Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 19 · column 5 of 7 · from the scan, no model involved
How bad was the
Great Depression
in Virginia?
Although Virginia’s balanced economy absorbed some of the shock of the crisis, the state was not “depression proof” It was a time for rigid economizing on the farms. Many farmers stopped growing tobacco because it did not pay the fertilizer and marketing costs. Practically no agricultural machinery was purchased, and deterioration in buildings and equipment was widespread. Albemarle farmer Clarence Holt recalled, “Money for necessities was scarce—for luxuries, non-existent; work clothes bore many patches and did not always match.” In urban centers times were even more difficult. Soup kitchens and breadlines became common features on city streets. People did their own laundry, garaged the car, allowed automobile licenses to lapse, and did without vacations. Smok
90.9%