The following year, July 1937, I came to Los Angeles by train. I had become bored with being a part of the University routine and Mom and Pop were encouraging me to go to L.A. to live because Rose was there. The big depression was not yet over but I was optimistic about finding work. I lived in an apartment with Rose and Joan Cannon on Exposition Boulevard across from the Coliseum. The building has been removed and the property is now a part of USC. The first thing I did was to contact the Personnel Department at USC. Because I had been a college student, and the fact that Rose was working at the University as a secretary in the Cinematography Department, I was able to use their employment agency. The agency helped me find my first job in California, which was a temporary one, working for a short time in the Athletic Department of the University on a part time basis.
One day I received a call from the Script Department at Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) Studios. They asked me to come out for an interview. The thought of working at a film studio at that time was so foreign to my thoughts that I assumed one of my roommates was pulling a fast one on me. I thanked the caller and said I would be delighted. When my roommates got home I questioned each one. When they assured me none of them had called, I was chagrined. The next morning, I called MGM and they assured me that the call was legitimate. I went out for an interview and was hired for a position in the Script Department. This was the starting place for all clerical help at the Studio.
In order to get to MGM from our apartment, which was near the University, I had to walk to the corner of Vermont, take the V (Vermont) street car north to Washington Boulevard, where I transferred to the W (Washington) car west. This took me to the end of the street car line where I again transferred to a bus that went to Culver City where MGM was located. This required about an hour and a half. I did this for several months and then decided I did not like riding the street cars and buses. Fortunately I had saved some money when I was working in Laramie and was able to buy a car. After looking around I found a 1935 Ford coupe that cost $275.00 and I bought it. This took a huge chunk of my savings.
The MGM Studios were located on Washington Boulevard in Culver City. There were many acres of sound stages and storage lots where the sets that were used in the various pictures were stored for future use. We entered the lot by passing through a gated area using identification cards. The MGM Lion, who growled at the beginning of each picture, was used for publicity and is still used even though the MGM Studios has changed hands over the years.
There was a secretarial pool in the Script Department where Directors, producers and writers would call for substitutes during lunch or to cover vacations or temporary help for Writers who did not have secretaries. I took dictation from many writers and filled in during lunch hour for secretaries of producers and directors. This was great experience because you had to work with many different personalities and adapt to their own peculiarities. There were many Spanish and Russian names that I had trouble pronouncing. I met for the first time gay people and Jewish people.
Before long I was permanently assigned to the Music Department. Nat Finston was head of the department. He had a secretary named Fred Krueger. I was the other secretary. Our office was the headquarters for all musicians, so I met most of the people who were involved with music. During this time the Wizard of Oz was being produced. It was quite an experience as there were many dwarfs employed for the picture and a great many of the facilities including the toilets on the lot were redesigned for the little people. On several occasions I had the opportunity to go to the sound stages where they were shooting pictures. I had a recording of one of the takes of "The Yellow Brick Road" which I gave to the director of the production of the Wizard of Oz here at Canyon Lake.
Joan Crawford often came through the office on her way to the studio where she was taking singing lessons. At that time her boy friend was Franchot Tone who also spent time there when she was practicing. I ate my lunches at the commissary and it was not unusual to feel you knew someone sitting near you, only to realize it was someone you recognized having seen them in the movies.
During this time I had season tickets to the Hollywood Bowl and enjoyed their concerts. I remember taking a deduction on my Income Tax return declaring it as something that was necessary to do in connection with my job. One day an IRS man came to the studio to check my tax and explain to me why it was not a proper deduction. I think he was more interested in seeing MGM than my problem.
Fred and I worked well together because he often took dictation from Mr. Finston into the evening and I would transcribe it the following morning. He was also able to transcribe my notes. When Fred left I became Mr. Finston's secretary and another girl was hired to take my job.
Soon after I went to the Music Department we received a telephone call from a well known composer named Constantine Bakalanikof asking for Mr. Finston. He spoke very fast and with a heavy accent. I asked him three times what his name was and he became very irritated. He thought I should have known who he was.
By this time my college friend Olga had come down to L.A. and moved in with us. She also got a job at MGM. Now we found it necessary to look for a larger apartment. The building we lived in was to be sold and become a part of the USC campus. We wanted to live near USC so Rose could walk to work. Joan took the street car called the V car for Vermont Ave. to downtown L.A. and Olga and I drove in my car to MGM Studios in Culver City.
During this time another girl came to live with us making five. She was from Chillachothe, Georgia. She had a very pronounced southern drawl. Her name was Charlsie Bryant. I had met her at MGM and we became friends.
We found a lovely apartment house on Flower Street just a couple of blocks from where we had been. There was a subterranean garage for my car. It was a large apartment compared to what we had been living in. The building was new and our apartment was very nicely furnished. We called our new place "Lady Astors". Our rent was $85. a month which was, at that time, quite expensive. However, with five of us sharing the cost and doing our own cooking we enjoyed living there. The apartment consisted of a front room that had twin pull down beds as well as a large couch. The bedroom had a regular double bed with a bath next to it and there was a nice kitchen. Rose and Joan had the choice of the bedroom because they were there first. Olga, Charlsie and I drew straws as to where we would sleep. I got the couch.
Almost every weekend my three roommates and I put the cushions from the apartment in the back end of my l935 Ford and we took trips out to the orange country in Riverside County. There were many stands along the roadway where you could buy fresh orange juice. For ten cents you could have as many refills as you could drink. This was out Highway 66 near Pomona, Claremont, etc. The orange groves have now disappeared and have been replaced by freeways and homes.
In retrospect an interesting event was a date Charlsie had with Ronald Reagan who later became President of the United States. He came to the apartment to pick her up. At that time he was just a young bit part actor working in Hollywood. Nothing came of the friendship.
Since Rosie worked closer to our apartment and got home earlier than the rest of us she usually got the meals and bought groceries. Our group now consisted of my sister Rose, Joan Cannon, Olga Koren and Charlsie Bryant and myself. Joan worked at McCann Erickson, an advertising agency in downtown Los Angeles. McCann Erickson, at that time, was in charge of producing the radio show Dr. Christian starring Jean Hersholt. Joan was the Producer of the series and one of the first women to fill that kind of a position.
In May of 1938 my sister Rose and Terry Bissinger, a graduate from the Cinematography Department, were married. The wedding took place in a small chapel in Hollywood. Terry's parents came out from Iowa and his father, who was a Methodist minister, officiated.
Charlsie also made different plans and so it was necessary for Joan, Olga and myself, to look for a smaller apartment. We found one that we liked in Hollywood on Gardner Street just off Sunset Boulevard. It was what they called a studio apartment with the two bedrooms and bath on the second floor. Downstairs consisted of a large front room which was heated by a gas wall heater. There was no heat in the large kitchen or upstairs.
Terry and Rose had moved to Wasco, a small town near Bakersfield, but came in town often for weekends, so they were able to stay with us occasionally. The commute was easy for Olga and me and Joan took the bus to downtown Los Angeles.
Mr. Finston did not come to the office early and liked to work long hours after most people had gone home. I found that my day did not end at 5:00 PM when most of the office employees went home. We often had dinner at the Executive dining room and then worked for several hours in the evening. I made good money but this left little time for social life.
Mr. Finston was a widower with two small girls. He had a girl friend who would occasionally pick him up after work and he would ask me ahead of time to take his car home. Olga, would then take my car home. On several occasions I would drive up late and park his black Cadillac convertible in front of our apartment house on Gardner. There were times when I caught the landlady peeking out the window, no doubt wondering what was going on. It was quite a thrill to drive the car. In the Bishop family history Chuck tells about the time he and Bob Rogers saw me in Hollywood in the car.
In September of 1938 I decided to leave MGM as the hours were long and I began to feel the strain. Joan also decided to take a vacation. We first thought of going to Hawaii but reservations were hard to get, so we decided on a trip to the East coast. I had my 1935 Ford Coupe and we made plans to go. When we arrived in Evanston Pop didn't think the Ford was in good enough condition for the trip because I had had problems with it the year before. He took me downtown to Gus Johnson's Garage and made a deal on the last 1939 Chevy they had in town. I paid $500 plus my 35 Ford which was a total of $950. I did not have that much money so Pop loaned me the money to help pay for the car.
Joan and I left Evanston in a brand new two door dark green sedan feeling confident and with lots of enthusiasm for our vacation. Between Evanston and Laramie, Wyoming, Hal Meyers, who was in Evanston visiting Grace, rode with us. There was a break- in speed of 35 miles an hour for cars at that time and we went all the way across Wyoming (350 miles) to Laramie with only an occasional break to 50 MPH. After visiting my former roomates, the Gould sisters and other Alpha Chi friends, we headed east.
This was both Joan and my first time to travel east of Cheyenne. We stayed at the Plains Hotel in Cheyenne. As guests of my friend Helen Crompton we had an antelope dinner at the tea room in the hotel. We also visited with another friend Katie Heward from Evanston. The next morning we were up at 6:00 AM. We had breakfast at the Capitol Grill followed by a tour of the capitol. We toured the Senate section where we saw my father's picture on the wall.
Our travels took us over lots of newly oiled and graveled road - Highway 66 - before and after Sidney, Nebraska. We stopped at North Platte for lunch at which time we changed from mountain to Central time. North Platte is the home of Buffalo Bill. The Platte River runs through town and we again were on concrete highway. The road ran mostly through corn country. We drove past Boys Town before reaching Omaha where we stayed over night. We stayed at an Auto Camp, as motels were called at that time. As we left Nebraska and crossed into Iowa we went over the Missouri River on our first toll bridge. The cost was 15 cents for the car and 5 cents for each passenger. We traveled through more corn country. Our next large town was Des Moines, Iowa. The streets were narrow and made of brick. The Capitol Building has an enormous gold dome. To us the cities all looked old and were not built for the traffic of that day.
At 10:30 PM we drove across the Mississippi River on a 15 cent toll bridge. Joan wanted to ask what river it was but we decided not to. That was a mistake! At East Moline we stopped for a snack and found that we were going south instead of north. At 12 Midnight we found ourselves back in Iowa crossing the Mississippi again. We had driven 60 miles out of our way and had crossed the Mississippi three times. At that point we drove on to Chicago arriving there at 5:30 AM. We were looking for the Palmer House to stay but didn't find it so decided to stay at the worlds largest hotel, the Stevens, which was right on Michigan Blvd. in the heart of town. By this time, having driven all night, we looked like two orphans. Our room was on the 23rd floor and cost $5.00 a night. The doorman took my car to the hotel garage. The cost was a dollar per day.
We slept a few hours, took baths and cleaned up and went to visit McCann Erickson offices. As producer of the "Dr. Christian" show staring Jean Hersholt, Joan was given royal treatment. Here we met Miss Cross, the office manager, who told us about the sights we should see in Chicago. We had dinner at the Williams Restaurant, about a block from the hotel, and went back to the "Old South" cocktail lounge at the Hotel. Joan called Cliff Lindahl, the brother of her friend Myrtle who lived in L.A. and he and a friend, John Walgren, met us at the lounge. We went dancing and sight seeing until 2 AM at which time we drove out to the Harbor and rowed out to John's sail boat. It turned out to be 33 feet long. It was almost morning by the time we got back to the hotel.
The next day we went after the car and took a drive down Lakeshore Drive past the Edgewater Beach Hotel and Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois. Cliff had invited us for dinner Sunday at his parents home in Aurora. The boys met us in Aurora and we followed them to the Lindahl's home. Mrs. Carlson and Cliff Carlson were also dinner guests. Mrs. Lindahl served a lovely chicken dinner. After dinner we looked at pictures Cliff had taken in Sweden. We stayed at their home that night.
The next morning we went sight seeing toward Oswego where we stopped to take pictures of cornfields. We then drove on to Yorktown. Mrs. Lindahl had a Swedish lunch for us when we got back. About 8 o'clock the four of us went down to the Rathskeller for a few drinks and dancing. From there we went to a Hawaiian place, getting home about 1 PM. We had a great time, but saw practically nothing of Chicago by daytime. They were both really nice fellows.
We were up at 6:30 the next morning and had a breakfast of peaches and cream, scrambled eggs and bacon and rolls and coffee. We had travelled 1870 miles. We had enjoyed Chicago but it was time to be on our way.
Our next city was Joliet. We took Highway 6 again, which at that point was a two lane highway but very good. Passed through more corn fields in Illinois. Went across the state border to Indiana about 9 A.M. We still had good two lane roads but some road work was being done. Stopped at a small restaurant for a hamburger just outside of Waterloo. It was hot as the devil and cars did not have air conditioning at that time. There was a stiff breeze blowing.
We crossed into Ohio around noon, reached Sandusky where we stopped for a coke and to stretch our legs. At this point we came upon Lake Erie. It was now nice and cool. We were on a wide highway with lots of trees and everything was green.
We followed along the lake until we reached Cleveland where we stopped to see Barbara Jewett, a friend of mine from the University of Wyoming. She was attending a nurse's training school. Next on to Erie. Now we had rain coming down like cats and dogs.
From there we crossed the N.Y. state line. There was less corn at this point and more vineyards. Goldenrod was blooming profusely in the wilder sections and the berries on the mountain ash were all red. The trees and undergrowth reminded us of Oregon some what - with bracken, ferns, etc. All along the highway there were little towns - most of them resort towns along Lake Erie with many large homes and prosperous looking farms. Many had advertisements for rooms for tourists. We were told that people prefer these to auto camps.
Rural service stations were not as nice in appearance as those we were accustomed to in California. We drove through Fredonia, N. Y. and on to Buffalo on Highway #20. Aunt Edith and Uncle Mortie Lewis (Florrie's brother and wife) were in Buffalo organizing a Police Ball. We met them and Aunt Edith took us to Niagara Falls in their car. Drove over an enormous bridge (toll 25 cents) over the Niagara River where we parked the car and walked over to the American Falls. Took an elevator down to the foot of the falls, took a boat up the river past American Falls and right up into the center of Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The mist was so heavy we had to wear oilskins and hoods furnished on the boat. There was a large rainbow through the mist. Stopped on the Canadian side to disembark and load Canadian passengers before stopping on the American side. Boat trip was 75 cents per person including slickers. Took elevator up and Aunt Edith took us to lunch at Louis' in Niagara. We drove out to Devil's Gorge and then to the Whirlpool where the Niagara River cuts back into hills and makes a complete turn. The water looked as if it were boiling. On our way back we passed dozens of chemical plants, a shredded wheat plant and the DuPont plant.
After leaving Aunt Edith we drove past Finger Lakes through miles and miles of hills where we stayed at a tourist home in West Winfield. Had a lovely room with bath for $3.00.
The next morning it was raining with lightening and thunder. It was impossible to travel over 35 or 40 miles per hour as the gravel roads were slippery. There were few cars on the highway. We saw lots of maple trees that looked like they had been painted red and yellow.
At Albany we turned and followed the Hudson river down to N.Y. City. The rain was still coming down in torrents. We crossed the Hudson river to Highway #9, arriving in N.Y. City at 5:30 PM. We drove down Broadway to Greenwich Village where we asked for directions to the St. Moritz Hotel. We drove clear back up to Central Park South and 6th Avenue. Made two definite observations: taxicabs own the town and pedestrians pay absolutely no attention to lights or traffic. Easily five cabs to every car. Registered at the St. Moritz Hotel, cleaned up and went for a walk down Broadway. Stopped in a Jack Dempsey restaurant where we had a scotch and soda. At the International Casino we had a bite to eat and went back to the hotel.
In the morning we went over to McCann Erickson's New York office. Again we were treated very nicely. We were shown around the offices and given the royal treatment. We went to the N.Y. Public Library and then went shopping. Joan bought a blue dress.
The following morning Lillian Steinfeld from McCann Erickson had arranged a tour for us through NBC. We had lunch at Childs Restaurant and on to a rehearsal of the radio program "Death Valley Days". At NBC we saw a very interesting exhibit on the new method of broadcasting called Television. We met Dorothy Barstow, head of production, at 5:30 PM in the Rainbow Room on top of the RCA building, for cocktails. It is considered one of the most beautiful night spots in the city. That evening Joan and I went to a movie at the Roxy and back to the hotel.
The next morning we checked out of the St. Moritz and moved to the Barbizon Plaza, a woman's hotel, which was much newer and more modern, only a block and a half away. After checking in we took the car and drove on the Express Highway. Took a ferry across the Hudson to New Jersey where we drove around for a while and then back through the Lincoln Tunnel to Greenwich Village. Had lunch at an upstairs Italian restaurant. The food was good but the surroundings were a little on the grubby side. We returned to the hotel, then went up to Fifth Avenue. I bought a purple dress and Joan a fur jacket.
That evening we went to a radio broadcast of Death Valley Days. Left there with Mr. McCann, Barstow, and the Campbells in Mr. McCann's car for a party at the Vanderbilt Hotel where they were having a birthday party honoring "Old Ranger" and "Death Valley Days" 9th year on radio. Clients, cast and some McCann people were there. Had a boy's trio entertaining and big birthday cake -all kinds of cocktails. Left there at 2 PM with Campbells, Ray Edwards and Hugh somebody. Next stop was the Biltmore where we met Horace Heidt and closed the place at 4 A.M. Ray took us back to the hotel.
Paul, from the office, awakened us at 10 AM. Had planned to go to the Worlds Fair but it was raining cats and dogs. He came over and took us to dinner at a French restaurant, then on to Radio City Music Hall.We were back to the hotel by 9 PM. I called for my car and we started out to find the Statue of Liberty. Went along docks, crossed Manhattan Bridge and back over Brooklyn Bridge where we picked up a boy from Provo, Utah and another boy from N.Y. Stopped and had cokes and chatted. They led us out to N.Y. University downtown branch and then to the Woolworth Bldg. Stopped at an Automat, which was something new for us, for coffee and doughnuts. From there we went back to our hotel.
The next morning it was still raining so we got the car and drove to the Fair over the Triborough Bridge. It was bitterly cold with only 20,000 people attending. Went to the Russian Bldg. and the State of Washington Bldg. and took a tour of the grounds on a sightseeing bus. Saw Billy Rose's Aquacade and the Swing Mikado with Bill Robinson. Had dinner at Schafer's Center and walked around to see the lights. Back to the hotel over the Triborough Bridge and through Harlem.
On Tuesday Joan went to a rehearsal at NBC for the Edison show and I went up to Loews to see Harry Link of Leo Feist music publishers. He offered me a job and gave me tickets for "Streets of Paris" and "Hells a Popping". Joan and I went to both on Wednesday.
Wednesday morning we checked out of the hotel and discovered that the car tools had been stolen. We took the Express highway out, then through Holland Tunnel out over Pulaski's Skyway in New Jersey. Stopped at Newark for lunch. Crossed on a Ferry from Pennsville, N.J. to New Castle in Delaware. We traveled about a half hour in Delaware and then on to Maryland. We were beginning to see lots of negroes in the fields and other signs that reminded us that we were in the South. The surrounding country was beautiful and green with trees everywhere. Passed through a large negro district in Baltimore. Didn't find a decent looking spot to eat so we drove ten miles toward Washington, D.C. where we had a delicious chicken dinner. From here on there was a beautiful big highway on into Washington past Chesapeake Bay. We arrived in Washington at 8:30 PM and stopped at an auto camp owned by the government on the banks of the Potomac.
The next morning we drove into Washington, had breakfast at Childs restaurant and headed for the White House. Walked around and over to the Washington Monument where we took an elevator to the top. From there we were able to get the lay of the land - a complete view of the Capitol and Government buildings, of the Potomac, Navy Yards, etc. We then strolled on up through the Smithsonian Institute and museum and on to the Capitol on a guided tour. We left there and went over to the Senate Office Building to see Senator Schwartz from Wyoming. He wasn't in but his Secretary gave us passes to the Senate Gallery. A boy from the Senator's office escorted us back to the Capitol through the subway and into the Senate where one of California's Senators was speaking. Stayed there about 45 minutes then took a cab over to where we had parked the car. Started for Mt. Vernon but landed at Arlington Cemetery. Discovered that Mt. Vernon closed at 4:45 PM but decided to drive out anyway. It is about ten miles the other side of Alexandria and a big divided highway right along the Potomac took you to it. Drove back to Alexandria and around the new Lincoln Memorial. Back to Washington and had dinner at the Almsted Grill.
Checked into the Burlington Hotel and then drove over to the Library of Congress where we saw the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, original lyrics of Star Spangled Banner and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Took a drive along the Potomac and back to the Hotel for the night.
The next morning we drove over to Senator Schwartz's office to see Jerry Housel (a lawyer friend from the University of Wyoming who was working in Schwartz's office). We had talked with Jerry the day before and he wanted to go with us west as far as New Orleans on our way home. We then drove to Mt. Vernon where we paid 25 cents admission. Walked all through the house and down by the tomb and through the grounds. Our slacks caused quite a disturbance because women in the East did not wear them at that time. We drove back to Washington to pick up Jerry. Saw another Wyoming boy, Bob Holiday, and we all took the subway to the Capitol and had lunch in a restaurant there.
Left Washington, with Jerry, and new maps around 4:30 PM. Drove out past the Lincoln Memorial, over the Arlington Memorial Bridge into Virginia. We were now on our return trip back to Los Angeles via the southern route. We went through beautiful country with small trees and lots of undergrowth. The roads were narrow but good. We drove on along the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We travelled miles and miles of winding road which gave us a complete view of the Shenandoah Valley but made very slow time.
Our first stop was in Lynchburg. We were going to stay at a hotel but asked a boy about cabins. He was going to a dance just across the street from what he said were the nicest cabins in town so we took him along to show us the way. He was a junior studying Law at Lynchburg College and had a true Virginian accent. The cabin we got was large, heated and had a bath. We were up during the night - heard noises and thought someone was trying to break in. Called the owner who came over and looked around. Must have been a rat. Around Lynchburg they raise corn, apples, etc. There were two girl's schools and two colleges. Lots of black people here. Everyone is friendly. They greet you all along the way. The road is narrow but in good condition - it was Sunday and all the natives seemed to be in Church. While going thru Dansville we listened to a Negro Church service on the radio. Aimie McPherson has competition was our thought.
We soon crossed the border into North Carolina. Mostly black people on the streets. Stopped for lunch at Winston Salem. Passed Lucky Strike warehouse outside and the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in the city. Waitress told us that is about their only industry. They also raise cotton in this area. We drove as far as Sylva that day where we stayed in a tourist camp on the west side of town. It was very nice with a big open fireplace and near a creek.
We were up early and started for Smoky Mt. National Park (a side trip). Went up to an elevation of 6000 feet. A monument at that point was given by the people of N. Carolina and Tennessee and also by John D. Rockefeller. The scenery was beautiful. The mountains were covered with small trees. We were beginning to see more cotton fields as we crossed into Georgia. The southern accents are much more pronounced now. We travelled on a two lane paved highway in Georgia. The weather became much warmer than we had all through the east.
We stopped at Atlanta for lunch and quizzed the waitress, who to our surprise, did not have much of a drawl to her speech. Walked around a few blocks and were called "breeches" by some young boys driving by. We saw many, many fields of cotton and lots of cotton mills. Cotton goods are manufactured at West Point while finished cotton apparel is made around Carrollton and Bowdon, Georgia according to an old timer. We reached Montgomery at lunch time where we had a fried chicken dinner. It was the nicest town we had seen in the South. It was much cleaner and more prosperous looking. We had gained an hour going west and continued on our way to Mobile Bay where we again stayed at an auto camp. Most of the houses have a filigree framework of metal around porches that give them a peculiar ornamental look. The streets were narrow and dirty and littered with junk. We had breakfast in an air conditioned restaurant where we were served "grits", a sort of cereal with butter on it.
We crossed Mississippi and Louisiana the next day and arrived in New Orleans around 4 PM. We came in on Canal Street which is the main street that runs through the heart of the city straight down to the docks. It was a very wide divided street. The side streets were extremely narrow, most of them one way. We registered at the Monteleone Hotel which was French Colonial style located on the edge of the French quarters.
After bathing and cleaning up we went down to the cocktail lounge which was very modern and had an orchestra and dance floor. We then called for the car and went to the train station and made reservations for Jerry to go to Denver. From there we went out to Tulane University passing many beautiful southern homes -also drove by the fruit docks. Next we took the car back and walked down into the French quarters - had a cocktail in the Plaza Royale where the courtyard was surrounded by ferns and palms. There is a statue of Stonewall Jackson. We had dinner at Mme. Bequies - an upstairs restaurant. Walked back through Pirates Alley and around places where Jean Lafitte lived and spent his time. Walked up Canal street where we saw the red NBC radio station.
Jerry called us early the next morning and we went for a walk down to the docks. Circled again around the French quarters - had breakfast at the hotel and checked out. We met a boy from Portland who was visiting New Orleans. He offered to show us around and we saw the Yacht Club and sea wall and the cemeteries where caskets are all above ground. Drove through the poor section of New Orleans and past the French market. Had a cocktail at the Court of Two Sisters where we dropped the young man off. Jerry by this time had decided to continue on the trip with us. We went to the depot and Jerry turned in his ticket to Denver.
We then headed for Baton Rouge some 80 miles to the west. Arrived there around 4:30 P.M. and drove all around L.S.U. which is very beautiful and in a lovely setting in the middle of some small lakes. They have a beautiful Law School and a circular stadium. Also drove past the new Capitol building which cost $5,000,000 and was built under Huey P. Long's sponsorship. We also saw the spot where he was later assassinated. One of the men working there showed us through the building which was the most beautiful we had ever seen. The House was in French and Spanish marble and the floors are made from Lava blocks from Mt. Vesuvius. The ceiling is gold leaf and the windows, ventilators, etc. are made of bronze. Everything tells a story of the history of Louisiana. We then drove down to see the old Capitol Bldg., had dinner and took a ferry across the Mississippi where we stayed at an auto camp on the outskirts of the town of Lake Charles.
It was now October 6, 1938. We had left Evanston September 18, having travelled many miles and seen lots of country and visited many important historical sites as well as met some very interesting people. We were up and on our way by 7:00 a.m. traveling west on Highway 90. We crossed the state line into Texas at 9:00 a.m. Our marshlands had disappeared and in their place were prairies, scattered groves of pine and lots of cattle. Also we were beginning to see a few ten gallon hats. We drove miles and miles on a straight highway so we were able to hold the car at 70 MPH for hours at a time. Our main stop was at Randolph Field where we stayed for an hour or so. We drove on to the town of Sanderson arriving there about l0:00 PM. All the cabins were taken so we went to a hotel for the night. Joan and I chased down a couple of cockroaches and finally got one under the slop jar and the other under a glass. We went to sleep feeling a little crawly.
Again the next morning we were up and on our way by 7:00 AM. The roads were marvelous in Texas, well marked and very little traffic. We stopped at Alpine where we planned to cut off the highway so we could go to Carlsbad Caverns. We discovered that at this time of the year they were only open for tours from 9:00 AM to l2 noon. Since it was a 200 mile side trip and we would have had to stay over until the next day we decided to drive on and headed for El Paso. Fifty miles east of El Paso we cut across the Rio Grande which is the border between the United States and Mexico. The Mexican road on top of the levee was gravel and in good condition when we started. However, later it took us across cotton fields and on a mud, single lane, bumpy road through the backyards of Mexican adobe huts to get into El Paso.
We checked in at a hotel and went to a cocktail lounge where we ordered a couple of rounds of scotch and soda. Texas was dry so we had to show credentials that we came from out of state. The proprietor told us that he had been fined three times for violating the liquor laws. Jerry had originally intended to go home to Laramie but then decided to come on to Los Angeles with
We left El Paso at 5:30 PM and drove to Safford, Arizona. The roads were narrow with big dips and poorly marked. We were now following route #70. We got to the outskirts of Safford at 12:15 AM and stopped at a nice tourist camp. We had gained p. I got the
Almost every weekend my three roommates and I put the cushions from the apartment in the back end of my l935 Ford and we took trips out to the orange country in Riverside County. There were many stands along the roadway where you could buy fresh orange juice. For ten cents you could have as many refills as you could drink. This was out Highway 66 near Pomona, Claremont, etc. The orange groves have now disappeared and have been replaced by
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