Matewan Oral History Project Collection
Sc2003-135

Roger Gilliam Interview

Becky Bailey: This is Becky Bailey for the Matewan Development Center. 11:00 A.M. July 18th, 1989. I'm at the Water Plant here in Matewan and I'm going to interview Roger Gilliam. Is that how you pronounce your last name?

Roger Gilliam: Um-hum.

B: Okay. Um...Gilliam I guess the first question I have for you is when and where you were born?

RG: Okay. I was born in Detroit, Michigan. That was 1947, April the 10th.

B: Okay. And who are your parents?

RG: My dads name is Jack Gilliam. He had moved to Detroit for work at that time.

B: Um-hum. And your mothers name?

RG: Her name was Inez Gilliam or Inez Couch(?) Gilliam.

B: Okay. So your father was originally from this area?

RG: Uh...my grandparents were out of Buckannon Virginia best I know. My grandparents raised me in this area. An old place up the road here called Lynn, West Virginia. From the time I was two years old and I'm still here.

B: Okay. Did you have any brothers and sisters?

RG: No.

B: Okay. Who were your grandparents that raised you?

RG: Uh...Blaine Gilliam and Rose Gilliam. Their both deceased now.

B: Okay.

RG: I live in the home place where they raised me at.

B: Okay. What schools did you attend in this area?

RG: Matewan elementary, junior high, and high school

B: Okay. What do you remember about your early school years? Any games that you all played as children that stand out in your memory or...

RG: No I...

B: Any teachers?

RG: Not really, had some fine teachers. Some of them are still alive, a few. Not too many but there was some fine people Mrs. June(?) down here. She moved here recently from apartment complex down south. She was real nice. Mrs. Vinciguerra upper end of town she was my home room teacher. And uh...all through junior high and high school she was a real nice lady. Learnt a lot from them people.

B: I see your a member of the baby boom generation did you ever remember...did they have the uh...the bomb practices that you hear about in the fifties? Did you all ever have to practice?

RG: Not to my knowledge I came back here when I was two years old. Like I said I came back here when I was two years old. Them two years I don't remember much.

B: Okay.

RG: That's been back...this part of the country I don't think they had but little fighting going on.

B: Okay.

RG: That time.

B: When did you graduate from high school?

RG: Uh...1966.

B: I know uh...Bob McCoy already told me this, he said that you served in Vietnam. Did you go into service immediately after graduation?

RG: Uh...I graduated in spring of uh..66 and October I was in...I went to college for about two weeks and I didn't have no financial backing or you know couldn't get a job fresh out of school so I had to drop out and then I got drafted that's within a week or two. Had to go.

B: What service did you go into?

RG: Army.

B: Where did you serve when you went into the service? Did you go to Vietnam?

RG: I basic training was Fort Knox, Kentucky, and A.I.T. Training Advanced Training in Fort Poke, Louisiana. That's where they trained Vietnam soldiers over here to...get prepared to go over there. And then I...April of 67 got shipped to Vietnam and I stayed 'til April of 68.

B: Okay. Bob McCoy said that you were a tunnel rat in Vietnam, what was that?

RG: Well you out in the field, infantry wise uh...  ___ they'd move us to one hot spot to another with a helicopter you know. Back in the old days the calvary moved on horses but now they move on with helicopters you know, so at that time most things happen I was a storm leader, shooting gun squad leader and we run the enemy down or find out where they was we had to you know check and see what you could find what kind of supplies they had and all that. They always hid everything in tunnels or under big rock cliffs and stuff like that and you just have to go in and search for them. You know being a leader of a squad you had to do it or couldn't always send somebody else to do it...done it yourself a lot to. Ah...this one time we found a big oh...big humongous weapon depot in the mountains in these caves and stuff and uh...they wrote up a thing on it cavilears and newspaper and man you know the outfit we was in. Ah...they picked it up here at home. Printed it and I was still over there then.

B: Bob said he thought that was picked up by major magazine, do you remember...

RG: I don't know. I was like I say I was over there and I noticed I know somebody in the community picked it up and put it to the Williamson paper I was told. And they printed it you know. Made everybody feel good you know my outfit.

B: He mentioned one story he said there was something that remind-ed you of hunting ground hogs? What story was that?

RG: Well I don't know I guess he's talking about the tunnel rat situation maybe a joke or something throwed in there sometime I really don't know.

B: Okay. let me...

RG: I know I seen a lot of people you know killed a lot of people   ____ and I seen a few things...one thing that sticks in my mind at uh...Hue offensive I don't whether your familiar with it or not. Uh...we had a lot of soldiers killed on that. Uh...take the city back and we moved in on what was one evening and stay all night and we had some people shot couldn't get to. The next morning got up and the city was clean you know they moved up cause they shot artillery into them all night and stuff. Just a little out skirts, a little town just outside the big city there. We was sweeping cleaning everything. Of course there still was a few... and some bunkers(?) head there which we got those. But this one hut uh...this uh...it really some I can't really forget...this little infant baby oh..you know this small less than a year old was laying outside the hut with it's brain shot out and it's mother bent over where she was a crying and they shot her brains out and they was just laying you know just like that. That economy was bad cause her husband was supposed to been a South Vietnamese solider and they used her and that baby as an example for you know for rest of the people   ____ That was real bad. I remember that one real well.

B: So this was the...was this when they tried to retake was after the Tet Offensive?

RG: Um-hum. We didn't...we took it that we moved in that evening next morning they was gone. That was a real...hottest part of the time I was over there. I seen a lot of things happen but that was a real hot one in my year over there.

B: Where was your uh...unit when you heard about the beginning of Tet(?)

RG: Uh...I think we were in the lower part of the country. What... they had what you call L.Z.'s(?) all over the country and you go into the L.Z. and maybe stay two or three days and they'd fly you out to a hot spot or where they thought so...well maybe stay two or three weeks or a month before you went back in. We were all over the country. And best I know we were probably in the northern part. Not too far from L.Z. but when...we never did go up on the L.Z. My...when I was over there. But when I was (clears throat) excuse me the   ____ division like first cab and first air born several different division had a company and something really bad broke out they would fly a company out of East division into that point you know or where their hot spot or and to clear it and to see what was   ____ that's the way it worked.

B: Okay. See so you returned to the states in the spring of '68?

RG: Um-hum. April '68. I think I went to Port Benning, Georgia and met my wife. Stayed about six months then got out of service...come back home.

B: Had you got married before you left or was it...

RG: Yeah, I was married something like uh...there was thirty days before I sit down just that long.

B: How long did you travel time coming home take? I mean how long did it take for you to get home?

RG: We flew over, flew back. Commercial jet waitresses I mean stewardess you know and all that. Uh...you fly in the dark, probably twelve hours something like. It's been so long like I say that's twenty-two, twenty-three years ago. It was just a commercial flight. Fast come into Seattle, Washington. And at that time when you got home they'd give you a big stake dinner and new clothes check you out and you'd go on home for about thirty days you know. You know which was nice. I went over and went through Oakland, California. And I came off base. It was commercial jet too.

B: Okay, so you say you came back to Fort Benning, Georgia?

RG: After my leave and when I first got back we spent out last six months in For Benning, Georgia. I was uh...motor pool sergeant that time. I had...in Vietnam if you didn't...if you was lucky and didn't get killed or didn't get hurt and you know you had a your job opportunity move on fast. I think I was in service ten months with part of it over there I was A-5 sergeant in ten months time. But now like I said everybody progressed good if they done their job and didn't have no bad luck. Get hurt or something, which I was lucky I never got a scratch. I seen it all around me you know what I mean.

B: Um...so what'd you do when you got out of the service? Did you come back here?

RG: I come back here and was on employment for, through the service uh...a month maybe two this job at City of Matewan came open when uh...assistant or helper to the water plant superintendent at that time so I took it. And at that time pay wasn't much but you know had to get started somewheres. Been here for twenty-one years.

B: What kind of uh...work do you do here?

RG: Uh...basically treatment of water form the Tug River down here source. We purify and uh...like if the river's muddy we take the dirt out of it purified if. Make sure your Ph is up to par   ____ is right just different things to fit the health department standards. Rules and regulations we have to go by. Plus uh...out in the public we got probably fifteen, twenty miles of water lines which is controlled by the state public commission you know you got to do...they got their rules and regulations you have to go by. And you got certain amount of natural resources that you have to abide by them. Take out of the river putting back in the river. Stuff like that. Same as the sewer system. and things you know last... I've seen things go from last twenty years or two we had an old water system that just wasn't worth a nickel really but we made it work best we could. 'Til this modern place here and it's perfect, it's perfect plant. Puts out real good water for the public. We even put fluoride in the water...always since I've been here or before that I think they did. Fluoride for you know your teeth kids in school stuff like that it's uh...basically a perfect water plant so far had no problems.

B: How long has this one been in operation?

RG: Um...I think we finished it...in 77 it whipped the top story of the old plant out down next to the jail. The flood did and they were five years building this one so we made that thing run with no top on it or just out in the water and everything for five years. And it had to run twenty-four hours a day. I mean actually pumped water twenty-four hours a day. Because of the deterioration of the plant the system you know. And uh...nineteen eight-one I think they started this plant up. And it runs anywhere from eight, ten, twelve hours a day. Depending on the demand of the time of the year. Summer...people use a lot more water than in the winter time. But it runs about like half the time of what the other system run you know. And still got plenty room for growth.

B: So does the water get pumped up here and then processed and then pumped out through a main system? How does it work?

RB: We've got two pumps at the river one runs...they all relate one at a time. They're a huge pumps and they take the water up out of the river and bring it through the, into the plant system here which it goes through a certain system of time, chemicals, and got a large clear well it goes into and then you've got your pumps it puts it out into the tanks. And into the line. Excess water goes into the tanks and when the tanks get full it automatically through the telephone system cuts itself off see. And at a certain level of the tanks when they get down it uh...telephone system inactivates it comes back one and keeps doing that process all the time see. Which keeps you know fire protection for fire hydrants. Keeps them ready to go all the time. Plenty of water.

B: How far does this system reach? I mean how far does it serve? What kind of an area?

RG: Okay, it goes uh...uh...when I started here it was mainly in the Matewan area and Blackberry City here and up to North Matewan area. and now we go up basically it's about the same but now we've got water to the Country Club and every...you know everybody between here and there has out water. So we've expanded you know the Hatfield Bottom area. Up town now and the Country Club all the way..it's about I don't know five or six miles to the Country Club.

B: So you were working at the plant when the '77 flood hit?

RG: Um-hum. Yes I was.

B: What do you remember about when that flood first started? What do you remember? Did they know that it was gonna flood as bad?

RG: No nobody had no idea it was gonna get that bad. I know that uh...you know we had similar floods or smaller floods many a time. We had our certain things we'd do. We'd prepare out chemicals and stuff through the water system to get them up out of the flood zone so we could...you know we done all this stuff. And it got up to a certain point it wasn't too bad but suddenly it just went to raising three foot an hour after it had already flooded you know. And uh...then everybody in town was kind of you know confused, trapped, they wasn't prepared for a flood that big. Uh...a lot of people lost their   ____ I know I lost my personal truck. Well I didn't lose it, it got flooded. Uh...lost all of out chemicals like I said the top of story of the water plant just washed off. Lost everything. And my personal home I got a call all the phones was out and I got a call from the county sheriff by radio in a cruiser that was the only thing....there was two things that pulled out of town. I had my own personal back hoe and this friend of mine he stayed down there I had to go home and see what my family was trying to get ahold of me...they was getting scared. And he took that back hoe and uh...pulled the city cruiser across the railroad, cause it was the only way radio left I mean communications anywhere and which they used it come in real handy for emergency situation. That back hoe survived and that cruiser survived. And I went home I got three foot was in my house. And but I had friends that literally got every bit of furniture out of my house and they even took carpets up. And uh...of course like I say everything was just a mess but we survived.

B: Yeah.

RG: Luckily nobody got killed. That I know of you know in the local area. It was just...of course people are use to it they move back and they just stay away from it you know. Get out it don't get around to...

B: The girl that works down at the office Yvonne says "that you helped do some of the sand bagging in...when they knew that it was gonna flood up into the town". You...did you do that? Do you remember?

RG: Well to my knowledge there was no sand bagging it's almost impossible to sand bag Tug River. You know you have a force of water I mean it's just not a back up and uh...there's no way you could sand bag it. Now I'm talking about going down where jail is this and that. When it washes the top of a building off and all the building and houses a worshing out there's no way you can sand bag it.

B: Yeah.

RG: No didn't done nothing like that...too much for that. To fast happening you know. It's sudden. I think that was on a Monday I'm pretty sure. You know the river was rasing that morning or that after noon real heavy a little after dark that night it everything was just covered and washed off. Breaking up houses a going down the river. You wouldn't believe.

B: How long did it take for the water to recede?

RG: Uh...I think best I know it was...it went back down something like that Wednesday morning or that week. It went back down to where people could get to their houses. To inspect them but one of the big factors was there at that time was there was no electricity no where. Like a week before they got the power back on. So we couldn't...and our water system the whole top story tore off we couldn't uh...pump no water for people to clean up with you know that's one major thing we're sitting where we are now. You know this is up...the water come around that curve over top the railroad track at that time so this plant is safe. The river system is built to uh...be waterproof uh...if they got another real bad flood like that this day and time probably could fly in some generators and hook up the water...the river plant and the water plant here and uh...in a matter of hours start pumping water again, see cause this place is pretty well safe. If it gets up here there ain't gonna be nothing left no where. That's the reason we're sitting here and not down town where it used to be.

B: How about power generation? What would happen if say some thing happened and it flooded and the electricity was knocked out again. Could you all still pump?

RG: Well that's what I say at that time the emergency situation as bad as it was uh...the governor and the people uh...politicians they flew in uh...generators, we had four or five big generators down there but everything was tore up we couldn't run them you see.

B: Right.

RG: But right now if you had a big emergency they could fly in a couple of generators and electrician and probably within two or three hours have this plant running. I mean what I meant. Or some day maybe they ought to uh...get generators for that cause but uh ...if they get the tow protected through the new project and every-thing we won't hurt this, this is high and dry you see. Future looks good on that part.

B: Did you have to put your back hoe to use cleaning up after the flood?

RG: Uh...yeah well I done most of my, at that time I drove a school bus to. Seeing me I worked for the city and drove a school bus trying to make ends meat. And I had to quit school bus in order to stay at the water plant. We had so many houses worshed off. So many loose ends, hydrants knocked over where clean up equipment was in town. They brought contractors in I had to work constantly with them. I didn't work no privately job cause I didn't...I worked cleaning up the mud or nothing but my concentration was to get the water back on. Through, cause we'd worked on in twenty...almost twenty-four hours a day what little sleep we'd get in order to...had to replace everything. All the motors had to be cleaned, filters had to be redone. And we had on limited amount of help. We even had the state police there if we needed somebody or had to go get them you know just what it took. We had uh...it was all kinds of good help at that time.

B: How about the eighty-four flood?

RG: Well it was...I helped uh...like I said we're in a new plant and we had no uh...I think the power was off like one day and if got down just about the time it come on we still had a little water in the low lying area I know I was down at the bank at that time. I didn't have to worry about the plant or no broken lines or nothing like that cause we didn't have any. We just didn't have no electricity like for one day but we still had water in storage. So luckily everybody worked out about the time the power come on I was down town we was pumping water out of the basement for the fire department pumps and stuff. Taking it and cleaning the front street and the side walks. Do all of the with the water we was pumping out of the street you know. So power come on that after noon I came back and started the plant up nobody was out any way very long...maybe a few in high elevations. But uh...it worked out real well, like I said a big difference where they put the water plant is and that's the first you need when your flooded is water to clean with. And that's the big things as far as I'm concerned was it.

B: What kind of residue or what do you call it that did the waters leave when the water receded? How much silt or what ever did that?

RG: Oh it can be as high as in town in the areas where the water is still in the Mate Creek area where it just backs up that can be two or three [feet] of just nothing but mud.

B: Oh...

RG: And them people's homes are up maybe a foot of mud just where it settles out it's just you know thick and heavy that uh...that area of time it just piles in piles up two or three foot in different areas. Makes a mess in your roads. But it that's really what it is it's a top soil and that just uh...erosion you know from out of the strips and hollers and people's yards and when it worshes and where you find a still place that's where it sits at. When the water goes down it leave all that mess and it makes a real mess.

B: How much of a purification process does the Tug River water have to go through? Say what's it like in it's natural state? How polluted it is?

RG: Okay, oh...health department wise and form all I know about it Tug River is really one of the better rivers in the state of West Virginia. Mainly due because you don't have the big factories. You know like the Ohio and over here they got this   ____ they don't have that uh...it's get muddy uh...you know mostly from the strip job and stuff but dirt don't hurt anything clears it out completely takes all the dirt out. We at the uh...I call water plants and put a certain amount of chlorine in there it takes care of any bacteria you know stuff like and basically one of the better rivers in the state. As far as purify-ing...basically it's iron free. Real good...real good.

B: So do you actually have amounts of dirt that you have to get out of the system when the water comes through?

RG: If you have like a hard rain uh...worsh out rain. Heavy rains it never gets real...real muddy. But the way the water plant is designed if it is designed right like this one is the muddier the water the better it works cause you know people well look at that dirty river uh...it's designed to the chemical they put in there the more dirt there are to work with the better your finished products see. Cause it really, the rivers real clear. We have to add a extra little chemical to make this process work. What called it's a flock and makes little particles starts real small and it spins around and around it keeps picking up more see. And as these particles get heavier the more dirt there are the heavier it settles to the bottom. And that's a five to eight hours uh...of uh... time spent coming through this plant. The water spins getting to one end to the other. Uh...all the dirt is settled to the bottom and you got to finish clear products. That's mainly what it's about.

B: So uh...what experience have you had in the fire department?

RG: Uh...well I first come here working uh...I got to you know just help them out learn about what it's all about I'd say volunteer I still am. At that time the fire house was located at the end of the water plant and always you know back at that time a shortage of people or trained people or trying to help the community which is alright if your there anyway. So I started helping out and learning a little bit about it. They give out a class I went to it and uh...boys just help the town do it now you know. Oh been about twenty years when I went in.

B: Have they ever had a paid fire man in Matewan?

RG: No hunt-uh...no.

B: Did anybody ever say how far back the fire department went?

RG: No uh...set up before my time. I remember some of the old folks that use to be on it. George Tanner I think he's in Chillicothie now. Bob McCoy might uh...put you more onto that cause he's older than I am. Huh...huh...tell him that will ya? (laughing)

B: Okay. (laughing)

RG: So I don't know I do know when I was in...I played basketball for Matewan and we was at Huntington a tournament or something was up there my grandparents caught on fire. And George Tanner and they come up and put it out and saved our home at that time. They appreciated it because the insurance I don't think they even had any then I'm not sure. But it was burnt down.

B: How about the...do you know how long they've had the plant here in Matewan? Did you ever hear anybody talk about...

RG: The water plant?

B: Um-hum.

RG: No I think back in...the best I know the other operator that uh...Tony Carrico retired in 77 when the flood hit. He was about ready to retire anyway, he had a heart problem. Uh...back in the thirties I've heard him talk back in the thirties and so but I can't go no father than that. I'd say that's...all the paper work and stuff they had they put away and this and that was lost in the flood you know. Building got covered plum up in mud. Just what people remember really is...go back to the old timers somewhere or find out more about that.

B: So you played basketball in high school?

RG: Um-hum.

B: Who did you all play when you played for Matewan?

RG: Oh we played well Williamson we played uh...C.K., Princeton, we went up and played, Mont Calm. There was several, Oceanna, Logan we played Logan. We used to have some good teams back in those days...it was fun.

B: Were you all an integrated school by then? Or was it...

RG: Yeah um-hum.

B: Alright what position did you play?

RG: Uh...center.

B: Uh-huh. How would you learn to play basketball?

RG: How did I learn?

B: Uh-huh

RG: Well I'd sit in the seventh grade science teacher ah...he was a junior high coach at that time I think and senior high coach of course I was tall I'm six-eight now but at that time I was tall skinny anyhow they just...I just they just kind of watched me because of my height and he come in class one day and took me outside. I thought I was in trouble, and ask me if I played any ball, would I like to play and I just went along with him because you know I couldn't see why not. I'd try to anything if it improves or helps me which it did. And uh...from seventh grade on through twelfth grade I played and they worked with me. Spent many hours working with me.

B: Had you gotten a scholarship to school? Is that...

RG: I had a scholarship to Beckley I'd checked at several schools and but like I said uh...financial wise it takes a little...uh... the schooling was all free but I you got...still got to have a certain amount of help somewhere else or if you ain't got that you just have to forget it. Which after I got out of service I could have went back but at that time I really wasn't interested in it I guess I'm doing alright. I'm working and ain't missed a days work in twenty years so.

B: That's pretty...

RG: ...twenty...twenty-one.

B: That's pretty good. So had your grandparents retired by the time....

RG: Uh...they when I was in the eleventh grade my grandpaw died and while I was a senior that spring just before I graduated my grandmother died. And my father he wouldn't let me   ____ and been unemployed too. So I more or less alone at that time. They lived long enough to get me raised and they died and I had to start doing something for myself.

B: Did you and your wife that you married before you went to Viet-nam have you all stayed married or...

RG: We're still married twenty-three September. Yeah I got three kids. One's seventeen, one's fifteen, one's twelve. And their all girls. Yeah I'm proud of them their doing fine in school. Couple of them on the honor roll and the other one's taking college type of classes a little bit harder on her but she done have them preparation if she is to go. So I'm gonna try to help her the best I can. I know they all need that if they can get it. I'm hoping the other two will play basketball and get them a scholarship. That's the truth. They're pretty good they are tall too. In fact one of them is at camp today with uh...head basketball coach from Matewan girl uh...Gaynell Epling. They're over at Tug Valley at that summer program today.

B: Is that Matewan that you grew up in much different than the Matewan that your children have grown up in?

RG: Uh...yeah it's uh...well you know back in those days nobody knowed what dope was. That worries me now being a parent in this area. I don't have that problem and never have with any of my kids I work it talk to them a lot. But back in days when we went to school you know it's just nobody, you didn't know what that kind of stuff was. And maybe might have somebody drink a beer or some-thing. But uh...there wasn't no trouble. You didn't stand no dope. Cigarette was the worst thing you'd see in school you know. Uh...today it dope problems probably just as bad here as it is anywhere else. Got us...got it's down falls for that but uh...I do know since I've been working for the city everything you it was been proven wise uh...living...living wise everything trying to grow leaders of the community and always been trying to build new things and do things. Swimming pools the new water plant and sewer system. The town looks have improved a hundred...hundred percent you know.

B: Yeah.

RG: Since I started because down the bank and all that area and Main Street it used to be just a shabby dump but they've really improved the looks of it. Everybody's trying it's just one thing I guess you know being in the coal field, striking, violent sometimes. That kind of discourages a lot of people...some people leave. That's worrying a lot of people right now. How bad it's gonna be. When they...when you lose families and you lose water customers and grocery store customers and just economical wise it hurts.

B: Yeah. What had your grandfather done for a living?

RG: He was retired uh...every since I was big enough to know he was a lawyer and coal miner.

B: Had he ever told you about the timber industry?

RG: Oh I...not a whole lot I can remember. It was...just I think he done that in his younger days. And he worked at Majestic Galeries here in a coal company. Back in those days you know I don't think it took too much money to live on. But they didn't make much either...that was a problem I guess.

B: How many children had they had other than your father?

RG: Uh...had one...had an uncle killed in World War II. I think there was five all together. But he was killed in World War II. He's buried right up here on this point at Blackberry City here. You know my dad he's alive right now. He works up Red Jacket on custodian at the school. Uh...he's in his sixties. He's only one...the survivor there are. The last one left in the family.

B: What kind of reception did you get when you came home from Vietnam here in Matewan?

RG: Oh at that time uh...my wife stayed with her mother at Phelps and that's where I had to stay for a while 'til I got you know going. That was about it just to get home and then I had thirty days and I had to go back to uh...finish my six months at Fort Benning. So that was about it.

B: So this area wasn't a hot bed of uh...

RG: No...

B: Anti-war demonstration?

RG: No. Seeing it was county you just didn't have that problem. Not a lot around this area.

B: Okay. Well is there anything that I haven't ask you about that you can think of?

RG: No sounds pretty thorough.

B: Ok, the only thing that I can think of is there anything any little stories that come to mind uh...the uh...the 77 flood, did any little humorous things happen that you can...

RG: No everybody was like I said my home was flooded at that time we had uh...lets see I had two kids I think one was just an infant. And we of course we stayed here in Blackberry City with a friend and I just...it was horrible trying to and my problem was tying to get the water on down here try to get my own family back in my own house without electricity to work with. That's another problem. Couldn't get no water at my home either to work with. Mud laying all over everything.

B: You were too busy to see anything funny going on?

RG: Yeah...yeah it was just a serious matter there wasn't no...

B: Some of the little ladies in town that I interviewed said that they can remember a teddy bear floating down the river on a bed. They thought that was kind of funny.

RG: Um-hum.

B: Had there been...did you know of any looting that went on?

RG: Any what?

B: Looting? You know...

RG: Uh...

B: Did people try to break into stores and stuff downtown?

RG: No I don't think so. Dan Kinder I think he was working at the police department at that time maybe. He works here now he's out reading meters today he might know of some stuff like that. I know he was here in eight-four. But that was over in his apartment I hardly ever the first few days just didn't get away from the water plant at all. We was just busy trying to get everything took out and fixed. Trying to get the water on, that was the priority getting the water on.

B: Well thank you for talking to me this morning.

RG: Okay.

Matewan Oral History Project Collection