Latah County Oral History Collection

Sam Schrager: Sun and others become millionaires from mining stock. Our contractor makes good when he hits Spokane, a black North Carolina. And who makes good in Brewster, Washington? How two wives fooled their husbands in a brothel.

Sam Schrager: The first thing I want to ask you about is Joe Wells with the Negro. Joe Wells. Now, you're are you from the same Wells family that came out, dearie, and lived out there? How are you all related to their.

Elmer Wells: Never really here to come out here. You know, at the blacksmith shop, there's no dairy. You've heard of it right here. Distant cousins of mine.

Sam Schrager: So, did you know Joe Wells.

Elmer Wells: The nigger? Yeah. Well, I guess your dad, your age. I mean, I knew he died in North Carolina, and he raised him and him, and he. The boys were born of waste, and they men had quite a little lamb. He ran raised Joe as a slave, and he went to convert land and he went and revived money with the three of them, said, you have to really make it just as well these young Christians.

Elmer Wells: And here they all come driving home.

Sam Schrager: Well, was he Joe slave before the Civil War? Was Joe his slave before the Civil.

Elmer Wells: War when he was, you, your man's slave? During World War II, he was freed, right? I can't really, really remember. You know.

Sam Schrager: We'll see. We'll see. This man forever was his father's slave.

Elmer Wells: Where I use my favorite name. He was. His name was read by the real man, you know.

Sam Schrager: So he stayed on and he became like one of the family.

Elmer Wells: Anyhow, he got the name Joy Evers, you know, And this by is your idea.

Sam Schrager: So he treated Joe pretty good.

Elmer Wells: Yeah. John Great to work. Now you find him quickly business man here you back. Finish your show for me. You publish it this morning. I recognize you have lived here in Japan. You'll hear about Richard when you come up. I want to see him Well, but we didn't know what we had in mind. We weren't really great up until you, you know, come to night Next.

Elmer Wells: We have to read this point to a guy how I come from morning when staying at home. If you ever wanted to come to town, bring your money to bring me back. And we wanted him to be with me. Come down $10,000 in gold in the bank.

Sam Schrager: Who knew Who had the money to put in the bank, Bob with or the boy or the Wells boy? Okay.

Elmer Wells: And so it showed down here. And anybody you know, who had finished first really trying to go to see here, going from March, Greenville.

Sam Schrager: Yeah.

Elmer Wells: We're not here, is it right if we go back here the first house. Right. You know, 30 acres. Why we bought that and we married here we get, you know, for you. That's why they had to move to take care of them, you know, pay him for taking care of them.

Sam Schrager: So they had a good blacksmith business up there and dairy didn't.

Elmer Wells: Yeah, right. Maybe he brought down 10,000. Go it one time. Everybody else. You were great. But aren't you know, you're telling me later and well now here's your notice. Nervous? I get in trouble right there. Yeah. You have no shoes. How do you feel? You giving up? Write the letters to your sister. You know they had a sister, you know, she got a real.

Elmer Wells: You know, I. She's. My refrigerator has. Really?

Sam Schrager: Now you say what was the man's name that the wells that brought up Joe Wells took care of Joe. Well, what was his name?

Elmer Wells: His name was Wells.

Sam Schrager: What was his first name?

Elmer Wells: the old man.

Sam Schrager: Yeah.

Elmer Wells: God. You're in fact, say for sure.

Sam Schrager: But now you say that he helped bring you up to the same guy we. Yeah.

Elmer Wells: We were married. Yeah, I know. A different family. Entirely.

Sam Schrager: Entirely different farm.

Elmer Wells: Where you really. Where you re re away from.

Sam Schrager: Did you, did you know about them being out here when you came out here.

Elmer Wells: my God. Yes. I knew when we left to come here. Yeah, Yeah. Good bye, American guy. To whom? Heaven knows. You sure.

Sam Schrager: Did. They're coming out here. Have anything to do with your land and up here?

Elmer Wells: I don't know if it's quite a few. He'd come out here and scattered all over the west. You know, different places. Very, very different places. And you sure things, as I grew up, went to high school and then with college two years. And so I had some money and some money. And you can really find your young can, you know, you roam 20, 30, 40 miles away.

Elmer Wells: And these young kids from abroad, you know, pretty good, right? I should create a time at home retirement and them caravan and stop me what about seven and and go back do the same trip right over again I make your money. That made it fine. You want me come rest right? I think seven right now. Agnes has gradually had looks at ways to care for five years.

Elmer Wells: Made up her mind. You come and get her. Did this summer dropped off in Colorado. Others come on over here to old folks. Right. Right. Reverse for about four years For five years I on share I we relax to Knoxville Tennessee here as we're right yeah 17 March 19 to come up we're and come to see him and things never could be in commercial radio and you know no jobs at home All right right I got to discuss drinking and visit minors group and friends from impress different.

Elmer Wells: I come over here to Spokane and have to learn Pacific map Really road map Moscow, Nigeria. And I just glad you and Russian people use our roads bridge I'm going to find find you right here in our family. Yeah, well, I rode in here very long. I got a job in the store right here safely here. The J.C. Penney.

Elmer Wells: Yeah. And you?

Sam Schrager: Is that shields them here? What was the name of the place then? The name of the store.

Elmer Wells: Right. And here was only here on land Around here were to and he left it right down there. Remark Various members had died here and he had grown NHL in across town was very big. Richie Rich right right down here and here it her work for him are crowded right he got in the car loaded cold and rangers just for a couple of days and Harry the Indians unloaded down there couldn't find anyone The Rangers are strong.

Elmer Wells: He's done what many have unloaded. And I told him I don't miss going back. We're close to Ranger you. Then I said, Yes. I said, You go to hell. It's what you do. So I had way here. I was giving them as children. I said, You know, I stayed here. You played. I think you're I'm going to look at just one Portland.

Elmer Wells: She or Portland? Looks like you any time we can. Right? Portland. And here I'm here. Long century when going out. Not saying anything.

Sam Schrager: But you came back.

Elmer Wells: Yeah, I said that I had friends in Arizona. Preston urging them. Now turn around. Come back here. And I my folks, mother and brother, she really showed our North Carolina come here and we brought her very, very much for a mountain is just very out of the prairie Cambridge camper the historic places here is for sale right now but we kept our money.

Elmer Wells: We didn't have a very big property. And so but that there's an old house and I picked it up to live in for a couple years. Right. Well, you're in a better you are her running to have brought out a few trees where one of your house you'd be able to get house.

Sam Schrager: Did you did you cut any wood for to sell in Moscow. A lot of people in the mountain cut wood in there.

Elmer Wells: Yeah. Yeah, I could read it to him.

Sam Schrager: If you come in it down and sell it. Yeah.

Elmer Wells: Yeah. And I used that to my parents for sure. Right around 80 and two or three year old. Very warm to make things around. Pick it after, you know, they're going to burn their garden. Right. I got them money right then. Now try to $200 for that house for me for rent. Good for you. It was really a joke.

Elmer Wells: And I go kill my children. If you're out. So sure about coming in here and I'm sure down the street where the little grocery store over there, near here, across the street over there. And very rich druggist or whatever, but very little crack down on the street and is going to be very interesting. Maybe. All right. And I might come down to work.

Elmer Wells: And we're going to work for work for 19 years.

Sam Schrager: He made a big business out of that. Didn't me?

Elmer Wells: You're damn naughty. One time you had 125 emergency work at one time or you're working day and night. You know, vision being is getting impatient, shipping out. You know, you just stranger, you manufacture your striptease business. You gave it to him how he went into that business and made it generally packaged, you know, carried our stuff. Are you sure that you number years, finances days you have to carry that he died you know and Heather her son right here right from the very and all right I care she provided him.

Sam Schrager: You say you wouldn't live in California to save everybody from hell?

Elmer Wells: No I don't worry in the banks. But I have heard me say once that god damn conglomeration of all nationalities is tied to hell right here and makes you happy. You you it here's the decent place for all right to whatever.

Sam Schrager: What did you do for in the seed company? What was your job there for all those years?

Elmer Wells: Well, I get very you know I would you have one person you think is your place is that person I take is priest. We got another one. I and reputation. So many many things you know we think and sure yes yeah it just you're very outgoing here and you're probably radiation therapy good He had contracted early brain page room He brought in you know and again I can actually see, you know, my God, Herman, we could use more respect.

Elmer Wells: I mean, he's not at home. That kind of great grandma, actually. Well, I've read Herman could use them again. So I joined. Rick's remained a short term from Germany, where he would hurt and have everybody having sex and they get young, all kinds of shame and he had.

Sam Schrager: What kind of sex were they? Were they be sex. Yeah. We used Yeah, yeah.

Elmer Wells: Yeah.

Sam Schrager: Save money.

Elmer Wells: yeah. You got to have price to pay a price, which you are Jewish and you're just as good as new. I had no holding in hatred and passion. He should have College of Cardinals to 3 to 3 cardinals at that time. In what way?

Sam Schrager: How did his business get so big? Was it just the he was the first one to try to do it or how did he gets a successful career?

Elmer Wells: He first wife, his first name, Valerie. And he going out regarding really know hopefully God very well You know he thinks finally there you go You know and as in Hollywood he married young and on the this country you're going to see you're going to have some respect to. They actually is not going to have pea soup. Irish Americans this religion.

Elmer Wells: I actually as a I it was a country manufactured usually one company if you girls that I worked for over 12 years you think I think back it used to be would you like to see I'm going to my voice right now he renaissance come on he saw that me Jerry to my name he had three other excuse you can hear but I can hear it by name is for five years of course.

Elmer Wells: And she wrote right? He came here on she had a recurring dream near the from.

Sam Schrager: Listen, Elmer, I want to ask you a little more about Joe Wells, about Nigger Joe. And what did you what kind of guy was he? What do you know about him? Joe Wells out here in dairy.

Elmer Wells: You're an immigrant. Yeah, right. He he he went and got married three burnt him. You know, in the summer. I don't know. Maybe. I really believe it yet. For all I know, I don't know. Trek or record matter. You think you know I had never covered? No. We couldn't be proven wrong that we're all right. You come out here first where I didn't ever Sure I have coverage for can and I knew people lived in rivers Washington and you know when I said.

Sam Schrager: Yeah.

Elmer Wells: And right after I grew up not could you see what kind of back when I read you dream for he could be a real big heart I'm screwed He said, you know, for me. And I took the bus turn right there. Water. Rooster took another bus going on their rivers. You read Head. And then some of my friends was working at the rooster.

Elmer Wells: A pork thread working on her. Right. And this batch river had no very an orchard And during Right. Well all right. So he remembers you. He got tired of that. You didn't know you know your good work in river and you write it. You had to come out here or for seven years. You see exactly what he wanted to write is right.

Elmer Wells: good. Cook show who was over here. And he worked for virtually at home quite a lot and took time. When I hear it can't be good to work, you show him he's very real to me. But she did he give $700 a year and pay all her expenses out? Your initial show for the first year, your first satisfactory lady raised you raised you sure that constricted every chance you do?

Elmer Wells: I don't go. Actually, no. Really niggas around here you relation. I remember on starvation.

Sam Schrager: This was Joe Wells you were talking to.

Elmer Wells: You know you are talking to another man or.

Sam Schrager: Another man in town here.

Elmer Wells: There were a version washer.

Sam Schrager: I see. Yeah. So this so who was a who was the, the, the negro that he wanted. Well he was Joe Wells. He wanted was somebody else.

Elmer Wells: They wrote, he wanted this man to come and work for him, you know? Hey, he's already getting my address, right? I'm going to send back some of my Mercedes degree, going to be up to me to decide how to write here. I'd go, You're right here for a year. If you don't like it, you can come back soon.

Elmer Wells: I think you can do very good here. Right here in not. I like this guy, Dan Brown. He going on a homecoming journey right there. He had an overview of Mercury. Didn't make any of it. I mean, I. I sure.

Sam Schrager: Here. I'll move. Know That's all right.

Elmer Wells: I'll be out of here and just kind of Brewster French, which when we go back through my Marshall from here, it's 40 years old. His mom hates rush. Transcript Extract The only address going on up there that junction here. And Governor Bush, you know, there's three seats in it now, but and his families using those who made a backward redesign your average rent right.

Elmer Wells: He called Richardson and actually the room created I said already when I had a couple of months on, had I had I heard to drive a car, reach an right and you can't you had your beer here that my name I had I had a very time and I made you remember it right now. I know. And I'm going to tell you this one time you're saying I revenge.

Elmer Wells: Never, never, ever writes a letter. When I do or don't write my day, I don't know and I don't know. Are you really a hero? I'm not sure yet. Darn, I said, Richard, I have in mind yourself, in your boat. He has a code man. He's working for you. I said, I met an extraordinary young. When I tell you, after all, I talk, I.

Elmer Wells: I think you can read and I tell you why I want you to. And Arthur married him. And right here work for you. He says, Are you and who else? I says, That's me, by God, is what I wrote to you, all right? And he said, I don't know where you're headed for it. And you people are going up to see what kind of country is that.

Elmer Wells: You're not going to lose a hell of a lot. I have to go home now. Did you come at home early in the morning? They're going to see you in the morning. No, no. They took up a hundred and he gave me a couple home. She joined me there, pain and then liver. He had learned what he was going to use.

Elmer Wells: Really? Bowl numbers keep in the back written part of me at home to build a house over there. Come over here. The cooking for Richard. Yeah, right. He kept staying on your work, and we were living together in a way that really some of the dish, you know, where he got a lot of clarity. You know, he'd heard you write six or six years or three years earlier when you got a new record about Ryan French kind of corruption, champagne and talking about one's very rich or right right he bought back yard you hear $16,000 from inspiration he will remain back.

Sam Schrager: Richardson paid this guy.

Elmer Wells: All this nigger he come back You know very very nice place. Good for him. One year here at Christian School House in New Jersey, he had great conservatives have. He's young and friendly. He got tired of being over. He sold out and come back, are very regular, brought him.

Sam Schrager: Back to Brewster.

Elmer Wells: Back to observe devastated broker right.

Sam Schrager: Well what about did Joe did Joe Wells did he do pretty good for himself out by dairy?

Elmer Wells: No, not very dirty. He getting drunk shockingly rich. We get drawn into the drug. Great. There were. He never did. You Very good. Do you want to be.

Sam Schrager: You know people out there talk about him some still they remember him because he was the only Negro out there, you know, him and his family. And they liked him pretty well, right?

Elmer Wells: Got here all right. And the Jews were not just by God. Yeah. Daddy raised him and already adopted him or took a major player in, You know, he's here was a manager preacher, you know. Sure. He always wanted to come west. He Sure, sure, sure. People had invited him with all come together and are scattered everywhere. I know everywhere.

Sam Schrager: I heard that that Joe was really close to the to the Wells boys, to the other to the other sons that he he he got along good with them, spent a lot of time.

Elmer Wells: With well, got him out of the air. He thought it under the water. He sure for raised up boy worked for him. I don't know Congress grew.

Sam Schrager: So you think they they he he was pretty well accepted out there he.

Elmer Wells: Heroes.

Sam Schrager: Yeah They didn't care that he was a Negro very much and.

Elmer Wells: Then the plantation to that.

Sam Schrager: Day I heard he used to get in fights sometimes.

Elmer Wells: yeah, yeah, yeah. He'd get drunk. Get in a fight. Yeah. And hike out of town. Stay out of town for a while. He wouldn't do anything about it. He just like the whites were doing every day.

Sam Schrager: You know what I heard? He didn't get along with Hays, Marshall, Aaron, Troy, and I heard it all. Benson from Dairy was a friend of his to Joe Wells's. Yeah, I heard. I heard he. He stuck up for Benson Against the Marshall. Where? Against Hayes? I don't know whether that's true or not.

Elmer Wells: Right. I don't know much about that. He, you know, were poor. I covered him on the river and he. Sure. Right. Stark Of course. That's a sure He ripped the $58. You sure Later, maybe every one of their major millionaires here, you know, made shirt very merry. You know, you heard your man here, you know, made him a murderer.

Elmer Wells: And you sure, another farmer, He brought some gear and made him very merry when he died in church. Right. All right. So give me his birthday, Both of them. When? Good. Good. With that. My don't get to.

Sam Schrager: The guy's wife. Married? Sure. The guy that died. Yeah. They must have been real rich then.

Elmer Wells: you're damn Roy, Ernie, you're. You don't know where they lived, you hear? No. Zero married, Big home. Yeah. Yeah. Nor broke where they live. Maybe not just across the street from there. And right across the street. Nice. Were very hard. Her grave waiting and next broke, right? Sure. They live perfect Corner house. It's a heck of a block that hard regime is out there to find home.

Elmer Wells: That's where they both live.

Sam Schrager: And so he got he got rich off the offer days mining stock.

Elmer Wells: Yesterday very stark forces Pete Pershing right out on the river Walker train coming back very not clarion in Georgia and his contractor going to train Milwaukee and Saint Paul.

Sam Schrager: Who days you know a contract a.

Elmer Wells: Contract during the that persisted for the bridge right behind me. Sure. Things had gone good very tough times in sure he told his wife the Seattle Seahawks and looked like Brown taking I regret to tell you say he's leaving on account he's have got a neck her you know she had she was very pleased to say to him he's really yeah yeah just turn right here to the Herald she I'm sure I appreciate your you know to change broken me and you can pretty good and we can get out again and I got you know we've been together next longer centimeter her Sure we spoke pretty good right here I turn let's go back to

Elmer Wells: chamber of commerce and I know right probably barely where he can worship his prospects is pretty good. I knew this. Her prospect regret university tuition to St Luke's has been her niche man to him about him getting training rooms. He likes rock. He made major of synergy. He he even take a job. He was a curmudgeon for you made it reminded of again when I went back to the hotel and renting or whatever you call me.

Elmer Wells: The phone, I think, said, Who knew him? It was me. And I just got like, niece. Right? Right. If I wanted to. Their original American Chamber cover want me? Come bring that man back over there. He contractual learn more she has a car there went she once had her long talk to her He showed him your recommendation from the bank back Riverwalk.

Elmer Wells: Right He heard him right He he had the job to build the high school and it came on. And here's for your second Saint Louis costume. You sweat and blood. It should be sturdy. I didn't. So he hired him staying up on that job $20 a day.

Sam Schrager: He So we made good a year.

Elmer Wells: He ran up there. And if you can't quit there, the only person I had heard, you're the head version of that stock. You know, my shop owner, religious views, their shit is running it for you to be a very right. He went and bought that stock and machines and she went to get it already. Goody. I got you got some jewelry, but I got it.

Elmer Wells: Made him a murder, man. Yeah.

Sam Schrager: Was this day stock or somebody else's.

Elmer Wells: These.

Sam Schrager: Days. He did, you know, day before he struck it rich Here. What was he like before that? Was he trying to make money pretty hard.

Elmer Wells: Where he had guts and he. He'd work hard. Yeah. Trying to get here, whoever he said. Okay, sure. Pretty good, you know, Very great. Just very much money. Never did know how to do it.

Sam Schrager: Did he have a hunch it was going to be a big strike when he got this, when he started in on it? Or was it just a guess why? I guess.

Elmer Wells: I guess he just started, you know, really nurses had good or, you know, actually or and good. You're very good. You're Yeah. You know how did.

Sam Schrager: Was mining his job before he started in up there.

Elmer Wells: I don't know what he did for right.

Sam Schrager: She heard about 1005 there.

Elmer Wells: Kind of.

Sam Schrager: You know. Yeah.

Elmer Wells: Yeah.

Sam Schrager: Well let me see. I know what I wanted to ask you about, too, was about the Democrats and Republicans in Moscow. Now, will, you know, will a. Carlson You know, Paul Carlson's wife, she told me you knew a lot about the old days and politics locally. You know, and I.

Elmer Wells: I either.

Sam Schrager: I guess those are I guess Democrats were pretty weak back in the old days in this county.

Elmer Wells: Yes, they were.

Sam Schrager: The Republicans run everything.

Elmer Wells: And yeah, you're you sure a strong Republican as her shredded she had redrawn Missouri and how she knew all about the records of the presidents.

Sam Schrager: Well I wasn't thinking of the national I was thinking of the local right here and right here in town and that that business. Yeah, she did. You ever see what went on and around town here in the politics.

Elmer Wells: Where God and your heart is going on every day, all that running for office members hang out to preach and never.

Sam Schrager: well told me that you were a good Democrat. You didn't like the Republicans do much good Republican.

Elmer Wells: He's he's all right but manage honest. Here's how we were after all right. Don't like a scoundrel regardless of what next marriage there or not. He gave her a crummy period mean when you break down at 5:00, you know.

Sam Schrager: okay. I thought. I thought we had about 10 minutes. I got about ten up there. You want to talk for 10 minutes more or should we quit now? Right.

Elmer Wells: I don't know which seems to sit here and there's not too much. You know, I had numerous cards from, you know, and work for him for once a short time.

Sam Schrager: I thought maybe. Tell me either maybe you could tell me about some of the funny things that you saw happen in politics in town in the old days.

Elmer Wells: He used to have our rooms and three whorehouses. There's no group. I mean, no wonder where the deeper resentment out here on heard his street right there And you'd just car street crummy street to run to three hour have ration rooms and he girl he was broken down here you're having a hell of a time George created another band you're after they like couple Gershwin.

Elmer Wells: Okay Jerry when they come again and hold her and that's how they write, you know she she let her know that your share here used to come down here drama room. You go to which one where you're going. I mean, I turned on his right and it was their own wife laying in bed that are waiting for her.

Elmer Wells: She she here she was able to step out of their lives whorish. Remember your own praise.

Sam Schrager: That teach them a lesson.

Elmer Wells: I Jim right.

Sam Schrager: Well, what happened to them? They did they get shut down when prohibition came in, you know.

Elmer Wells: Because, you know, before they seen here passed a law to stop, you know, produced here and run over here, preacher here. I would Right. Draw them to get them to stop some improvement in Jim Crow tone. So one of the council member said a count who was our agent. How could he tell a liar? One year I said he never had a chance to read so you could smell them two blocks away.

Elmer Wells: He's John. What do you perfume? It was perfume. It was was did.

Sam Schrager: Did most of the did most of the girls in the houses come in from Spokane and most of them coming from out of town.

Elmer Wells: Every direction coming from north to make it work.

Sam Schrager: Did you ever get in there? Those places really nice inside.

Elmer Wells: yeah. Right, right. I guess I'd be. You're going to get really good commercial.

Sam Schrager: Okay. Very.