Full Text of the Excerpt

Well, what were some other key election years? 1950 was one; 1954 was one. You took control. 1964 was one when you ran for the state senate. It . . . maybe during those ten years some other parts of the mountain culture, you know, were operating in your life. You were building a farm, you were raising a family.

ZENO PONDER:

Well, I . . . yes, during those ten years we were, my wife and me, we were heavily indebted really. We were . . . had the blessing of the four children—three sons and a daughter—and I had this huge farm here. Some 600 acres. It was bought originally. I had added to it and bought some more land and leased quite a bit more. I had, at this point in 64, I had formed three owned, three family operated corporations. Ze-Nina Farms Incorporated which consists of some 400 or 500 head of beef cattle and dairy cattle. Some 5-600 acres of farm land. 18-20 acres of burley tobacco. Growing 2-300 acres of corn a year on this operation. And then Ze-Nina Lakes—and that's Zeno and Nina. My wife's name's Nina. Mine's Zeno, of course. And going from there, you put the two together and you've come up with Ze-Nina. So Ze-Nina Lakes Incorporated consists of two lakes for recreational purposes back down on the west side of the farm. 13 acres of land and big recreation house. We do a little square dancing there every Saturday night during the summer time.

BILL FINGER:

You've been busy.

ZENO PONDER:

Have a 72 foot long front porch 12 feet wide. Two log cabins and a self-supporting roof . . . I promised everybody that if they ever saw another one like it I'd burn mine down and build it again. It's just different.