_April 27th, 1908._
Eureka, I’ve found it—the Great Idea—the craziest scheme that ever
popped into a woman’s head!
We’re going home—back to California on a tandem bicycle. We’ll carry a
cooking and sleeping outfit with us, stop wherever the night finds us,
work when we can get it, and somehow, with God’s help, we’ll win
through.
And it has come about in the strangest way. Dan got a chance to help a
man he knows clean out an old barn which is to be converted into a
garage, and in the loft along with the accumulation of years, they ran
across a tandem bicycle which is in excellent condition. The owner gave
it to Dan’s friend who thought he could sell it for something, even
though cycling is out of date.
When Dan told me of the occurrence an intense longing for the open road
leading into the west surged over me, but I could see no way of securing
the wheel since our funds totalled less than five dollars.
Then I said to myself, “There is a way. You must find it,” and
resolutely set my subconscious mind to the task.
A day passed and another. Then over the threshold of consciousness came
the recollection of my one cherished possession—a beautiful opera cloak.
On that fateful morning in April, 1906, after the rush to escape from
the tottering building, I found myself on the streets of San Francisco
in somewhat scanty attire, but folded warmly in my new biscuit-coloured
evening wrap. Many thanks I offered up for its protection in the chilly
days and nights that followed. Then, when conditions had returned
somewhat to normal, a good cleaning and remodelling restored almost its
pristine glory, and again it gave good service on the honeymoon. While
the panic was sweeping away all our possessions, I laid it aside,
resolved that it at least should be retained throughout the storm.
But a sterner necessity compelled, so taking it from the drawer, I
wended my way to Oak Street and there held a colloquy with our friend’s
wife. The cloak caught her fancy at once, the bargain was struck, and I
trundled home my prize in triumph, to lean it carefully near the door of
our crowded quarters.
Here at dusk, Dan, entering hurriedly, collided violently with an
outstanding pedal. He hopped agilely about on one foot, clasping his
left shin in an affectionate embrace.
“What in hades is that thing I just fell over?” he demanded hotly.
“That? Why, that’s our through ticket to California.”
As I turned up the ineffective gas jet he recognised the graceful lines
of the machine.
“Well, I’ll be darned!” he ejaculated. “So you got the blooming thing
from Dave, did you? How’d you manage it? And what do you mean, anyway,
by a ticket to California? You can’t be aiming to ride that
contraption.”
“Don’t you dare to call my beautiful green tandem a contraption. You’ll
be glad enough to take your seat on a bicycle built for two as soon as
I’ve explained my perfectly scrumptious scheme to you. We’ll fix up a
light cooking outfit, tie our blankets on behind, and away we’ll glide
out into the west. We’ll work along the way and have lots of interesting
experiences; I’ll get rid of this tiresome cough, and after awhile we’ll
get home—home, do you hear? Back to California.”
“Ride that thing to California! Why think of the country between here
and the coast; look at the desert, look at the Rocky Mountains, to say
nothing of the little old Coast Range. What do you think I am, anyhow, a
cross between a camel and a mountain goat?”
“I’ll be sure you’re all goat if you butt into my cherished plan in that
rude fashion,” I responded gaily. “Never mind. Wait till your shin feels
better and you’ve had something to eat and we’ll talk it over.”
I drew the table closer to our tiny stove and set out the meal while Dan
prepared for supper.
“You remember my telling you about that poor little couple that I used
to see at the Public Library,” I began when we were comfortably settled,
“the ones that used to come in about two or three o’clock and go off in
a corner somewhere to eat a bit of lunch when the librarian wasn’t
looking? She’s been going down very fast for the last few weeks, hasn’t
been able to look for work at all, but waited in the library till he
came in, half crazy from the continued failure to find anything, and
then she’d try to comfort him while they shared the part of a loaf of
bread that she’d have hidden beneath her old cape.
“When I was warming up in the library this morning she was coughing
terribly and I talked her into trying the charity hospitals again. It
seemed as if they must take her. You know she went a while back, but
couldn’t get in; she was an ambulatory case. He came in about noon, all
used up and they didn’t have even a crust of bread.
“We started out and just on the edge of the sidewalk she had a
hemorrhage and before we could get the ambulance she was dead. I had
taken her in my arms, her little body was light as a feather.” My voice
failed.
“I’ll never forget the look in his eyes when he realised that she was
dead.... Dan, I can’t die as she did. Before I go I want to see the open
fields, feel the soft earth beneath my feet, draw a few breaths of real
air. Since I’ve lived in this slum I’m getting so I can’t even believe
in God.”
“Ethel, you’re getting morbid. What’s all this talk about dying? You’re
simply upset over these people’s trouble.”
“No, I’m not morbid, Danny boy. I hate to tell you, but Doctor Graves
says I have consumption and must go back to California at once if I’m to
get well.”
“What utter nonsense. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever seen. It’s
ridiculous to talk of a strapping girl like you having consumption.”
“I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’m afraid it’s true just the same.
I’ve had a good many symptoms ... but I won’t die like an animal in a
trap. I won’t die in this pest hole. I’ve a fighting chance and I’m
going to take it. We’ll ride that tandem west or die in the attempt.
When I think of the terrors of the journey, the miles and miles of
desert that I know so well, when I picture those tremendous mountains,
my heart almost fails me, but nothing, nothing can be so terrible, so
horrible to our souls as well as destructive to our bodies as these
loathsome slums.
“We’ve got to get away from here, Dan. That’s all. And I believe we can
go to California on that wheel. I’ve heard of people making the journey
on foot, and in the early days whole families went with all sorts of
conveyances. What we need is a little nerve and grit like the pioneers.”
Well into the night we argued, until Dan was finally silenced, if not
fully convinced.
Then the question of equipment confronted us. A matter of a few tools
for repairs on the journey, an extra tire and other insurance against
accidents reduced our finances almost to zero. Also the problem of bulk
and weight is a serious matter when clothing, bedding, cooking utensils
and other necessaries must be carried on one small frame.
As usual, the front seat of the bicycle is arranged for the woman, and
on the handle bars we have rigged a holder for the cooking outfit. This
consists of a heavy frying pan with the handle removed, a fair-sized
potato kettle with bail, useful for carrying water, nested inside, and
within that again a strong tin pan with close-fitting cover which may be
used as coffee pot, cocoa kettle or dish pan as occasion warrants. Dan
has a pair of long-handled pliers to remove these from the fire. Inside
the pan lie two tin plates and two tin cups for coffee; also a couple of
forks, a sharp steel knife, one large and two small spoons and a small
tin of salt. A cocoa can of sugar, one of coffee and one of cocoa fit
together very nicely and complete the collection. Directly on the rack
rest two heavy pieces of wire sharpened at the ends which are bent at
right angles to the body, forming prongs about nine inches long. When
the points of these prongs are driven into the ground so that the
lengths are parallel and about eight inches apart, a convenient little
support for frying pan and kettle is formed, under which a small fire
can be kindled to great advantage.
Then Dan contrived a case to fit within the body of the frame, which,
with careful packing, holds a small emergency case, fitted with simple
instruments, bandages, etc., a few toilet necessities and a change of
hose and underwear for each.
Behind the rear seat there is a large rack with leather straps for
bedding, which is our worst problem. Dan made a trip to a big machine
shop and returned triumphant with two large sheets of black oilcloth
which had covered electrical equipment. To each sheet I sewed a woollen
blanket, thus giving our future bed protection from damp above and
below. When an extra shirt for Dan and a waist for myself was added to
this bed roll, we found that we could just crowd in one soft old blanket
for extra covering. When I consider sleeping on the ground with a
combination oilcloth and woollen blanket below, and the two blankets
above, my teeth fairly chatter with anticipation. But even a frozen
death would be preferable to our present hopeless existence.
Inasmuch as our rent is due next Sunday, May 3rd, we have decided to
start on that date. What the future holds, God alone knows, but at least
we will live in the open, which will compensate for much.