LATER TEEN AGE AND EARLY TWENTIES - Part 5 - "I Know I Can"

Just as we thought things were going smoothly, Alfred is forced to make another move.  Is his plan to better himself off track?  Alfred Moehlmann's "As I Was" story continues:

"My money was running out and so was Bakers.  About the first of the year we came back to Linton.  I wasn’t very happy and did what odd jobs I could get.  Along mid February I got a telephone call on a Sunday morning asking if I would be interested in a job of Cost Accounting.  I immediately replied yes and was informed to meet Mr. Neil Murphy at the office of the Vandalia Coal Company at 2 P.M.  I had to get ready and walk to Linton for the roads were so muddy and anyhow I didn’t have a horse and buggy.  I was scared about the interview for I really didn’t know anything about cost accounting.  Mr. Murphy was very technical and he took me through a long routine of questioning.  I was sure he wasn’t impressed to much with me and his final question was “Do you think you can handle the position?”  I immediately said, “I know I can. To my astonishment, Jenels, Suttle, Olsen and Sherwood, all Pay Roll men, clapped their hands and Ed Sherwood who did have this job said, ”That’s half the battle.”  I didn’t even realize that these fine men were working or even in the office. Well I was hired and informed that my salary would be 80⁰⁰ per month.  I was flabbergasted for there weren’t very many young men that got that much of a salary.  That was my lucky day.  I asked if I could take some of the forms home so I could study on the work I was to do.  I walked back home still scared but with the firm conviction that I had to make good.

I made my usual Sunday night call on Mom but it was a short stay.  No excuse or alibi but I told her I had to do some studying.  I pored over the cost sheets to the wee hours.  I had to get up early for my transportation was “Shanks mare.”  I got my work done for the first day with out any help and Mr. Murphy congratulated me.  I am sure his word of assurance gave me that “It” I needed for on Tuesday you had 2 days to report.  I went to work 2 hours befor time to report and I took very little time for lunch.  Yes I got the report out to the main office at Terre Haute.  I had it made.  I would like to say that they had a crude calculating machine; it was one of seven in the U.S. and was made in Germany.  It was a “far cry” from present days machine.  My first pay day I bought a second hand bicycle.  Could use most of the time on gravel roads.  Also got a raincoat.  By the latter part of May I had a little money saved up and borrowed the rest and bought my first automobile, a Saxon roadster for 490⁰⁰.  It had a starter and electric headlights. 

1917 Ad from Indianpolis Star

It is to be remembered that this was 1917 and we went into World War I in April. I bought the car on the hunch that I wouldn’t be drafted into the army for at least a year because my draft number when announced was the last one in Class A1 for Greene County. This made the Vandalia main office happy for they didn’t want to have to break in a new man.

World War I Draft Registration for Alfred Moehlmann

Shortly after the war broke out all monthly men received a letter that we would get a bonus every 3 months but how much was not stated. We kidded one another that we would sell ours for 25.00. What a surprise we got; we got a check equal to one months pay. I was sitting in a pear tree, a new car, new much needed clothes and the fairest damsel in Linton.

I have to mention at the time I was working for the Vandalia they paid the miners in cash. The night befor pay day we had 3 tables with 3 men at each table; a counter, a checker and one to put the money in the pay envelope. The Vandalia had 27 working mines so a lot of cash money was handled. We had 2 guards – Doc Browning was on the inside and Martin Myles was on the outside. After the pay envelopes were filled and put in trays we would get in single file, guarded by our 2 guards and 3 policemen and march to the Linton Trust Co. (now J.C. Penney bldg.) and put the pay rolls in the bank vault. The first pay day I worked I had to take the pay roll out to the Shirley Hill No. 23 mine. I had over 27,000.00 and Doc Browning was my guard."

Well, it all seems to have worked out for Alfred. He is working hard, getting paid well, and he wasn't high on the draft list and as he said he had the "fairest damsel in Linton." I think the toughest part of his job is carrying around large amounts of cash on pay day. Seems like they would be targets for a robbery.