You may have seen him, cane in hand, slowly shuffling along the streets of Marlinton. He says it's been a hard life ﾗ full of hard work. But according to James Martin, that's the secret to longevity.

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Martin was born in Greenbrier County in October 1929. His parents were poor, and he went to work at an early age.

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ﾓMy first paying job, I was 11 years old,ﾔ he said. ﾓThe landlord was plowing with a one-horse cultivator. He said 'you oughta try that.' Out into the row I went. I turned around and come back, he said 'you're doing alright. Keep that up and I'll pay you.'ﾔ

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Then there was the time, when Martin was just a kid, he spent working one, single day as a coal miner to cover for his sick uncle.

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ﾓHe said, Lord, I don't know what I'm going to do,ﾔ Martin recalled that day. ﾓI said 'Uncle Billy, get me in there and I'll shovel coal.' He said 'I can't get you in there.' But he got me some knee pads, a hard hat and a mine light. I crawled way back in there, worked all day.ﾔ

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Martin had to try and hide from the foreman to keep from getting his uncle in trouble.

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ﾓHe spotted me. He said to my uncle 'now you can't have him in there like that,'ﾔ Martin continued. ﾓI didn't see it today but I don't want to see him n'more. I wondered what had got into you today.' I said, 'well, one day. I guessﾗ that's it for me.'ﾔ

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Other than five years working in Ohio, Martin spent his entire life working in different areas of West Virginia, doing anything and everything.

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ﾓI had some kind of paying job the rest of my life. I just worked wherever I could find something. Farm work of all kinds, logging, timber cutting. I worked at a sawmill, I worked carpentry work. I worked at a furniture factory, the fish hatchery, worked for the state road, a service station, painting, and I mowed lawns on the side. I worked at everything. ﾔ

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The only hiatus Martin ever took from working was when he was in an accident when he was about 18.

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ﾓI got hurt logging. I got hurt bad, too,ﾔ he said. ﾓMonth of February I think. I had those cork shoes on, you know. Evidently, I stepped on a piece of bark when I was crossing a log, my feet flew out from under me and I fell between the logs. I tore the whole side of my face up, tore the whole side off my shoe, broke my collar bone. I couldn't walk or do nothing. I finally got to where I could get up and stagger around, my leg got the feeling back in it.ﾔ

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Martin remembers one particular farm where the hours were long, and the work was backbreaking.

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ﾓI worked for a cattle dealer, he had no mercy for man or beast,ﾔ laughed Martin. ﾓI did everything. Mowed, put up hay, took care of the cattle, took care of the horses, took care of the sheep, fixed fenceﾗ even if it was night. After awhile, I could drive a nail in the dark just as good as I could in daylight. I was only maybe 23 or 24. I worked so many hours... it'd make an old man out of you right quick.ﾔ

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There's no such thing as a five-day work week for Martin. When he worked at the furniture factory by the old fairgrounds, he'd haul scrap on the weekends.

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ﾓI had an old '59 Ford ranch wagon. I'd lay down the back seat, fill it full of scrap metal and haul it down to Caldwell. I'd pick up cans. I stripped down copper wire 'til blood would be running down my fingers.ﾔ

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Martin continued hauling scrap until recently when he was forced to quit driving. Some of Martin's stories are a reminder of harder times. World War II was especially tough.

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ﾓEverything was rationed. You couldn't get but a little bit of stuff with these ration cards. Five pounds of sugar for a person for a month. I forget how many pounds of meat you could get. Coffee was rationed. Lard was rationed. Sugar and flour. Kerosene.ﾔ

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Nowadays, Martin's arthritis somewhat limits his ability to do one of the things he used to enjoy most, digging ramps.

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ﾓIf I could see to drive, I'd be up there diggin',ﾔ joked Martin. ﾓI used to go every year and dig. I'll tell you something about ramps, you may not believe it, but if you find some ramps, I guarantee there's a seam of coal somewhere around there someplace. It may not be much of a seam, might not be worth digging, but it's there somewhere.ﾔ

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Even with the arthritis, Martin still gets around.

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ﾓI like walking downtown, pickin' up pop cans and beer cans. I generally walk down twice a day, circle on through town. Sometimes I'll sit there and listen to the radio, can't see a television. I can't stand it inside all day long though, I gotta get out and do something.ﾔ

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ﾓI've had a rough life of it, but I'm sticking right in there.ﾔ