In 1892 it was recommended by the federal government that secondary education include 12 years of schooling, but decisions to follow the strategy was left to local authority. In New Iberia, Louisiana, my father finished high school after 11 years. So, at 17 years of age, he entered the work field, including my grandfather’s movie theater. One day in 1917, when he arrived home at the end of the day, Papa told him to pack his bags because he was going to automobile school. So it was that Daddy’s life-long career was established, as he enrolled at the Sweeney Automobile and Tractor School in Kansas City, Missouri, and made the trip by train soon after. The Sweeney school was established in 1908, and by1917 it boasted a new ten story building with private rooms, dining facility, gymnasium, and olympic size swimming pool. The eight week course had a tuition of $150, room and board was available for $56 for the eight weeks, and spending money of $1 per week was suggested.

Daddy opted for a boarding house in Kansas City. (I find it hard to imagine a time that one could live away from home for $25-$30 a month!) It was most fortunate that Daddy attended in 1917, because during the 1918 flu pandemic 2300 of the 3000 students caught the illness, resulting in 15 deaths between September 29^th and October 4^th!

In 1918 Papa opened an automobile repair shop. I don’t know how long it remained open, because Daddy worked a couple of years for an automobile dealer in Beaumont. Around 1925 the dealer replaced much of their equipment, and Daddy made an offer to purchase a set of replaced ramps, tools, and associated equipment, and started his own repair business. He rented a stall with a full depth pit at Wasson Radiator Shop on the corner of McFadden and Willow streets in Beaumont. He would continue at that location until the late 1950’s.

Particularly In the early years, the front suspension, axles, axle springs, and steering linkages were not that sophisticated, most of the roads were unpaved, and even those that were paved could be rough. All of that combined made for fairly routine misalignment of the front wheels and damage to the various components, which allowed for a considerable amount of work for good mechanics. Daddy was very fastidious with everything that he did and always believed in providing excellent work for a reasonable price. That would make his business successful and develop a long list of loyal customers.

I spent many hours wandering around that shop and playing in the pit. There were all sorts of discarded parts, such as ball bearings, that could be used as toys. The smell of rubber, grease, and naphtha were common to Daddy’s work, and the odor of acid and blow torches from radiator repair is still embedded in my memory. Back then, radiators were often damaged by small stones or other debris thrown from the roadway and through the grill-work of the vehicles, causing leaks and bending the thin fins around the water tubing. The radiator was removed from the auto and repaired over a large water vat, where it could be submerged to locate air bubbles at the hole in the tubing. It was then lifted and the hole closed by dabbing hydrochloric acid on the area to clean and etch the tubing, then heating with an acetylene torch and applying solder. I would watch the workers for long periods of time. All of the men knew me and would carry on conversations about anything and everything, especially Roy Rogers and Gene Autry and their adventures. The owner of the shop was Dick Railey, who also lived near Vidor, and who also liked to tease me. I can still remember one day, when I was very young, standing near the office, arguing with him as to whether Roy Rogers wore his pants inside or outside his boots. Of course, any good fan of western movies knew that he wore them INSIDE!! And that’s how I wore mine!

There was a middle aged black man named Robert who worked at odd jobs for the radiator shop. He was always friendly and regularly joked around with the workers. He called me “Masser Albert”; not as in “his master”, but because I was young and hadn’t reached sufficient age to be called ”mister”. When my grandparents celebrated their 50^th anniversary in 1947, they rented a service wagon with ice vats to dispense all the beer, wine, sodas, and other drinks. There were so many people in attendance that everything was set up in the front yard. Daddy hired Robert to act as “bartender” for the event, and he had the time of his life, serving drinks all of that day. I can recall that, even years later, Robert would comment about how much he enjoyed the day and remind Daddy that if we ever had another celebration, he sure would like to be bartender again!

Photos below of Sweeney Automotive and Tractor School – 1917 and Wasson Radiator Shop about 1940