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| A mighty good letter. |
Stephenville Empire-Tribune. He had the job.
Her glance down at the address confirmed it. Typed! Oh, joy! Another writer’s dream come true. No more long handwritten letters or manuscripts, it might be borrowed, but he had a typewriter.
Lewis cut right to the chase:
“I got the job. I know nothing about the amount and type of work yet, but Mr. Higgs just told me he wants me.”
Lewis didn’t have to think about it. The answer was “yes.” Was he excited? “Guess I should have waited until after five to write you so I could have given you the details. But you know how I am about such things.”
Later on the same day, he got the details. He couldn’t wait; he wrote another letter. For the next year, while his boss travelled the state as head of the Press Association, Lewis would just about single-handedly put out the paper—writing, editing, proofreading, sometimes hawking ads and selling office supplies over the counter. No he didn’t run a linotype or the press (wished he could), but he did sometimes spend the night at the Higgs house since Mrs. Higgs was afraid of being alone at night and serving as the boss’s driver on long trips. For this, he would get $15 a week with a vague promise of a raise if things ‘worked out.’ Loosely translated, that’s about $15, 000 a year in today’s dollars. Doesn’t sound like much, but in 1933 it sounded mighty good. And plenty of fellows were ready and willing. When he offered the job, Mr. Higgs told him “. . . about thirty-five men had been after the job but that he’d been holding it for me.”
Later on the same day, he got the details. He couldn’t wait; he wrote another letter. For the next year, while his boss travelled the state as head of the Press Association, Lewis would just about single-handedly put out the paper—writing, editing, proofreading, sometimes hawking ads and selling office supplies over the counter. No he didn’t run a linotype or the press (wished he could), but he did sometimes spend the night at the Higgs house since Mrs. Higgs was afraid of being alone at night and serving as the boss’s driver on long trips. For this, he would get $15 a week with a vague promise of a raise if things ‘worked out.’ Loosely translated, that’s about $15, 000 a year in today’s dollars. Doesn’t sound like much, but in 1933 it sounded mighty good. And plenty of fellows were ready and willing. When he offered the job, Mr. Higgs told him “. . . about thirty-five men had been after the job but that he’d been holding it for me.”
Lean times, low wages indeed, but Lewis was mighty happy, He had a job, a job, less than a week after he marched across the stage in Columbia , Missouri
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| "I got the job." |
A mighty good day and a mighty good letter, indeed.
Hurrah! I can only imagine Lewis's relief, not to mention Dottie's! Again all these parallels between our parents and their situations during the Depression. Mother and Daddy dated forever--are at least were sweet hearts forever, with very little actual dating, given the fact that Daddy was either in school or working hither and yon, while Mother was teaching. Once Daddy got his first permanent job after he'd finally graduated, in Marshall, TX, working for their paper (weekly or daily? I don't know!), they could finally get married. I have copies of letters both wrote right before the wedding and during the honeymoon first year. My very straight-laced mother sounded so giddy and happy, with oblique references in letters to her sister-in-law, Daddy's sister, of the physical joys of married life! And Daddy sounded so amazed at Mother's cooking and entertaining abilities, as well as references to worrying about her putting up with the extreme heat of that first summer as a married couple--their wedding was in June. Those letters are so fun to read. And I am loving hearing about Lewis's letters!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited about that job and I don't care what it paid!!! Hooray for his following his dream and being the one/having the character and traits that Mr. Higgs wanted! Can't wait to hear more!
ReplyDeleteI think $15,000 is a pretty darn good wage. In 1988 dollars, I started my first job writing obituaries and weddings earning about $12,500. And yes, I knew I was following in the footsteps of your folks and took (and still take) every opportunity to brag about my heritage. Now, if I could just write a book!
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