We arrived in Bellinghamin 1916 and the first morning they asked me where I intended to go to-day and I being used to the prairie said up to that mountain, (Mt Baker) which looked to be next door and they said that is 60 miles.then I said I was going down town and get a job. It was depression time and there was no jobs to be had.I went down town and watched the wood trucks go by so I went into a tobacco store and purchased some cigars and got a ride on a truck and gave the driver some cigars and told him if any one wanted their wood thrown in to call me, it worked real good. the folks bought a home on Iron street and I lived there untill I got marrie in1023 [1923]. my first job here was in a lumber mill (Bloedel Donovan) and there was no SS or anything when you got too old to work so I decided that I would not follow this kind of work so I started to take my high-school work at Whatcom high schoo, I gradusted in 1921. After graduation I got a job in the cemrnt plant as secretary and time keeper, my pay was 65$ per month, then I got a job at the Union printing co and I was not fast enough to take care of it. Tryed several sales jobs then landed a job in a bakery, got tired of the drinking and took a job with the city railway as motorman and conductor some times. Then I went to work for the Standard Oil Co., and stayed with them for 38 years.I used to walk to school and one morning I was aboute to meet a young woman who I had seen a good many times, I heard hurried foot sounds from the rear and as I met the young woman there was a man back of me and he pulled a revolver out and shot the woman in front of me, he turned to me and I thought this must be it, but he said call the police and I did very willingy.It seems that they had been married and she wanted a devorse and he decided not too give it to her. It was aboute this time I heard the first radio broadcast. also my first fishing trip,(lake Samish), The first truck I drove was a Garford which had 8 speeds ahead, I never did get this truck in high gear, my next truck was a kliber and the next a model t ford/ The Standard co used to sell coupon books, five, ten and twenty coupon books. The first year I worked for the co., I overheard the bos say Hatley the last one on and the first to be let go, I was quite worried as I was a newly wed and broke as usual, one of the salesman came in with a bloody nose as he had tryed to collect a bill from junky in old-town so I asked the bos if I could collect the bill and he said go ahead and take another bill that was past due, I knew the one that he refered to so I went there first, and told hin what was going on so he paid the bill, I then went to the one who had give another salesman a bloody nose and told him to pay up and he did, the bos then said we can't let anyone go who can collect like that. It was in 1929 that I was transfered to the Port angeles field on the Olympic Pensulia, real new country.

One day the boss came to the service station and said just watch what I do and a customer came into the station that the boss knew and they visited and the boss filled his tank and checked the motor oil and washed the wind-shield and then left the station, the boss said do just like I did, and I say don't you collect for the products sold? Another incident, there was three of us employees working on the station--Caskey, Daniels and I, well at the end of the month there was one hundred and five dollars worthof script books missing, so they took thirty five dollars from each employee, then I was transfered to another station, after a couple of week of everything going well Daniels was sent to my station as my air and water boy, the next month another ten dollar book was mussing, Mr Weisel told me that the following Saturday was the last, I said I did not take the book and he said forget it. Mr Weisel was going around with Daniels so he thought it was me, well1 aboute ten Am on Saturday morning an old farmer come to the station for air in his tires and as the air and water was not on the pump block as now days so he came to the back of the station, I thought let him take care of his own car and then I thought maybe he would hire me and went out and waited on him,he said sonny I have something here that should have been kept by the seller, it was the fly from the missing script book, I asked him to go to the office with me, but he said not but I said you are going if I have to carry you, so I closed the station and we went to the office and the boss said you are not done yet and I showed him the missing book, he said go back and I will come over at one oclock and can Daniels, I am sorry I almost canned the wrong man--another close call. Mr Weilel was transfered and a Mr Broaslm took his place,The city moved the highway to another part of town and the new boss came to me and wanted to know what had happened to the sales, and I said you know what has happened and he would not buy it so I was in the dog-house, he sent me to check somebarrels at a logging incline and there was aboute two feet of snow and the logging was closed down, I took one look at the snow and marked the barrels on hand, which was a untruth so when they wanted to send someone to another field you know who went,My dad died in 1929 and mother in 1931--Another incident- the boss told me to collect from a court judge, I tryed seversl times to contact him but to no results so I went to the court-house and the ballif said the court is in session, I went by him and asked the judge to call a ten minute recess, he did and we went to his office and he paid me., Lucky I did not get put in the jub, ha ha

Here is another incident, the Methodist Church groups of young people decided to go up to lake whatcom and spend the night at the YMCA cottage, and we played various games and as a prise the games decided where we would sleep. It was not my niht, couldent win anything so I was appointed to keep the fire going and sleep on the floor. I had brought one blanket and that was it. Some of the others had brought in plenty of wook, it was winter time and the cottage was not insulated so was quite cold. Aboute one oclock in the morning I decided to do something aboute it. the rest were sleeping so I took a pillow here and a blanket somewhere else untill I had a good bed, in the morning some of the others got cold and went looking for their bed-clothes, well I had to wash the dishes. One day three of us boys went on a camping trip to lake Whatcom with our bicycles and on the way hone we were coming down hill aboute thirty miles per hour when we rounded a curve and there was a herd of cattle on the road, well I hit a cow and my bicycle looked like a pretzel. Another time three of us were camping on lake Whatcom and intended to catch lots of fish, which we did not and ran out of food, there was a resident accrost the lake and we went and tryed to buy some food, the man chased us off with a gun so we decided to go back after dark and get some food, I was to go to the front door and get his attention, one of the other boys got in a hurry and grabbed a chicken and when it started to make a noise he came out with a gun, we had parked our boat some distance from his house but he came out and started to shoot at what he thought ws our direction, well we wound up with a big chicken and a lot of butter and some eggs, we went back to our camp which was accrost the lake from his plance aaand later we heard him comming or rather rowing towards us. We had cleaned the chicken and when we got back I made a hole where the fire had been andfixed the chicken for roasting, he came over and looked for evidence which was not there,later we had a feast. Here is something that happened at the bakery where I worked,I made adry mix for fofteen quart mix of donuts and in the morning a helper was sent to bring fifteen quarts of butter-milk, he came back and said there is something wrong, you must have made a mistake so I took a look at it and found out that he had brought back fifteen quarts of commercial cream, the boss had a fit so I made loaves of the dough and hit the top with some egg, the boss said it is a total loss but it turned out real good and we sold the loaves for fifty cents and the next Saturday there was a good many calls for this kind of loathes.Alls well that ends well

Here is some of the things that happened while in Bellingham, one day two of us boys went duck hunting at the mouth of the Nook-sac river north of Bellingham. it was early and foggy and there was aboute two feet of water at this place of the river, all of a sudden when it began to get light there was a covy of ducks, my partner let go and the man that owned the decoys was real put out when several of his decoys went flat,--not so good... Then one time we went hunting out by Lynden, the boys had stole a hunting dog so we could get some game. The dog pointed the first bird and then went home, Ha Ha Another time we went hunting pheasants the first day of the season and it was foggy and a covy of Hungarian pheasants flew up and some of the boys let go and hit a farmers cow, she let out a bawl and the farmer came after us, this wasent so good eather.One time we went hunting ducks on Bellingham bay and to save time we went through a railroad tunnel, it was quite long and a train started to whistle, we layed down by the rails and it passed real quick. it was real scarry believe me. Another time we were hunting Hungarian pheasant and I being used to hunting had my limit and as we were driving along we saw a covy of birds in a corn field that was close to a farm house, the owner and a helper were shingleing the roof so I said wait here and I will go around the field and the birds will fly over the car and you can get some birds, I did not take a gun and when I got between the house and the birds they flew and the boys opened fire and peppered both men on the toof, not so good. Later on this same day I took my gun and went into a field and there was lots of pheasants and I got the limit for them. One time I went hunting alone out by Lynden and when I came to a good looking field I noticed that there was a car right behind me and there was two men in it and one of them said you can't hunt here and I asked them if they owned this place and they said no so one of the men said let himgo along and scare the birds up, we started and a pheasant flew up ain I shot it then another and I go it it was just a short time untill I had my limit and left them to their selves. It was out by Lynden that I picked my first cherries, it was a large tree and I got out too far on a limb and it broke and I landed on a bee hive, they come out and I ran to the lake and just beat them. One time I took dad and grandpa Nichols and his wife picking wild black=berries, it was fenced property and the owner had cut a lot of brush and piled it up but did not burn it the berries were thick and easy to pick, suddenly I saw a large bull and he took after dad so I cut between him and dad and he took after me, I beat hin to the fence and while he was chasing me the others got out of the p;ace. Lots of berries and lucky to get out, this bull was mean and angry.

Her is some of the things that happened at the bakery, one day we got an order for several hundred dozzen buns for a carnival. we had a bun divider that handeled five pounds at a time, it had a handle like a peeve which had been broken and a piece of iron pipe was substituted. there was a real heavy spring and a poor catch and no safety device .I refused to use this equipment but Frank the bos's brother said he would operate it, the handle came out and hit him on the head, it knocked him out so I took him out in the alley and turned the water hose on him, it brought him back to life but he was not happy at me. Another time three of us boys were having a watermellon fight with over ripe mellons, I had just hit one of the boys with a ripe cantalope and the butcher came to see what was going on and looked around the corner and got a large chunk of mellon right in his face which he did not like. One of my jobs was to work out with his son, 9Chet Neff) welter weight of the coast, I did not like this part as I always had a split lip or a black eye ao I wanted to quit but dad said keep trying to lay one on hin and a short time later he said that he had stepped on a stone and run into a hard right, that ended his desire to have me work out with him. Mr Neff got to drinking too much and one day his wife came to our house and wanted me to go to her home and make Charlie quit what he was doing, (breaking everything in the house with an axe, I refused and called his brother who came just as the cops arrived and they took him and put him in jail. I am sorry that I left hin there untill morning.In 1923 I got married and rented a place in the Lutz apts.It was about this time that dad had a stroke and never was the same. One day befor I was married I came home and found mother in tears, I asked her what was the trouble and she said grandfather Medley was dieing and they were financally unable to go to his hone in South Dakota, I went down town and bouth them two round trip tickets, they were real happy. Bob finally sold his place in Alberta and moved to Bellingham, he purchased a wood yard and it did not work out very good, he was too good hearted and let people have credit that did not deserve it so he sold it and moved to a farm at Alger. He worked hard but things did not turn out for him. We went to Seattle on our honey-moon.Here is another thing that happened at the bakery, in the begining it was a wood fired oven, we filled it with wood and then after it burned we cleaned out the ash and did the baking,the bos decided to put in gas and we turned it on in the morning and later found that it had not ignated so he lit it, the gas that had accumalated blew all the windows out,wow!! When we first got to Bellingham there was a vacant house close by and there was lots of raspberries, I was picking berries and a little girl was also picking suddenly she let out a yell and ran home, her mother came over and blamed me,saying I had thrown a rock and hit her and then a wasp hit her and she understood.

It was about this time that the Spanish flue was going around and the schools were closed, I went out and cut several cords of wood for the folks. I did not get it that year but the next year the schools were not closed and come down with it. I guess the doctor told the folks to get the relatives as there was nothing else he could do, I was unconscious for a long time and when I came out of it I was so weak I had to learn to walk again and a good many people in the neighborhood had died. They say that the flue killed more men then the Germans. I had been drafted and everything was ready for me to go to Fort Lewis but the armistice waas signed and the war was over. When I had the flue I lost all my hair and had to quit playing in the Bellingham orchestra. I was playing second violin, my eyes were so poor that I could not see the music. About this time Bob moved to Four Lakes and on my next vacation we left for Four Lakes with my model t Ford,I took Lilian and Evelyn and went to a jitr dance in Spokane, spent most of my money and when we left for home had some hard luck, blew tire (30 by 3) we got in a sand storm and got sand in the coil system and had to go home on three cylinders, we traveled all night and early the next morning we were on Chuck-a-nut drive and ran out of gas, no money and no gas and tired and cranky, Mom said what will we do now and I said I don't know. It was not day light yet and we heard some one cussing just around the curve was a man with a big car and a flat tire, he said where did you come from, his son had taken the tire tools out of his fathers car and failed to return them, he had clincher tires and could not change the tire without tools. he said change the tire and I will give you some gas, we got home about daylight and eat some coffe and crackers. This was Sunday and I had to be to work on Monday, a happy ending Ha Ha.--- This was during probion time and we thought it was smart to drink the stuff called moon-shine.We both drank so there was many headaches.Here is an incident that happened during flue epidemic, Roy Mote was very sick and the doctor told his mother that he was dieing, she came over and asked mother if we had a big rooster and mother said yes and then she asked if I would bring the rooster, chopping block and an axe, I took these things over and Roy was unconcious and in very bad conditon. She had me cut the rooster in two and put it on his chest, it worked and he came out of it.It was about this time that we lost our first child. Sister and her husband and daughter had moved back to Bellingham.At this time you could buy a suit of clothes for $25.00 and a hat for fave dollars and the wages were according, My wages were $150.00 per month.It was aboute this time Iheard the first radio on the air,and moving pictures witha talk there ws one moving picture in Bellingham that was five cents admission.

My wife's folks owned a residence in Bellingham and the wife and her sister thought it would be a good thing for us to live together, that is Thelma Merwin and the wife and I, I didn't think it would work but I said I would try it so we moved intoour new home. It was decided that we would take turns on each week end, Thelma took the first, second third, and fourth so I decided it was time to move. We moved to the Holly hill apt., where I got our rent reduced by fifty percent for collecting the other occupants rent, real good. By turns I mean that we would have the house to ourselves each week end so we could have company.The Holly hill appartments was a three story building twelve occupants. One day a man came into my station and wanted credit, he was a Jewish Church member and had a chicken that had not been belssed, so I took the chicken and gave him five gallons of gasoline and he gave me a small sack of potatoes, well1 a few days later I went shopping and asked my wife what she wanted and she said some potatoes, I found out that the other occupants had been borrowing everything from my wife. I went around and collected from each occupant what they had borrowed, we had lots of potatoes, bread, butter, coffee, and other things. This stopped this deal and there was no more borrowing. New brides were often taken advantagd off. I guess this was nothing new.Here is another incident--Thelma and Merwin had planned to go to a dance on a Saturday night and my wife asked me to go and find out if they were still planning on going to the dance, it was just befor six oclock and the usual rush was on, there was a little boy waiting to be waited on and merwin did not know whose boy he was and he asked him what he wanted and he said toilet paper and Merwin said who is this for and the kid saif allof us.---ha ha,...

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