6

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about six cars though, during my life time, a Buick, Studebaker, Dodge,
and all the rest was Fords, from Model-T to Model-A. I can't afford no
car now.

"But to git back where I was in the first place. I attended school
from 1910 to 1920 at Medulla, Mulberry, Lakeland, and the St. Emma Indus-
trial School at Rockcastle, Virginia. I only attended the latter for one
semester. I had to quit school on account of finances. I had to assist
my mother and father. My father was hurt in a car wreck while going from
work on a truck, from Eaton Park to Medulla, when this part of the country
was mined for phosphate. Since his death I try to keep up with my books
by studying at home. Once I wanted to be a dentist, but now I would get
lots of joy out of teachin the Bible. I study my Bible every day, along
with my English books. In fact I have tried to learn some of all kinds
of work, I have even tried salesmanship. You see, my wife is a good seam-
stress, and I try to keep up with her.

"Life is not worth anything without education. The schools of today
are better than those we had. The families who keep their children out
of school should be punished.

"When I first started to work in 1916 I only worked three months out
of the year. The rest of the time I spent in school. The first company
I worked for was the Phosphate Mining Company. They're out of business
now. My first work was carrying water. The second year I worked in the
pit as a flunky. While working in the pit I had a chance to operate an
electric motor and later operated a switch board. At the time I was
makin $5.25 a day.

"I have worked steady since 1920 with the Southern Phosphate Corporation.

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