2009 Essay Contest Second Place Winner
By Mattie Mann Cone

Lessons Learned

My first job helped me through the variety ofjobs I have had through the years

I was born December 28, 1921 in Pine Grove, Dallas County, Arkansas. I was the fifth child with two older brothers and two older sisters. We,had a loving family.

Pine Grove School consolidated with Sparkman, beyond second grade was in Sparkman School. I graduated in 1939. The next year the school offered commercial subjects such as typing, shorthand and bookkeeping. This was a tuition course which I took the year after graduation. Plans were to continue later at Draughan's Business College. This was all during the Depression and we didn't have the money for more schooling. My Dad had to borrow money to keep farming, more important at that time.

Dad got me a job in the County and Circuit Clerk's Office in Fordyce, the County seat. A first cousin also got a job there so we shared a room that had a shared bathroom and kitchen with an Aunt and Uncle. A bus line had just started running twice a day from Carthage to Fordyce to Sparkman. On weekends we rode the bus home. Returning to Fordyce, we brought back vegetables and groceries from home to last for the week.

My first paying job began September 1, 1941. I was hired as a typist for the Dallas County and Circuit-Clerk to type columns listing the taxes. After typing several very large pages, Mr. Charles Feaster, the Clerk, told me I had copied the wrong column. You didn't have correction tape then, you had to erase by hand. Finally I got it all erased and started again. I had done several pages when one morning he came by saying he "forgot they raised the taxes." For the second time, my typing would have to be erased. I went into the vault and cried before coming back to erase again to start over.

I had no idea or concept about Land Descriptions which was also part ofmy job. You didn't have copiers; you typed multiple copies ofLand Deeds. Spelling mistakes you underlined. When the article was in the record book, then you had to proofread it and it had to be exact. The Deputy Clerk and I would get so sleepy reading these over, but that was all in the day's work.

Besides recording the Land Deeds, we sold wedding license and dog license for hunting dogs. My job was to write the dog license. This customer came in for 12 or lS dog license. I didn't know anyone ever had that many dogs. I said, "Are all these dogs yours?" He told me they were deer dogs. I didn't know about deer hunting and dogs

Weddings were performed in the office by a Justice ofthe Peace. Sometimes we would recruit a minister ifthe bride was dressed with a veil. We would call the minister from across the street to perform the ceremony.When court was in session, the Deputy Clerk and I had to stay until Court adjourned JUL 2 8 2009 because we were in charge ofthe evidence. If a hung jury, we had to stay even if it lasted until 2 or 3 0'clock in the morning.

Don't remember how much rent was, but I was paid $75 a month to cover room and board, clothes, travel home, etc. Before the end ofthe month I was broke, I always ran . out of money before the next pay check. I couldn't ask for a raise but I did ask if he could pay me twice a month. He graciously consented., This was fine. I could make it without running out ofmoney before the end ofthe month ~y being careful,

December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor was bombed. The men began leaving to go into the Service. Election year was 1942 and since the Clerk had an opponent, we had to go after hours to Candidate Speaking and Campaign for our boss. The boss was defeated so I had to find another job. I went to work for the Rationing Board which included stamps for gasoline, tires, sugar, meat and coffee.

My first job taught me patience, fortitude, to manage my money and respect others. I have always tried to do unto others as I would have them do to me.