“The average life expectancy is 78, while the retirement age is 67. We work for 50 years to maybe enjoy 11. Start enjoying life now. No one is guaranteed tomorrow.” ~ Unknown
back then
Clearly, today’s post isn’t about the photograph because ick, but the subject matter is pretty interesting. Earlier today, Pam Meade and I were talking about a photograph I have in an upcoming exhibit that features Leatherwood, Kentucky. Back in 2016, Hero and I took a day trip that included a stop at Leatherwood. I’d heard about it all my life, but seeing it was nothing like it was in 2016, which is to say, it’s now all kudzu and a few rough trails. There’s no train track, tipple, mine, commisary, houses, school, nothing. All gone. Only kudzu remains. Papaw Terry worked for Blue Diamond Coal in Leatherwood, which was how the family came to be there for a number of years. It made quite an impression on Hero, that’s for sure. Anyway, many decades later, Tony, always the historian extraordinaire, found these scatter tags that, according to the past card they were on, were scattered through the coal cars as a form of advertising. Seems a bit wasteful and not all that effective, but hey, some desk job back in the 1940s thought it was a great idea. What was a great idea was gifting this to Hero. Tony gives the best gifts.
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