The Autobiography of Ruth Tagg Caley

When we got to the immigration line they took our papers and we didn't have a bit oftrouble. They didn't even give us a scratch of a pen. We came on through to Salt Lake. Steve'sgirl friend Jean met us at the depot. We were tired and we went to her mother's home. There wemet her sister Nellie and father and mother. It rained the next day. They said, "Well you oughtnot to be homesick Ruth for Canada," at that time we did have a lot of rain in Canada.Bro. Jim and his first wife Lilly were on vacation with their little daughter Joyce. Whilethey were gone Steve and I lived in their home on the east side. I went looking for a job where Icould get my room and board. I got in at the Y. W. C. A. as waitress. I had to share my roomwith Ruby. She was thirty-six years old and a mother of five children. It was a new experiencefor me to be working along with somebody like Ruby. She was not a genuine true character.Whenever she would get around the others, she would tell them if it wasn't for me she could keepthe room clean. They all knew it was me who made Ruby's bed every morning for her. As theboss would put her head inside the door to look things over. I had already had taken down thecurtains and washed and starched them on my day off, nearly every other day Ruby was told towash the dining room windows and dust. She told me to pull the blinds down half way and justwash the lower window. She often asked me to take over the whole lot of her work as she had anappointment and I found out later she went out with a married man.There was a widow boarding there at the Y.W.C.A. who had three children. She had toput them in the orphanage while she worked. But on Sunday she got them and brought them tothe Y.W.C.A. to eat dinner with her. Her first name was Nancy. One Sunday Nancy told me as Iwaited a table, that Ruby's children were also at the orphanage and often cried and said when isour mother coming to see us. Ruby got one daughter thirteen out of there and she had one girlmarried. But the three youngest ones seldom ever saw their mother. On knowing Ruby bettershe herself told me that the law took her children away from her because she was not a fit motherto have them. When the lady boss questioned Ruby about staying at the "Y" when she had herteeth out Ruby said "I have a place to stay Mrs. Elliott." Mrs. Elliott found out Ruby was livingwith a man who already had a wife. (She] Ruby denied it. Some evenings Ruby would go outbut always came to me and said, if I'm not home by the time the doors are locked could you cometo the back door and let me in. I told her the boss would surely hear, as her room was across thehall from ours. I can't remember if I ever let her in or not. I know I didn't. I caught Ruby tellingfibs about me. I was very disappointed in human nature. Ruby once asked me to go out with herand she would find me a boy friend. I said no, I don't go out with boys. She said I was dumb, Isaid I was wise. I found Ruby telling the bosses things I had not even said, and they came to meand asked if I said I was going to quit the job. I got fed up, so after about five months did quit.Too many bosses telling me what to do.I looked for another job. Got a job in a Jew's home on 1st Ave. They had a huge houseand three children, two boys and one girl. The little girl's name was Ruth. With such a big houseand lots of hand woolens to wash and the long underwear for the husband. Floors to polish andwax. I had to roll back the carpets and wax the floors, they were so slick I skidded and fell down.She wanted me to do the cooking too and I was so tired and worn out and shaky, I told her Ididn't know how to cook, so she did it. I got ill and had to go to the hospital for an operation forRuth Tagg Caley pg 31