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WOMEN AND THE CHANGING
TIMES
(Georgia)
"It seems as though I have always
worked with cotton in some form." Said Mrs. Blount as she pressed some
dress material. "Why before I started in the dressmaking business I used
to help pick cotton. In fact I earned the money to buy my trousseau in
this way."
This busy little woman operates a dressmaking establishment in one of
Augusta's large buildings on Broad Street. The place is a mecca for women
who for various reasons fail to find satisfactory clothes in the
ready-to-wear shops.
"We are now citizens of Augusta and have made it our home for quite a
number of years." She went on. "However, I was born and reared in Walton
County, near Mansfield, Georgia. My parents lived on a farm and had eight
children - four boys and four girls. I am the eldest and there are three
girls and three boys still living.
"My father was a good provider, but it kept him going pretty hard to
support a large family. We did manage to live well, but I can assure you
there was not much surplus money floating around our domicile. Everybody
had to help when cotton picking time came. We picked cotton to get the
money to buy our clothes. As I told you before I earned my wedding clothes
in this manner. I didn't mind, though, for I was going to marry my Joe.
"My mother lived to be 74 years old and my father will celebrate his 87th
birthday in May.
"How do country children amuse themselves?" I questioned.
"Well," she answered, "I suppose we amused ourselves just as other normal
children do. The little girls loved their dolls and pets - kittens,
puppies, chickens, and even white rats. The little boys also had their
pets and all kinds of things.
"I guess that sometimes we would be real smart and help do the work around
the place and then again we would feel terribly imposed upon when mother
called upon us for assistance. Oh, yes, we were just normal kids. Of
course when we got large enough we were assigned certain duties that must
be done before we could play.
"My father humored me quite a bit and we were great pals. Sometimes when
he went fishing he would take me along and did I love to go with him. I
remember on one occasion when he went fishing he carried me and one of the
boys. When we reached the river he left us on the riverbank to await his
return. He had put out some trot lines, and he got in his bateau and rowed
over to the trot lines. In just a little while he came back bringing a
catfish that weighed 28 pounds. You can just imagine how excited we were.
We carried that big fish home and took great pride in showing it to
everybody we could find. We invited all the neighbors and had a catfish
supper that night. We had lots of fun and plenty to eat.
"It was great fun to go visit my grandmother. I recall one occasion when
my father and I made a visit to her home at Conyers, Georgia.
The railroad station was three miles from our house and we had to walk to
the train. I started walking but soon got very tired, and as I was such a
little girl, my father took me up in his arms and carried me. When we got
to grandmother's house she gave me a big rag doll and I named it Dick. I
just adored that doll and when we got ready to go home I held fast to my
doll. As we were walking along I felt something pulling and when I looked
down there was a big old dog with Dick's foot in his mouth and he did his
best to take my doll away from me. I screamed and my father chased him
away and saved Dick for me.
"The grown boys and girls in our community used to have parties where we
danced and played games. Every visitor in the neighborhood was always
invited. One night Joe brought a young lady to the party and when I saw
him I said:
"Hello Joe!"
"It made the girl furious to have me speak to her escort in such a
familiar manner.
"Not long after that Joe and I began to have dates and in a few months we
were married.
"Did you ask me if we were married at home?" She asked smilingly. "Oh,
yes, we were. You see, my parents' home was not very large and we invited
just a few friends. The young folks refused to be left out so easily so
they got together and not only filled the house, but lots of them were in
the yard. So we showed them we were game and marched out on the porch and
were married there where all of them could witness the ceremony.
"In those days the young man very often wore frock-tail coats for dress-up
occasions. My grandmother would tease me so when I would walk home from
Sunday-School with him. I denied emphatically that I even liked him. But
she said, 'Never you mind, honey, some of these days you will marry that
frock-tail fellow.' Of course she was just teasing, but she proved to be a
good prophet for just a little later Joe and I were married.
"You're right, we didn't get our schooling as easily as modern children
do. There were no school busses and we had to walk three miles to school.
We got used to walking but I can't ever recall turning down a ride when it
was offered.
"And that reminds me of a story I once heard of an old Negro woman who was
walking along the road carrying a basket of clothes on her head.
After a while along came a man driving a team of mules hitched to a wagon.
Feeling sorry for the old woman he asked her if she wouldn't like to have
a ride. She replied: 'Yassir, Boss, I sho would.' With that she crawled up
in the wagon. After driving a mile or so the man turned his head to make
some remark to the woman and discovered that she was sitting flat on the
floor of the wagon with the clothes still on her head.
'Why don't you put the clothes down Mammy and rest your head?' He asked
solicitously. She an answered right up: 'Lawsy, Boss, I's so grateful to
have dis ride myself, dat I wouldn't think of imposing on you to carry my
clothes.'
"We married when we were both quite young and we have four children - 2
girls and 2 boys, and they are all living. We lived on the farm for five
years after we married and then moved to Covington, Georgia, where my
husband had obtained work with a Furniture Manufacturing Company.
He received a good salary which enabled us to live very comfortably.
"Then the price of cotton, and in fact
all farm products, dropped very low and as the farmers had little to
spend, business suffered. This recession lasted for quite awhile and then
my husband accepted a position with the Smith Manufacturing Company at
Madison, Georgia. This firm operated a general repair and blacksmith shop,
sold wagons and buggies, and also ran an undertaking place.
"The proprietor of the place died before he had been there very long and
he worked for the widow and her sons for about six years. Then the Brown
Manufacturing Company offered him a more remunerative job which he
accepted. This concern operated a flour and a grist mill, manufactured
ice, and sold fertilizer.
After another year Joe changed jobs again. This time he went to work for
the Baxter Milling Company. His work was hard, he had long working hours,
and the position entailed a great deal of responsibility. This overwork
eventually caused him to have a nervous breakdown. For quite awhile his
mind was affected and while he was never actually violent, we were careful
not to cross him. We nursed him carefully and after a complete rest his
health improved and in a short time he was able to go back to work.
"In 1917 when the United States became involved in the World War, salaries
were greatly increased and by strict economy we were able to save enough
money to make a down payment on a home of our own. It was not long before
we had paid quite a nice amount on it. Unfortunately, when peace was
declared the market broke, salaries were cut, and we were dealt quite a
hard blow.
"Several years previously, believing business would warrant such a
venture, Joe had opened a business of his own. He carried practically the
same line of merchandise as did the firms for whom he had worked,
excepting of course the undertaking business. He sold carriages, buggies,
wagons, fertilizers, and some commodities. He extended credit to the
farmers; then when the depression came, he was unable to collect and
consequently we lost our business and our home.
"The boll weevil also got in its deadly work. They practically destroyed
the cotton and damaged other crops as well. Prices dropped so low that
what little the farmers were able to salvage brought almost nothing and
consequently they had no money with which to meet their obligations. Sweet
potatoes sold as low as 40 cents per bushel; corn as low as 50 cents, and
other products sold accordingly.
"Joe and I educated our children the best we could. We have given all of
them a grammar school education and the equivalent of two years in high
school.
"After losing our business and our home we moved to Augusta and made a new
start. The children secured work and it wasn't long before Joe was able to
pick up temporary work. I took in sewing and helped all I could. I have
kept it up and at the present time I am in the dressmaking business with a
friend on a 50-50 basis.
"Shortly after we came here my husband worked for the city, and then he
worked for the Georgia Power Company. For the next several years Joe
worked for cotton oil mills, one of which was located at Raleigh, North
Carolina. While at work in the latter place a huller machine blew up and
he was hurt badly.
"The company paid him his entire salary for the six months that he was
laid up. He tried to work again but after two or three days he had to give
up and go back home. Just as he had recuperated sufficiently to return to
work the mill shut down and he was again without work.
"Joe has always been blest with undaunted courage and strong determination
and he again sought employment at the Southern Cotton Oil Company in
Augusta. We moved back here and he worked until the season was over. For
the past five years he has worked at the University Hospital.
"I don't think there can be any doubt but that the World War caused the
depression. When our country became involved with Europe and our boys went
to France, prices soared and salaries went up by leaps and bounds. There
were so many positions left open by the boys who went 'Over There,' that
there actually seemed to be competition between the heads of businesses as
to which one would get the first chance to employ a man and they were not
stingy with salaries either.
"People became excited and restless, bought extravagantly and lived
entirely beyond their means. Many borrowed money from the banks to buy
luxuries they couldn't afford. When things began to level themselves after
the close of the war - a depression was inevitable.
"I think President Roosevelt is a wonderful man." She remarked. "I feel
that he has done more to help poor people than any other man could have
done.
"To my mind one of the greatest accomplishments of the New Deal has been
the organization of the Civilian Conservation Camps. The training given
the boys will be of lasting benefit. They have changed many a boy from a
liability to a valuable asset to his country. They have kept thousands of
boys off the roads just idly roaming over the country - hiking and beating
rides on freight trains, etc. Many of them have become good citizens.
"We have worked hard and had our ups and downs, but we are very happy and
enjoy our home so much. When any of the children get out of work they know
they are always welcome to come home and stay until they are on their feet
again. It would be a great pleasure to us to keep our brood together at
all times but of course that is impossible. Boys, particularly, love to
get out and run around and see something of the world.
"I recall one time when one of our boys decided to hitch-hike to Raleigh,
North Carolina. It was not nearly so exciting as he had expected.
He said he only met one man who treated him kindly and he was a person
whom he had known before. He obtained employment at a bakery but worked
only one night for when the proprietor demanded his
[PAGE MISSING]
straw that broke the camel's back. It was simply disgraceful.
"I have a friend who firmly believed in women's rights and longed for the
day when we would have a say-so in our government. The first time she had
the opportunity to register she couldn't get there fast enough. The next
morning the paper published a list of the would-be woman voters. When her
brothers read the paper they were very indignant and for a while made
things very uncomfortable for her.
"Today, every woman who is eligible is expected to vote and is considered
unpatriotic if she doesn't.
"Now we have women evangelists, lawyers, doctors, nurses, congresswomen
and others. Women now practically run the churches and other religious
organizations.
"And today we even have ladies flying." She exclaimed, "I wonder what
next."
WOMEN AND THE CHANGING
TIMES
Written by: Mrs. Daisy Thompson
Augusta, Georgia
Edited by: Mrs. Leila H. Harris
Supervising Editor
Georgia Writers' Project
Area 7
Augusta, Georgia
February 16, 1940
Mrs. J. R. Byrd
214 Masonic Building
Augusta, Georgia
February 8, 1940
D. T.
Text from: Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection
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