 One of Alfred's favorites among the recordings was "In the Shadow of the Pine" which featured Kelly at his finest. After Camden the group returned home and played in clubs, schools and at dances. Alfred said he remembered bringing home five dollar gold pieces. In February of 1929 just one month before Alfred was to marry he and the group made their last recording for R.C.A. Victor. The 6 songs recorded would earn Alfred $200 each. Like many businesses, the Virginia String Band did not survive the depression but Marshall Field did and Alfred continued working in the mill. On March 23rd of 1929 Alfred and Lottie Virginia Sawyer married.Baseball was Alfred's second love and he was an above average pitcher in the Bi-State League. They played local teams and traveled to North Carolina also. It was a time when the fans filled the bleachers and Fieldale games were played in the lower ballpark. There was a small admission fee and that money was used to purchase uniforms and equipment. By 1940 Alfred and Lottie had 5 children and Alfred was still  working
in the mill.One day J. Frank Wilson, the mill manager, asked Alfred if he would watch the town of Fieldale until they could hire a constable. Alfred said later that Mr. Wilson had one rule: that bootleggers were welcome to travel through Fieldale but they were not allowed to stop. Almost 60 years later Alfred said he was still waiting for them to hire that constable. In the early years of his career he worked the entire county. He had to provide his own equipment: the family car that he drove to church and carried his family on vacations in was the same car that he used to chase bootleggers and criminals. |
