<Begin Segment 33>

DG: Okay, so you went to Minidoka and what did you do there?

GF: Minidoka? I didn't want to work. I might as well get unemployment and my wife worked for the -- no, she didn't work either. No, she was working for the clothing department, and I said, "I'm not going to work. Why should I work? Let the government feed me." But then I went into the unemployment office and this guy, Kusumi -- he just came here recently and he's a good friend of ours now. And he says, "George, I got a job for you." I said, "I don't want a job. I came to get unemployment." And then he went to see... oh, his wife was Akagi girl, says, "Well, I met a nice little couple," he says, "I think I'll use him in my office," so they said to me, he says, "You come and work for me in the unemployment office." "I told you I came to get unemployment, not to work." At sixteen dollars or twelve dollars... [laughs] So anyway.

DG: You were pretty, feeling sort angry at that time then.

GF: Well, I didn't want to work. I might as well have the government feed me. They brought me in here, let them feed me. Why should I work? That's my feeling and maybe I was angry, I don't know. I didn't know. But, anyway, I went and worked for him. And that's when Frank -- I don't remember if Frank Hattori took over afterwards as the head administrator there in the employment office. And this fellow, Kusumi, that I worked for, he was the unemployment head. He put me to work and then after -- there was a lot of Portland girls. I can't remember their names now; but, anyway, I worked for him and I didn't do too much, I don't think. But, anyway, I gave everybody unemployment, come in, and give it to them. [Laughs] But, anyhow, that was interesting. Anyway, then Kusumi was -- Frank Hattori left for Denver, Colorado, for some school, so Kusumi was going to take over. "Sats," I says, "you're a damn fool," I told him. "You're a damn fool. Why don't you go out?" And so I says, "Well, I'm going to leave." He says, "George, you're going to be the top unemployment." Nope, not me. I don't want that, not for another two, three dollars. Why should I? That's, was my advice. Anyway, I left for... where did I go for that time? I think I went to -- oh, I went to Spokane to work on the farm.

<End Segment 33> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.