The Wishing Well

Les worked on the canvas. He painted the scene. An old wishing well. It was a piece he was doing for the local Democrats who were having a fund raising affair. To be a Democrat in Porter County was to know how Custer felt at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Out numbered, out spent, it was almost an impossibility for any Democrat to hold office locally. Of course, in '64, LBJ swept a whole lot of surprised Democrats into office, including the Governor of the State of Indiana. By '69, LBJ had turned what looked like a route for the Republicans into disaster. His policies in Viet Nam were not helping the Democrats.

My job was gained through patronage. Pure and simple, if it had not been through political pull, I would not have had a summer job. In those days, it was the practice of the State to hire college kids. And, I was fortunate enough to get a job through patronage. Les painting the picture was also a tribute to patronage.

When Les hired on, they asked him if he knew how to use a paint brush. He said that he did, but they were thinking one type of brush, and he another. It did not take them long to see the error in their thinking.

It was raining this day, the sky was dark, and rain fell from the sky. When it rains, there is not much you can do. You can't mow grass, too wet, can't patch pot holes, too wet, you can't paint guard rails, you got it, it is too wet. Oggie, our Foremena always told us to hide whenever we were not working. It isn't good for the public to see you loafing, nor is it good for us. And, besides, he said,"None of my men are going to work in the rain." So , generally speaking, none of us worked in the rain.

There was one exception, and that is becoming the janitor for the shop. There was always sweeping, and cleaning to do around where the trucks were. In the winter, the bays would become snow clogged, and filthy when the men came in to refuel, or to get warm. You can only plow snow so long before you need a break. I had spent several weeks on Christmas break shoveling and sweeping out stalls. In the Summer, it was not so bad, but then there was always the restrooms.

And, so it was raining, and I was inside doing janitorial work. Scottie, the mechanic Foreman ,sat at his desk smoking his cigarettes. I could hear him wheeze whenever he bent over to do something. His desk was in front of Parts. I had done my time in there. The mechanics would call for a part, and I would dutifully have to find it, and then have it signed out as being placed in such a such vehical. Of course, numbers and signitures were needed, and times. But this day, I was on janitorial duty.

Les was in the back, in the paint room. He had set up his eisel, and was working on a canvas, working away on this political project. The Well was much better than the one here pictured, and it was prominently placed in front of a pail which people were supposed to deposit their donations to the Party. Since, I did not attend these affairs, and could barely afford much of anything, I am only guessing if I would say how successful they were.