Eugene Robert Russell’s Diary of
a Trip South
June, 1947
Friday
Ralph
and I left for someplace south about at Texas. The first day we stopped at Nellies in Fort Dodge
and stayed over until Monday. Junior is
about my size and a pretty nice kid. We
left there at 9 o’clock and got
through on detours around Des Moines
because of the Great Flood at that time.
At Chilochothe,
Mo. we burnt out coil, drove all night and
arrived in Little Rock Ark.
at 4pm. Went roller skating and dancing at hill top
inn. With Donella and Leulla and Joan. Started West next morning, arrived in Kingfisher,
Oklahoma 8pm Wed June 11.
Thursday morning, Ralph and I went to the Farmers Elev. And he got a
trucking job. I couldn’t find one so I
asked truckers about jobs. Lined up a combine job for both of us in a week. Meanwhile I got a job at a Burns Elev.
C. I worked there about a week and a manlift fell 45 feet with me, badly hurt hand on rope. June 17th, Ralph left our combine
job in a couple of days for Colo.
taking car with him. I slept outside for
almost 4 weeks. I got a room at 212
S. Sixth Street.
A widow lady lived alone. Getting pretty well acquainted now and go skating nearly every
night. I bought shoe skates from
Rex, in Fort Dodge, IA.
On
a Sunday evening date I went to a show in El Reno. Got acquainted with Pat Neighbor Louis Okarche. She has a cute brother about 4 years. I got acquainted with Gene Leech and he is a
pretty nice kid. Went
skating together quite a bit.
Bill Julian and Nora Mills are a couple of
budding love-- Luella kids. The chuckwagon has become a favorite hangout after a show or
skating party. (It is a place decorated
up with guns and western stuff). I met
Frank and Tim Kuehn one Sunday and we went to Okarche and then to a dance in El
Reno, a town of about 10,000. I got transferred from the C to the Big Brown
Elevator and mill. Frank works in the
mill. The bandages were removed from my
hand July 14 but were sore for 2 or 3 weeks.
I had doctor Pendleton dress my hand. A girl from Minnesota
was his nurse. They live near St.
Cloud.
Fred
Loftis a guy that works at the mill with me has a 36
Chevy and we went on a date to El Reno. I had a date with a Betty Rush – a doctors daughter. I
have a new name now. They call me
Cherry, Tarzan, or Minnesota. I just answer to anything now. I got changed to unloading Boxcars of wheat
from oiler. I
met a Harry from Wadena, Minn.
He worked in Okarche. On Wed August 18,
I met a couple of kids from Okeene, Okla.
Who said they were going to Colo. I left that night and stayed with Jack Scott
near Okeene and left for Colo. on
Thursday. I was driving at 3 A.M. Friday morning when we reached Holyoke,
Colo.
We drove through Cheyenne Wells where Ralph had been for a week or
two. Got a blind date Friday night and
left for home about 12-midnight. Got here about 10 A.M. Sat. We drove a 41 Ford Convertible. Skating Rink closed for two weeks. Went to a party in Hennessey where the banker
got $107,000 in 20 years. Found a wrist
watch and lost it the same night swiping watermelons. Big Indian Pow-wow out at park for three days. Quite a attraction
in real attire.
Went to Okarche last Sunday the 30 of Aug. with Frank Kuehn in his
40 Chev.
Got a little happy and sick drank some hot beer. Sept 2.
Skating Rink opened today and there was a good crowd. I went to the city today to file for some
insurance with my lawyer on my hand. 3rd
Sept. Went with Frank
Kuehn to the city of Okarche and El Reno. Got
a date with Wilma Snow for tomorrow night. Sept 4.
Wilma was tied up so went out to chuckwagon
with Fred Loftis.
Sept 5. The races are on but I
never went out. 6th
Sept. Sat went with Frank to Okarche and
saw a double header ballgame. Got home
at 2 A.M. after a few beer.
7th
Sept. Waited after church at 212 So. Lin St. for
the guy to come up from the city.
Got here about 6am should be a
$300 settlement. Got
the settlement Tuesday the 9 of Sept.
went to Murphy-Firestone—Lawyers Wed. Started at 6
o’clock hiking and junk men gave me ride to El
Reno. And a
couple from Wisconsin gave me a
ride to Amarillo, Texas. James Connelly of Claremont, Calif. A soldier picked me up at Amarillo,
Texas and I rode with him to Colo.
Springs, Colo. at 2:00. He
let me drive most of the way as he was very tired. I took a bus to Denver
and at 6am I took a buss just outside
to Layfayete and in between rain I hitched 4 rides
about 50 miles to Fort Collins
about there 3 hours. Finally
a gas transport through Cheyenne on to Casper. Took me a while and
finally I caught a big 300 horse internoted truck
transport. Got in Riverton at 8 PM thurs
night took hotel room Fri. Got up at 10
o’clock and Charles Jennings picked me up
at 3 o’clock. Ralph had the car
apart at Peck’s Dairy and I saw him when he came over that night. Sat. Sept 13th. Layed linoleum in Jennings new house. Went to
town bought new pair of shoes.
Sunday 14-Ralph
came over to Jennings after
church. I watched him milk that
night. Sept Mon 15th. First day I worked for Jennings. Dug a hole to put tank in. Put haystacker
on. Windy. Tues 16th. Stacked beans in morning. Windy afternoon fastened shingles on
house. Wed. 17th. Rained most of day. Put cleats on roof. Thurs. Finished roof and dug pit. Fri. Took 50 sheep to town all
the lambs and ewes. Sat. Cool clear
day. Stacked beans at fullers. Sun. Warm, nice. Went to 8:00
church. Ralph came over and went
to show in Riverton. Played
pool. Mon. Stacked beans at Davies, very good
dinner. Thur. I mowed hay with mower and we started pulling
sugar beets. Friday – I saw a new K list
beet topper and puller about $4000 dollars worth. Sat. Hauled sugar beets today and I topped for a
while. Received check from Davies for
$18.75 2 and ¾ days been help.
Sun. Ralph came over
from Pecks to show. Monday, 29th,
I stacked two stacks of alfalfa hay today one real larger one. 30 Tuesday. Last day of Sept finished stacking two stacks
of hay today. Cloudy. We were topping and hauling beets again
today. Clear—nice. Oct 3, Fri. Very windy. Got beets and topped today. Went to sale barn for
awhile. Oct 4. I topped 4 ton of beets this morning and I
helped load this afternoon.
Sun, Oct 5. I listened to the Brooklyn Dodgers defeat the
Yankees 8-5 in the Sixth game of the World Series. Ralph came over. Got a letter from Dad. Mon Oct. 5.
We topped 4 loads of beets today.
Charley is sick. Yankees won the
World Series in 7 games (4-3) 5-2 over the Dodgers. Lost a malted milk bet to Ralph J. [Jennings]. Clear, nice.
Tuesday, Oct 7. Clear cool. We topped more beets today. I run the belt
loader. Wednesday.
Windy, cool. In
the morning at 3 AM, I woke up to find
milk pails blowing around the yard. Back
to bed, up at six, I dropped a couple of beets from loader and cut and bruised
Mr. Davies mouth accident. Saw new J. D.
Beet Topper. Thursday, October 9th. Topped 5 ton of beets. Ranchers are shipping cattle at Dalefoler S. Yards.
Friday 10th—was topped beets and called Ralph up. Sat 11th. Rained the first time in a
couple of months. Went to Pallwan to see a giant Dragline. Digging a government
irrigation channel. It was as big
as 2 or 3 room houses. Cloudy and raining.
Sun. Ralph came over
and he left at about 4pm. Mon. Got two new Mexican
National from Mexico
City and I had to try to start them working.
Tues.
Got 331 ewes sheep from stockyards and drove them home. Harvested beets.
Miss Wilma
Snow, Box 296, Kingfisher, Okla.
Joyce Russell
128 Clark St. [Mankato]
Dr. Conway.
Wed. Got the Mexicans started topping. Trip and have already made plans for leaving
tomorrow. Ralph came over and went to
mission. Thursday. I got up at 6
AM. Clear. Hitched to Shoshoni and took a bus.
Hitched to Rapid City. Very interesting road in
tunnels and winding 8 roads. With
Rooney Ross, a Texas oil man from
Casper, Wyo. Going to join in Air Force. Got a ticket to Huron, at Rapid City. Went as far as Huron SD. On buss and hitched to home at 4PM. Sat. Helped with
beans finished combining beans. I took Glen in to a party. Paul has grew a lot
in three months.
Sunday. Went to both masses and the church dinner at 1:00. Mon. Clear, Windy.
Went to town and met some kids. Tues. Called Joyce up. Dad
got a 40 Plymouth at Faribault. Wed. Cool clear windy. Burned and raked bean stew. Started placing bean
ground. Practices in all Star cast a play. Thursday. Rained all day. Put
on All Star cast for high school. $16 on clothes.
Friday went to Rochester and
messed around. Sat. Got horses from
pastures and had Milo haul them. Listen to Michigan
Minnesota Game (13-6). Wrote a letter to Shirley.
Sunday Oct 26,
Talked to Pat Salmon after Church. Berta and her are at M Business
College. Went to see
Joyce at Mankato. Monday
27. Rainy all
day. Went to Dodge Center. Tues 28. Went with Plymouth
to Mankato to look college over and
see Joyce. Went to
show with Ruth Sullivan. 11PM. Wednesday. Picked 2 loads of corn.
Went to Presb. Church
Supper. Rainy. Thursday. Cloudy. Unloaded about 8 loads of
corn. Made a cake—very good.
October 31. Halloween. Dear diary.
Met Joan Adams and went to Owat-Rochester
game. Stals B.
haystack burned. Herb Engler barn wrecked.
Joan is nice kid. Nov 1. Effects of Halloween are very apparent. Went to Church—Holy day. Cloudy.
Nov 2. Sunday went to church and then I helped Dad
get started picking corn at Bigelows and then went to
town. Nov. 3. Shoveled corn for Force. Clear, Cool. Nov 4 – Started and picked one load of corn
before dinner. Raining. Nov 5.
Went to Faribault bought
overcoat and sweater, $40. Joan Adams
was sick and so Willie Mert and I got dates in
Kasson. I like Lelu
Wright, Box 41, Kasson. Nov 6. Very chilly cloudy. Took Plymouth to Faribault to get
ring job. Shoveled
corn in the afternoon at Voices.
Dad got call that Aunt Rose died.
Nov 7. Mother left to go to Aunt Roses funeral and I have got a phone call from Joan saying
she is busy. Very
Cold. First
hard millery frost. Snow. Nov 8. Cold Nothing doing. Went to Kasson.
Nov 9. Sun. Joan called.
Lela crossed me up and I went to show.
10. Ray Kleugberger
killed in accident. Picked corn at
Voices finished. 11. Armistice day. Cold. picked at Cains. I shoveled snowing.
12. Wed. Got started packing at Cains. Bus
picked up mother. 13. They started picking at Bailey. Started chores for Bob
Ryan. Friday. Barb, Dixie and Chuck
left at 3AM. Went to class play. I did chores Sat. Did chores listened
to game saw Curtis in W. Concord.
Sunday. Missed church
went home and ran in ditch twice. Very dry. Mon. Went to
basketball practice and it is cold. Wednesday. Played
Kenyon and won 32 to 29. I got 1
point. Bob and Dixie
got home last night with deer. I got
thirty bucks. Thursday. I had a date with Catherine Peterson of Princeton. Got home at 4 AM. Friday Paul went to Eyota
and played basketball they were beaten. Sat. Cold and we went
to Owatonna shopping. I bought a yellow scarf and pair of zippered
overshoes. Minnesota
beat Wisconsin 21-0.
Sunday went to 10:30
Mass had a big dinner. Monday. Snowed a
little and had basketball practice. The
400 ran off the track at 11 PM they
worked 18 hours. Tuesday went to Owatonna
bowling. Willie and
Ann. Wednesday: Got home at 2AM
from a date with Cathie P. Played West
Concord independents and beat them 41 to
28. I scored 9 points. Skeets 13. Willie 10. Thursday. Thanksgiving Joyce came home. Friday. Did chores and nothing in
general. Saturday. Went to Owatonna
and I saw Kathy.
Sunday. Took Joyce back to Owatonna to catch
the bus there. Monday. Basketball practice and I got home about
12. Tues. Saw Claremont Wanamingo
game 30-37. 23-25. Wednesday, the independents beat Byron
27-40. I got 6 points. Thursday, went bowling with Al Tur and Willie Thieman. Friday, got a big snow and saw C.H.S. defeat
Hayfield 40-34. Sat. Went to Owatonna. Had a date with Kathie. Went to show.
Sun. Went to church
and then left for Owatonna in car
and it was snowing and pavement were very slippery. Saw
one bus that had overturned. Monday, Dec
8. I slept in hotel Ben Pay last
night. Went down to
register at T. C. [Teacher’s College].
I got there at 7.20 and was 68 in no.
Mr. Morris Nelson located me a room at 709
North 5th street (709
035-R3) at Frowed’s. My room mate is Elenor.