James Stanley Jones vs the Klan

The town’s only restaurant was run by Miss Jane Smithfield and was the only such establishment in the town. Mary Ellen Johnson, one of the students at the local white high school, was the only employee that Jane Smithfield had to help run the business. Miss Jane did not make sufficient funds from the business to hire a full-time employee and Mary Ellen came to the restaurant after school on those days when she did not have cheerleader practice. When that occurred she reported as soon as cheerleader practice. was over and worked with Jane until closing time. Mary Ellen worked as the waitress, dishwasher, cook, and any other tasks that needed to be done. The restaurant survived not because of the residents of the town because they rarely used the facility. The business continued to survive because the Trailways bus stopped by three time a day, on its way further south, with its hungry passengers. Very few of the locals used the restaurant, since most being very poor could not afford the cost of a meal there. Occasionally a few of them would drop by for a cup of coffee but they rarely spent more than a dime in the restaurant and Mary Ellen was pleased when the big spenders left a penny tip. There was a window in the back of the restaurant for those colored patrons, riding in the back of the bus, who wanted to be served. They would have to wait until all the white patrons were served first. Since the bus only stopped for thirty minutes, most could not be served in that time frame. Most of the colored travelers avoided the window, preferring to eat out of their brown bags that most of them carried. Knowing conditions in the South, most black travelers throughout the South, sitting in the back of the bus, brought their lunch with them. At least there was an outhouse in the back of the restaurant labeled “Colored” for those that wanted to use it. The outhouse was even equipped with a Sears catalog for the black patrons with a desire to use it. Together, Mary Ellen and Miss Jane had made the restaurant business stay above water. Miss Jane at times thought about closing the facility but could not decide what she would do with her time if she did not have the business to operate and she enjoyed conversations with her patrons. She was sure of one thing and she said that often to Mary Ellen. “I make about a dollar an hour from this business but I really enjoy being my own boss. I never liked having others telling me what I could or could not do.” Mary Ellen went out of the back door of the restaurant to put the trash that she had collected from sweeping the floor in the garbage can. She saw a young colored boy about her own age of seventeen. He had the lid to the garbage can in one hand and was eating something with the other. When Mary Ellen first saw him she could not believe what she was seeing. Here was a young black boy, who looked to be the same age that she was, eating out of the garbage can. She had seen maggots in that can and could not believe that any rational person would be eating the leftover food in that garbage can. She said, “What are you doing?” “Nothing Miss, I’m sorry.” The young boy turned and started to walk away. She called to him and said, “Wait a minute, are you hungry?” “No ma’am.” “Then why are you eating out of the garbage can?” “I don’t know ma’am.” “You wait right here and don’t run away, do you understand me?” “Yes ma’am.” She went in the restaurant and came back a few minutes later with two biscuits wrapped in a paper napkin. She approached him and held the two biscuits out to him and he hesitated, not quite sure of what to do. She said, “Take these, I am not going to poison you.” He took the biscuits and started eating one and put the other in his pocket. Mary Ellen said, “What are you going to do with the other one?” “I am going to save it for the morning, before I go to school.” “You go to school?” “Yes ma’am ” “Where do you live?” The young boy looked down at the ground and avoided looking at her and did not answer. She repeated the question in a more forcible tone. “Where do you live?” He continued to look down as if she were not there and tears started to form in his eyes and run down his cheeks. Mary Ellen had never in her life felt so sorry for another human being. She said, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, that’s your business. If you come around here at the same time tomorrow I will give you some more food.” He wiped the tears away from his cheeks with the back of his hand and said, “I really thank you ma’am for the food.” “My name is Mary Ellen Johnson, what is your name?” “James Stanley Jones, ma’am.” Mary Ellen did not know what to say to put him at ease. She finally said, “Please come back again. I think I can help with whatever problems you have, at the very least I can give you some food.” He said, “Thank you ma’am.” James turned and slowly walked away; he never looked back. Mary Ellen returned to the restaurant and told Miss Jane what had transpired. Miss Jane was moved by the circumstances and especially the way Mary Ellen related the event. Miss Jane said, “It is fine by me if you give him some food but I don’t think that he will return.” Mary Ellen was convinced that he would. She said, “Miss Jane, I was not mean to him, I was just shocked to see him eating out of that garbage can; I see maggots in there all the time.” “Mary Ellen when people are hungry they eat whatever food they can find.” “I suppose, but I would rather go hungry than eat garbage.” “Child, you have never been hungry in your life. Try to put yourself in his place.” “I sure hope he comes back.