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HONESTY AND FAIRNESS TO
THE BITTER END
(Georgia)
Tom's note:
One aspect of this life history that I found fascinating is that the
subject offered that he had been a member of a white supremacist group
during the Reconstruction period, but the interviewer did not pursue that
part of the story. The stated purpose of the interview was to get
the story of a 'depression victim,' so perhaps that is why it was left
alone. I can only imagine how different this life history might have
been in focus and content had the subject been interviewed by one of
today's historians.
Henry Iverson Johnson, at one time
Augusta's leading undertaker, stands today still bewildered by the onrush
of the great economic depression that has reduced him almost to a life of
privation. However, unlike thousands of others caught in its aftermath he
explains proudly that he is entirely clear of debt.
"I was in the undertaking business in Augusta for forty-one years and
during that time I buried 5000 of its citizens. I followed through to the
bitter end with my slogan: 'Honesty and Fairness to all.' When I was
forced to close in 1936 I paid 100 cents on the dollar and owed no man
anything. Now I am an old man of 83 years and absolutely broke."
Those who have known the family in former years experience quite a shock
at the drastic changes that have taken place in their living conditions.
The old couple are now making their home in a small upper flat in what is
no longer considered a choice neighborhood.
A colored woman answered the door bell and told me she knew they would be
glad to see me but that she would have to prepare them for my visit. She
led the way to the upstairs hall and I could hear her explaining to the
two old people that they had company. After a moment or two the woman
returned and led me into a large and almost bare room. The entire
furnishings consisted of a bed, a dresser, two rockers, one straight chair
and a small table. A worn rug was before the fireplace.
As I walked in Mr. Johnson, who is very active for his age was putting on
his hat preparatory to going on some errand for the home. When he learned
of my mission he said with old-fashioned courtliness: "Please talk to Mrs.
Johnson until my return. I shall be back in a few minutes."
True to his word he was away only a very short time and then settling
himself in one of the rockers he began musingly:
"I was born May 5, 1857 on one of South Carolina's old plantations over in
Colleton County. My father, Rev. Seaborn Johnson, was a Baptist minister,
and I was his youngest child. My father required my help on the farm when
I was not attending the neighborhood schools. When still quite young I
entered Cedar Grove Academy, near Bamberg, South Carolina. This school
remained open for just a short while and I went to the old Buford's Bridge
Academy in Barnwell County. When I was 17 years old I was appointed to
teach. Let me see, that was in 1873.
"As you doubtless know, we were not required to have degrees in those
days. They needed instructors so badly that anyone who showed unusual
aptitude at their studies could soon become a teacher. No, I never was
able to complete a college course for we were going through the unsettled
and stirring times of struggle and readjustment which followed Sherman's
march to the sea.
"Later on I studied under an eminent civil engineer and field surveyor and
for a while I followed that profession.
"I belonged to the Hagood Light Dragons during this period and wore the
red shirt. We were banded together to subdue riots and uprisings of all
kinds and to endeavor to prevent racial conflict. We kept vigilant watch
over the surrounding country and labored for the reestablishment of white
supremacy.
"And that recalls to my mind the one and only time I was arrested. It was
in 1876 and along with 22 others I was taken up and charged with
intimidation. We were taken to Charleston, South Carolina to appear before
Judge Melton. Without hesitation I told him I was guilty, that in fact I
was the leader, and asked him to release the others. The result was the
discharge of the whole company.
"My first business venture was a clerkship in a general merchandise store
at Buford's Bridge. I stayed there only a short time and then I operated a
store for Col. George H. Hoover at Hampton Courthouse.
"About this time my brother wanted to do farming and merchandising and
asked me to go into partnership with him. We were very successful for we
had many loyal friends and customers.
"In 1881 we planted enough cotton to realize 100 bales. We had borrowed
the money to get started and hoped to be able to pay off all indebtedness
by the end of the season. Then came panic.
The weather was unusually cold and what
little we did manage to raise, a storm swept away a part of that. The 100
bales we had visualized dwindled to 17 bales and we were $1700 in debt at
the end of the year. Only one store was still doing business. The farmers
were unable to pay and it had to close."
I interrupted with, "That was indeed a terrible blow for an ambitious
young man. What did you do, keep on farming?"
"No." He replied. "Sometime during the first part of 1882 I went to
Charleston and took a course in undertaking and embalming. At the
conclusion of my studies I went to Allendale, South Carolina, and accepted
a position in a general merchandise store where they sold coffins and I
took charge of that portion of the business.
"On September 4, 1884, I married the eldest daughter of Major William
James Gooding and my father-in-law gave me an old horse. I rigged me up a
buggy and hauled drummers to nearby towns. I applied everything I made in
this manner on the $1700 debt. I always made those trips at night and
returned just in time to open the store. You see, my brother and I had to
pay this money and of course we couldn't begin to save anything until we
were out of debt.
"While I was in Allendale I met the president of an Atlanta coffin
establishment. He was very anxious to have a branch in Augusta and urged
me to open up such a business. Finally I consented to attend a meeting of
the directors at Atlanta. Mr. Hall introduced me and I said: "Gentlemen,
I'm a poor man and don't have a dollar to invest, but if you want me as
your Augusta manager I will do my best to make a success of it.' Their
reply to this was, 'Mr. Johnson, we want to set you up in business. We
will take care of all details and see that everything you need is
supplied.'
"Well, what did I have to lose? I owed $20.00 for the suit of clothes I
had on and had 50 cents in my pocket. I thought to myself, 'Nothing
Venture, Nothing Have.' So I said, 'All right, gentlemen, I'm ready.'
"The next day the president of the company came back with me to Augusta,
and we rented a store on the corner of Ellis and Sixth Streets. I
prospered from the beginning, and am still proud of the confidence placed
in me by the good people of Augusta."
"Did your family come to Augusta when you opened your business?" I asked.
"No." He replied. "You see my wife had a little business of her own. She
handled dress goods and millinery. After I was established for about a
year and had gotten a good foothold I moved her and our five children to
the flat over the store. We immediately united with the First Baptist
Church and all of my children were baptized there.
"By the end of three and a half years I had discharged all obligations to
Hall & Company. My business had expanded quite a bit and I decided to look
for larger quarters. One of my friends owned a place on Eighth Street. It
was in bad repair, but he promised to put it in first class condition if I
would rent it. I outlined my plans and he started on the work at once. I
was so cramped for space that I decided to move in before the repairs were
finished. Lawrence stopped the work immediately and when I tried to get
him to finish he flatly refused.
"I declined to be treated in any such manner and hearing that a very
desirable piece of property at 123 Seventh Street was for sale, I decided
to buy it. I purchased the building on a ten-year basis and immediately
added $3000 in improvements. I made the final payment in three years and
eight months. I now had clear titles to my place of business in addition
to rolling stock consisting of 12 cars, including hearses and trucks, and
was averaging 25 funerals a month among the highest class of Augusta
people.
"Then came the World War and Camp Hancock was established on the Hill.
They needed an undertaker. Two others and myself made bids and one of them
got the contract. That really didn't worry me for I had all the business I
could handle with the help I had. My boys had gone to the war and I did
most of the embalming myself. When the influenza epidemic broke out three
of the officers came to me and said:
"'Johnson, we have 75 bodies at the camp and the undertaker doesn't have
caskets enough to ship the bodies and we want you to take over and help us
handle this situation.
"At first I refused emphatically, and Captain White said:
" 'But don't you see that you must help us. This man's credit is exhausted
and we are ready to give you a contract.' I knew conditions pretty
thoroughly and told him I would agree to take it for [10?].
"You can't make anything on it at that figure.' He said impatiently.
"Then I came back at him right straight from the shoulder:
"I have three sons fighting in this war and I will not be called a
profiteer. You furnish the trucks to do the hauling and I'll wire for the
caskets and superintend the work.'
"Captain White then said somewhat grudgingly. 'Johnson, you are making a
mistake but have it your way. We have a number of embalmers in the camp
who will assist you.'
"I went up to the camp and established a morgue there. I found 35
embalmers among the enlisted men. Selecting about twenty-five of them I
went to work, and during the epidemic I shipped 628 bodies without a
complaint and saved the government about $8000 in the transaction.
"No, I didn't continue the work at the camp. I only helped out during the
epidemic. I had to get back to my own business which had been neglected
for the camp work.
"Had your business begun to fall off?" I asked.
"Not at all.' He replied. "I had all the business I needed but collections
were not so good. But don't get the idea that people won't pay the
undertaker. They do pay when they have it.
"When the depression hit the country hundreds of people were out of work
and business places were closing every day. There was no money to pay
insurance premiums and when families were forced to cut living expenses
insurance policies were cashed in and dropped. Each person who was forced
to take this step meant to renew his policy when times were better.
"But people didn't stop dying during those hard times and they had to be
buried. I couldn't refuse to help the people who had made my business and
I made up my mind that I would hang on and if the ship sank I would go
down with it.
"At the onset of the depression I could have disposed of my business for
$40,000 and walked out with more than $75,000. But I stayed on, believing
the trouble to be only temporary. Then when things got in a bad way I
borrowed money from the bank.
"My boys didn't like the undertaking business, they showed no interest and
were of little or no help to me. When I saw that I was beginning to lose
heavily I went to the bank and asked them to take the business for my
indebtedness. They refused to do this and I borrowed from the Home Loan
Company and paid the bank.
"I was then eighty years old and could see the utter futility of trying to
hang on. I wrote to the manufacturers to take my stock and have it sold. I
wanted every penny I owed paid and I want to give credit to my friend who
is the president of the Imperial Casket Company of Leesville, South
Carolina. He volunteered to come to my rescue and help me save my
business.
"I closed in 1936 and paid 100 cents on the dollar. I had accomplished
what I wanted to do. I was clear of debt but I was an old man and broke.
However, I had kept my slogan for 41 years and did until the end.
"Yes, I am a member of several fraternal orders. In 1894 I was made a
Master Mason in Allendale, South Carolina. When I came to Augusta I
transferred my membership to Webb's Lodge. I was made a Royal Arch Mason
in 1896 and a Royal and Select Mason in the same year. Five years later I
was dubbed a Knight Templar and have filled the highest offices in each of
these organizations. I am also a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason
and a past patron of the order of the Eastern Star. I also hold
memberships in the Junior Order of United American Mechanics and with the
Odd Fellows."
"You spoke of educating your children, Mr. Johnson. How many did you have
and what are they doing at the present time?" I asked.
"Well, I have two daughters. One of them, Anna Elise, was graduated from
National Park Seminary (Maryland) in 1912. She is a pianist of great
ability and is now married and living in Cincinnati. Lillian Hampton
finished at Converse College. She lives in South Carolina.
"All four of my sons were graduated from the Richmond Academy. The eldest
one, recently deceased, attended Sacred Heart College. He was an expert
embalmer and lived in Mississippi at the time of his death.
"He served as a volunteer on the Mexican border and went to France with
the American Expeditionary Forces in the World War. He served as a top
sergeant in the aviation Corps and was with the Army of Occupation prior
to his return to the States in 1920.
"My next son went from the Richmond Academy to Stone Mountain then to
Georgia Tech for two years. When he came home he entered the Medical
College and graduated as one of the five honor members of his class. Then
he went to Charleston where he won a scholarship for a special course in
the Naval Medical College (District of Columbia). He won his diploma and
was commissioned by President Woodrow Wilson and assigned to the Oriental
Squadron.
"My third son, after leaving the Academy, attended Stone Mountain and
Washington and Lee. Later he saw service in France during the World War.
He was active in Masonic circles and was associated with me in business
until we failed in 1936. He lives in Atlanta at the present time.
"My youngest son is a dental surgeon and lives in Honolulu. He was
graduated with honor from the Atlanta Dental College in 1923, and left
immediately for Hawaii.
"I have left my views on the causes of the depression until the last and
here they are. There were many contributing causes. You see, I am a very
old man and I also lived through the panic of 1876. As to the
extravagances of the government, history only repeats itself. Then there
was the mistake made by many people who could not foresee that inflated
property values and previously unknown extravagances would some day end in
destruction. Prohibitive salaries paid to officials of the government,
Federal, State, County and City, at the expense of the taxpayer was
another potent factor.
Still another mistake, equally costly, was the disaster brought about in
the following manner: Instead of the government inducing people to stay on
the farms, to raise pigs and chickens and plant gardens, they were told to
come to town where relief stations were established for them. Almost
without exception misery has descended upon them and each has become one
of millions of government manufactured paupers.
"And now it is too late for me to do very much about my troubles. At least
we are fairly comfortable, even though I am unable to provide what we
have. However, it is vastly different with the government. It has both
time and money to accomplish complete recovery."
HONESTY AND FAIRNESS TO
THE BITTER END
(A Depression Victim Story)
Written by: Mrs. Ada Radford
Augusta, Georgia
Edited by: Mrs. Leila H. Harris
Supervising Editor
Georgia Writers' Project
Area 7
Augusta, Georgia
February 16, 1940
William Iverson Wilson
308 6th Street
Augusta, Georgia
Feb. 16, 1940
A.R.
Text from: Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection
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