The Autobiography of Ruth Tagg Caley

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appendicitis. So that was how I never went back, the work was too hard for me. I went to stay atJim's house after I left the hospital. But I was soon looking for another place to stay.I went to Flo's place on 11th West 6th South. But I knew that I couldn't stay there verylong either. In-laws you know let you know how they feel about having an extra person aroundto feed. Especially my brother-in-law Jac. When I was able to, I walked all over Salt Lakelooking for a job. Sometimes I stayed up town reading newspapers and then walking asking forwork. They said we need experienced help. I had to walk a lot because I didn't have car fare.One place I applied she said "you look ill, go home and have mother take care of you"another one said "you are too small, I need a husky woman who weighs more, like the one I havenow but she has to leave me.” Another one gave me car fare to get home on. So finally I landedup taking care of an apartment, and the family consisted of husband and wife and baby boy whowas nearly two years old. She was a stinker if ever there was one. She told me before I workedthere, no cooking and she would pay $6.00 a week and car fare. I was not very strong at that timeand needed a home so I took the job. She said I better eat my breakfast before I came. For lunchI had to fix sandwiches. When three-thirty came she asked me if I had my work all done, and Isaid yes. She said, "Well, you can go home now so I won't have to cook you any supper."A lot of times she had me cook their roasts and prepare the vegetables or say please putthis in the oven for our dinner, etc. and pretty soon I was doing a lot of her cooking besidesbathing and washing for the baby and cooking his meals. She often asked me to come back onSunday or stay at night till 1 a.m. tending the baby boy. Then she would say on pay day,"remember the night you tended baby and my husband took you home at 1 a.m. well you owe mea car token.” I never did get paid for tending baby until 1 a.m. and was always tired in themorning. I made up my mind then and there that this was no place for me to get ahead as I had toeat breakfast and dinner somewhere else and couldn't afford to eat out on $6.00 a week.(My side hurt me awful and I was pale and thin. Jim's neighbor said if you were mydaughter you would be kept down in bed.) Jim didn’t know that his wife was telling me “otherpeople don’t stop work very long on account of an operation, why should you.” I didn’t eatbreakfast at Jim’s place either as nobody ever asked me to, except once they looked for my emptydish and Jim said, “Don’t you eat breakfast before you leave.” I said no. I didn’t say why. But Ifelt I was imposing on his wife. She made me feel that way and I was sensitive.Time went by. I paid back Steve on what I borrowed to come here and paid four and ahalf dollars a week to Flo and Lilly after I had stayed with her at that time. I also had to have mytonsils out, or I do believe I had my tonsils out just before the appendix. Any way I felt that a lotof my vitality and strength had left me, but still life goes on. I remember I stayed at Flo's aftermy tonsil operation and had lock jaw for ten days. Couldn't even get a glass of water between myteeth. After a while I perked up and once again had to get going looking for a job. I heardthrough Jean (Steve's wife) that I might be able to get into a doctor's home. I applied and after 3weeks got in there. An old doctor ready to retire and his wife. They had a cook and a yard boy.The cook, did the cooking, washed the dishes and the clothes (no washer). I had to set the table,Ruth Tagg Caley pg 32
wait on table, clean silverware, answer door bells, telephone and take her tray upstairs to her andclean the guest bedroom, her apartment, Dr.’s bedroom and two bathrooms on the second floor.The cook (Grace) and I had our bedrooms up in the attic and our bathroom was down in thebasement. We had our own door key and was supposed to be in by twelve midnight. We hadThursdays off, and every other Sunday. I had to wear uniforms of white and blue stripe formornings, and black and white for afternoons.These people were society people and she was an English lady, a beautiful lookingwoman for her age, rather plump in build, with rosy checks. I never did go to him with any ofmy health troubles. It was her second marriage. She had a son by first marriage, also a son bysecond marriage and they used to come there and I had to wait on them. At Christmas time theygave the help gifts. And if they had house guests outside the family circle, the house guestsalways gave Grace and I extra money when they left. I got $5.00, Grace $10.00. In the springthe people would go to California and while they were gone they left us to house clean that bigthree storied house.Of course they hired workman to come in and do the papering, but we had all thescrubbing to do before they got back. We got paid extra for that. My regular wages were forty amonth and board and room. Grace got fifty. One day I was putting ice water and cubes in theDr.'s thermos. He always looked for his ice water when he got home from his hospital as chiefsurgeon at St. Marks Hospital where he was in charge. The thermos I was filling burst and thenoise was like an explosion which aroused Mrs. Bascom up stairs. She buzzed the buzzer forGrace and asked what was that noise. Grace told me I would surely have to pay for it and whenpay day came I'd be short. Well I was afraid to ask for my check (we always had to ask for it).When I got mine I didn't look until I got out on the street on my day off. I saw she had put $2.00extra on it, to my surprise. They always brought us a gift home when they went on trips. Theygave me a box of candied fruit but I didn't care too much for it as it was too sweet.During this time I had my church recommend sent to my brother Jim's ward. Although Icouldn’t get there half the time on account of my work. I did try to get to M. I. A. on Tuesdayevening and usually missed the bus and was late. Steve's wife Jean introduced me to about fivewomen at church on Sundays and one day pointed out a man at the Sacrament table and wasjoking about him. I looked and thought what's so funny or unusual about him, he seems to me tobe such a clean living man. She said he always has a grin on his face.After the meeting we were going out the door and she introduced me to Bro. Caley. Heask if I was going to be here on a visit or stay in Salt Lake, Jean nearly roared with laughter andteased me about John. The next time I went to church, John, was door keeper as usual and someboys got behind the door and was making a noise and John pulled them out and was angry. Ithought, then oh boy! I'd sure hate to live with that man, if he has a bad temper like that. Timewent on and I hadn't seen John for two months. I often went to church the nearest to my work.One Sunday I had more time I took the bus and went to my own ward. I was late.Ruth Tagg Caley pg 33
Page 1 and 2: The Autobiography of Ruth Tagg Cale
Page 3 and 4: Flo as we called her, had been work
Page 5 and 6: woman and often wore a dotted dress
Page 7 and 8: In some of the schools they had to
Page 9 and 10: time from 1914 to 1916 my father ha
Page 11 and 12: three days to wait. During that tim
Page 13 and 14: It had snowed and the snow was deep
Page 15 and 16: until they could haul it and sell i
Page 17 and 18: The feeling of family ties were mor
Page 19 and 20: had children of her own and a girl
Page 21 and 22: go places and her parents said no,
Page 23 and 24: (Waldermar's brother Enoch married
Page 25 and 26: strength. I was so weak I couldn't
Page 27 and 28: It was about this time of my life t
Page 29 and 30: seldom exchanged loving words or ki
Page 31: When we got to the immigration line
Page 35 and 36: thThen Easter passed and May then J
Page 37 and 38: also prayed that when it was time f
Page 39 and 40: Little Boy BlueThe little toy dog i
Page 41 and 42: They say time is a wonderful healer
Page 43 and 44: One Saturday he had to work for a f
Page 45 and 46: She used to open the door to the ma
Page 47 and 48: down for the night. It was cool and
Page 49 and 50: About midnight I was panicking and
Page 51 and 52: In 1952 there was an opening in Joh
Page 53 and 54: could get his hands on and never re
Page 55 and 56: fireworks. I don’t drive a car or
Page 57 and 58: sun to shine like the rest of us. F
Page 59 and 60: “Sister Caley I bless you and pro
Page 61 and 62: I’m not ashamed of the gospel of
Page 63 and 64: I do not ever remember of Dad talki
Page 65 and 66: for him to get a passport into the
Page 67: mom and the phone rang. Mom answere

The Autobiography of Ruth Tagg Caley

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