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smoking kerosene lamp with a cracked chimney in the center of the rough, unpainted table. The girls
standing around, each with their metal plate and a spoon eating what they claimed was the only food
they had had that day, which consisted of cornmeal and water, to which they added sorghum syrup
from a jar on the table. Except for the table and one chair, I saw no other furniture in this room, the only
room in the house. No stove or no bed. Ragged blankets on the floor. The constable said the girls had no
mother. The father stayed drunk most of the time. We visited some three or four other homes, and
found deplorable conditions. I thanked the constable, informing him I had seen all I could to for that one
night. I reported to our post commander; he called a special meeting. I reported my findings, and
requested the post to permit me in the name of the Veterans of Foreign Wars to call a meeting of
representatives of all the churches and organizations in the area with the idea to stop duplication, and
maybe care for some in need that had not been looked into. Permission was granted. Mr. Henry
Cathrina, the owner of the building at the corner of Texas Avenue and Commerce Street, who was the
agent for the Ford automobile, allowed us to use his showroom in the front of this building for this
purpose. He - the local people responded well. Some of the organizations had had their last meeting of
the year, and had been instructed as to where to deliver their gifts. However, the meeting did help a few
overlooked children given some consideration. It was decided at this meeting that in the coming years
we would work together. A women's club - I don't remember what they were called - were in
attendance at this meeting, and early the next year they began getting the different organizations
together in a community effort as we had agreed on. This being called, I believe, the Red Feather. Today
known as East Harris County Community Chest.
(Tape cuts off)
NC: In the organizing the Humble Oil and Refining Company, they were producing oil and manufacturing
under the name of Dixie Products, and continued doing so into the 1920's when the first name change
appeared that I recall. The billboards were spread with advertising of the Humble Oil and Refining
Company advertising their flashlight gasoline. The billboard showed a large picture of a flashlight with
the rays extending out across the board with the words, "Flashlight Gasoline." It was not long before
another oil company brought court proceedings against the company for infringement of their
copyright. They had a gasoline that they sold under the name of flash right, there being only one letter
difference in the naming of the two gasolines. L--G-H-T, and R--G-H-T. The company lost - or in other
words, possibly - surrendered the right to using the name of Flashlight Gasoline. It was during these
days the company was doing whatever they could to use current money, have daily money for operating
their business. And at the time they were paying 10 percent daily interest on borrowed money. A Mr.
B.C. Morgan, an employee of the Humble Refinery, persuaded a group of fellow employees to have our
own loan company. As I recall, stock sold for five dollars a share. We soon sold enough stock to apply for
and receive a Texas State Charter, and open our own Baytown Savings and Investment Associations.
Officers elected as follows: Mr. Morgan, President; Mr. Roticape, Secretary; Mr. Culvert, Treasurer. Mr.
R.L. Blaffer was the Treasurer of the Humble Oil and Refining Company, and agreed to pay us 10 percent
daily interest on all monies we would send him in multiples of hundreds of dollars. All money we sent to
Mr. Blaffer was by company carrier without any cost to us. We agreed to pay our depositors in the
association 10 percent interest on all money they would leave on deposit for a period of one year. In
addition, we agreed to loan any depositor money at 10 percent rate of interest. There was a 25 cent
charge made on all promissory notes that was written. The only cosigners on promissory notes we
accepted were employees who total deposits in the association amounted to more than the amount of
money being borrowed, and with the understanding that this money continued to be left in the
