iia 



Cogglnat Well, If you're not very skillful In anything, 



you're not so much afrsld of the next thing, (laughter) 



Gllb« I see. And did you make a go of this? 



Cogglns: Yes, I held onto it for several years. At fi:Pst 

 it seemed to me easy money, I had had a very 

 coxqpetitive start— #3 s week— and California was 

 sasygoing compered to an eastern city. But toward 

 the end there was a building depression here. You 

 see, the earthquake ha4 aade a buildini; boom, which 

 tapered off finally around 191l*.» Th^n I bought a 

 stationery and engraying sttrc in Oakland, and then 

 I went to the publishing of Christmas cards, and 

 also the publishing firms of W, A, Wilde and Company, 

 and Laird and Lee, on the Pacific Coast, 



Oilbi What happened to the cement contracting business? 

 You let it go, finally? 



Cogginst I let it go, yes* 



Oilbt Then caaB along a time when you invested in this 



business which was started by your Socialist friend, 

 Mr, Patterson, Could you tell m© something about 

 him, what he was like and how he got started? 



Oogglnst He was young, veiy ag£;T*«ssive, energetic, and he 

 was an ardent Socialist at the time. He had been 

 a carpenter, sti^ong union xaan, and became one of 



