The stoic humor of our ancestors.

bettis1

bettis1

US Veteran
Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Messages
2,612
Reaction score
2,496
Location
Texas
I went to elementary school in the tiny ranching community of Zephyr, just outside of Brownwood, Texas. Just before midnight, one hundred years ago today (May 29, 1909) a monstrous storm completely destroyed the town and killed 33 residents. The community was subsequently named Zephyr, in what I always thought was a classic example of the stoic humor that the citizens exhibited back in those "hardscrabble" days.

http://www.brownwoodbulletin.c...b065b4d180882015.txt

I went to school in a tiny 4 room school house in Zephyr that was rebuilt by Franklin Roosevelt's WPA (Works Progress Administration) to help pull the Nation out of the Great Depression. The WPA was one of the first of the government "bailout" programs that we are being faced with again today. If one counts the schools, libraries, bridges, roads, etc that the WPA constructed, it might arguably be the most successful one.


Bob
 
Register to hide this ad
Not just State parks but local parks too. When I was growing up in Topeka Kansas I remember playing baseball in a WPA park next to a school. IT had terraced seating that was made of stones cemented together with flat concrete seats. I can remember the WPA emblem embedded in the concrete. Very neat and beautiful park. Along about 1970 they tore down the old school and built a new one. Tore out the ball diamonds also. Flattened the ground and put in a new playground. It was a shame as the workmanship on the ball diamonds was great.
 
For a government program they did a lot of good work. Now it would probably take 10 years just to get the proper permits and law suits settled.

Many miles of Ranch fences where built around here by the WPA. I was talking to a friend yesterday about that same subject as we were repairing some of the fence. This section went up a barren rocky hillside. Friend was talking about a book he read on the subject. In the book they said that in many areas it took one man one day to dig one hole suitable for a fence post.

Mr. Burg and others who've been to this part of Colorado if you see this post the area I'm talking about is Ute Trail. Beautiful country if you've never been up there. The roads are easy no real jeeping but the scenery is breath taking.
 
One major difference in the WPA and what we see today... Then, Americans would do the kind of labor and jobs that built sidewalks, etc.

Today, the folk do the jobs that "Americans" don't "want to do".

Also, a ton of the current "stimulus" is goes to people who don't do the work directly.

What ever you think of FDR... The One ain't no FDR,.
 
They did more than build sidewalks. They cleared forests, built roads with pick axes and shovels, etc. A novel idea, providing hard work for meager wages and the kids of that Generation responded in force. It ain't going to happen again, not with this lot.
 
One of the differences between the New Dealers and their present day descendants is they were not motivated by the self serving careerism that characterizes too many in government today. They really were in the perks and bennies of government service or in transforming their government experience into a
job offer from a big league law firm or becoming a high paid consultant and lobbyist.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top