Life of Ed Murphy Part 4

Our living conditions were very poor. Aunt Pearl managed the finances in our home. She did very well considering what little she had to work with. I remember when we were on state relief in the 1930’s. The occasional boxes of apples and oranges that we received were considered a great treat. I recall the clothes we received from the Relief Program and how embarrassed I was to wear them to school. I disliked being identified as being on Relief and the ridicule I would receive at school. However, I received no teasing from the other kids, I guess because they felt sorry for me.
At Christmas time Uncle Albert would go into the mountains and cut a Christmas tree for the family. Each year we would have a stocking filled with fruit and Pearl would buy a pound of chocolates for the family to share. She would tell us to eat them really slow. My cousin Etta would always send a package from California with gifts for the family. One toy I remember was a little metal toy truck.
Much of the fun growing up revolved around the farm. I remember setting a metal plate up in the yard where the chickens ran. We would set it up so that we could pass a current of electricity through it and then bait it with corn. When the chickens arrived on the plate we would wind up the magneto causing a charge to run through it. The chickens, which normally could not fly, got a quick lesson and would fly straight up in the air and away from the plate. On one occasion, when Aunt Pearl asked me to mop the kitchen, I suggested that instead of mopping we just go off and play and let the floor dry naturally through evaporation. When Charles and I arrived back from playing the floor was perfect. “There,” I said, “I told you it would dry”. Little did we know that Uncle Albert had come home from work and cleaned up the mess himself.
Aunt Pearl worked very hard in the garden. She took great pride in her beautiful garden and flowers. (Rightfully so) She raised a lot of cantaloupes and watermelons. Occasionally we would sell melons to the Indians for 5-10c each. I remember feeding watermelons sugar and water as they were ripening. This would produce a large sweet tasting melon.