7

7.

"Watermelon season meant a holiday to us. The mill closed
down and the hands went to the country, or did anything else they
chose, but the object of the vacation was to give us the opportunity
to enjoy eating watermelons. During that rest spell, hands were
allowed to get food from the company store and pay for it when they
returned to work. To tell the truth, ninety percent of the hands
owed the mill, and ten percent was taken out of every dollar of pay
earned, until it was all paid back. I've known several families that
owed the mill as much as a hundred dollars at one time. Their house-
holds were large and the debt was held up off of their payroll accounts
whenever their families would have suffered for lack of necessities
if the regular deductions had been made.

"In my days at the mill, there was no hiring and firing like
there is now. There were so many little children growing up to take
their parents' places that they often worked in this manner. When
a father or a mother, or an older sister or brother were sick, a younger
one was sent to work in that person's place and the youngster con-
tinued to hold the place until the absent one returned. I'm telling
you the truth, lady; many a child has started to work when they
weren't no larger than this dog." He pointed to a tiny white dog
that was shivering as it sat on the cold cement walk by his chair.
"Lots of those kids didn't have the sense this little dog has. Once
I went off and stayed several months and when I came back he was
the first to greet me. Knew me just as well as when I left. Do you
know what breed of dog he is? He is a mixture of fox terrier and
Boston bull.

1762