Hard Work
Giffird’s mother and father worked day and night, so he learned the value of hard work at a very young age. At seven years old, he asked the neighbors if he could sweep off their sidewalks or do any kind of small chore to earn a little money. He often pulled his wagon through the streets of the Stockyards, picking up soda bottles and returning them to Riscky’s Grocery Store for two cents apiece.
The railroad tracks were the perfect place to hunt for empty bottles, because the railroad workers often tossed their soda bottles from the train alongside the tracks. Giffird would search through the tall weeds, bushes, and grass alongside the tracks to find all the bottles he could, filling his wagon and returning the bottles to Riscky’s for his small cash reward. He would buy a loaf of bread for his mother, and sometimes Mr. Riscky would treat him to a piece of beef jerky or some other little treat to nibble on while pulling his wagon back home.
Giffird’s mother and father worked day and night, so he learned the value of hard work at a very young age. At seven years old, he asked the neighbors if he could sweep off their sidewalks or do any kind of small chore to earn a little money. He often pulled his wagon through the streets of the Stockyards, picking up soda bottles and returning them to Riscky’s Grocery Store for two cents apiece.
The railroad tracks were the perfect place to hunt for empty bottles, because the railroad workers often tossed their soda bottles from the train alongside the tracks. Giffird would search through the tall weeds, bushes, and grass alongside the tracks to find all the bottles he could, filling his wagon and returning the bottles to Riscky’s for his small cash reward. He would buy a loaf of bread for his mother, and sometimes Mr. Riscky would treat him to a piece of beef jerky or some other little treat to nibble on while pulling his wagon back home.