Collected byMerlin Mitchell
Transcrjbed by Kyle Perrin
REA Coming In
Reel 12
Item 3
Harvey Vaught
Miller's Chapel, Ark.
January 15, 1950
Mrs. v •• Boy, I'll tell you, that little blaze on that machine over there's
j ust like it'se a-burning.
Vaught •• You can see right now, we love light better than darkness over
here. You've heard about these old people that'se raised back
in these sticks. Way back here. Now, we've got people here
that used to go to mill over at ••• and they had a big rock.
Mrs . v •• That must a been you.
Vaught •• Yawl never had one up here. And he carried th at rock in one
end of the sack and the corn in the other end. And he went
over there and old Rawson (? told him, said, Here, son • Let me
show you something. Divided that corn up. Just leave that rock
here. You don't need to be a-carrying that. Just put the corn
in one end of the sack-each end of the sack--divide it up, put
it on the mule, it'll be all right. So, he came an back and the
old man just kicked the thunder out of him . Said, I've been
living here forty years--been gittin 1 along party good, and he
said, here you air trying to sprang something new a-ready on me.
Sent him back after that rock.
Mrs . V •• That must have been you.
M ••••••• Mrs . Vaught doesn't believe in that electricity yet , does she?
Vaugbt •• Naw, sir . She's like the little gi r l with her rag doll . She
had a rag doll and there 1 se a lot of her rich folks come in
and their quaintances come visiting . They had these store dolls
and everthing--China dolls and dolls that could cry and hair, you
know , on their heads--and she-uh--they got ready to go--why, they
wanted to try, some of 'em, just give her one of them party dolls,
you know--and tried to trade it to her for her rag doll. Oh,
no , you won't git my dolly. She wouldn't give up the little
rag doll a-tall, you know, for them party dolls . Liz(?) ain't
gonna give up that light there fer--
Mrs . v •• You'se the very one that said, Burn the lamp part of the time .
Don ••••• I think it looks very homelike to have the coal oil lamp burning.
Now, see there , you caused it to go out .
Vaught •• Yeah, I'm liable to be put out When you're all gone--over that deal.
M ••••••• Ho longhave you had your electricity, Mr. Vaught?
Vaught •• Oh , j ust about a month.
Mrs . v •• Abouta month.
M •••••• Well, it takes a little time to get u sed to it .
Don ••••• Well , you're probably havjng to use up some coal oil that ycu
had on hand .
Vaught •• Well, sometimes we just like one of them . If we thought the
bills would run llp when we washed and ironed and one thing another ,
too much, and we didn't need no light to amount to anything a-tall--
When you don't need no light, why, coal oil light's all right.
Don ••••• I know a man Who bought him a hot plate just so he would be
certain to use the minimum.
Vaught •• Well, we're going to have to use mor'n We 're usjn g. we ain't using
enough .
REA Coming In (Cont.)
M ••••••• What's it costing you now?
Vaught •• Well, it's costing us $1.79 here whether we use any or not.
But, if we use over twenty-five killowatts, why, we have to pay
a nickle each one of 'em.. They'se(?) got a box out there on
the outside. You have to turn it all in yourself and send in
your card by mail and send in yourmoney by mail and everything,
so it '11 cut down on all expenses on it. Dan 't cost 'em nothing
for their collecting.
Dave •••• They're almost giving it to us.
Vaught •• Yes, ain 't it a sight. Why, we can burnthe iron, the washing
machine-it don't take but very little to wash. We had a 150
bulb up here--we've got one here--took it out and put that little
one in there. Boy, it sure does make things bright in here. You
put up that--
Don ••••• Too bright.
Vaugbt •• This is a 60. That thing's just revolving right on around there
when you got that 150 on there, but it's just--
(end of tape)
