THE “TIMES” PRIZE-WINNING COLUMN
From
ALMAR FARM
In Transylvania
BY CAL CARPENTER
The wage and price freexe
we have now started me
thinking about wages and
prices the way they used to
be. And I'm not thinking
about ancient history either;
I’m thinking about the way
they were when I was a young
fellow, just about 30 years
ago.
This was just before and
during World War II. It doesn’t
hardly seem possible there could
be so much change in such a
short time.,, ,
I remember my first regu
lar job after I’d finished high
school and the year at Blan
ton’s Business College in
Asheville. I was hired as an
accountant and motor freight
rate clerk at the starting sal
ary of $21 a week. It was a
princely sum for the time—
young people were leaving
the business college for $14
or $15 a week and glad to
get it. It wasn’t that I was
extra smart or good that, got
me such a big salary — I
just happened to come along
at the time when the job was
open.
But Boy! I lived high on the
hog on that $21 a week. I paid
$8 a week for a room (with
telephone) a bath just down
the hall, hnd three square meals
a day. My laundry and dry
cleaning cost about $2 a week.
1 had a 1938 Plymouth coupe
my Dad had helped n.c buy,
and I was a real man about town
on the $10 or so a week I had
left after my living expenses.
Social Security was one
cent on the dollar — 1 paid
21 cents a week. Federal in
come tax was not withheld
then and it must not have
amounted to much, for I don’t
remember any difficulty pay
ing it. I don’t remember
there being any state income
tax.
In those days, a date cost me
a dollar plus whatever gas was
burned. This allowed for two
mpvie fares to the best theater
in town at 35 cents each and
two butterscotch sundaes at
Eckerd’s at 15 cents each. There
might have been a 1 cent sales
tax on the sundaes. I’ve forgot
ten; if so, the date cost a dollar
and one cent.
You could buy a new Ford,
Chevrolet, or Plymouth coupe
for about $800 — if you had
such a sum. A respectable
suit of clothes could be bought
for less than $25, and shirts
When you think of prescrip
tions. think of VABNER’S. adv.
were about $1. A real good
pair of shoes could be bought
for $5.
Of course everybody’s pay
was low then. Skilled mechanics
were glad to get $25 to $30 a
week. School teachers were
not so underpaid, comparative
ly, for they made about $100
a month — for 9 months any
how.
I know of one fellow who
drove a grocery delivery
truck for the old Champion
Company Store at Canton — I
worked there a few weeks one
summer. He made $16 a week
and had made no more for
years. He had a nice little
home, two kids, a neat little
’34 Chevy auto, and didn’t
seem to have a financial care
in the world.
The Motor Freight line I
worked for paid our “pickup”
van drivers $18 a week. The
long-haul men made better, they
were unionized even then—
but not much more. My boss,
the Agent for the line, made
$30 a week and - the company
furnished him a car.
But a dollar went a long
way then, for food as well as
clothes. You could buy a stack
of pancakes with butter and
syrup and two or more cups
of coffee for 20 cents. A big
bowl of soup was a dime, a
cup of coffee a nickel; and,
for those who indulged oc
casionally, a regular bottle of
beer was 10 cents and a
premium beer 15. A good
plate lunch cost a quarter; I
don’t know what a steak din.
ner cost. I don't recall ever
buying one.
Higher education was even
more startlingly lower in view
of today’s cost. If a man had
$250 a year, he could go to
college — all expenses includ
ing his clothes and a little en
tertainment included. If he
were willing to work a little, he
could probably make four years
on just a little more than that.
I know a guy who made it
through the University of Ar
kansas on $350. I have an old
friend, a practising surgeon in
Memphis, who managed his
entire medical education—pre
med and med school—on $3,000.
But finished doctors didn’t
charge as much then, either.
Most office calls were in the
$2 range and home calls (they
had then) were $5. A hos
pital room cost about. $7 a
dav; a private nurse the same.
All told a person paid less
once-a-year
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- -
Transylvania Art Guild Has
First Official Meeting, 1st
Those in attendance at the
first official meeting of the
Transylvania Art Guild (TAG)
on October 1st were delighted
and amazed as Beth Mitchell
showed her expertise in . water
color.
As a special feature of inter
est, Mrs. Mitchell demonstrated
the technique of watercolor.
She emphasized the importance
of having a balanced picture to
start with and showed the mem
than $200 for an appendec
tomy.
Not being a family man then,
I don’t know much about the
cost of groceries, but I remem
ber the paper ads pretty well.
Bread was 10 cents a loaf ex
cept for special chain store
brands which were 8 cents and
sometimes 6 cents on special.
Most regular sized cans of
vegetables went for 10 cents or
less, hamburger was 20 to 25
cents a pound, and flour and
meal about 4 cents a pound—
sometimes as little as 79 cents
for a 25-lb. bag of flour.
Fifteen dollars a month
would rent a very nice house.
Yes, money went a long way
then. High paid people re
ceived salaries that would be
laughable now. I knew a man
who was head bookkeeper for
a small firm in Asheville.
He’d been with them for 30
years and made, so I was re.
liable informed, $70 a week.
I thought that was absolute
ly fabulous. I just couldn't
imagine such wealth.
And the man did live well.
I rode in his new Oldsmobile
coupe in 1941 — it was the
first car I’d ever been in with
an automatic transmission. It
probably cost over a thousand
dollars!
I could go on, but I won’t.
Those of my readers who are
old enough know what I’m
talking about; those not old
enough to have experienced
those days probably think I’m
spinning a yarn. For they
cja’t imagine the days when
aidollar was a dollar, and even
so, a lot harder to come by
than it is today.
bers several rough sketches of
the same subject.
While working intently, she
made comments on her pro.
cedure. For instance, when do
ing the sky in a landscape, she
adds just a touch of glycerine
to the water to keep the pap -r
wet longer. Her preference is
cold-pressed French d’arche
paper of 300-pound weight.
Cold pressed paper has a coars
er surface which allows greater
possibilities for small white
spaces to be left exposed, and
a h'savy paper is less likely to
buckle when wet.
Beth uses a small piece of
natural sponge for wetting her
paper, and often dabbed away
excess moisture with Kleenex
tissue. After doing the sky, she
did the foreground (without
wetting the paper first), a se
quence some found unusual.
She prefers this procedure in
order to allow the sky to dry.
“A brush is a wonderful tool,
when you’re learning what it
can do for you,” Mrs. Mitchell
added, after being asked what
size brush she was using. As
often as not, she used her fing
ers to spread color in small
areasi, calling fingers “wonder
ful things”.
Now residing in Sherwood
Forest, Mrs. Mitchell was born
in Morris. Illinois. She has done
a good bit of traveling and had
on display watercolor pictures
of the Smokies, Yellowstone,
and the White Mts. of N. H.
Beth is not only an excellent
watercolor artist, but an ac
complished musician as well.
The first Friday in November
will be TAG’S next meeting.
Henry Rogers, president, will
demonstrate the use of acrylics
in landscapes. The public is
cordially invited.
A 400 Per Cent Increase
In 1960, Japanese industry
consumed 40 million pounds of
primary nickel. In 1970, this had
grown 400 per cent to over 200
million pounds. In 1980, estimat
ed demand for the versatile ele
ment in Japan is expected to be
about 425 million pounds, or
just 10 million pounds under to
tal free world consumption of
nickel in 1959.
This Coming Sunday
Homecoming At St. Timothy
United Methodist Church
The annual Homecoming at
St. Timothy United Methodist
Church will be observed Sun
day, October 17th.
The observance will begin
with Church School at 9:45 n.m.
and be followed by Morning
Worship at 11:00.
A special feature of the Ser
vice will be the sermon deliver
ed by the Rev. Joseph M.
Reeves, who was pastor here
from 1963 until this year It is
also expected that other former
pastors will participate in the
Service.
The Service will be followed
by a basket dinner in the Fel
lowship Hall.
St. Timothy United Methodist
Church is the outgrowth of the
former Oak Grove Church , es
tablished during ihe Caihp
Meeting days of the American
frontier. It is the Mother
Church of Methodism in Tran
sylvania County, and has served
the community for over 125
years.
The congregation outgrew
the facilities of Oak Grove
Church, and in June, 1961, the
name was changed to St. Timo
thy Methodist Church with a
new location about a half mile
farther down the Asheville
Highway. A new sanctuary was
begun in 1968 and the first
Service of Worship was held in
the completed building Sun
day, January 12, 1969.
All members, friends, and the
public are cordially invited to
the celebration of this Home
coming.
Next floor Neighbors
Housewife to salesman at
door: “I’m not in the market
for a vacuum cleaner, but try
the people in the next house.
Wo borrow theirs, and it is in
terrible condition.’’
From Tiger Rag
Former Teacher At Rosman
Writes Faculty And Students
Mrs. Stocklen is now resid
’’hg at Mackinac I land, Michi
gan She is presen’ly staying at
the Grand Hotel, the world’s
largest summer hotel. We real
ly appreciated her nice letter
and wo would like to say thank
you. Mrs. Stocklen.
Aug. 23, 1971
Dear Mr. Warren, Faculty,
and students,
I could not let the school
year begin without iny wishes
for a wonderful year. I’ve
thought about all of you at
Forman High, so very often. I
wish I could be there to begin
another new school year with
you.
Pictured above, is my “sum
mer home.” We will be working
here until Oct. 3. Then we plan
to get settled here in Michigan
and then go to Florida for the
winter. Don’t be too surprised
if you see Tom and I at one of'
your football games in late Oct
or early Nov.
Speaking of football, we wish
the team and coaches a “super”'
season. I’ll be following your
success in the Times. «
Let me say to those of you
who are new on the faculty,
that you are in for a wonderful •
teaching experience with the
most wonderful students in the
world! Those of you returning
to R.H.S. already know this, of ■
course.
Best of luck with your mini
courses and with the entire
year. I’d love a copy of the
Tiger Fag and I’d love to hear
from everyone at R.H.S.
My love to all of you
Mrs. Stocklen
P.S. I still cherish all my
“flowers” from R.H.S. They are .
still very much alive.
DOWNTOWN
BREVARD
ON SOUTH BROAD ST.
6 A M. - 9 P.M.
Q
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Today.
You look at the way it is.
And you know, somehow,
you’re going to make it different,
Better.
More special.
Something that isn’t always easy
to do.
But you do it.
You put some of today aside
and save it with us for tomorrow*
Let’s make tomorrow
everything you want it to be.
Let’s make tomorrow together.
FirstUnionNadonal
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