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Jackson
County Historical Society 1859 Jail, Marshal's Home & Museum Online Bookshop, Memberships, Jackson County |
The JournalAn oral history conducted in
October 2001 between William B. Bundschu and George Chrisman, who worked at
Independence Bottling Company from 1941-1956. William Bundschu: You’re
George Chrisman, is that right? George Chrisman: That’s
right. WB: Mr.
Chrisman, did you work at the Independence Bottling Company? GC: Yes
I did. WB: About
what time did you work there? GC: It
was just about the time Pearl Harbor was bombed. WB: In
1941? GC: Yeah. WB: How
long did you work there? GC: I
worked there about fifteen years. WB: So
you worked there probably until about 1956? GC: Yes
sir. WB: When
you were working at the Independence Bottling Company, was there a spring
located on that property at that time? GC: Yes
it was. WB: Would
you please describe this spring as you best remember it? GC: Well
I remember that I had to go down in there every once in a while and re-do the
motor because the motor wasn’t working, so I had to go down there and put
another motor in so that it would pump the water into the plant. WB: Would
you describe whether it was a spring in a well, or where was the motor
located? GC: Down
at the bottom of the well. WB: About
how deep was the well? GC: I’d
say about between fifteen to twenty feet deep. WB: Now
where was the well located in relationship to the buildings that were on the
plant? GC: Between
here and there. WB: And
you’re pointing between the bottling plant and the bottle storage shed, is
that correct? GC: That’s
right. WB: So
when locating the spring, it would be between the bottle storage and the main
plant, is that correct? GC: That’s
correct. WB: When
you were working there at the bottling company can you tell me what was
happening in the well, or would you describe the spring to the best that you
remember? GC: Well,
the best I remember is that the spring was run by a motor and the motor would
just pump the water from the spring right into the plant, so they used it for
bottling purposes. WB: Did
the water of the spring flow into the well? GC: Yes
it did. WB: Could
you see the water flow into the well? GC: Yep. When I got down in there to put the
motor in, you could see it. WB: Describe
the bottom of the well where the water flowed. GC: Well,
it was pretty deep. After I got
down there I couldn’t completely see the whole bottom because it was pretty
close to about fifteen or twenty feet deep. WB: So
the spring flowed into the well and it accumulated about fifteen or twenty
feet of water in the well? GC: Yes
sir. It did. WB: And
was the water clear, or murky?
Describe the water. GC: The
water was just as clear as you could ever see it. WB: Could
you actually see water flowing? GC: Yes
I could. WB: About
how much water do you think was flowing in that spring at the time you were
there? GC: I’d
say at least fifteen to twenty comin’ in to it. WB: Then
where did the motor pump the water into the plant? GC: They
had a straight line that goes right into the bottling company—right under the
ground. I don’t know how deep it
was under the ground, but I know it came right into the plant so we could use
it for our bottling purposes to keep the water cool and everything. WB: So
the water was pumped into the plant—was it pumped into the first floor or the
second floor, or where was it pumped into the plant? GC: It
was pumped into the first floor—right into the bottling plant. WB: Do
you remember what the water was used for when you worked there? GC: All
I know is they said it was to keep the temperature down on it, you know, to
keep it from getting too hot. WB: Did
the spring flow as long as you worked there? GC: As
long as I remember it did. Until
they probably closed it up. I
think it was still working after they closed it up. WB: Describe
how they closed it up if you remember. GC: The
reason they closed it up ‘cause one of the guys, the boss, committed suicide
and they finally figured up to close the plant down completely. WB: How
did they close the spring? GC: I
guess after they closed the plant, they just disregarded the spring
altogether. WB: Did
the spring have a top on it so the trucks could roll over it? GC: The
trucks never did touch it. It
had a plate over it where it was back between the building where couldn’t
nobody run over it. WB: Is
there anything else that you remember about the spring that might be of
interest to somebody? GC: Well
I know that lots of times people used to come down there and get water out of
the spring and drink. I remember
that, because they said it was the best water they could find. They couldn’t find it no place
else. They’d come down there and
get a gallon jug of water to drink. WB: Anything
else you’d like to add? GC: I
just miss workin’ down there for one thing. It was a nice place to work for. |