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(my grandfather’s memoirs as he wrote them)
I lived a varied live.
I earned what I spent, paid what I borrowed and lost what I lent.
Came up on the farm. Lots of hard work and some abuse.
I didn’t get much schooling. We had four months schooling in the winter but I seldom got to go in the beginning ... hadn’t finished gathering the crop ... had to leave before the end ... begin a new crop. The weekly or monthly allowance hadn’t been invented at that time. I sold an occasional coonskin for a dime.
I finally got off to college but wasn’t college material. Took me a year to prepare for college work.
I got a job at the barn feeding the milk cows. Got up at four o’clock in the morning to put out the food before the milker came back again at four in the afternoon. I was allowed three hours a day at eight cents an hour. This was applied to my board.
Medical Department, University of Alabama offered scholarships to the first sons of doctors who had graduated there. I accepted the scholarship that paid fifty dollars on tuition. Left A & M and went to medical school. All my expenses came from home the first year. My father died during my first year.
After that, I got some help from home. I worked during vacation and on holidays at any thing that paid the most. Borrowed some. Graduated after four years owing $416.00.
I started interning at a charity hospital but had to leave due to finances. Before the ink had time to dry on my diploma, Mr. --------- wrote me that his business was bad and he needed the money that he had loaned me to put back into his business. I saw a note on the hospital bulletin board about a mining company in Mexico that needed a doctor. I answered the ad and got the job -- $75.00 a month. I paid my debts and sent an extra $50.00.
After about two years there, I got a better job with International Health in Central America. After a while, I got an even better job with Madeira Mamoru Railroad Company about 2000 miles up the Amazon River in Brazil. After 30 days on the job, I got paid for traveling time from the time I left New York. After two years, I still had some of this money left. I sent my monthly checks home with requests to keep the boys in school and make Momma comfortable and try to make a little nest egg for me. I kept the last check and came home on vacation. When I got home, I found that they had built up a loan amount of $1,800.00 at Mercantile Bank, so no account for me. I borrowed money to get back on the job. Spent another two years sending my monthly check back home. When I got back home, I found they still owed $1,800.00 plus interest. Perce was in Atlanta in financial trouble. He had passed his examinations but they wouldn’t let him graduate because he hadn’t paid tuition. Uncle Frank loaned the money to get him out of hock. I went back to the tropics for another six months. Got Uncle Frank reimbursed. Saved some money. Came back to New Orleans and took work at Tulane Post Graduate School. Getting ready to get a position in some hospital to prepare for some specialty. I took a job at Tours Infirmary, but it wasn’t what I wanted, so I left. Answered some ads in the A.M.A. Journal. Got two offers - one in Chicago and one in Shreveport. I accepted the one in Shreveport. Arrived at Schumpert Hospital December 15th, 1915 with three 20 dollar bills and a job for $75.00 a month. Quite a comedown from a salary of $4,000.00 a year, but that was alright since it was the hospital work I wanted and I found plenty of it there. After being out of civilized society for eight years and landing in a hospital full of good looking women, I was taken off of my feet for a while. Since marrying was the furthest thing from my mind and seemed to be the first thing on some of theirs, I held myself aloof from the eligibles. There was a new class of nurses, seventeen in the class. Eleven young girls not more than half my age. I kind of took up with them for safety’s sake and, first thing I knew, I had eleven young sweethearts.
One afternoon I was going down the hall on my way to the colored unit. In passing the lecture hall I saw one of the girls sitting at the piano with a sad look on her face. I went in and asked if she was lonesome or homesick. She said both. I began a conversation and the superintendent of nurses appeared and said, “I am ashamed of you.” I didn’t know whether she was ashamed of me or the girl. I said, “Sister, this girl is absolutely innocent of any wrongdoing. When I was passing down the hall, I saw her sitting there gazing into space. The door was wide open and I came in uninvited.”
Of course, she could have told me to leave or could have left herself, but she didn’t. Sister said, “We don’t want you to take up so much of the nurses’ time.” I said, “Thank you, Sister.” Without another word, she turned and walked out. I said, “Well, she admitted that I could have some of your time.” From then on, we managed to spend a little time together most every day. She gradually became my favorite of the eleven sweethearts. One evening she came to me and said the girls were having a party and she needed to wear a shirtwaist ... Would I loan her a shirt? I had laid in six sport shirts before leaving New Orleans, so I opened the suitcase and selected one. She went off to dress. After about thirty minutes while I was sitting at my desk, there was a knock on the door. It flew wide open. She came to a pose and asked, “How do I look?” I jumped up and said, “Why, girl, you look good enough to kiss and, before I realized what I was doing, I had my arms around her. Until this time I had kept my hands off of her. When she brought the shirt back, I wanted to tell her she could have it but I didn’t know how it would sound to her.
As time went on, I began to realize that this girl had definitely gotten into my life. I began to plan another jaunt to the tropics to try a third time for the proverbial nest egg. When I told her tat I had signed a two and a half year contract and would be back in time to see her graduate, I told her that was a long time to ask a girl to wait. She said tat she wanted to graduate and would be waiting for me.
I was stationed about 450 miles up the Magdalena River in Columbia. We had a mail boat about every ten days. Most every boat brought a letter from her and carried one from me. I didn’t know to write those fool love letters and was glad of it when I got back and found that she had been reading the letters to some of the sisters and nurses. During the time I had letters from two f the older nurses -- both grass widows -- one said that I might as well forget Miss Moreland as she was going to marry Dr. Hicks. The other said that she was going to marry a jackleg lawyer over the river in Bossier City.
I never answered the letters and never mentioned them in writing Gertrude.
Out of this trip I gave Perce $450.00 to equip his office, sent Momma a small monthly check and applied the balance on a debt I owed myself. I saved about $4,000. War came on and I didn’t get back for Gertrude’s graduation. I made application for service in the Army Medical Corps. On the way home, the boat stopped at Panama. Major McCormick came aboard and asked if there wasn’t a doctor on board that had applied for service in the Medical Corps. I stood up and he said in a commanding voice, “Come on and help me discharge these passengers.” Wen we were through, he told me to come to Colon Hospital at two o’clock and he would get my commission cleared and I would go to work in Ancon Hospital the next day. I told him that I didn’t want to stay in Panama; I wanted to go to Europe. He shook his finger in my face and said, “When you get in Uncle Sam’s army, you do what you want but you do what they say.” He said the had half a dozen men who would do as well as I would in Europe but wouldn’t be worth a damn in the tropics. I didn’t fall in love with Major McCormick. I remained aboard the boat. When I got to New Orleans, I went to the recruiting station. They gave me a thorough examination and then told me that I would have tat order on Panama revoked and get a new order. I had to go to Chicago to counsel on medical defense.
On my way to Chicago I stopped off in Shreveport for a visit. I found Gertrude with a date with Dr. Hicks and Ruby also had a date. They asked me to sit in as a third. I spent most of the time stroking my whiskers and twisting my moustaches; once in a while I would chime in. When they got ready to leave, the men told the girls that they had enjoyed meeting their uncle and hearing him tell of some of his tropical experiences. When they left, Gertrude went to the door with them. Dr. Hicks stepped out into the hall and hesitated. Gertrude said good night, backed up and closed the door. I said to myself, “That is a hell of a way to tell a man good night that she is fixing to marry.” I tarried a while longer and when I went to leave, I got an entirely different good night. I said to myself, “That means I lighten my pocketbook about $150.00 the next morning.” Gertrude said that she wouldn’t go on duty the next day and asked me to come back in the morning and spend the day with her. I told her that I had a little running around to do and would be a little late. First thing in the morning I got a clean shave, then went to Hutchinson’s Jewelry Store and asked to see a ring. He asked me if I just wanted to look at a ring or did I want to buy one. I told him I might buy one. He put a platter of rings on the counter and said, “This is about the sort of ring that we sell the oil field workers.” I picked out one and paid him. He promised that if it didn’t fit he would make it fit.
We sat on the sofa and talked until noon. On several occasions, I picked up her hand, twiddled the fingers and then dropped the hand. I suggested we go downtown to eat and picked up her hand and slipped the ring on.
We went the next day to meet her people. While sitting near Mrs. Moreland, I asked, “Mrs. Moreland has Gertrude told you our plans?” She said she had. I said I hoped it met her approval and she said, “Oh yes, Gertrude has told me all about you.”
I went to Chicago, got my Army orders straight and got my commission. Influenza was raging. The Army loaned me to Public Health Service for the duration of the flu. The war was over before the flu was. I was discharged from Public Health November 18th, 1918. I went directly to Shreveport.
We arranged to go to Minden and get married at Mrs. Richardson’s home Thanksgiving Day. I went to work with Willis Knighton Clinic. We bought a little home and began our family. We managed to rear and educate our family. They are al on their own now and doing well.
We own our comfortable home. We live alone, have a comfortable living income and are happy.
Unable to sleep, I got into a tub of hot water to try to relax. While lying there, I had time to reminisce. Men leave home and go to the tropics because they can make more money there. Most of them throw restraint to the four winds and their earnings at wine, women and song. I am glad that mine didn’t go that way. I sent it back home. It went hither and thither. Oh well, I wish I could forget the whole thing. I am going to take a sleeping pill and go to bed.
Good night.
... I spent seven years in the tropics on a good salary. I sent the money home helping to keep the home fires burning, to make Momma comfortable and keep the boys in school. It didn’t work out as I had hoped.
The money went hither and thither; I know not whither.
I landed in Shreveport December 15th, 1915 with three twenty dollar bills in my pocket and a job at Schumpert Sanitarium and with the idea of beginning over. After being out of civilized society for seven years, I was taken off my feet when I came into the hospital full of good looking women. Since marrying was the furthest thing from my mind and seemed to be the first on some of theirs, I kept myself aloof from the eligible ones. Spent my time at work or reading.
There was a new class of nurses, 17 in the class. Eleven of them were young girls not much more than half my age. I took up with this young bunch to pass time in safety. It wasn’t long before I had 11 young sweethearts.
There was one girl 18 years old from a poor country farm that became more attractive than the others. By and by, we became so attached that we began to talk about the future, home and family. She said that she hoped some time to get married and have a home and family, but the main thing on her mind now was to graduate and get a diploma from nursing school. That would be about two and a half years off. I decided to head to the tropics where I could make more money. When I told her that I had signed a contract in South America for two and a half years and hoped to be back for her graduation, she said that she would be waiting for me.
I started out with the idea of a third attempt for the proverbial nest egg. I sent Momma a small monthly check. Gave Perce $450.00 he said he needed to equip his office. I applied the balance on a debt of my own. During that time, we got into war.
When my contract was up, I came home and found that I was in the fourth draft and liable to be called at my time. I beat the draft by volunteering with a request that I be assigned to the Medical Corps hoping for some hospital job as orderly or floor staffer. Influenza was flourishing. The Army loaned me to Public Health Service for the period of the flu.
Public Health checked my record, commissioned me captain and put me to work as a doctor. The war was over before the flu was.
I was discharged from Public Health Service November 18th, 1918, came to Shreveport, and we were married November 25th. I had saved enough money to make a down payment on a small home. From there we started our family and made plans for the future. We always planned together. We eventually bought a larger home in a better location. We raised and educated our children. They are all on their own now and doing well. Johnette married a well established veterinarian. They live across the street from us. She has everything she wants and is happy.
When Jack finished Med. School, he did his term in the Navy, then specialized in ear, nose and throat. He owns his own office, has a large practice and two assistants. He is known far and wide for some of his work for the hard of hearing.
Helen is office manager for an insurance company in Norfolk, Virginia. She was transferred from the office here to Memphis, then from Memphis to Norfolk with each move a promotion.
Mildred is in New York, secretary to financier William Burden, who is of the Vanderbilts. He inherited more money than he knows what to do with, and Mildred has a fabulous salary and numerous fringe benefits. She likes New York, has built a home to her liking and will most likely spend the balance of her life there. Helen will most likely return to Shreveport some time and live alone, comfortable and happy.
We have too much house. We have discussed a smaller house, but come back to the comforts here. We own our home and don’t owe anybody a cent. We have a comfortable monthly income and some money in savings. Mother is provided for after I have gone.
I don’t know why I wrote this. I was sitting in my easy chair reminiscing, picked up pencil and paper and began to write.
The 18-year old student nurse has been a wonderful helpmate and life partner for all of the time since we first knew each other.
These pages describe the delusions, fantasies &