23 A Horse Afraid of Traffic

Outside of Chicago Clara showed she was afraid of traffic.

June 5, 1929
     Stayed all night with Mr. Miller 22 miles east of Chicago Heights. Will reach the Heights by night time. It was the last time I slept all the way through without being cold or waking up. I had a wonderful bed in the hay. Mr. John Miller, Hobart, Ind, Rt 2. Walked all day, today leading the horse. Landed here in Highland. Clara is afraid of all sorts of things.

June 6, 1929
     Stayed at Mr. Alex Black’s night of 6-5-29. Mr. Alex Black, Highland, Ind. Arrived at Chicago Stock yard at 6:30pm. I certainly did push the old girl today. Pushed about 35 miles. Will try to sell her as soon as I can. I put in a hard day. Between walking and handling a horse that is afraid of everything but itself, I am quite tired.
     I came in through the heaviest traffic of the day on Holstead Street between 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Tonight I have a room at the YMCA. The YMCA is a hotel and God how I will enjoy that bed and most of all with a bath, feel like heaven to me. I am absolutely black from the accumulation of the dirt from 3 states on my legs. I hope I land something to do tomorrow. I don’t care what it is.  Fred English. He arrived in Chicago.

June 7, 1929.
     I gave Clara away for feed bill. The saddle: got $10.00  on Saturday afternoon

June 8, 1929
     I worked 3 hours and made $1.75 removing fixtures out of a bankrupt store. Sunday Evening I gave a travel talk to a club in the YMCA hotel. The club was giving a supper and I was invited as one of the speakers. Earl. E. Miller 803 W Empire St. Freeport Ill. Manager of the Pool Hall H. Sheldon 348 Florida St. Milwaukie Was.

June 10, 1929
     Am on my way to Glacier National Park. Walking and hitchhiking. Left Chicago morning of 6-10-29. Got lift as far as Freeport, Ill. Slept in a barn outside of Freeport, Ill and ate a half can of beans for breakfast morning of 6-10 hitch hiked as far as Waterloo. It rained and poured down all day. I hardly know where I will stay tonight as it is going to rain.
     Met a fellow who brought me from Dubuque today. He told me that I would be able to get a job in Yellowstone because I look so much like a real westerner.

June 11, 1929
     Stopping all night in Parkersburg. Just about got lost so I came back and stayed all night in town. It was a good thing I did though. It will cost over a dollar but I cannot afford to make a mistake like that again.

June 12, 1929
     Traveled from Parkersburg to Schaller. May be able to get a lift farther on but doubt it. John Lahars, Cushing Iowa. Rode to Sioux City, Iowa with Mr. Lahars. I had been riding on top of the cab of a stock truck. He offered to bring me into town. Watch him unload a bunch of hogs at the stockyard. Stock is trucked into Sioux City for hundreds of miles around. I certainly have had good luck coming from Chicago to Sioux City in three days. About 550 or 600 miles within that time. Will see if I beat my mail here tomorrow morning and then be on my way across Nebraska.

June 13, 1929
     Rex Dunham 1616 Dakota Ave, South Sioux City, Nebr. Rode with Mr. Dunham to with in 6 miles of Belden. Then I walked into Dolmen. Took picture of Main Street. M. H. Field mayor, Madison Nebraska, Ed Hide, Policeman, Madison, Nebraska, I arrived in Columbus Nebr at 9PM. Walked out to park along the river. Slept under roof built above a camp store.
     L. M. Samples 1433 R Street Lincoln, Neb Superintendent of Schools

June 14, 1929
     Had hard plugging all day. Left Columbus Nebr. Carried to Central City.  Had to walk all the way from Central City to Chapman, a distance of 11 miles during the heat of noonday. By good luck reached Wood River in the evening. Made 92 miles today.
     At noon today when my feet were burning from the blisters and hungry and thirsty, my heart almost failed me. It certainly takes guts to hold on. I shaved off my beard in Grand Island. I arrived at the conclusion that people out in this country are afraid – not suspicious of a stranger. I will test out the question “Can a clean shaven man make better time over the highway than one bearded?”