Blog #2 Arthur A. Robertson / Oscar Heline

Arthur A. Robertson-

In Arthur A. Robertson’s story it showed us how rich men fell apart from the Stock Market crash. The people who worked with him would count millions and the average person would be struggling to count their quarters. Robertson talked about his friend John Hertz. Hertz, “at one time owned ninety percent of the Yellow Cab stock…..he was reputed to be worth $400 to $500 million. He asked me one day to join him on a yacht” (Turkel 102). This just shows how little the upper-class cared about those who were struggling during a time when money was scarce. All these business men cared about was making as much money as they could. They didn’t care about anyone but themselves, selfish. When the stock-market crashed though, they went down hill. “On wall street, the people walked around like zombies” (Turkel 101). This shows how difficult it must have been for people to accept their once high class life and be faced with such a bad future and having to have to learn to deal with it. Many people thought it would be easier to commit suicide to make their problems go away, like Jesse Livermore. He had lots of money, and then he was shattered. He could not handle what was given to him, so he killed himself. It was a time when people were struggling and learning to cope with different emotions than what they were used too.

Oscar Heline-

The struggles that farmers faced in this story were unbelievable. Farmers were not treated with any sort of respect. So many farmers were in debt and it caused a lot of stress and struggle for the farmers. “The farmers became desperate. It got so a neighbor wouldn’t buy form a neighbor, because the farmer didn’t get any of it” (Turkel 121). That just shows how sad of a time it was. I could not even imagine what it would be like to walk a day in farmer’s shoes. The government would take your farm, livestock, and farm machinery. Farmers were left with nothing. It is so sad, because everyone needs crops and everyone needs those kinds of food, yet the farmers were treated so badly. Some farmers gathered one day and decided to talk to the court about how they were being treated badly and they said, “We’re not concerned whose court this is. We came here to get redress from your actions. The things you’re doing, we can’t stand to have done to us anymore” (Turkel 126). This shows how much people wanted to stand up for them selves, but it only ended these people behind bars. I do give these farmers credit though, and I think the courts should listen to them and that this is a great example of courage. With out courage to stand up to those who are superior to you, you’ll never get a chance to have change. That’s all the farmers wanted, change.