INTERVIEW
Continued From 10C


 '* Q: Did you all have any radios or
 T.V.s?
 A: No T.V. but Mommy listened to the
 radio and Poppy would tell her that one day
 you would be able to see what you heard.
 Mommy would always say "Arthur, you
 'know better than that."
 Q: What did your mother listen to on
 -" the radio?
 SA: Ma Perkins and Lowell Thomas and
 the news,
 Q: What was tL. cost of houses, food,
 and cars, when you were a child?
 SA: I don't remember the prices but when
 "" you went to the Commissary, they had
 :sugar and other supplies in big barrels and
i "it was measured out as to how much you
 wanted. You could buy dried beans for 10
 cents a pound, and get seasoning meat to go
 "with it for five cents. Candy was a penny_
 apiece.
 Our house was rented from the company
 and we paid $4.50 every payday for rent. I
 don't know about the price of homes or
 cars.
 t. Q: You said Commissary. What is,
 That?
 A: Well, as I said my Poppy was a coal,
 miner and we traded on script at the store.
 It was a company-owned store close to our
 house and they carried everything. When
 my Poppy got his pay check it was spent on
 installments, house rent or script. No it was
 not like food stamps; we paid for the script.
 Q: What was a major crime?
 A: We never heard of any bad crimes.
 'The only time we heard anything bad was if,
 there was a mine cave-in or an explosion in
 ,, the mines. Then you would hear the whistle
 blow and everyone would be scared to
 death. I am sure things went on like they do.
 today but we never heard about them.
 Q: How did you wash clothes?
 A: We used a washboard and a tub. For
 soap, we used Octagon soap or soap
 Mommy made from used grease she saved.
 My grandma could always tell when- it was
 ready to be "poured up." She used a sas-
 safras stick. She would dip it in the soap
 and if it flaked on the stick it was ready to
 be "poured up." When the soap cooled, it ,
 would be cut into bars.
 Q: Who was the President of the
 United States then?


 A: Calvin Collidge and then Herbert
 Hoover, after him F.D. Roosevelt.
 Q: What kind of entertainment] Ad
 you have?
 A: We played hopscotch, tic-tac-toe, and
 jacks. We gathered flat smooth rocks and
 used them for jacks.
 Q: Did you go to the movies and how
 much did it cost?
 A: Yes, when I got a little older and you
 could get in for 25 cents.
 Q: Did you have a favorite actor?
 A: Oh yes, I loved Gene Autry. One time
 he was on and I begged Poppy to let me go'
 with' some of my friends, I told him if he
 would let me go I would never ask to go
 again. He let me go so the next Saturday
 -when my friends were getting ready to go I
 didn't say a word. When Poppy saw them
 he asked me, "are you going to the show
 with them?" I told him that I had said I
 would never ask again. He handed me 25
 cents and told me to go..
 Q: How often did you-all go to town?
 A: Not too often. When we did, the kids
 Stayed in the car' while Mommy went in and
 got what .was needed.
 Q: Did you ever ihae any pets?
 A: We had a dog we called Spot. Poppy
 had hunting dogs. I remember one time he
 had one he gave away to a man in the next
 town and the next morning when we got up
 he was on the porch. Poppy said if he liked
 us so much that he would come back after'
 we gave him away that he would never give,
 him away again.
 Q: How and when did you meet
 Grandpa Carrier?
 A: I was 15 years old and I went to our
 Sunday school class Christmas party. He
 was a 21-year old miner. His boss. who
 went to our church, had invited him. I had a
 plate with some food on it and he came
 ,over with his plate. He said to me "Ibet I
 can eat all that's on my plate before you
 'can." I never ate a bite of my food. When
Sthe party was over,.he walked me home. He
came in and he and my Poppy shook hands.
They already knew each other because of
their job. We met in December and were
married March 28, 1938. '
 Q: How many children did you have
 and what are their names?
 A: I have five children. Their names are


Words are a mirror of their times. By looking at the areas in which the vocabulary of a language is
expanding fastest in a given period, we can form a fairly accurate impression of the chief preoc-
cupations of society at that time and the points at which the boundaries of human endeavour are
being advanced. I
 --JohnAyto


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Zella Mae, James William, Marjorie
Delores, Shelia Ann and Guy Jr.
 Q: How many. grandchildren and
great-grandchildren do you have?
 A: I have 10 grandchildren, one, which
we lost when she was 3 months old) and 17
great-grandchildren.
 Q: Is there anything you would like to
add to the thing you have already told
me?
 A: Yes, your great-grandfather died in
July of 1981. We had over 40 years togeth-
er and I still miss him today. I thank God
for my good health, my children and grand
and great-children. They are a blessing to-
me. Ithank and praise God for my 82 years
of life and if he calls me this very second, I
am ready to go. -
 Note: There are still many things to


 January 6,2005, The Herald-Advocate 3C
write about "Honey" and the wonderful life
that she has lived. She has had sad times
and happy times but it does not make her
faith waver. I was hardly 1 year old when I
started to call her "Honey." We were in the
store and she asked my Grandma Margie a
question and her reply was "Honey I don't
know", I was told I went through the store
calling "Honey", and that I 'have called her
that since that day. Thank you "Honey" for
sharing your memories with me. I love you.

Teens Interview Elders is a weekly series
written by ninth graders in Florida history
classes at Hardee Senior High School as a
class assignment. The-Herald-Advocate
prints an interview a week to encourage the-
students and for the enjoyment of our read-
ers.


I