia)
As I walked down a side street in the
business section of town, looking for something interesting to get a story
about, a large sign swinging out in front of a store drew my attention.
Fastened on a rod, it was swinging in the wind and boldly announcing to
the world that "Every day is a Bargain day here."
In the window was a display of most everything that is carried in a dry
good and ready to wear store. Yet it was very neat and attractive to be
such a small window, and in one corner of the window was a small sign,
which read "old and used clothing, bought and sold as well as the latest
styles out."
It looked interesting and thinking I might be able to get a good story
here, I opened the door and went in. A tall, well dressed man, was waiting
on a customer showing him children's overalls. Seeing no one else in the
store I looked around at the different things and how they were arranged.
It is a small store and most every bit of the floor space is used for
either a table or show case. On the right as you go in the door is a long
rack on which is a display of men and boy's suits, and just beyond that is
the shelves for shoes. Also a small wrapping table with a small cash
register on it.
On the left was ladies hats, dresses, and dry goods. At the back of the
narrow room was a long rack of second hand clothing. In the front was a
glass show case in which was displayed hose, ladies underwear and baby
clothes. On two long tables at the back of the show case was the overalls,
mens trousers and some piece goods. A small rack of childrens silk and
wash dresses was also on the left side of the store.
As the customer went out with his overalls, the man came to me and asked
what he could show me. I replied that I was just waiting for him and asked
if he was the proprietor of the store. He replied that he was. I then
explained that it was my first visit to his store and why I came in. He
laughed, then said, "That old sign is a very good drawing card as it
brings in new customers most every day. But how do you like my little
store? I only opened it last August, but I have done pretty good. I bought
out a man that only sold and bought second hand clothing and to get the
store I had to buy his stock also. As it was paying pretty good, I decided
to continued with this line as well as the new for there is really a
demand for used clothing.
Two boys came in the front door and asking me to have a chair in the
little room at the back of the store, he went to wait on the boys. As I
went in the very small room, I found that a large heater with glowing
sides, two chairs, and a bench, a small table. As I waited I could see in
the other room, where the boys were trying to sell a suit of clothes and
one of them said, "It is a good suit but it is just too small."
Mr. Brown bought the suit and paid three dollars, the price they asked.
Before the boys went out they had bought shoes and a shirt each. As he
came back he said, "See there if I had not bought that suit, they would
have went somewhere else, to buy their shoes and shirts. I asked how long
had he been in this kind of business before he opened this store. He
laughed and said, "Well, I have worked in dry good and clothing stores for
about 29 years so I should know how to sell.
"But I was born on Feb. 24, 1887 on a farm, about four miles from Comer,
Ga. and near the old Hard Shell Baptist Church. I have been to that old
church many times and especially to the foot washings. Now that is
something interesting if you have never been and all together different
from what you might think. For instead of being funny it is very solemn
and also sad, or at least that is the way it impresses me."
He stopped to wait on another customer. The man wanted to know if he had
any high top shoes for small boys. He explained his boy had a weak ankle
and just had to wear a strong high top shoe. The merchant said, "Did you
bring the child with you?" Receiving a negative reply, he suggested, "Why
not bring your boy in and fit him right I've sold shoes for years and
that's about the only way that you can fit anyone correctly, and
especially if it has to be a certain fit or make of shoe and perhaps I
could [?] have braces fitted that would help your son.
"Why I had never thought of that!" the customer said, "and I sure will
bring him in when I come back to town. Maybe we'll come in the morning for
he really needs something to support his ankle. Sometimes it will give way
with him when he's walking and he just falls down." After buying some
cloth for his wife, he thanked the merchant again and went out.
I remarked to the merchant , "You have made a friend and a good customer
out of that man"
His reply was, "I think so and it's so easy to be nice to people. Of
course, we come in contact with all classes of people. Some that just will
not let you be regardless of how hard you try.
"But where was I at in telling my
story? I reminded him that he had just finished telling me about the old
Hard Shell Baptist Church, and he continued! "Well when I was about three,
my mother got sick and do you know I was 11 before I remember her being
able to get out of bed again. She was sick so long that my father spent
everything he had trying to get her well.
"When I was 8 I went to the fields and plowed like a man. I plowed day in
and day out until I was 20. But hard as it was, we came back, got out of
debt, bought our home and we had plenty of everything that could be raised
on a farm. My father believed in working, and he believed in having a
plenty of everything needed. We of course had all kind of things that grow
in gardens, on farm; and we didn't have to buy feed for our stock either,
for there was plenty of that raised.
"We had chickens turkeys, geese, and guineas, and raised all our hogs. We
had meat from one hog killing to the next, and cows and plenty of good
fresh milk, butter and eggs. Also fruits of many kinds. And I'll tell you
now, we didn't have to wait for company to come to get something good
fixed to eat, for we had what we wanted at any time. Father said that we
had worked for it and should have it and he liked to have good things to
eat.
"We lived 3 miles from school and didn't get to go to school until I was
11 years old. We went to school after the work in the fields was finished.
[??????] We stayed all day, at school, carried our dinner with us, and in
all the time I went to school, I just finished the fifth grade. Our
teacher was a man and he was mean as the devil. I know I shouldn't say
that but it is the truth.
"The larger boys did everything they could to aggravate him because he was
so mean. I guess I was mean top. Any way I would get from one to three
whippings a day."
"What did he whip with? I asked.
"Why, he used big switches, sticks or anything that he could get his hands
on, except his walking stick. He was very particular with it, and would
not allow any of us to so much as touch that stick.
"He was always about half drunk and every day at noon and recess periods
he would take his walking stick and go out in the woods. We followed him
one day at dinner time and we found out why he carried that cane with him.
It had a big cork in one end. Would you believe it, he took that cork out
and drank corn liquor from the hollow cane. When he drained it he was just
about drunk. We hurried back to tell the others what we had seen.
"We hunted up about forty or fifty pins and put them in the big cushion in
his chair. He came in and rang the bell like he would tear it up. That was
one time we hurried in when the bell rang for we were anxious to see what
he would do. He looked at us like he could go through us, as we marched by
his chair. As we all arrived at our desks, he just flopped down in his
chair, but he came up in a hurry and the cushion came with him. His eyes
looked like they would pop out of his head, as he tried to pull that
cushion lose from him.
"We all yelled out and laughed. It was just too funny to watch him, but
that is where we gave ourselves away for he knew then that some of us were
responsible for those pins. He kept every one of the boys in after school
and tried to find out who did it. No one would tell - just didn't know a
thing about it. He got a bundle of sticks and said if we didn't tell he
would whip the whole crowd for he knew then he would get the guilty one.
Still no one knew anything about the pins. Why we didn't even know that
there was a pin in the schoolhouse. Then the whipping started. I'll say we
really got thrashed, and he didn't miss a one of us either. Almost beat us
to death. Oh, yes, he got the guilty ones, for we were all, everyone of us
in it.
"He didn't last very long after that for we told why he gave us such a
whipping and about his walking-stick flask. Some of our fathers got hold
of that cane and found whiskey in it. As soon as they could get somebody
else they let him go. For he was never able to teach us anything. I guess
one reason was because we disliked him so much.
"Our next teacher was man also. But such a different one! He was a fine
person, and teacher and we all liked him. All I ever learned in school was
from him. He did not believe in whipping, but was strict with us and made
us study. Yet, he never had any trouble with a one of us. He was a good
man.
"When I was about seventeen was sick for a long time. The doctors were
treating me for indigestion, but I didn't get any better. Finally my
doctor sent me to Augusta for an operation for appendicitis, and on the
17th of October 1907 they operated on me. The operating kept me in that
Augusta hospital two weeks and charged me $500 for the operation and
hospital bill. When I was ready to come home I asked the doctor for my
appendix. He said it was in such a bad condition, they had to throw it
away. But they said they had one that had been taken from another man and
I could have that if I wanted it. I told them I didn't care for anyone
else's appendix. I came home much worse off than I was before the
operation.
I stayed at home until January, 1908. Then I went to St. Joseph's Hospital
in Atlanta. One of the doctors there, after the x-rays, examinations, and
[??], said, 'Well, son, you will have to have an operations for
appendictis.' I couldn't understand and told them that I had an operation
for that, just a few months back. He said, 'Well, you still have it so
what are you going to do about it?'
"I was in such a condition that something had to be done. I told them to
go ahead and see what they could find. They laughed and promised, "We will
find your appendix. Want to bet on it?" I was sure they wouldn't, but was
just about too sick to care, but after the operation and after I had come
to myself, that was the first thing they showed me, my appendix. It was in
a very bad condition. All that suffering and hospital bill in Augusta had
done me no good.
"It seemed as if I just couldn't get any better, and on the 11th of March
I had to have another operation. For three days and nights I didn't know
anything. They had sent for all my folks and just knew I was going to
check out, but I wasn't ready to die and after the fourth day I began to
mend. I stayed there in the hospital for 27 weeks.
"After I got better I had a good time for, the nuns - we called them
Sisters - were so nice. They did everything that they could for us. There
was a man there who had been burned. He was in a terrible fix, but so
jolly with it all. A young doctor was there for treatment. We were soon
put in a room together, for the sisters said they could keep up with us
better that way.
"We did enjoy teasing and playing jokes on these good sisters. They were
good sports and could take it. Very often we got it back from them as good
as we had [?]. I was there on my 21st birthday. I was a little blue that
day. I had been used to having my birthday dinner at home and then you
know a man's 21st birthday is rather important to him. We were discussing
it and the other two patients in my room were threating to give me a
whipping - 21 lashes.
"One of the sisters came in the room and said, 'I have tried everything
else to make a man out of you and now I am going to try the last thing. I
only hope that it will do more than we have been able to do.' And then
another sister came in rolling a table. And such a table it was! A real
dinner for the three of us and in the center of the table was a cake with
21 candles.
"I just couldn't say anything and I guess I would have been a big baby and
cried if it had not been for the doctor. He told the sisters to put the
baby to bed and that they would take care of the dinner without me. We
really did enjoy that [?], and as we were eating they brought me in a cake
from mother and I had a nice birthday if it was spent in a hospital.
"When I did get home I was not able to do anything. The doctors had told
me before I left the hospital that if I would take things easy for a year,
I would be well and a good man again. After I had been at home for a few
months and got a little of my strength back, my father decided that a good
camping and hunting trip would put me on my feet again.
"After considering several places, he decided that down in Greene County
would be the best place for me to go. That suited me fine, for there is
nothing that I enjoy more than hunting and fishing. I went to Parks Mill
and Ferry, and I just fished and hunted birds, rabbits, and squirrels for
the rest of the year. I was camping out, and even had a cow with me so I
had all the fresh milk that I needed.
The only thing I didn't like was the water. I just couldn't get used to
that, but I had to drink it. I met some of the finest people that I ever
knew there and they were all so good to me; always bringing me things to
eat, and inviting me out to their homes. I stayed there until I had my
health back and was ready for work again. But you know, I believe there
are more hickory nuts in Greene County than in the rest of the whole State
of Georgia. I never saw so many nuts in my life.
"I came to Athens in November 1910. As I was walking down the street I met
a man I knew and he offered me a job. I accepted and went to work in his
store for $25 a month. I worked for him until April of 1911 and then I
changed jobs. And on the 15th day of April 1911 I went to work for another
store at $35 a month. In June of 1913, I got married. Then my boss raised
me to $45 per month, and he continued to give me raises until I was making
$175 per month. I worked for him until the end of 1919. He was such a good
man to work for! Always looking out for the people working for him. He was
just a good old Scout all the way around.
"But you know I was from the country and I wanted to go back to the farm.
I don't think you just ever get that country out of you. I know I haven't.
So in 1920 I went back to the farm. The first year I made good with the
farm, and I also put me up a country store." He laughed, and continued,
"I've noticed you looking around in here, but you should have seen that
country store of mine.
"It was small also, but Lord the stuff I did have packed in that little
place. It was a sight. I had to move things sometimes to get what the
customers called for. I had farm supplies, such as plows, hoes, rakes,
seeds, and, in fact, just a little of everything needed to farm with.
"Then the food stuff, everything in that line. Of course I didn't forget
cloth, thread, pins, powder, hair pins, combs and just all the things
women have to have, and children needed paper, pencils, and books for
school. I tried to think of them all, and I really made money.
"But business conditions in town and country are much alike. The next year
I lost as much as I had made before. Crops were bad, and cotton prices
went to the bottom. I lost heavily, for the other farmers could not pay
for what they had bought in my store. That just a bad year for all of the
farmers, and it took me 4 years to get over its losses.
"I never did like to give up when I was down, so I stayed right on that
farm until I was on my feet again. Then as my wife did not like the
country, I came back to Athens. This time I went to work in a mens
clothing store.
"I worked there for 3 years at $124 per month. My boss had a good business
and he carried a line of clothes that his customers could depend on. He is
still in business here and he still carries the best in mens clothing and
I really did like to work for him, but while he was good to me, he was
really hard on the other clerks. Finally, a dull season hit him, as well
as all the other stores in town, and my salary was cut to $100 a month.
His [???] were cut in proportion.
"When I left there I went to work in a department store. It was owned by a
fine old Jewish man. He was good to everybody and especially to the people
that worked for him. His family was small, just himself, his wife, and one
child, a daughter. She was married, and her husband was manager of the
store. I went to work there for $120 a month.
"The [?] tried to keep his business going straight and to pay his bills
promptly, but that manager of his was rotten, and did so many things [??]
old father-in-law didn't know about that in a few years the old man was in
bankruptcy, and the shock of it really caused his death.
"The dear old gentleman passed away one evening about six o'clock. He had
a stroke of paralysis a day or so before and never knew anything after
that. They called his son-in-law at the store earlier that afternoon, but
you know that sorry [?] wouldn't go home until the store was closed. The
old man had died before we left and the manager told us that he would have
to close the store until the funeral was over, but that he wanted me and
the two girls, that worked there, to come to the house the next morning to
help them get fixed for the funeral.
"I never saw anything like it in all my life! And I don't think I was ever
so mad about anything that really didn't concern me in anyway. We worked
hard all day. They had to have everything, and could think of more things
to do. The girls had to fix the mourning clothes for the family. I went
with the son-in-law to see about things for the old man, for they were
going to leave him at the undertaking parlor, because it would be cheaper
than carrying him home, I reckon.
"And when I saw what he was going to put on that old man, I really went up
in the air, for it was a sorry old palm beach suit, that he had had
cleaned and pressed, and he was going to put an old worn-out shirt and tie
on him, but that was just more than I could stand. I went out and bought a
shirt and tie myself and asked the undertaker to put them on my old boss
because I [?] him and I could bear to see him [?] way like that.
"His son-in-law [?], "What's the use? It's just wasting money and he will
never know the difference," but I remembered how neat and particular the
old man had always been in his clothes and I felt sure that he would want
his grave clothes to look nice. I begged for a new suit out of the store
to put on him but I sure didn't get it.
"The funeral was the next morning at 11 o'clock. Of course, we all went.
Do you know that son-in-law of the old man, while they were letting the
body down in the grave, and told me to hurry back and get the store open.
It was open and ready for business before the funeral wreath had been
taken off the door. On the following Saturday when we were paid for the
week's work, he had taken out for the day and a half that we worked at his
house.
"The business was reorganized in his mother-in-law's name, but he was
still manager. It took just about all of the old man's insurance to get it
straightened out and that is where the old woman made the greatest mistake
of her life for she has no more to say in regard to it than you have, and
she can't even get a dollar unless he says so.
"I could see how things were but there was nothing that I could do about
it. The business was just going down every day, and he cut our salaries,
but he and his wife were having the time of their lives. They only have
one child, a girl, and they have made one long trip after another and that
takes money.
"I had opened up a small grocery store of my own my oldest boy to run. I
started that store with a capital of seventy dollars cash and a debt of
almost $700. My son was married, and we had five other children at home.
All [??] family and mine lived out of that store, and I used my salary and
what we made out of the store to pay on the notes.
"It was a hard pull but I knew that if we tried hard enough we could make
it, and I knew that I was going to have to do something for myself. For
the way things were going at the store, I didn't think it could last long.
When the manager found out that I had opened up a store for myself, he
wanted to know how I did it. I told him there were enough of my family to
look after the store without my help.
"In about a year I started another grocery store. One of my daughters and
her husband took care of the new store. My boss then said, "How in the
world do you manage with your large family and on the salary that you are
getting here. I told him my small salary was the reason that I was having
to work so hard to try to get something else started, so that I could take
care of my family.
"His business kept going down and he just bought until he was loaded down
with stuff that he could not sell. That fall was a disappointment for that
is when he used to have the most business, but that was the season he went
broke. For awhile it looked as if he would lose everything but he finally
got a settlement with his creditors for 33 1/3 per cent, and just as soon
as that was settled he put off part of the help, cut our salaries again,
then took his family on a trip to Florida.
That left just three of us to run the store and get it straight after the
inventory that had to be taken before the settlement could be made. We
worked hard and had the store all cleaned and everything in place when he
came back. He told us about the grand trip and how they had enjoyed it. He
had left his family in Florida for they did not want to come home.
"He told me that he paid $5 for a berth on the trip home and I realized it
when he paid me off that night that I had paid for that berth, for he had
given me another $5 cut and the others got another cut also. We were
paying for his family's visit in Florida. I did not think it was right and
told him so.
"He said, 'Well, that's the best I can do.' I asked him if he thought we
could live on what he paid us. That made him mad and he said that was up
to us, he didn't have anything to do with it. I told him that I was sure I
couldn't live on it and that my family was just as important to me as his
was to him.
"He said, 'Well, what are you going to do about it?' Only this, I replied
and put the store key down on his desk. He wanted to know what that meant.
I asked him what did he think it meant. It meant that I was leaving for I
wouldn't work for him any longer. Then he wanted me to reconsider. I asked
if he would reconsider and he said no, that he was doing the best he
could.
"So I told him I didn't see where I could do any better either by staying
on there and that it was time for me to try something else. He laughed and
asked me if I would be back in the morning. I didn't even answer; just got
my hat and walked out, and I haven't been back since.
"That is when I opened up my store here, and from what I hear I really did
more business last fall than he did. My customers that I had waited on for
years followed me here to my store and I hope before the fall business
starts this year that I'll be able to get in to a larger place. I really
need more room. My wife and daughters help me and we manage just fine."
"Do you do any credit business?" I asked.
"No," he replied, "But I do use the lay-away plan. A small deposit will
hold anything the customer wants for a reasonable time, and I find that is
a much better plan than taking it out and paying later. It really is a
help to the customer as well as to the store.
"My greatest mistake was in not pulling out for myself sooner. I would
have been so much better off and would have had something to fall back on.
But I hope to [??] that yet. I've built up a good trade here and both of
my little grocery stores are going good. I don't have much trouble with
collections in them, for if they don't pay up, I cut off their credit
until they come across with the [?].
"I managed to give my older children high school education and the younger
ones are still in school. I have three grandchildren. I've had my share of
trouble and sickness in my family I guess, those things come to everyone,
and with hard work I've managed to come through them and get all the bills
paid.
"You know it's been years since I've had the time to think of a vacation.
But just as soon as I can now, I'm going to take a good long vacation one
just like I want."
"What kind of vacation is that?" I asked.
"A camping trip," he quickly replied, "with good fishing and hunting. I
can get more pleasure out of that than any other kind of sport.
"Of course, I enjoy ball games. Who doesn't? Baseball is my favorite and I
like the movies, too. I go to shows often with my kids for I want them to
enjoy life while they can, for as they grow older, they may have many
problems of life to face and work out to leave much time for fun, and I
may not be here to help them then.
"I always try to see that they go places and have a good time, but
understand now, I want them to go with the right class of people and to
the best places. We try to keep a pleasant home for them so they will want
to bring their friends there as well as go out with them and there is
usually a crowd of young people at our house.
Some folks tell me I am too easy on my children, but I don't think so for
they are smart and they all work at home and in the stores when they are
not in school, so why not try to see that they have some pleasure as well
as all work. What do you think?
"That you are right," I replied.
As I was leaving he walked to the door with me and said, "Come over to our
house sometime and see just how we do live. We will be glad to have you."
(Life History)
CONTINUITY
February 16, 1939
J. Buford Dudley (white)
124 Thomas St.
Athens, Ga.
Merchant
Grace McCune, writer
Text from: Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection
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