"Right after the Civil War, I went to school. I did no work except to
sell papers and black boots on the corner of Main and Markham on Sunday.
After I stopped school I went to work as assistant porter in the
railroad office at the Union Station for the St. Louis, Iron Mountain,
Southern Railway and Cairo and Fulton. That was one road or system. I
stayed with them from 1873 till 1882 in the office as office porter.
From that I went train porter out of the office in 1882. I stayed as
train porter till 1892. Then right back from 1892 I went in the general
superintendent's private car. Then from there I went to the shop here in
North Little Rock--the Missouri Pacific Shops--as a straw boss of the
storeroom gang. That was in 1893. I stayed in the shop until 1894. Then
I was transferred back on this side as coach cleaner. That was in 1895.
I stayed as coach cleaner till 1913. From that I went to the State
Capitol and stayed there as janitor of the Supreme Court for three
years. In 1917, I went back to the coach cleaning department. That was
during the war. I stayed there till 1922. I come out on the strike and
have been out ever since. Since then I have done house cleaning all over
the city. That brings me up to about two years ago. Now I pick up
something here and something there. I have been knocking around sick
most of the time and supported by the Relief and the Welfare
principally.