| Trona on the Web: The Stevens Family in Trona |
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On the 19th of December 1933 my cousin Clemma Fay Eaton and my Aunt Addie McGee came to my rescue and asked a friend of theirs, Cecil Beil, if he could get me a job where he worked in Trona, California, with the American Potash and Chemical Corp. He told them that he would try, so my cousin Fay bought me a ticket to Los Angeles on the Inland Stage Line and my Aunt Addie sent me some money so I could eat on my way out. I left Princeton on the 18th or 19th of December and I landed in Los Angeles around 10 or 10:30 the night of the 22nd of December and went to their home 4511 West 18th St. and stayed till Christmas night. Between the 22nd and 25th, my dear cousin Fay was busy showing me part of Los Angeles and Hollywood which I enjoyed very much. She was busy too. She had lots of friends, and she had lots of gifts to deliver to them, so while showing me around, she got to deliver her gifts to her friends. I sure did enjoy going with her and seeing the town. I even got to see Charlie Chaplin and one of his girlfriends and the Chinese theater in Hollywood. So she tried to keep me happy.
Then came the big night, Christmas, and their friend took me to Trona with him, and then on the 26th day of December this friend landed me a job in the shipping department for the American Potash and Chemical Corp. I was very happy, of course, to have the job as not having one for so long. He took me up and introduced me to the shipping superintendent, and he told this friend of his and of mine to take me down to shipping and tell Jack Snider, the shipping foreman, to put me to work. So that was the beginning of a 38 year job for me in Trona. I worked hard and tried to make them a good man, which I guess I did or they wouldn't of kept me so long. I was the only man that was hired for some time.
I worked about three or four days before I filled out a application for a job. The foreman brought it around and gave it to me and said, "I guess you had better take this home and fill it out." Ha, ha! So I did, and I wasn't laid off except for only two days in the 38 years. The company came along and laid off other men that had been with them longer than I. So I thank God that I had a job for that many years. I worked for the American Potash for about 36 of those years and Kerr McGee for two or more out of the 38 years after they bought the Corporation out. Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Last Update: 03/22/2008 |
