Return to the Land

In time Stafford found his work brought him back to Danville, Virginia. Mother, not taken with being an idle homemaker, quickly found work in Danville. She worked as a bookkeeper for A&B Clothing Store and in addition to this responsibility became the secretary to the Danville mayor, a Mr. Turner. By now Dad had bought the automobile of his dreams. This was a new Dodge four-door sedan with a straight eight-cylinder engine. It was black in color and was heavy so the riding comfort was excellent. Of all the cars my dad owned this one gave him the utmost satisfaction and pride. As a child he’d often told me about the Straight 8 Dodge. One night while traveling between Danville and Highpoint a police car began following him and being the young sporting man, he decided to out maneuver the law. He merely pushed down on the accelerator and the last he saw of the chasing car were two small dim headlights in the distance. Dad was always respectful of authority but this one time proved to him that the Dodge could outrun anything on the road. He later surmised the police suspected this big powerful car might have been a runner for moonshine since this was in the days of Prohibition.

Stafford in Dodge Sedan Washington, D.C., 1930

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