OHIO: The Potters

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The little town of Scio (pop. 1,400) shook with excitement. As everyone knew, it was because of Lou Reese. Fourteen years ago, Lou Reese and seven other penniless persons on home relief had come to town to make a home in the old abandoned pottery building. Then they went to work. Lou did wonders with that pottery plant, built it up into a business which made $3½ million last year. Last week he decided it was time for a Christmas present.

He passed it out to 827 of his employe-friends—a hefty $705,000 of it. New employes got $10, but 88 who had been with Lou for ten years or more received a whopping $3,500 each. And that wasn't all. There was a 20¢ an-hour raise for everybody, with a minimum of a $1-an-hour for unskilled help.

Joe Harris, one of the $3,500 recipients, tried to tell Lou how he and the others felt. "Thirteen years ago I made $65 a year on a farm," he said. "Tonight I have more money in my pocket than I know what to do with, and. . . ." At this point Joe's voice broke, but Lou Reese knew how he felt.