I was raised in my youth largely on a South Arkansas farm sharing daily chores with my 3 brothers in a happy family of 6.
In 1956 at 13 my parents moved to the outskirts of the city, Pine Bluff, AR mainly to upgrade from a 3-room house comprised of one bedroom, kitchen, & living room to a rented 3 bedrooms, a BATHROOM with tub and shower. Yet keeping their farm only a 3-mile drive West of our new nice home with indoor facilities. NICE!
So, I found out the Arkansas Gazette being a Little Rock daily and Sunday newspaper offered jobs to paper route carriers. I could earn $40 per month with a 100-count customer base. I begged my parents to buy me a bicycle so I could earn some really big money. So, just like that, I went from a barefoot country boy to a bicycle riding city slicker!
So as a 13-year-old boy making very early AM deliveries to homes nearby on a 6-mile bicycle route, I would have a few "extras" to promote to potential customers along the way. I found out I could make a clear profit of 5 cents by selling the 2 or 3 extras at Garman's Barber shop on Saturday during school and every day during the summer. I really liked hanging around the shop where I was allowed to shine shoes under the eye of L.C. Humphrey who took the money with a tip to me. He was protective of his job then earning 25 cents for a pair.
Sometime prior to my new association with selling extras on Saturday, a stray dog took up with me following me everywhere I went. That dog would leave my house early in the AM and trot every step of the route alongside me. So, on Saturday he would wait for me as I made my sale inside the Barber shop.
One day, a customer exiting the shop asked me. "Son, what would you take for your dog"? I replied, "oh, he ain't worth nothing". To add, "you can have him if you'll take good care of him." That barber shop patron then told me, "Son, I am Allen Belamy a successful grocery store owner as; the Mad Butcher advertised on radio". He went on further to say, "My advice for you is to place the value of your dog at a high price when asked such a question". He went on to explain, "and then negotiate a lower price to sell him at a great profit". I asked him, "what price should I say"? He laughed to reply, "$1,000"!
Well time had passed, and I was at the Barber Shop again to meet Mr. Bellamy. I did not wish to talk to him and never offered an extra to sell him. However, he recognized me to ask; "where is your dog, lad"? I replied, "I don't have him any longer". For, I was hoping to avoid another coaching of how to make money.
He said with a big smile, "Well, did you get $1,000 for him" I replied, "No sir ... I traded him for two $500 Cats"! He laughed as I laughed to the lie I told.
After leaving home at age 18 to work fueling and loading herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers in Super Cubs & Ag Cats for an agriculture air crop service I met Mr. Bellamy again. For he hangared his plane near the service I worked. We then became better acquainted as my interest / ambition was to be an Ag Pilot. I began learning to fly in a 1946 Piper J3 Cub. He never failed to ask me about that dog with laughter. I was not married earning $1.00 per hour with flight instructions from Larry Switzer as a barter arrangement in lieu of wages. I soon left that job to work in a Paper Mill where my ambition changed to be all I can be near the end of age 19 for $1.89 per hour.
Bill Chavis is a well known retired papermaker and contributing writer to Paperitalo Publications.
