When he got married, Pa decided he had to set himself up in business. Although he had little formal schooling, he had studied art briefly in Dusseldorf, and liked to paint. He had experience with building maintenance in Jamaica; besides, he figured, ‘all there is to painting is picking up a brush.’
With a partner, a Mr. Stoddard, they opened a painting and decorating establishment, whose proprietor-Pa- presented himself as a German design and decorating expert, ‘trained in the finest art schools in Europe’. Their first contracts were with the United Fruit Company, painting their cruise ships, and painting the Myrtle Bank Hotel in Port Antonio, Jamaica.
The partnership of Dietz and Stoddard lasted about six months, during which they had terrible fights, and finally Pa bought out Mr. Stoddard’s share of the business. Since then, he never sought a partner in the business. I could never work as a partner with my father either- when I took over the business in the early 1950’s, I had to encourage my father to retire- it was either him or me.
The Founder of Christian Science Plays E.R. Nurse to Pa
One of Pa’s first paying customers for his painting business was Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science Church. She had become his steady customer ever since the day in 1908 when she had been driven during her daily carriage ride past Pa’ s elegant new painting and decorating establishment at 45 Newbury Street in Copley Square, and saw his liveried footmen, waiting to help the new customers.
One day, Pa came into Mother Eddy’s Chestnut Hill mansion to look over a job he was doing there.
He was clutching a rag around his hand.
“Why have you got that rag?” asked Mrs. Eddy. “Oh, it’s nothing!” said Pa, “Just a little cut.”
After all, this was the Queen of faith healers before him.
“Oh please, I must clean it and bandage it for you!” said Mrs. Eddy, ”For if you are not a Believer, than you must use all the medicine you can.” And she bandaged his hand.
Mrs. Eddy became quite an admirer of Pa, and gave him a lot of work. For one job, she paid him with one of her desks.
But after she died in 1910, her majo-domo threw him out- he was jealous of his influence.
1 Mother Eddy founded the Christian Science Monitor that year (1908), at the age of eighty-eight!
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