September 1960, Up North

In September 1960 the place to go was north. Southerners were going to visit, to live and to work.

It was common for men to come from the south to look for work. That is what Joe Abe had done. He left the south to find work. He was not the first in his family to have done so, but was lucky enough have landed a better job than most. Joe had been in a car accident as a teen that damaged his arm to the point that the service would not take him during war time. He thought himself less than his younger brother that served in Korea. My grandmother was always pleased that one of her boys did not have to go. The middle son that died years later in a house fire was convinced that when he went he was not coming back. He was terrified. My grandmother was just as pitiful as him, because she was very proud of her middle son. The youngest son went and never batted an eye. He was always at war with someone anytime he was anywhere.

My Granddaddy’s brother had moved up north and did not find work in industry. He and his wife did take advantage of the migration of men from the south. Boarding was something that was common in the south, because of the farm workers. This was nothing new to Toot and Red. The boarding house became a productive business for them. There were so many of the southern boys that knew them that would much rather stay with someone they knew. They had settled in Cleveland, Ohio. Just about everyone that lived in Alabama had someone that moved to find work in one of northern states. This was a perfect stop along the way to carouse with their uncle in the Yankee bars. Meeting Yankee women was easy, because they all loved the hard working- slow talking southern boys. The venture of the boarding house was much easier for Uncle Red than Aunt Una. She was the cook, maid and manager of the boarding house. She also had the added stress of her husband enjoying the visits from the southern travelers.
My grandmother had even boarded men working for them that had nowhere to stay. She mentioned one of them often, Rink Morgan. “I even kept Rink Morgan.” Is what she would say when she was talking of all the hard work she had always done. He stayed with Grandmother and Granddaddy for the peaks of gathering or planting seasons. He was given food, shelter and a very small wage during planting. He was paid according to the price of the day for picking cotton. This was paid by the pound. When I picked as a child it was three cents for first picking and five cent a pound for second picking. First picking was more because the cotton was fuller at first. Second was just what happened to open following the first picking. Grandmother always was curious about Rink when he was not staying with them. She had quizzed him enough to know he worked in railroad yards during the coldest part of winter, when there was nothing to do on the farms. I am sure having someone live with you makes a lasting impression that you never forget that person.
For all the relatives that were traveling there would be lots of business just from the passersby that were heading even further north. It was nothing to detour by way of Cleveland to stay a night or two. Many of them that were passing thru had no intention of staying or even looking for a serious change in their way of life. It was more like a vacation for them. The trips many times were made just for these young men to be going. It was common for them to get their parents to loan them the money to go looking for work. Their parents would always be willing if it meant that the boys were going to get a job making good wages.

Getting to the residences of the transplanted southerners was the most important task at hand. Then they would be ready for the entertainment that was waiting in a different place. Joe had moved to Wayne, a suburb of Detroit. He wanted to work for one of the automotive companies. The job he landed first was the one he decided to take. He was serious about finding a good paying job and had no problem with staying. This was in the steel mill in Plymouth, Michigan. He was sure that this was the best choice for him. He got an apartment over a garage, worked every day and made many friends to hang out with after work. He was great looking and spoke kindly to everyone he met. He had the great southern charm and resembled Ricky of  the I Love Lucy Show.