We were very fortunate during the 30s because before the 1930 ended we were back on a farm. My mother got me away from the river but never got the river away from me. All my life I have been close to the Potomac River and it's tributaries high in the Appalachians. We moved from Dam No. 4 in about 1928 to Wild Goose Farm about 5 miles north of Shepherdstown. The farm had always been owned by very rich people. When we moved to it, it was owned by the Jarretts. Mr. Jarrett was a Consulting Engineer and on the board of regents of Rensellear Polytechnic Institute. Mrs. Jarrett *1 was a writer who during the years I knew her had written several very popular mystery novels. One year Mr. Jarrett would be in South America most of the year and he insisted that while he was away I would sleep in the house so that Mrs. Jarrett would have someone close by in case of any emergency. The house was a large mansion. If I am not mistaken it had 32 rooms. At the front was a large drawing room with a wall size mirror at one end. Joining this room was a large library and I was permitted to use this library at any time. In the winter months frequently they made the farm their permanent home. I had to cross the large drawing room to get to the library. The room was in semi-darkness with the shutters closed and the furniture covered with white sheets. The first time I used the library I was crossing the semi-dark room and caught movement on my left. My heart skipped a beat because somebody else was in the room. Then I realized I had been frightened by my own reflection in the huge mirror. The Jarretts were wonderful people. Mr. Jarrett gave me my first typewriter and a college typing text book. I have never been without a typewriter since. In fact I couldn't function very well with out it. From my earliest years of public speaking typed notes have been my salvation since I find it difficult to read my own writing after a few hours. The Jarretts were not farmers. My dad was employed to manage the farm and pay only a very small percentage of the amount of money from the sale of wheat and other grain and livestock. The move to this farm was the last move for me until I was married and left home. I think the gift of the typewriter was the acknowledgement of a service I had performed for Mr. Jarrett. He had a very rare shrub in the yard with a leaf of unusual green. It was covered with tine white aphids that masked the color of the leaves. He had tried everything he knew about insecticides but nothing worked. I had read in a farm magazine a formula I thought would work. It was a simple mixture-powdered glue dissolved in boiling water and sprayed on the shrub. It worked. The glue would dry and apparently smothered the insects and wind and rain would cleanse the foliage. I was proud of my accomplishment and I was also proud that Mr. Jarrett would have enough faith in a 15 or 16 year old boy to think I was the one to stay with Mrs. Jarrett at night. The house was so big that (I) entered my bedroom from the back, up a special stairs, so far away from Mrs. Jarrett that I probably could never hear he if she called for help. During that period she was writing what I thought was her best book "Strange Houses" (NOTE: In above this title the words 'Cora Jarrett') It was about a psychiatrist who switched the personalities of two of his female patients. One was a very refined and delicate young woman and the other a typical street-wise uncultured dancer uneducated entertainer. After he had switched and he had observed their behavior, he suddenly died. For some of her books she was consulting my dads good friend and our family doctor on poisons and some unusual methods of committing murder. It was this doctor, Doctor Burrell who being also a friend of the Jarretts, recommended my dad as an ideal manager of the farm. Our move to this beautiful farm and becoming friends of such wonderful people as the Jarretts as the Depression was becoming blacker and blacker changed my life and gave me a new and brighter future to look forward to. The house we lived in had a kitchen, dining room, living room and 3 bedrooms all on one floor. Outside the kitchen door was the concrete top to a cistern that collected rain water from the roof. We didn't drink it but got our drinking water from a large, enclosed spring that emptied into a water trough for cows and horses. The spring house was one temperature the year round. When we first moved to Wild Goose we had no electricity, but later through Rural Electrification Administration and the New Deal we got electricity in the house. With this also came our first bathroom in spite of the new clean outhouse built by the W.P.A. We had a large garden, a beautiful yard, a smoke house and on top of the smoke house was a large bell you could hear all over the farm. We had one mule I remember that invariably stopped when you were working the ground when he heard that bell that announced dinner. We had three big meals a day-breakfast, dinner, and supper. The barn was a large bank barn with a large metal goose weather vane on top thus the name "Wild Goose Farm". We also had a big windmill, on a high steel tower that pumped water into other troughs for livestock to drink. There was never any shortage of water. I was the only member of the family who loved to climb that tower to oil the bearings of the windmill. I loved to be able to hold on to it as the wind would vary and turn it suddenly around. Our main crops were corn and wheat. We also had sheep for wool and lambs for market. We ate lamb often but never mutton, which is adult sheep. That was the only time in my life that I got to eat real veal, which is a calf that has never had anything but milk. We milked 10 or 15 cows, made our own butter and cottage cheese and sold the surplus milk, except when we ran it through a seperator. We used or sold the cream and fed the skimmed milk to the hogs. From 1929 to 1933 were the hopeless years of the Great Depression. Depending on where you got your statistics unemployment was 12 and 1/2 to 17 or 18 million. If you lived in (the) city you would see large lines-some of them food lines-often were job hunters at factory gates. Many of the unemployed stopped looking and sat around in a daze, hopelessness on their faces. There was no unemployment insurance. Savings quickly vanished. Availability of loan value of insurance policies quickly dried up. Hoover provided welfare for banks and large industries with Rural Reconstruction Finance Corporation but nothing for the hopeless millions of whom many were penny less and hungry. This was the period of gang warfare in the cities, rural law brakers who were looked upon by many people as Robin Hoods-John Dillinger, Bonnie an Clyde, Babyfaced Nelson, Machine Gun Kelly. Prohibition seemed to be making more criminals then it was preventing. The city gangs did not want repeal of the 18th. Amendment. Hoover became more popular when he ordered the army to throw the Veterans Bonus Marchers out of Washington. And incidentally the army officer who took charge of cleaning these people out of Washington was General Douglas McArthur. many people thought these marchers were communist and that many were common criminals. This was not true. They were veterans of World War I who had been promised by Congress a bonus. They had a large area in Washington of Shanty towns of what were then known as Hoovervilles. All over the county shanty towns or Hooverville were increasing. To make matters worse farms were being blown away by dust in the western farm belt. This is made move vivid by John Steinbacks in his book, "Grapes of Wrath". At Wild Goose farm we were never hungry and usually had a little cash. In the spring I hauled small loads of manure to town at about $2.00 a load for people who had gardens, and naturally I hauled it in a horse and wagon. We also went house to house selling corn and other vegetables. We had many fruits and vegetables especially apples, pears, and quinces. Many times on weekends in the Fall we would run apples through our cider mill and cut wood for winter fuel. More and more we began to see how fortunate we were. My sister finished two years (of) college and began teaching. She was married in 1931 and became a farm wife.*2 We all loved the man she had married. In November 1932 we began to sing "Happy Days Are Here Again", Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected in a landslide, and for me these were the happiest days of my life to date. We were so much better off than we were during the 20s. In 1929 I entered high school. We had no high school building but one was on the way. I went to the first year in an older building on the campus of Shepherd College. By 1930 the new building was ready and I went to H.S. here until I graduated in 1933. In March of that year Roosevelt was inaugurated. This was of course before the lame duck amendment to the constitution which changed the date of the inauguration from march to January. His most famous statement in his inaugural speech was "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." I was too young to vote for him in 1932, but I was still voting for him after I married and after our first two children were born. I was five years finishing high school. I never failed a course but was expelled in my third year. We were studying Shakespeare in English and I still read Shakespeare. At a nearby theater-10 miles away-the Taming of the Shrew was playing in the afternoon. One of the members of my class persuaded me, since I had the family car at school, to take them to the movie. All of them were excused as their parents had consented. I couldn't get in touch with my parents, because we had no phone, but I was certain they would give me an excuse. But they didn't. I was to go back and take my medicine. The next morning in the office of the principal, he made the mistake of saying to me that I had sneaked off like a yellow cur. Those were unfortunate things for him to say. Frustrated, I didn't have anything in my hand. I would surely have struck him. Because I exploded with some language not all acceptable in speaking to your school principal. I could have said something such as you are the son of the female yellow cur. Anyway I was expelled until I came back with an apology. But I didn't go back until the next school year and took the entire 11th. grade over. I don't remembered if I apologized or not but I know relations between me and this school principal were never very cordial. When I began in later years to speak often in our church and other community gatherings he was never present. He and his wife never had any children which I think should be one of the requirements for a high school principal. They should have children and then maybe they could understand better the boys and girls they are dealing with. Long before the events I began to smoke and I used some of the cuss words when the occasion required it and I had tasted moonshine but only got sick on it once. This was before the days of marijuana. I probably would have tried it. I have photographs along with other wild flowers. In the years prior to the inauguration of Franklin Roosevelt I had passed 16, 17, 18. The year out of school was really a preparation for what was to come. In one of these years, I think about 1931, in the Fall, an event took place that would usually be considered very unimportant but it was certainly not for me. The Annual Morgan Grove County Fair was on and I was there and I had the family car. In a little group of girls some of whom I knew, some for a long time, was a pretty dark haired girl. I later learned she was the first cousin of one of the girls I had known before. If I was 16 she had to be around 14 or 15. She was the girl I remembered from the pony event, when old Jiggs had attacked them when they passed our house and made the pony get almost uncontrollable. Old Jiggs was not with me but she remembered him. We talked and arm in arm went to my car. We drove up the highway about two miles and in a secluded lane which is marked today as Persimmon Lane *3. her names was Martha Virginia Myers. We probably were there about an hour. We talked and I'm sure we kissed each other but that was all. After the very beginning we had the deepest respect for each other. It seemed that we were playing out events that had to happen, that some mysterious magnet had brought us together-that is was supposed to be. The unusual thing was that neither of us, from that night, for four or five more years we would never be serious about any other. The years that followed were happy, but of course there were lots of bridges to cross and a lot of mountains to climb. There began a constant battle with her parents *4 to keep us apart. Remember I was one of those mean Morrow kids. We were in school together and since I had been out a year when I went back, she was only one grade behind me. She participated in athletics especially basketball and was on the varsity team. The girls team traveled with the boys team to other high schools. My greatest fear was that she would find someone else. She was a beautiful girl-in her senior year; voted the most beautiful girl in the high school. We were never officially engaged but there was never any question that we were personally engaged and there would never be for either of us anyone else. Our effort to see each other and be together often took some strange turns. She had an older brother and their family was a prosperous farm family. She had never known the economic hardships my family had known but that didn't matter. She had some money from the sale of eggs from chickens her parents had given her and when I had a chance we went to a movie and she paid the way because I was usually broke. The year I was out of school was to me a gnawing fear that this couldn't last that we would drift apart. My younger brother *5 who was also in High School brought notes from her several times a week and I wrote notes to be carried back to her. Over and over again I wondered what would happen if this relationship was shattered. What would I do. Could I ever get over it? I didn't realize that she was feeling the same way. No two people have ever trusted, respected, and loved each other any more than this. In spite of our youth this same powerful unseen magnetic force that had brought us together was holding us together in spite of so many efforts to keep us apart. We were sure that inevitably those against us would give up. So we learned the secret way. During the early years and especially when I was not in school, Martha's mother had even contacted the principal to keep us apart. Naturally she thought Martha was too young and she had learned from long before not to trust me. Frequently Martha spent weekends with one of her cousins. I got to see her then every available night. At other times I knew she couldn't come to me so I went to her secretly. Our homes were about 10 miles apart by main roads, but I knew how to go to her as the crow flies. I always had a horse available and I went cross country. I knew where every gate to every field on every farm was located. This was no problem walking and I often walked always at night. By horseback I could make the trip to a woods about a quarter of a mile from her house without having to be on a public road for about 5 minutes. From this woods I could look across a wide field and could see the light in the window of her house. I knew if it was the kitchen window or a window in front of the house. I depended on the kitchen window. I secured my horse in this isolated woods and walked across the field. *6 We always met in the kitchen after the rest of the family had retired. I didn't dare to stay too long. One night I was waiting in her front yard for an upstairs light to go on. It was a pitch dark night. Suddenly I heard footsteps on the concrete walk around her house. It was her father going to the garage probably to lock it. Right beside the yard was a large light pole. I darted behind this light pole and hugged it so tight that I must have looked like part of it. I could have reached out and touched her father. I was sure he could hear my heart pounding. We didn't want many incidents like that. The darkness of summer or winter, rain or snow, the darkest nights I knew my way. In bad weather I left my horse tied in a strange woods. Fortunately she was always there when I returned. One night of bitter cold and heavy snow on the ground, I was riding a horse we had only had a week or two. I noticed when this horse approached a trough of water she stood far back and reached over to drink. I paid little attention to this until one night I was making my usual trip. There was about 8 inches of snow on the ground. I had two streams to ford. The first was one was a large spring that drained across the road. Today it goes through a culvert. The contrast between a 10 foot wide black ribbon of water when there was snow on the ground was a problem. This particular horse was afraid of water. She reared and bulked and was about to unseat me. I didn't force her but the next day I returned and as we approached the water I got off and led her. She hesitated when I lead her to the stream. At the edge I turned her around and gave a sudden jerk on the reins. As the bit worked she backed into the water. I led her around in the water and she took a drink and so did I. One night we dared to violate all rules. I drove up to the house tooted the barn-she came out got into the car and we took off. We were going to be married but then we knew it would never work, but stayed out until so late that we were afraid to go home. It was about 2 a.m. when we returned. Martha went into the house and I went home. No one had been out looking for us but everyone believed that something had happened that night that hadn't. We did not do anything to be ashamed of nor that would have repercussions later. A day or two days after my parents and Martha's parents met at her home with the two of us present. The result of this conference was an agreement that I could see her one night week from 7-10 p.m. But after about 5 weeks of this one night Martha's mother stormed into the room and ordered me out and not to come back. So our old system started out again. This all happened before 1933-about 1931 or 1932. I can't be real certain. I know it was before I graduated from H.S. in 1933. Neither of us had changed except to be more attached to each other come what may. During all these events-the Great Depression was getting deeper and blacker. The country was on the verge of revolution. In fact revolutions were already taking place. Food lines were longer. Employment was increasing and money was more scarce then ever.
*1 Cora Armistead Hardy, Bryn Mawr, class of 1899 and author of
"Epoch Making," did become a writer. Over the course of her lifetime
she published a number of novels and short stories, particularly mysteries,
under her married name, Cora Jarrett. A search of Library of Congress, using the
name CORA HARDY JARRETT, gives five titles written between 1933 and 1951,
including "Strange Houses", mentioned above. (DWM)
*2 Mary Elisabeth MORROW married Charles William BUSEY (DWM)
*3 Persimmon Lane is just a few miles west of Morgan Grove on the
Kearneysville Pike(DWM)
*4 William Mercer and Rosa Cecelia MILLER MYERS (DWM)
*5 Edward "Ned" MORROW
*6 My mother related to me that Dad would cross the field in front of the
house to a clump of bushes, and hide there until my grandparents light went out.
Their room was in the front overlooking the field. One night, Granddad MYERS,
said he heard a noise in the field across the road from the house, and took the
gun up into his bedroom, and began shooting indiscriminately into the field. Of
course she was afraid that he was going to kill Dad, and warned Dad not to come
anymore. Dad's answer to this was to cross over the road some distance from the
house, and approach the house on the south side where he couldn't be seen from
the front upstairs bedroom window. (DWM)
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