Story

North Carolina, 1939

Tobacco Bag Stringing:

KEMP, MRS. BESSIE, Hunting Creek, N.C., age 25, husband 30; three young children.

INCOME: Her husband is employed at a local furniture factory, earning $15.00 per week. They have no other sources of income.

HOME CONDITIONS: The family owns a new two-room house and 129 acres of land. Their only livestock is a pig. They use wood from their farm for fuel. Compared to most of their neighbors, they appear to be relatively well-off. The annual taxes on their farm are $17.00, and they spend about $10.00 per week on groceries.

Mrs. Bessie Kemp has been stringing tobacco bags for five years, earning about $11 a month from it. She does not need to do this work to survive but chooses to because she enjoys it. This extra income allows the family to live more comfortably and provide their children with things they otherwise couldn’t afford. The children appear healthy, lively, and well-cared for.

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