1963-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1963 April Voice | Page 15

Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse
13
Double Amputee, Age 77, Busiest' Man At Shelbyville Firm
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of
a series of articles intended to show
the world why Shelbyville, Tenn., is
such a great community and how it
has nurtured the National Celebration
into the wondrous shoo it is today.
Mrs. J. Van Potts, Jr., the wife of the
junior member of Stewarl-Potls
Motors, is office manager for the Cele­
bration— and has served in that capa­
city for a number of years. Dick Poplin
is a Shelbyville Post Office employe, a
Church of Christ minister and has writ­
ten many articles for magazines and
newspapers.)
By DICK POPLIN
Voice Staff Writer
The big door to the shop of Stewart-
Potis Motors, Shelbyville. Tennessee
Ford dealer, bears this sign. “Sound
horn.” Take it at its word, sound
your horn and the door rises to open
immediately. The first time this hap­
pens most people think there must be
some kind ol electronic device trig­
gered to the sound of the auto horn
which opens the door: but those who
have been there before know the
"electronic device” is the smiling
Negro double amputee who sits in his
wheel chair inside and pushes the but­
tons which operate both front and
back doors.
Jack Hoskins, with 18 years of work
with Stewart-Poits Motors, is some­
thing of an example of employer-
employee relationship. Beginning
when some men are thinking of retir­
ing—he is seventy-seven now—Jack
has stayed at his post in spite of the
loss of both legs, and his employers
have kept him on in spite of tltis dis­
ability and advancing age.
“A Fixture Around Here”
J. Ivan Potts, Sr., who with his son
Ivan, Jr., owns the business, says,
“Jack is a fixture around here,” and
Jack says of his employers, “Mr. Potts,
senior, and Mr. Potts, junior, are two
of the finest men I ever worked for.
They’ve been mighty good to me.”
Jack also stands in well with the third
Potts generation. Little James Potts,
4-year-old son of Ivan Potts, Jr., al­
ways has to see Jack when he goes to
the garage, and sometimes Jack calls
up James and talks to him on the
telephone.
But it isn’t all loyally to employer or
to employee that has sustained this
relationship. Hoskins loves his work
and wants to slay on the job "as long
as the Good Marster leaves me here.”
He likes people and being part of a
working team. “This is a fine bunch of
men to work with,” lie says.
And as far as his contribution to the
smooth-working operation of the gar­
age, he is about the busiest man in the
When he first went to work for
shop. Seated in his metal rolling chair Stewart-Potts, he greased and washed
by the service manager’s desk in easy cars and pumped gasoline. Five years
reach of the telephone and door con­ ago he lost his left leg above the knee
trols, he is constantly called upon to because of a blood clot and poor cir­
perform his duties. A car horn sounds, culation. For a year he went on
and he pushes the button to open the crutches. Then for three years he wore
front door; one of the mechanics an artificial leg. During this time he
finishes a job and calls, “Back door continued to clean up the office and
Jack,” and Jack operates the back door the shop. Eleven months ago his other
button; the telephone rings, and he leg was amputated for the same rea­
answers for Pat Darnell who is busy son, but as soon as he was able, almost
in another part of the shop. Some­ as soon as he left the hospital, he was
times he talks on the telephone and back on the job. Now all iris time, and
operates the doors at the same lime. it takes it, is given to operating the
“Jack will not let anybody wait on doors and answering the telephone.
him,” Harry Alexander, one of the
Jack and his wife Pearlie reared
mechanics, states. He can go all around eight children. One daughter lives
the shop in his wheel chair. “When I with them and drives him to work
can do it myself, why let somebody do when he does not ride with one of the
it for me? When I appreciate help is boys from the garage. Their oldest
when I can’t help myself,” Jack says.
son, James, died last year.
Jack was born on a farm and con­
Never Late For Work
He is always on the job and never tinued to be a farmer for some time
late for work. He is never out of after his marriage 56 years ago. His
pocket,” Service Manager Pat Darnell knowledge of and love for farm ani­
says. He does have something of a rec­ mals stood him in good stead when
ord for being on the job. He worked he moved to town to work for another
for eight years without losinga day,and garage owner in the 1920’s. His em­
since his last amputation six months ployer kept Tennessee Walking
ago he has not missed a day since com­ Horses. Jack helped train them. “I
ing back. This in spite of one of the was a starter,” he says, meaning that
most severe winters in history.
(Continued on Page 31)