Credit Fuels Youthful Ambition

Who knew that in 1953, a downtown hardware store extended credit to a 12 year old? Mathis Hardware, located on the East side of the square stocked the recently introduced rotary power mowers. My Dad and I made a deal with the owner Dan Mathis that I would purchase one of these new marvels and pay for it with the proceeds from mowing lawns. By the end of that summer, I had paid off the massive $120 debt (at an average $1.50 per yard). Submitted by Ray Harding.