| Notes |
- Cully was a very colorful man and an adventurer. When he was in school,you started to colleg e after the 9th grade.He attended a private school in SC and when his father sent the tuition at 18 ,he left to go west. He was in the army prior to WWI and serve d on the Mexican border during the war against Poncho Via. He was a cook and could always whip u p something basic. Following this, he became a merchant seaman for 10 years. His travels took him to France an d around the world. He used to love to speak with a Boston,Mass. accent; he would tell of doc king in Boston and thought their accent fascinating. During his sea time he had a large black dog tha t was permitted to travel with him. One time a large crate would have fallen on him, the do g pushed him our of the way. He always told about his hero dog, but don't remember what happe ned to him. Back in the states he worked on Howard Hughes grandfather's large farm. He said it was a n 8 horse plow and you had to carry a razor sharpe hoe to to kill the snakes that would be i n the fields after irrigtion . He remembered when Howard Hughes inherited his wealth and woul d tell me about meeting him. He loved the railroad and worked as a brakeman,until a crate fell on his foot and broke sev eral bones.After this he always wore shoes with a special brace in the sole of his right shoe . Now he wore a 12 EE, so picking up his shoes was exercise! He was proud of starting a farm in his home area, building his house and bringing special h ogs from Texas,that amazed everyone with their size. Most projects lasted only 3 years in his home area of SC until his late 40's. He'd get an it ch and sell whatever he had for $300 and be off on another adventure. He started one of the earliet insurance companies,which later became one of the largest in S C, after he sold his shares for $300! Then the busiest Shell station in Florence; the man wh o bought it used to say ,"Thank goodness for Cully's traveling itch!" When General Marion Smith passed away the family farm was 4000acres,to be divided among th e 7 children; Cully sold his share to his sister Nettie for--$300. During WWII he stated selling cars for "Doc" Hyman and stayed with his companies for15 year s,until his retirement. the war brought a shortage of cars. Cully would ride the Champion Tra in to New York City, buy 2 cars from older people,who couldn't afford gas or rent for storag e and drive and tow one back. He did this 2-3 times a week to keep Doc Hyman in cars. the Sea board Railroad gave Cully a special letterfor the 230 times he rode the Champion Train and gu aranteed him a seat anytime he requested one. One time it was full and they sold him a ticket ,even though he had to se t in the club car. He ran 9 coupes and he drove a large luxury car during probition days,selling moonshine. H e said it was the large car that kept him from escaping the "feds". Federal prison was served , with no one in the money circles in Florence thinking anything of it,as they all bought from him. It never h urt his social standing. He was a very special Dad ; with great stories to tell; polite; gracious; honest; helped th e poor; protected the "Mormon" missionaries from abuse; but loved the ladies. He was married 7 times before my mother , who was 27 years younger , and 2 times after. they remarried each other 3 times and each married once in between and once after their fina l divorce. But they always loved each other and were sorry they couldn't bridge the "time" gap.
|
1892 - 1964 (71 years)
