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UNABLE TO STAGE A
COMEBACK
(Georgia)
"My early education was done at Atlanta
University when they used to have a kindergarten there, and I stayed in
that school until I reached the fifth grade. This was at the time that
Atlanta University was an undergraduate school. The grades were not
offered and I finished the rest of my elementary education at the Mitchell
Street public school. The old building that housed the school still
stands, but has been renovated and turned into apartments. I went back to
Atlanta University after completing the eighth grade work and spent six
years there. I had a four-year normal course and two years of college
work. I didn't complete my college work on account of my mother not being
able to finance me. I hated it that I was unable to continue in school
because I had looked forward to a college education.
"During my summer months I taught school in the county every year from the
time I was first year until my graduation. I had to do this in order to be
able to go back to school during the regular term. The first year I taught
in the county I was only thirteen years old. Yes, this was at a very young
age but I had always had every advantage of good schools and my parents
helped in every way possible. My mother tutored me and, therefore, I was
far advanced for my age. On the other hand, not many years ago the
superintendents in the counties accepted teachers who were still in the
grades and unlike today, strictness as to classification was not so
pronounced. Then too the teaching profession was not so crowded as it is
now, so teachers were in great demand.
"I took the examination for this school in the county and was successful
in passing the test. I ventured out and taught, quite successfully. I
attribute some of my success to the fact that I lived with my cousin, also
a teacher, who helped me with the problems that came up in school.
"I spoke of my advantages and my parents' hope for me in the educational
field, and I am reminded of my grandfather who was so interested in
education, not only for his family but the race as a whole, that he was
one of the pioneers of Atlanta University. Soon after the War between the
States and after the war clouds had cleared away there were a number of
northern whites who gave up home conforts and lucrative positions to come
South to devote their lives to the education of the Negro. This was a
great humanitarian gesture and took much courage on the part of those
brave men and women, for they did have a hard road ahead of them. This was
entirely new, figuratively speaking, for the South, because heretofore
Negroes were looked on as property. Their health and fitness to work were
greatly considered because the strong robust ones were counted quite
valuable to their owners. They had never given a thought to education for
a Negro. In fact, they had prohibited the education of Negroes, who, until
after Emancipation, were merely looked upon as machines Well, when Atlanta
University was first begun my grandfather was one who assisted in getting
food and other necessities for the teachers. As a child, my mother used to
tell me and my sisters, how grandfather had worked hard to support his
family and gave generously to the teachers at Atlanta University who were
paving a way for the education of the Negro. She said he would purchase
his groceries on Saturday for his immediate family and then carry all he
could to Atlanta University for the teachers. He sent his children there.
He had four children, two sons and two daughters. Three of his children
graduated from Atlanta University, one of whom happened to be my mother.
"My mother as a great church worker and she was a teacher in the city
schools of Atlanta. She also taught in one of the colleges in Atlanta. She
worked as a city matron for the City of Atlanta until her health failed.
All of mother's girls, four, finished from Atlanta University. She also
had a son. My father was very industrious, as well as ambitious for his
family. He felt that he could make better wages if he left Atlanta and so
he and mother agreed on this and he left. He was successful and secured a
nice job, sent money to support the family and saved a nice amount. When
he felt that he had been away long enough he took a vacation and came
home. On his way back home he was sandbagged, robbed, and died before he
was able to return home. After his death mother had the responsibility of
supporting five children. She did it beautifully. She lived to see her
four girls graduated from Atlanta University. The son saw fit to stop
school before he graduated, as he felt he wanted to go out and support
himself and relieve mother of this responsibility. Mother, who had so much
hope for her children, didn't want him to do this but, seeing him so set
on it and he had gone far toward his education, she felt he could succeed
and granted him permission to stop school. Mother had to sacrifice and
struggle to rear us but she had faith in God and confidence in herself and
so she was successful.
"She and my father purchased property and she held on to this after
father's death. The property was about paid for and we were practically
out of debt when the fire of 1917 occurred. This fire destroyed everything
we had, just swept away everything, and we were never able to come back
from this disaster.
"The fire started in a small dwelling near Fort and Decatur Streets, just
a little shack. There didn't seem to be a much significance attached to
the fire at first. I was teaching at the time at the Parochial School. I
continued, my classes, although some of the parents had become alarmed and
came for their children, I permitted those to go whose parents came but
not without trying to discourage them from taking their children out
because I felt the fire would soon be over. The fire kept coming as though
by leaps and bounds. It was the greatest fire in the history of Atlanta.
The fire continued to sweep the colored section and still the whites
didn't seemed so concerned about it. On and on the fire swept with
destruction in its wake and finally it reached the white section - Druid
Hills. Then the City of Atlanta busied itself to stop the fire. Well, the
fire had such a headway that it was necessary for houses directly in the
path of the fire to be dynamited and houses was blown up. Of course, the
entire fourth ward mostly inhabited by Negroes, was entirely burned before
anything was done. It was said that two white men had started the fire and
went from house to house putting something on the house and then that
house caught. It was during the time we were in the midst of the World War
an whether this was true or not I could not say with any authority but I
do know two white men were in my house when I got home from my school.
They asked if there was anything they could do to assist and soon
afterwards my house was on fire. The houses that they didn't go in were
not burned.
"Friends of mine came and moved everything I had on the sidewalk. Most of
my furniture was destroyed by fire even after being removed from the house
and the rest was lost. There were men going around in trucks, picking up
furniture off the street and the stuff that was taken up by those men was
never recovered. I had a piano and typewriter that disappeared and I have
felt that the men who went about the section that was burned picking up
the furniture, took the piano and typewriter. I shall never forget that
fire. I lost practically everything that I had and, to tell the truth, I
have never seemed able to stage a comeback.
"Men, or rather soldiers from Ft.
McPherson were sent out to patrol the streets, directing the people where
to walk because of live wires everywhere.
"The Red Cross did a splendid piece of work during that time. I worked
with the Red Cross, helping to get homes for the people. The people of
Atlanta were loyal and generous to the unfortunates. They took in as many
as they could. It was nothing to see six or ten people in two or three
rooms.
"We used the card system keeping record of the homeless. We went from
house to house, working long hours caring for the people. I had a certain
number that I visited each day. My work was commended and, after the
people were about restored to normalcy and the services of the workers no
longer needed, I was given a bonus of $25.00. I was paid $10.00 a week for
my services.
"Most of the people who were burned out were of meager means and lived in
the southeast part of the city. There were just a few good livers who were
burned out. Of course, this was true of my people but there were a number
of white people who were in good circumstances who lost all that they had.
Some of their houses were not only burned but dynamited.
"After the fire the city talked of building a park for the colored people
in fourth ward but the people didn't want to part with their houses, which
consisted of dwellings and little places of business. Of course most of
the homes that were burned were replaced with apartments which ruined a
good many homes of the colored people in the section of Cain, Hilliard,
Highland Avenue and Felton Drive.
We didn't owe much on the home at the time of the fire but, having
suffered this great loss, we had to start all over again. My mother never
was able to be her real self after this disaster.
"Later, the section having been turned into apartment houses, we took the
insurance money, $2,500, and built an apartment. Lumber was high because
of world conditions, being in the midst of the World War. After we built
the apartment then along came adversities, as is the case following all
wars. People were not able to pay their rent and we nearly lost our home.
We struggled along, however, until the Home Owners Loan Corporation was
started and then I got a loan. At the time, to me, it was a life saver but
after the HOLC took over, made various repairs, added this cost and that
cost, and then revamped the value, we were in debt for $6,000. I have
regretted many a day since that I turned my home over to HOLC. The cost
has nearly doubled. I got behind with my notes and the HOLC took over the
property to handle the rents. All the rents coming from the place and $10
extra which I pay each month are turned over to HOLC. I hope some day the
property will be clear and I can again have it in my charge. And do you
know it is really a great problem to pay for a home after it has been
turned over to HOLC? I really don't see where it as been such a great help
as it was expected when first started. In fact, they don't give as much
consideration as a private realtor does and the interest is terrible.
About half received from the rent and the $10 I pay is applied to
principal, and the other goes for interest. Whenever I hear anyone talking
about trying to get a HOLC on their property I try to discourage the ideal
for I know what fix I have been put in.
"I was born in Atlanta, and after completing school I was able to get work
in very good jobs. My first job, after finishing school, was teacher in
the Parochial School and I taught here ten years. After that I entered the
business world. I worked in the insurance work a number of years. I worked
for the Standard Life Insurance Company. At that time one made very good
in insurance. Of course it was new to our people, as far as Negro
ownership was concerned. It took hard work but the profit was good. The
reason I did insurance work, it was a new adventure for women but the men,
so many of them, were taken out of these jobs and sent to war. These men
were sent to France and other war zones and a deal of their jobs had been
taken over by women, as is the case at the time of any war. I worked as a
clerk when first going into the work. My work was good and so pleased were
the officials that I was made secretary of one of the departments, and I
worked in the insurance field for ten years. In fact, I did this work
until the company failed. After this insurance company failed, I left
Atlanta and went to Hot Springs, Ark., where I worked two years. I had to
come back to Atlanta because my mother's health failed and I had to be
with her. I then got work in the Pioneer Saving Bank as cashier.
"I didn't know anything about the banking business but the comptroller
from down town was furnished the bank to train the workers. I left out one
of my jobs and may as well mention it here. I worked as office secretary
for the Y. M. C. A., and this work gave out eleven months after I had
started. I worked at the bank from 1932 until 1937. I guess I would still
be working at the bank had not the manager decided to put a relative of
his in my place.
"I tried several places after losing the job in the bank to get other
private work but failed. As a last resort I made application for WPA work.
"My first assignment was on the sewing project where I worked several
months, and then I was transferred to the library. This library is part of
University Homes, one of the government projects.
"I enjoy the work as librarian quite a bit and hope that WPA will keep
this as one of its projects. I would like to remain here. I have decided
to take a course in library work so that, should there be changes wherein
WPA will have to withdraw its help, I shall be able to take over for
University Homes.
"I don't know what I would have done had not there been a chance to work
on WPA. Likewise I don't see what most of the folk would do if there was
no WPA. It has given great numbers of people courage and self respect,
wherein they wouldn't have had anything to look forward to.
"I like the work here in the library. It gives me a chance to help the
young people who come in, and you would be surprised to know just how many
people do frequent this library during the day. I do much toward directing
the children as to the best books to read and it is interesting to note
just how eager they are to read. One wouldn't believe it, perhaps, but let
me show you my circulation for today. See, 94 books have passed through my
hands today to tenants here in University Homes. We operate the library
for the benefit of this project alone. I have noticed they certainly do
have a reading people here and you know what they say about a reading man
and that is 'A reading man is a full man.' I really like this work and
hope I can stay on and on, because I feel there is much I can do here.
"Well, I don't suppose there is anything else I could tell you, as I just
haven't had a very interesting life. I do feel, however, that I have given
you an idea of just why I am on WPA. I am here because I simply couldn't
find any other work. Of course, there are hundreds and hundreds on for the
same reason. There seems nothing else to do but WPA employment and if it
would cease I don't know what the people would do. I notice the unrest and
uncertainty caused by the recent ruling, releasing the workers who have
been on WPA 18 months. Those people are desperate, most of them I know.
They can't seem to find anything and frankly there isn't anything for them
to do.
"I will have to stop now because I have to list and label all of those
books you see over there. They just came in today.
"You must come in again to see me. I've enjoyed talking with you and wish
I had something really interesting to talk about. I do hope you can get
what you want from what I have told you, and it can be seen just why I had
to get on WPA.
F. Hodge
610 Parsons Street, S.W.
WPA worker - Librarian, Government Housing Project
By
Geneva Tonsill
October 27, 1939
Text from: Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection
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