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A Columbia County Boy's Recollections and Memories of Columbia County Florida (2012) Lenvil H. Dicks

MONEY TO BURN

I have spoken elsewhere in this book about my first cousin, Bob Dicks, whom I was very close to when
we were boys, and one summer toward the end of the tobacco selling season, we were sitting around the
fire which was curing the last bam of tobacco for that year, and present were Bob, his father, who was
my Uncle Press, and an old colored man who worked for them named Will Gainey.

Will Gainey worked for Uncle Press for many years, and Uncle Press had fixed him up a little shed
room off one side of the corn crib, where Will had his own little cook stove, and heater for heat in cold
weather, and a bed to sleep on and a chair or two to sit on. It was really some quite primitive living
conditions, but around 1936 and 37, a lot of people were living in somewhat primitive conditions. Will
Gainey was probably glad to have the chance to have a roof over his head, and of course Uncle Press
paid him a small salary in addition to furnishing him a place to live, and I think Will probably ate with
Uncle Press’s family most of the time, although maybe not at the same table.

In those days, it was quite customary for colored people to eat meals with white families, but usually at a
separate table, or out on the porch, or even sometimes out in the yard. They did not all sit down at the
same table together.

However, and incidentally, I have been told by my father who was born in 1888, that my great
grandfather, Joseph Dicks, who ran away from England at age 14 and stowed away on a ship, and came
to America, that whenever a colored person would happen by his house about meal time, he would
invite them in and they would all sit at the same table. He had no prejudice against blacks whatsoever
during times when it was simply considered normal to be prejudiced against blacks. Also, he would
never have any slaves, and if he had black people working for him, he insisted on paying them the exact
same wage that his white workers received.

Back to us sitting around the fire, and since Uncle Press had sold a lot of tobacco just prior to that,
apparently receiving a pretty good price, Will Gainey made a remark to Uncle Press to the effect that he
ought to have plenty of money now. Uncle Press replied “yea, Will, we just got money to burn now”
Will said “Lawsy, Mr. Press, you aint’ gonna bum no money” Uncle Press told him “Will I’ll just show
you. I’ll bum $10.00 in that fire there if you’ll bum $5.00”.

Well, Will was so convinced that Uncle Press was not going to bum $10.00 in the fire, that he agreed to
it. Uncle Press then pulled out his checkbook and wrote a check for cash, in the amount of $10.00, and
showed it to Will and said “now Will, this is a check for $10.00, now you know that you can take it to
the bank and get $10.00 money for it can’t ya?” Will looked at the $10.00 check and said “yes sir 1
guess ya could”. Then Uncle Press threw the $10.00 check in the fire and we watched it all burn and old
Will reluctantly took out a $5.00 bill and was about to throw it in the fire when Uncle Press stopped him
and said “Will, don’t burn your money up. That check is not worth anything but paper until you take it

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