George Joseph Vining:
An Account of His Life

Chapter 10

Well, it is not necessary to say much of our life in Mattoon, it had its ups and downs, losses and gains, pleasures and pains. Sometimes I thought it was 20 years thrown away then I knew it must have its lesson and purpose and God must have led me. Mr. Aldridge was my partner in business and was a straight good honest conscientious man. I think we dissolved so that I should take Bro Tom in as partner -- Tom came up from Pine Bluff with his two oldest children by his first wife Jane Massengil by the way a cousin of my aforesaid Brother in law. I gave Tom a house and an ½ interest in the business. How long he stayed I don't remember, but he didn't like the county --country-- or people (I liked the people but not the country) and nothing would induce him to stay, so I divided up with him all right, and he went back to Pine Bluff. I want to say right here -- in honor of his memory -- we were partners three different times and had other business dealings, real estate, etc. and I do not remember of there ever being a hard word or thought between us. Instead of his going into business for himself he must go to clerking and a clerk don't get ahead much unless he steals and then he does worse.

I made good money in Mattoon fast and easy but lost just as easy again and again, and the credit system hurt also. I often consoled myself with the thought that though I did not have much money, I had raised by family creditable -- but found later that they were not raised. I joined the M.E. church in Mattoon as soon as I could after my arrival. I was too poor and shabby in dress at first to more than get inside the church, taking the first seat on the inside. Must have looked odd and out of place -- an old worn butternut coat, confed. uniform, not the Officer's grey -- that was too conspicuous. I had laid that aside before -- coat too small, had shrunk, grey pants with black stripes, had patches especially in the rear, and the coat being too short the patches were often visible. I got better clothes when I could and went forward towards the pulpit, a few seats at a time till I got into the amen corner right alongside Bro Berry, or Bro Hart as it may be. Became a class leader, steward etc. etc. As Sunday School teacher, I had the honor of taking up the biggest collection from my class (on a special occasion) of any teacher that had ever taught. Took up about $75.00, Richmond's class about $85. or $90 -- mine went to $105.00. Nor had we any previous notice of a special collection. Two or three sent in $5.00 from the congregation or visitors. I only remember Jim Hughes sent me a $5.00 bill. You were in school at the time. I tried to live a consistent life and did for that day and generation, but not up to Bible requirements.

The same old cravial drink conviviality was as big up there, perhaps worse in some respects than down here, as the triumphant feeling and the gain of conquest gave them impulse -- traveling men were nearly all of the whiskey class, smutty --sweetly-- yarns and treating was their most successful methods means of obtaining a good bill from a customer. One day a Drummer after selling me a good bill, asked me to go down to the "old Pennsylvania house" to get something to drink. I accepted the invitation, while we were getting it, the thought came to me -- what am I doing here, a professed Christian here a bar where they are selling this liquid damnation and I encourage it by my presence and drinking! I drank but promised God if he would get let me get out, never never to be caught under such circumstances again. I never was. Thank God for it!

I made some good friends and strange to say, they were all republicans -- Richmond, Drash, both clerks, all helped me Col. Richmond often would say, "I think a good deal of you, you would be all right if you weren't a democrat." When I joined the church I was at that time the only democrat in it, there had been one, but he said to me, "they preach too much politics for me, I'm going to get out," and he did . There were many that afterwards came in and got so they "talked back".

Well, perhaps you can remember, part at least, of our last years at Mattoon -- your going to school the store, the sisters and what they done -- your associates in play Nuse first attempt at business next door to us where the Colson coal yard was. Remember my fuss with Gabe Colson when he dared me to break an egg on him, and McCormick, Sim laughed him out of arresting me, as he dared me; I should think you were between the age 15 and 16 when you came down here, so you must write in your mind a good deal that I may leave out -- so another page or so will finish and it will be mostly moralizing, or recapitulating.