Meeting Paul

Redcliffe Street Building

Going back to my work at the factory, some days were spent pleasantly with the girls I liked, but some were not so good. The newspapers were always full of stories about the Mormons and they made unfavorable impressions upon the minds of the people. Often when I went to work these stories of the Mormons taking girls to Salt Lake City for immoral purposes were stuck all over the machine where I worked. I had quite a time defending the Church and myself but I know that the Lord was with me and I was able to answer the questions and accusations that were put to me. These experiences helped me to gain spiritual strength for other battles ahead.

One day the news came that the Redcliffe St branch of the factory was to be closed down. It had been condemned because being built on the banks of the river, the rats seemed to have become too numerous. So we were being transferred to either Bedminster or Long Ashton. I had to say goodbye to my first and very dear friends. I remember Beatrice Bush, Myra Potter, Gladys Welsh, Amanda (Minnie) Saunders and many others I had grown quite fond of. They were very special people. Without them it would have been harder to endure the persecution from the rest.

Bedminster Factory

I was transferred to the Bedminster factory. It was about one mile and a half further on. It was the center or main branch. There were about 3,000 people working there. The room to which I was assigned had about 500-600 workers. It was called the stripping room. Here, the tobacco leaves were piled on tables in front of us and we had to strip the stems from the tobacco leaves. The leaves were anywhere from 8 to 12 inches long. The stems went into one basket at our sides and leaves into another. Our baskets held about a hundred pounds and when full were weighed and credited to our names. The more work we did the more we were paid. The leaves were crushed and made into cigarettes and the stems into snuff.

Inside Bedminster

I was put to work on a table with about 20 middle-aged women. They were rough and filthy talkers and it didn't take them long to find out I was a Mormon. I was very unhappy there. These women did everything they could to cause me trouble. They hid my tools, they took the best leaves and left me the dry, skinny ones that weighed the least. They swore continually, taking the Lord's name in vain and told filthy stories. I used to cry myself to sleep at night. I prayed to the Lord for help and for strength to endure these things.

In the factory every person was given a number. This was stamped on their time cards, their seats and tools, so with about 3,000 people to keep track of, they very seldom changed us around as it caused too much work at the main offices. I therefore didn't think there was any way out of this miserable situation, but I had forgotten than nothing is impossible with the Lord. After about three weeks I arrived at work one morning and was about to take my place at the table when the foreman sent word for me to come to his office. This man's name was Joe Coggins. He had been at the Redcliffe factory and knew me quite well. He said, "Hester, I have been watching you for some time. I know you are not happy working with those older women so I'm going to move you to the other end of the room." I was amazed and I almost burst into tears. I was instructed to get my tools and follow him. When those women I had been working with saw that I was being moved, they shouted abusive words at me. I was taken to the other end of the room where people of my own age were working. There were four or five empty seats on one table and I was told to choose where I would like to sit and the number on that seat would be mine as long as I remained in that room. Looking down that long table, I noticed a girl with reddish colored hair seated on the last seat near the window. There was an empty seat next to her and I had a strong impression to choose that one. All the girls on that end of the table smiled at me and made me welcome. We worked in silence for about an hour, then the girl working opposite me looked up and said, "Please don't think me rude, but what is a Mormon? I heard you were one and I'm curious". I told her about the church and why we were called Mormons. We talked off and on most of the day whenever working conditions would permit. The girls were very interested and asked many intelligent questions. The girl next to me hadn't spoken very much but towards evening and near quitting time she whispered to me, "Do you know that you have been sent here in answer to my prayers?"

Lucy Battle, "Paul"

In the days that followed I learned that she was a very unhappy girl. Her home life was almost unbearable and her boy friend to whom she was engaged had jilted her for someone else. The night before, she said she had prayed the Lord would show her why she was here upon the earth and why she had to endure these things. In the days that followed I explained about pre­existence and why we were here and many gospel themes. This girl's name was Lucy Battle, but for some reason she was always called "Paul". The other three girls close by were Laura Clarke, Kitty Smith and Milly Avery. We became very good friends, often going on picnics together or to the theater or picture show. Paul eventually joined the church but I will tell about that later on. We had Saturdays and Sundays off and I helped Mother with the housework on Saturdays. The boys used to call me Lady Diana because I was so fussy about them messing up my clean house.