Dan MacArthur walked the three miles from Rocky Creek to Eufaula, and then took a train to Tallahassee to meet up with other recruits assigned to Gore’s Landing. The Civilian Conservation Camp was near nothing. Closest town of any size was Ocala and that was 30 miles through the woods. But three meals a day, hard work with a purpose, a place to sleep out of the weather; these were all things Dan didn’t have. Life had to be better that what his first 19 years had been.
In addition to the security, he’d get $25 a month, $5 of which he got to keep and the rest sent to his family, except he had no family. When he joined the CCC, Dan asked Deacon Hamilton if he would take the family portion, use half for the three country churches the circuit riding preacher served, and save half until he left the CCC. Most of Dan’s family was buried at two of those churches, so he figured it was as if he was giving the money to his Ma and Pa.