Things went well there and I loved my job, for a change I was working for a prosperous railroad.. I was proud of the name "Southern Railway"! Retha found a good comfortable house in Powell. Things were going really well.
I was told there was a officer's job in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They ask me if I would take it. I said I would, but after I said that, I began having bad feelings about leaving Coster and the home we had just moved into. I came home and told Retha what had happened. She didn't seem to happy either. I didn't’t say a word, but the next day I was working in the wheel shop and Tom Smith was the wheel shop supervisor. I told him I was having some second thoughts about the job at Spartanburg He said "John if you are, you should go to the main office and tell them". So with his permission I did. They seemed pretty unhappy about my decision. But accepted it.
Not so long after that I was on the automated lathes and Mr Bible came in the back door and laid his old big arm on my shoulder and told me the maintenance foreman's job was vacated and he said, "You will take it wont you?" I did take it and worked with a wonderful bunch of men. I went to work with Joe Whitaker, Joe was a good man to work with. Then there was Harry Gaines. Harry was not only a good man to work with but we got acquainted with his mother. Retha and Mary Varner became close friends with Mrs Gaines. I was in the Navy Reserves and Joe and Harry helped me to be able to retire, by exchanging off days so I could make my drills. They also helped work out vacation so I could make my two weeks training duty each year. I will never forget them.
Harry went on to other jobs and there were others that worked with me. I was treated well and tried to treat others kinda like I would like to be treated. For the most part things went well, but there were things that happened that I don’t care to talk about. I retired Jan 7 1986 and don’t have very much association with the men I worked with but I still think of them. There are not many left.
I still live in the Powell home, I have had some health problems and don’t know just how long I will be able to maintain things. My daughter Gail wants us to come back to Scott County. It is not an easy thing to do. Guess we will hang on here for the present.
John R. Partin
