In 1929 Orlo and I had
been married two years and had a year old son, Douglas. We were just nicely
getting started in the turkey raising business on his parents' farm near
Bridgeton. We had about a thousand young turkeys that spring and we bought feed
on credit during the growing season and paid for it when we sold the turkeys at
Thanksgiving time.
But that year was
different. The newspapers were full of news about bank closing, businesses
failing, and people out of work. There was just no money and we could not sell
the turkeys. So we were in debt with no way out.
But when we read about
the bread lines and soup kitchens in the cities, we felt we were lucky because
we raised our own food. Our house was rent free, just keep it in repair. Our
fuel, which was wood, was free for the cutting. Then our second child, Iris,
was born and our biggest expense was doctor bills. However, this too was solved
when our doctor agreed to take turkeys and garden produce for pay.
About that time my
husband and a friend started operating a crate and box factory near Maple
Island. After expenses they were each making about a dollar a day. Food was
cheap. Coffee was 19 cents a pound, butter 20 cents, bacon the same, with a
five pound bag of sugar or flour about 25 cents.
Gasoline was five
gallons for a dollar so for recreation we would get into our 1926 Overland
Whippet and go for long rides. We also had an Atwater Kent radio we could
listen to when we could buy batteries for it.
I had always liked to
write poetry so I decided to submit some to Grit, a weekly newspaper. I was
delighted when they accepted them and paid me $2 each for them. That money
bought a large bag of groceries at that time. I continued to write for Grit for
several years.
Orlo finally got a job
as a mechanic at a garage in Grant. He earned $15 a week and for us the
Depression was over. But it taught us to really appreciate what we had.
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