History of John Smith Griffin
page 37

Early Washington - 1931

While going to school at Weber College in Ogden, I had become acquainted with Willard Marriott who had leased a room in the college and ran a little store selling candy and books, etc. I was particularly friendly with his brother Paul and his sister Katherine who were also going to school at Weber. Bill, as we all called Willard, had come to Washington several years previous and had married the daughter of Reed Smoot's second wife. With Smoots help he had started a small stand where he sold hot dogs, A & W root beer and other refreshment. He had been successful and had expanded to a rather large drive-in out on Conneticut Avenue. He was very successful in this undertaking,. even during the worst part of the depression. I had tried to contact Bill several several times to see if I could get work at his restaurant. I could never get through his secretary to him and of course his secretary would give me no satisfaction.

One day I was over at Smoot's office talking to Truman Young, one of Smoot's secretaries. I told him that I was desparate for a job, that I had very little money left and had to get work. He asked me if I would take any job and I told him I would. I told him about knowing Bill Marriott but that I was unable to contact him. He said "I'll take care of that" and picked the phone up and called Bill. A call from Smoot's office went through to Bill easily. Bill would still not talk to me but told Truman Young that if I would report to his drive-in at 6 pm that evening there would be a job for me. I was much encouraged and went out to the drive-in at 6 pm. and asked for Shib Hatch who was in charge.

Hatch asked me what I wanted and when I told him of what had happened he said that he knew nothing of it. He told me though that if I would like to wash rootbeer mugs he could give me a job for that night and perhaps longer. I gladly accepted. I worked from 6 that evening until 3 the next morning cleaning off trays and washing root beer mugs. My pay that night was $1.05, contributed by the girls who were car hops out of the tips that they earned. They had decided that they could wait on more cars and earn more money in tips if they did not have to take time to clean off their trays and so were willing to pay 15 cents, each night to me for doing this. The washing of the rootbeer mugs was just an extra free service for Bill contributed jointly by me and the car hops. I worked at this job every night for six weeks. My hours were anywhere from 3 in the afternoon until 4 and 5 the next morning on weekends and from 5 or .6 in the evening until 2 the next morning during the week, depending on business.

I learned while working there that the car hops (the girls who waited on the cars) not only were not paid by Marriott but actually had to pay him for their uniforms, for laundry of the uniforms and for other services in order to get the job. They made from $5 to $10 per night in tips depending on how busy they were and how hard they worked. I remember there was one girl named "Icy" who had been with Marriott ever since he opened the drive-in. She averaged over $10 a night which was a lot of money in those days. The kitchen help and those working behind the counter were paid $1 per day for 12 hours of work and one meal.

page 37

Previous Page   Next Page   Table of Contents